considering martial arts

[bigman]

I am considering martial arts for two reason to make my selfestem better and for a good healthy way to lose weight.
Is there one type of martial arts that centers its self around dogeing and weapons staff perferd.

[zun]

Pole Vault? :)

Go for Aikido. It teaches Bo (staff) after you've gained proficiency in dodging

[YODA]

Go for something that tests it's material against fully resisting opponents - Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ, MMA - that way the self esteem you gain will be based on reality rather than a false sense of security.

[kerling]

you just described akido in a sense so go check it out.

[bigman]

i have started the look for a dojo and looked up on the ediquit while in the dojo. but i will have to get 187 for the first mounth and that will take me some time like two mounths but after that i will hope to start classes here in houston

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Woah, wait a second. Is that $187 for the first month? You might want to look for another dojo.

[bigman]

but i provides a wood sword, books, bo and every thing else to start off and after that it is like 65 dollers

[LilBunnyRabbit]

Ah, okay, didn't know that was including equipment. You still might want to shop around though, its always worth getting other prices.

[Saz]

Originally posted by bigman
but i provides a wood sword, books, bo and every thing else to start off and after that it is like 65 dollers

Thats fine, but what if you decide after a few months you don't like it?

[Starboy]

Originally posted by bigman
i have started the look for a dojo and looked up on the ediquit while in the dojo. but i will have to get 187 for the first mounth and that will take me some time like two mounths but after that i will hope to start classes here in houston

Just curious, how many classes a week is that? I pay about $100 a month for 3 classes a week and it's a quality school. 187 seems really steep, even if equipment is included. However, as a beginner, there really should be no equipment. A school should not be giving you weapons (even practice weapons) right from the start, and I've never heard of a school using a textbook.

As for a style recommendation, I'd support Aikido too. Just so you know though, I'm not a practicioner. So it's not like I'm one of those people who think my style is the ultimate best thing ever and all other styles suck. I don't really even like Japanese MA in general (I do various Chinese styles), but I do respect the Aikido style. It's something I would like to learn myself in the future. For your needs, I think it would be pretty good. It will help with conditioning and (like most MA) will help with confidence.

My last piece of advice is to avoid franchise schools. The quality of instruction is generally lower. There is this idea that the dedicated students should be loyal to one school. The same should be expected of a sifu (or sensei). Definitely shop around. Visit -every- school in your area if you can, even the bad ones. It will help you understand why a good school is good and why a bad school is bad. Be careful of instructors who let their students teach the class. These places are succeptible to McDojo syndrome. Also, sit in on classes. If they won't let you, pass them by. After my last move, when I was shopping around for a new school, one place that I visited said I had to make an appointment to observe a class. Their excuse was that they had equipment stolen, but it was a really obvious lie. Later I found that the school had a bad reputation for not having instructors with any skill. Lastly, if you get a bad feeling about a place, give it a pass as well.

I hope it all works out for you.