what MA to choose?

[woot]

first of all im glad to join this site wich is very good to get interesting information, just today i got an incentive to join a MA, wich i was waiting for because we had some money problems and really couldnt afford it

guess now i can =D

well leaving my background behind, i got the problem that near my house there are a lot of schools of MA some of the same kind, so i dont know wich one to choose. i can choose between Hankido (no idea what hankido is, would be nice if u could tell me). aikido (not so sure about aikido i would like to be more offensive, not exactly the pacific tipe, i think one of the aikido is called Aikido Aikikai if thats any help), Karate Do Goju Ryu (what kind of karate is this???, how is karate compared to the other MA and specifically hapkido wich im interested on), Karate Do Gojudo (no idea what this is),kung fu (is kung fu any good? the one near me is Shaolin Kung Fu but it sounds kind of pacific...) and lastly hapkido, wich is really geting my attention, because it mixes all the other MA and its kinda offensive compared to aikido.

well i know thats a lot of description and questions made, but i really could use some guidance and would really apreciate any help.

sorry if i had some grammar errors, im from chile south america and english isnt ma main lenguage

u can see how desesperate i am for help that i came to a foreign site lol

thx in advance

[woot]

since no one answered, ill change the question. what is hankido and kung fu shaolin, and the pro and con of each would be nice

[bushido_man96]

Well, if you are already leaning toward Hapkido, go for it. But, you could go watch one class of each of the schools, and then make your decision. There are enough people on this site that you could find out what the specifics of each of these styles is about, but you won't find out what the instructor is like, unless you observe a class.

That is my suggestion.

[cathal]

You're lucky to have so many martial art schools in your area. I agree with bushido-man96, go to each school and check out a class, even chat with the instructor or other students.

In a way you're trying it on, much the same way when you purchase shoes.

[lordtariel]

Pick the one with the best instructor. A good instructor in a system you're not too interested in is far better than a bad instructor in an art you really like.

[bushido_man96]

Pick the one with the best instructor. A good instructor in a system you're not too interested in is far better than a bad instructor in an art you really like.

That's good advice.

[woot]

well ive decided and im between shaolin kung fu aikido , hankido(not hapkido)

and Aikido Aikikai , i read everywhere that aikido is like... peacefull and spiritual and wont help me much on the street (more like throwing the guy on the floor and not "owning" him by breaking every bone in his body)

i went to a shaolin kung fu class but it wasnt in a gym, it was on the open field so i decided not to do it

i still dont knwo what hankido is but i would really like to do hapkido even if i cant, and they say hankido is kinda like hapkido what u think??

aikido or hankido?

[cathal]

I've seen fights in Aikido and they haven't been as light as you've probably been thinking. They can be as brutal as any other fight. The difference is in the philosophies. Aikido is also an internal art (focusing on the mind as well).

I honestly don't know much about Hankido aside from knowing it's a Korean art which is often confused with dance.

[woot]

sorry to bother u guys so much but i went to aikido and i hated it,

i just want to know what "shaoling kung fu" is and if its any good

the teacher on kung fu is a 4th thuan (thats what it says no idea what it means) and he does the (some weird animal i dont remember), the snake and the tiger (dunno what it means either)

i think this is my last question thx for answering all the times tough

[MizuRyu]

Every system can be brutally effective, that's why they're martial arts, they were developed for martial purposes. Typically speaking, Shaolin takes a good deal of time to be proficient, but it's a highly varied and very adaptable system. It's extremely rare to find a quality traditional Shaolin teacher, and even harder to gain even close to the level of proficiency of the actual Shaolin monks and secular disciples, due to the fact that they train 7 days a week, nearly all day long. It's a powerful system with ancient and fascinating roots, I'd personally love to take it but there are no schools in my area.