[likkuid]

I started off Muay Thai for 3 months and quit. I couldn't stand the teaching - there was no fluidity (the style is great, I mean the teachers - I had approx 20 different teachers [students lots of the time]) and I just wasn't feeling it.

After researching other striking arts, I was dead-set on taking Kyokushin (presumably the 'best' style of Karate - and it has a lot of emphasis on kicks which I like/d). The Kyokushin dojo within 30 minutes of me had a poor reputation, though. The only other one near me I was unable to reach without a car (I was 16 at the time; 18 now). SO, I took Goju-Ryu Karate. I've been happy with it for the past two years. I'm VERY comfortable with my front/side/and round kick (working on spinning back) and can use them at all heights with ease. I'm confident these would help me to win any street-fight I got into (that someone else started) w/ someone w/out MA training.

We haven't learned that many different kicks, though - we just stick to variations of front/side/round for the most part. We just do far too much Kata, and it's starting to really get to me. I don't want to leave the dojo, but I feel so much time is 'wasted' (hesitant to say that) in repeating the same sequence of moves, which I find difficult to adapt to real-life situations. Though, the bankai (self-defence) work extremely well for what they are - self defence. We practice joint locks, throws, breaks, things like that.

ANYWAYS, it's really down to whether or not you want to start ring fighting or just want to know how to fight when the time presents itself (on the street). My recommendation..go with Kyokushin - just make sure the dojo is legit.