You're asking the martial arts section if martial arts or gym is better? The only people in here that go to the gym, are people that ALSO do martial arts, everyone here thinks martial arts are more beneficial than working out alone. If you build up muscle, that's nice but there are martial artists that look like your friend that could kick your butt if you attacked them.

well the longest lived people in the world do Okinawan Karate and have for a while, check out the ages of Karateka vs life expectancy at the times they were alive

http://karatedr.com/karate-and-healthy-a...

a gym may give torn muscles, and un-natural muscle development, and early health problems related to age and muscle.

combatives may give a life-time of self-confidence, discipline, toned-muscle ( naturally), and well-being.

Now, ask that question again!?

for you, forget about martial arts... not all people are cut out to handle the discipline and dedication. I can tell from your post that you'll only be waisting your time trying to learn Karate.

Martial art and strength training (gym) are both beneficial, but for different reasons and towards different aspects of benefits.

Being physically strong is good, but do you have the skill and knowledge to use that physical strength efficiently? Can you for example use it to defend yourself? Strength can always be defeated by more strength and it is temporary because you will not always have all that muscle as you grow older. But skill can be maintained and grow well into your senior years.

Martial art when taught by a good qualified teacher trains your body and mind so that you can use what you have more efficiently. Understand that all serious martial artist do some form of supplemental exercises to keep fit and strong because you have to be fit in order to be effective. So this is not an either/or situation. To be at your best, you do both.

1. Fitness is a must. Extremely beneficial! BUT

2. A good martial art should also compensate high levels of physical fitness. It builds power, stamina, and cardio. Every movement is power.

3. Plus a martial art teaches to defend oneself successfully if you ever had to.

I have seen gym goers who bench 300lbs who are terrible fighters. Lifting weights does not teach one to fight properly.

So what are your goals and ambitions?

If you just to be fit, than real martial arts are not the place for you, bc you will be a friend of pain, you will be hit, kicked, and slammed.

If you are looking for strength, general fitness, and the look of strength then gym is better. I'm that's kind of the obvious answer since that's what gym and workouts are designed to do.

Martial arts is better at harnessing that energy and using it more efficiently. (usually in a form of destroying another human body) The building of power in martial arts is a by product of the training for efficiency and will not be able to compete with gym training that focuses on it as the main goal.

Best bet is to keep up with both so that you have the power from the work outs(which you can still do even without all the gym machines) and have the efficient movement of a martial artist.

You're preaching to the wrong crowd brother.

Hi, I'm from India. My father is forcing me to join karate Classes and stop going to gym. But I find going to gym make me more stronger and healthier than martial arts. One of my friend has been doing martial arts since I joined gym. And he has very less strength and he looks very skinny. I was same before I joined gym but now I've got good amount of muscle. So what you guys say which is more beneficial between karate and gym ?

Thanks.