Martial arts schools typically offer programs in several traditional martial art forms. Some of the most common art forms offered at traditional martial art schools include karate, taekwondo and judo. Every school is led by a number of instructors who are experts in one or more of the martial arts that the school offers. When choosing a martial arts school, determine if they have the type of discipline you wish to train in, and review the instructor's credentials.
Traditional Marital Arts
Traditional marital arts differentiate themselves from sport and tournament-oriented martial art styles by not placing the emphasis of their training on winning competitions or tournaments. Instruction for traditional marital arts focus on every aspect of self defense, including blocking, striking and kicking. Sport-oriented styles mainly focus on specific moves that score points in competition. This type of instruction may overlook some of the fundamentals that traditional martial arts schools, or ryu in Japanese, stress.
Karate
Karate is perhaps one of the most common martial art forms that people train in. There are many schools that teach karate exclusively. Karate has several styles, including goju-ryu, shotokan, wado-ryu, shito-ryu and kenpo. Gojo-ryu is a traditional martial art form and one of four karate styles that originated in Okinawa, Japan. Gojo-ryu incorporates various foot and hand techniques, combined with hard and soft circular and linear movements. Creating a harmonious balance between body and mind is the primary objective of the gojo-ryu karate discipline.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a 5,000-year-old Korean martial art form that teaches more than physical fighting skills. The objective of taekwondo is training the body and mind to be able to control the fighting impulse and encourage peace. The word taekwondo is actually three words, with "tae" meaning "foot," "leg" or "to step on," "kwon" meaning "fist" or "fight," and "do" meaning "way" or "discipline." The word itself represents the martial art form's ultimate goal, which is to "put fists under control," or "step on fists." Taekwondo, therefore, incorporates various dynamic and physically challenging foot and leg movements.
Judo
Judo is a refined form of the Japanese martial art jujutsu. The discipline was established in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kano, who studied the various techniques and movements of the many jujutsu styles and selected what he believed to be the best moves to create judo. This martial art form distinguishes itself from others with its well-known throwing maneuvers and floor wrestling techniques. Judo focuses on developing balance, body control, reflexes and the mind to make fast decisions.
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