Best MA to make me a more "complete" fighter?

Question

I have a brown belt in BJJ, and was a state-qualifying wrestler at 160, 171, and 189 3 out of 4 years in highschool. I can fight upright, but prefer to go to the ground for obvious reasons. However, I feel I have a good enough grasp on striking and a good enough ability to take the fight to the ground that I don't need something like boxing (I guess it really isn't an MA).

I've been told Aikido, but I've also been told that it's pretty much like judo or jujutsu only less "hard."

I'm not to keen on karate or tae kwon do, since our local dojo (the instructor teaches both TKD and karate) seems to spend a LOT of time on kata, and is sort of a belt-factory.

I would have to travel a bit to get to a good school, but I've heard good things about kung-fu.

My area offers:

Aikido

Karate

Tae Kwon Do

Brazillian Ju Jutsu

American Ju Jutsu

Boxing

Krav Maga (It's supposed to be a womens class, but the allow men to train)

Kung Fu

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

The best striking MA, imo, is muay thai but it seems that it's not offered in your area.  If your goal is to become a complete MMA fighter then you can't use Aikido techniques (small joint manipulation).  The best that you can get out of your list is Boxing, although its more of a sport rather than a MA, its still  considered one of the best when striking is concerned, you just don't have kicks, knees and elbows.

Answer 2

Krav Maga is for ending a fight quickly by any means necessary with anything available.  It's not intended for combat sports.  By all means, take it if thats what you want.

Aikido uses small joint manipulation, something not allowed in combat sports.

You crossed out Karate and TKD, unless you can find a better dojo with more live training.  There has to be more than one place!

Kung fu, you may have heard good things, but it may have the same problem as the Karate/TKD place.  To much kata and not enough live training.

Don't automatically discount boxing, its been around for thousands of years.  Yes, it's technically a combat sport and it does have limitations, but it is very effective for what it does do.  Toss out the Marquis of Queensbury Rules and the 12-ounce gloves, and try thinking outside the box (so to speak).

For more info in that, check Rodney King's Streetboxing.

Answer 3

Depends on the style of Kung Fu.  <??>

Akido (and some Kung Fu's) are stand up grapplers, and actually attack small joints, which are illegal in most competitions.   They are very affective though.

Out of that list, I would suggest Kung Fu or Boxing.  Boxing is certainly a MA, but it is lacking in some aspects.

If you are looking just to become a good well rounded fighter in general, then go with Kung Fu.  You will learn strikes, small joint locks, kicks, and (most importantly with your BJJ experience) takedowns.  They will be different takedowns that you learned in BJJ, and will better join the standing and ground fighting techiques.

Good Luck

Answer 4

I would honestly say karate, but unfortunatly like you have experienced, there are not many good schools. For this reason Mauy Thai would probably help.

http://markstraining.com Fighting and Training Methods for Unarmed Martial Artists

Answer 5

seems like you have your ground game almost completely covered i would go with muay thai or some type of kick boxing to compliment your stand up game. they deliver some quick lethal strikes.

Answer 6

You mention that you have heard good things about kung-fu...... Well I have heard good and bad things about every martial arts that I've ever heard of. Everyone has an opinion. Many of the opinions come from those that have little or no real understanding of the art they are talking about. I'm not trying to put any style or person down. I'm simply saying that you should investigate things for yourself.  I'll put it like this. A friend in college asked one of the professors what it would be like to work as an engineer ten years from now. The professor told him to find someone that had been an engineer for at least ten years and ask him.  So what I'm saying is don't ask opinions of those that don't have that experience. Ask those that are qualified to give you an informed opinion.

As for being well rounded, many traditional martial arts teach all aspects of fighting (fighting well at all four ranges). The problem is not which style, but finding a school that still teaches all four ranges of combat.  To find out who does that will require you to go and see for yourself.

Edit:  I have studied Chinese arts, Korean arts, Japanese arts (jujitsu and karate), Okinawan arts.  I chose to spend most of my time studying an obscure Kempo style that no one has heard of and that is not related to the well known kempo styles. I did not decide this because I think that it is better than the other arts. I decided to study it because it was the one art that I had found that offered me a more complete training. It simply deals with all four ranges (kicking, punching, trapping, grappling ) of combat well.

Answer 7

I know but I won't tell you because of how ridiculously racist the other question you asked was.

Questions like that promote hate and misery.  Even a tiny pebble dropped in a pond creates ripples.