Taekwondo, shotokan karate or shaolin kung fu?
I want to learn some self defense and have the options of taking any of these in my area. I understand that it depends on the teacher etc, but everything being equal which is best for self defense in a real life situation? Im nearly 24 years of age and around 5 10" and 175 pounds am i too old for these traditional martial arts? I have no previous experience. Thanks in advance
That is a great question and the age thing is a valuable concern. Lets deal with the age thing first. 24 is a great age, you are still getting stronger, and you'll notice that your 28 year old self will be even stronger. Drawbacks, flexibility. Your leg muscles (quads and hamsprings) are now bigger and more fiber-full. So make sure you use a strong flexibility routine (right joint warm up, good muscle warm up, safe stretching). Now, all the styles you mention are great...really. But Taekwondo has an advantage over the others...availability. TKD is an olympic sport, there are more dvd's, equipment, dojangs, people with experience, etc. Plus if you eventually decide to dedicate your life to it, there are more tournaments to enter...you could even shoot for the olympics.
I would recommend TKD on availability alone. My recommendation is not biased by style itself.
PS
I practice Hapkido and used to practice Shotokan Karate.
Shaolin Traditional Basic Kicks Shifu Yan Lei UK Temple
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£59.90
