Having trouble picking an art and school in Dallas. Need advice.

[Brandon Miller]

I currently reside in Dallas and I’m wanting to get back into martial arts as a hobby for fitness and self defense. I’m torn on training in Kyokushin at Dallas Kyokushin which is 13 miles away Learn Karate in Dallas, Texas | Dallas Kyokushin Karate. Also I’m torn at training in freestyle judo at the Judokai which is 16 miles awayThe Judokai - Dallas and Granbury Judo / JiuJitsu / Wrestling. The third place is a Sambo club in Arlington which is about 23 miles from me. https://www.sambotexas.com/. Kyokushin is $80/month, Fresstyle Judo is $75 a month. Sambo is $95 a month. All schools offer training 3 times a week. If I could I would train in all three but time and finances are preventing me from doing so. What should I choose? I like all three schools. I want to get into either Kickboxing competitively or mma possibly in the future. I have a boxing and competitive mma background but stopped due to other life adventures. I’m 32 I’m 6’3” 225lbs athlete most of my life. Thanks for the advice guys!
I definitely plan on crosstraining down the road but right now I can only choose one art to dedicate myself in right now. I plan on boxing on the side with whichever art I end up choosing.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

What do you expect to get from this that you havent gotten from your last few posts? If you started training after your first post asking kyokushin vs judo, youd be a couple months better at whichever one you choose.

 

[Brandon Miller]

What do you expect to get from this that you havent gotten from your last few posts? If you started training after your first post asking kyokushin vs judo, youd be a couple months better at whichever one you choose.

Terrific response. The whole “ Go and try a free class at each” advice didn’t really help me. I like all three schools I’d train at all three if I could. My experience with kyokushin was it was a good workout but perhaps an art that is slow in progression might bore me. I like grappling because you learn effective techniques right away. I start next week so I have some decisions to make. I’m leaning towards freestyle judo. I see it as a damn near perfect grappling system for MMA with the freestyle judo competition rule set.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

If kyokushin bores you go with judo. But be aware it will take a while to get used to. Depending on the sambo school, itll either be basically judo with more focus on the ground, or almost MMA. Up to you whether you want an art that focuses mostly on throws, to combine with your boxing/kickboxing, or if you want a school that combines them with a focus on grappling. (Generalizations of styles, individual schools may vary)

 

[Brandon Miller]

If kyokushin bores you go with judo. But be aware it will take a while to get used to. Depending on the sambo school, itll either be basically judo with more focus on the ground, or almost MMA. Up to you whether you want an art that focuses mostly on throws, to combine with your boxing/kickboxing, or if you want a school that combines them with a focus on grappling. (Generalizations of styles, individual schools may vary)

Yeah I agree with what you just stated. The judo school is basically judo/wrestling/bjj combined. The Sambo school is a sport Sambo school but they do a little combat sambo as well from my understanding. It seems as sambo and freestyle judo are very similar. My only worry if I choose Sambo is that sambo schools aren’t everywhere so if I ended up moving I wouldn’t prob find a sambo place since only 8 to 10 sambo schools exist in the United States. One thing I like about the judo school is that they host freestyle judo tournaments.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

Go American Kenpo karate

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Go American Kenpo karate

Do you even read the posts you respond to?

 

[drop bear]

Sambo should give most bang for buck. Depending if the school is good.

 

[Brandon Miller]

Sambo should give most bang for buck. Depending if the school is good.

Www.sambotexas.com

 

[Tony Dismukes]

All other factors being equal, I'd go with the Sambo. Good Sambo schools are hard to find in the U.S., so you might as well take advantage of the opportunity while you have it. If you move later on to an area without Sambo, your experience will carry over well into Judo or BJJ.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

Cowboyery is always good. (i couldn't resit)

Yeah Sambo is pretty uncommon i have seen that myself. So if its something you want to do, do that first at least.

 

[Yokozuna514]

Terrific response. The whole “ Go and try a free class at each” advice didn’t really help me. I like all three schools I’d train at all three if I could. My experience with kyokushin was it was a good workout but perhaps an art that is slow in progression might bore me. I like grappling because you learn effective techniques right away. I start next week so I have some decisions to make. I’m leaning towards freestyle judo. I see it as a damn near perfect grappling system for MMA with the freestyle judo competition rule set.

I would be partial to Kyokushin although I think all the styles you are interested in will give you a good work out. Kyokushin may have a larger footprint so if you do move, the chances of you finding a Kyokushin or offshoot school is very promising. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Headhunter]

Pick one go there if you like it stay there if you don't move on to the next choice

 

[Headhunter]

Do you even read the posts you respond to?

Yeah that person doesn't seem to offer much useful advice and just tells everyone to go train their style

 

[Headhunter]

Terrific response. The whole “ Go and try a free class at each” advice didn’t really help me. I like all three schools I’d train at all three if I could. My experience with kyokushin was it was a good workout but perhaps an art that is slow in progression might bore me. I like grappling because you learn effective techniques right away. I start next week so I have some decisions to make. I’m leaning towards freestyle judo. I see it as a damn near perfect grappling system for MMA with the freestyle judo competition rule set.

Judo is not perfect for mma because judo doesn't deal with punches and kicks and knees and elbows. You want to get good for mma then go train at an mma gym

 

[JR 137]

Do you even read the posts you respond to?

I’m pretty sure he read it thoroughly. And came to his unbiased recommendation because it is the best art there is.

 

[Headhunter]

What do you expect to get from this that you havent gotten from your last few posts? If you started training after your first post asking kyokushin vs judo, youd be a couple months better at whichever one you choose.

I honestly don't understand this whole having to ask everyone advice. When I first started I decided I wanted to train found a gym got on the phone to the boss turned up to class and trained. If I liked I came back next lesson if I didn't I looked for a new place simple.

 

[Headhunter]

Go American Kenpo karate

Why would he? When there's no kenpo schools in his area?

 

[JR 137]

Why would he? When there's no kenpo schools in his area?

Have you ever seen him post anything else?

And Dallas is a major metropolitan area, so I’m quite sure there’s an American Kenpo school somewhere relatively close.

 

[Brandon Miller]

I would be partial to Kyokushin although I think all the styles you are interested in will give you a good work out. Kyokushin may have a larger footprint so if you do move, the chances of you finding a Kyokushin or offshoot school is very promising. Good luck and keep us posted.

What separates kyokushin from the other arts I mentioned?