In your Opinion, what is the best Martial art and why?

Question

I am deciding to start a martial art but i dunno which one. People said choose the one you think you will adapt to best or something around those lines; but i still dunno.

Answer 1

There is no best martial art.  There are better martial artists.

Answer 2

you need to give us more info about you...your height, weight, athleticism, goals...etc

1 whats available in your area...you cant learn krav maga if there isnt a krav maga school in your area for example

2 what are your reasons for wanting to learn? self defense? sport? personal reasons?

etc

Answer 3

Your body type will play a little bit of a factor in what styles fit you, however with hard work any style will be good. rather then worry about a style right now I would:

1) Find out what is available in your area.

2) Search here to find criteria for a good school, or visit Bullshido, as they have a very good list on spotting a Mcdojo.

3) Visit all the schools that interest you, and watch more then one class at each.

4) make a choice based on what you witness compared to the list you have from here or Bullshido.

Styles wont defend you, the quality of your instruction and training, and how hard you train will.

Answer 4

they are all good. you just have to pick a style that you feel comfortable with.

Answer 5

You should do some research about different styles and see how they fit your body/movement type. I'm short, quick, and have poor upper body strength, compared to my legs. Tae Kwon Do was the best fit for me, in that case.

For example, if you're heavy-set, think about a wrestling/grappling based art like Judo. Kempo is good for people of average statures. Aikido is generally good for anyone, but doesn't involve much striking.

And so on. Just do some research into the styles (maybe watch some YouTube videos), and see which one would best utilize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Answer 6

Hi.

First of all there is no best martial art.  They all have there strengths and weaknesses.  It also depends on what you want to train for.

Finding a style that fits your body type does play a factor.  Someone who is short and stocky may not do so well in Tae Kwon Do (primarily a kicking style), for example.  Which style is right for you will probably have more to do with how much you like it and the quality of instruction rather then your body type however.  More on this as I go...

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Instead of choosing a style and getting excited about taking it only to find out it's not available in your area, you should look first for a school.

If you don't already know of all the schools available in your area type into Google your city name (and/or area code) and one of the following; martial arts, Karate, Kung Fu, self defense. Not all martial arts studios may be listed on line so also check the yellow pages.

You will also need to decide what you want to take martial arts for.  Self defense, sport and competitions, fitness, art for the sake of art, etc...?

Now call or visit the schools that interest you the most. Ask questions about what they do there to see if it interests you. Ask about the emphasis they place on everything you are interested in.  For example, if you are interested in self defense then ask about their curriculum and if (and how) it is geared toward that goal.

If it seems like it would be a good school from talking to the instructor(s) then this warrants further investigation. Ask to sit in on a class to watch and see if it's something you'd like to do. Observing a class is one of the most important things you can do, it can tell you a lot about a school. Everything from how a class works, to how well the instructors and students interact, to what emphasis they place on whatever you are looking for.

Most schools will offer an introductory course or a trial period which is usually free if not very cheap. I suggest you take full advantage of this. Kind of like test driving a car before you buy it, always a good idea.

Just make sure that you like whatever style and school you choose.  If you don't enjoy it then it's not a good fit and you will never reach your full potential with it.

It's also important that you work well with the instructors and your fellow students. If you don't work well with the instructors then they won't be able to teach you effectively and you will get little benefit out of your training. Similarly, if the overall atmosphere of the school isn't conducive to learning what you are there to learn then you will also not get much benefit out of you're training.

In other words, it doesn’t matter what style you choose as long as you like it and it's a good school with good instructors.

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I know this all may seem to be a lot of work and a lot to think about but if you are able to find the right school it will all be worth it.

I hope this helps and good luck finding a school :)