My favorite Martial Art is the old world traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. It is a combat system, not a competition/sport system. My father learned from the Japanese after WW2 and then taught my "sibs" and me as we grew up.
Now because of the combined system training instilled in me by my father, I choose Krav Maga for it's diverse applicability, based on it's structure coming from various traditional systems for the purpose of self-defense and combat.
The choice is a personal one, as it should be. Just because one individual chose a certain style or system does not mean it is the one you should pick. The Martial Way is about the "Self" in each of us, and Martial Art is about the expression of that "Self".
I would say Boxing because it gets you in shape and to me is an opener for other martial arts. The next is Capoeira because it shows you a new world and shows you how to deceive instead of just using predictable brute force.
I've done a variety of martial arts and have "dabbled in more" over the years. My favorite is AKBAN with Muay Thai being a close second.
I love my martial art because of the motto "no shortcuts" and we abide by that. My master is excellent and teaches well. We are also very well rounded and cross train in a variety of martial arts and learn from some of the best in the world like Ernesto Hoost, The Gracies, and others through programs, conferences, and that other word which I completely forgot of ;(
We even learn technique not usually taught in other arts like marksmanship, firearms, cqc, disarms, etc. Not only do we learn to disarm, we are taught to shoot, close quarter combatives, etc. We train with a variety of weaponry.
Also we learn basic to advanced first aid and some of the 18 skills.
My master trains hard and we fight harder. We spar and fight often and take great pride in it.
BUT: I am speaking for MY master and my school. The main HQ of AKBAN is in Israel. I live in the states and am taught by an ex AKBAN student who is a 3rd degree (keep in mind the average time to qualify for a 3rd degree black is 16 years).
There may be things we do not cover and things we do cover compared to the AKBAN Academie in Israel.
I think another user @BOSS is training at the AKBAN HQ in Israel though. Lucky him.
http://www.akban.org
http://www.akban.org/about/
http://www.akban.org/wiki/Portal:_Ninjut...
http://www.akban.org/pyramid_en/
First up,I just love MA's in general but the ones that I practice for obvious reasons are going to be my preference of course and that would be, Mau Rakau/ Mau Taiaha, the reasons it's my Family's martial arts system and culture,
http://wayofwarrior.wordpress.com/2010/0...
Gracie Jiu Jitsu is my preference but that is what i have grown up training since a child. I am under no illusion that it is the be all and end all of martial arts though. i recognize the strength of other styles and what they have to teach but the is just my preference.
i cant believe silly children still think that myth about 80 to 90 % of fights end up on the ground. when it is far less then 40%.
but you do need to be well rounded, which is why i prefer both shito ryu and shotokan. both of them contain all ranges which includes striking and grappling as well as ground and stand up.
i also teach teach ryukyu ryu kobudo and matayoshi ryu kobudo as well as seitei ryu iaido.
@greenmonkey there are 50 styles of kobudo, claiming you teach kobudo is not stating the style.
JKD Jeet Kune Do Because it's simple for me to learn besides it was invented by Bruce Lee
and I can stay in shape
Need I Say more
The ones under good teachers I've never tried I also like heavy grappling but striking is cool to.
muay thai/kickboxing. it just is a neat style. i really like anderson silva & cris cyborg.
Sword-fighting;
I like the sound of the clanging of crossing swords;
I teach kobudo so kinda have to say that haha.
Karate and Fung Fu .......... lots of training and physical fitness reqd
mma, because it trains you to fight both on the ground and standing its very useful to learn
