> What martial art is best for me?

What martial art is best for me?

Posted at: 2014-09-13 
Repost: Unless your club has numerous instructors, each individually trained in their specific system, I don't see how you can get focused training in one system. If each class is taught separately by qualified instructors of that system then it should be possible. The overall combination of classes you list is quite good for self-defense and MMA competition. Because you said you do not want to be a "jack of all trades" I would have to say that you should choose between the Muay Thai or BJJ if you want a singular system to focus on. I say this, with not criticism or disrespect to any of the others that are offered, because the schedule offers more classes in those systems and I feel they are more effective for defense than Judo (competition based?). To diversify and just as an opportunity to allow your mind to refresh each week I would recommend attending the boxing classes as well. A person who can adapt more readily to the changing aspect of a fight is more likely to win and survive the confrontation. But that is just my opinion.

Look what is right for you is only right for YOU.

Try out classes and find out which ones you enjoy, in the end that is the thing that matters. If you dread going into class, that mind set will be pervasive and you won't really get much out of it in the long run.

If you love it, you will absorb it, want to do it and get a ton from it.

Any one of the styles mentioned here will serve you well, they have a competition aspect, they all have some great applicable, and effective technique. And for the right person they are all really fun.

For self defense/street having a good head on your shoulders, being confident without being cocky and avoiding situations will get you through 99.9% of the time. Having some hand to hand training in which you get to spar, develop timing, reaction, speed, accuracy, and reflex will help serve you the other .01% of the time over an untrained person.

The key thing is not to overburden yourself to a ridiculous degree. Try a class out in each and kind of find what sticks for you. Spend some time in that and see how your time management, finances, and body deal with it. Add another that compliments it, for example if you are doing a grappling art such as Judo or BJJ, do boxing or Muay Thai later. Striking arts are awesome for cardio, and are great because of a completely different mindset, they are also easier to pick up in a lot of ways because on an instinctive level human beings grasp striking and defense to striking better.

Grappling is counter intuitive. Your natural reactions betray you, you push someone away from you extending your arms, you get joint locked. You push someone, they pull, blend your energy and throw you. Even how you turn away from someone on the mat often results in your turning into a choke. It requires some training to get past your own instincts.

Naturally by striking everyone has a flinch and cover defensive movement by instinct with something going at their face, everyone by instinct has a punching mechanism for attacking. Honing those instincts and training how to hit properly, developing the technique, is very fun, challenging and in general a bit easier to pick up.

I always suggest going with a grappling art first, it gives you a full body workout and helps you develop a lot of body control, you get to where if you need to move your feet an inch back while doing a technique you can do that. So it makes fine tuning techniques in other arts a lot easier.

But it depends on you, you might just enjoy striking arts more and clamp on to them more at the beginning. Grappling arts can be very frustrating at first, but very rewarding.

Readers Digest: In the end, it is on you. Not every Judo class is the same, perhaps there is a real jerk of an instructor. Not every BJJ class is the same, perhaps you have some really over aggressive or cliquish types there. Maybe the boxing is only for serious boxers only, maybe it is for house wives.. maybe the Muay Thai isn't taught by a very good instructor, or the guys go balls out on new guys... you never know. We can't tell you, you have to go check it out and see what speaks to you the most, what fits into your schedule and so on.

All in all, sounds like a great gym and best of luck to you man. No matter what you pick you can't go wrong.

I guess you got Saturday and Sunday reserved for jail time after your street and bar fights Friday or Saturday night. Good schedule. You got Judo, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), BJJ and more boxing (western?). That's more than two, five to be exact so you got to cut 3 or 4 if you want to be a master of one or two.

Clubs are for dancing, the streets are for walking and I don't understand you're question. You have a club, you have a schedule. Go and train.

If you wish to be a master than you need to stick with ONE and only ONE. Believe me, one style will keep you plenty busy.

I want to be able to fight effectively anywhere; in the club, competitions, streets ect my gym has the following schedule

Mon: Judo in the afternoon, Muay Thai or BJJ at night (same time)

Tue: Muay Thai night

Wed: Wrestling or BJJ at night (again they are at the same time)

Thu: Judo afternoon, Muay Thai or BJJ at night

Fri: Judo with Boxing straight after

I would prefer to be a master at one or two arts then a jack of all trades in all the arts

Please dont say Krav Maga, Karate, Tae Kwon-Do or Kung Fu as these arts are not taught in my area