Edit: Shae, I understand and agree. I wasn't trying to make the claim that GJJ could address every problem or that other arts didn't have techniques that are necessary. But, first and foremost, I think grappling is the best base for any fighter regardless of gender. Also, I think of how long it takes to learn an art and become skilled enough to defend yourself against an untrained fighter. I have found with arts like Karate, it can take many years. Many of the TMA guys on here also acknowledge that a lot of TMAs take many years to learn. In fact, that's one of the reasons given for why Aikido doesn't "appear" to be very effective. Apparently it takes several years, maybe even decades, to become proficient t it. Most people don't have that type of time. But I have found that with grappling arts, one can become pretty effective in a relatively short amount of time... if for no other reason, because most people still don't know how to effectively fight on the ground, so it is much easier to dominate someone on the ground if you are skilled and they aren't. Then lastly, I also think of the type of clothing a lot of girls like to wear. Things like low cut skirts, heeled shoes, etc... things that would be a hindrance in a real fight, especially if your base is a striking art.
But yes, I agree that girls should learn as much as possible, even from other arts. But if they are only going to choose one, or start off with one, then GJJ (or a comparable grappling art, possibly Judo) is the one I'd recommend.
Any art is good to learn for any size person. You cannot use height/weight/flexibility to judge which style would best suit you because the human body is the most amazingly adaptable thing on the planet. It allows humans to overcome any obstacle and allow them to thrive in the environment that they are in as well as be able to adapt to change. This is what has made man the evolutionary pinnacle on this planet.
This is no different to choosing a martial art because the human body and mind adapts to the environment to be allowed to utilise skills learned. then if you change that environment then the skills are still applicable due to the ability to adapt to change.
I have seen 300lb martial artist who have amazing skills and i have seen very small people be incredible at a variety of styles.
@BBQpit - Even i am a GJJ traditionalist through and through but i ackowledge there is more styles to the world for women than just GJJ. While i think it is very applicable in many ways and all woman should have some knowledge of it, there are many other styles that could more than adequately teach any person to defend themselves with the greatest of skill. There are many more things in the world that can happen to a women than just being pinned on the ground and raped. I think all women should learn some skills to avoid the ground but there are many styles capable of teaching enough skills to avoid this.
Do not listen to any recommendations.
In any martial art, all that matters is that you have a good instructor, attend a good school, and train right. All martial arts are good as long as you are learning them in a good school under a good instructor. The best thing you can do is look into the schools in your area and choose the one with the best instructor. Having a good instructor is key, the name of the style does not matter.
Also, your height, weight, and anything else from that first paragraph do not in any way determine what martial art you should take. Martial arts adapt to your physique.
Whatever your experience in physical fitness, if you’re considering martial arts as your next undertaking, I’ve got good news and… not bad news, more like some challenges for you to consider. The good news is the martial arts are very accessible. The challenges? The martial arts are very accessible. Finding the right one for you can be tough because there are so many to choose from and, if you’re inexperienced, you don’t know what to expect. I hope this article can provide some encouragement and direction.
Depends on the person. Most schools will have a free trial and you can go and take advantage of these and you can make a decision based on actually participating in them. Even tho I'm partial to Brazilian jiu-jitsu I understand that its not for everyone. Please go and check out the schools
I suggest kung fu/tai chi
if insterested, I do teach. Email me for more information
For some physical background, I'm a 14 year old girl, and I'm only 5'2, but I'm the strongest girl that I know, and I'm 125ish, but I'm really quite quick and agile if I need to from my twelve years of field sports. Plus, I have a pretty high pain threshold, as in, I've broken my wrist and it looked deformed, but I was laughing, not crying, and it was only like a 4/10 for pain. So there's that, and I have so much energy all the time, and it's impacting me negatively, so I'm looking to burn some off. I don't mind a couple black eyes or sore muscles.
I'm also not a royal douche, so I wouldn't go around picking fights with people, I'm kinda intimidating (idk people have told me that) but I wouldn't use force against someone unless they punched me or one of my friends or something similar.
Which fighting style would you recommend for me to learn based on this? Thanks in advance guys, it means a lot. :)
