# Noob question - Which martial art style for an adult?



## saiyan (Jan 10, 2008)

Hi,
I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot


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## Hank Colado (Jan 10, 2008)

22 years old ain't exactly 'old'! lol

The Martial Arts are for everyone, young and old alike.  My advice is to visit several of your local schools and see which style/system appeals to you.  My bias is for Kenpo (been at it since 1984) but you should really check out diverse arts before settling.

Congratulations on choosing to beginning your journey, good luck at your first steps.


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## Cirdan (Jan 10, 2008)

You are young, all arts are suitable for you. If you give us more info on what you are looking for I am sure we can suggest a few. 
Good luck.


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## ktaylor75 (Jan 10, 2008)

22 is not old!  If I only knew then what I know now... blah blah blah.  Anyway, I will be 33 next month, I just began in martial arts 3 months ago...I am learning Kenpo.  You are not too old to begin in martial arts.  I wish you well in finding which martial art suits you best.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 10, 2008)

Ok...I am terribly sorry about this... and I really do not want to do it... but it is required.....

:soapbox:

OLD...:eye-popping: 22 is OLD what the heck are you talking about...... I have leather jackets older than you.... I have been your age twice already and I'm working on a third....OLD...give me a break....:tantrum:
 :disgust:
OK... now that I got that out of the way

Pick one and go for it, your young they will all work.

Figure out what you want, go check out a few schools and go form there.


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## tshadowchaser (Jan 10, 2008)

The best school/system for you may not be what is best for someone else.
Much will depend on your mental and physical abilities as well as what you want out of the martial arts. Do you want an exercise program, a sport orientated school, one that has many weapons, something with a long history , something that deals more with street scenarios, etc.
As other have said look around and ask questions of the instructors and the students befor deciding which art to study


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## halfnote19 (Jan 10, 2008)

I just chose my martial art a few weeks ago. I had allot of different schools/styles to choose from so that made it difficult. 
I have to say checking out the different styles on youtube helped me figure out which style I wanted to learn. You may want to check out the videos of the different styles you are interested in.


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## Live True (Jan 10, 2008)

As you will see from checking out the site, many of us started a martial art...or a new martial art after 30...so 22 is certainly not too old (see, I didn't rant, rave or act shocked..was hard, but....)

At 37, I just started my first martial art about 3 months ago, and I'm loving it.  I have to work a bit harder at some things than our younger students, but I also pick up some concepts faster.....

It's not the age, but your mindset, and I would say visit several schools before deciding.  Videos might show you what looks "cool" or interesting...but actually visiting the schools will help you sort the McDojos from the true teachers.

Good luck!


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## Catalyst (Jan 10, 2008)

I didn't pick an Art as much as I picked a Teacher.

The people you'll be with (the other students) and the person you're learning from (your teacher) are extremely important.  You may find the best style for you by looking at videos, but can't stand the people at the local school that teaches that style.

Visit the schools in your area, ask questions, and make sure that you want to spend time with these people.


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## HelloKitty (Jan 10, 2008)

saiyan said:


> Hi,
> I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot


 
naaah, those are only stories. my husband is 33 and he began practising TKD 4 months ago. our grand master has even congratulated him because he works very hard.

our instructor, 2nd dan, began when he was like 53, after his son got his 2nd dan.

if you want to learn taekwondo, just choose a school you like and start kicking xD


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## Live True (Jan 10, 2008)

Catalyst...you said what I meant far better than I!


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## pad256 (Jan 10, 2008)

Instructors make the school, talk to them and see if it's someone you click with. A good instructor can make you martial art introduction a life long jouney! So be pataint, take a couple of free classes at the dojo's that interest you, then you'll know what's right for you.  

Good luck!!!

Paul


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## still learning (Jan 10, 2008)

Hello,  Try JUDO or Kenpo/Kempo schools1

Aloha


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## Blindside (Jan 10, 2008)

saiyan said:


> Hi,
> I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot


 
1.  You are not too old for well, anything, though becoming a contortionist may be out and you probably won't be playing any type of pro ball.  Can you live with that?

2.  I would suggest that you find an instructor that you like, that challenges you, and seems to give you whatever it is that you are looking for.  Select for a good teacher rather than the art, a poor teacher can screw up teaching a perfectly good art.  Take your time, it will probably be a large investment in time and money, so make an educated decision.  That said, if you choose incorrectly, it is only time and money, education often comes from experience.

See this for suggestions on what to look for in a school.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47497

If you feel comfortable letting us know where you are located, perhaps someone on the board can make a suggestion about schools in your area.

Lamont


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## Touch Of Death (Jan 10, 2008)

saiyan said:


> Hi,
> I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot


Kenpo.


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## saiyan (Jan 10, 2008)

Thanks for that, everyone. I live in Brisbane, Australia and not quite sure if there are many schools available. I may have to have a look around to see. Hehe Im a bit surprised that everyone all agrees that 22 is not old, well, the reason why I thought it would be old is because I ve seen lots of ppl who get started at a very young age (12, maybe) and they are quite good with MA. Another reason is, I heard that if we don't practice MA at the young age, our muscles and bone may not be flexible enough for some of the styles such as Taekondo and Karate.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 10, 2008)

saiyan said:


> Thanks for that, everyone. I live in Brisbane, Australia and not quite sure if there are many schools available. I may have to have a look around to see. Hehe Im a bit surprised that everyone all agrees that *22 *is not old*, well, the reason why I thought it would be old* is because I ve seen lots of ppl who get started at a very young age (12, maybe) and they are quite good with MA. Another reason is, I heard that if we don't practice MA at the young age, our muscles and bone may not be flexible enough for some of the styles such as Taekondo and Karate.


 
Go on, just keep digging the hole deeper :uhyeah:

Don't worry about it 22 is not to old... Now go find a school and enjoy the training.

oh and keep us posted


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## Kacey (Jan 10, 2008)

22 is nowhere near too old - I have students who started at over 40, and my class is pretty young, overall; I started at 20.

I agree wholeheartedly with finding an instructor who fits your learning style and interests.  You might check these two threads, as well:

Resources for Beginners
Choosing a school

Good luck!


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## Langenschwert (Jan 11, 2008)

Hi Saiyan,

Your choice boils down to a few broad categories: armed, unarmed, sporting and non-sporting.  Or some mix of the above.

At 22, you're plenty young for just about anything.  I started my art at 31!

So here are some ideas.  It is not even close to complete, just what I can think of off the top of my noggin:

Armed, sporting: Sport Fencing, Classical Fencing, Kendo, SCA Fencing, Jogo do Pau, La Canne.
Armed, non-sporting: Kenjutsu, German Longsword, Italian Rapier, Bunjinkan, Escrima.
Unarmed, sporting: Wrestling, Boxing, Savate, TKD, Catch as Catch Can, Judo, MMA.
Unarmed, non-sporting: Krav Maga, Koryu Ju-jutsu.

Keep in mind that there is crossover between the categories.  Most non-sporting weapon arts have a significant unarmed component, and some unarmed arts have some weapons training.  Some arts that are sporting are still useful in earnest combat, and certainly some non-sporting arts still enter tournaments to test themselves.

Visit some schools, and see what you like. 

And since there is a school that teaches my art in Brisbane, I shall henceforth shamelessly mention it:

http://www.collegiuminarmis.com.au/

Good luck in your search!

Best regards,

-Mark


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## frownland (Jan 16, 2008)

saiyan said:


> I live in Brisbane, Australia and not quite sure if there are many schools available.



There are *LOTS *of schools in Brisbane. Start with the Yellow Pages - see what's nearby.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jan 16, 2008)

Take some boxing for six months then ask this question again.


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## NDNgirl4ever (Jan 16, 2008)

> I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young.


Not true. I'm 20, and I started Karate about a year ago. 22 is NOT old by any means! There are people in my class who are several years older than me who have just started taking karate a few months ago, and they love it(as do I)!

I second what they other people are saying. Visit some schools, talk to students, and watch the classes. Then choose the school and instructor that you think would be the best one for you.


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## martialartspeon (Jan 16, 2008)

I would say check out a few schools!  I have now been studying martial arts for 3 years which is not very long but I think the most important aspect isn't the style but the teachers and how comfortable you are with the environment you are learning in.  Martial arts really is a way of life and you need a great foundation to start that.

Once you have studied for a few years I think branching out to different schools and styles and experiencing new things is a great way to improve your overall knowledge.


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## mcantele (Feb 5, 2008)

22 is far from old. I started TKD 2 years ago at 48. If I had started at 22 I would possibly had studied 2 or 3 arts by now. What ever you decide, make sure you are enjoying yourself, or you may not continue. For an overall great work out, I would recommend Taekwondo at any age.


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## masherdong (Feb 5, 2008)

PLEASE!!  We have a 50 year old who started grappling a few months back.  It all depends on what YOU are looking for.  I am 36 and I just recently started back to train in Praying Mantis Kung Fu after a 12 year hiatus.

I studied Kajukenbo before mantis, just to clear that up.


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## K31 (Feb 12, 2008)

I was reading a LTE last night in BB magazine from a guy who was 67 when he started TKD and is now 75.


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## Topeng (Feb 28, 2008)

I'm glad to not see posts that state one style as if it is the end all, be all of the MA world.
To not repeat on the suggestions, just a note. I'm 30 and just started in the FMA's last year. You are still young. A guy I work with is in his 50's, took up Taekwondo a few months back and loves it. Much power to him since, in my eyes, TKD is way up there in physical demands.
Find one that fits you. You'll know when you find it.


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## Banjarian (Apr 8, 2008)

Starting your training at at any age will be fine as along as you can cope with the requirement of the training. MA training is both physical and mental, you have to know whether you have what is required to finish/continue your training. Some martial arts training continues as you age, you grow with different belts, so the question is 'do you have the motivation to continue'. I find some people look for other soft arts as they get older because the aging body cannot cope with the physical regiments of training. I used to train in TKD when I was in my 20's, then as I entered 30's my body cannot cope with the hard trainings, high kicks etc. I am going for a softer style now. 
   Best of all if you can find an art that you can stick with till you are old and grey.


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## jackmcmanus21 (Apr 8, 2008)

The more information you gather, the better.  Find out what you want...do you want fitness? Do you want striking? Do you want grappling and submission?  Do you want all?  After that, you have to find gyms and figure out prices.  Give yourself a good month to research it and then make your decision.  22 is a fine age to start, you're close to your physical peak


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## Zeal (Apr 9, 2008)

If by old you are referring to you feel old or if your not in the best shape of your life, I suggest styles that use mostly counters, such as tai chi (also good for overall health, like any martial art). But there clearly is no right or wrong answer when choosing a style. DO NOT, however, try learning a lot of styles or trying to learn two at the same time. That would just waste time your trying to save.


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## myusername (Apr 9, 2008)

I second the people who have said look for quality instruction rather than the style. I'm 28 by the way and have just started TKD and I'm not finding myself too old.

When I was looking to start a MA I got really hung up on what was the ultimate, best style for self defence. I looked on the wrong type of forums (I'm sure people here know what type of forum I am reffering to!). So from the misinformation I had recieved TKD was on the bottom of my list. I tried a few MMA schools and they just were not interested in novices. I was left floundering at the back with no instruction, we would do a warm up and then just have a punch up! I could have got that down my local pub! I reluctantly tried my TKD school after becoming quickly disillusioned with the others and have not looked back! My instructor is a great teacher, he spends loads of time making sure you are doing everything right and teaches TKD with a lot of emphasis on real self defence. Hence, it is the quality of instruction not the style you need to look at. Look around on this site and you will quickly learn that all martial arts are awaesome!


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## Supra Vijai (Jun 10, 2008)

Hi there,

I know the feeling, am a newbie MA myself. 

I would highly recommend Ninjutsu (my own art). I don't train with the Bujinkan but rather with one of the split off organisations commonly referred to as the "X-Kan"s.

The organisation I am a part of has their head office in Brisbane and is a great place to have a look if you are looking for variety with history and lineage. Our head instructor has trained with both Nagato Sensei and Hatsumi Sensei in Japan before starting this school. I won't go into too many details of what we cover and what not (Mind you, I am very biased 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





)

Check out the website at www.ninjutsuaustralia.com for the exact details and outline of the training schedules etc. Might be just what you are looking for.


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## JoeW (Jun 11, 2008)

In my opinion you are not going to know what you like until you dive in and try some out.  Do some research on the instructors of some local places that interest you then go and try the best ones out.


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