Advice on choosing a martial art

I’ve finally realized I need to actually start doing something productive with my life. I already ruled out the gym because I know myself well enough to know I won't force myself to go there. I did some rowing back in high school for about three years, but honestly, it just wasn't my thing.
So, here's the deal: I think I'd be much better off picking up a martial art, but I am completely lost. There are a thousand different styles out there, and I have zero clue where to begin.
Basically, I’m looking for some solid advice on what would suit me best.
To give you some context, I'm 24 years old, 180cm, and 68kg. I’ve got a light frame, I guess—people usually estimate me at around 75kg if they look at me. That said, I've always been pretty sturdy; I can handle intense physical exertion for a long time without breaking a sweat, way above average really. My explosive strength was also slightly above par. I'm pretty coordinated too... but who knows, I don't really understand what factors should actually drive this decision.
My goal isn't necessarily to get huge or anything; I just want to get firm. I don't need to change how I look, I just want to feel solid, like I'm made of stone.
And of course, it would be good to know how to defend myself—God forbid I ever have to deal with some idiot on a subway or out on the street.

Oh, one more thing: I don't always have a car, so if anyone knows of any decent spots, let me know. 😁 I'm looking for something within a reasonable radius of Central Park, 🙂 assuming I'm starting from there.

silverhawk8 said:I've realized I really need to start doing something active. I ruled out the gym because I don't think I can force myself to go. I did sports back in high school—rowing for three years—but that just wasn't my thing.
So, I'm thinking a martial art might be the best fit. But honestly, I have no clue which one. There seem to be a thousand different options out there.
Basically, I'm looking for some advice on what would suit me best.
I'm 24, 6'0", and about 150 lbs. I probably have a light frame; people usually guess I'm around 165. That said, I've always been pretty sturdy—I can handle physical exertion for long periods, well above average. My explosive strength was also slightly above average. I'm coordinated too... but who knows, I don't really know what factors actually matter when deciding.
My goal isn't necessarily to get huge or anything, just to get toned up. I want to keep my current look, but make it, you know, rock solid.
And obviously, if heaven forbid I ever had to, I want to be able to defend myself—whether it's against some idiot on the subway or out on the street.

Oh, one more thing—I don't always have a car, so if anyone knows of any good spots, let me know... specifically 😁, looking out from Central Park (Chicago), moving outward in concentric circles. 🙂

If you're interested in the sport itself, go for Muay Thai. There’s a spot run by Chuck Liddell over at the Youth center (it's pretty close to Central Park)
But if you're strictly looking for self-defense, sign up for Krav Maga... I think a club is opening up soon... maybe near the State Fair (there's a thread about it, just search the forum)... and if you want something recreational that builds skill, try Martial Arts at University... there you go. 😉

silverhawk8 said:I've realized I really need to start doing something active. I passed on the gym thing because I just don't think I can force myself to go. I did sports back in high school—rowing for about three years—but that just wasn't my vibe.
So, I'm thinking maybe some kind of martial art would be best for me. But man, I have no clue which one! There seem to be like a thousand different options out there.
Basically, I'm looking for some advice on what might fit me best.
I'm 24, about 5'11", and 150 lbs. I guess I have a lighter frame; people usually tell me I look more like I'm 165. That said, I've always been pretty sturdy, you know? Like, I could handle intense physical stuff for a long time without a problem, totally above average. My explosive power was also a bit above average. I'm pretty coordinated too... but honestly, who knows, I don't even know what factors actually matter when deciding.
What I'm really after isn't necessarily getting huge or anything, just getting toned up. I want to keep looking roughly the way I do now, but just make it, you know, rock solid.
And of course, just in case—God forbid, obviously—it would be good to know how to defend myself or deal with some jerk on a bus or out on the street.

Oh, one more thing, I don't always have a car, so if anyone knows of any good spots, let me know, uh, 😁, starting from Central Park (Chicago) and working outwards in circles. 🙂

If you're looking around Central Park in expanding circles, you've got plenty of Boxing clubs, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gyms, and Muay Thai spots that are definitely worth checking out.

Maybe try searching through a directory on www.profightstore.com.

- Steve -

silverhawk8 said:I’ve realized I need to get active. I ruled out the gym because I don't think I have the discipline to force myself to go. I did rowing for three years back in high school, but it just wasn't my thing.
So, I'm thinking martial arts might be the best move for me. The problem is, there are a thousand different styles out there and I have no idea where to start. ....

Just visit some local clubs, see what they offer, and try a few classes. Eventually, you'll find the one that actually sticks.

Don't overthink it—just go hit the mats. Best way to get in shape...

I mean, Jiu-Jitsu isn't necessarily the best for "fitness," but honestly, it really just depends on how you define the word.

The kind of conditioning you get from grappling is worlds apart from what you get in Boxing.
Back in early autumn, I used to spend my warm-ups doing some heavy Muay Thai drills, and man, I could roll for a solid hour straight without even breaking a sweat—well, okay, maybe I did break a sweat, but I felt fine! The only real issue is that my shirt ends up absolutely soaked every single time, so I usually have to swap it out once I remember to pack an extra one in my gym bag.
But you see the flip side? A boxer who gasses out early... they might manage two minutes in a round and then they're just totally spent.

It’s just such a different way for each type of training to hit your body.

- Steve

Jamie Fowler2 said:Don't overthink it; just get out there and do some Jiu-Jitsu. It’s the best way to build conditioning.

Running, cycling, or even digging trenches will get the job done for cardio too... 😁

ruggedfalcon2 said:If you're actually interested in the sport itself, just go sign up for Boxing; there's a gym run by Chuck Liddell over at the Youth center (which is right near Central Park)
but if you're strictly looking for self-defense, you should probably look into Krav Maga... I think a new club is opening up around these parts soon, maybe near the State Fair (there's a thread on this already, so just search for it)... though if you just want some recreation paired with a skill, check out Martial Arts at University... there you go. 😉

Muay Thai—that sounds familiar, but what is it exactly? Since it's with Cikatić, I'm assuming it's a stand-up style thing.
As for Krav Maga—honestly, that's my first time hearing about it... can anyone give me the lowdown?
And Aikido? Never heard of that one either. 🙄

briskjackal5 said:If you look around Central Park at all the different training circles, you'll find plenty of boxing gyms, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu spots, and Muay Thai clubs worth checking out.

Just hit up the directory over at www.profightstore.com.

- Steve -

As for Muay Thai, I have a pretty good idea of what that entails...
But Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Honestly, I'm curious about what kind of style that actually is...

silverhawk8 said:Muay Thai—sounds familiar, but what exactly is it? I’m guessing it's a stand-up style, if it's the kind Chuck Liddell would be into...
Krav Maga—honestly, I’ve never even heard of it... Could someone tell me a little bit about what it's all about?
Aikido—never actually heard of it... 🙄

MT is just Thai Boxing...
Krav Maga is an Israeli self-defense system—you can actually find more info about it right here on this subforum...
Aikido is a Japanese martial art... it relies pretty heavily on joint locks and circular movements. 😁

Just type whatever you haven't heard of into Google and find a video presentation... that way you can at least get a general feel for it...

silverhawk8 said:Thai boxing, I know what that's all about...
As for Jiu-Jitsu? I mean, I'm kinda curious about what kind they have there...

I guess I'm not totally sure if there's any Japanese martial arts near Central Park.

But I do know you can definitely find some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu around there, which is the one I was suggesting!

- Steve -

silverhawk8 said:What I’m actually looking for isn't about getting jacked or anything—it's just about getting solid. I want to keep looking the way I do now, but I want it to feel, you know, like stone. And obviously, if God forbid I ever have to—just so I can defend myself against some idiot on the subway or out on the street.

You seriously need to factor Judo into the equation too. Just check out these two clips...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...udo+team&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...64122213231097

Hit me up if you have any other questions...

If you’re genuinely undecided on where to start, I’d suggest looking into Karate or Judo as your foundation. It’s worth trying both just to see whether you lean more toward striking or grappling. Once you have a feel for it, you can decide if you're satisfied or if you want to dive deeper into a specific discipline.

This might be useful as well:
http://www.fudebakudo.com/cgi-bin/mentor.pl
😁

Peter Myers29 said:If you ask me, if someone is genuinely lost on what to train, I’d say Karate or Judo are solid starting points. Give both a shot to see if you lean more toward striking or grappling... then decide if you're happy there or want to dig deeper into that specific style of fighting.

Maybe this might help a bit too:
http://www.fudebakudo.com/cgi-bin/mentor.pl
😁

Why Karate?

Justin Adams5 said:Why karate?

Why not?

Karate is really just for little kids. Once they grow up and find their footing, they’ll move on to some real sports—like Boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or even Aikido...

Karate is a solid martial art, provided you actually find a decent coach to learn from... It’s also great for kids, honestly. Helps them build up their conditioning and flexibility early on.

True, but look, the guy is already 24. He’s definitely not a kid anymore under any legal standard here in the States...

If you want to see real, rapid growth, you've got to dive into Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! When I talk about "progressing," I’m not talking about chasing some colored belts—since you don't really have that system in Boxing, and even in Jiu-Jitsu, those stripes can be a total grind to earn—I’m talking about building a massive toolkit of techniques that you actually trust. It's about reaching a point where, during live sparring, you can test your skills against your training partners and know for a fact that nobody is trying to pull a fast one on you or sell you a bridge!

Peter Myers29 said:Why not?

Because he isn't six years old yet! Plus, he’s already got a solid foundation in sports, so it would be a total waste not to level him up with something more intense. Honestly, I just want him to know how to defend himself.

It looks like you definitely got sold a bill of goods there.
Kykushin karate isn't exactly the kind of thing you can rely on if you ever find yourself in a real scrap on the street.

There’s no such thing as a magic bullet. Just hit up a few different gyms and try out various disciplines to see what actually clicks with you.