I’ve been toying with the idea of learning a martial art, more for exercise than anything, but with an at least token nod towards practical self-defense.
Here is my cursory take on major fighting styles, although I’d love any clarification or correction:
• Aikido – Easy to learn, hard to master, this martial art is more about disabling opponents than flashy moves. Not necessarily all that physical.
Leaning heavily towards aikido, because I’m more into defense than offense.
• Judo – Another defensive art and one that many practicers say doesn’t diminish with time and lack of practice. (Relative, of course, to other more technical arts.)
• A striking art – Sometimes I think I might actually want to be able to stike at someone first, even if it’s just in a competition or some sort of sparring match.
Really, I have my heart set on aikido, so this is somewhat a trick question. What’s not to love about Steven Seagal taking out three guys at a time with dainty little twists and slaps?
Joel,
It certainly IS worth your trouble. However, take into account that aikido is much more than just exercise. Really, it will help you in many fronts.
The philosophy behind aikido is focused on the value of the human being, of all human beings. It realizes that we are all connected. As such, it’s emphasis is not on fgihting but on dissipating a fight. It is a defensive art, as you mentioned. It is a peaceful and beautiful art form. I highly recommend it.
Great blog, by the way. Keep up the good work.
Regards,
Art
Judo is more a sport than a fighting style.
I’d consider ju-jitsu, especially the Brazilian variety.
I would suggest against Brazilian jujitsu or Capuera varieties unless you are in exceptionally good shape. Aikido is a very good place to start if you are unsure of what you are looking for. It tends to focus more on the spiritual and philosophical aspects of combat as well, if that makes any difference
For actual self-defense, I’d consider something like Krav Maga or even an MMA school that will teach ju-jitsue along with kickboxing stuff. Both of these options can be a little high on the intensity/testosterone scale, though, so grain of salt there…
That said, if you’re doing it mostly to have something to occupy both mind and body, definitely take up something that interests you. Aikido can be really fun for a beginner.
Another consideration is whether you’ll be into the whole “bow to your sensei” kind of tradition that comes with most Asian martial arts. If you’re not into that and you just want to get into shape, join a boxing gym.
Jeet Kune Do
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The Jeet Kune Do Emblem. The Chinese characters around the Taijitu symbol indicate: “Using no way as way” & “Having no limitation as limitation” The arrows represent the endless movement and change of the universe.Jeet Kune Do (Chinese: 截拳道 Cantonese: Jitkyùndou Pinyin: Jiéquándào, lit. “Way of the Intercepting Fist”), also Jeet Kun Do or JKD, is a martial arts combat system developed by martial artist and actor Bruce Lee.
Recently, in 2004, the Bruce Lee Foundation decided on using an all encompassing name of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. This name refers to the art itself as taught by Bruce Lee and as intended by Bruce Lee in his lifetime. “Jun Fan” was Lee’s Chinese given name, so the literal translation is “Bruce Lee’s Way of the Intercepting Fist.”
I learned this as a teen. This works! Consider this, it’s for those who don’t really wanna go outside their house to attend classes on martial arts.
Lucky me, I was just a scrawny 14 year old and it gave me the skills to live to see 50 years old.
Ah…to be Bruce Lee…he so totally rocked.
As someone who as done Capoeira (not Capuera, and yes I totally understand that it is impossible to spell) for almost 6 years I’d like to respectfully disagree with Chirs. It is totally defeatest to say that you can’t do a martial art because you aren’t in good enough shape. If you start training, the workout will get you in shape. I’ve seen it totally transform people, and it is the best and most fun workout I’ve ever done.
Having said that, Capoeira is not the most practical martial art. Sure, it will make you a better fighter than if you do nothing, but something like Brazilian Ju Jitsu (BJJ) or kick boxing is going to be more effective. Why, well you don’t waste any time learning to do all the acrobatics for one.
In the end any martial art will teach you to be a better fighter in some way, so unless you are planning on getting into a lot of fights find a teacher that suits your personality and don’t worry about how effective it is going to be on the street. You will be spending a lot more time practicing in the gym than in bar brawls, so you need to enjoy what you are doing. :)
A quick plug for my Capoeira group:
http://capoeiranago-usa.com/
And here is where I train BJJ
http://www.renzogracie.com/
Mancha.-
I’d highly recommend Aikido.. mostly FOR it’s differences from other martial arts.
If what you’re looking for is the confidence to go to a bar in a bad neighborhood.. aikido isn’t for you. If it’s to know you’ll win any grappling fight.. it’s not for you. If you want to learn about balance, and harmony, and how to avoid those types of bad situations to begin with.. then definately go for Aikido. Aikido was a life-changing part of my life, it helped me lose my aggression, settle down my rage and be calm. The Stephen Segal stuff uses Aikido techniques, true.. but he doesn’t really sum up what the Aikido spirit is all about.
I spent about ten years studying judo on and off before a nasty bout of illness and college distracted me from it. I’d agree that its more of a sport than a fighting technique, its still a good workout and a good time.
I played it while young- from 8 to 18 or so. But my father took it up when he was in his 40s and is still playing today and there are a few other fellows older than him in the classes. It can be a bit tough on the knees but its pretty accessible for people who might not be at their physical prime.
I’d recommend my old dojo to any of the New Yorkers interested- Queens Judo Center in Forest Hills, not too far from the E Train. The instructor is an american who studied in Japan but didnt bring back too much of the spiritual bits that some people are fans of- but if youre looking for a workout thats not overly important.
I’m looking into Krav Maga myself. I hear its a great workout and particularly practical for self-defense.
Nobody’s mentinoed Chi Lu Chuan. I guess because they don’t use it on Ultimate Fighting Chapmion?
I have always been a fan of Aikido, although I have never practiced it. My favorite description of Aikido is the frustrating of your opponent’s attacks until they see the error of their ways.
You also might want to look into Hapkido (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hapkido ) a Korean derivation of Aikido that uses more strikes.
Personally I have trained in an very much enjoy American Kenpo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Kenpo ). It is a very practical and efficient style and I have seen people with all types of body sizes and limitations practice it.
Best of luck in finding a style that fits you
I didn’t have any luck with aikido myself due to my years of motocross training. After years and years of crashes and wrecks, it’s instinct for me to curl up in a little ball and roll out of danger. This seemed to be in direct opposition to how aikido teaches you to fall, and the disconnect between the two styles caused me to smack my head on the mat quite often. If I didn’t already have my own falling style, I might have enjoyed aikido more, but I grew to really dislike it. And the headaches.
I spent a few years doing northern shaolin kungfu wushu, and it was great to get in shape and build muscle while learning self defense. The technique is mostly reactive instead of offensive or defensive with alot of meditation and breathing techniques throwwn in. Block followed by stunning attacks and then something to disable or hold. Eventually i got up to weapon trainer, but had to stop because i moved.
Personally i would look into the chinese martial arts in adition to the japanese and south american.
Ok guys here comes the dissenting voice, the voice crying out in the wilderness combined with a small rant. TMA(traditional martial arts) are great for self discipline and physical fitness. However, in my opinion the majority of TMA students are worse off in a fight than an average guy. Why? Because the average guy is going to go straight to instinct biting, clawing, and kicking until he’s knocked out or knocks out his opponent. If you want to learn how to fight in a survival situation I recommend googling up some WW2 training manuals Kill or get Killed or Get Tough these are pure dirty fighting for self defense. Alright rant over sorry about that but I am tired of people who think TMA will help them in a self defense situation (I did over 6 years of TMA and it didn’t keep my ass from being beat). If you’re looking for exercise I would suggest Kickboxing first, one hour is an unbelievable workout with judo as a close second. Full contact sparring in any of the martial arts is a good workout so make sure any place you consider offers sparring. Kata, forms, etc can be good exercise but they would be on par with fast walking at best until you’ve done them for years. Of course all of this is IMHO.
I agree with an above poster that any martial arts (plus boxing) will help you and I would pick based on the best dojo in your area.
I think aikido is preferable to judo because I see it as judo taken one more step. Brazilian jujitsu is very useful for one-on-one, but if you get mugged by a group of people you don’t want to go on the ground. Aikido will teach you to stay on your feet as well as fight multiple opponents. Aikido is also a “softer” style of martial art which will allow you to train as you age with less risk of injure than say, BJJ, JJ or some striking arts.
As to aikido’s effectiveness you will instantly see what will work best in the wild and what won’t. A good book is Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction by Westbrook and Ratti
If you want to learn something to turn you into a bad-ass, it’s probably too late. Getting into wrestling or boxing in high school would have been a smart move. Besides, no amount of training now is going to make you feel like a man after all those wedgies in high school. =-)
Nevertheless, my round-up:
Karate: go back and watch the UFC match where Royce Gracie takes on Minoki Ichihara, the bare-knuckles karate champ of Japan – a guy who had won something like 250 matches – and witness the charm of karate: it’s only good against other people who know karate.
Aikido: great if you’re not really looking to get in a fight and instead want to bore your friends with bullshit about turning your enemy’s power against him. Great anecdotes, but unless you want to bore somebody to death, the best way to fight with aikido is to be a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier than all of your opponents as in the video above. Those demonstrations where the 100 lb. girl throws the 220 lb. man are staged.
Krav Maga: fad.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu: predicated on the assumption that all bar-fights inevitably end up with two guys rolling on the ground too drunk to realize that what they’re doing is intensely homo-erotic. You’ll learn how to disable or cripple an opponent, but you have to spend 20 minutes humping him on the ground first. And when you try to explain it to your friends, they’ll just remember the capoeira character from Tekken that was so cheap.
Capoeira: lose your dance shoes, girly-man? Not bad-ass.
Judo: practical and well-rounded, but it doesn’t really sound all that asian, does it? How colorful will the anecdotes be? Besides, with all the throws and rolls, you may as well be in aikido. At least you could pretend you were a zen master.
Taekwondo: lots of flashy kicking because it may have originated as a self-defense system for women. How bad-ass will that make you feel?
Boxing: great for being a bad-ass as long as the person you’re fighting never realizes that you have legs underneath those flying fists. The best part of the training is the constant pummeling you’ll take while sparring – at least you’ll learn how to take a punch. Whether you’ll retain enough brain power to do anything besides fight is an open question.
Muay Thai: seems highly effective, but you’ll look like some 18th-century time-traveler holding your hands like that.
Get Tough, etc.: just buy a knife.
Best advice: bulk up – half of winning a fight is being big enough that nobody wants to fuck with you. Otherwise get a gun: guys like Jet Li and Tony Jaa are the reason they invented handguns. Also works against swords. (e.g. RotLA.)
Hey, Joel: one thing to think about if you’re doing this for excercise: have you seen Steven Segal lately?
If you’re looking to burn some calories I would try to get into one of the martial arts that emphasizes a sport aspect, these seem to have the most energetic workouts, some examples would be Kickboxing, Boxing, Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do, Judo, some Karate styles…
I think Aikido is pretty cool, but some other names you might look for it under would be Hapkido (the Korean version descended from the same mother art) Aiki-jutsu (the art both of the others mentioned previously in this paragraph descended from).
The next time I might take up martial arts I think I might try some variety of Kung-Fu or Jeet Kune Do both seem interesting.
The most important thing in picking a martial art is getting into a school with people you can get along with. Try calling up a school and see if they will let you either watch or participate in a couple classes to see what they are like and if you can get along with everyone there. If it seems like you can great that might be the school for you, if you don’t check another school out.
Another thing hat you might look for is one school that offers multiple styles, hopefully with different teachers for the different styles.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide on. Positive outlook is the most important thing, you get out what you put in.
I would highly reccommend judo. It is self defense. In fact that’s part of the history of judo. Check out the wikipedia for the history.
It is also the roughest sport you will ever engage in. By the rules, it is legal to throw them on the ground so hard they go unconscious, legal to choke someone until they pass out, and legal to put you opponent’s arm in a joint lock until it breaks. Not only are all these things legal, if you do any one of them you’ve probably won.
If you want to learn more or ask specific questions, check out http://www.judoforum.com. Everyone there is very helpful and there are some very experienced teachers and judoka that can help you decide if it’s right for you.
The only other advice I would give is go watch several classes and see if it something that appeals to you.
My neighbors teach a class, looks wicked. They’ve got all the cops in town locked up. Seems to be pretty popular. That and the Israeli fighting style, forget what that’s called. A buddy of mine teaches that, and THAT looks pretty brutal.
AiKiDo is a good art for learning life and balance.
HapKiDo is the best art I’ve learned for city-combat and fighting.
I have trained people in HapKiDo to do these things:
- Recognize a bad situation and avoid a confrontation.
- Stand-off in a fight and defend with minimal contact.
- Close and grapple in close-contact – including ground combat.
- Hand over your wallet when someone puts a gun to your head.
One important note about HapKiDo – every master I have met takes this art *very* seriously. All persons are required to learn the history and show respect at all times. If you aren’t up for a bit of dogma, it’s not for you.
HapKiDo is – by far – the best style I’ve learned for actual usage.
I could write volumes on how good HapKiDo is and how it has helped me.
But if you are already over 30, I recommend AiKiDo – you’ve probably outgrown fighting.
I studied Shoshin Ryu Ju Jitsu for a while before I moved, but found it to be some of the best exercise I’ve ever done (aside from swimming). Cardio workout is incredible. Physical workout is painful to start (I’m just out of shape, really) but is great.
I did NOT start martial arts training with the idea that I would use it for self defence, just for physical training and increased body control. For these things, I was very pleased with both the instruction and the progress. When grad school is done, I REALLY want to get back into training.
For information on ShoShin Ryu, see: http://www.shoshinryu.org
Back to reading… hopefully back to training soon……….
I tried TKD for awhile, and it was pretty good from a fitness standpoint–tons of kicks, knuckle pushups, held positions, etc. Sparring is exhausting, that’s for sure. I bet almost any TMA could offer similar benefits.
I left the class when I realized the teacher was actually only interested in students who would pony up for traveling to tournaments, extra tutorials, etc. So fitness-wise, I’m planning a return to rowing crew. THAT is a world-class workout, plus you’re on a team, outside when weather permits, on rivers and lakes, doing something that requires absolute, total concentration.
As for actual fighting skills–the real fights I’ve been in wouldn’t have offered much chance to deploy TKD skills. Unless you train for *years* and have lightning-quick responses to an attacker’s approach, you’re going to get hurt.
The victorious fighter is frequently the dirtiest fighter. See “A History of Violence” for a quick primer on how to get the upper hand quickly. Lesson one: never hit someone with your fist if something better is ready to hand. Beer mugs, ashtrays, frying pans, whatever. A sharp blow from something like that not only hurts real bad, it scares the fight out of most people.
OTOH, the ancient art of running away while hollering is also a time-honored, honorable survival strategy. Against someone determined to do you harm, it’s by far the most sensible one. Stand and fight a more experienced, hate-driven opponent? Forget it.
I tried Aikido, Judo, Kendo, and Taekwondo (ITF, not olympic style). I didn’t really like Aikido. I thought it was boring and I got tired of the defensive aspect. I think the sword practice is good. I didn’t really stick with Judo either, but if that is what you’re going for, I think Judo is great. Some of my friends have put it to good use when they got jumped after drinking one night. Kendo is great and I really enjoyed it if you’re into that kind of thing. My favorite, and the one I stuck with, was Taekwondo. I like the emphasis on quick movements, punching and kicking. I feel it’s well rounded. I found that it’s very aerobic as you move a lot and this helped me cut some body fat and build muscle without bulk. Also, jump kicks are fun and look cool! One thing that people mention about Aikido is the philosophy. I actually think it can be a little cult-ish.
However, they are all good and bad, and people really stand behind their martial art as the best. Picking the right teacher and right school atomsphere is #1. Some teachers talk a lot and may have 3rd degree this and that, but suck. It all depends on where they learned. Some students just want to kick ass and hurt other people. They bring the mood down because nobody can participate without being nervous.
I think all martial arts are all good for your mind and body and picking the one you enjoy the most is them most important thing because you’ll be excited and dedicated every time you step into the dojo. Good luck!
Man, you just asked the wrong question for the web. Who doesn’t have a half assed opinion based on the three Cobra Kai Karate classes they took in fourth grade?
My two cents, based on high school wrestling, 6 years of Aikido at various times through out my life, competitive Judo in college and my current work, which is in the boxing world: It’s all about your teacher and the environment you train.
When I practiced Aikido, I did so with some of the best teachers nationally and internationally (I studied in Chicago and Dubai). Regular seminars brought teachers of varying backgrounds: some ’soft,’ soft incredibly dynamic (one intergrated mat work with the standing movements). They all empasized the same thing: Every art can be adapted to different uses, and they are all equally useless if you aren’t trained correctly. It’s better to not train at all than to do so without a good teacher.
Find a good dojo and teacher and make sure that they have credentials, sit in a few classes. Watch the time they spend with their students. Go to a few different schools and arts. Every discipline is not right for every student.
Personally, to echo some of the more sensible comments here, I would reccomend something that provides an idea of balance, how to fall, and an idea of how to move when you are being tangled up or knocked down. Take a look at UFC or any typical bar fight and you’ll notice it usually ends up on the ground.
I feel like my opinion should be worth something here;
I’ve been doing Aikido for about a year and a half. The “bow to a picture” thing put me off a little to start with, and I acknowledge that all the “ki” stuff is pure crap. It’s either science fiction bullshit or merely a self-important way of saying “visualize success”, depending on who tries to explain it to you, but it all amounts to the same thing: mystical sci-fi garbage.
However, there are different schools of Aikido, and the two that I’ve randomly chosen off of google focused faaaar more on the physical stuff. Actual physics of leverage and balance. And that stuff is NOT crap.
The reason I go with Aikido vs. any of the other arts out there (and instead of just jogging), is based on the fights I’ve been in in my past. I’ve never fought in a life-or-death situation, and I don’t even know anyone who has. It’s always been against people who were too angry to see straight, or too prideful to back down, or too stupid to spar verbally. And of the fights I won, I always got in trouble for breaking the other guy’s glasses, or busting his nose, or what-have-you.
Aikido would have enabled me to end those fight without risking a lawsuit or detention. And of course, it’s also a good workout.
Man, you just asked the wrong question for the web. Who doesn’t have a half assed opinion based on the three Cobra Kai Karate classes they took in fourth grade?
That’s the quote of the day… I’m just over thirty and started Hapkido a little over 2 years ago. I really enjoy it because it is a blend of both soft and hard styles.
I’d just recommend going to a few classes and seeing which one looks best to you. A good instructor makes a huge difference and means more in the long run than the actual style.
Good luck!
Like most worthwhile things in life, aikido takes a while to really appreciate. I started aikido around the same time that a friend started taekwondo a few years ago. While he was accumulating belts and ribbons, I was struggling to get the basic moves down in aikido. This is not a martial art aimed at kicking arse, although when you have mastered some of the moves you can fairly easily wrench someone’s shoulder out of the socket. (Never actually done that myself but have convinced some friends of its effectiveness in some drunken outings). Instead, it’s about finding an inner confidence, balance and respect for others, based heavily on budo and the ethos of the samurai. There are no attacks in aikido for a reason: the emphasis is on channeling aggression, not glorifying it. But be prepared to stumble around for months before you can even analyze the grace and beauty of senior students of the art.
The one thing to distill from all this seems to be:
Find a good school (first class free, no contracts) and a teacher you like. The actual style doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy it.
I agree with some of the other posters, namely in that:
judo is a sport not an art, and is not really suitable for self defence
ju jitsu is an art and is pretty good for SD
krav-maga is really good for SD but does not stress the spiritual aspects as much
MOST IMPORTANT:
get a good teacher, there are a lot of hucksters out there. What you should look for is someone who stresses the spiritual and mental aspects as well as the physical, some one who knows that the first goal of knowing a defensive martial art is to never have to use it, one who will teach safety before fighting techniques are introduced.
i had the great honor of learning from a man named Steve Copping, he was a great and true martial artist, if you wanted to earn a black belt in his dojo he required that you also learn shiatsu massage. The philosophy behind this being that if you learn how to break the body you need to also learn to fix it. Sensei Copping passed away this year, but his teachings are carried on by one of my classmates, Jeremy Corbell. The website for sensei Corbell can be found at http://www.quantumjujitsu.com/
everyone should take a look at that to see what a real martial arts dojo is about!!
Judo is very much an art. but it is one that has been adopted into a sport. JuJitsu and Aikido could be considered derivatives of Judo (or a little the other way around too I concede).
That being said, Judo is best for smaller (shorter?) guys just based on the physics. It has plenty of philosophy to keep you up at night, and, because it has aspects of sport, you can do something with it beyond growing a pony tail.
Something to add to the discussion, which Jason had mentioned, and which goes to one of the points we have finalized. The Dojo should be a place that really wants to teach you. Not a place that caters to kids or guys wanting a wall of accomplishments. The primary model of many of these places seems to be getting thee victim through as many levels as possible to keep them interested, buying lessons, and paying for tests. Just my observation.
i followed the fighting meme all the way back to here and i’m gonna put my 2 cents in.
i’ve tried: tkd, aikido, BJJ, and kickboxing
like pretty much everyone else here, i have to agree the aikido is not how you are going to win fights. that being said, do you find yourself getting into fights?
i strongly recommend a kickboxing / mma style training regimen. some of the guys above recommend krav maga or hapkido, which are both very effective in my experience. the only problem is they don’t work on your fitness as much as they work on your technique. and it’s both that really save your ass in the end.
as one of the guys above said, bulking up is a definite advantage. and fight training as opposed to a martial art will do more for your physique. if you know how to handle yourself and you look solid, most people generally won’t mess with you. however be warned, that if you’re tall enough and big enough some guys will start fights with you just to size you up. when i’m out at bars with my pals from kickboxing, it’s the guys who are just over 6′ who people start shit with. they never fuck with the ones who are under 5′11 or the dudes who are like 6′5. it’s interesting to see.
finally as a guy who’s tried all these different styles, let me just say that when i trained in martial arts, or even BJJ all i wanted to do was get into fights. it rarely happened, which is a good thing because i probably would have gotten my ass kicked. now that i’ve been kickboxing for a while and i actually get to fight people for sport, i have no desire to get into fights. it’s like i get enough fighting in the ring that i don’t need it in my every day life. which is another reason i recommend fight training as opposed to martial arts. i really and truly believe that every man has a need to fight inside of him. and that need is going to express itself one way or another. why not get it out the right way?