Best martial arts? What's your take?!

[MRose]

Hey guys! What is your favorite martial arts style, and why?

Here's why I ask: After hitting the fully recovered stage after illness and surgery, I've been working on getting truly fit again. I've had limited experience with karate and krav maga (I much prefer krav maga), but had to quit those in the early stages so I'm looking to get started again. So for self defense and fitness, what are your favorites?

[Elendili]

@MRose  I love yoga.  I have done chair yoga, water yoga and hatha yoga.  They are all wonderful mind-body experiences.  They may not be calorie burning at first, but they will get you mentally and physically healthy. 

Elendili

[WendyB]

@Elendili I really don't know what yoga has to do with this. She was asking about Martial Arts? Yoga is totally different

But @MRose I don't think it matters, What do you like? If you like it you will stick with it. So go with what you like to do.

[keything · Accepted solution]

I've taken a few styles over the years including Shaolin Kempo, Shaolin Kung Fu, Choy Li Fut and Tai Chi.  I think it all depends on what you're looking for.  Tai Chi is great for flexibility, balance and overall well-being.  While it has self defense applications to it, I wouldn't suggest trying to apply those in a real world situation.  Shaolin Kung Fu was great for fitness, flexibiity and balance, but I found it lacking in the self defense aspect.  There is self defense in the style, but I think you really have to master the styles in order to apply the techniques.  Of the other two, I found Shaolin Kempo and Choy Li Fut to be the two styles that had the best balance of self-defense and fitness.  Choy Li Fut contains more circular/ fluid motions, whereas Shaolin Kempo has more linear motions with bursting strikes.  Shaolin Kempo is actually a combination of Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Judo and Kung Fu.  I think Shaolin Kempo is easier to start/transition to and get immediate self-defense benefits (compared to Choy Li Fut), but I had more fun doing Choy Li Fut.  My sifu described compared the two by saying that if you took 2 students of equal physical capabilities and trained one in Shaolin Kempo and the other in Choy Li Fut, after a couple of years, the student training Shaolin Kempo will likely be the dominant fighter.  10 years later though, it will likely be reversed or at least equal.

As @WendyB stated though, just find something you like.  In most martial arts studios these days, they will teach multiple styles (a la Mixed Martial Arts), so you will likely get to experience different styles anyway.  The most important thing is to find a studio that is respectable and an instructor that you can relate to.  There are many fly-by-night studios out there only looking to make money and take advantage of their students.  I would definitely take some trial classes and watch a few classe to see how the instruction is before signing up.

[Crank]

+1 for shaolin kempo

  Make sure they are reputable trainers. There are variations of the same thing (Krav Maga for example) and one worry i always have is learning something the wrong way and it taking longer to unlearn.

[pyronik]

I've done several different karate styles, for me the benefit was definitely down the teacher / class / style.  

eg. I find sparring really good for fitness & self-defence, the set pieces were of limited use in a self defence context (I'm ok if I get attacked in the order I trained for but otherwise...) & I didn't think kata benefitted me at all.

The best for fitness for me was weapons sparring, in a mixed martial arts class.  The stamina & cardio effort of sparring, with the added weights benefit of the weapons.  I really enjoyed that part of the lesson.

Also agree that you need to find something you like, give it a go.  So see if you can go for a taster lesson at several different schools & see which one you like best 🙂

[DavideFitbit]

I was also in Krav Maga for a while @MRose, and I did like it a lot, I found it very rewarding and useful. It truly depends on what you're looking for, but @keything and @pyronik have provided some great suggestions that you can take into consideration, I'm considering some of those as well, there are so many optiooons! 

[Elendili]

@WendyB  OOPS!  You are so right!  I just love yoga.  However tia chi is considered a martial art and I love it too.  I don't think it is aerobic though.  So I don't know how good it is for weight loss.  However, anything that keeps you moving in my book is good!   My son who is on the autism spectrum took karate for awhile and really liked it.  I know this can help with weight loss but like all the martial arts, it is also so good for the mind!

Elendili

[keything]

Hi @pyronik, I agree that a studio or style that emphasizes sparring and weapons training would be the best if self defense and fitness are your primary goals.  Like most people, I dreaded katas until I learned to appreciate them for what they are for.  Many of the Karate Katas are linear and straight forward punching and kicking, but Kung Fu Katas (forms) are often circular with unconventional movements.  The purpose is to teach your body to move in ways that you don't normally move and increase flexibility & balance in the process.  Very similar to the principles of Tai Chi, but at a faster pace.  I found it to be as much an exercise of the mind as the body.  We often did our forms righty and lefty, and sometimes without moving the upper body or the lower body.

As you said though, trial classes and finding the right teacher is the way to go.  Style doesn't matter if the teacher can't teach, but a good teacher can take any style and tailor them to your goals.

[DavideFitbit]

This is great @keything, very useful information. You are very knowledgeable about this. 

[taekwondogirl]

I've been in taekwondo since 2005 and recieved my black belt in Jan 2009 and I have always enjoyed the academy that I go to. The academy I attend classes at has one main school and three satelite schools in surrounding towns, and the owner is the founder of Midwest Martial Arts Group and International Martial Arts Group and in 2014 he was inducted into the Martial Arts hall of fame.

As a school we tend to teach eachother, guide one another and always offer assistance. It's like one big taekwondo family (our school has about 250 students) In my opinion taekwondo offers a whole body workout; mind, body, and spirit. I never knew how hard I could push myself until I joined taekwondo.

[AdamPow]

If you liked Krav Maga you'll probably like Systema aka Russian Martial Art. Brutally efficient for self-defense and the classes are very physically demanding. You'll leave exhausted, challenged, happy, bruised and with the skills to handle a streetfight. It's not that prevalent so you'll likely need to live in a major city to find classes. 

[ChoyLiHoFutHung]

I have been practicing Kung Fu San Soo for a total of 11 years. I find it can be a great, HIIT type workout- depending with whom one works out- with great practical skills.

[MarlenS]

I've praticed Karate Do for the past 14 years and teaching the last 5, I personally love it! You have to be very patient, constant and disciplined in that art and it helps you a lot. Karate is not just a sport, it is a way of life. I highly recommend this discipline!

Here is my Karate belts collection. 

[jcurran516]

I have done a few and after having been a paramedic/firefighter who now does ballroom dance, I have been doing Aikido for 18 years and love it.  1) it is powerful yet non-violent with the intent to neutralize an attack without damage if at all possible (but can be devastating if need be), 2) very wide range of motion, very adaptable to all ages and abilities (very effective for women and smaller stature people) and not based on brute strength, very much improves connection and focus (good for all aspects of life).  My original Sensei (120 pound female) can still effectively handle my attack and I'm 250 pound former firefighter.  Philosophically, all are welcome and supported.  There are a few different schools (organizations) that vary in intensity.  If you find a school that follows Sugawara Sensei from Japan it's very flowing and strongly related to Tai Chi.  other top schools are part of ASU (Aikido Schools of Ueshiba).  They're on the web.