Advice on choosing a martial art

I don't really get why there's such a weird bias against karate on this board... it's like people act like it's just some hobby for kids.
I haven't actually stepped onto a mat myself, so I can't speak to how things are run here in the States, but from what I've seen in clips online... it seems alright. There's plenty of sparring, lots of practical techniques too.

I’ve gotta know—what are you guys recommending for women with stronger prescriptions? And let me be clear, I don't mean "thick" as in heavy-set, I mean actual strong eyesight issues 😍

Jonathan Johnson67 said:I don't get why there's so much pushback against karate on this board—it's like people think it's just a hobby for kids.
I haven't trained personally, so I can't speak to the local scene here in the States, but from what I've seen in clips online, it seems solid. There's plenty of sparring and a lot of practical techniques...

Karate is a decent sport... 👍

The bottom line is simply finding what resonates with you and actually enjoying the process.

If you genuinely enjoy your training, then by all means, keep going. If you don't, you have to ask yourself why you're even bothering. If the only reason you're hitting the mats is because someone convinced you that one style is "superior" to another, then you aren't training for yourself—you're just performing for everyone else.

I'm still waiting on that update! said:It looks to me like Brandon Hayes73 was clearly selling you a load of nothing!
I’m telling you, Kyokushin karate definitely isn't one of those watered-down sports styles that leaves you totally helpless if things ever get real out on the street!

You hit the nail right on the head! I’ve spent plenty of time on the mats training both Shotokan and Kyokushin, but honestly, it only took a single session of Muay Thai to realize I was basically playing tag back in my karate days. It’s like trying to win a drag race in a minivan; you just don't have the raw horsepower for that kind of combat. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how you apply your intelligence to the fight!

Oh, please... I am begging you guys... don't even think about taking this out into the streets!😉

Brandon Hayes73 said:It only took one Muay Thai session for me to realize I'd been sold a bill of goods with karate. It all comes down to intelligence...

I wouldn't call it an intelligence issue so much as finding the right fit. People need to find the discipline that resonates with them. For some, it’s Muay Thai; for others, it’s karate, Tai Chi, ballet, or even chess. Everyone chooses their own path.

Peter Myers29 said:It isn’t really about intelligence; it’s just about finding a discipline that fits you. Let people find their own thing. One person does Muay Thai, another does karate, someone else does Tai Chi, ballet, or chess. Everyone chooses their own path.

Just offering an example here, not trying to attack anyone's position...
Take a guy I saw at a gym in Chicago recently. He used to do TKD. The instructor tells him—nicely, dozens of times—to keep his hands up in a guard while striking, to protect himself, and to rotate his hips. Instead, the guy drops his hands into this ridiculous stance: arms extended at his sides, body twisted, knees locked, chin up and exposed. When corrected, he just shrugs and says, "I don't get it, this is my fighting stance." That stance is suicide outside of sport TKD. It’s hardcoded into his muscle memory now.
The point is, anyone practicing something like that needs to realize it won't work in any other context. If someone actually wants to develop perfected striking technique that works in a real fight against anyone, it makes sense for them to move toward something like Muay Thai.

If they don't care about that—if they just want recreation, fun, and enjoy the specific techniques and principles of the art, and if they can compete and enjoy themselves—then there's no need to choose between Muay Thai/kickboxing and "their" version of TKD or karate. 😉

There’s some truth to this. People spend endless hours grinding away at specific techniques in their local karate or TKD dojos, obsessing over kata and stuff, while completely ignoring the actual fundamentals that determine whether you win or end up in an ER. Take defensive covering, for example. In boxing or even Muay Thai, there’s an entire science dedicated to shielding your vitals and keeping them tucked away through every exchange—from how you posture during a strike to how quickly you snap it back so those openings don't stay exposed for a second longer than necessary. But in a lot of the karate training I've seen, people don't even give it a thought, just leaving their head, kidneys, and everything else wide open to the world.

@ Gerald Smith76 - honestly, that seems like an easy fix... a guy claims his stance is "aggressive" or whatever, and then the coach just shows him why it's actually a liability. It’s pretty pointless trying to argue with someone who’s being stubborn about their stance... you just wait until they actually get into it, point out the holes in their defense, and let them see for themselves why it isn't working.

Peter Myers29 said:I don't think it's really about how smart you are, more like just finding that one thing that actually clicks with you. You gotta let everyone else find their own groove too... Like, maybe one person goes for Muay Thai, someone else picks up karate, then there's Tai Chi, or even ballet or chess. Everyone's just picking their own path in life, I guess.

Totally.

And honestly, he didn't even tell you that you had to pick the exact same thing he did.

He was just sharing his own experience and what works for him, you know?

- Stipe -

Jonathan Johnson67 said:@ Gerald Smith76 - honestly, that should be an easy fix. A guy claims he's using a fighting stance, so you just show him why it isn't working. It's pointless trying to argue with someone stubborn about their posture; once they take the stance, you just point out the openings and let them see for themselves why it’s a bad move.

The guy showed him exactly where he was exposed, but after two or three tries, he went right back to his old ways.
He needs to actually take a hit; I think that's the only way he'll learn. 😬

Jujigatame... said:I think I need to take a hit... maybe that’s the only way I'll actually see some progress... 😬

That’s exactly what I was getting at when I suggested he just show me... all that theory doesn't mean much if you can't actually do it...

Jonathan Johnson67 said:That’s exactly what I was getting at when I told him he needs to show, not just tell. Theory alone doesn't get you anywhere.

Exactly. Let him spar with someone who actually knows Muay Thai and we'll see how much that attitude holds up once he's actually on his feet.

Justin Adams5 said:exactly, let him spar someone who actually knows Muay Thai and we'll see how much fight he's really got left in that stance of his.

So you think your skills are better than everyone else's? Why's that?

Eric Fisher98 said:So you think your skills are better than everyone else's? Why's that?

Have you ever actually tried stepping into the ring with a solid Muay Thai fighter using nothing but a TKD "fighting stance"?

Eric Fisher98 said:So you think your skills are better than everyone else's? Why's that?

Look, if we just set aside all those annoying labels and the whole debate over who's "better" or "worse" than anyone else...
The thing about Muay Thai techniques is that they're just really, really practical. I mean, once you actually put in the work and drill them, they're incredibly effective. Pretty much plain and simple.

If you're actually curious about how it works—honestly, the best thing you could do is just go out there and try it for yourself!

- Stipe -

What does a fighting stance actually look like in TKD? (survey)

Go ahead and ask your sensei about it. I mean, what else could he be if he isn't a total master of TKDa?

Brandon Hayes73 said:Go ahead, ask your sensei. Isn't he supposed to be some kind of TKD master?

I mean, there’s probably some specific day for that in the TKD curriculum...
you know, you could always just ask him.

Armbar said:That kind of stance is basically a death sentence outside of competitive Taekwondo. And honestly, it’s not going away anytime soon because he’s practically hardwired to move that way.

The stance is total garbage.
But let's be real, the kid clearly either has some serious issues with his motor skills or he just hasn't spent any actual time sparring yet.
I spent ten years grinding in Taekwondo, and even when I finally made the jump to Muay Thai, it took me at least four or five solid sessions just to get my bearings—not necessarily with the guard itself, but more with the fundamental mechanics of how to actually strike.
And don't even get me started on the limb coordination; figuring out how to tie up hands and legs properly took me way longer than that...