This has been an ongoing debate since the beginning of the UFC. It’s also been an ongoing debate since the dawn of martial arts, which one is better? My answer: “it depends on what you’re looking for.” We live in an age where we have so much access to content online and choice of martial arts schools close to where we live, so it’s no wonder people are confused about what to do and which is better. Some advice I have would be to think about your specific training goals.
For example, you might want to become a career fighter and train in an art where you could make a good living (be warned, top prize fighting money is reserved for the very elite). Another example is someone looking specifically for street self defence training. Many martial arts have elements of self defence but not all are applicable for the street unless they are trained that way. You could also be wanting to do a martial art with your family as an extracurricular activity to keep fit and spend time together. In this case, learning how to kill or damage people on the street in self defence may not be part of what you are hoping to achieve.
Be specific about what you want to achieve and research schools near you. Be aware that your specific training goals may change over time and that’s ok. Once you have narrowed down what you are looking for, go meet some instructors, visit some dojos and see if you gel with the instructor’s style and the class. Try them out—but not just one class. Commit to some training and see if it’s for you. Everyone is different so enjoy the journey and find what is best for you.
