postheadericon The Aspiring Martial Artist's Guide To Choosing A Style




by Carl Johnson


As soon as you choose to pursue the martial arts, the earliest determination you'll want to make is which style to learn. A lot of people pick karate or taekwondo, a couple of the most popular styles coached today.

Other individuals are inclined toward the more unusual styles, that include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Krav Maga, each often displayed in MMA matches. Newbies usually would like to know which MA style is best. The answer is not one of them.

You will find advantages and disadvantages to learning any martial arts style. A few will be more challenging than the others. Several are more ideal for competing in tournaments

The "very best" system is the one which suits your own goals. We will discuss this in much more fine detail below, and present a couple of questions you will have to think about before you choose a style.

Different Martial Arts Forms And Their Concentrations

It is critical to be aware of how each MA style approaches fighting as that on its own could seriously impact your selection. Karate, a striking art, emphasizes the use of the limbs in addition to the knees and elbows. Taekwondo is also a striking art, though there's heavy emphasis on the feet. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu emphasizes grappling, which suggests it also focuses on takedowns and ground control. Both judo and aikido are gentler styles, featuring tosses over attacks.

Matching A Martial Arts Style To Your Goals

Your goals and objectives will play a key part in selecting a fighting system. As an example, suppose you want to sign up into martial arts classes due to the fact you are thinking about exercise and fitness. Karate and taekwondo are good options because both provide plenty of motion.

Taekwondo can also be a good choice if you are interested in fighting in competitive events. If you're going to contend in tourneys that involve grappling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and judo are more appropriate choices.

Imagine you're considering enrolling your youngsters into kids' martial arts classes. Here again, karate and taekwondo are great choices. Both provide young adults an active, engaging atmosphere that may keep their attention and get them to excel.

A lot of ambitious MA students are interested in learning a fighting style they are able to employ for self-defense. We are going to come back to this topic in just a minute. For now, it's worth observing that any one of the systems mentioned thus far can be used effectively for this objective dependent on the circumstances.

Are You Willing To Get Into Shape?

We pointed out previously that some MA systems are more demanding as opposed to others. It is one thing to determine you would like to study this type of system. It's another thing altogether to actually do it well.

For example, assume you opted to sign up into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu courses. In order to perform the style, and even maintain training, you will have to be in fairly good shape. If you aren't presently physically fit, do you want to become so?

It is also worth looking at previous injury. A bad back or weak knee ought to inform your determination concerning which style to select.

Exactly What Kind Of Fighting Do You Like Best?

Many people enjoy grappling. Others prefer to stay standing, and use their hands and feet to hit their adversaries. Your preferred fighting system should play a role in choosing a system. Martial arts that focus on ground combating (i.e. grappling) include jujutsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and sambo (a Russian art). Those that emphasize staying on your feet include karate, kung fu, and taekwondo.

There are components of both wrestling and hitting seen in a handful of MA styles, like aikido and hapkido (a Korean art). This will be significant to understand if you've got a strong aversion to one or the other.

A Side Note On Using The Martial Arts For Protecting One's Self

Martial arts institutions will usually claim that the systems they coach are perfect for using in self-defense. Although any fighting system can be used to defend against an attacker, some styles are better than others. For example, a seasoned kung fu artist may be good at defending himself against an unwary attacker. But someone competent in Wado Kai Karate (self defense Colorado) is likely to have much more success considering that the system is deeply-rooted in self-defense.

As you have seen, choosing a martial arts style is more complex than it appears. Think about the above factors to make sure you select a style you'll enjoy pursuing over a lifetime.




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