So you have decided to start martial arts training. That’s great to hear! Martial arts have been wonderful for so many people throughout the years. I’m sure you will enjoy it as well.
But, What martial art will you pick? Does it matter?
Let’s take a look at some different martial arts and what may be the best for you to start with.
KIDS JUST STARTING OUT
Martial Arts are known for helping kids with confidence, self-esteem, and discipline. But which one is best?
Originally, Martial arts were just for adults and were very brutal. However, in the 90’s, things started to change significantly. Karate and Tae Kwon Do, both, started to see a huge increase in kids. Studies have shown that these programs have done wonders for kids over the years. Other martial arts have come into the mix, but Karate and Tae Kwon Do are the frontrunners for Kids.
But, should I pick Karate or Tae Kwon Do? Well, the real question comes down to what you want. Many Karate and Tae Kwon Do schools will either be more sport oriented or recreational oriented. You will need to find out which schools in your area are which. Just remember that sport oriented schools will require traveling and more costs, so understand that upfront. If you are more interested in your kid learning good character traits, then recreational may be what you want.
HOW DO MARTIAL ARTS ACTUALLY TEACH SELF ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE?
We have all heard that martial arts teach these character traits. Yes, many do, but how? What exactly is doing it. Well, I believe that the major reason for the increase in these character traits are the learning of Kata(forms) and the perfection of these techniques.
TEENS AND ADULT LOOKING FOR SELF DEFENSE
Once you get older, confidence and self esteem are not the most important drivers of learning a martial art. Usually self defense is the majore reason fro someone looking into martial arts.
So, what martial arts is best for self defense? All martial arts started with a combative focus. Many of the traditional martial arts like Karate and Tae Kwon Do have lost their roots in self defense. They are more focused on the sport or perfection of the technique. That’s great but not for self defense reasons.
Brazilian Juijitsu, BJJ, is another wonderful choice for self defense. Bjj is predominantly focused on the wrestling on the ground. It is a great art and will benefit you in your conditioning as well as self defense. However, many students quit within a short time because of the difficulty of training and injuries for the older students.
That bring us to Krav Maga. Krav Maga is probably the best answer for most people when it comes to self defense training. Depending on the school and the instructors, you can find good curriculum that will give you and wide array of training in different ranges of self defense.
I hope you have learned more about which martial arts are good for certain people. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Shawn Vicknair