# The Unofficial Beginners Guide to Martial Arts



## CK1980 (Nov 8, 2013)

I spend a lot of time reading through the threads in Beginner's Corner.  During my reading, I have noticed a sort of theme.  Many people who post new threads there want advice (to be expected) on which art, how to train, how important ranking is, etc...  So, I thought I would offer some general opinions for anyone interested...  Hopefully, some of the others inside the community will offer some good opinions and advice as well.

Q1: Which Style is the BEST style?

A1: No one can answer what is best for you but you.  Every martial art has a practical application.  Every martial art "works".  Ask yourself these questions and you will be on your way to finding what the best art for you may be:
   -- Are you flexible?  If the answer is 'no', then an art that requires a certain degree of flexibility to even attempt may not be right for you.
   -- Are you more interested in rigid or fluid strikes?
   -- Are you more interested in raw power or power through finesse?
   -- Are you more interested in flashy moves or moves that "end the fight" quickly?

Q2: What about belt ranking?

A2: Almost every school out there today uses some type of belt ranking system.  Your belt SHOULD be a symbol of proficiency in your art.  Your belt SHOULD NOT be a symbol of excessive pride.  One thing to keep in mind with belts, it is very possible for a "white belt" to beat a "[insert color] belt".  So, don't think that just because you have reached a certain belt level that you are superior or because you have not reached a certain belt level that you are inferior.  Every school has a set of requirements to be awarded a belt.  Understand those requirements for what they are and what they are not.

Q3: How often should I train?

A3: As often as you like!  Martial arts should be something you do because you enjoy it, not because you feel you HAVE TO do it.  I would say that if your school offers class 5 days a week, you should try to make it 5 days a week- because otherwise you are paying for something you aren't necessarily getting the most out of.  But likewise, if going 5 days a week is too much, go less.  Just understand that you probably will take a little longer to get where you want to be.  Martial arts, in my experience, is one of those things where you only get out of it what you are willing to put into it.

Q4: Is [insert technique] effective?

A4: This is one of my favorites!  The answer is both "yes" and "no"!  It all depends on the situation.  Let me ask you, is a punch effective?  YES: if you are trying to hit someone.  NO: if you are trying to make a sandwich.  When deciding whether a particular technique is effective, you first have to determine the situation you are referring to.  Then you have to consider how comfortable you are with the technique. Then and only then can you determine if it is effective.

And here are a few little gems I have picked up over the years that may help you out:
1) Never limit yourself to one way of training in martial arts.
2) No matter how good you THINK you are, there IS someone better.
3) It takes more courage to restrain yourself than to jump into a fight.


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## arnisador (Nov 8, 2013)

Good advice! Even after I redirect "What is the best art?" to "What is the best art _for you_?" it's usually still hard to make a single good recommendation. With a good and flexible  instructor, most things could work.


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## Ironcrane (Nov 8, 2013)

I was once asked the question 'which style is the easiest?'  At that time I couldn't come up with an answer. And I have no idea how often that gets asked, but it might be worth contemplating.


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## oftheherd1 (Nov 9, 2013)

I think you have given a lot of good answers to the common questions you mention.  But there will always be a similar, but to the questioner, a slightly different angle to clear up for them.  It happens all the time here on MT.  

What is interesting to me is how most people answer from the point of view of their own art.  Sort of natural I guess.  But you can usually see a different kind of answer from those who have studied more than one art.


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## CK1980 (Nov 15, 2013)

Well, I used to be of the mindset "my style is the BEST style".  And, to some extent, I still believe that.  No one wants to think that they are as good or worse than someone else when they could think of themselves as better.  That is human nature...
I had moved cross country and was looking for a school that would pick up where I left off in my hometown.  I called my former instructor, a man who I had great respect for- and still do, and asked his advise...  Among the things he told me were this:
1. It doesn't matter what you train- as long as you train.
2. All arts are practical, take what works for you and discard the rest.
3. You will never find another school that does it the way I do, and that's not a bad thing.
4. Keep an open mind and dedicate yourself as a student of the martial arts- not of any one art.

Those are the big points of my post...


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## skribs (Nov 19, 2013)

I think the example in A4 could be a little less hyperbolic.  For example, "Is ground fighting the most important skill?" "It's great in 1-on-1, but bad if you have his buddies kicking you while you're down."



> I was once asked the question 'which style is the easiest?'  At  that time I couldn't come up with an answer. And I have no idea how  often that gets asked, but it might be worth contemplating.



I think it would vary by person.  I know some people (and I hate to use gender stereotypes, but I notice women can pick this up faster than men on average) can pick up pressure points very well.  Some people have great footwork.  I have terrible flexibility, so my choice in Tae Kwon Do was more to push myself for flexibility, whereas someone who has spent the last 5 years doing yoga would probably pick up TKD real easy.



> 2. All arts are practical, take what works for you and discard the rest.



I would argue that some are more practical than others, and which are the more practical arts depends on what you are looking for.



> 3. You will never find another school that does it the way I do, and that's not a bad thing.
> 4. Keep an open mind and dedicate yourself as a student of the martial arts- not of any one art.



I like these.


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## Instructor (Nov 19, 2013)

Also practicality depends greatly on ones point of view.  If you want to win MMA championships or something then what is practical might vary greatly from somebody wanting to simply improve balance, strength, and flexibility.


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## Tames D (Nov 19, 2013)

Ironcrane said:


> I was once asked the question 'which style is the easiest?'  At that time I couldn't come up with an answer. And I have no idea how often that gets asked, but it might be worth contemplating.



The answer to that question is Tae Kwon Do. No doubt about it.


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## Dirty Dog (Nov 19, 2013)

I think there is *plenty* of doubt about that, TamesD. Taekwondo is not nearly as simple as you imply.


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## Tames D (Nov 19, 2013)

Dirty Dog said:


> I think there is *plenty* of doubt about that, TamesD. Taekwondo is not nearly as simple as you imply.



Well, no disrespect intended Dirty Dog, but I don't know of any other disipline where a 5 year old can strap on a black belt. So it must not be too difficult.


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## skribs (Nov 19, 2013)

Pretty sure in any martial art a 5 year old COULD strap on a black belt.  The meaning of the black belt depends on how you earned it, not what art you're taking.  I'm sure there are schools out there for the other arts where 5 year olds can get a black belt (if not, the parents can just buy one on Amazon for under $5).



> Also practicality depends greatly on ones point of view.  If you  want to win MMA championships or something then what is practical might  vary greatly from somebody wanting to simply improve balance, strength,  and flexibility.



Very true.  There's the sport, the health benefits (balance, conditioning, strength, flexibility), the discipline, the "I can kick bags and get out my aggression", the self defense, and simply the artistic expression.  For me, part of it is getting into shape enough to do trick kicks.  They have no practical application in sparring or in a real fight, but they do get my heart pumping and it's like a victory over myself when I get them.


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## Tames D (Nov 19, 2013)

skribs said:


> *Pretty sure in any martial art a 5 year old COULD strap on a black belt.  The meaning of the black belt depends on how you earned it, not what art you're taking.  I'm sure there are schools out there for the other arts where 5 year olds can get a black belt (if not, the parents can just buy one on Amazon for under $5).
> *
> 
> 
> Very true.  There's the sport, the health benefits (balance, conditioning, strength, flexibility), the discipline, the "I can kick bags and get out my aggression", the self defense, and simply the artistic expression.  For me, part of it is getting into shape enough to do trick kicks.  They have no practical application in sparring or in a real fight, but they do get my heart pumping and it's like a victory over myself when I get them.



I only seee/hear about the TKD 5yr old black belts. If you're "pretty sure" about all other styles being that way, I'm interested to hear what you have to say.

Steve: How many 5 year old BB's do you have in your bjj school?


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## Dirty Dog (Nov 20, 2013)

Tames D said:


> Well, no disrespect intended Dirty Dog, but I don't know of any other disipline where a 5 year old can strap on a black belt. So it must not be too difficult.



You'll find baby black belts in plenty of schools, and in plenty of arts. You can find examples easily enough, if you care to. YouBoob will certainly show plenty.
But you won't find them in all schools, nor all TKD schools. I guarantee you'll never find one in our school.


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## skribs (Nov 20, 2013)

There is one black belt who isnt in the adult (13+) class in my school, and he _ is _ good.


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## clfsean (Nov 20, 2013)

Tames D said:


> I only seee/hear about the TKD 5yr old black belts. If you're "pretty sure" about all other styles being that way, I'm interested to hear what you have to say.
> 
> Steve: How many 5 year old BB's do you have in your bjj school?



It's not the art. It's the standards applied by the teacher at the school & ultimately, their business/practice model. I can tell you I would never have a kid that young & neither will my teacher, but some do. It's on them.

Here's a couple that are under double digits & not solely TKD ... 5 minutes on youtube. You should try it. It's a handy tool.


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## Steve (Nov 20, 2013)

Tames D said:


> I only seee/hear about the TKD 5yr old black belts. If you're "pretty sure" about all other styles being that way, I'm interested to hear what you have to say.
> 
> Steve: How many 5 year old BB's do you have in your bjj school?



Hey, don't drag me Into this.  

But in bjj, you have to be at least 16 to get a black belt.  For kids, the highest belt is blue.  

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2


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## Tames D (Nov 20, 2013)

clfsean said:


> It's not the art. It's the standards applied by the teacher at the school & ultimately, their business/practice model. I can tell you I would never have a kid that young & neither will my teacher, but some do. It's on them.
> 
> Here's a couple that are under double digits & not solely TKD ... 5 minutes on youtube. You should try it. It's a handy tool.



Thanks for the links. I was just commenting on my exposure to extremely young BB's in articles,videos and especially threads here on MT. It's always TKD. I never really had the desire to research the subject.


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## Tenacious_Red (Nov 20, 2013)

I researched at least two months before I started visiting schools (not including countless hours of fantasizing, lurking in classes, watching movies vicariously in a trance, and questioning others who practice martial arts). Ultimately, this last time, when I decided to practice Kung Fu, I had to make a pro's and con's list for my own needs/desires and figure out which school was best---which is what I did before embarking in Kajukenbo. No one could make a recommendation for me, or tell me what was best for me. I knew what I wanted, but the real question was, "who is going to help me to my goal the most realistically?" not, "tell me what the best is for _you_ [me]." 

There are no dumb questions, and that is why forums are great, but having a desire/passion and taking control of your choices are important, and choosing a school/instructor/trainer/sifu/master is our personal choice that should be made with our own personal research and our own personal questions/determinations. One size does not fit all.


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## skribs (Nov 20, 2013)

The stereotype is McDojo, not McDojang


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## TaiChiTJ (Nov 27, 2013)

I think you have made a good start!


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## DennisBreene (Nov 28, 2013)

I think a common question is: How long will it take before I get "good" at my art?

My response is somewhere between 2mo.  and the rest of your life, depending on how good you are and how good you want to be. If you are smart and lucky, you'll train for the rest of you life.


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