Martial Arts decision?? Help

[drunken.master]

I would pick karate. I am biased towards it as I have been practicing since 1984, but it is a great all-around art. Strong with defense and most schools will teach you many weapons as you go up in rank. I have been using many of the Wushu weapons for over 10 years through my school.

Mainly though, the decision is yours. You get out of it what you put into it.

[KarateChick06]

I would go with karate. For one thing, you can use the art in self defense when you don't have a weapon (face it, they won't let you go into an airport or movie theater with a weapon), and also, some karate schools teach weapons to their students. In this way, you would get a bit of weapons training which you could then improve on by joining Kendo when you move out.

[RDsynMBZ]

at my karate school we have advanced classes u can attend once a week and they teach weapons im learin how to use a bokken and a cane and witha cane u legally can bring with u anywhere, even airplanes so i would look for a karate school or just a martial arts school that can also offer u weapons training as well

[24fightingchickens]

Hi I have parents that will not let me learn more than one martial arts because of school and other activities. So i have decided to beg them to do either Kendo or Shorin-Ryu Karate. I have did my homework on both these dojos and they are great, sadly I do not know which to choose.

Can I get someone's opinion? Im leaning towards karate because I can use that as self defense. Though I think Kendo would be quite fun and im in love with samurais.

Pick karate. I will give you a different reason to choose it over kendo, even though I think Kendo would be more fun and require less investment over the long term.

The reason? You said "I'm in love with samurais."

Do not be in love with the samurai of Japan. Historically, they were cruel totalitarians who were brutal, racist, and xenophobic. Everything they believed in and stood for was the opposite of what we believe in our societies today.

The samurai did not believe in freedom of speech, religion, the press, nor any of our other rights. They believed people were born into their class, and everyone needed to be willing to die for no reason at all in a terrible way just to entertain someone if necessary.

The samurai thought that life had no value. They only valued duty. They would kill a peasant just because he looked at them wrong or because the sword hadn't seen blood for a while.

The samurai were famous for slaughtering any foreigner that washed up on the shores of Japan.

The samurai were stubbon and insular - rejecting guns and other technology in favor of time-honored traditions which led to Japan finding herself at America's mercy in 1854 when Perry sailed into Edo Bay with his gunships.

If we consider world history, and the great accomplishments of mankind, we find that they exist in most countries other than Japan until the 20th century. The reason for this, I believe, is Japan's historical use of fuedalism and the oppressive atmosphere of their society.

Kendo has nothing to do with samurai or Japanese sword play. It is a game Japanese children play with some bamboo sticks and armor. Learning kendo would not bring you closer to the samurai, and for that you should probably thank God, because one of them would kill you where you stand for saying the word "samurai' if he were brought back from the distant past to meet you.

The samurai way was a culture of death.

The more I have read about them through the years, the more they disgust me.

[RDsynMBZ]

hey to the person wantin to take up kendo and or karate i would truly still pick wht u feel is best for u and i also know about the samurai and yes they were a bunch of killers, but why should and unbiased opinion of another discourage u to not take up kendo, kendo is japanese fencing and it is a remarkable sport i would take it if i had the chance, i took bokken classes and u learn the way of the sword that the samurai did now we dont take it to the extreme as them but its a beautiful art and i would recommend taking it or if u really want karate take that i take it and i love it so choose wht u feel is best

[Takeda Shingen]

imho: Go with the best Sensei/dojo...one who is objective, does not let personal opinion taint your own perspective, teaches with understanding, and leads by example. This is true with anything you wish to learn. Someone shows you the various ways - YOU choose your own path. This is the beauty of America and its great society.

Though I would agree that Karate will teach you a lot about basics to better understand your own body/movements/strengths/weaknesses - you can also learn much from Kendo - similar to Western fencing - not for killing, but as a sport.

With regard to Samurai interest...go for it...but like any other pursuit - going native and mindless worship can have its drawbacks. Check out: The Ways of the Samurai by Carol Gaskin, Vince Hawkins. Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, William Scott Wilson.

Bushido: The Way of the Samurai by Tsunetomo Yamamoto. Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi and many others in your local library.

Good references on how these amazing people - not just men - focused discipline from Bushido;Confucian ethics, Zen, culture, training, lifestyle, and the attendant weapons and ways/reasons for their code of honor.

Finally, US society - taking its cue from democracy - a Greek concept. Read about Plato, Socrates, and while you are at it the origins of Xenophobia - fear of outsiders, the unknown; literally meaning "fear of the strange".

Another Western/Greek phenom - Spartans. Good parallels between them and Samurai. I guess the Japanese did not have a monopoly on all that "nasty" stuff. We all can learn from the good and bad of humanity.

Once again, YOU decide what is best for YOU.

Best of luck...regards.

Osu.

TS

[shogeri]

I would go with Hung Gar Kung Fu, or perhaps Wing Chun, or Taijiquan Chinese Boxing.

However, since the choice is between Shorin Ryu and Kendo, I would choose Karate, since that will give a sense of the basics that are applicable to many things. You can adapt your kata to that of holding knives, and or sticks or double sticks. You can even adapt a kata to use a bo (staff).

Kendo in many respects is a subset or furtherance of karate. They are budo, and will teach similar things.

True karate is adaptable and malleable. It evolves. Kendo pretty much will remain the same.

Just some thoughts..others will vary.

[RKOSMIC1]

go for Karate first, and if you can show them you are capable add in Kendo =]

[Chado]

At the basic level if you want to 'do stuff' you will be doing it faster in Karate. In Kendo you may not get to spar for 6 months after joining. You will spend the first while doing a lot of foot work and swinging a shinai until your arms feel like they are going to fall off (mine haven't yet...but they sure felt like it!)

I wanted to do Kenjutsu, but there is no place even remotely close that teaches it. I drive 30 minutes to train in Kendo and I drive 1 hour and 30 minutes to karate to train (I have taken a leave of absense for a new job I took up about 3 months ago, I've been acting like a Ronin and wandering school to school to spar since then so that I don't become a sluggard).

You said you are in school and made reference to your parents allowing you only one martial art. This implies that you are rather young (sorry if I'm mistaken) and therefore i think you will have more fun at karate. Don't get me wrong, kendo is great, you will actually get a 'black belt' in kendo faster than karate...but I fear you may loose interest with your sword swinging and quit before you get to beat up others with your stick

Practice hard at whatever you choose and take care!

Chado

[MJC The Great]

Choose Karate. Although Kendo is great, you need to be able to handle yourself without a weapon! That's all I have to say!