# Looking to start martial arts



## Masei (Jan 3, 2011)

Hello everyone.

I've been looking to start martial arts for a while but am struggling on what style to choose to learn. The joint locks and throws etc from Aikido really intrested me so i started to read more about it however the more i read about it the more i go 'it doesnt work' 
But i mean it must work if it has been going this long? Or is it something to learn after you have study'd another martial art? 
I also like the idea of Ishinryu.

What im really trying to ask is what advice you would give to a beginner on what to learn and is Aikido worth a beginner learning? 

Thanks for you time and help its much appreciated 

If you have any questions feel free to ask me, and if you need a idea on the martial arts in my area just ask


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Jan 3, 2011)

Masei said:


> Hello everyone.
> 
> I've been looking to start martial arts for a while but am struggling on what style to choose to learn. The joint locks and throws etc from Aikido really intrested me so i started to read more about it however the more i read about it the more i go 'it doesnt work'
> But i mean it must work if it has been going this long? Or is it something to learn after you have study'd another martial art?
> ...



Welcome to MT!

I don't think you will find many here who put down any particular given martial art, regardless of what our personal opinions might be.  Most of us accept that all martial arts have validity and application within their design, and competent teaching and diligent studentship create valid skills, regardless of tradition.

That said, I am an Isshin-Ryu practitioner.  However, I am a mere beginner myself, having only been practicing it for 2 1/2 years.  I like it a lot.  It's very different from Aikido, but I think Aikido is quite interesting.

A big part of the answer to your questions is probably based on finding out what YOU want and expect from martial arts training, as well as practical questions like what training is available in your area, what physical limitations you might have, even what your personality is best suited for.  Do you want to learn strictly for self-defense?  For health?  For flexibility?  For other reasons?  All of these questions play into what may become the best answer for you.


----------



## Never_A_Reflection (Jan 3, 2011)

What martial arts are available in your area?  While most people like to research styles online the problem then arises where they have decided "Okay, I will learn x" only to find out that the only schools around them only teach w, y, and z.  Find the arts in your area and break them down into the types of arts that interest you and rank them in the order of interest you have in it.  Once you have that list, go visit those schools in that order and watch class and ask some of these questions:

Do the instructors seem competent?
Do the instructors have credentials (pro/pro-am fights, law enforcement, military, reputable organization, etc)?
Do you like the teaching style?
Does the material look applicable/useful?
Do the students seem welcoming and seem to enjoy the class?
Are the class dues exorbitant?
Are there a large number of odd-colored belts you have to pay for every time you get promoted to one of them?


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Jan 3, 2011)

Never_A_Reflection said:


> What martial arts are available in your area?  While most people like to research styles online the problem then arises where they have decided "Okay, I will learn x" only to find out that the only schools around them only teach w, y, and z.  Find the arts in your area and break them down into the types of arts that interest you and rank them in the order of interest you have in it.  Once you have that list, go visit those schools in that order and watch class and ask some of these questions:
> 
> Do the instructors seem competent?
> Do the instructors have credentials (pro/pro-am fights, law enforcement, military, reputable organization, etc)?
> ...



All excellent points!  I would add - having seen this recently - ask how long the instructor has been involved in teaching martial arts.  I've run into a few five-year-wonders recently.  Not to say that they are not skilled or good teachers, but I'd prefer an instructor with decades of training behind the black belt.  Just my 2 cents.


----------



## ArmorOfGod (Jan 3, 2011)

I agree with the post a few points back, but I think I am going to simplify it.

The first question is:
What styles are available in your area that you can afford or go to?

AoG


----------



## Masei (Jan 3, 2011)

These are the following styles avalibile to me:

Isshinryu*
Wado Ryu
Kenpo 
Capoeira
Su-Zen-Kai
Aikido*
Iai-do* 
T'ai Chi Chuan
Shito-Ryu Shukokai
Judo
Ken Yu Kai 
Suhari? 

I'm sorry if some of these are names of school instead of style. The ones with a * are the ones I have read abit about  

Thanks for the reply's


----------



## Touch Of Death (Jan 3, 2011)

Masei said:


> These are the following styles avalibile to me:
> 
> Isshinryu*
> Wado Ryu
> ...


That third thing looks cool.


----------



## jks9199 (Jan 3, 2011)

From his posts, it seems that the OP has already done the basic homework of seeing what's available.

Aikido can be a tremendously effective art for real self defense -- but it takes time and it takes a school aimed at learning it that way.  There are, unfortunately, a lot of schools around that aren't focused on reality...  (FYI -- Steven Seagal is a well known practitioner of one form of aikido...)

What are your goals in training?  How much time do you have?  Those can be guides to which art.  But -- the best thing is to go out, visit the school, and decide if it's somewhere you want to spend time and people you want to do potentially dangerous things with.


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Jan 3, 2011)

Masei said:


> These are the following styles avalibile to me:
> 
> Isshinryu*
> Wado Ryu



Isshin-Ryu is my style.  It was derived from Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu and retains aspects of both.  It is distinguished by a vertical fist punch and snapping kicks, among other things.

I trained very briefly in Wado-Ryu many years ago.  It is a fascinating derivative of karate and jujitsu.  It is distinguished by the application of techniques that emphasize body movement to control the confrontation.

I think that either one, competently taught, would be quite effective self-defense techniques.



> Kenpo
> Capoeira
> Su-Zen-Kai
> Aikido*
> ...



I have no personal knowledge of any other the others, although I have an interest in Judo myself; Isshin-Ryu does not have a 'ground game' per se, and I also want to build my flexibility and balance, not to mention learning how to fall properly.

Sounds like you have a lot of good choices available to you.  Good luck!


----------



## Masei (Jan 3, 2011)

Thanks for the reply's guys  
In response to jks's questions, i have quite alot of time and could probbely do 2-3 lessons a week. My goals are rather vague I guess. I mean I want to learn self defence and improve self convidence. I also wants something to strive towards and a challenge to me.


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Jan 3, 2011)

Masei said:


> Thanks for the reply's guys
> In response to jks's questions, i have quite alot of time and could probbely do 2-3 lessons a week. My goals are rather vague I guess. I mean I want to learn self defence and improve self convidence. I also wants something to strive towards and a challenge to me.



I think the advice given above by others was pretty good.  Check things out, take your time, watch classes, talk to students.  Look at costs, long and short term.

The number one thing I can say about any martial arts training is to persevere.  Effort is important, and talent helps, so does physical condition.  But in my opinion, nothing matters as much as dedication.  Keep training, no matter what you choose.  That's where you get the benefit.


----------



## Masei (Jan 3, 2011)

Just managed to find the website about the aikido school, 
It said it was a Therpuetic thing. So I googled that and it said it was a martial arts therapy, that's not something I'm really looking for so I guess that can be taken off the list. Also would anyone be able to list a few pros/cons on isshinryu please? 
It would be a massive help 
Thanks


----------



## Blade96 (Jan 3, 2011)

Masei said:


> Thanks for the reply's guys
> In response to jks's questions, i have quite alot of time and could probbely do 2-3 lessons a week. My goals are rather vague I guess. I mean I want to learn self defence and improve self convidence. I also wants something to strive towards and a challenge to me.



do you like punchy kicky stuff? Or do you prefer grappling on the ground?  Do you like more kicky stuff or more emphasis on punchy stuff? Do you like using the attackers own weight against him/her (aikido)?

Knowing that helps you decide what you want


----------



## bluewaveschool (Jan 3, 2011)

No TaeKwonDo schools there?


----------



## Masei (Jan 4, 2011)

There is TaeKwonDo, but doesnt in involve alot of kicking? Because i'd rather have something punching based than kicking. 

I dont mind grappiling on the ground and using the attackers own weight against them


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Jan 4, 2011)

Masei said:


> There is TaeKwonDo, but doesnt in involve alot of kicking? Because i'd rather have something punching based than kicking.
> 
> I dont mind grappiling on the ground and using the attackers own weight against them



Isshin-Ryu is more balanced between kicking and punching than most Korean martial arts (I believe).  It also does not do high-kicks as TKD does.  If you are more into punching, then you may not prefer TKD.

With regard to grappling, most traditional Okinawan karate does not do much grappling that I'm aware of.  That is the realm of jujitsu and judo if you're talking Japanese arts.

Wado does a bit of both.  I was only a student for a brief time, but you may find that appealing, given your statement above.

Check out some youtube videos for the various styles - you may be able to see how they are similar and different.


----------



## Never_A_Reflection (Jan 4, 2011)

Masei said:


> Isshinryu*
> Wado Ryu
> Kenpo
> Capoeira
> ...



Of these, given that you are wanting self defense, striking that is focused on punching, and grappling, I would say Isshinryu, Wado Ryu, Kenpo (although that will have more kicking, I believe), and Shito-Ryu.  Judo will give you throwing and grappling, but striking is only taught at high ranks and even then only in some schools.

Ken Yu Kai is an organization, not an art, and includes Shito-Ryu and Wado-Ryu, to my knowledge.  Su-Ha-Ri is a concept, not an art, but from what I found on Google it looks like the places calling themselves Su-Ha-Ri schools teach Wado-Ryu.


----------



## jks9199 (Jan 4, 2011)

Masei said:


> Thanks for the reply's guys
> In response to jks's questions, i have quite alot of time and could probbely do 2-3 lessons a week. My goals are rather vague I guess. I mean I want to learn self defence and improve self convidence. I also wants something to strive towards and a challenge to me.


The questions were for you -- not me.  Those answers will shape what you choose.  If you want quick self defense training, you'll want to go one way.  If you're looking for something to practice for decades, focusing on personal development and refinement as well as exposure to another culture, that's a different choice.  If you want to compete and win trophies -- you need to go somewhere that does that.

Figure out what you're looking for -- and examine the schools for providing it.

But most important, to me, is to "fit" with the school and instructor.


----------



## Blade96 (Jan 4, 2011)

Masei said:


> There is TaeKwonDo, but doesnt in involve alot of kicking? Because i'd rather have something punching based than kicking.
> 
> I dont mind grappiling on the ground and using the attackers own weight against them



check out some of that then and see what you think.


----------



## rooke (Jan 4, 2011)

The problem is this. Everyone takes martial arts for different reasons. And maybe you may share the same primary reason as a friend, but your secondary and tertiary reasons may differ. So you'll have different choices.

To make things even more complicated, if you say "For Self Defense", it depends on how you envision your fight versus how others envision the fight they're preparing for. Are you worried about multiple opponents, or a local bully? Is the fight going to be with someone around your size, or someone bigger? Or smaller? Are they skilled? What do you foresee?

Everyone likes to think "All of it", but certain styles skew more towards some scenarios then others. 

If you're looking for self-defense, I'd say this:
Can you envision your art working against an MMA guy who studied their art as long as you have your art (ie: I plan on studying XXXX for 5 years...who would win a fight? Me studying XXXX for 5 years, or me studying MMA for 5 years?).

Within the confines of their rule structure, MMA is king for a reason. Without rules (which is what most folks say), its still hard to deal with. They spar, so they have a good feel for distancing, juking/faking, and a SOLID ground strategy that most folks don't address.

I happen to be a Kali/Silat/JKD guy. That was my "truth". But you should find the best TEACHER (far more important than a style), and jump in and go from there. Once you've started, you'll have a better idea of what you want. Or go and watch classes at all the schools you plan on going to, and see which one seems the most reasonable for what you want. Or if you lack the time, youtube the styles, and see which seem to be most realistic for the scenarios you envision. Good luck.

Rooke


----------



## billc (Jan 6, 2011)

Go into the filipino martial arts. You will learn Panatukan, empty hand, and Dumog, wrestiling, both from a very free form methodology, and most important for self-defense, weapons training of the best kind.  If self-defence is your goal, the weapon based filipino arts will make a lot of sense for you.  I don't know how old you are, but if you are an adult, most life changing, or life ending encounters will involve being attacked by someone with a weapon, or a group of unarmed attackers.  The focus on weapons training improves your empty hand applications incredibly.  Once you train with the stick, sword or knife of the filipine traditions, which you will do from your first class,  anyone punching or kicking at you will be at a disadvantage.  the weapons drills increase your ability to see strikes coming in, because weapons are a great deal faster than the fastest empty hand techniques.  The weapons training increases your timing because they give the opponent an advantage, so when someone comes at you without a weapon, it will seem like it takes forever for them to complete the action.  A lot of empty hand arts do not deal as effectively with weapons as the fillipino arts do.  I have years of experience in Kenpo,and have dabled in a lot of the other arts, judo, aikido, shotokan, sport karate, hapkido, iaido, western fencing and some others.  I have yet to find any that are as familiar with weapons, that are the most commonly encountered in the real world.  Just my humble opinion and my humble suggestions.


----------



## Rayban (Jan 6, 2011)

Most of your decision will be geared around what sort of rapport you can establish with an instructor and the other students.

For example, you may absolutely love Aikido, but if you don't like the way it is taught locally, you may end up disenchanted with the art.

Go to various schools and ask them lots of questions. You will want to come back to the one(s) you like.

Having a good idea as to which side of the fence you are on in terms of classical MA or self defense will help a lot too.

I wish you well


----------



## Aiki Lee (Jan 12, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> With regard to grappling, most traditional Okinawan karate does not do much grappling that I'm aware of. That is the realm of jujitsu and judo if you're talking Japanese arts.


 
I read a book a while back called "Tui-te" or soemthing like that, and it was about a karateka looking at the bunkai of his kata and experimenting with the possibility that certain movements that could be interpretend as parrying or striking could also be joint locks or throws if looked at from a different angle. So I actually wonder if this kind of stuff was in there originally and maybe it was dropped over time for some reason?

EDIT: Ah, heres a link to amazon with the book i was talking about. http://www.amazon.com/Okinawan-Karate-Secret-Art-Tuite/dp/0965008584


----------



## Ken Morgan (Jan 12, 2011)

Iaido.
Everyone needs to learn iaido. It makes all the others obsolute


----------



## Langenschwert (Jan 12, 2011)

Any art can be great with the right teacher. Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, MMA and all that are good bets for solid training regardless of location.

I agree with the FMA for a lot of modern weapons. I did Arnis de Mano as a kid and really enjoyed it.

Iaido/Batto etc is really neat. I love my JSA studies.

European swordsmanship is really fun. In a good school you'll get fair degree of unarmed and other weapons as well. The knife/dagger defences are second to none if the interpretations of the source material are solid. Ok, I'm a German longsword teacher, so I'm biased. Blatant plug and all that. So take that for what it's worth.

But of all of that means nothing if you don't vibe well with the instructor, or if that art itself isn't what you're after.

Best regards,

-Mark


----------



## IZDemon (Jan 12, 2011)

There is no Boxing gym located in yoru area? Boxing is often overlooked by people who are searching for a place to train martial arts. It has been my experience that boxing is a very effective form of self defense and it will get you in top shape.


----------



## Cirdan (Jan 13, 2011)

Himura Kenshin said:


> I read a book a while back called "Tui-te" or soemthing like that, and it was about a karateka looking at the bunkai of his kata and experimenting with the possibility that certain movements that could be interpretend as parrying or striking could also be joint locks or throws if looked at from a different angle. So I actually wonder if this kind of stuff was in there originally and maybe it was dropped over time for some reason?


 
Who said it was dropped over time? It is very much still taught in many places.


----------



## Bruno@MT (Jan 13, 2011)

It depends on whaat you are looking for, as most people have said already.
The most important thing is that you like what you are doing (so you stick with it) and trust your instructor.

If you don't see yourself kicking a lot at head height, taekwondo is probably not for you.
If you don't like grapling and rolling around on the floor, then BJJ is probably not for you.
If you want self defense, then sword based arts like iaido is probably not for you.
etc...


----------



## Aiki Lee (Jan 13, 2011)

Cirdan said:


> Who said it was dropped over time? It is very much still taught in many places.



I figured it would be, but so many people claim that karate is a striking art. Saying that makes it sound like it doesn't do grappling, locks or throws which doesn't appear true from my experience.


----------



## Cirdan (Jan 14, 2011)

Himura Kenshin said:


> I figured it would be, but so many people claim that karate is a striking art. Saying that makes it sound like it doesn't do grappling, locks or throws which doesn't appear true from my experience.


 
Karate is a mixed bag with many styles and schools, it is hard to describe all with one word. Some do weapons, breaking, hard conditioning etc in their training, others don`t. You would expect to find a solid striking game in all Karate Dojos however.


----------



## rooke (Jan 15, 2011)

Kenshin,

I came from an art that did lots of throws and sweeps. When I saw the Shotokan forms back in 2000, that's ALL I saw. A wonderful series of techniques to throw, sweep and off-balance someone. I wasn't "misinterprettting" what they had. It wasn't "conceptual". It was quite literal and obvious if you came from that background. 

Infact, you'll see Machida doing some of that occasionally. I think Crafty once commented that Machida did something that looked like a kinjit from Silat a year ago or so.

I would wager that this stuff was always there. It was just hidden until they found someone "worthy" to pass it on to. When they didn't, that knowledge got to fewer and fewer people.

Karate is an amazing art. Unfortunately to really unravel some of the great stuff in it, you probably need to find a good teacher who also knows it (VERY VERY rare), or cross train, so you recognize what's in it.

Rooke


----------



## Aiki Lee (Jan 16, 2011)

It always looked to me like grappling should be in karate. I unfortunately had a karate teacher for years who taught a very basic watered down version of the original Isshin ryu. I practiced that for 12 years and never got what I would consider quality training. This does not mean I don't think the art itself isn't good, just not my particular school.


----------



## ETinCYQX (Jan 19, 2011)

Judo I think would be my pick for self defense. The downside is the lack of striking.

My favorite thing about grappling-based arts for SD is that 90% of my SD has been subduing friends or pulling people out of fights, when I really don't want to hurt them. Judo works great for that IMO.


----------



## K-man (Jan 20, 2011)

Himura Kenshin said:


> I read a book a while back called "Tui-te" or soemthing like that, and it was about a karateka looking at the bunkai of his kata and experimenting with the possibility that certain movements that could be interpretend as parrying or striking could also be joint locks or throws if looked at from a different angle. So I actually wonder if this kind of stuff was in there originally and maybe it was dropped over time for some reason?
> 
> EDIT: Ah, heres a link to amazon with the book i was talking about. http://www.amazon.com/Okinawan-Karate-Secret-Art-Tuite/dp/0965008584


Tuite should be part of any Okinawan based system. It is part of the 80% of karate that you don't normally see. The other word mentioned in the posts was shu-ha-ri and basically that covers the same topic. 'Shu' refers to the basic kihon kata and the simple bunkai application. Unfortunately, this is all you will see in most karate schools. 'Ha' covers the next level including much of the tuite. 'Ri' is the top level and realistically you may not see much of it except in schools with a number of experienced martial artists. 

So in response to the OP. Have a good look around, talk to some of the students as well as the instructor and take advantage of any free lessons a school may offer. Aikido is a great MA but it will probably take longer to become reasonably proficient. And, if you want to avoid a lot of kicking then perhaps TKD is not for you.

I admit total bias here but I would be looking at an Okinawan based karate that hasn't been sanitised via the school system.

Good luck! :asian:


----------



## Daniel Sullivan (Jan 20, 2011)

Masei said:


> Hello everyone.
> 
> I've been looking to start martial arts for a while but am struggling on what style to choose to learn. The joint locks and throws etc from Aikido really intrested me so i started to read more about it however the more i read about it the more i go 'it doesnt work'
> But i mean it must work if it has been going this long? Or is it something to learn after you have study'd another martial art?
> ...


No hapkido in your area?  You might find it to be just the ticket.  A goodly amount of strikes and a lot of techniques similar to or in common with aikido.

And welcome to MT!

Daniel


----------



## fenglong (Mar 22, 2011)

Masei said:


> Hello everyone.
> 
> I've been looking to start martial arts for a while but am struggling on what style to choose to learn. The joint locks and throws etc from Aikido really intrested me so i started to read more about it however the more i read about it the more i go 'it doesnt work'
> But i mean it must work if it has been going this long? Or is it something to learn after you have study'd another martial art?
> ...



From what I can tell, Aikido originates from times in Japan when the sword was the main weapon.
When you pay attention, you will notice how most of the moves in Aikido seem to be designed for defending yourself against attackers with swords.
In my opinion that is the reason why Aikido has such big problems competing with other self-defense styles, but after all, it is still an art.
As long as an art can fulfill your life, dont worry too much about what people think about it and how it competes with other arts.

If you like throws and joint work a lot but are looking for something more useful for actual self-defense, I'd say take a look at this:


----------



## Daniel Sullivan (Mar 22, 2011)

fenglong said:


> From what I can tell, Aikido originates from times in Japan when the sword was the main weapon.
> When you pay attention, you will notice how most of the moves in Aikido seem to be designed for defending yourself against attackers with swords.


No. Aikido originates from times in Japan when the rifle or pistol was the main weapon, as in the 1920's. 

It is not designed to be used against attackers with swords. Aikido is a 20th century martial art and is not Koryu budo. Founder Ueshiba studied Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu under Takeda. His Aikido originates with that and is influenced by the Omoto Kyo religion. DRAJ was not an ancient art at the time he studied, and I believe it was founded at the turn of the last century.

Aikido and I believe its predacessor, Daito Ryu, were influenced by sword arts and (at least aikido) has an element of sword work in it, but were not designed for defense against sword wielding attackers. 



fenglong said:


> In my opinion that is the reason why Aikido has such big problems competing with other self-defense styles, but after all, it is still an art.
> As long as an art can fulfill your life, dont worry too much about what people think about it and how it competes with other arts.


One thing that I have noticed about Aikido is that it tends to attract those who are as interested in philosophy and Japanese culture as they are in technical proficiency. 

I won't get into how applicable it is in self defense either in general or as compared to other arts, as I am not an aikidoka, though I suspect that that is more dependent upon the practitioner than it is the art.



fenglong said:


> If you like throws and joint work a lot but are looking for something more useful for actual self-defense, I'd say take a look at this:


 
This video is hwarangdo, which is related to hapkido and likely has a goodly amount of technical overlap with aikido.  I suspect that those takedowns are all things you will find in aikido and are definitely things you will find in hapkido.

Daniel


----------



## Mass (Mar 22, 2011)

Almost every school has some type of introductory lesson. Go to different schools and try a few class of each till you find what you really love. You will know right away if it is something worthwhile to YOU right off the get go. It's tough to ask others which style is better or what the think of a particular style because everybody has different goals, different mindsets and different abilities.


----------



## dancingalone (Mar 22, 2011)

fenglong said:


> From what I can tell, Aikido originates from times in Japan when the sword was the main weapon.



Aikido was invented in the 20th century well after the samurai class had been abolished as a privileged, weapon-bearing class.  



fenglong said:


> When you pay attention, you will notice how most of the moves in Aikido seem to be designed for defending yourself against attackers with swords.



Aikido is meant to be an unarmed method of peaceful conflict resolution.  Not many unarmed fighters would do well against a trained swordsman, no matter the system they practice, and aikido certainly was not designed to be a silver bullet for the sword.

That said, the study of the sword has long been intertwined with aikido.  O-Sensei was a sword expert himself of several schools and he reportedly taught it to a few of his most senior students.  Even today, 'cutting' drills with bokken is used to illustrate and practice certain concepts, and it could be argued that it might be essential to trace O-Sensei's own technical progression by also studying swordsmanship if you are a serious aikido-ka.


----------



## Yondanchris (Mar 22, 2011)

If you are looking for self defense (stand-up and ground) I would suggest one of three options:

MMA 
BJJ
Kenpo 

or a mixture of the three! I am personally attached to kenpo, but some schools including mine
teach grappling skills as a requirement for advancement. As has been said before a lot of your
training depends on your instructor and environment and the style not as much! 
Take everyone up on some free lessons and see what melds with you the most!

Chris


----------



## Indie12 (Mar 23, 2011)

My questions are:

1. Why do you want to take up Martial Arts?
2. What do you hope to get out of Martial Arts?


I'd start by asking yourself "why take up Martial Arts?"

Then I would look into what I want to get out of Martial Arts,
I.E: Sport, H2H Combat, Lifestyle, Spiritual, Philosophy, Combination, or Personal Protection...

Many Arts, offer different things in those perspectives. My advice is to look around all the different systems until you find one that is suitable.

I started over 22 years ago, and have never looked back nor regreted it!!


----------



## Indie12 (Mar 23, 2011)

Forgot a couple things to add:

1. Cheap or Free doesn't mean quality or better!!!
2. Ask questions to the Instructor... Question, Question, Question
3. Passion is what will get results, that and hard work.
4. You have to be willing to go 2-3 or more times a week for the standard 1 hour or in some cases 2-4 hour sessions. If your not, then I'd recommend something else.


----------



## dodoman (Mar 30, 2011)

i thank however the art the most thing is the master who will teach you i think the teakwondo is the smarts and coolest one


----------



## Josh Oakley (Apr 11, 2011)

The best thing I can say is take your time and actually go to each school. Don't make a decision until you've done that.


----------

