Which is a better fighting style?

Question

My son want to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or tae kwon do and why

Answer 1

BJJ is a better style.  It emphasizes more muscle groups so will keep him in better shape.  Tae Kwon Do is mostly lower body (kicking) and has a very limited application outside of well regulated tournaments where rules are adhered to.

Answer 2

The better one is the one that he will enjoy taking. If he doesn't like doing it, then he won't continue and become proficient in it.

Answer 3

bjj is more versatile? hardly. its nothing but groundfighting.

they say 90% of all fights end up on the ground...but 100% of them start standing up. if mma has taught us anything in recent years...its that even bjj is not enough.

its really silly to compare the two...tkd is a striking art. and bjj is a grappling art...they are two completely different things.

having said that...i have to agree that tkd is mainly tip tap point sparring and not much use in a real fight, the way it's taught today.  

id personally choose bjj too. though it is a traditional martial art unlike someone said below...it's little more than judo with an emphasis on ne-waza (ground techniques)

honestly, you have to have both striking and grappling to be a well rounded fighter. however...there are a few "middle ranges" in there too...clinching/trapping ranges for instance.

more importantly...what are his goals? sport tournaments? real self defense? or fighting?

Answer 4

Get him involved in wrestling!  It takes many of these activities (minus the striking) and blends them together.  Once he gets control over his body, move him into more advanced fighting!

Answer 5

the better one is the one your son like more and which has a better teacher.

most dojos have a trial class or week or some even a free month trial just send your son to both find out which one he likes more go by that.

if you sign himup for BJJ just coz lots of people on yahoo answers say its better but it turns out that he hates it then he wont learn as well as others who actually like it.

personally i like tae kwon do jui jitsu i find kinda boreing(just my opinion).

Answer 6

They are really different styles, and I imagine they would appeal to different types of people

True, each style has it's strengths and weaknesses, but depending on what he wants to get out of it, it may not matter

What's important is that your son enjoys it enough to put in the time and effort

Also important is the school and it's instructors

You find jerks in both styles, and also really cool people in both; in both you might find practitioners who feel their style is the best and constantly trashes others; you'll also find in both true students of the martial arts who understand how their particular style fits into the larger picture

The ideal situation would be to put him in a quality school to engage in trainign which he enjoys, and as he develops, he'll be able to make his own assessments about what path he wants to follow

As for how to find "quality", it's not neccesarily the most expensive; I would say ask people in your area who have had experience with the various local schools for their advice and suggestions

Answer 7

Bjj I'd say because its more versatile :)***

Answer 8

which ever is cheaper but i think teakwondo is easier to find around

Answer 9

TKD is ***** **** BJJ is real good

Answer 10

bjj hands down, it's a combat sport, not a traditional art.

Traditional arts are like "swimming on dry land". The modern combat-oriented sports are far more effective

Answer 11

BJJ for a variety of reasons, but mostly because Tae Kwon Do has become very watered down and set up to feed to the masses here in the states. Traditional TKD wasn't that way, but good luck finding an instructor who would really break it down for you the old way and not have him doing tons of crazy spinning kicks. I got a black belt in TKD when I was 13 and it really isn't very realistic or applicable in real life situations. Not that BJJ by itself is the answer to every possible situation he could run into...very hard to try to grapple 2 or 3 guys at once, but hands down BJJ is much more street ready and applicable.