How to learn a martial art
How I did it: i started karate at school when i was 10, i done that for around 1 year and got bored, karate is possibly the most useless martial art to use in real life situations.
i moved onto judo and thai chi, they were both very good. then onto aikido.
aikido is a very interesting martial art because its not based on any traditional stance and can be modified in any way you like.
i started kickboxing when i was about 13/14 and i dont that for 2 years and i entered some local tournaments, i won 1st and 2nd place in all 3 tourneys.
kickboxing was good, practical but still quite mild as far as martial arts go.
i stopped for about 2 years to finish high school and i continued when i was 16/17.
i then done kung fu and tae kwan do at the same time for around 3 years.
tae kwan do and kung fu are very good martial arts to mix because, kung fu is all about explosive, close quarter combat mainly focused on the use of your hands and tae kwan do is the exact opposite, its focused on keepin a good distance away from your opponent and its kick based.
put them both together and you get a very all round combatant who can handle both situations very well.
my most recent martial art is capoeira, its a brazillian martial art and to people who dont know what it is, it looks like a dance/game.
but looks can be deceiving, under all the flashy summersaults and spins lies quite an effective martial art that mixes fighting with art, (music and dancing).
after 6 months of doing capoeira, you will have developed and toned muscles in places where you never knew you had muscles.
you will be lighter and more agile with an explosive power that will suprise you.
i love capoeira and i think out of all the martial arts i have done, this is the one i will stick with because when i hear the music from the berinbau, (the main instrument) i feel an energy just build up and anyone who has done capoeira wether it be for a week or a decade, cannot stand by and watch.
i feel an urge to play and when i am in the roda (circle), i feel free and i can express myself with capoeira
Lessons & tips: martial arts has helped me become the person i am today, i am quick, not just physically but mentally too, i am decisive and it has made me into a good leader/teacher but and even better follower/student.
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.
Resources: my best friend google, look for martial arts classes near you and dont think about it, go for it and you will not regret it
