Which of these martial arts offered by my university should I take?

[enwar3]

My university offers:

Jujitsu (that's how they spelled it)
Eskrima
Taekwondo
Kenpo Karate
Eskrima
Judo
Aikido
Wushu
Wing Chun Kung Fu
Shotokan

I plan to pick one/two and stick with it for all four years that I'm here. I also have no previous experience with martial arts (except for a month-long stint when I was like 6). I'm hoping to learn something both practical for self-defense and complex enough for me to spend years on.

 

[hanoverphist]

i only know anything about one style there... kenpo. i liked it, but i have seen a huge change in the lessons tho. when i took it, each technique ended up pretty much in a death move, killing or severely maiming your assailant. when i went back a decade later to my old dojo, there wasnt one kill move left. i would say ask the instructors about their path and decide that way which one suits you more.

 

[gamepad]

jiujitsu is an extremely efficient martial arts. i highly recommend learning that style.

 

[Babbles]

You are likely to get so many replies with people giving their opinion you may be better off just randomly rolling dice.

I studied jujutsu and loved it immensely so that would obviously get my vote. However if you enjoy competitive sports, it seems as if Tae kwon do and/or Judo would be a better fit.

 

[Savij]

Wushu
or
Wing Chun Kung Fu

Nothing else will do

 

[thecrecarc]

After my experince in martial arts... *aka, watching human weapon on tv* eskirma looked pretty dang cool. otherwise, i have no clue

 

[enwar3]

Well I'm trying to take into account the type of situations where I may actually have to use what I've learned. For example, disabling is probably more useful and practical than striking to maim. Although it seems to me like the best path would be to learn a grappling-type art and a striking art.

But I'm still interested in what ATOT has to say/what experiences you've had. I'll be going to an expo to see practitioners from all of these forms at once and can also decide there.

I just want to make a good choice since I'll be sticking with whatever I decide for four years.

 

[HN]

Shotokan

And then please update us when you've learned how to fireball. That'd be down right fierce!

 

[EvilYoda]

It depends on your personality, but JJ, Wushu, Wing Chun and Shotokan interest me, but the first 3 greatly outweight the Shotokan.

edit: BTW, I don't know if you get descriptions, but Eskrima is a Philippine weapons-based art.

 

[Soulchaser]

If you're interested in disabling people, thats what judo is about for the most part. I only took it for half a semester though. I had other classes that got in the way unfortunately. Eskrima is really cool. As a person of Filipino descent I recommend that one! Oh yeah, what university do you go to that it offers so many martial arts classes? I've just got Judo and Akido here. :-/

 

[xdreadpiratedoug]

Aikido ... it will get you used to grappling, etc. IRL, most fights end up on the floor, and you need to learn how to throw to get someone off you. Punching is basic principal, but learning to use someones weight against them is very, very tricky.

 

[mattpegher]

I have tried Shotokan, and spent most of my training with Isshinryu. I have tried Matayoshi kobujitsu (a formal weapons style). And am looking for a new style (gettin old you know). I like the physics of Aikido. Since you aren't sure you will stick with martial arts as a lifetime endevour, and your getting this through school I suggest trying a different style each year. Try very different styles such as Shotokan the first year, wuchu the second, then eskrima and then Aikido. Then decide which you may like to continue with later on if any. Don't think that one year or even four is going to make you "able to handle yourself". Use this as an introduction.

 

[Lurknomore]

Boxing.

Or else, BJJ

 

[PrinceofWands]

All of this is my own opinion of course.

Jujitsu is probably the most universally applicable, and least liability evoking. Eskrima is great for an armed study, but that's it's strength so it's a walking lawsuit if you ever use it. Tawkwondo is a sport, not a martial art. Kenpo can be very effective but is dependent somewhat upon physical conditioning. You listed eskrima twice. Judo is as safe (liability-wise) as jujitsu, but is less effective in application. I'm biased on Aikido because I've spent so long studying it. I believe it's the most rounded 'art', though I don't believe it's the most practically applicable. If you're looking to dedicate yourself to a lifestyle, philosophy, etc, then I'd go Aikido. Wushu is a fairly broad category heading. It can be sport like, exhibition heavy, or very effective self-defense. More than any other you listed it depends on what they choose to teach you. Kung Fu is much like Aikido, in that it is a combination of body, mind, and spirit into an art form. It's a lifestyle more than a form of self defense, though that doesn't mean it's ineffective. Shotokan karate is a fairly efficient brawlers defense and therefore contains much liability, but it also is somewhat dependent upon physical conditioning.

It also depends heavily on who's teaching each, what their philosophy is, and what they're willing to teach you.

For pure defense I'd choose jujitsu. For a lifestyle/study I'd choose Aikido. If you're into the whole 'physical' aspect then you should also consider Shotokan.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: dreadpiratedoug
Aikido ... it will get you used to grappling, etc. IRL, most fights end up on the floor, and you need to learn how to throw to get someone off you. Punching is basic principal, but learning to use someones weight against them is very, very tricky.

Quite possibly one of the largest myths out there (marketing ploy by BJJ folks?) - or I suppose one can make the argument that most fights end up on the floor because somebody gets the hell knocked out of them.

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

. . . Judo is as safe (liability-wise) as jujitsu, but is less effective in application. . .

Except that the Japanese police force adopted Judo because they found it to be more effective. I am a jujutsu guy myself, but I think it is quite silly to say that judo is somehow 'less effective.'

 

[crumpet19]

You need to speak with the head instructor of each class... Ask them what they intend to teach and why they teach it. A good instructor will ask you about what you want to learn/accomplish and will be able to guide you to a style that suits you (even if the style is not one that the instructor teaches). Then you need to observe the classes. Some instructors will also allow you a trial period of one or two lessons to see if you're interested in the program.

This being said, I study Tracy's Kempo/Kenpo Karate. I chose Kenpo because it is simplistic in the sense that each move -every body position has a purpose. There is nothing flashy about this art - you won't see flying spinning back kicks. What Kenpo does exercise is specific and adaptive fighting technique. My instructors also teach situational awareness and mental processes associated with avoiding confrontation as well as ending confrontation. Kenpo was, and in many cases still is, intended as a killing art.

Again, I study Kenpo because I don't like to fight. Kenpo has taught me to avoid physical confrontations. It has also taught me that if I must fight I am fighting because there is no other way, that my life is truly in danger and thus I have a need and a right to use such knowledge.

 

[FoBoT]

poll?

Wing Chun Kung Fu sounds nice

 

[Juno]

taekwondo for basic training and jujuistu for advanced training

IMHO...

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Too bad Krav Maga isn't there.

 

[DangerAardvark]

How hell does your college have that many qualified instructors in that many martial arts?

Ninja School?

 

[dotcom173]

jujitsu for sure. i love it, and i dont even do it. i know some basic stuff in regards to submissions and chokes, and its really interesting stuff.

 

[Mikey]

Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
How hell does your college have that many qualified instructors in that many martial arts?

Ninja School?

My school offers about the same number of martial arts. I'm considering taking one of them as well. I don't know about your school, or everyone else's school, but the kinesiology building at my school, CSUF, is huuuuge.

 

[enwar3]

They're not classes, they're like clubs on campus that have instructors. Taekwondo is the most organized one, and I think Eskrima is the newest on on campus.

From what I understand, the martial arts offered are split into two different practical groups:

Grappling/close-range/"friendly":
Aikido
Jujitsu
Judo

Striking/"offensive":
Taekwondo
Kenpo
Shotokan
Wing Chun Kung Fu

Not quite sure/mix:
Eskrima
Wushu

I figure I should probably pick one of the close-range defensive arts and one that's more of an offensive one. Eskrima sounds really cool, but I don't know how practical it'd be unless I carried the sticks around. The fact that it deals in knife fights is useful though, since anything less than a knife shouldn't be a problem for a trained martial arts fighter, and anything more than a knife (read: gun), martial arts might be somewhat useless.

 

[konakona]

I wouldnt do tkd for self-defense.
very informative thread though, thx for a good read everyone

 

[RossMAN]

What's the name of that crazy ass Brazilian martial arts?