Which martial art should i take on?

Question

I'm 20 years old

I weigh about 276 pounds(should lose some weight)

I'm about 6.4 feet tall and i think(that's what other people tell me at least) that i'm pretty strong but i'm not really athletic.

I have previous martial arts experience but not much.I took Tae-kwon-Do classes for 2 years about 6 years ago.I also have had some fistfights and i think i have some experience on street-fighting.Which martial art should i take on?

Answer 1

The answer to your question depends a lot upon why you want to do martial arts in the first place, since many different styles have something to offer.

Whichever style you pick you should enjoy or else you wont go the distance.  For example, in capoiera you have got to have timing, balance and flexibility.  You train to music and do cartwheels and other moves.  If you hang in there it will eventually come together for you, but you may become so frustrated that you quit.

Boxing also uses timing, balance and footwork, but without the dancing, spinning and hand stand/cartwheel element and may be something more accessible to you.

The trend for bouncers in NYC, for example, is to learn joint manipulation, i.e. jui jitsu techniques (stand up, Japanese jui jitsu).  This allows them to control unruly bar patrons while limiting liability for causing injuries.  You just can't punch and kick people anymore if you want to stay in business and out of jail.  But you can, using graded pressure, hold someone in a shoulder, wrist, finger or other arm lock and steer them out the door.    As big as you are, and already brawling, you may want to consider this.

Brazilian Jui Jitsu does not require you to be a great athlete.    You don't need foot work or great balance because you are rolling on the mat, and as long as you apply technique properly you will succeed.  The flexibility and endurance will come and you will train "live" all the time.  While not practical outside a gym or ring against a single opponent, it is an awesome work out.

Do you want to become deadly?  You should pick one art and train intensively for a few years, look at the gaps in your skill set and then do it all over again in another art and so on and so on.  The analogy I would use is to learn algebra and once you have then study something else, like geometry.  Once you know everything there is to know about geometry pick up physics etc.  You might do Judo, which is good for developing balance, your center and a feel for the physics of body, weight, and momentum manipulation, but does not have any striking.  Also you don't want to get too involved with throwing in a street fight.

Once you know everything there is to know about judo do goju ryu karate:  striking, more movement.  Then jui jitsu, then, if you want to add a ground component BJJ etc.  The important concept is to master the individual styles you study, which is different from MMA, in which people learn techniques from different systems and put them together in a fighting strategy against opponents who are doing the same thing and meeting those opponents in a ring matched for weight, with a ref and rules.

One word about the MMA fad:  it will set you up for a severe, life changing beating if you try to apply it in the wrong setting.

Answer 2

i think u should study an art which utilises ur strength and size.

hapkido, judo and boxing are all good, if u want to learn something a little more exotic krav maga or wing chun are both good.

Answer 3

Judo maybe

Answer 4

well u sounds like a pretty big person.

i rekon in Judo u would be pretty good, its got all the throwing and tossing and with ur size u could become pretty good at that fairly quick i think.

Answer 5

Try Capoeira!

Its a Brasilian Marital Art, it involves music, dance, fight, and singing. Most people say all they do is dance, but thats just to hide the fight component of it. If you have ever faought someone that does Capoeira then you would think that they were dancing!

There are also many things that are related to Capoeira so you can't get bored with it!

Answer 6

If I was you I would pack up your belongings and go to Japan to train as a uchi deshi (live in student) with Jukucho Azuma of Daido Juku.

This is "Knockdown Jujitsu" and the most realistic and cutting edge form of martial art available today.

If you can do 1000 days of training you will emerge from this maelstrom as a person of superior knowledge, strength and spirit and hopefully wisdom.

I would advise you temper this strength with another pursuit that lets you understand the balance of yin and yang. i.e take up music, painting or particularly some form of healing.

(medicine, physio, para-medic, osteopathy, even remedial massage)

the alternative is that your world will be forever slanted to the masculine and you will be the poorer for it.

dazza

Answer 7

i will choose taekwondo , because taekwondo is my favorite sport