There are a lot of basics to cover in the martial arts. It's not as simple as punch here, or kick there. The way most teachers found the simplest in teaching others is to set up a curricula that introduces techniques, scenarios, situations, and methods that allow the student to learn in stages of development. Generally, to appease the majority of people, this is taught slowly, but it doesn't have to.
Like the expression goes, "it depends on the student". If you're a student who has a true desire to work out and train like crazy, and have a competent instructor who understands this and is will to push you, then it probably won't take long. I fear giving a number because there are variables, but it will certainly be faster than normal.
The biggest problem modern teachers is that they all teach in a "generalized" fashion. Most teachers don't bother connecting with their students to help them advance as well as they could. Instead, all they do is produce a cookie-cutter curriculum that's one-size-fits-all that they teach to everybody from hobbyists to serious self defense practitioners, and this is where things get screwed up for the hard working students.
It's not just the teacher's fault, though. Many students fail to practice the way they should, but at the same time, most teachers don't even teach HOW to practice at home. Faults can lie on both sides.
Firstly let me say that no one here is truly an expert. We are all just students of martial arts but some of us with more or less knowledge than others.
As for your question it really depends on the person training, how intelligent the person is, how much they train, how hard they train, how good their instructor is, how realistic the applications are they are learning, how technical the style is they are learning. so many variables.
however against a normal everyday person you should have good enough skills to help yourself within a couple years but that would also be variable upon the skills of the person you are fighting against. Pretty safe bet that anyone studying 10 years plus of real legitimate martial arts will be a very formidable opponent for most people..
It is an individual thing. Not everyone progress at the same pace and it also depends on the quality of the instructor. In some rare cases, there are students who seem to have a natural affinity to their art and so progress much faster and then there are those who never seem to catch on even after several years.
Plus, what do you believe is "really good at it"? Good at it in a classroom doing kata/form? Good at self-defense against someone without experience? Good at it against someone intend on killing you and know how to fight? Good against one such adversary or good against more than one?
In the end, the real question you should ask is "Do I want to stick with it no matter how long it takes me?"
it depends on the martial art.. you never have a time table to become a expert... martial arts is a life long journey.. their is never a end in developing ones skill...
Start training five days a week 3 hours a day you be good pretty quick. Train one day a week it might take a little longer. Best thing is just find something full contact if you wish that's fun and just go as much as you want.
4 years, I've done kickboxing 2 years and I was decent, stared mma, been half a year and no where near close enough to fight, so yeah 4 years
If there is anyone on here that is a martial arts expert I would really appreciate it if you answer this question. I know it takes years and years for someone to become a martial arts expert, if someone begins training in martial arts how many years does the person have to train before they get really good at it?
