How to Choose the Right Martial Art

You've heard all the benefits that martial arts can have and you wonder where to begin.  Searching the web or the yellow pages leaves you with a magnitude of choices.  Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jiu Jitsu, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, MMA?  It may all sound like gibberish to you, so how do you choose?

Let me first say that all martial arts have enormous positive benefits.  There are many martial artists out there who will argue to the death about how their style is superior to all others.  This is as silly as people arguing with each other over genres of music, it is all purely subjective.  In a fighting situation, there is no art that can 100% of the time prevail over all others.  It comes down to the fighting skill and the fighting will of the individual.

That being said, martial arts are some of the best systems in the world to teach self-defense.  There are seemingly hundreds of foreign sounding names to sift through.  Let me give a basic breakdown of some of the major styles.

Karate (which includes Kempo, Shotokon, Ishin Ryu, etc), Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, and Kung Fu, are traditional stand up styles that are dominated by blocking, striking, and kicking.  These arts usually include a highly structured curriculum, ranking system, and a rich character-developing philosophy.

Jiu Jitsu and Judo are grappling arts from Japan and teach physical fitness and gear towards competition.

Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Boxing, and Mixed Martial Arts are fighting styles suited for inside-the-ring combat for sport.  Practitioners in these arts train to either learn how to fight, get in shape, or make money in the ring.

Aikido and Hapkido are "soft" arts that focus on using an opponent's energy against themselves.  Aikido was popularized by Steven Seagal.

Krav Maga is a military-style art that is focused strictly on real-life combat situations.

Now this is a very basic description and listing of all the arts you will find out there.  In my opinion the best arts for children to begin with are the traditional standup arts like Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, and Kung Fu.  The primary goal is not to develop fighters, but to develop the overall character of the practitioner physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  These arts also do an excellent job teaching the student what it means to be a martial artist.

Once they reach the Black Belt level in one of these foundation arts, it is then appropriate for them to branch out and learn new skills while still maintaining their training in their original art.  Styles like Judo, MMA, or Krav Maga are excellent compliments to a traditional martial art form.  However, they are most appropriate for students over the age of sixteen.

All martial arts have their merits and it is up to you to find which is the most appropriate for you or your family.  In my next posting I will describe the two most important factors in choosing a martial arts school.

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Tom Yahner is the Head Instructor at the United States Karate Academy in San Diego, California.  He has been studying martial arts for 23 years.  He is also a sales and marketing consultant for To The Point Gaslamp Acupuncture and James Patino, Artist Consultant and Motivational Speaker.