In response to the following question posted online...
I’m thinking about taking up martial arts. I don’t have much previous experience, but I want a fun way to stay healthy, and martial arts seem real cool. I’m not sure what style to pursue, though. Does anyone have any suggestions, and reasons why they like a certain style? Thanks so much!
"Abhi D says:
since you said you wanted to have fun and stay healthy and wanted to learn a martial arts there are a couple things you should consider:
1)whats close by
2)whats in your budget
3)does their schedule match up with yours (most martial art classes are at night during the weekdays all over the USA)
1)whats close by
2)whats in your budget
3)does their schedule match up with yours (most martial art classes are at night during the weekdays all over the USA)
My recommendation is tae kwon do, I am talking from experience here because I currently am training in it (despite me being biased hear me out). My reasons why:
1)It will help with flexibility more than any other martial arts, ask any martial artists and they will say that in general Taekwondo improves flexibility more than any other martial arts. Flexibility is something that gets harder to gain as time goes on but become more and more important to avoid injuries from even daily activities as you get older.
2)It helps cardio- since you want to stay healthy cardio is key more than even strength, you will naturally lose muscle mass as you age, but having good endurance can carry on for life, and taekwondo is a martial arts that can be carried on till the day you die if you so choose. If you need to stay healthy TKD is the best bet in terms of longterm cardio and short term cardio as you will run a bit, kick a bit, and do different types of drills a bit making sure nothing ever gets stale, I personally hate working out in gyms because it is too monotonous, in TKD its keeps changing and you can push yourself as much as you want but you have a support system of friends you train with that will make sure you do not fall behind once you train for a couple of months and catch up with the color belts.
3)Injuries- in other martial arts you are going to get hit in the face and body during sparring in such a way that you will be sore, and get cuts on your face, etc. like you see in boxing, or UFC(which is a combination of many sports, predominantly mui tai, karate, kick boxing, bazillion jijitsu, etc.) whereas in Olympic style TKD sparring you have gear that allows you to hit hard but not get hit hard, the injuries are minimal to other sports, that is why some other martial artists look down upon TKD.
4)More potential- TKD is a martial arts that you can practice effectively from 4-104 unlike some martial arts like mui tai where once you pass a certain age it can become hazardous to your health. Also if you become really good at it you could go to the olympics, you never know.
5)Bone density- Over last summer I participated in a summer program for high schoolers at Johns Hopkins University, at this program one of 30 students were selected by lottery to get a free DEXA scan. I was selected and my bone density was measured. According to the technician that explained to my class the results my bone density in the lower half of my body was off the charts for someone still in my age , my hips, knees, and other joints were especially dense. A lot of taekwondo is focused on the lower body, this explained my immense lower body bone density. Since many elderly people are hospitalized because they fell and broke their hips in the shower or something like that taekwondo could be a preventive measure since it could help increase bone density in your hips. Also many people have knee surgery and TKD could help avoid that aswell.
6) I don’t know about how fun other martial arts are, but sparring in TKD is the funnest thing I do on a daily basis, its exciting to watch and be a part of once you get down the basics, and it allows you to be creative and energetic in and highflying, versus other martial arts like wrestling where you are making short abrupt movements based on power and skill rather than what TKD uses which is an equal combination of strength, speed, flexibility,skill, and intelligence."
1)It will help with flexibility more than any other martial arts, ask any martial artists and they will say that in general Taekwondo improves flexibility more than any other martial arts. Flexibility is something that gets harder to gain as time goes on but become more and more important to avoid injuries from even daily activities as you get older.
2)It helps cardio- since you want to stay healthy cardio is key more than even strength, you will naturally lose muscle mass as you age, but having good endurance can carry on for life, and taekwondo is a martial arts that can be carried on till the day you die if you so choose. If you need to stay healthy TKD is the best bet in terms of longterm cardio and short term cardio as you will run a bit, kick a bit, and do different types of drills a bit making sure nothing ever gets stale, I personally hate working out in gyms because it is too monotonous, in TKD its keeps changing and you can push yourself as much as you want but you have a support system of friends you train with that will make sure you do not fall behind once you train for a couple of months and catch up with the color belts.
3)Injuries- in other martial arts you are going to get hit in the face and body during sparring in such a way that you will be sore, and get cuts on your face, etc. like you see in boxing, or UFC(which is a combination of many sports, predominantly mui tai, karate, kick boxing, bazillion jijitsu, etc.) whereas in Olympic style TKD sparring you have gear that allows you to hit hard but not get hit hard, the injuries are minimal to other sports, that is why some other martial artists look down upon TKD.
4)More potential- TKD is a martial arts that you can practice effectively from 4-104 unlike some martial arts like mui tai where once you pass a certain age it can become hazardous to your health. Also if you become really good at it you could go to the olympics, you never know.
5)Bone density- Over last summer I participated in a summer program for high schoolers at Johns Hopkins University, at this program one of 30 students were selected by lottery to get a free DEXA scan. I was selected and my bone density was measured. According to the technician that explained to my class the results my bone density in the lower half of my body was off the charts for someone still in my age , my hips, knees, and other joints were especially dense. A lot of taekwondo is focused on the lower body, this explained my immense lower body bone density. Since many elderly people are hospitalized because they fell and broke their hips in the shower or something like that taekwondo could be a preventive measure since it could help increase bone density in your hips. Also many people have knee surgery and TKD could help avoid that aswell.
6) I don’t know about how fun other martial arts are, but sparring in TKD is the funnest thing I do on a daily basis, its exciting to watch and be a part of once you get down the basics, and it allows you to be creative and energetic in and highflying, versus other martial arts like wrestling where you are making short abrupt movements based on power and skill rather than what TKD uses which is an equal combination of strength, speed, flexibility,skill, and intelligence."
End of his Post
While I do not advocate any one style over another, this is interesting for several reasons. The key to determining the best style (way) to learn martial arts is determining your individual goals and aligning yourself with a good school and instructor who can help you achieve those goals. The kind of martial art, in my experience, should be a secondary consideration. However, it is a component and this writer conveys his thoughts in a well conceived format. I found it so unique that I wanted to share it here.
The big lesson I'm attempting to communicate is to do your homework. It does make a difference and can have profound impact on your experience as a student.
Best wishes and keep kicking. -jn
