What's the best martial arts to join?

[Hyperblaze]

I'm thinking of joining a martial arts dojo and wondering which type would be the best one.

Any pros and cons of each type there is?

Karate?

Taekwondo?

Jiu-Jitsu?

Kung fu?

 

[glenn1]

I'm thinking of joining a martial arts dojo and wondering which type would be the best one.

Any pros and cons of each type there is?

Karate?

Taekwondo?

Jiu-Jitsu?

Kung fu?

Smith & Wesson.

 

[djheater]

Aikido
It's based on sword techniques... the practical applications are great. It expends very little energy, meaning you don't have to be stronger than your oponent to beat them. And it is essentially non-violent, of course there is the opportunity in virtually every move to seriously injure or kill your opponent if that is unavoidable.

Not to mention it looks hella cool.

 

[Zclyh3]

Kung Fu...Wing Chen style. Or Jeet Kune Do. Chinese man..5,000 year history...

 

[mcveigh]

Ninjas kick a$$!!!!

dude you gotta be a ninja, they get all the chicks!

learn more here.

 

[iLoveDivX]

get a gun.

if not, go for either brazillian jujitsu or muay thai. those are the only two applicable martial arts. everything else SUCKS. period.

-aikido takes like at least 6 years to master, if you haven't mastered it, you're gonna get your @ss creamed on the street.

-taekwondo is a $hitty martial arts, useless on the streets and only good for performing on stage.

-kung fu (especially wing cheung, it was developed by a woman) is also useless on the street.

-karate is useless too.

jujitsu is useful cause most fights end up on the ground, people only box for like 5 seconds and then they'll tackle you down to the ground. muay thai's concept is all power. everything you do (kick/punch) has max power in it. on the street, only a muay thai kick to the leg is useful. some stupid karate tap tap side kick or kung fu tiger claw isn't gonna do jack to some guy that weighs 180 lbs and you only weigh 140. trust me, i've taken karate AND muay thai before and there's a huge difference.

if you decide to go with muay thai, make sure you talk to the owner and make sure he doesn't feed you cr@p. if he starts talking about zen and chi and all that mental bullsh*t, leave. if you go into a place and see people practice toughening up their shins by banging stuff on it and kicking each other on the shin, that's the place you want to study at. that's the real deal.

 

[Daniel]

Before everyone comes in and preaches the same thing as they always do, (which is the style they practice, something they read about or say martial arts are bogus), do some research on the schools local to you. Read up a bit on each style they teach so you have a general idea of what you are going to look at, then go see them, they will probably offer a free class, take advantage of it.

I'd watch out if they try to force you into a contract. The style isn't as important as the instructor teaching it, trust me. Find a school you feel comfortable in and you believe you could stay in and try it out, don't just go on whatever the flavor of the week style is that someone you don't know suggests.

It is supposed to be something you enjoy, if all you want is to learn to kick ass you will probably drop out of any school you join.

Lastly, as I say in every one of these threads that comes up... examine your motives for wanting to train, then it should be easier to find a school to fill what you are looking for.

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by: iLoveDivX
get a gun.

if not, go for either brazillian jujitsu or muay thai. those are the only two applicable martial arts. everything else SUCKS. period.

-aikido takes like at least 6 years to master, if you haven't mastered it, you're gonna get your @ss creamed on the street.

-taekwondo is a $hitty martial arts, useless on the streets and only good for performing on stage.

-kung fu (especially wing cheung, it was developed by a woman) is also useless on the street.

-karate is useless too.

jujitsu is useful cause most fights end up on the ground, people only box for like 5 seconds and then they'll tackle you down to the ground. muay thai's concept is all power. everything you do (kick/punch) has max power in it. on the street, only a muay thai kick to the leg is useful. some stupid karate tap tap side kick or kung fu tiger claw isn't gonna do jack to some guy that weighs 180 lbs and you only weigh 140. trust me, i've taken karate AND muay thai before and there's a huge difference.

No offense but this post is exactly what I'm referring to, go see what you really like yourself instead.

 

[iLoveDivX]

No offense but this post is exactly what I'm referring to, go see what you really like yourself instead.

if you want to do martial arts because you want a good workout and aerobic stuff, then fine, go do any martial arts and it'll do good stuff for your health. but if you want to learn something that you can actually use in a bar fight or on the street, then jujitsu and muay thai are basically the only way to go. it's that simple.

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by: iLoveDivX

No offense but this post is exactly what I'm referring to, go see what you really like yourself instead.

if you want to do martial arts because you want a good workout and aerobic stuff, then fine, go do any martial arts and it'll do good stuff for your health. but if you want to learn something that you can actually use in a bar fight or on the street, then jujitsu and muay thai are basically the only way to go. it's that simple.

Its really not that simple, if you want to rephrase that to "these are the only 2 that I have found since they are all I've tried and don't know of any others", maybe then it is that simple, otherwise quite frankly you are talking in absolutes that you really don't sound like you have a grasp of.

 

[iLoveDivX]

dude, i fight in pankration matches. i KNOW the different types of martial arts. I've fought with people ranging from judo to even freaken capoeira (that jamaican stuff...sorry i can't spell it). I have friends who take kung fu (black belts) and taekwondo (black belts)....needless to say i kick the cr@p out of them. i used to train with steve mackey's karate school (steve = former world kickboxing champ back in the 70s and student of jim harrison). i know my $hit.

daniel- i understand the stuff that you are saying and they are true. i'm just trying to simplify it even more so that Jero won't be confused and have to make difficult decisions. let me put it this way:

1. if you have a cr@ppy instructor, then regardless of what you learn, it will suck.
2. assuming the instructors are equally good, then
a. jujitsu and muay thai are good for street fights
b. taekwondo/karate is good for showing off to your friends or performing on stage
c. aikido takes a very long time to master
d. kung fu is pretty for performing and boasting that you know kung fu

 

[Daniel]

Agreed, there are exceptions to every style, God knows I've seen enough reject black belts to make we want to vomit. I just tend to get annoyed because every one of these threads becomes a pissing match of who's style is better than whatever other one, hence my suggestion of just having him go see what is local and what he would enjoy.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: djheater
Aikido
It's based on sword techniques... the practical applications are great. It expends very little energy, meaning you don't have to be stronger than your oponent to beat them. And it is essentially non-violent, of course there is the opportunity in virtually every move to seriously injure or kill your opponent if that is unavoidable.

Not to mention it looks hella cool.

We used to have an Aikido class sit in with us (among other styles) so as to help everyone become more well rounded Martial Artists. I picked up some great "pearls" from them and the only deficency that seemed inherent to the system was the difficulty leg kicks presented them with. That is what made the multiple style sit-ins so sweet, everyone learns from each other and acquires valuable knowledge and technique at an accelerated rate compared with just taking different styles. As to which system is the best, I subscribe to the philosophy that there isn't a single greatest Martial Art, just great Martial Artists. Just find someone you feel you can learn from and relate to, and that you think it would be fun to train with. Someone pointed out a few weeks back in one of these threads to also make certain it's relatively close to home so you will stick with it and not dread the drives(good advice). Finally, don't limit yourself to the system you study or buy in to the rhetoric promoted by many systems that attempts to convince you that their's is superior

In the end analysis most systems will help you get in great shape and get you more attuned to what your body and it's capabilities and potential are.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Start with Taekwondo. Move on to Kung Fu, then to MuyTai.

nik

 

[silverpig]

Just stand on a post and practice that karate kid kick.

 

[scauffiel]

I studied Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate for several years and like it very much. It's practical and efficient; unlike Shotokan Karate I spent two years in which was mostly flash for the dojo. Keep in mind "practical" and "efficient". If you walk into a place that pushes kicks to the head, or even much above the waist, walk out because that crap won't fly on the street. The only thing that'll be flying is you. A good art will teach you how the body acts and reacts to certain stimuli; punch here - this, this and this will happen.

S.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

iLoveDivX What is your height and weight?

 

[iLoveDivX]

If you walk into a place that pushes kicks to the head, or even much above the waist, walk out because that crap won't fly on the street.

 

[iLoveDivX]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
iLoveDivX What is your height and weight?

140, 5'7"

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: iLoveDivX

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
iLoveDivX What is your height and weight?

140, 5'7"

Does pankration match you up by weight or age or what when you fight?

 

[amnesiac]

It all depends on what you want to DO with the martial art.
If you want to do it for physical fitness / flexibility, most should fit the bill.

For self defense, I think the following are the most useful:

- Jiu-Jitsu (Think about the Gracie family vs. UFC)
- Judo (Less aggressive than Jiu-Jitsu, but good *defense* martial art)
- Aikido (Complicated but very efficient for smaller people)
- Hwa Rang Do / Tae Soon Do (Original predecessor to Tae Kwon Do, MUCH more complicated, deadly, and useful than TKD though. Korean "mack daddy" of martial art)

I've also heard good things about Krav Maga (Israeli soldier martial art) as a good way to quickly disable someone. Never had any experience with it though.

 

[iLoveDivX]

Does pankration match you up by weight or age or what when you fight?

for the ones that i go to, weight. i don't know if other pankration federation that matches you by age (i don't think they do).

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: iLoveDivX

Does pankration match you up by weight or age or what when you fight?

for the ones that i go to, weight. i don't know if other pankration federation that matches you by age (i don't think they do).

I surmised as much. Have you ever been in with an opponent nearly a foot taller and outweighing you by 100lbs of muscle before?

 

[ScottyB]

What is a good on efor a big guy? 6'3" 250 lbs.

 

[Hyperblaze]

I just wanted to thank you for all your opinions.

It certainly helps to know what other people think of different martial art styles.

I'll go check out a few different places and see which one I prefer the most.