What is a good martial art for self defense and keeping in shape?

I want to learn a martial art for self defense and to improve my health, though there seems to be so many different styles that I don%26#039;t know where to start. Also, I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, so if anyone can recommend a training facility it would be much appreciated.

What is a good martial art for self defense and keeping in shape?
Just about any good school will keep you in shape. I attended Tae Kwon Do for three years, and a week after I stopped, I noticed the change of not attending classes!





Most martial arts will help you build up muscles and become more flexible, Tae Kwon Do especially. When I started TKD, I was extremely tense and not at all flexible! Now I%26#039;m quite close to being able to do front and side splits.





It also really depends on the place you go. In the first place for TKD, it did fairly simple warmups, nothing fancy. The second one did a lot of pushups, sit ups, crunches, running, conditioning, etc. The Karate I%26#039;m in now does a lot of different warmups, but it depends on where you go, really.





Also, you can usually stay in the dojo/dojang after your class is finished and continue to practice and such. I always stay an extra hour to cool down and practice my kata%26#039;s and such (:





If you google your city and some different styles, you might be able to find something. I just checked in my phone book to see what was out there for my city. Try researching some styles on your own and see which YOU want to learn. They are all similar in various ways, but there are some characteristics that may set them apart and draw you to them.
Reply:I gotta go with Judo for this one. From My personal experience, when I started Judo I weighed 275lbs, now I%26#039;m down to 195
Reply:I%26#039;d say most martial arts will do what you want. Go to a few dojos, and see which ones you like visually the most. Do searches on Yahoo videos or Youtube. You%26#039;ll get a sense for your personal preference. If we were all the same, there would only be one style of martial arts. But, we all are different, so there are hundreds of styles, Western, Eastern, weapons, empty-hand, etc.
Reply:I%26#039;ve trained in Judo for 13 years. Is pretty hard on the body when you first start, but if you keep it up, you%26#039;ll see results quick.


Go to a school and talk to an instructor. Alot of times they%26#039;ll offer a free class to see what it%26#039;s all about.


Good luck
Reply:All Martial Arts are good and it%26#039;s leads you to self-defense...proper training and correct execution,these are the ways to make your body healthy...and of course you must disciplined yourself,self-control and self-confidence lies in your self.Used when it%26#039;s necessary...just bear in mind...knowledge in the mind,honesty in the heart and strenght in the body..it will leads you into a great Martial Artist.
Reply:Our family is involved in Hap Ki Do - which it looks like is taught in the Salt Lake City area in several locations (such as the Taylorsville Recreation Center or Gene Fullmer Fitness Center)





Hapkido (also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do) is a dynamic Korean martial art.





Hapkido aims to be an effective form of self-defense and employs joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and other strikes. Hapkido practitioners train to counter the techniques of other martial arts as well as common %26quot;unskilled%26quot; attacks.





Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength.
Reply:I am currently in Taekwondo. I lost a little bit of weight. I love going to all my classes. I go 3 times a week. Tuesdays,Thursdays, and Fridays. I am working on my 4th stripe. So, I will also be joining the child%26#039;s class on Monday%26#039;s to work on my form.





In my Taekwondo I have to get 3 red stripes and 3 black stripes. Than around the 8th of September I will be testing for my yellow belt.





But its different for each martial arts.
Reply:Muay Thai. Of course it is my anwser for most things in life.


Muay Thai!!