ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
For those who are not currently studying a Martial Art...or simply want to add experience to their knowledge. Below is an excerpt from a rather lengthy article. The questions raised are honest and should be answered by anyone looking to pursue Martial Arts training...
HOW TO CHOOSE A MARTIAL ART...
Set a budget.
Some arts require a significant investment in equipment. For example, Kendo armor can run up to $1,000 for a high end set, while Karate requires only a white cotton (or canvas) uniform. How much do classes/training cost? There's no point in getting interested in something you ultimately can't afford to do.
Determine your ultimate objective.
(a) Health & Fitness with fighting experience as a lesser benefit.
(b) Fighting skill as the primary concern with a nice side dish of discipline and health & fitness.
(c) Being part of a heritage and cultural tradition stretching back hundreds or thousands (depending on the art) of years.
(d) Winning trophies in sporting events.
Decide on a martial arts style.
You might choose a style such as Muay Thai (Thailand) or Western Boxing, Tae Kwon Do or Hapkido (Korea), or a more traditional art, such as Aikido (Japan) or one of the many Kung Fu styles (China), or Jiu Jitsu (Brazil/ Japan). American Kenpo is, strictly speaking, an American Martial Art that draws it's roots from Traditional Japanese Kempo and, ultimately, Chinese Kung Fu.
Do you want to compete one-on-one in the ring with opponents who use the same style as you, or study the traditions of a particular culture's martial art, or learn to defend yourself against real-life attackers on the street?
The training methods are vastly different, and most martial arts schools focus on one aspect. Any school that purports to make you the king of the ring plus a fully effective battleground warrior plus healthy and fit plus part of a cultural heritage is heading for "Jack of all trades and master of none" territory. American Kenpo was designed specifically for self-defense for those would-be attackers on the street. Though, many people have taken the principles and movements within Kenpo and successfully applied them to point-sparring and ring-fighting.
Recognize your physical limitations.
If you are older or not very acrobatic, Wushu (China) probably isn't for you, but Tai Chi (China) might suit you nicely. Furthermore, recognize that striking martial arts like Karate or TaeKwonDo may or may not be well-suited for smaller physiques. The grappling styles of Judo, Aikido, or Jiu-Jutsu, while being close-combat styled martial arts, emphasize technique and leverage and therefore become more readily useful as you progress. Likewise the combative Chinese styles, and American Kenpo as well, are all about technique and are less dependent on your being a particular height or weight to succeed. American Kenpo depends primarily on the practitioners correct application of body and bio-mechanical principles which can be successfully applied by almost everyone with practice.
Consider your cultural interests.
If you have a respect for or interest in a certain culture, learning more through one of their martial arts can be a great experience. If that is part of your goal, choose a school taught by a native of that culture, or someone who trained directly under someone of that culture. American Kenpo is one of only a handful of Arts developed in the US. Though it draws it roots from Japan and China, the art as it currently exists bears little resemblance to it's Asian ancestors.
Consider the effectiveness of the martial art as well.
For example, a modern martial art such as Krav Maga (Israeli) or classes led by experienced soldiers or police officers will place a greater emphasis on the "martial" (fighting) aspect rather than the "art." Although American Kenpo is an Art, the primary focus, as stated earlier, is self-defense. This is not to say that traditional Asian arts are less important, it simply may take longer to learn basic self defense this way as many Eastern arts are about developing much more than just basic self-defense skills. If you are willing to spend the time to fully train in many different styles you will ultimately learn to defend yourself much better than if you train at a mixed martial art school. But if your sole concern is fighting ability and defending yourself 'on the street', the physical and mental effort required to develop those skills have to be weighed up against the effort required to purchase a can of Mace or become proficient with a small, legally obtained, manageable weapon.
Decide when to join.
Almost all schools will accept a polite observer before joining a class, if you wish, although for some it is better to just jump straight in there. Choose what works best for you.
Decide whether or not the teaching style suits your personality.
If you are looking to learn practical martial arts, does the class encourage or allow beginners to interact with the higher level students/instructors? Take note of the students and the way they interact with each other and the instructor. Do those students and instructors appear to be safe, helpful and/or friendly? Are questions answered and/or encouraged?...or is the philosophy to simply shut up and do it the way the instructor says because it's been done this way for thousands of years? A good instructor will encourage questions and always provide answers and an atmosphere that is safe and conducive to learning. Most martial arts encourage the complete training of mind, body and spirit, and seeking answers to questions is a journey that the mind should be encouraged to make.
Check the teacher's qualifications.
Don't worry so much about degrees and certificates; there are no universal grading standards and no universally-recognized governing body in martial arts.
What's important is:
Who did this person learn from?
How long did he or she study with this person?
How long has he/she practiced this art?
Does the teacher have any experience as a teacher, or is he or she simply a skilled martial artist? Just like great football players can make bad coaches (and vice versa), great martial artists are not necessarily great teachers.
Do you have the time?
Set aside a significant amount of time each week to dedicate to your training. Most arts have exercises or forms you can practice at home to keep it all fresh in your mind; if you only practice at class, your progress will probably be stunted.
