# 4 Styles Close to me..... Differances?



## USMCKoontz (Aug 3, 2014)

So being new. Wanting to get my family and myself introduced to Martial Arts. I personally am a Marine, and before I left the Marines in 2005 I obtained my Green Belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

I am married and have three kids (8, 7 and a 5 year old).... The styles closest to me are

TKD
Karate
Tang Soo Do
Boxing

I am kind of familiar with Karate and Boxing, but not that much with TKD and Tang soo do, so wondering how the differances between them equate to. How does Tang Soo Do compare to the others? I am going to check out two of them tomorrow (TSD, and TKD), but wondering if I could get some input on them in advance. You can keep Boxing out because I am familiar with Boxing more so than the other ones.


----------



## hoshin1600 (Aug 3, 2014)

welcome to the forums.  im am sure many others will post their opinions here so to prempt them i will ask what kind of karate.  the type of karate makes all the difference. also you said you and your family, not specificaly for yourself, you may find your own personal goals are not the same goals you have for your kids. it might be a nice thought to all be going to the same place but your needs might not be best served with that set up.  you will have to visit each place and test the waters.


----------



## jks9199 (Aug 3, 2014)

TKD and Tang Soo Do are often largely similar arts, though there's a lot of room for argument there, and they'll both overlap with Karate.  Tang Soo Do is essentially the Korean pronunciation of the Japanese word Karate.  Tae Kwon Do is what came out of the melding of several schools of exposure to the Japanese arts, as well as the instructor's own experiences and maybe a smattering of actual historically Korean martial arts.  (There are those that'll disagree with me on all of this!)  Off course, there are dozens if not hundreds of styles of Karate out there.  

Lots of TKD schools have really well developed family programs.  They'll do classes for kids alone, parents alone, and family classes.  You might give those schools a good look.  But, honestly, I'd encourage you to visit several schools.  Watch a class or two.  See how the teachers interact with students, and who is actually teaching.  See which one is somewhere you want to spend a lot of time (and money!).


----------



## K-man (Aug 3, 2014)

Welcome to MT. You won't get better advice than the previous two posts so I'll leave it at that except to say, if you or your kids want to go into competitions, that may well have a strong influence on your choice. Some martial arts don't compete.
:asian:


----------



## Buka (Aug 3, 2014)

Welcome to the forum, bro.

Normally, I'd say - you be a Marine. Go check out the schools and approach them like this - where would I recommend a Marine to go? But instead, where would you recommend the family of a Marine to go? Family is first. I'm sure you'll make the best choice.


----------



## WaterGal (Aug 4, 2014)

Well, that's going to depend a lot both on the specific styles of those things as well as the teacher and school.

1) Is it an actual Japanese style of karate?  Sometimes schools will use "karate" in their name when they really teach something less famous like Tang Soo Do, or something the owner kind of made up from different styles.  And there are a number of different authentic styles of karate that I think have different focuses. (I've never studied karate, but that's my understanding.)  

2) There are different styles of TKD.  The sparring for WTF/KKW (World Taekwondo Federation/Kukkiwon) style of TKD is an Olympic sport, and a lot of those schools focus heavily on training that.  Training may be rigorous, but it probably won't focus a lot on actual self-defense.  

TSD and TKD tend to be very kid-friendly, but depending on the school may or may not have as much for you as an adult.  You'll really have to check each one out.


----------



## USMCKoontz (Aug 4, 2014)

the TKD school is a ATA school.... we swung by today, they had some summer classes going on, my kids seemed to like the atmosphere..

swung by the TSD school, no one was there, classes were supposed to be at that time according to internet, but noone was there. 

Karate is Shotokan, and the school is a member of the JKA...

Also my wife found out today their is another one, she is going to find out more info about it tomorrow when she calls. The lady she found out from said it is either Kenpo or another TKD but she could not remember.


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Aug 5, 2014)

USMCKoontz said:


> So being new. Wanting to get my family and myself introduced to Martial Arts. I personally am a Marine, and before I left the Marines in 2005 I obtained my Green Belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.



Semper Fi. I served from 1979-1985.



> I am married and have three kids (8, 7 and a 5 year old).... The styles closest to me are
> 
> TKD
> Karate
> ...



There's a whole lot of 'it depends' in the following.

Who is the training intended for?  Yourself, you and your spouse, your whole family?
What is the intended purpose of the training?  Self-defense, exercise, mental and physical discipline, sport and competition?
What is the goal you imagine for yourself, where do you see yourself as a martial artist in five years?

Then, consider the schools.  Instructors and their credentials matter; there are a lot of fakes and frauds out there.  Check lineage, check claimed instructors, ask questions, look at the BBB and other sources online for reputation of the school and instructors.

Consider contracts.  Long-term contracts can be difficult to break if the intended student moves or changes their mind.  Read any proposed contract carefully.

Observe and take notes.  No reputable school will mind if you sit quietly and observe several adult or kids sessions.  Notice teaching styles, students and their capabilities at different belt levels, and your own confidence in being able to physically handle what they do.

In the end, the style matters less than the student and the teacher.  Everyone has one or more styles they are well-suited for, and meshes well or less well with a given instructor, and fits in more or less well with a given school.  Find the right fit for you, and the name of the art will matter less, because you will learn more.

My 2 cents.


----------



## K-man (Aug 5, 2014)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Semper Fi. I served from 1979-1985.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Welcome back Bill!


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Aug 5, 2014)

K-man said:


> Welcome back Bill!



Thanks!  Been awhile.  Not sure it's a great idea for me to be here, but I thought I'd give it another shot.


----------



## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 5, 2014)

Really good advice above.  Visit several schools, meet and train with the instructor and if you can bring your family along as well to try an introductory class.


----------



## tshadowchaser (Aug 5, 2014)

Not going to give any advice as the best has already been given.  Just want to say welcome to the forum and let us know what you and the family decide on and how it goes from there...         Be sure to ask any questions you have  and we will try to answer them.


----------



## seasoned (Aug 5, 2014)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Thanks!  Been awhile.  Not sure it's a great idea for me to be here, but I thought I'd give it another shot.


It's good to see you on the boards, Bill.


----------



## cqbspartan (Oct 10, 2014)

TKD, Tang Soo Do, Karate are so similar in the grand scheme of things that its not worth arguing over...strikes are all going to be pretty similar to your Marine Corps program...
visit all schools and talk to former members if you can...your choice will probably come down to personal preference of school...if you are going to train, you probably wont get much out of class(because of your prior training) until they promote you through a few belt ranks...if you are looking for something else, here are a few ideas...
    Krav Maga or Jeet Kune Do are a great place to start...Krav Maga trains in a variety of street attacks...after that it depends on what your interests are...striking arts, throwing arts, groundwork??
 Purely defensive arts like Judo and Aikido have no strikes per se and are both throwing arts
   Jeet Kune Do was Bruce Lee's creation and is a blend of sorts, with a foundation in Wing Chun but combines that with 25 other systems, and striving to train in a variety of drills and for a variety  of attacks...Western boxing and Muay Thai(brutally effective and tough conditioning) are a good place to start as well...so in considering an art I would say first try to determine which direction you would like to go as far as your training is concerned...Do you want mainly street defense, striking arts, throwing arts, ground work and so on?? Wing Chun, Filipino arts, some Indonesian Silat systems use fine motor skills...very effective and quick systems...
    Hope this helps


----------

