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

[Deleted]

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.

take the style that you like and suits you. Pretty much any style will work if you train it correctly.

Dont knock TKD, its a highly effective martial art with military roots. But yeah, there is an impression its all flying kicks and tricking. Which is part of it, if you can do that then you can snap a kick out cold to head height at any time, or more likley knee height at max. You dont actually fight like that! Its also a very effective "self defense" art, so long as you dont get taught by a sport focused club. Although if you want fitness, then sport focused TKD and MMA is brilliant if you are not to concerned about practical applications.

[Tziva]

Dont knock TKD, its a highly effective martial art with military roots. But yeah, there is an impression its all flying kicks and tricking. Which is part of it, if you can do that then you can snap a kick out cold to head height at any time, or more likley knee height at max. You dont actually fight like that! Its also a very effective "self defense" art, so long as you dont get taught by a sport focused club. Although if you want fitness, then sport focused TKD and MMA is brilliant if you are not to concerned about practical applications.

I don't know that it's very practical, but TKD seems like a very excellent workout.

And really, how practical it is might not be relevant to people. Most folks are probably not planning to get into martial arts duels in the street.

[mickybrighteyes]

Since you clearly don't have a preference, I'm guessing you should go for one of the more casual ones that keep you in shape and don't require you to pour yourself into it too badly. Some form of jutsu,

I got to this point and damn near blurted out "Kenjutsu!"

^.^

You know... killing art with swords! as opposed to kendo where you replace the sword with something less metally and sharp blade-ness-like.

[Eroginous]

take the style that you like and suits you. Pretty much any style will work if you train it correctly.

Dont knock TKD, its a highly effective martial art with military roots. But yeah, there is an impression its all flying kicks and tricking. Which is part of it, if you can do that then you can snap a kick out cold to head height at any time, or more likley knee height at max. You dont actually fight like that! Its also a very effective "self defense" art, so long as you dont get taught by a sport focused club. Although if you want fitness, then sport focused TKD and MMA is brilliant if you are not to concerned about practical applications.

I'm not knocking Tae Kwon Do as a martial art. I'm knocking the Americanized version of martial arts, the bastardization of tradition and discipline, which usually trades belts for money instead of belts for knowledge and skill. 'MMA clubs' tend to bastardize martial arts even futher, stripping them down to just the stuff that is most powerful or damaging in the ring.

The martial arts I recommended are the most difficult to bastardize, since they inherently take more knowledge, skill, and discipline to master, which means most places that teach them tend to be more authentic and aren't 'black belt mills.' Punching or kicking someone isn't a useful form of self defense when they have a size advantage, weapon, or are trained in a martial art themselves. There's just more self development and focus on being physically fit within the arts I mentioned.

You can do whatever you want, but I doubt you will get what you want from Tae Kwon Do or MMA.

[Bolson13]

Disagree with your reasoning of bastardization.

MMA doesn't sell itself as some spiritual martial art with 1000+ years of tradition or whatever. It simply takes the most functional parts of each martial arts and teaches it to you to perform to the utmost in a MMA fight. There is nothing wrong with that. They do not claim to be anything else.

However, black belt mills or those thai boxing for fitness stuff is obviously rather insulting. It is like training for basketball but only learning how to do a lay-up. A beautiful lay-up probably but it doesn't get you far.

Also, I am pretty sure that proper muay Thai gets you fitter then Aikido. While you are mastering that perfect arm lock technique while standing still pretty much, we are over there doing 5 minute clinching exercises or on the bag or jump rope for half an hour or .....
Regarding self development and that sort of thing you get from all these old martial arts, I am too sober of a person to care about it. But if that is something you prefer then go for it. I don't knock it but don't go knocking other fighting sports because they are not your thing.

Oh and best self defence for when somebody pulls a knife out is get yourself out of the situation. Good luck with your decade of mastering Aiki or Qi gong, you will quickly find out life is not a kung fu movie.

[Eroginous]

MMA doesn't sell itself as some spiritual martial art with 1000+ years of tradition or whatever. It simply takes the most functional parts of each martial arts and teaches it to you to perform to the utmost in a MMA fight. There is nothing wrong with that. They do not claim to be anything else.

There isn't anything wrong with that until people take it because of this perception of becoming a 'badass' like their favorite pay-per-view UFC star. The goal of martial arts isn't to become a fighter, and that's the bastardization I am talking about.

Also, I am pretty sure that proper muay Thai gets you fitter then Aikido. While you are mastering that perfect arm lock technique while standing still pretty much, we are over there doing 5 minute clinching exercises or on the bag or jump rope for half an hour or .....
Regarding self development and that sort of thing you get from all these old martial arts, I am too sober of a person to care about it. But if that is something you prefer then go for it. I don't knock it but don't go knocking other fighting sports because they are not your thing.

The problem with this logic is that these martial arts rely on you putting yourself in harms way, physically punching/kicking someone. They not only emphasize it as 'the best way' to deal with a situation, they often breed instigators rather than people who are disciplined.

Oh and best self defence for when somebody pulls a knife out is get yourself out of the situation. Good luck with your decade of mastering Aiki or Qi gong, you will quickly find out life is not a kung fu movie.

I never once said people should learn a martial art to deal with an armed assailant. I said that people mistakenly think they can all of a sudden outmatch someone with a weapon because they've taken MMA or Tae Kwon Do. You should always avoid a confrontation, the martial arts I listed just happen to be more useful when you can't.

[Tziva]

There isn't anything wrong with that until people take it because of this perception of becoming a 'badass' like their favorite pay-per-view UFC star. The goal of martial arts isn't to become a fighter, and that's the bastardization I am talking about.

Sure it can. There is no one singular goal for martial arts. If there was one, being able to fight is probably pretty high up on that list

Sure, some goals might be nobler than others and some might be wiser or more relevant in particular points in time, but people can and do practice martial arts for a million reasons - competitive combat sport being one of them. Hell, Judo which you listed above, is probably one of the most popular combat sports in the world. Not sure why you'd advocate one while knocking another, especially since your justification seems to be rooted in the fact that it is a combat sport.

I can understand the distaste for the people who join some MMA gym so they can boost their ego and go around picking street fights, but it's not a fair jump between "I hate those particular people and image they project on martial arts today" and "don't practice MMA, it's not good." Tons of people practice MMA for reasons other than feedings their ego or mimicing some UFC fighter they saw on TV, just as plenty of other arts can and do breed instigators. "people mistakenly think they can all of a sudden outmatch someone with a weapon because they've taken MMA or Tae Kwon Do"? Yeah, except replace "MMA or Tae Kwon Do" with any other martial art or just martial arts in general and it would still sadly be an accurate statement. You might have a point if that was some kind of core tenant of MMA that expressly taught that, but MMA sells itself as a concept for skilled sport fighting, nothing more. Any of that shit that comes out of it is the fault of the individual with a warped perspective and an over-inflated ego, and those kinds of people are attracted to any kind of trained fighting. You can't judge an entire system based on what some shitty individuals coming out of that system do, otherwise all the arts would need rejecting since martial arts in general is full of those kinds of people.

MMA is good. It's good for a workout, it's good for honing your skills, and its core concept is very strong if your goal is to do competitive fighting. I also think it's very good for shifting people's perspective to the understanding that lots of arts have valuable things to offer and that people should open themselves yourself up to many of them. I think the ego of "my art is best art" is far more harmful, both to individuals and to the spirit of martial arts in general, and MMA has been a big part in breaking down that worldview in the current era. Even if it brought nothing else to the table, I think for that alone it deserves some props.

TL;DR it's not fair to tell people MMA is bad or not to train MMA because of some stupid meatheads coming out of it. It's better to tell people not to be stupid meatheads.

[Keny]

Krav Maga Is the shit.

[Ondrej]

People begin learning a martial art for many reasons. Perhaps you feel out of shape, or maybe you no longer want to be picked on. Martial arts are a good way to boost self-respect. So you feel out of shape so you start training, you will begin to understand yourself better.