If you're interested in studying a martial art , the best advice anyone could offer is to look around. Take the time to clearly decide what your priorities/goals are . Spending time now establishing your goals may save years of wasted effort when you later realise that not all systems are equally effective.
Make sure you know what you want and understand what you're getting into.
If you're interested in an all knowing, God like teacher surrounded by adoring devotees who think every word the teacher utters is gospel, then a teacher who treats his students with respect, and where there is a mutual appreciation of each other's intelligence, won't interest you. In Martial Arts , as in life, there are people who know a lot of recipes and those who know how to cook! Depending on the teacher, the student may get an endless catalogue of sets and techniques requiring years of study, a fantastic memory and a lot of money. Then the student may get cocky, start a fight, and get trashed because all they know are techniques , not fundamental strategies.
If you're wanting to learn a martial art for self-defence , it's most important to get a strong foundation of fundamental movements. Learning five techniques and their skilful application is infinitely better than knowing fifty techniques with no skill application at all.
All techniques have the potential to work , whether they are a Tae Kwon Do spinning kick , a Judo throw , a Karate punch or a Kung Fu block. Every art has it's strength's and weaknesses , with differing ranges of effectiveness. What determines the success or failure of any technique is it's appropriateness ; it's actual application. Effectiveness usually requires correct timing and distance, and an understanding of the relationship between the respective fighters. For example ,Jujitsu Judo and Chin-Na are the arts where grappling is studied yet at kicking range the practitioner of Judo could have a hard time, until that is , they manage to grab the foot of the kicker.
Then, it's a whole different story…
