Whats best for me?

flogen

What style of martial arts would be best for me.
ive never practiced any martial arts before, so Im a complete novice. Im looking for something with good self defence but also something to build up my strength and improve my fitness.

I dont have a clue which martial art would b best so please can someone help me!

also, just as a matter of reference, which types of martial art use weapons (swords etc)?

Flogen

BoB_BoT

there are a couple of marital arts that are defensive and you will build up your strength in most of these. I'm studying Taekwan-Do, there's a lot of schools around the country that pratice it. It's a defensive art so it may suit you.

If I recall correctly Ninjitsu (not sure if that's the correct spelling) use weapons later on in the training. Take a look though some of the previous posts on this board, you might find something that interests you.
Good luck

oh btw, i recommend Taekwon-Do hehe

Repli

BoB_BoT theres hardly any SD in taekwondo compared to other martial arts, how long do you spend practicing grabs and holds in TKD.. not very much I suspect :P Although I would recommend it aswell try some other arts if you really wanna learn SD (Judo or Krav Maga maybe)

BoB_BoT

Actually we do quite a bit Repli, our instructor likes to focus on self defence ever second or third week, just so we can defend ourselves if need be I suspose you're right though, its not an art devoted to self defence

dudara

Personally, in a self-denfense situation I would never use a grab or a throw. A good strike to the eyes, nose, knee, etc and get out of there. Isn't that the whole point of self-defense? Not to get into the fight, but get away from it??

BTW, I think TKD is a great all round art, and any good instructor will include a fair amount of self-defense. Krav Maga would be another good option.

Sarky

They're all really much of a muchness in my opinion. There's no one style which makes you better at defending yourself, it all depends on you and your preferences, and the instructor and his/hers.
The instructors may well throw in some extra self defence to the lessons if they feel like it. My own Karate instructors gave me some basic Aikido defence techniques.

Someone suitably trained in any one martial art will usually be an even match for someone trained in another art.

I recommend you have a look at all the available martial arts nearby, and see which ones would suit your height, speed, build, and outlook on life.

Or do Karate, it's very well-rounded.;)

-Wheeler-

Started TKD recently as I wanted a change from Kung Fu. So far I find that it is structured and organised much better, with clear requirements for each grade with regular gradings organised. I also find the instruction is much better with more personal attention given to each student. TKD seems to cater for beginners very well. Just my 2 cents...:)

Being a beginner at TKD, I can't really advise on weapons in TKD, but as far as I know, there is very little if any weapons training in traditional TKD. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. In terms of weapons, Kung Fu is the art which probably has the most weapons. They train in a wide variety of weapons from the staff to the saber, but this is only at the most advanced level. Don't expect to be doing any weapons training until you have been at it for a pretty long time. The SD element is also very high in Kung Fu.

Wheeler_1028.

Repli

Originally posted by dudara
Personally, in a self-denfense situation I would never use a grab or a throw. A good strike to the eyes, nose, knee, etc and get out of there.

If your planning on staying and fighting the person as opposed to just run away really fast, then your gonna get yourself into a street fight - which the majority of end up on the ground in a brawl. The reason I said Judo is from what I saw of it, it looked very similar to a street fight (grappling on the ground and stuff).

As Sarky said theres no ONE martial art thats perfect for everything, but whichever one you decide on you will benefit from it.

Originally posted by wheeler_1028
Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Your right! Taekwondo (Art of hand and foot) You don't learn to use weapons at all in any tkd I have done (WTF/ITF).

Chowley

I did Wing Chun for a while very good found it very enjoyable but hurt my ankle one night on the piss and kind of gave it up.
But its very good for self defense.
It also uses a large variety of weapons, my sister is an instructor here in Cork and she uses swords, staffs, butterfly swords/knives (which are they called?) loads of different types of weapons some really crazy stuff.
All the weapons I have to say are very interesting, seeing them is making me want to start training in it again.

Cake Fiend

I'd reccommend judo - easy to get into, easy to learn to apply and good training for when (as Repli mentioned) a street fight turns into a grappling match. Anyone who reckons judo is useless for modern self-defence hasn't seen a judo throw on concrete. Also take a look at karate and TKD (although they're more striking, less grappling), and even jujitsu (don't bother trying to correct my spelling on that one). Aikido could also be very handy for SD, involving throws and the idea of using your enemy's dynamics against them, but I hear it takes longer to become proficient in than other MA systems.

Your best bet is to read up on several arts, talk to anyone you know who studies them, maybe watch a few training sessions and then decide.

Sarky

Originally posted by Sico
Aikido could also be very handy for SD, involving throws and the idea of using your enemy's dynamics against them, but I hear it takes longer to become proficient in than other MA systems.

It takes ages to be proficient in any martial art. In all honesty, I think it takes most of us until we're very close to 1st Dan at least before we actually become good at it. I was certainly only really getting the hang of sparring well when I got my black belt. Heh, maybe I'm just incompetent...

Cake Fiend

Werl, the chances are that after a year or so of karate/TKD/JJ you'll be able to punch, kick and block better than you were before (of course how much better depends on the individual). You'll be by no means an expert, but there should be a noticeable difference. Aikido apparently has a very steep learning curve at the beginning, so it might takes longer for you to be able to start 'proper' training. I have no practical experience of Aikido however, so I'm only going on what I've read and heard.

Treetypie

I suggest Shotokan! It's a form of karate and it's mad fun it's a bit more strict and it's quite defensive most of the moves aren't about power it's all about getting power from your hips and how to take down people who usually seem better. (ever heard the saying the bigger they are the harder they fall?) We don't do throws or nothing but we work on things like hitting pressure points I do believe that a luck spot would be the neck and nearly anywhere. There's loads of stuff to learn and there's the usual Cathas and stuff. I haven't even got my black belt yet sparring is hard...

smiles

Hmm... I was learning Shotokan Karate in two different places, the first was very very focused on self-defense (small classes are good for this) and the second wasn't as focused but seemed to include how moves could be used defensively in most lessons.

<< Fio >>

Cake Fiend

I'd be a bit skeptical as to the self-defence qualities of shotokan as opposed to other forms of karate or other martial arts, especially in the shorter term. Don't get me wrong, I train in shotokan and have used it successfully in SD, but I'd put that more down to my own personal reactions and self-awareness than my karate training. If you were going for karate, I'd suggest taking a look at kyokushin or kempo-style karate. Kyokushin tends to involve more vigorous (read realistic) sparring, as does kempo, and kempo tends to focus on shorter-range fighting than shotokan. This all depends on the instructor though, so this certainly isn't gospel, only a generalization. I know there are shotokan instructors out there who concentrate heavily on the self-defence qualities of their art.

TBH, there's nothing like reading up on various arts, watching a few classes and then deciding on a) what art you have most interest in and b) which instructor teaches the way you want to learn. Try out a few classes as well, so you get a bit of hands-on experience. Also, I don't think any one art can claim to give total complete effectiveness in self-defence - you'd want to cross-train in complementing styles, e.g karate (for longer-range powerful strikes, self-defence aspect, fitness aspect) and jujitsu (shorter-range grappling, throwing, locks, pressure points).

Musashi

I've tried a few styles,one to Dan grade.I've come to feel boxing and Judo offer real training in taking hits and giving them.Most styles will get you striking and kicking.If they are useful in SD,well any thing is better than nothing!Kick boxing will condition your body for scrapping,as will "hard" karate or Tae Kwon Do sparring.A lot depends on your fitness,build,flexibility and attitude.Not in that order!
Currently I'd like to train in Judo or more Kase Arashi Ryu.I enjoy throws and locks and find them easy to learn and perform ,even in stressed conditions.My back ground is in striking styles,but I would not ask a newbie to condition his fists like I did, sure way to arthritis i imagine!
Open hands and edge of hands will suffice in a conflict with less chance of "boxers fracture" when u don't know how to punch.Try to learn more Defendu or American combatives style stuff.Do a web search for "Kill or get Killed".Visit the folks at self defense forums,but lurk and read before posting!Read up on Fairbairn and Sykes and the people who have carried on their teachings.Best of all, be open to new ideas and reject propaganda and hype!In man to man combat there is nothing new, just lessons we have forgotten.Good luck on finding your path.This is not some hippie talk,we all use best what suit us most, find your own style.

Cake Fiend

I'm thinking about doing one of the intensive Krav Maga courses (with a view to do a more thorough course if I like the two-day). There are a few KM fans on this board expressing their opinions of the art, I'll throw up my thoughts on it if I end up taking the course.