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5 Responses to “What are the different types of martial arts commonly taught in the US? How do they differ from each other?”

1. thepaladin38 on May 14th, 2009 6:34 pm

   Here's an answer I gave someone who asked about taking a martial art. Hope this helps!

   Here's what I would do:

   1. Get a sheet of paper and write down exactly what kinds of benefits you wish to obtain from studying karate/martial arts. It's a good idea to know exactly what you want to achieve.

   2. Go to http://www.smartpages.com and look up MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTION in you city and state. It will tell you what martial arts are taught in your area and where the schools are located.

   3. Once you know what martial arts are offered in your area look up their definitions on the net. Note the similarities and differences between each. A good place to do that is http://www.wikipedia.com.

   4. Visit the schools in your area. Ask for a free class. Make sure you find a Master Instructor who is overseen by a larger governing body.For example: Many Tae Kwon Do schools belong to the World Tae Kwon Do Federation. Verify your instructor's credentials.

   Some Martial Arts:

   Tae Kwon Do and Karate will provide you with a great cardiovascular workout. They will also tone you. For the best results go to class around 4-5 days per week and at least 20-30 minutes a day at home to practice your moves.
   Koei Kan and Isshin Ryu are two good styles of karate. You can also look up Kenpo.

   Krav Maga, an Israeli style of self defense, is a superb physical workout. Around 4-5 days of Krav with transform your body. I've watched it happen. Fair warning! The workouts are intense! Take a look at Jennifer Lopez in the movie Enough. She's doing Karv Maga.

2. inkdust333 on May 14th, 2009 6:34 pm

   i studied Kung Fu for 7 years here in the US. I prefer that style above all others i have tried wich included ti kwan do, and shotakon. they are korean based and very ridgid. a nother good one that is offered nationwide is ninjetsu or NINJA style that is a good one also… go with Kung Fu..any style.. you'll be glad you did

3. silverangel on May 14th, 2009 6:34 pm

   Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Karate, Hapkido, and Kung Fu are popular in the U.S. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean self defense martial art, and is a form of Karate. Judo is similar to wrestling, it's a Japanese martial art, Judo comes from JuJistu. Karate is a Japanese self defence art in which sharp blows and kicks are administered to pressure-sensitive points on the body of the opponent. Hapkido is a a Korean martial art that uses techniques similar to aikido and tae kwon do. Kung Fu is any of various Chinese martial art, especially those forms in which sharp blows and kicks are applied to pressure points on the body of an opponent.

   I tried Karate, it was ok but i like Tae Kwon Do better. I got to a Cho's Tae Kwon Do school, and there are a bunch of them across the United States. Hope you find the Martial art you are looking for!

   Good Luck!

4. ajthe41 on May 14th, 2009 6:34 pm

   I prefer a dojo that has mixed martial arts. That way you can learn a style of your own.And learn differant ways that each dicipline is applied.

5. Luke on May 14th, 2009 6:34 pm

   I think all of the answers posted so far are great answers. I will just offer my two cents. Every Martial Art System is different and some focus on certain aspects. The main aspects are striking, grappling, and control/submission. With that in mind, some martial arts focus more on sport whereas others focus on self defense. This is very important. Are you looking for sport or self defense? If you are looking for sport, then take your pick of Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Kickboxing, Wrestling, and Brazillian Jujitsu. If you're looking for self defense, you will have to do the research and choose the art that best suits you. My personal experience has been this: on the street, you do not want a long fight. You need to finish the fight very quickly and do so in a way that won't get you arrested. You also need to be street smart and know how to handle situations with multiple attackers, etc. I personally think that Japanese Jujitsu is very effective for the street and it is a complete system that has been proven over hundreds of years. Jujitsu came from the strong samurai who survived in battle after losing their weapon and had to rely on their open hand combat skills. I don't believe my martial art is the best and I don't think there is a best martial art, only the one that is best for you and your needs. Anyways, I love this stuff and I could go on but i'll shut up for now. I have provided some websites for you to check out. I highly recommend that you check the atlantamartialarts.com website. It gives you the history and a description of almost every martial art that exists in the world today. It won't help you find a school though unless you're in the Atlanta area. Good luck!

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