How to pick a Martial Art?

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Well how do you. Is it down to instict, down to your body type, if you like the name?

I made this post in order for us all to bring together are ideas and make almost like a rule for how to pick a martial art so that we can help other people pick the martial art by giving then a rule to go by.

Bring your sugestions, don't be shy.

Kensai · Black Belt

To be fair eye of the tiger, you are'nt really all the made up yourself, you change from wado to shotokan everyother day.

You have to go with your instinct, what you think you will continue to go to day in day out. This is the only way you get better. Once you have choosen STICK to it, even if you flirt with the idea of other martial arts, make sure you stay true to the one you like the most. Sometimes its hard sticking to one, because other martial arts are different, but stay with it and the passion will return.

With that instinct you should choose what sort of martial art you want weither its sport, budo, striking, grappling, kicking, sort and hard. What suits your personality.

Be Well

:-)-: · Blue Belt

It should depend on what you want MA for, foremost. If you're in it for sport, Muay Thai. If you're in it for health, Taijiquan. Or self-defense, Kenpo.

Whatever it is, your martial art should reflect your lifestyle, and what you want the art for. And don't be oerly selective; almost any art will get you where you need to be.

_________________
d-:-O->img src="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="">->img src="images/smiles/icon_frown.gif" alt="">-:-O-:-p

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Right Kensai listen up! I might have changed my idea on what I wanted from a martial art, but that was due to different experiances and encounters, for example just talking to experianced MAs, going to the clubs. You think I just sat at home dreaming of which MA I wanted to do. NO. I went out and something about it, and different experiances changed me in different opinions. I do Wado Ryu because I enjoy not only fighting aggresivley which you can do in any style even if it is soft, but the fact that I have a lot more confidence in the street knowing more all round motions that which for me shotokon lacks.

So enough about me, back to the post.

Radok · Brown Belt

If you want to fight, here is my rule. A powerful person should do striking, especially if they have a long reach. A person that is not very powerfull, but has alot of raw strength, should do grappling.

For strikers, hard or soft, like Karate or Kung fu, just go with what is more comfortable.

_________________
If you can't laugh at yourself, there's no point. No point in what, you might ask? there's just no point.

Many people seem to take Karate to get a Black Belt, rather than getting a Black Belt to learn Karate.

:-)-: · Blue Belt

But then again, this is only while you're young. Let's see a 50 year-old grappler with 'raw power'.

And how would you define Taijiquan or Aikido. No raw power, no reach, no strength.

Remember, go with the instinct. Almost any martial art will get you where you need to be; you will just like some better than others.

_________________
d-:-O->img src="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="">->img src="images/smiles/icon_frown.gif" alt="">-:-O-:-p

Kensai · Black Belt

Fair enother young one, I wont make any more comments about you personally in your posts. But when ones opinions change over a matter of minutes its hard to keep up. But I am glad that you are sticking to Wado Ryu, tis a noble art indeed.

Always go with instinct, this usually means that you enjoy and respect the art, its important to have both.

_________________
*Aikidoka*

Master the Divine
Techniques of Aiki
and no foe
will dare
to challenge you.

[ This Message was edited by: Kensai on 2002-07-14 06:13 ]

Eye of the Tiger · Purple Belt

Acually, I was just messin with you. I started Shotokan 2 days ago when I went down to the club. I thought it was pretty funny watching everyone getting so stressed out with me, with one moment shotokan, the other Wado.

Anyway I have found a rule witch for me works better than any other, I made it my self.

Beleive in your self, and let your instinct guide you to your Martial Art.

Kensai · Black Belt

CONFUSING BOY!

All the best

Withers M.A.A. · Brown Belt

First you need to decide what you want to learn. Do you want to do a lot of kicking, or hand techniques, do you want to grapple, weapons. Make a list of what you would want to learn in a Martial Art. Then you need to research which styles teach what you want to learn. Then you need to find an instructor who is qualified to teach what you want to learn. Make sure to judge an instructor by his or her students not his or her own ability.

Pete

_________________
2nd Degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. 1997 NASKA competitor-2nd place Nationally in Blackbelt American Forms. Firearms activist!

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