Distinctions between types of martial arts?

[ScoutTN]

We are checking into this as a possible sports activity and I'm just beginning to research what's available here.

What kind does your child do and what are it's distinctives?

Any drawbacks?

Thanks!

[JudoMom]

We do Judo. There is no hitting or kicking in Judo. Instead, you use your opponent's momentum against them to throw them to the mat and pin them (or choke or arm-bar for older ages). Judo is great for self-defense, coordination, balance, and confidence. Here's a link.

[KarenNC]

My daughter and husband have been taking aikido for 3 years or so. From my understanding, it's based on the premise of using the other person's energy to deflect them and minimize the chance of injury both to yourself and to the attacker--primarily through throws and blocks as I understand it (not being a practitioner myself). There are no punches, kicks, breaking boards, need for sparring gear, etc. No tournaments, just seminars. Here's the link to the US Aikido Federation, of which our dojo is a part http://www.usaikifed.com/info.html.

 

One drawback is that it is not as readily available (at least around here) as something like tae kwon do (spelling?). Another that might be a drawback to some is that rank advancement is slow, so no one's going to be a black belt in a couple of years. Our dojo tests about once a year or so (basically when the sensei feels you are ready and you have met the basic requirments). Currently there are no belt ranks for children in the USAF. Our dojo does do some internal ranking for the kids until they are able to test with USAF (I think around 15?). Our dojo requires that at least one parent also be training at the same time, but I don't know if that is a widespread practice.

[oldskool]

Our family does karate. The focus is on learning different forms, sparring, and self-defense. It has just been a wonderful sport to be a part of. My younger two love it, but for sure had to get over the fear of hitting people and getting hit. (They do spar with a lot of protective gear.) My oldest DD does not like it, but has no choice until she has her black belt. I want some assurance that when she leaves for college or any other opportunity away from home that she will have the confidence to defend herself if need be. Overall, I would say that no matter which martial art that you pick, gaining confidence is one of the greatest benefits of all of them. (Especially true if you have a good school and instructors.)

 

Lesley

[everlastingstarflower]

My husband and two dc take Seidokan karate. Seidokan originated in Okinawa, Japan. Their premise is that the first defense is to run away but, if you can't do that then you need to defend yourself. Seidokan has blocks, punches and kicks. There is sparring but, it is optional in our dojo. The senseis would like students to at least try sparring so that they know what it feels like to take a punch. A person in an altercation can get thrown off by not knowing what it's like to be hit but, a person who's had some sparring experience will still be able to defend themselves in the event that their blocking isn't effective initally.

 

They don't do any board or cinder-block breaking. Children cannot attain complete black belt status until they're 18 years old. A 16-year-old can acquire a junior black belt but, they don't become a full black belt until they're 18. Students aren't promoted up in rank all that quickly, either. They need to attend a certain number of classes and the senseis have to be of the opinion that the student is ready to test. Each belt level has to be able to perform and certain number of strength/conditioning exercises e.g. sit-ups, push-ups, etc. as well as be able to perform the basic blocks, punches and kicks. They also have to learn a different kata at each belt level. A kata is a "form", which is a series of blocks and kicks and movements in which the student pretends to be fighting off invisible attackers. Each kata has it's own set of movements that have to be performed in a specific order. Seidokan has 17 katas total.

 

Our head sensei is very particular about making sure that no students, especially the children in class, are getting hurt. We have had special needs students in our class, too so really most anyone is able to learn this art of self-defense. Our head sensei also teaches a self-defense class at Penn State University and all of the self-defense tactics he teaches in that class are also taught in our dojo as well.

 

Parents are not required to participate in the class and once the child enters the dojo, the senseis are in charge of the child. If my child is doing something wrong that the sensei doesn't see or correct in class, we have to address it at home and not in class. That was one of the hardest things for me to get used to but, I see the reasoning behind it. There has to be one main authority figure and the children need to see the sensei as that authority while they're in class. I just have a higher standard of discipline for my dc than the senseis do sometimes. But, overall the senseis do a good job of keeping my dc diligent in their work.

 

I think that most styles of karate are good for several reasons: they're a good form of exercise, you are learning a skill that will be useful for the rest of your life (which may someday save your life or the life of someone you love), it promotes healthy discipline and allows your dc to have the opportunity to learn to respect another form of authority. In our dojo, there are many senseis and they all have different teaching styles. It is good for my dc to be able to learn to adapt to the different ways that the senseis teach the same concept. So, I like that aspect of Seidokan, too.

[kahlanne]

My daughter started judo a little over a month ago and loves it. Matter of fact, she has her first meet Sat. Can't wait! My oldest two children tried karate and jujitsu but they didn't care for it. I didn't see a huge different between jujitsu and judo but again we haven't been at it long.

[Truscifi]

We study at a mixed martial arts school - one that actually teaches different arts, not one that teaches 'MMA' style fighting. We study kempo (basic karate stuff like punches, kicks, kata), arnis (stick/knife/bo/sword/machete - practice weapons only, not real ones ;)), and small circle jujitsu (self defense, take downs, etc - similar to judo as described by PP).

 

Our whole family does it and we love it. We have been studying about 2 years now. Ds has greatly improved his coordination and balance, and self discipline and focus.

 

ETA: The adults in our school also learn kickboxing techniques and we do full contact sparring. The kids do limited sparring but they wear a lot more protective gear than the adults and are closely monitored to make sure no one gets hurt.

Edited June 18, 2010 by Truscifi

[Jean in Newcastle]

We do tae kwando, a Korean martial art. It uses kicks , punches and blocks as a form of self defense and combat. They do sparring and also breaking of boards in competition. We're really new to it though so perhaps someone else can say it better and in more detail. I like how our master teaches the students respect and teamwork as well as general body conditioning and tae kwando moves.

[Forget-Me-Not]

My son takes Kenpo Karate. He's 7, and he's been in for 2 years. At his age, it's very focused on mastering basics with some self defense (mainly keeping yourself OUT of trouble in the first place :D). His instructor is beyond awesome. He's a sixth-degree black belt who has been teaching for well over 20 years. His expectations are so age appropriate and he's got a ton of games for them to learn basic techniques and defenses--half the time they don't even realize they're learning something.

 

I took ITF Tae Kwon Do in college and loved it. It's very oriented toward defense with the feet and legs.

[BridgeTea]

Tang Soo Do for our family. The emphasis is on fitness, discipline, forms, and self-defense. Sparring was optional in the two clubs we've belonged to, and reserved for just the higher-ranking belts. No drawbacks.

 

Martial arts can be a wonderful sport for the whole family. I'm sure there are many great styles to choose from - I would just observe a class or two of a club you are interested in to see if the club itself is a good match for your family. One of our clubs is a little bit unprofessional/chaotic for me, but is non-threatening to beginners. Another we've attended is more disciplined and regimented, but can be intimidating if that's not your style.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

[AnitaMcC]

We are checking into this as a possible sports activity and I'm just beginning to research what's available here.

What kind does your child do and what are it's distinctives?

Any drawbacks?

Thanks!

 

My kids do Shaolin Kung Fu, a Chinese marial arts. They learn kick, punches, blocks. They learn forms (katas), use a staff and broad sword for weapons (training weapons... not real), learn to spar (fight) and wear protective gear. They also learn grappling and self defensive moves. Kung Fu is more of a "stand up and defend" martial arts. All I know is that my Dd (studies Kung Fu) competes in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do tournaments and she often earns 1st place. Me.. I can't tell the difference. LOL.

Edited June 18, 2010 by AnitaMcC

[Rosy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts

 

There is a section here on the emphasis of many different martial art forms.

 

I never thought I would put my kids in martial arts. I let DD do it when a 16-year-old black belt led a class at our homeschool co-op. Then we found an affordable karate program at our YMCA that has turned out to be excellent. People have left high-end karate programs to come to our dojo. DD has learned so many valuable life lessons just in the 8 months that we've been there.

[kiana]

My daughter and husband have been taking aikido for 3 years or so. From my understanding, it's based on the premise of using the other person's energy to deflect them and minimize the chance of injury both to yourself and to the attacker--primarily through throws and blocks as I understand it (not being a practitioner myself). There are no punches, kicks, breaking boards, need for sparring gear, etc. No tournaments, just seminars. Here's the link to the US Aikido Federation, of which our dojo is a part http://www.usaikifed.com/info.html.

 

One drawback is that it is not as readily available (at least around here) as something like tae kwon do (spelling?). Another that might be a drawback to some is that rank advancement is slow, so no one's going to be a black belt in a couple of years. Our dojo tests about once a year or so (basically when the sensei feels you are ready and you have met the basic requirments). Currently there are no belt ranks for children in the USAF. Our dojo does do some internal ranking for the kids until they are able to test with USAF (I think around 15?). Our dojo requires that at least one parent also be training at the same time, but I don't know if that is a widespread practice.

 

If you ask my friends, I never stop talking about Aikido. :D It's that good!

 

Advancement is, as stated, really slow compared to other martial arts. Depending on your circumstances, this may be a good or a bad thing. You won't be paying test fees every few months either. :D

[Terabith]

I love the philosophy of aikido, but honestly, I think philosophy of the particular martial art is way less important than the particular dojo/ instructor. I would look for the best instructor over the particular style of martial art any day.

[Truscifi]

I love the philosophy of aikido, but honestly, I think philosophy of the particular martial art is way less important than the particular dojo/ instructor. I would look for the best instructor over the particular style of martial art any day.

 

:iagree:

 

I do plan to get my black belt in kempo and arnis, but I would like to explore other styles as well, rather than just keep getting higher degrees in the same styles. When I do branch out, I will pick schools where I like the instructors and the overall feel of the school.

 

Of course, if I ever decided to teach I would need to be at least a 2nd degree in something, as you can only promote a student to one level below your current belt. At least in our tradition.

[KarenNC]

If you ask my friends, I never stop talking about Aikido. :D It's that good!

 

Advancement is, as stated, really slow compared to other martial arts. Depending on your circumstances, this may be a good or a bad thing. You won't be paying test fees every few months either. :D

 

For us, it's a really good thing. I think that it puts a lot more focus on the whole philosophy, gives more time for the student to grow into it as an overall life approach than some of the "belt mills" I've seen in our area. These are not limited to or specific to any particular type of martial art--more about the approach of the individual school. Our sensei's family also takes tae kwando, so there are good schools out there in all the disciplines. Unfortunately, there are some that seem to be more worried about collecting as many fees as possible by testing all the time than about good instruction in their particular art.

 

You really do want to make as sure as possible that your particular dojo is a good fit. Ours is a wonderful one that is actually more of a fairly close knit family atmosphere than a school---we've done cookouts, a camp out, etc with them. It helps that the dojo is built in their back yard ;) (built as much as possible in a traditional Japanese style, no a/c, no heat, etc which gets interesting at times) and a small school. I have also been told that, at least in aikido, dojo-hopping is not looked on favorably.

[G5052]

I love the philosophy of aikido, but honestly, I think philosophy of the particular martial art is way less important than the particular dojo/ instructor. I would look for the best instructor over the particular style of martial art any day.

 

We've been involved in Aikido for four years now, and we love the husband-and-wife team who lead the dojo and the chemistry of the group. It's been worth the financial sacrifice to keep involved.

 

The philosophy of Aikido is more compatible with our goals, and they run it on a break-even basis, so the cost is way below the martial arts schools in the area that are making a profit.

Edited June 18, 2010 by GVA

[Truscifi]

Several posters have mentioned testing fees. Ours are $25 per belt, no matter what belt you test for, and we only test every 3-4 months. Also it takes longer to be ready to test for higher belts so the higher you get the longer you go between tests.

 

What are the testing fees in other schools like?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Several posters have mentioned testing fees. Ours are $25 per belt, no matter what belt you test for, and we only test every 3-4 months. Also it takes longer to be ready to test for higher belts so the higher you get the longer you go between tests.

 

What are the testing fees in other schools like?

 

Our tae kwando dojo charges nothing for the first 2 belts (or actually it is included in the monthly fees at first). Then it is $60 per belt up to black belt which is $500. Belt exams are quarterly.

[Parrothead]

Dd took TKD for a year then we moved. Now she does Karate. I prefer the TKD. I'm not sure if it is the discipline of the instructor.

 

Karate is the only option for us though. There is a "new" martial art available in town. It is a spin-off of Jujitsu developed by an American about 20 (maybe it was 30) years ago. I'm too much of a traditionalist to spend the money on something that new.

[KarenNC]

Several posters have mentioned testing fees. Ours are $25 per belt, no matter what belt you test for, and we only test every 3-4 months. Also it takes longer to be ready to test for higher belts so the higher you get the longer you go between tests.

 

What are the testing fees in other schools like?

 

In our aikido dojo, no test fees at all until you hit black belt level (which takes years and is only for adults). Testing has been happening at most about once a year.

[LG Gone Wild]

We are checking into this as a possible sports activity and I'm just beginning to research what's available here.

What kind does your child do and what are it's distinctives?

Any drawbacks?

Thanks!

 

Really, the distinctions don't matter as much as the studio. Some are belt mills and some are fabulous. Most are kind of a joke.

 

There are two basic kinds martial, those that primarily striking and those that are primarily grappling. But what do you want to get out of it? If you want sport, try TKD or Karate for striking and judo or brazilian jiu-jitsu for grappling. Those have lots of competitions.

 

If you try one and you really like it, you will probably ended trying out other disciplines so don't get too worried about which is the right one for your family.

[Hannah C.]

I have done judo, a little bit of aikido, and a very small amount of Heike-Ryu jiu-jitsu.

 

Jiu-jitsu includes punches, kicks, chokes, joint locks, and is not technically a sport as far as I know. It's more of self-defense.

 

Judo developed from jiu-jitsu. It is an Olympic sport. There are no punches or kicks. There are weight classes for competing. Kids do throws and matwork. The way matches work is, you try and throw each other by shifting the person's body weight so that it works against them. Once a person is down, you then try and pin them. If you hold a pin for 30 seconds or the person taps out (the safety - if you have trouble breathing or you're in pain, you tap out and the other person lets you go!!), then you win the match. Or, your throw can be so good that it earns you a whole point, and the match is over then. Adults also do chokes and joint locks (I think they are actually called arm and leg bars..but I can't quite remember) and I think they are allowed in competition.

 

Another thing I love about judo is that black belts are *NOT* earned by kids and they are not earned quickly. Judo has skill levels. Kid and adult levels are the same, but kids get more colorful belts and go slower. You have to be a certain age to even have a brown belt. It is difficult to acquire a brown belt, and even more difficult to get a black belt. At the higher levels, promotion is mostly about dedication to and time spent in the sport. The highest two belts are red, and only very old men (or women, but I haven't heard of any women who have reached this level) who have been in the sport for years receive them. Only 15 people in the history of the sport have been awarded the highest ranking, which is 10th.

 

Aikido is like judo, but much gentler. You don't wrestle at all. You don't use force. You just direct the other person's force to use it against them. It is not a sport.

 

All three of these martial arts spend a lot of time on how to fall properly. As a child doing judo, we spent almost as much time practicing falling as we did actually practicing judo!! Being able to fall properly is extremely important, especially in judo and jiu jitsu, because if you can't fall properly you can be hurt very easily. The key is actually slapping the ground with your arm when you fall..it absorbs the force and you don't get hurt. The bad thing to do is reach out with your hand to break your fall..you can end up with a dislocated elbow.

[wulfbourne]

Really, the distinctions don't matter as much as the studio. Some are belt mills and some are fabulous. Most are kind of a joke.

 

There are two basic kinds martial, those that primarily striking and those that are primarily grappling. But what do you want to get out of it? If you want sport, try TKD or Karate for striking and judo or brazilian jiu-jitsu for grappling. Those have lots of competitions.

 

If you try one and you really like it, you will probably ended trying out other disciplines so don't get too worried about which is the right one for your family.

 

This. I take Tien Shan Pai style Kung Fu. The school I go to is run by THE grandmaster.

 

http://www.uskuoshuacademy.com/Instructors.aspx

 

It is very far from a belt factory and very much about preserving and continuing the style. There are usually a lot of white and orange belts at any given time, but by the time you get above that you've weeded out those who were just checking it out and who's serious.

 

I'd say pick several styles to investigate and visit the schools. Talk to students and get a feel for the atmosphere. That's what will make the learning experience. I'm partial to Chinese martial arts personally, but it's a personal preference.

[Ritsumei]

My husband and I study Bujinkan Taijutsu, which we love. I also studied Tae Kwon Do for a while.

 

Couple of things come to mind:

 

*Folks are right, who the teacher is, and what their philosophy is, is very important. There are some instructors in our art, relatively close by, that I would NEVER go to because I think their philosophy is... off. Talk to the sensei about what's important in the art, about the things they hope their students will achieve, about what they do when a student isn't "measuring up."

 

*Broadly speaking, many martial arts can be divided into -do and -jutsu types. Typically, the -do's (Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Judo) are more sport-like. More emphasis on things like competitions. The -jutsu's tend to be more combat-oriented, that is, more serious about the personal defense elements, and less into the competition/sporting event angles. It's not really a hard & fast thing, and I'm not saying that one or the other is strictly a sport or only for defense, so please don't yell at me! I'm just pointing out a Japanese linguistic thing that still mostly holds true in my husband & I's observation. So what style you choose would also be influenced by what your goals are for doing it: do you want to be a better athlete? Are you really into medals & competitions? You might be better served by a -do. On the other hand, if you're trying to equip your teen for dealing with a possible assailant, you may wish to look first at a -jutsu.

[KarenNC]

*Broadly speaking, many martial arts can be divided into -do and -jutsu types. Typically, the -do's (Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Judo) are more sport-like. More emphasis on things like competitions. The -jutsu's tend to be more combat-oriented, that is, more serious about the personal defense elements, and less into the competition/sporting event angles. It's not really a hard & fast thing, and I'm not saying that one or the other is strictly a sport or only for defense, so please don't yell at me! I'm just pointing out a Japanese linguistic thing that still mostly holds true in my husband & I's observation. So what style you choose would also be influenced by what your goals are for doing it: do you want to be a better athlete? Are you really into medals & competitions? You might be better served by a -do. On the other hand, if you're trying to equip your teen for dealing with a possible assailant, you may wish to look first at a -jutsu.

 

Well, I would have to say that, in our experience, anyone who went into aikido expecting medals and competitions would be pretty severely disappointed.;)

[samba]

My kids do Shaolin Kung Fu, a Chinese marial arts. They learn kick, punches, blocks. They learn forms (katas), use a staff and broad sword for weapons (training weapons... not real), learn to spar (fight) and wear protective gear. They also learn grappling and self defensive moves. Kung Fu is more of a "stand up and defend" martial arts. All I know is that my Dd (studies Kung Fu) competes in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do tournaments and she often earns 1st place. Me.. I can't tell the difference. LOL.

 

My dd has been studying Shaolin Kung Fu for 2 yrs. Her instructor is a highly regarded master and a Christian. He emphasizes self-defense and self-control in his classes. I don't know anything about martial arts...but I like what I see in his classes.

[JudoMom]

I have done judo, a little bit of aikido, and a very small amount of Heike-Ryu jiu-jitsu.

 

Jiu-jitsu includes punches, kicks, chokes, joint locks, and is not technically a sport as far as I know. It's more of self-defense.

 

Judo developed from jiu-jitsu. It is an Olympic sport. There are no punches or kicks. There are weight classes for competing. Kids do throws and matwork. The way matches work is, you try and throw each other by shifting the person's body weight so that it works against them. Once a person is down, you then try and pin them. If you hold a pin for 30 seconds or the person taps out (the safety - if you have trouble breathing or you're in pain, you tap out and the other person lets you go!!), then you win the match. Or, your throw can be so good that it earns you a whole point, and the match is over then. Adults also do chokes and joint locks (I think they are actually called arm and leg bars..but I can't quite remember) and I think they are allowed in competition.

 

Another thing I love about judo is that black belts are *NOT* earned by kids and they are not earned quickly. Judo has skill levels. Kid and adult levels are the same, but kids get more colorful belts and go slower. You have to be a certain age to even have a brown belt. It is difficult to acquire a brown belt, and even more difficult to get a black belt. At the higher levels, promotion is mostly about dedication to and time spent in the sport. The highest two belts are red, and only very old men (or women, but I haven't heard of any women who have reached this level) who have been in the sport for years receive them. Only 15 people in the history of the sport have been awarded the highest ranking, which is 10th.

 

Aikido is like judo, but much gentler. You don't wrestle at all. You don't use force. You just direct the other person's force to use it against them. It is not a sport.

 

All three of these martial arts spend a lot of time on how to fall properly. As a child doing judo, we spent almost as much time practicing falling as we did actually practicing judo!! Being able to fall properly is extremely important, especially in judo and jiu jitsu, because if you can't fall properly you can be hurt very easily. The key is actually slapping the ground with your arm when you fall..it absorbs the force and you don't get hurt. The bad thing to do is reach out with your hand to break your fall..you can end up with a dislocated elbow.

 

And learning how to fall comes in handy in everyday life LOL! My 4th son was walking on a 3 foot high wall and fell off onto the sidewalk. He did a side fall and got right back up and wasn't hurt. My middle son took a head-over-heals tumble down the stairs and didn't get hurt (he landed at the bottom with proper form). I slipped on ice in the driveway and did a back fall and didn't get hurt.

 

Only arm-locks are allowed in competition (no more leg-locks), and the competitor has to be 17. Chokes are allowed at 13+, but I think it's only orange belts and above.

[kiana]

And learning how to fall comes in handy in everyday life LOL! My 4th son was walking on a 3 foot high wall and fell off onto the sidewalk. He did a side fall and got right back up and wasn't hurt. My middle son took a head-over-heals tumble down the stairs and didn't get hurt (he landed at the bottom with proper form). I slipped on ice in the driveway and did a back fall and didn't get hurt.

 

 

 

Hehe, yes, this is an awesome side benefit. I slipped on ice in the parking lot and did a back fall without getting hurt. A friend once was cut off by a car while riding his bike, hit the curb, went headfirst over the handlebars, and rolled out of it without being hurt.

[ScoutTN]

Thanks for all the input! Now I have more questions to ask as I look around and more specific things to looks for.