How to Choose the "Best" Martial Arts Style to Learn

Whether you're enrolling yourself or your kids into martial arts classes, one of the most difficult decisions you'll make is to choose between fighting styles. It is rare for a student to be proficient in more than one approach; mastering a single discipline is often a lifelong adventure. To that end, millions of aspiring students hesitate before enrolling because they're uncertain regarding which style is "best" to learn.

In truth, there are pros and cons to each of the varied disciplines (karate, judo, taekwondo, kung fu, etc.). Some are better suited for a particular set of goals than others. Below, we'll discuss the issue of selecting the "best" martial arts style from several perspectives. I'll explain the importance of considering your physical condition, fighting preference, and reasons for enrolling.

Putting Your Body To Work

The shape your body is in, and the level of physical conditioning you're willing to endure, will play a key role in your selecting a discipline. Some methods require an enormous level of fitness. For example, jujitsu (especially the Brazilian approach popularized by mixed martial arts) emphasizes takedowns and submissions - activities that require significant strength.

On the other hand, judo trains you to use your opponents' force and momentum against them. While strength and physical fitness are valuable, neither are essential. In fact, it's not uncommon to see students who are proficient in judo appear out of shape.

Related to physical conditioning is the likelihood of sustaining injuries. Some disciplines, such as kung fu and taekwondo, highlight striking. There is a substantial level of contact and as a result, a greater chance of becoming injured. Judo doesn't carry the same risk because the emphasis is on throwing rather than striking.

Your Preferred Fighting Style

One of the first things you'll notice while observing different martial arts styles is that each focuses on a specific approach to fighting. For example, jujitsu stresses grappling as opposed to striking. By contrast, karate underscores a "full" striking strategy that encompasses the use of the hands, feet, arms, legs, and elbows. Taekwondo also focuses on strikes, but emphasizes blocking and positioning with the goal of staying out of harm's way until a finishing blow can be delivered. Hapkido, aikido, and judo (as already mentioned) stress throwing.

You'll likely find some fighting techniques more appealing than others. This will be an important factor in selecting an approach to the martial arts that resonates with your personality and goals.

Self-Defense Versus Sport

A lot of students completely ignore the difference between learning the martial arts for self-defense as opposed to sport. Here's the crux of the problem: if you're learning a particular technique for self-defense, you need to do so at a dojo that allows full sparring with nothing held back. Most studios that encourage students to participate in sparring for sport do not allow complete follow through on strikes. As a result, when placed in a real world situation, students are untrained to deliver finishing blows.

That said, if your goal is to improve your physical fitness and coordination while developing your ability to concentrate, self-defense may be irrelevant to you. In that case, the instruction you'll receive from most dojos will be invaluable.

Choosing A Dojo That Fits Your Life

If the dojo you're planning to attend is far away from your home, you're far less likely to devote yourself to the classes. This may not seem like an important criteria for choosing a martial arts style, but it is. What if the system you'd like to learn is only taught at studios that are located far away from you? If the classes do not fit into your schedule due to time constraints or the distance from your home, you'll eventually lose motivation and stop attending.

The question of which martial arts style is "best" to learn is misleading. Instead, identify a discipline based upon your goals, personality, and lifestyle.