Hello, I am an 18 year old looking for a martial art that has applications in self-defense; I'm not interested in competition. Statistics- Height: 6'3" Weight: 180 I just finished up football as a defensive end so impact is not a deterrent. I lift weights 4 times a week and do cardio twice a week. Despite my weight my build is lean, but I have a large frame. Using this could anyone suggest a martial art that would use my size and shape to an advantage, Thanks.
Size and strength are an advantage in any art. For self defence I'd suggest boxing and/or judo. But it really depends what schools you have near you, I've been to excellent kung fu classes and pretty awful boxing classes. The teacher is as important as the art. That isn't the norm though, combat sports classes are of a higher standard on average.
It depends on what you want out of the art. No one art does absolutely everything. Do you want to compete in full-contact unarmed fighting? Do you want to learn to use weaponry? Are mostly interested in Self-Defence or getting fit? Do you want to learn an older system with lots of history? Those are all questions you should ask yourself and then let us know. Size and strength are ALWAYS an advantage. Study any martial art and you'll likely find out what your strengths and weaknesses are. However, in the end it usually comes down to the teacher. Many martial arts have a lot of techniques in common. The human body is the same no matter where you go, after all. For a good base in MA in general, wrestling is always a good bet and the instruction will usually be good. Best regards, -Mark
Just about any martial art will work for you, physically. What styles are available in your area? Your best bet is to look up the different schools around you and the arts they teach, then go in and watch a class or two at each school and make your decision at that point. We can't tell you what art you should study because it's a very personal decision--your physical build has very little to do with what art you should learn. As for self-defense, any martial art worth being called a martial art has self-defense applications, but some may be more abstract than others. Again this comes back to watching the classes and studying the styles around you.
Defensive end? Nothing like a forearm rip to put a guy flat on his back. I ran into a few of those in my time as a running back and there is no better weapon. You are halfway there already. But seriously, a guy your size, and your reach, boxing is a natural, or maybe kick boxing. You want to develop some seriously fast hands, I recommend Kenpo. Welcome here #79.
