Noob question - Which martial art style for an adult?

[saiyan]

Hi,
I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot

 

[Hank Colado]

22 years old ain't exactly 'old'! lol

The Martial Arts are for everyone, young and old alike. My advice is to visit several of your local schools and see which style/system appeals to you. My bias is for Kenpo (been at it since 1984) but you should really check out diverse arts before settling.

Congratulations on choosing to beginning your journey, good luck at your first steps.

 

[Cirdan]

You are young, all arts are suitable for you. If you give us more info on what you are looking for I am sure we can suggest a few.
Good luck.

 

[ktaylor75]

22 is not old! If I only knew then what I know now... blah blah blah. Anyway, I will be 33 next month, I just began in martial arts 3 months ago...I am learning Kenpo. You are not too old to begin in martial arts. I wish you well in finding which martial art suits you best.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Ok...I am terribly sorry about this... and I really do not want to do it... but it is required.....

:soapbox:

OLD...:eye-popping: 22 is OLD what the heck are you talking about...... I have leather jackets older than you.... I have been your age twice already and I'm working on a third....OLD...give me a break....:tantrum:
:disgust:
OK... now that I got that out of the way

Pick one and go for it, your young they will all work.

Figure out what you want, go check out a few schools and go form there.

 

[tshadowchaser]

The best school/system for you may not be what is best for someone else.
Much will depend on your mental and physical abilities as well as what you want out of the martial arts. Do you want an exercise program, a sport orientated school, one that has many weapons, something with a long history , something that deals more with street scenarios, etc.
As other have said look around and ask questions of the instructors and the students befor deciding which art to study

 

[halfnote19]

I just chose my martial art a few weeks ago. I had allot of different schools/styles to choose from so that made it difficult.
I have to say checking out the different styles on youtube helped me figure out which style I wanted to learn. You may want to check out the videos of the different styles you are interested in.

 

[Live True]

As you will see from checking out the site, many of us started a martial art...or a new martial art after 30...so 22 is certainly not too old (see, I didn't rant, rave or act shocked..was hard, but....)

At 37, I just started my first martial art about 3 months ago, and I'm loving it. I have to work a bit harder at some things than our younger students, but I also pick up some concepts faster.....

It's not the age, but your mindset, and I would say visit several schools before deciding. Videos might show you what looks "cool" or interesting...but actually visiting the schools will help you sort the McDojos from the true teachers.

Good luck!

 

[Catalyst]

I didn't pick an Art as much as I picked a Teacher.

The people you'll be with (the other students) and the person you're learning from (your teacher) are extremely important. You may find the best style for you by looking at videos, but can't stand the people at the local school that teaches that style.

Visit the schools in your area, ask questions, and make sure that you want to spend time with these people.

 

[HelloKitty]

Hi,
I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot

naaah, those are only stories. my husband is 33 and he began practising TKD 4 months ago. our grand master has even congratulated him because he works very hard.

our instructor, 2nd dan, began when he was like 53, after his son got his 2nd dan.

if you want to learn taekwondo, just choose a school you like and start kicking xD

 

[Live True]

Catalyst...you said what I meant far better than I!

 

[pad256]

Instructors make the school, talk to them and see if it's someone you click with. A good instructor can make you martial art introduction a life long jouney! So be pataint, take a couple of free classes at the dojo's that interest you, then you'll know what's right for you.

Good luck!!!

Paul

 

[still learning]

Hello, Try JUDO or Kenpo/Kempo schools1

Aloha

 

[Blindside]

Hi,
I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot

1. You are not too old for well, anything, though becoming a contortionist may be out and you probably won't be playing any type of pro ball. Can you live with that?

2. I would suggest that you find an instructor that you like, that challenges you, and seems to give you whatever it is that you are looking for. Select for a good teacher rather than the art, a poor teacher can screw up teaching a perfectly good art. Take your time, it will probably be a large investment in time and money, so make an educated decision. That said, if you choose incorrectly, it is only time and money, education often comes from experience.

See this for suggestions on what to look for in a school.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47497

If you feel comfortable letting us know where you are located, perhaps someone on the board can make a suggestion about schools in your area.

Lamont

 

[Touch Of Death]

Hi,
I really want to learn a martial art style but I don't know which one is suitable for a 22-year-old guy like me. I heard that if we want to learn Wushu, Taekondo or Karate, we have to learn them when we are young. Can anyone give me some advice on the suitable martial arts (taekondo, karate, judo, or aikido, or something else)? Thanks a lot

Kenpo.

 

[saiyan]

Thanks for that, everyone. I live in Brisbane, Australia and not quite sure if there are many schools available. I may have to have a look around to see. Hehe Im a bit surprised that everyone all agrees that 22 is not old, well, the reason why I thought it would be old is because I ve seen lots of ppl who get started at a very young age (12, maybe) and they are quite good with MA. Another reason is, I heard that if we don't practice MA at the young age, our muscles and bone may not be flexible enough for some of the styles such as Taekondo and Karate.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thanks for that, everyone. I live in Brisbane, Australia and not quite sure if there are many schools available. I may have to have a look around to see. Hehe Im a bit surprised that everyone all agrees that 22 is not old, well, the reason why I thought it would be old is because I ve seen lots of ppl who get started at a very young age (12, maybe) and they are quite good with MA. Another reason is, I heard that if we don't practice MA at the young age, our muscles and bone may not be flexible enough for some of the styles such as Taekondo and Karate.

Go on, just keep digging the hole deeper :uhyeah:

Don't worry about it 22 is not to old... Now go find a school and enjoy the training.

oh and keep us posted

 

[Kacey]

22 is nowhere near too old - I have students who started at over 40, and my class is pretty young, overall; I started at 20.

I agree wholeheartedly with finding an instructor who fits your learning style and interests. You might check these two threads, as well:

Resources for Beginners
Choosing a school

Good luck!

 

[Langenschwert]

Hi Saiyan,

Your choice boils down to a few broad categories: armed, unarmed, sporting and non-sporting. Or some mix of the above.

At 22, you're plenty young for just about anything. I started my art at 31!

So here are some ideas. It is not even close to complete, just what I can think of off the top of my noggin:

Armed, sporting: Sport Fencing, Classical Fencing, Kendo, SCA Fencing, Jogo do Pau, La Canne.
Armed, non-sporting: Kenjutsu, German Longsword, Italian Rapier, Bunjinkan, Escrima.
Unarmed, sporting: Wrestling, Boxing, Savate, TKD, Catch as Catch Can, Judo, MMA.
Unarmed, non-sporting: Krav Maga, Koryu Ju-jutsu.

Keep in mind that there is crossover between the categories. Most non-sporting weapon arts have a significant unarmed component, and some unarmed arts have some weapons training. Some arts that are sporting are still useful in earnest combat, and certainly some non-sporting arts still enter tournaments to test themselves.

Visit some schools, and see what you like.

And since there is a school that teaches my art in Brisbane, I shall henceforth shamelessly mention it:

http://www.collegiuminarmis.com.au/

Good luck in your search!

Best regards,

-Mark

 

[frownland]

I live in Brisbane, Australia and not quite sure if there are many schools available.

There are LOTS of schools in Brisbane. Start with the Yellow Pages - see what's nearby.