I hate martial arts.
Working on a job site, i can break those pine 1x12s by looking at it wrong.

And if the person holding the board held it the other way, i would break their wrists.

Most dojos couldn't answer my questions, they could not train my mind. Which it really needed. And what i found in REAL kara té. Places that others would run away from because they include meditation.

i have found that if the dojo doesn't have some kind of sparring with actual impact, it was not very good. You need actual practice.

And so, the martial arts i would suggest are:

• judo - because you do nothing but grapple with other people. And it is all moves you can use everyday.
• boxing - because you do get in a ring, and you learn to trade punches. The best part is learning how to duck and weave.
• tai chi, or chi gong - These practices train your body. And your energy. They will help you when you are 90 years old. And, it is a serious martial art. If you know the body and balance, you know how to unbalance someone.
• kung fu - so you can get the fancy outfit, and learn to do pushups on your knuckles. (ok, this one was a joke)