Which martial art should I take?

[nmnminh]

Hello guys, I'm 5,5ft and 181lb. But I'm not fat, my body is rather bulky (i'm not doing gym by the way). I'm very used to cardio exercises as I'm a pro in badminton. But I know that I can't be very flexible and swift, my agility is average and i'm pretty powerful. So what should I choose I have these options around my home: taekwondo, karate, aikido, judo, muaythai, vovinam, kickboxing, aikibudo. I want to train and stick seriously but I don't want to change my body (ex: become thinner). I imagine myself to be strong and tough, not really needed to be fast or flexible that is just my imagination I really need advice. Thank you very much!

 

[stonewall1350]

Hello guys, I'm 5,5ft and 181lb. But I'm not fat, my body is rather bulky (i'm not doing gym by the way). I'm very used to cardio exercises as I'm a pro in badminton. But I know that I can't be very flexible and swift, my agility is average and i'm pretty powerful. So what should I choose I have these options around my home: taekwondo, karate, aikido, judo, muaythai, vovinam, kickboxing, aikibudo. I want to train and stick seriously but I don't want to change my body (ex: become thinner). I imagine myself to be strong and tough, not really needed to be fast or flexible that is just my imagination I really need advice. Thank you very much!

A few things:

Partaking in any art will change your body. Especially flexibility and agility. That comes with practice and knowledge. You may not become gumby, but it all builds up.

Ask yourself what you want to learn? Do you want a competition sport? Self defense? Do you want to learn punches and kicks? Knees? What kind of personality do you have? What about the gym? Are weapons something you might want to learn?

I would say try them all. Most places let you take at least one class free. I've done some boxing and I was ok, but my girlfriend is in love with kickboxing and now knows more about both than me. I do BJJ (with heavy emphasis on judo because my instructors background). But the we both LOVE our gym (owner is a great guy and everyone is real nice). So that is all a factor. If someone tries to make you pay for your first class...just walk out. That's bad form. You try and then you can talk money.

And remember we have all been where you are that is probably the scariest part is day 1. And then of course coming back on day 2 is (for most) the hardest part lol.

The short version:

Tell us what you are interested in learning and we might guide you. What kinds of goals? Don't let your "body" limit you.


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[Chris Parker]

Hello guys,

Hi.

I might just be in a kinda sodium pentathol mood, but there's a few things here to look at.

I'm 5,5ft and 181lb.

Cool. Irrelevant.

But I'm not fat, my body is rather bulky (i'm not doing gym by the way).

Irrelevant.

I'm very used to cardio exercises as I'm a pro in badminton.

Cool again. Still irrelevant.

But I know that I can't be very flexible and swift, my agility is average and i'm pretty powerful.

Er… right. None of that means anything of course, being highly subjective and vague (I have no idea what "pretty powerful" might mean to you), and the definitive language of limiting beliefs doesn't bode well… but, again… irrelevant.

So what should I choose

No idea. Nothing said so far has any relevance.

I have these options around my home: taekwondo, karate, aikido, judo, muaythai, vovinam, kickboxing, aikido.

Better, but still… not really anything to go on.

I want to train and stick seriously but I don't want to change my body (ex: become thinner).

Yeah… here's your biggest issue. You want to do something (martial arts), but don't want it to change you? Then don't do it. That's the only way it won't have some affect.

I imagine myself to be strong and tough, not really needed to be fast or flexible that is just my imagination

Yeah, your imagination doesn't hold too much weight…

I really need advice. Thank you very much!

Yeah, you don't need advice… you have given a post littered with pre-emptive excuses. That's fine… it's normal, really. But it does indicate that you're not overly serious. I mean… you have, what, 8 listed systems/schools around you, but instead of visiting them, you ask a bunch of strangers who don't have the first clue who you are, what you like, what the schools are, who the teachers are, what the quality is like, and more, where you should go? We don't know. We never know in these situations. That's partially because we don't know which particular schools you'd have available (a simple system listing isn't often anything to really go on), but mainly because we don't know your personality, preferences, which school and instructor you'd gel with (which is of far more importance than what style it is), and so on.

You have to remember, the membership here are not all going to be familiar with all the systems you listed… and, even if they are, you aren't. You have nothing to base our recommendations or advice on, and we have nothing from you to make any meaningful offerings.

That said, if you're wanting advice, here it is.

Start. Start somewhere. Visit schools. Ask questions. Watch, or better, try the classes out. Don't concern yourself with excuses (it'll change my body… I cant' be flexible or fast…), all they'll do is get in the way. Go out and actually do it. Hell, you might find that the changes to your body are ones you like… and you might find yourself more flexible and faster than you think.

If someone tries to make you pay for your first class...just walk out. That's bad form. You try and then you can talk money.

One thing I will disagree with stonewall on though, is this. There are a number of schools that will charge for a trial lesson… mine included. I don't often discuss the meanings or reasons for the way we engage our business publicly, however I will say that it is not "bad form"… it has a number of reasons. And, honestly, they're not financial. For some, maybe… but in our case, absolutely not. Frankly, there aren't enough examples to make it a financially positive action.

 

[marques]

Judo.
Anyway try taekwondo, karate, aikido, judo, muaythai, vovinam, kickboxing, aikibudo... or, at least, some of them.

 

[marques]

If someone tries to make you pay for your first class...just walk out. That's bad form. You try and then you can talk money.

I agree that it is not automatically bad. For example, in France « If it's free, it's bad. » People don't say that but act like that. And sometimes it is better marketing ask for money... Anyway both forms coexist and if I want to try I pay before start judging academy politics. just try.

 

[JohnnyEnglish]

Hello guys, I'm 5,5ft and 181lb. But I'm not fat, my body is rather bulky (i'm not doing gym by the way). I'm very used to cardio exercises as I'm a pro in badminton. But I know that I can't be very flexible and swift, my agility is average and i'm pretty powerful. So what should I choose I have these options around my home: taekwondo, karate, aikido, judo, muaythai, vovinam, kickboxing, aikibudo. I want to train and stick seriously but I don't want to change my body (ex: become thinner). I imagine myself to be strong and tough, not really needed to be fast or flexible that is just my imagination I really need advice. Thank you very much!

I would actually advise you to start with kickboxing.

You don't have to be some sort of multi-flexible bruce lee, the techniques are quiet easy but effective, and you will get fit in a short amount of time ( as long as your diet is good too ).

It's literally a mixture of Karate and Boxing.

On the other hand, why not having a look in all of these martial arts ? The first class is usually for free anyway!!

 

[Tez3]

You can't just start 'kick boxing' you have to know what sort of kick boxing you want to do.

 

[JohnnyEnglish]

You can't just start 'kick boxing' you have to know what sort of kick boxing you want to do.

In my Kickboxing club they thought you all " sorts " of Kickboxing, sometimes we did K1 rules and sometimes not. Fact is, KICKBOXING is KICKBOXING. Kickboxing is not muay-thai, kickboxing is not savate, kickboxing is not taekwondo, Kickboxing is Kickboxing.

 

[Drose427]

In my Kickboxing club they thought you all " sorts " of Kickboxing, sometimes we did K1 rules and sometimes not. Fact is, KICKBOXING is KICKBOXING. Kickboxing is not muay-thai, kickboxing is not savate, kickboxing is not taekwondo, Kickboxing is Kickboxing.

This isnt the most accurate statement considering much of the angles and kicks are from TKd, Karate, Savate, and Muay Thai

 

[JohnnyEnglish]

This isnt the most accurate statement considering much of the angles and kicks are from TKd, Karate, Savate, and Muay Thai

Yes, they are FROM there correct.

But the actual martial art is called Kickboxing. We did not use shins,elbows,knees.

In my country Kickboxing is an own martial art.

 

[Tez3]

Yes, they are FROM there correct.

But the actual martial art is called Kickboxing. We did not use shins,elbows,knees.

In my country Kickboxing is an own martial art.

I've trained 'kick boxing' as you call it and used elbows, knees and shins. I've also training in Germany.
In Europe kick boxing has several different incarnations, often you will find fights under different rules on the same card. There are European rules, Oriental rules, Thai rules, European Thai rules. Muay Thai rules and amateur rules. There are several different organisations who organise and oversee fights, WAKO is one, WKN is another Their rules here ( Rules of the bouts WKN WKA, ISKA, WBC Muay Thai, WPMF and IWUF. Most kick boxing in Germany is 'American' kickboxing which is basically full contact karate. Kick boxing in Europe can often be seen on television on the Eurosport channel, I can it on television but it can be streamed to computers etc too.

 

[JohnnyEnglish]

I've trained 'kick boxing' as you call it and used elbows, knees and shins. I've also training in Germany.
In Europe kick boxing has several different incarnations, often you will find fights under different rules on the same card. There are European rules, Oriental rules, Thai rules, European Thai rules. Muay Thai rules and amateur rules. There are several different organisations who organise and oversee fights, WAKO is one, WKN is another Their rules here ( Rules of the bouts WKN WKA, ISKA, WBC Muay Thai, WPMF and IWUF. Most kick boxing in Germany is 'American' kickboxing which is basically full contact karate. Kick boxing in Europe can often be seen on television on the Eurosport channel, I can it on television but it can be streamed to computers etc too.

Yeah this is the one. We also know it as American Kickboxing. Since I was never in a competition and did not do Kickboxing for too long ( I was bored pretty quick ) I had never much to do with the different rules, in our daily training we usually decided ourself what rule we want to train with. Mostly we followed K1.

My cup of tea is taekwondo.

 

[Danny T]

Mostly we followed K1.
.

K1... MMA without the ground.
In 1993 Mr. Kazuyosh Ishii founded the K-1 organization exclusively as a fight sports organization to bring together the best fighters from the stand up arts in a kickboxing format. The K of K-1 is thought to be taken from the initial Kyokushin karate. K-1 is a combat sport that combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San shou, and traditional Boxing to determine in a one-night tournament the single best stand-up fighter in the world. Mixed Martial Arts in a kickboxing format only.

 

[JohnnyEnglish]

K1... MMA without the ground.
In 1993 Mr. Kazuyosh Ishii founded the K-1 organization exclusively as a fight sports organization to bring together the best fighters from the stand up arts in a kickboxing format. The K of K-1 is thought to be taken from the initial Kyokushin karate. K-1 is a combat sport that combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San shou, and traditional Boxing to determine in a one-night tournament the single best stand-up fighter in the world. Mixed Martial Arts in a kickboxing format only.

I liked K1, but I hate MMA

 

[Danny T]

I liked K1, but I hate MMA

Ok. That's cool.
So is it the ground fighting aspect of MMA that you dislike vs the just stand up striking of K 1. Or is it something else. You have given several things about MMA ground striking you dislike but K 1 does the very same standing so I am a bit perplexed.

 

[TSDTexan]

Hi.

I might just be in a kinda sodium pentathol mood, but there's a few things here to look at.



Cool. Irrelevant.



Irrelevant.



Cool again. Still irrelevant.



Er… right. None of that means anything of course, being highly subjective and vague (I have no idea what "pretty powerful" might mean to you), and the definitive language of limiting beliefs doesn't bode well… but, again… irrelevant.



No idea. Nothing said so far has any relevance.



Better, but still… not really anything to go on.



Yeah… here's your biggest issue. You want to do something (martial arts), but don't want it to change you? Then don't do it. That's the only way it won't have some affect.



Yeah, your imagination doesn't hold too much weight…



Yeah, you don't need advice… you have given a post littered with pre-emptive excuses. That's fine… it's normal, really. But it does indicate that you're not overly serious. I mean… you have, what, 8 listed systems/schools around you, but instead of visiting them, you ask a bunch of strangers who don't have the first clue who you are, what you like, what the schools are, who the teachers are, what the quality is like, and more, where you should go? We don't know. We never know in these situations. That's partially because we don't know which particular schools you'd have available (a simple system listing isn't often anything to really go on), but mainly because we don't know your personality, preferences, which school and instructor you'd gel with (which is of far more importance than what style it is), and so on.

You have to remember, the membership here are not all going to be familiar with all the systems you listed… and, even if they are, you aren't. You have nothing to base our recommendations or advice on, and we have nothing from you to make any meaningful offerings.

That said, if you're wanting advice, here it is.

Start. Start somewhere. Visit schools. Ask questions. Watch, or better, try the classes out. Don't concern yourself with excuses (it'll change my body… I cant' be flexible or fast…), all they'll do is get in the way. Go out and actually do it. Hell, you might find that the changes to your body are ones you like… and you might find yourself more flexible and faster than you think.



One thing I will disagree with stonewall on though, is this. There are a number of schools that will charge for a trial lesson… mine included. I don't often discuss the meanings or reasons for the way we engage our business publicly, however I will say that it is not "bad form"… it has a number of reasons. And, honestly, they're not financial. For some, maybe… but in our case, absolutely not. Frankly, there aren't enough examples to make it a financially positive action.

Great points Chris, I might add, that most people that I see who are not diving in the pool, tend to be guys or gals who want to be in the Martial Arts culture.

Folks that sign up, do 4-6 classes, and split. But say they are a martial artist.

As an angsty teenager who was a hardcore skater, we skaters had a word for wanna-be skaters who had no real heart for skating, but dressed and acted like they were skaters.

"Poseurs"

Perhaps, this is a rude word, but "the proof is in the foot." (tm)

 

[TSDTexan]

Ok. That's cool.
So is it the ground fighting aspect of MMA that you dislike vs the just stand up striking of K 1. Or is it something else. You have given several things about MMA ground striking you dislike but K 1 does the very same standing so I am a bit perplexed.

It is a personal bias, I think.

 

[JohnnyEnglish]

Ok. That's cool.
So is it the ground fighting aspect of MMA that you dislike vs the just stand up striking of K 1. Or is it something else. You have given several things about MMA ground striking you dislike but K 1 does the very same standing so I am a bit perplexed.

I do like groundfighting, but not hitting on the ground. I would more go for grips and ankle-techniques like it is usually in for example Judo.

Hitting somebody on the ground, is against my morality.

 

[Danny T]

I do like groundfighting, but not hitting on the ground. I would more go for grips and ankle-techniques like it is usually in for example Judo.

Hitting somebody on the ground, is against my morality.

Noble.
Would it be different for you if the situation were a life or death rather than a competition?

 

[TSDTexan]

I do like groundfighting, but not hitting on the ground. I would more go for grips and ankle-techniques like it is usually in for example Judo.

Hitting somebody on the ground, is against my morality.

If I am fighting 4 or more men, there only exists the will to survive. If running is not an option available, but soccer kicking a downed opponents in the temple for a KO, increases my survival likely hood, guess who is going night-night?

Your desire to be a gentlemen while fighting is interesting. Taken to its final and logical conclusion...war has no morality. Kill or be killed.
Maiming and subdual maybe be preferably to killing, with regard to legal ramifications.

My concern, when society fails, when SHTF, and civil unrest becomes criminal anarchy or civil war...

And you are trapped in a situation where you have to fight for your life....
How will your "morality" affect your training methods?

If You train with values that undermine your fighting ability, dont be surprised that your art will not serve you well in the real world test.

Any fight avoided is a win.
Any fight lost, that was in a "just cause", and that you live through is a win.
Any fight in which you die, but your actions gave time for others to successfully flee and live, is a win.
Any fight, that gets you killed, for an unjust cause, Is a loss.
Any fight that you survive, but does not make you improve, is a loss.