Choosing the Right Martial Art for You
Confused?
I hear it all the time, on the internet and in person: “I really want to get into martial arts, but I dont know which one to do.” It is understandable. Most people just think Karate when they think of martial arts. Then when the time comes to pick a school they are suddenly barraged by new data: Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Karate, Jiu Jitsu, etc…
How is someone with no martial arts experience supposed to figure out what to take? Unfortunately, we martial artists tend to make the problem even worse by extolling our own styles to the detriment of the others. It doesnt need to be this way. There IS a martial art for everyone, and I’m here to help you pick the right one for YOU, not for me.
The first thing we need to do is sort out the main points of the major styles. This will involve a lot of generalization, but at least it will get you pointed in the right direction.
The current major martial arts types are:
- Chinese
- Japanese
- Brazillian
- Korean
- Thai
There are, of course, many other types of martial arts – phillipine, indonesian, and even american – but they can generally be associated with the characteristics of one of the main types listed above. Once you figure out which main type best suits you, it will be easier to figure out the less common ones.
Chinese: Do you dream of being Jet Li or Jackie Chan? Do you really like graceful, flowing moves? A Chinese style may be for you. While movies are generally not the best place to look to find out how things REALLY are, kung fu movies arent as far off as you might think. Chinese arts tend to take longer to master, and are not well suited for people looking to learn some quick self-defense. On the plus side, Chinese arts cover pretty much everything – striking, grappling, you name it. Size doesnt really matter in Chinese styles, but speed is important so you can definitely expect to lose some weight. Unlike most other types, the Chinese arts are split up into “Internal” and “External” styles (or Soft and Hard styles). Internal styles include Bagua and Tai Chi. External styles include Shaolin, Wing Chun, and Jeet Kune Do.
Japanese: Ever since The Karate Kid, Japanese styles have pretty much ruled martial arts in America – at least until fairly recently. Japanese arts are comparatively easy to learn, and are fairly effective from day one. It is also fairly easy to find a school (in some parts of the country you can trip over Karate schools). Japanese arts tend to be a bit more rigid in their movements, but are certainly no less useful for it. Japanese styles, like Chinese, cover the whole gamut of self defense applications. Japanese styles tend to favor bigger people, as there is more emphasis on strength than on speed, but even little guys like me can get by without too much trouble. Japanese styles include Karate, Judo, Aikido, and Jiu Jitsu.
Brazillian: UFC anyone? Â The explosion of Mixed Martial Arts has brought Brazillian martial arts (Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, specifically) into the forefront. Jiu Jitsu is all about grappling, and the Brazillian schools are some of the very best at it. Size doesnt matter so much with this sort of style, but if you want to punch or kick somebody it may not be the style for you. Keep in mind that there is also Japanese Jiu Jitsu, so pay attention to which style your school teaches. For the purposes of this article, I am referring only to Brazillian Jiu Jitsu when speaking of Brazillian styles.
Korean: Korean martial arts are HUGE in America, but most people dont know it. Chances are if you know someone going to a “Karate” school, they are really learning a Korean art (Tae Kwon Do). Korean arts are something of a blend between Japanese and Chinese. They are more rigid than the Chinese styles, but focus more on speed than the Japanese. Korean styles tend to heavily favor kicking and, as a result, taller people. If you are looking for a martial art to compete in – that is a martial art that is more sport and a little bit less self defense – then Korean arts may be right up your alley. Korean arts include Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, and Tang Soo Do.
Thai: Tony Jaa is the new Jet Li. Thai martial arts (Muay Thai, specifically) took off for the same reasons as Brazillian Jiu Jitsu – Mixed Martial Arts. Muay Thai is a brutal striking art (punches, kicks, elbows, knees) that is incredibly effective, but also extremely rough on the practitioners. Size does not matter in Muay Thai – all that matters is the ability to dish out, and to take, punishment. For this article, when I speak of Thai styles I am referring exclusively to Muay Thai.
You might notice I didnt bring up weapons. There is a reason for that: you should not start a martial art for the weapons you can learn. Learn a martial art normally first – and preferrably one that you like as a whole. Then you can always take another style just for the weapons – you’ll learn it much faster once you’ve got some martial arts experience under your belt. In the future I will write more on the weapons of the different styles.
If you wish to learn more about individual arts, I highly reccomend you head over to Wikipedia. Eventually I will add detailed descriptions of the individual arts to this site, but in the meantime that should help get you going.
Tags: martial arts, styles