Whoa, I would stay off advice like that. You need to know how to kick and punch properly. Half the people I taught THOUGHT that they know how to hold a fist, but most DON'T. If they punch with those "FIST", they will end up losing all fingers

THOUGH, it is true that once you learn the basic, you can practice yourself and master certain technique. Martial art is an exercise AND a sport, but an exercise that empower you to defend yourself. The art of "Fighting" is about mastering the basic technique and combine them together, while applying a strategy to it....

DO GET YOURSELF A QUALIFIED TRAINER IF YOU WANT TO TRAIN IN MARTIAL ART.

What martial art to take, thats a personal prefernce, and depend on what you want to do. Your size, speed and power is all relevant, so you have to take these into consideration.

What my meaning was was that while it's true that you can teach yourself how to fight. You want to have a master or a sensei or a trainer or whatever.

I think that we where saying the same thing just in different ways. Maby I should have explained my point differently.

I practice no martial arts sports.
However, if I were to choose to learn one, it would be either Muay Thai or Kyokushin Karate. I have great respect for both.

@MissMisa

TalnSG is right. Don't let your peers effect your decision to learn a martial art. It's a commitment; important, life-changing knowledge. Anyone who considers martial arts as a joke simply doesn't understand it.

I'm sure there is at least a few people in your area that practice some form of martial art. And if they can do it... You can do it.

You have our support.

MissMisa, have you considered starting with something simple while you search for a good teacher? Though my discpline is lacking and I don't practice nearly enough, I have a good video lesson for Tai Chi exercises and there are even better ones out now on CD. If you have that and a full length mirror you you can begin learning the set of movements on your own until you find a teacher. Then you will probably need some corrrection, but you'll be closer to your goal.

Both extremely deadly art :) Good choice, the interesting thing is that, with both Muay Thai and Kyokushin, because its heavily emphasize on "true combat", they really know how to train you. Its easy to start and pickup, but very very difficult to master.

Kyokushi was originated from Koryu (I think MOST or ALL Karate is from Koryu), but they don't do too much of the meditation or the forms.....

The other one is Shoto Ryu which have a lot of kicks that resembles Muay Thai kicks.....

I'm Training to be a Muay Thai boxer, it's difficult, but exetremely rewarding.

MMA is un-challenging? Its either you are really gifted/talented or your teacher is not teaching you anything

Nooooo!!!! Bajiquan! Bajiquan!! >.< It feels so gooooooooooooood.