martial arts info

I am a shodan (1st degree black belt) in aikido; my mate is a nidan (2nd degree black belt). Prior to aikido, I studied kickboxing and took a quickie course in kempo-style grappling. Basically, you haven’t told us enough to answer your question effectively. Why do you want to study martial arts? How old are you? Have you studied other martial arts previously? Why do you think you need practical self-defense? If you’re looking for philosophy with an emphasis on “art” in martial art, try aikido. If you’re looking for a vigorous workout–try TKD. If you want to impress your friends with your eclectic tastes–try hapkido. If you want self-defense–get some pepper spray and a cell phone. If you want to get buff–go to the gym and start pressing some iron. As mentioned earlier, you won’t have all of the above or even two of these to the point of mastering them.