Hmmm...I suppose it would really depend on your personality and your goals. You see, there are plenty of martial arts, but they each have a different goal in mind. What you could call the western arts (things like Savate, Krav maga, or even boxing) usually have an end goal of attacking and disabling an opponent in a dynamic environment, but are rather lacking in what you could call an 'inner focus.' Easter arts (Karate, Kung fu, Aikido, Vovinam) usually have a greater focus on regimented movements and inner focus, but this leads them to be a little less effective in a street fighting scenario where the only rule is to win.

That said...I will always and forever suggest taking up Hung Ga as a practice (It's a form of Kung fu). It is not an easy one, but it is rewarding when taken with a good instructor. It helps to build endurance, and depending on the particular school within that you might pick up it can be a rather dynamic style with multiple forms. Again, it won't mean you will always win against a determined opponent who will do anything and everything, but it can at least give you a way to shift from one form to another.

I will say this though, like anything you learn, the teacher matters greatly. An instructor's skill and dedication to their student can make or break the whole thing. Also, while I advocate for Eastern style martial arts, if you do take something more along the lines of a western martial art, that is perfectly fine too. You need to fine a fit that is right for you. Heck, you could do something like a standard self defense type course, and Taichi (which is wonderful for active meditation).

well since im more of a graceful mover and i seem to have limitless engery and i have a personal love of the eastern arts since they are the real ones western ones have never had much appeal to me for they are unhonorable and disgraceful and hung ga eh ill have to look around for that then and i thank you for the advice my friend

Any time ^^ And you are graceful and full of energy? Well, in that case I would go a little further with my suggestion *nods* If you do look into Hung Ga, I'd say look for someone that teaches Tiger-Crane Paired form. They always seemed to have more graceful movements in their style; fluid deflections with quick reprisals to targeted areas on the body (neck and sides mostly from practice, but that didn't mean solid body shots were out of the question).

It would also depend on your body shape as well. I'm more of a stocky build ( I believe they said I had an 'Endomorph' body type ) which lent itself better to slower, more powerful movements from the Five Form Fist. Also, Five form fist came with awesome animal names for the stances, so how could I say no to that?

well im stocky myself but my body type never seemed to hibit my movement but the five fist form does sound cool any more info im really soaking in your advice plus i seem to have a natural abilty to judge peoples weak spots and thier stregths with a glance i have a natural fighters spirit i never seem to be able to sit down i always have to be moving

Well, I would still say Tiger-crane might be good. It is much more movement based. of cooooooooourse, Five Form Fist has some of that too, depending on which you get taught/decide to learn. It sounds weird, but there are many many forms, not just five. Heck, some people call it Ten Form Fist and so forth, because...well, it is a lot of varied forms, some of which build on others, others of which are specifically counters.

If you've ever seen old Kung Fu movies you've probably seen the silly rivalry they do of "Crane vs Snake." Those are both forms in Five Form Fist, which are designed to counter the other. Snake relies on rapid strikes to weak spots, curving and weaving in through defenses and withdrawing rapidly. Crane involves sweeping, almost circular motions designed to deflect, capture, and counter strikes, while using leg work (various kicks) to deliver strikes that are harder to block and devastating when connecting. (Funny thing...I was never good with Crane, so my instructor had me adopt Bull instead, less high kicks in there but a lot more power delivered with each strike, and more focus on using the body to deflect/absorb blows...to this day it freaks some people out when they see I can take a full punch in the stomach and not double over, so long as I see the attack coming; remember being caught off guard is always a danger). Anyways, that's what I mean when I say some serve as counters, and vary widely in their style.

Other forms, such as Tiger and Leopard are very similar in practice. Tiger usually involves strong, graceful movements to push through defenses and deliver powerful strikes to the opponent. Leopard is much the same in this focus, but the movements are, surprisingly less graceful in practice. They use many of the same types of strikes (fist, elbows, short kicks), but Tiger employs them with more motion (to allow for blocking and deflecting attacks) where as Leopard is far more aggressive, sacrificing grace for increased striking power. They have similar stances, but how those stances and motions are used are what set them apart.

Then there is styles which are better described as "inner kung fu." These are more meditative (meditation isn't always about sitting and imagining nothingness after all) forms which you don't exactly see used in combat. I, personally, was taught Dragon (Lung) style. But there are others, like Phoenix (Fenghuang). They are more focused on learning about your body's motions, how you move, what it feels like as you sweep your leg or stretch out your hand, calming the mind and letting your feelings flow away so that you can think clearly and act decisively; you know, the more metaphysical aspects of martial arts.

Now, you might have noticed that I mentioned that Tiger and Crane are part of the Five Form Fist, here's the trick: While they are part of the styles, you give up learning as many movements if you take on the Five Forms. Five Form is about shifting to meet new conditions. If your opponent is more aggressive, you shift to be more defensive (Crane, Bull, or Rabbit styles). If they are more defensive, you shift to be more aggressive (Snake, Leopard, or Bear). Or, if they are somewhere in between, you adopt a stance which is more balanced (Tiger). All of that, though, comes at the price of being as skilled in any particular style. A Five Form Fist user can shift from one to the next easily, but they will not easily master a particular style, or they might favor one style to the detriment of the others. So, that's why I say Tiger-Crane paired might be good, if you look into it. It would let you focus on a set of styles which are well balanced over all (Crane is the more balanced in terms of Offensive and Defensive abilities of all the 'defensive' styles. Bull is more about absorbing attacks and learning to roll with the punches. Rabbit is more about dodging and moving out of the way, which means you can't exactly strike back easily. Crane is about deflect and strike.)

So, hopefully that is a bit better on info ^^ I have lots more in my tiny fox brain though, so I can always spout more. Of course, bear in mind that each instructor usually has their own take on what a style is meant for. In this day and age there is pretty much nothing that could be considered a "pure" Kung Fu style (heck, I've had people yell at me for calling it Kung Fu instead of Gung Fu); out side of some monasteries in China that is. So you might get different information. For example I know some instructors teach Tiger-Crane paired as Tiger being offensive and Crane being defensive, rather than them both being mostly balanced with a slight leaning towards attack or defense. I know other instructors who teach Five Form Fist using 'elemental' styles rather than animal styles. So really, its important to keep an open mind when going in to something like this, because as much as I can tell you, the reality you find might be just a bit different.

Of course, then you'd just have to roll with the punches ^^

thank you very much for the info ill settle with kung fu then but ill practice hung ga since it seems up my alleyway i like how your informative and yet explain in such a way where its easy to understand not many people can do such a thing thank you once again for sharing your vast knowledge with me it really helped me out

I like being informative ^^ And I like typing how I talk. (As horrifying as that might sound! Imagine that, a fox who talks as much as I do in real life!)

Like I said earlier, what is important is that you find a good fit for you. Not all martial arts are for everyone, some take to them better than others. Learning what is best for you is the most important part because if it doesn't suit you then you will find yourself looking forward to the class ending more than living in the moment of learning.

For example, if my instructor had absolutely insisted I learn Crane style, I would have hated it (my legs just don't work that way!) and probably gotten a lot less out of it all. But instead he observed and modified what I was learning; not something you find in a lot of instructors these days who are more interested in your check than they are your progress, no matter how skilled they might be.

When you find something you like, that's what you should go with *nods* It will mean you are more dedicated, happier, and much more open to learning. All of that really helps in making the movements stick, and trust me, when you find yourself practicing the motions outside of class, you will know you found the right art to practice.

So, you'll have to keep me updated on what you find. I'd love to be responsible for another disciple of Hung Ga walking around, but I wouldn't be disappointed in the least if you found yourself in something else! ^^

How about Mai-tai. (think i spelled it right) Using your opponents moves against them by throwing their own figuratively speaking "energy" back at them. Takes focus and patience if I recall properly.

Ah, Muay-Tai...my old nemesis. I kid, it is a very contact heavy style of fighting. You are right to a degree about it, though it is more about letting your opponent wear themselves out while you wear them down, from my experience. I've seen people take punches and just constantly roll their body to absorb the blow, then throw a punch with the opposite arm, using the roll to push it hard at the apex. It's Very effective at what it is for really, and a skilled practitioner can wipe the floor with most other people (I've seen a Karate Master laid flat out in under 2 minutes from this. Though, later I saw a Krav Maga fighter lay that very same Muay-tai fighter out. All styles can be overcome by others, after all; some are just better at it than others.)

I can imagine it takes a lot of focus and patience for it *nods* But, sadly, I am not as familiar with it as my old stand by of Hung Ga. Not saying it's bad or anything, goodness no, just I can't be an honest and informative advocate for most other styles of fighting. Even if I have seen a number of them thrown around over my time ^^; (goodness...that makes me feel old and I'm not even 30!)

Its fine...I don't have any chance of doing any of it. I am 26 and still stuck with living with my parents. We all have things we don't like.

Now now, don't be too concerned. I know how it is to be stuck with your parents. Heck I only escaped their grasp a couple of years ago. Times are tough, but the best part about life is that there is more of it in the forseeable future. You have a chance to do many things still ^^ No one single person's life is the way everyone's life is supposed to be. I'd never suggest my path to anyone else, for all the ups, there have been many more down sides which I would never wish upon anyone else.

Indeed we all have things we don't like, but it is learning to cope with those things which make us stronger. Without adversity we would never grow. Without sadness we would not appreciate joy. The trick is to learn to accept that which we don't like, and move towards something we do *nodnods*

True.

Alex I know you can find one you can do. I have faith in you.

Well personally if you want all around the clock protection proficiency with a handgun and some mixed self defense training works wonders in america. Even if you are the best martial artist in the world you can rarely stop a crook with a weapon, so if you are from america join the 48 percent and get a gun that won't fail you. :P

I'm not saying doing martial arts is stupid or bullshit, but its not going to win out every situation!

I'm going to expand a little on snakehead404's suggestion. Martial arts can be useful but in a street fight, it can be difficult to adapt the various styles to a situation like that (it also depends on the teacher) and if you seriously injure someone or even kill them, the consequences will be the same if you had used a weapon like a gun (we'll get into the gun bit in just a moment). Also any martial arts instructor worth their salt will tell you that if you can avoid violence, whether by running or hiding, then do so but if it's between you or yours getting hurt or the assailant, then do what you have to.

Now if you live in the U.S., getting a handgun and a concealed carry license is a viable option depending on the following things: 1) Which state do you live in? Some states have much more lenient laws than others. 2) How old are you? Most states require that you be 21 years or older to be able to purchase a handgun. 3) Do you have any felony convictions? If this is an issue then you can't purchase a handgun in most states (I think there's one or two that have no background check requirements but that's bound to change), and if you hurt somebody even in self-defense, your record can hurt your case.

There is one thing I can't stress enough though: Become aware of the laws where you live and research them thoroughly. So many different places have so many different phrases and rulings that doing things one way in one location that is legal might be very illegal in another area. You do have a right to protect yourself and those you care about, but it's not something to be taken lightly.