Alright I see this topic come up all the time on not only the internet but in debates between schools; what is the best style? What is the strongest/fastest attack or even the most effective? There is alot of opinion and bias in these debates however and since everyone loves thier own style then how does someone with no experience choose? Well guys here is the stone cold truth that might offend some of u fanatics out there but here it is...... no style is superior. Now you might be sitting down at your computer reading this and be like what the hell is this guy talking about? Okay I'll say it again, there is no ultimate style. To even suggest such a thing is being stubborn and having a closed mind. " Necessity is the mother of invention" so therefore every art or object created has a specific purpose to fullfill and the martial arts are no different. Sure some martial arts may have different training focuses but they were created with protecting the life of the practitioner in mind. Therefore because each style was designed for that purpose the only thing that will dictate your effectiveness in combat is your own ability. Seeing now that you are not choosing your first style based off of the bias and opinions of others you still have to make this decision of where to start. Here are a few things to consider then : What is the purpose of learning the martial arts? For self defense? Sport? Fitness? What if any natural attraction do I have to a fighting method? Grappling? Striking? Both? Lastly what is available to me in the immediate area?
There are many striking and grappling arts to choose from so if you want to learn from a specific art then it will depend on the availability in your region. I will however say that no matter what you choose that you should focus on one art at the begining until you build a stable base of knowlege before learning from another art. A house built on a poor foundation is doomed to fall so no matter where you end up in your martial arts training remember that training your foundation is paramount to success. Each technique you learn has a purpose no matter how small it may seem at first. Think of each technique you learn as a tool, each tool may be different but they have a specific task. Equal in its own right.
Lastly one more point. With mixed martial arts being as popular as it is today there are many purists pushed to the side because they are not mixed style practitioners. While having more than one school of thought or style is beneficial do not underestimate a devoute practitioner in one art.
" Do not fear the man who knows 1000 kicks and practices them once, but the man who knows 1 kick and practices it 1000 times "
