Distinctive forms

The names can be confusing.

Karate. Judo. Jujitsu. Aikido. Hapkido. Kung Fu. Muay Tai. Tae kwon do. Jeet kune do. T’ai chi ch’uan.

All are various forms of martial arts and each has its own distinction. Karate, for example, is considered a hard form; kung fu more fluid. Tae kwon do, a Korean form that features fast, high, spinning kicks, and judo, a system of throwing techniques born in feudal Japan, are Olympic sports.

Specific martial arts can be identified with their teachers and practitioners.

Karate, for example, is forever linked to teacher Ed Parker and students like Chuck Norris.

Kung Fu and related styles wing chun and Jeet kune do are all styles tied to the late Bruce Lee. Wing chun kung fu is a form noted for its trapping, “sticky hands” techniques while jeet kune do is a mixed style developed by Lee himself.

So, with all the varied forms and disciplines under the general canopy of martial arts, how do you choose? Especially when you’re choosing a martial art for your child to study?

The current trend is away from individual disciplines, area instructor Loren Broyles explained.

“The trend is toward more of a mixed martial arts approach,” the instructor at Elite Martial Arts said. “The popularity of mixed martial arts competitions have shown that it’s a good thing to take a more balanced approach. You can take things from the varied forms and use them together.”

“I think Bruce Lee helped to popularize it, but I think the mixed style goes back a lot further than that,” said Chris Knight, who runs Spirit Martial Arts. “Really, there’s nothing new under the sun. In a lot of ways, it goes all the way back to the Bible.”

Alanna Rohner, the director of tae kwon do at Defense Arts Academy, feels the style you study in the beginning is less important than getting a solid introduction to the basics.

“It really doesn’t matter where you start,” she explained. “In a lot of ways, the fundamental basics are the same for all of the various forms. You can always go on later and study one particular discipline if you want. As you learn more about the different styles, you will find that some suit your individual abilities better than others.”

Whether you choose a specific discipline or a mixed approach, the important thing is to find a quality instructor.

“The most important thing that I would tell people is that, despite what you may see on the evening news, most people simply do not get attacked,” Knight said. “What you really need to learn is how to combat good and evil in your own life. You need to learn the discipline you will need to make good decisions in your own life. In a lot of ways, we all need the discipline of the warrior just to get out of bed in the morning.”

Learning that inner aspect of martial arts is just as important as learning how to punch and kick – perhaps even more so, each instructor stressed.

“That’s a big part of why you study the martial arts,” Broyles said. “That’s what you want your kids to learn.”

Most studios offer classes for youngsters, and the Valley schools start with children as young as 4 years old.

All three instructors stress the importance of parental involvement.

“I would recommend that a parent check out a class or two before they enroll their child,” Rohner said. “Watch how the instructor works with the kids. Watch how the instructors maintain discipline in class, because that’s important. When you lose control of the class, that’s when accidents can happen.”

“We start new students off with a couple of private instruction sessions with a parent there,” Broyles said. “Parents need to know and understand what their kids are being taught, especially if they are going to maintain the discipline taught in classes.”

Rohner said that, while she teaches children as young as 4, she recommends that youngsters start with a martial art a little later.

“I think a kid really needs to be 9 or 10 before they start,” she said. “I think they need to develop a little more physically, they need to develop more of an attention span and I think they need to be at a point where they can really understand the why of what they’re learning.”