I want to start training in martial arts - how to prepare?

[Kathandira]

You will need to change your lifestyle. Seriously. Drink more water, and less colored fluids. Eat better. Join a local gym that offers group classes: cardio kickboxing, zumba, yoga and the like, these classes will help you gain coordination, stamina and an awareness of your bodies ability to stretch itself beyond comfort thresholds.

After a few months you will either have the discipline and self motivation to continue or you will not. If so, great! Now that you have a stable foundation on which to build, begin talking with the gym staff about their involvement in the MMA scene. Odds are that at least one of them is an instructor or pugilist who will be able to direct you more; you local demographics preclude specific advice on styles.

The above is great advise if you are looking to take it that far.

If you are joining just for the purpose of exercise you may not need to discuss MMA.

I am the type that studied martial arts for the other benefits. Self defense is definitely a worthy reason to learn. I did it more so for the body and mind aspect. I wanted to be in shape, be limber and also be more focus and dedicated.

Martial Arts lends itself to far more in life than self defense and competition events. It is a great way to improve yourself professionally. You will learn to focus and think quickly and clearly. It will teach you to be more dedicated and learn that the restraints you feel everyday are restraints you put on yourself. With the right amount of dedication and confidence, you can go places you never thought were possible.

Best of luck to you, I truly hope you find a respectable instructor who preaches these values and you take them seriously. It is only going to make you a better you.

[Tziva]

Movin' to Sports & Fitness. You'll get more appropriate responses there


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Honestly the best thing to do is talk to your intended instructor. Sometimes you will need to be in shape to start, and they might recommend for you what type of training to do, and sometimes you can get in shape while you train by training. It's going to vary a lot depending on the school of arts and the instructor themselves.

I had been interested in the Filipino Martial Arts since this fabulous martial arts philosophy book was published, but I didn't start training it until I was in my late 20s. I was not in super great shape when I started -- but neither were many others in the class. The class is a venue to get a workout, and I'm glad I didn't wait to start it until I was already in shape to start.

[Theodon]

I'll tell you right now that I don't have much experience with marital arts, but there are some key elements that would help you if you improve those elements in yourself.

Things such as working on becoming more flexible would be a benefit to certain marital arts, as it will be difficult to perform certain moves if you aren't very flexible. Stretch those ligaments, but do it CAREFULLY AND CORRECTLY! I busted my ankle ligament 2 years ago and it's never fully healed, so don't overexert yourself or you'll regret it for a long, long time.

Repetition is also a method many dojos will utilize to teach you moves and techniques, so cardio workouts will serve you well in general. Core body strength is probably another element of yourself that you will develop during martial arts training, so getting a headstart on that will help things along.

[Omnitek]

Things such as working on becoming more flexible would be a benefit to certain marital arts, as it will be difficult to perform certain moves if you aren't very flexible. Stretch those ligaments, but do it CAREFULLY AND CORRECTLY! I busted my ankle ligament 2 years ago and it's never fully healed, so don't overexert yourself or you'll regret it for a long, long time.

The thing is, if you would just start stretching by yourself to prepare for MA, most likely it would do more harm than good. Yes, you might be able to raise your leg high enough for a head kick but you would hit like a wet noodle. The best thing to do is to do stretching exercises shown to you by your Sifu as they tend to develop not just flexibility but strength as well.

[Stir]

Martial arts are a great way to get into shape. As well as being fun sports. The most important question you must ask yourself is: 'Why?'
If it's for self-defense: Go speak to a psychologist, not a martial arts instructor. It doesn't matter what anyone will tell you about how effective their martial art is; every martial art has one thing in common: Rules. A martial art, even MMA, assumes certain forms, techniques and rules. Those are forms, techniques and rules that only apply to a martial arts school. Which means that, while martial arts have tricks for situations, you'll only get to use one (effectively if at all) if you're really, really lucky, and your assailant is really, really stupid/inexperienced/drunk/all of these.

If it is about the sportsmanship: Each martial art has its own style, with its own techniques. Do you like wrestling? Then look into the many different wrestling martial arts. There's classical (greek) wrestling, there's Turkish (oil)wrestling, there's Judo (the most popular form of wrestling), and some more, including Western European (medieval) wrestling (depending on your area)
If you like striking sports with quick moves, then there's boxing, muay thai, karate (in a LOT of different flavours), Pencak Silat (or Naga) and kung fu, as well as many others.
Like dancing? Try Capoeira.
Do you like tricks? Try Aikido.

And the list goes on, including knife, sword and club styles.
So you really want to pick what you find fun.

As for 'getting in shape:' That's also very style-dependent. Many martial arts that focus on speed also focus on movement endurance, so you'll get lean from those sports. Steadier sports like wrestling, where balance and the proper application of power rather than force (internal rather than external) are important (mainly in wrestling styles) can make you bulkier; larger. Boxing, with its subtle, yet important style differences can go either way depending on your preferred tactics, even though I personally do not recommend boxing. The many blows to the head, coupled with the force of a boxing strike, can cause great damage to the brain. Regardless of the protection you wear; a boxing glove might prevent you splitting someone's skull, but it's the force of the punch, and not the impact, that causes the brain damage. Furthermore, boxing is a fatigue sport, which means that this constant application of force to the head is actually instrumental in the execution of the sport... Not a good idea, if you ask me.

In picking the style you prefer, you also want to keep your body's build in mind. Leaner people are better served by kung fu, for instance. Broad-shouldered people are fit for a myriad of striking styles, especially if those styles also incorporate throws. Bigger people are probably better served with wrestling styles. Capitalize on your build; it's rather important if you want to have fun. That also means you shouldn't be ashamed of your body. If you're a big person and you want to do Wushu of Pencak Silat, then you're going to hate your body... And that's just not okay.

[Sughs]

I've always been intersted in martial arts, but I've never actually practiced myself. I'm 25 and somewhat out of shape.

Anyone here with experience, is it important that I work on getting in shape before enrolling into some sort of program, or can I just go in and it will pretty much be a part of the training?

Also, suggestions on what sort of martial arts to enroll in might be good.

I practiced Karate for 3 years, you don't need to be in shape to start, while i was there many overweight people started after me and with time they started getting better both in martial arts and in losing weight. So either if you just a bit out of shape or a fair bit overweight it's all good.

Of course, you could start running and make small exercises for 2 or 3 months before just so you feel more confident when you start, but there's absolutely no need for it. At least if you get a good instructor / sensei he will see at what level you are and help you improve. If you don't like your sensei, it's ok, try another gym or something until you find the right one. I was lucky, my sensei was an excellent person and a great teacher.

About what sort of martial arts you should go, that's on you. What do you prefer? Fighting with only hands or with the whole body? More defensive or more ofensive style?

I started with Karate winch is more for self defense than anything else and then stopped, now i am a bit older and i am more interested in Kung Fu and Boxe. I would like to start boxing but my country has awful boxe support. Maybe i will try Kung Fu.

No matter winch one you chose, martial arts are one of the best things you can do for your life, no matter what age or moment. It will improve you both mentally and physically making you a much better person.

[Bigbazz]

The "Blackbelt under the age of 16" thing is silly. Blackbelt is not the highest rank in all Martial Arts (more like the first stepping stone of mastering the basics, in Karate for example) and really if you have been doing it since the age of 7 years old by the time you are 15 if dedicated and talented you can be at an incredible level. And really if you're just doing it to get fit and have fun then really any martial arts gym can do that, even the so called "Mc Dojo's".

I used to practice Shotokan at a "family friendly" gym once a week, and once a week with the 8th Dan head of the whole organisation guy, safe to say the latter was a much harder workout aimed at much more skilled people, not so "family friendly" and where the trainers/sensei from the other gyms would show up to train. It was a good allround intense fitness/self defense workout but it's not training you to be the next cage fighter, or to crush skulls!

You gotta set your priorities and go where that leads you, just as much as your average Karate gym is not going to train you to win MMA championships, the MMA gym might not give you the fun/fitness environment you're looking for.

[Deleted]

I've always been intersted in martial arts, but I've never actually practiced myself. I'm 25 and somewhat out of shape.

Anyone here with experience, is it important that I work on getting in shape before enrolling into some sort of program, or can I just go in and it will pretty much be a part of the training?

Also, suggestions on what sort of martial arts to enroll in might be good.

right, be careful.

You should not need to be massively fit for most martial arts, at least non-sport ones, though of course a general level of fitness is required to avoid injury, so I'm assuming you are just out of condition and not chronically overweight or anything.

First thing you should do is think about what type of martial art you want to do.

Direct or hard styles, like karate, certain kung fu, taekwondo etc, are mostly focussed on strike and can require you to build up a lot of fitness and flexibility.
Softer styles, like aikido etc, can take a lot longer to learn to any degree of proficiency but dont generally require so much physical strength.
Ground styles, jujitsu etc, require rolling round on the floor, which may not be your cup of tea and personally I have fundamental problems with in terms of real world applicability, but thats me, form your own opinion.

Then there are things like MMA, though to be honest I'd avoid it as your first martial art. Its something you could graduate to as it were, but quite frankly there are some abysmal MMA clubs that think they are gods gift to fighting and dont last 5 seconds against some more properly trained as they skip basic technique.

Try a few clubs, dont jump in and commit, find a style you like, find a club that seams respectable, do NOT ever sign up for a "degree" program or similar, do NOT ever sign up to a club that promises belts or whatever on a timescale, they are belt factories and should be avoided as really not worth your time.

If you are serious about a martial art, then its really best taking some time and researching the clubs in your area, get some opinions on teh relevant club from more specialised forums etc, to find out if its respected, and if the instructors are any good and if they focus on self defense or sport sparring etc...

Shop around, and find what works for you.


Dont worry too much about fitness, if you are training a martial art then you'll shape up pretty quickly if the club is any good as the training can be pretty intensive, but should start beginners off with basics so you should be able to cope (though it may feel like hell for a while, if you are not used to it).

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The "Blackbelt under the age of 16" thing is silly. Blackbelt is not the highest rank in all Martial Arts (more like the first stepping stone of mastering the basics, in Karate for example)

yes. the whole belt system is total bollocks anyway to be honest. My taekwondo instructor used to laugh at "black belts" as he regarded the black belt as a minimum level of competency where you were not a total liability and could start to learn something decently useful. Until that point it was learning basics by rote, after that you were expected to be able to improvise and interpret moves in your own way to develop your own "style" as it were.

ranks/belts and such are given too much regard. In my king fu club, there is no such thing at all, you move on when the instructor thinks you are ready and have a total grasp of the stuff you've already been taught. belts create an expectation of advancement which is largely artificial.

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Martial arts are a great way to get into shape. As well as being fun sports. The most important question you must ask yourself is: 'Why?'
If it's for self-defense: Go speak to a psychologist, not a martial arts instructor. It doesn't matter what anyone will tell you about how effective their martial art is; every martial art has one thing in common: Rules. A martial art, even MMA, assumes certain forms, techniques and rules. Those are forms, techniques and rules that only apply to a martial arts school. Which means that, while martial arts have tricks for situations, you'll only get to use one (effectively if at all) if you're really, really lucky, and your assailant is really, really stupid/inexperienced/drunk/all of these.

Very true for most clubs and styles. not all.

But yes, fighting to rules and sparring in comps can really mess with your ability to actually apply techniques in more real world situations, so if you want a self defense MA, you really need to find a club that ignores sporting MA totally and focusses on training you to fight, not score points.

[Lightwysh]

First, you need to get in good with the girl that the school bully is interested in.

Once he beats you up a couple times, look for an old Asian man, preferably the janitor, if possible.

He will have you do menial chores around his house, causing you to master various martial arts, and allowing you to win a championship by beating the school bully using your fabulous crane kick.

This is the only viable option.

[slime]

Shit tons of stretching. That will never stop, must do daily.

[Deleted]

Shit tons of stretching. That will never stop, must do daily.

He should avoid that, esp static stretching, until he's been shown what to do. Can easily hurt yourself.

Its the one thing I dont miss about Taekwondo, the daily stretching to keep my kicks good. Had to stop because of a knee problem, but yeah, thankfully no longer necessary.

[Deleted]

If you want to do something tha´s applicable in the real world

BJJ
Judo
Wrestling

[Eroginous]

Please ignore this advice, cross training in multiple styles is what all the best fighters do.

If you're worried about 'being the best fighter,' martial arts are the wrong activity for you. I suggest knitting. Or stamp collecting.

That way you keep your Chuck Norris fantasies to yourself without the risk of accidentally hurting someone.

[Bolson13]

10 years of TKD, 1.5 years of Hapkido, a year of Kali, and a little bit of boxing and judo here. Some thoughts:

1) Don't worry about being in shape. Beginners are never in shape. It's expected. Even fit people usually have to develop their balance and flexibility and have difficulties with some movements.

4) Know that you'll have to pay for a uniform, protective gear, and perhaps additional training aids. Expect that lay out some money up front. Expect that promotional tests will also cost money, so be prepared for that cost as well.

5) Don't go balls to the wall your first lesson. You will hurt the next day. You will hurt more the second day. The first 2-3 weeks you will be sore a lot as your muscles build to meet the demands of your workout regimen. Expect it and don't quit because of it. It gets better as long as you don't push too hard trying to look macho and then get hurt. Stretch well. Warm up. Cool down. Don't omit these things.

Done Muay Thai for 3/4 years and can relate to at least these 3. The others not so much since there are no belts, no spiritual nonsense and I only did this for the most part (Judo very long ago, when I was like 6 or so). Maybe the mcDojo stuff since a bunch of fitnessgyms offer "thai boxing" nonsense for women , but I assume you understand that.


It is a serious workout and nobody is prepared for it. We used to train 3 times a week for 2 hours and I think I was pretty much always wrecked afterwards. Even after doing it for a long time already. A lot of high intensity-short break exercises. The hardest training i did at least. And yes, in the beginning it will suck and you will look like a moron. Your punches and such will suck technically and the coach will probably drill you about it like crazy. And for the love of god, keep your guard. That usually gets drilled in the hard way.

Cost. We had to pay for personal gear ourselves and I think that is the case everywhere. But it is not THAT expensive. A few mouth pieces, headguard, gloves, tape, chin protectors (we used them for sparring only, I know it might be different per place), some people also wear these special shoes but not many (keep your toenails short please, ty). Probably for start around €200/€300,-.

[Tradewind]

If you want to do something tha´s applicable in the real world

BJJ
Judo
Wrestling

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! Also known as South American Man Hugging.

[theostrichsays]

I've always been intersted in martial arts, but I've never actually practiced myself. I'm 25 and somewhat out of shape.

Anyone here with experience, is it important that I work on getting in shape before enrolling into some sort of program, or can I just go in and it will pretty much be a part of the training?

Also, suggestions on what sort of martial arts to enroll in might be good.

I wrestled and boxed as a kid/teenager, after I joined the military I got into BJJ. The biggest things I could recommend are:
Hydrate, going into a workout in shape or not, dehydrated is a quick way to be miserable and perform like crap.
Hygine, nothing worse then hitting the mat with someone who smelled like they hadn't showered in 2 weeks. Don't let that be you, plus ring worm and the like.
Stretch, was doing "flow drills" with a new guy once, he tore his groin mid guard pass. While I lived in Hawaii, knew some Australian guys who did Muay-Thai, they would talk about people quit a lot due to strains and pulls.
Work on your core, so many injuries from people who are out of shape that are related to this.
Don't worry about being able to run a marathon but be in something close to "shape" if your going anywhere remotely serious. Even beginner classes will often have guys (don't know about the gals) eyeing each other up and down. Many places have some short exercise/stretch period to get you warmed up, and if your about to pass out there chances are your not going to enjoy it as much. Yes you will get into shape, and yes I could run 6 miles with no effort when I first started bjj but was gasping 6 minutes into my first sparring, but make it easier on yourself and more enjoyable at the start.
But as far as what kind, my experience is fairly limited on things outside of the above mentioned. Tai-Chi was actually a lot of fun, lots of pretty girls in a lot of places if that interests you, plus it was relaxing and stress free but could get a decent work out. Judo and BJJ were both tons of fun to me personally, while the handful of times I participated in more traditional forms of martial arts I was not impressed is the best way to put it.

One last thing, just be ready for people to say retarded stuff and act like complete asses about it. My actual friends almost never said anything about it, because I personally rarely mentioned doing it. Those who I was acquintances with. I am not sure if they were trying to joke or maybe make stupid statements to break the ice or something in conversations were liabilities for saying something borderline derogatory about it. In my younger years 18-22 or so when I had a much more active social life, I could rely on someone I barely know to say, watch out he knows karate he will eff you up.. which would lead me to looking down and shaking my head then what ever billy bad ass that was near to be a moron.

[Deleted]

Stay away from 'MMA,' Karate, and Tae Kwon Do. Judo, Ju Jitsu, and Aikido are about as good as martial arts get. Kung Fu is interesting, but it's more useful for making action movies than anything.

Good Luck.

If you're worried about 'being the best fighter,' martial arts are the wrong activity for you. I suggest knitting. Or stamp collecting.

That way you keep your Chuck Norris fantasies to yourself without the risk of accidentally hurting someone.

The irony here is almost mindboggling.. Aikido loooool . Steven Seagull is the bestest EVA.

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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! Also known as South American Man Hugging.

[Tziva]

Also, suggestions on what sort of martial arts to enroll in might be good.

What are you hoping to get out of martial arts? What type of stuff appeals to you? Is self-defense your primary motivation? Are you just looking to sweat, a good workout? Are you interested in combat sports? Does the philosophical side appeal to you? Do you prefer empty hand or weapons-based?

There isn't a correct answer to what art you should train and anyone who tells you that school X or Y is best is, frankly, wrong. Lots of martial arts have great things to offer, but they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Some are suited better to different builds as well, whether you are small and fast or big and strong. There will certainly be better fits for you depending on what you hope to get out of the training, but there is not a universal answer(s) that fits everyone. This is why most people who fight competitively train in multiple arts; so they can take the useful stuff from each of them and tailor it to their strengths.

Since you have no preference and aren't seeking out a specific art, find a few types that suit you (people here can help you with that based on your answers above) and check your area. Go talk to the instructors you find locally. Pick one that you like, that seems like a good teacher and not an ego. A good teacher makes all the difference in the world and since you don't care which art, you might as well pick based on the quality of the instructor.


I picked Filipino Martial Arts because I wanted a weapons-based art, I want something that emphasised sparring rather than just forms, and I wanted something that had at least a moderate degree of real life practicality. I also highly regard groups like the Dog Brothers (although a blend, they are FMA-heavy) who test out weapons in more realistic scenarios as a sort of fighting laboratory. Finally, I am a small person without a lot of upper body strength, and I think it's an art where that holds me back a lot less than it might in many others. Finally, I'm driving distance from both the Inosanto Academy and the Dog Brothers' US base and a number of other fabulous instructors, which certainly provides me with many opportunities to train with phenomenal artists.

I would never sell FMA has the best. I wouldn't sell any singular martial arts as the best. But it's what I wanted, and it works for me, and I'm having a ton of fun and hope to continue training for as long as I'm physically able so... that makes it great for me.

Your goal is to find which art is that for you.

[Eroginous]

The irony here is almost mindboggling.. Aikido loooool . Steven Seagull is the bestest EVA.

What? Steven Segal is an old action movie star, which has nothing to do with anything, btw.

You don't take Aikido because 'it's the best.' You take it because it's useful for both self defense and exercise, doesn't rely on being big or strong to be effective, and is wholly different than the main stream 'MMA' scene where people take kickboxing or tae kwon do just so they can be 'badasses.' I really don't think much of Steven Segal, and I certainly wouldn't think of him as the poster boy for Aikido.

Instead, I would simply suggest Aikido as something similar to Judo and Ju Jitsu, all of which are good for someone who wants to exercise and learn a martial art.

[Choptimus]

Stand in front of a full length mirror and shout HADOUKEN