My Dojo

Ryan S asked:


I want to take up a martial art and I was just wondering what’s the most practical for a 14 year old with a normal build? Also I want to know which is the most effective for protecting yourself in a fight?

Sara

7 Responses to “What martial art is right for me?”

1. Nicholas Says:
   March 14th, 2010 at 10:29 am

   Isaac

   i think taekwondo is best because my bro is a black belt and it has really helped him. hes a normal size and is really good at protecting himself in fights i know that bc once we fought and he used his taekwondo on me lol.

2. Isaac Says:
   March 15th, 2010 at 7:39 am

   Grace

   Any would be good. The practitioners of any style will tell you their’s is best for self defense. Find out what is available in your area and find out what you can about the reputation of the Dojo before starting. I liked Jiu-Jitsu but it is not for everyone. It translates as The gentle way but it is just as much fun as the others and is a defensive style.
   I have freinds into Tae Kwon Do and Aikido, more aggresive styles especially Aikido.

3. Zachary Says:
   March 16th, 2010 at 4:41 am

   Jessica

   So much really depends on the instructors in the schools.

   Set up some time during classes that will have your ages in them go and watch 3 or 4 studios for their whole hour class – you should feel a definate connection with at least one of them; and that is the one in which you will feel the most comfortable that will allow you to learn more and learn faster – therefore allowing you the most protection in a fight – but all fights can be dangerous – so they are things to avoid if you can.

   Good luck. My personal favorite style is Tang Soo Do; they are harder to find, but if one is near you – you should check it out.

4. Trinity Says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 1:16 am

   Gracie

   Taekwondo will help you in defensive tatics almost immediately. The instructors in the Dojans will strive to make you use your defensive skills as much as your offensive ones.

   If an opponent has a tough time getting through your defense, he’ll think twice before continuing his battle.

5. Aaron Says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 7:01 am

   Jordan

   There is no best art. There are many good Martial Arts. The difference is more in the person doing the art than in the art itself. Here is a brief survey of styles:

   Striking: Tae Kwon Do. Karate, Shaolin boxing
   Good: Can handle multiple attackers, can engage at long range, enables you to be pro active when necessary.
   Not so good: Ground, hard to control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.

   Grappling: Hapkido, Judo, etc.
   Good: effective in close, good on the ground, can control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
   Not so Good: Not good at long range, you must wait for the attacker to make the 1st move. Not effective against multiple attackers.

   Find a good school in your area don’t worry about the name of the style.

6. Charles Says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 7:59 pm

   Wyatt

   14. I’d try Shotokan, Shorinryu or a similar Shuri based Karate. Make sure though it’s a good school, there are many bad sensei out there. (make sure they do kata, sparring, know history, etc… don’t accept mediocre, you’re going to dedicate years to training under a sensei) Often colleges have a Shotokan club that’s quite good, if you can train with them at 14. (The one nearby here let’s people of all ages, and not at the college train with them)

7. Avery Says:
   March 18th, 2010 at 5:52 am

   Brian

   If you ask anyone they’ll suggest what they have done themselves.
   Basically you cannot say which martial art is the best.
   You better say what you want it for?
   If you want it for self defence then the answer is easy.
   I also was in the same situation and in younger times,I was looking to pick up a martial art.
   Here is what I did:
   Just look at competitions in the world that look more like a streetfight.
   They are K1, UFC and Standard Boxing.
   Tae Kwan Do is just good in the gym.
   It does’n mean someone who is very good in TKD cannot defend himself.But for that you need to be among the best.
   Basically any martial art master,(master means who has dedicated his life to that art),can successfully defend himself in a street fight.
   But Karate and TKD are more into sporty values though the TKD Kicking style is the best among eastern martial arts(i.e. Karate and Kung Fu)
   But in TKD they ignore using hands and it’s practically ignoring half of your capacity.So TKD is good but not complete.
   And a kick consumes 10 times more energy than a punch and damages the opponent by only 5 times more than a punch.
   so you bet may want to be able to be good with punching skills and kicking skills reserved for occasions.

   Looking at UFC , statistically most of them are from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu(known as BJJ) and Mixed Martial Art(known as MMA) in UFC. And K1 champions have Kick Boxing, Muay Thai,Kyokushin Karate, Seidokan Karate and even Boxing back grounds.
   Nowadays Sumo wrestlers also participare in K1 superheavyweights and they are quite good cause no punch or kick can hurt them cause they are so fat.
   So if you want a martial art to help you get huge muscles and perfect for street fights, pick up one of these ones in UFC and K1.

   Cause the rest of the martial arts are better for the competitions with their own rules.
   If they were good for free style fighting, you’d see champions of free style with Tai Chi Chuan back ground and so.
   So don’t waste your time with them

   Warning, the martial arts that I listed under UFC and K1 are absolutely difficult and physically extremely punishing, So you should be aware of what you are picking up.