Originally posted by: amcdonald
Any martial art that you can practice on your own is going to be ineffective against other people or in a fight.
I'd say keep your workout the way it is, and take some different styles until you find a TEACHER you are impressed by.
Don't do 30-person karate classes, and don't take lessons that are expensive. Find someone who is teaching for the love of their art.
I'd recommend looking into grappling and stand-up fighting styles.
amcdonald is right on this one, find a teacher that impresses you. I was very fortunate to find a Tae Kwon Do school I began training with when I was 13 where the instructors were actual martial artists, they embodied love for their art and strong spirit. They were very knowledgeable and adept at conveying the knowledge and wisdom of the art to their students, including me. The more I traveled to competitions and demonstrations, the more I saw that Martial Arts is just a bussiness to most "black belts" and they don't care about their students, just the money they bring in. Don't judge an instructor by number of years spent training and teaching. My instructor was in many ways a better teacher than his teacher, despite being young. Don't pre-judge on race either, particlarly in TKD, which is like football in korea and is more of an art in the US than it is in korea. TKD is good for flexibility and leg strength in general, but there is not much philosophy/spiritual stuff that goes with it. But, as a TKD practicioner, the only "spiritual" aspect I need is a room full of guys and gals sweating it up, throwing kicks and yelling with fierce determination. If you want to get more spiritual, i'd reccomend Tai Chi, it takes great patience and concetration, and breathing is a major part of it's study. Once you pick an art you are interested in, shop around for a school. Watch a class. Look for a teacher who engages his students, and will take a moment out of class to critique individuals, maybe even give speeches to explain important concepts. Pay attention to how his students look, even the kids. If the high ranks look just as sloppy as the low ranks, he is not a good teacher. Look for someone with brains who takes good care of his students, then you will find an art you enjoy.