For those of you who have studied multiple martial arts, Which do you prefer and why?

I'm thinking of getting started in martial arts. I will probably train 2-3 days a week and am looking for increased flexibility, improved strength, and practical use (self-defense.) I also want something that will challenge me physically (cardio). Something I could be effective with in 1-2 years or so. Not that I would stop at 2 years. I just don't want to study a martial art that looks good in the classroom but would not be effective outside of controled environments.

For those of you who have studied multiple martial arts, Which do you prefer and why?
I always suggest Tae Kwon Do because it is by far my favorite. I take class three times a week. I have learned self-defense and have improved in strength and all that. If you train hard then you can get your black belt in about 2 1/2 years. I believe that it is effective outside of the school too, but (you know) I have never had to use it outside of the school.





suggest TKD also because I think that it is fun. :)
Reply:accorind to your last sentence, you should study san soo kung fu, or wing chun, or jkd. Most of the arts that spend alot of time on flexibily or not effecitve arts on the streets. Just my opinion.





Edit: Jake C are the kind of people in this forum who dont know **** about MA and just say some crap like this..
Reply:I prefer your mom because she is easy...
Reply:I have studied several arts over the years and firmly believe that this is not something others can answer for you. Take your time, try out some free classes, and tell the instructors what you are looking for.





A good school will allow you to take free classes, and does not require a long term contract. If you are interested in self-defense, avoid schools that talk about and display bunches of tournament trophys.





With that in mind, I personally prefer and recommend Japanese Jujutsu or Aikijujutsu. This is an old art, purely for self defense and not sport. It is based on knowledge and technique, not strength and power. It is well rounded involving striking, throwing, joint controls, and some grappling. The core principle is that you must be mentally flexible in order to apply what you learn in a variety of situations as best suits you as an individual.
Reply:If you don't just want to look good in class, go into sport style such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, Sambo, etc... That way you will know if you're actually learning something or just wasting your time dancing around in the class.
Reply:for cardio and flexibility - taekwondo


practcal use - muay thai or wing chun or Shaolin {try judo}





advice: join a school that teaches the art with passion and etc... and not one that boasts about their trophies and how good they and their students are %26amp; that kinda stuff and.
Reply:SpiritWolf's answer is very good and correct, no one can answer for you.





I've taken Korean Judo (a little more violent then traditional Judo) and Shaolin Kempo (a mix of Kempo Karate and Shaolin Chuan Fa). I prefer my Shaolin Kempo as it's fairly practical against a single attacker or against multiples, where Judo was better against a single attacker it would not work against two or more. Wing Chun is a fine art and once you've trained a little in any art you can take Jeet Kun Do if it's available in your area. JKD is one of my favorites but requires a little previous training.
Reply:All martial arts have something to offer, but for practical self defense training Krav Maga is one of your better options. My instructors have rigorous warm ups and conditioning drills to help build strength and cardio. The techniques are geared towards real life scenarios are rely on simple movements and strikes. There aren't any high flying kicks, or fancy show off techniques. The more advanced levels address multiple assailants and disarming attackers using knives, guns and blunt weapons (bats, clubs etc..). If there aren't any Krav maga facilities in your area Muay Thai kickboxing would be another good option. Their strikes are fast and effective, and Muay Thai fighters are know for their strength, conditioning and flexibility. The only down side would be that Muay Thai is a competition sport, and in the street there are no rules, rounds or referees.
Reply:If you wish to be effective you must compete. The other things you will get from most martial arts, but without competition you will never know if you can actually pull off the cool stuff you are learning.





If you don't care about effectiveness, then you'll get flexibility and strength from most MAs, also from weights and stretching, which are MUCH cheaper.
Reply:Out of all of the ones I have trained in, I prefer ninjutsu, even after 900 years it is still effective ( as long as it's one of the x-kans, bujinkan, toshindo, etc...). If you want effective stay away from Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido is good, anything of Kung Fu would good. The problem I have mainly with Tae Kwon Do are the high kicks, those things are dangerous.