caseys Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Hi All, I know there's a few fitness freaks on here so I was going to ask on here rather than on a specific forum for a hopefully unbiased opinion. I'm looking for a martial art to start learning, as well as one which I can eventually take my children to so that they get a sense of discipline, motivation and self belief, as well as the exercise and such. Is there any that people would recommend that lean more to less strength based and more movement, defensive structures? I was looking at Aikido or Kung Fu, or even possibly Krav Maga but don't think that's widely taught anywhere and seems quite aggressive (but does sound good). Also general advice as to how to approach learning would be good Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plus1 Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Shotokan....enough said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Jujutsu? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TubbyTwo Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Crav Maga, Aikido, Aikijutsu Crav Maga Im going to start shortly. Its fast effective and brutal, used by the Special forces in Israel its focused on disabling the threat as fast as possble with minimal effort, derived from street fighting. Aikido is one of the best I have done, perfect for women and children as it relies on movements and technique rather than strength. Everything in based around circular motions which makes it very effective. There are some extremely effective throws, and locks which require minimal effort and are very effective. Its based around redirecting the attackers energy and movement back against them. Also once up at Dan grades you will be more than confident enough to deal with multiple attackers. You also train with a Bokken, bo staff and Jo (smaller staff) In Traditional Aikido there is no attack, only defence, however some later sporting based versions developed with said techniques. To start with its not easy to learn but stick with it and its amazing. Im looking to get back into training after recovering from a car accident a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilicos Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I practice Ju Jitsu and Kick Boxing. I have also dabbled in Wing Chun, Krav and Shotokan karate. My personal opinion would be Ju Jitsu (not BJJ), as it is effective and very disciplined. Krav is just a more violent and less disciplined version of traditional Ju Jitsu. On the other hand, Shotokan karate is mainly a competion based form of karate, and good if you/kids want want to compete in events/tournaments. The alternative would be kyokushin karate which is much more aggressive and violent. Kung Fu has a lot of form but broken down is actually quite effective. The problem I had was that after coming from KB and JJ I found it very slow and boring. My best advice is to start somewhere and you will soon see what you prefer. As long as you're dong something then that is all that matters really. Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Kung Fu is one of the good ones but finding a place that teaches it properly will be difficult, cos it's such a well known name anyone with a black belt calls themselves a Kung Fu master. Suggest Wing Chun as a form. Tae Kwon Do I think it excellent for kids to start as it will give them LOADS of flexibility, which they'll have for life. If you want self defence then something like Ninjutsu is good, but there's not as much discipline involved as the more structured arts. I'd stay away from Karate for the same reasons as the bad Kung Fu places, and if you don't want extreme aggressive fighting then I'd avoid things like Muay Thai (and kickboxing to an extent) and Krav. I've never looked into Taijiquan but expect it would be ideal for what you're asking for, problem is people think it's wussy, so you'd have to say Taijiquan all the time rather than Tai Chi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 My best advice is to start somewhere and you will soon see what you prefer. As long as you're dong something then that is all that matters really. I've done Kung Fu in 2 different places, Kickboxing, Ninjutsu and TKD, now looking at Jeet Kune Do. Kung Fu was my favourite so far but the first place I was at closed down . Tried the others and just didn't fancy it much for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuaneT.Turbo Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Tae-Kwon-Do good for youngsters, i did, that, kickboxing and BJJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.