From Diana Davila,
Your Guide to Martial Arts.
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The first thing to do when considering taking a martial arts class is to determine what you hope to gain from martial arts training. Everyone has a reason for their interest in the martial arts, and it's important to know your options and goals so that you can really get the most out of your training and have a postive experience. Below are some common reasons for studying the martial arts and some examples of styles that fit those reasons.

Fitness/Fun Related Interests

The most common reason for training that I hear is that people want to have fun and get in better physical condition, whether that is losing weight, getting stronger or just getting more active. Martial arts is a great way to get in shape and can be really fun to learn. It will improve endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, coordination, balance and helps with overall stress levels. While all martial arts training involves some amount of physical training, these styles are great to try for overall physical fitness:

• Tae Kwon Do
• Brazilian Ju Jitsu and other Grappling Arts
• Capoeira
• Non-traditional martial arts schools that feature fitness as a large part of their overall direction.

Self Defense

The second most common reason for studying martial arts is self defense; a very valid and important reason for learning. The following arts certainly aren't the only ones who teach self defense, but they are known to have self defense as their main focus:

• Hapkido
• Krav Maga
• Various non-traditional systems which are organized solely around self defense, often specializing in either law enforcement training or women's self defense. Many of these programs are offered by martial arts schools in addition to their core curriculum.

Interest In Traditional or Cultural Arts

Many people take great interest in the cultural or traditional aspects of martial arts training. They enjoy the discipline, traditions and methods of very traditional arts. A traditional style will features very structured training, and many people love that aspect as well. There are many traditional martial arts styles out there. Contact the classes and schools in your area to learn what is available to you.

• Shaolin Kung Fu
• Shotokan Karate
• Kuk Sool Won
• Iado
• Wing Chun
• Bujinkan

Full Contact/Combat Sports/MMA

With the success of such promotions as UFC, Pride and K1, there has been a surge of interest in training of this nature. The following arts have a full contact or combat sport focus and many times aren't traditional asian arts, but rather a mixture of multiple styles.

• San Shou
• Muay Thai
• Schools that focus on "mma" or mixed martial arts. These schools teach a combination of grappling/ground fighting such as Brazilian Ju Jitsu or catch wrestling, stand up fighting like boxing or kickboxing, and throws and submissions.

Sport, Tricks & Competition or "Xtreme" Martial Arts

Thanks to an increased presence in movies and television, a rapidly growing reason for training is for the flashy and acrobatic "Xtreme" martial arts, which combines martial basics with difficult jump kicks, flips and speedy hand combinations, done primarily for competitions. Schools that have a sport focus usually teach either a traditional or modified version of a traditional art, and simply have more of a sport focus than other schools. While competition is probably not the main feature of these schools, it can be a large part of what they do. Sport or Competition schools will teach things like traditional and creative forms or katas, gymnastics or trick martial arts techniques as well as light to medium contact sparring. Some styles where you will see this focus include:

• Tae Kwon Do
• Many otherwise traditional schools, most commonly Karate schools.
• A new breed of schools created specifically for teaching sport martial arts, run mostly by current or former champions. Hard to find, but they are certainly out there.

Once you know what you want to get out of your training and your goals are clearly defined, it will be much easier to pick a style and a school. You won't be so overwhelmed by the variety of martial arts schools available, and you will make the choice that you will be happiest with in the long run.