If you find yourself nursing a painful knee or strained muscle at office, you are in company of gladiators.

Favored gladiators were considered sports heroes of their day. If a gladiator survived serious injury, they were attended to by sports physicians for common problems such as sprains, torn ligaments and muscle strains. The first doctor to gain notoriety for treating gladiators was Galen, acclaimed as father of sports medicine. Living from 129 to 199 BC, Galen traveled throughout Rome bandaging-up gladiators. Although Galen used a form of traction to set bones and was considered way ahead of his time, he was not aware of simple principle of R.I.C.E. (rest-ice-compression-elevation) to treat sports-related injuries.

Today, it’s easy for weekend warriors to take care of minor sprains and strains using recommended technique of R.I.C.E. According to Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, “more than 10 million sports injuries are treated each year in USA. Athletes and non-athletes share many similar injuries…Immediate treatment for almost all acute athletic injuries is R.I.C.E.”

This is what happens to many people and after giving it a try in 2 or 3 different martial arts they decide that martial arts aren’t for them.

They are wrong; everybody can train and enjoy martial arts. It is just a matter of picking right one.

Now how can you know what martial art is right one for you or your children?

First of all you should start with a question list for yourself.

Q1. Why do you want to practise martial arts?

The answer to this question will make a basic selection of martial arts and will leave you with ones that are best suited for you.

Some people want to practise martial arts to get a better physical condition; others want to boost their self confidence. Another answer might be that you want to be able to defend yourself. Some people even go to martial arts dojos to have a good time or for community feeling.

Make sure you find information about different martial arts and compare information. Don’t only look at information about a martial art in from 1 source. Find relevant information from different sources on same subject.

Only after having read sufficient information about martial arts you like you will be able to choose.

So now make a pre-selection of martial arts you like

Q2. What do you want to achieve practising a martial art?

Do you want to be able to win tournaments, defend yourself against many attackers or is your ultimate goal to become an instructor? Off course there are probably as many goals as there are practitioners but you get idea.