How would you convince somone to train Karate over..

[Shojiko]

What explanation would you offer if someone asked you which martial art they should learn for self defense or fighting? How would you explain the advantages and disadvantages of Karate over other martial arts like BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing?

[LionsDen]

I’d say

“If you find a good dojo, karate will make you one of the most well rounded, you can be from a single martial art. You’ll learn striking, as well as basic and rudimentary grappling, which will set you up with a good base knowledge of grappling to move into a grappling focused martial art.”

[Shojiko]

a strong response

I'd like to add to the original topic with a follow-up question that one might ask if it concerns Karate.

What if the person responds, "Well, at least the other arts don't make you practice those dance sequences you call Kata, I'm not sure how that would help me learn to fight or protect myself."

[sensei8]

What explanation could I ever offer that they've might've already heard before?? Any explanation could only come across like some used car salesman. No. Explanations take the back seat to experiencing.

One needs to experience what you've to offer. To experience, one's going to have to get on the floor, and proof is on the floor, not in cheap handed rigmarole.

Imho.

[crash]

my answer would depend completely on the individual, are they active already?, do they posses physical strength, cardio, etc...?... if they are wanting to learn for self defense / fighting only, then why?.....if they feel like they need to learn because they are in a dangerous area, bullied, or so on an on then i would probably recommend boxing, or wrestling, both of which will build strength and cardio along with fighting / controlling an aggressor.

physical fitness, cardio and strength are a major part of actual self defense that most dojo's dont focus on. dont matter how good you can hit or kick, if you cant go 5 or 10 minutes in an actual fight you WILL lose, (unless you get a really lucky shot in...lol), so my answer would be individual specific as far as for self defense only or as the main reason of interest.

learning the mechanics of karate, punches, kicks, blocks..is just repetition, getting oneself actually fit, strong, well balanced, etc... is a change of lifestyle that only the dedicated will continue to follow, so for a newbie it is sometimes easier if that is combined in a more useful program that unfortunately most dojo's dont incorporate where as a boxing gym does.

[LionsDen]

What explanation could I ever offer that they've might've already heard before?? Any explanation could only come across like some used car salesman. No. Explanations take the back seat to experiencing.

One needs to experience what you've to offer. To experience, one's going to have to get on the floor, and proof is on the floor, not in cheap handed rigmarole.

Imho.

and how do you convince them to go out and experience karate?

That’s a very non-answer answer.

[crash]

a strong response

I'd like to add to the original topic with a follow-up question that one might ask if it concerns Karate.

What if the person responds, "Well, at least the other arts don't make you practice those dance sequences you call Kata, I'm not sure how that would help me learn to fight or protect myself."

the answer to that would be that most other styles do incorporate "kata" in some form, boxing has "shadow boxing" pad work with hand targets, foot work drills, etc.... wrestling has "duck walks/samurai walks" sit out drills, etc....the problem isnt kata but in how it is taught or its intensity, this is one of the things i was referring to with how most dojo' overlook the more intense training that other styles focus on. if you can train in a way that equils that of other styles then as stated above, the proof is on the floor and should be shown.

[LionsDen]

my answer would depend completely on the individual, are they active already?, do they posses physical strength, cardio, etc...?... if they are wanting to learn for self defense / fighting only, then why?.....if they feel like they need to learn because they are in a dangerous area, bullied, or so on an on then i would probably recommend boxing, or wrestling, both of which will build strength and cardio along with fighting / controlling an aggressor.

physical fitness, cardio and strength are a major part of actual self defense that most dojo's dont focus on. dont matter how good you can hit or kick, if you cant go 5 or 10 minutes in an actual fight you WILL lose, (unless you get a really lucky shot in...lol), so my answer would be individual specific as far as for self defense only or as the main reason of interest.

learning the mechanics of karate, punches, kicks, blocks..is just repetition, getting oneself actually fit, strong, well balanced, etc... is a change of lifestyle that only the dedicated will continue to follow, so for a newbie it is sometimes easier if that is combined in a more useful program that unfortunately most dojo's dont incorporate where as a boxing gym does.

most ‘actual fights’ don’t last 10 minutes…especially if we’re talking self defense/street fight scenarios. In that case most last a minute or two at most (barring some really random and bizarre outliers) even in sport the only combat sport I know of where you’d regularly be fighting for more than 9 minutes is boxing. Most sport fighting simply doesn’t require that much cardio.

And doubling back to self defense, the overwhelming number of criminals/bullies who might attack you won’t have the stamina to fight for 2 minutes. If someone can survive a 5 minute round of sparring without getting too gassed they’ll likely be able to out last an aggressor and be able to escape without much problem, especially if they’re focused primarily on not getting hit rather than trying to knock the criminal/bully out.

[LionsDen]

a strong response

I'd like to add to the original topic with a follow-up question that one might ask if it concerns Karate.

What if the person responds, "Well, at least the other arts don't make you practice those dance sequences you call Kata, I'm not sure how that would help me learn to fight or protect myself."

the answer to that would be that most other styles do incorporate "kata" in some form, boxing has "shadow boxing" pad work with hand targets, foot work drills, etc.... wrestling has "duck walks/samurai walks" sit out drills, etc....the problem isnt kata but in how it is taught or its intensity, this is one of the things i was referring to with how most dojo' overlook the more intense training that other styles focus on. if you can train in a way that equils that of other styles then as stated above, the proof is on the floor and should be shown.

i wish we had a like button here.

[sensei8]

What explanation could I ever offer that they've might've already heard before?? Any explanation could only come across like some used car salesman. No. Explanations take the back seat to experiencing.

One needs to experience what you've to offer. To experience, one's going to have to get on the floor, and proof is on the floor, not in cheap handed rigmarole.

Imho.

and how do you convince them to go out and experience karate?

That’s a very non-answer answer.

Convince?? Either they want to train or they don't want to train in Karate. I've not the time and/or the inclination to convince them to do anything. If they want to train in Karate, and that's up to them and not up to me, then that's when they get to experience. If they don't want to train in Karate, then they don't. I don't ever convince anyone to train; I could care less one way or another.

That’s a very non-answer answer.

Maybe or maybe not; the summation of 'why' is to the summation of 'because'.

Imho.