Quick martial arts question?

1. Agreed, you're never too old to start. I didn't start getting serious about martial arts until I was 23 and I didn't start MMA until I was past 30. It's about heart, dedication, and work ethic.

2. Do your homework when looking for a gym. With the explosion in popularity of MMA, there are a lot of clowns out there trying to make some money by starting an "MMA" program at their gym. A quick search of YouTube and you'll find a bunch of fools with "black belts" teaching roomfuls of people when -- to anyone with some genuine training and experience -- they clearly don't know what they're talking about. Anyone can talk a good game. Look for a teacher who is certified by a reputable, national organization (USA Boxing, U.S. Judo Assoc, etc). Combat sports are dangerous -- even if you're just training and don't plan to compete. A good coach will not only be able to teach you proper techniques and conditioning, but will know how to keep you safe in training.

3. Belts: It depends on the art, the teacher, and the organization. You can pay a lot of money to some clown who will give you a certificate and a black cotton belt after only a couple of years of hanging out at his gym. So what. Your belt only means something when it has a lineage. A good example from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is, of course, the Gracie family. The Gracies have a long history (they invented the art afterall) and a reputation to uphold -- there are no easy Gracie black belts. A great example from personal experience: there is a guy at my gym who is a blue belt in 10pjj (my coach is a brown belt in 10pjj under Eddie Bravo and a 4th dan in judo) who consistently destroys purple and brown belts in competition. His blue belt took YEARS of effort, skill, and dedication. So is he *just* a blue belt? The point is that the lineage is what gives a belt any meaning, not the color.

You should also keep in mind what a black belt is supposed to signify (and I am speaking from the Japanese traditions here; e.g. Judo, karate, aikido, etc). The black belt signifies mastery of the FUNDAMENTALS. It does not signify mastery of the art. The kyu ranks below black belt identify one as essentially in "pre-school". You are learning the basic movements and techniques required to begin really learning the art. Attaining a black belt means you have learned all of the basic movements and techniques and are now ready to being really learning the art. A first-degree black belt is in first grade; he is not a master.

In general (and again, it depends very much on the art, the instructor, and the organization), it should take you about 5 years of serious, dedicated effort to earn a black belt. That means your butt is in class all the time, you LISTEN well, and you apply what you've been taught. A very talented individual can earn their belt faster while some of us just plain have to work harder for longer to achieve the same result. BJ Penn was the fastest American ever to earn a black belt in BJJ and it took him 3 years. Frank Mir had been training BJJ for 5 years and recieved his black belt after snapping Tim Sylvia's forearm.

I could be completely wrong, but I'm just going to take a wild guess and say you're only want to join so that you can earn a black belt.

If that's not the case, then my mistake, I apologize but that's honestly what it seems like. If that's the case, don't even bother joining a club.

If you're actually interested for the right reasons then no, 14 is not too old to start, you can start at any age. There any many forms of martial arts out there and no one can tell you which is the best for you. Read up on the different types and look into the clubs around you. Personally, I would suggest karate just because it was what I first started with and I really enjoy it. But again, you'll just have to look around until you find something you like.

The time required to earn a black belt varies depending on what style of martial arts you're doing, whether or not you attend a "Mcdojo" and how much time and effort you're willing to put in. Don't worry about belts though, that's really not what martial arts is about.

You are headed in the right direction, keep following what you know in your head and heart. If you're into something you will go to class and become good at whatever you train in. My first exposure to Combat Arts was as a kid in pre-army training, before that all I did was wrestle, a martial art, yes, a Combat Art, no. As far as gun and knife defenses, the closer the person is to you, the better the chance you have, it's the speed of the trigger finger, not the bullet you have to worry about. If the attacker hesitates to shoot, it means they want something. We always joke around that if you hear the gun fire you are OK, if you don't well, the world keeps turning. If a person wants you dead from even 1 meter away, you are dead, a person gets up close with a gun, the person wants other things. In knife defenses, realize that the difference may between getting little cuts, or fatal wound, this is reality.

There's a guy that started Boxing at 25 and became a world light weight Boxing champion at 30 years old. There's also a guy that started Muay Thai at 16 and became a professional at 18 and became a champion in one of the world's biggest kickboxing tournament at 21. You're neither too young or too old to start martial arts. There's no such thing as the right age unless you want a longer career as a professional then around your age might be just right.

You're never too old to start, in fact 14 is a great age to start because you have a better attention span than a child would. You've also had some time to learn your own body (it's limitations and it's strengths). As far as which style you should take, that all depends on what you are looking to take away from the experience. Normally it's anywhere from four to six years for a black belt.

... your question makes me feel old...

I started at 18 and keeping at it. if you start at 10ish you are not really learning, but going through motions, you are at the perfect age to start seriously.

I would suggest which ever martial art dojo you like. I'm not talking about the style but the teacher and the students of the place you will train.

Depending on what martial art you choose there might not even be a belt. and black belt just means you mastered the basics, and it should not be your goal.

you are never too old, my oldest student started when she was in her 60's

most people will tell you there style is the best or they heard such and such is a great style,

the style is not important, what matters is how good your instructor is and how you train. the style is secondary, they all have there pro's and con's there are no superior styles.

also you height, weight and age doesnt matter in choosing a style.

the time frame for a black belt will vary, depending on the school and organization you choose.

a black belt only means you have an understanding of the basics, and you are now ready to begin your training. it doesn't mean any more then that, being a black belt will not make you the greatest fighter, its not the belt that makes the person but the person that makes the belt.

it takes decades to learn a style and a life time to master it.

Actually you're never too old to learn something new, plus you're only 14 man! Back when i tested for my 1st degree blk blt, there were like people in their 50's who tested along with me!

Next i would suggest something like Muay Thai, Brazillian Jujitsu or something like MMA cuz its more realistic and it's something you would really defend against out in the streets. I take TKD but tkd is the MOST expensive type of martial arts (money wise) but if you're interested in it, research for a school around your area and WATCH how they teach.

Getting your blk blt depends on the school, some vary from 4-8 years. But belts don't matter bro, I'm only a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, but I've been doing this since i was 6 years old. I just concentrate more on technicality and what to do in certain situations and I'm trying to incorporate MMA in my style plus tricking.

So go out there and have fun searching. watch the school teach and choose one that seems appropriate for you

You're never too old to start.

Visit a bunch of schools in your area. PIck the one you like that has a convenient class schedule and reasonable prices. Style is not as important as you being able to attend classes and being motivated to learn.

It takes approximately 2 weeks to get a black belt. They're about $15 and you can buy them from a variety of on-line outlets. If you want to EARN your black belt then start by not worrying about earning your black belt. Just go to class, work hard, learn all you can, and don't get discouraged. The belts will come in their own sweet time.

1. Never too old to start

2. Depends on what you're looking for, but joining your high school wrestling team is a great choice to make.

3. Belts are overrated.