Martial Arts A question for someone that might know?

Question

Im in my 40's . For self defense should i Take ta kwan do or Tai chi . That's the only two i have to coose from . That is close.

Answer 1

I would say tai chi.  I know some say it is for older people, but come on...if it was, then only old people would learn it and there would be no "masters".  Anyway, tai chi's movements are slow and controlled, but when sped up are a very effective form of self defense.

Answer 2

Tae kwon do because tae kwon do wont teach you 1 but lots of self defense and if your joining wtf style you can compete in tournaments

Answer 3

Tai Chi can be quite effective once its fighting applications are taught and understood. Quite often this is not taught to students until some time after they have learned the forms. If you are looking for a more traditional art and don't worry about the time till a practical understanding for defence is learned, go with Tai Chi (again, IF, the instructor teaches this aspect)

TKD will put you right into the fire so to speak, as sparring is a major part of any TKD school. If you are looking for quick fighting experience I would recommend TKD.

  

Answer 4

Tai chi is like a meditation practice in a way, so tae kwon do

Answer 5

ta kwan do is better but if u wanna save some money get a good book on grappling or boxing and get a friend to help u, all other martial arts are mostly show they cant help u in a real fight

Answer 6

probably tae kwon do.

tai chi is very good but it takes a very long time to get good at.

Answer 7

Well depends on if you're looking for something active or calming. TKD is pretty active, with A LOT of kicking involved. Tai Chi is really for an older audience; if you're looking for something like yoga, then you'll enjoy Tai Chi because its pretty relaxing. HOWEVER, from a self defense point of view, TKD and Tai Chi are not very useful in self defense. Judo might be right up your alley.

Answer 8

It would depend on the instructor. That's really the only way for you to make the most accurate assumption and decision that's right for you. If the Tai Chi instructor teaches martial applications and has sparring other than just push hands I would recommend that highly over TKD. Tai Chi has health benefits as well as self defense applications, so don't discount it just because a lot of people do it only for health. I would also say that Tai Chi will help you understand your body/connective tissue/ and balance better than TKD.

Check this site out. The man's name is Erle Montaigue, a practical guy from down under. http://www.taijiworld.com. Surf around that site and you will have something to base your decision on with the Tai Chi place near you.

Answer 9

tae kwon do is more of an excercise and you might find yourself doing alot of warmups

Answer 10

Aaron is right.

If you want to learn something, your teacher has to be well versed in the subject. Most teachers today know the movements but not what the movements mean.

If you're going to start at 40, I would say to try the Tai Chi.

It develops you internally and builds a solid foundation. Ask the instructor if he teaches the "push hands" and what are the level of push hands and what level does he teach.

Whereabouts are you? Email me the general area if you don't want to post it here.