Martial Arts---what Are the Differences?

My son has done Brazilian Ju-jitsu for a few years. He got interested in it very young because my husband is a black belt and used to cage fight. He started at 5 in formal classes but is already pretty advanced😊

J.:

Your best bet is to get to view the classes of each do-jo (Tae Kwon Do) you are considering...watch how the Master's interact with the children, how they teach, etc.

Each MA is different - the use of hands, feet, body, etc. So you really need to watch each class to see how they practice and teach.

My 13 year old is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. It took him just over 5 years to achieve that. It's HARD WORK. My 11 year old son is a High Blue Belt. Although they have not been actively practicing over the last 2 years - they still know their forms.

There are many forms of Martial Arts - Korean, Japanese, Chinese and each has its own form, technique, etc.

JuJitsuu - (Japanese) While Ju - typically means gentle - this form of MA is NOT gentle. (Jitsu - art). It uses flexibility, hand and feet to defend yourself.

Tae Kwon Do (Korean) fighting art that looks very similar to Japanese karate. It is graceful (yes, I said graceful) and powerful.

Karate (means "empty hand") is unarmed self-defense in which directed blows of the hands or feet are delivered with shouts from a poised stance.

Hapkido is a discipline of coordination, a way of strengthening the mind and body, of fusing the individuals physical and mental powers so that he or she will emerge as a more fully integrated human being.

Aikido - Japanese martial art - it is an art involving some throws and joint locks that are derived from Jujitsu and some throws and other techniques and forms of MA. Aikido focuses not on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain control of them or to throw them away from you.

There are many more. So you need to figure out what works best for you and your family!

Good luck!

My Uncle is a MMA instructor and a black belt in Karate and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. And experienced in seemingly all martial arts. He suggested to me to start with Tae Kwon Do and go from there. But he did say that being pleased with the instructor and school probably outweighed the specific art we chose. Visit with schools. I know around here most will let you try a class for free. He also suggested to avoid schools who push tournaments right away. Or places that make them "mandatory". After kids get the basics, the tournaments will be a natural evolution.

My daughter has a black belt in Tang Soo Doo.

Like others said, you need to visit the schools and see what is best for you.

I liked her program because they didn't have tournaments, were not forced to spar a lot, and focused on the core values of the art.

It took her over 6 yrs of a lot of work but it was worth it in the long run.

Just be wary of places wanting to sign you up quickly, sign a contract, etc. Some places just want money and are called belt factories because you don't "earn" a belt there, you just pay your fees.

Most schools have a "try it out" time for about $100 that last 6 weeks so you get a feel if you like it or not.

Best of luck

great question, I think I might have to research on youtube to understand some of the answers.

I am a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. TKD is 70% feet 30% hands, Karate is 70% hands 30% feet.

There is so much more to martial arts than just technique. The instructor and how he/she treats students is so much more important. The courses are also vastly different between schools and instructors. The school I went to taught more than basics. We were also taught self defense or street fighting. I feel this is an important part of my training because if someone tries to grab me or puts a gun or knife in my face I have tools to overtake him/her. Many martial arts schools do not teach street fighting.

Check out Chuck Norris' program called Kick Start.

I did Judo as a kid, which is pretty safe because hitting and kicking are not allowed. You just work with gravity and use your opponent's strenght to throw her or make her fall. It's a nice one for kids to start with, and can of course be followed up to olympic levels.

Everyone is different in how they choose a martial art.
Even Tai Chi, is a martial art. Its origins, the origins of all martial arts, varies and is historically significant for each culture.
Its like saying, what are the differences in painting styles and the artists and whats the point of the different art styles/techniques etc.

Just go, and watch each one.
And many have a certain age at which a young child can start.
Many dojos will let you try a class for free.

Again, each one will be different and each one "speaks" to a person, who then chooses which one they like or want to learn. And each person has a different reason... as to why they want to take a martial art. It is not just about fighting. Or being able to fight.
For many, it is also a philosophical and cultural, lesson, which they want to learn.

My daughter and Husband take martial arts.
But different types.

Hi! In our community center, we had a choice of judo and tae kwon do...(my son was 4 when he started last year)....I went with judo as we felt it taught more self defense and self confidence. Tae kwon do seemed to have more controlled hitting and kicking. Not bad, but not what we personally wanted at this stage.

we are happy with judo. we also chose judo as the teacher teaches 'discipline' and 'self-respect' and 'good sportsmanship'...in short, i think the teacher is just as important as what area of martial arts you go with.

I hope that makes sense.

They usually will not take kids until 5 years old. Check it out.

My son has been doing Hapkido since he was 5 years old. He just went through his first pre-test for Blackbelt (2 more to go) - which we expect him to get in October right after he turns 11. He has to work for the black belt - he has to go to class 3 times per week, run a mile 3 times per week, write essays on various subjects, visit the Museum of Tolerance, visit an ashram, watch certain movies (Rocky, Karate Kid) and write essays about all these things. They also have a written test to take in addition to the martial arts part of their testing. We really like this method because they don't start sparring with each other until they are at Brown Belt - just before Black Belt. They talk about "building strength in the mind and body" and "using their might for right". The Sensei looks at report cards, makes sure the kids are respectful to their friends and family, talks to them about hiding their martial arts skills - they shouldn't be showing off in school. He talks to them about using their words to fight their battles and to use karate as a last resort. My son has learned discipline and gained confidence to speak in front of the class and help teach the younger kids in class. He has learned responsibility and spent his summer focusing on his black belt requirements (he's having fun too at camp). This experience has been great for him. I would check it out.