I have studied various styles of martial arts over the years.
There are a few different style schools out there, you really have to determine what you want to do.
The first type are the places like Nick Cerios or Fred Villaris - and there are lots of spin offs - they generally avoid using traditional terminology - they say Instructor instead of Master, or Classroom instead of Dojo. They are not very rigid in their teaching - for example, my punches, kicks and take-downs were a lot more aggressive and precise than another student of the same brown belt rank. That said, in fairness, all 'studios' can be different - I went to one studio that was MUCH more strict. If you do not care about these points, the really good part about these type of schools is that they are a little more FUN, laid back, and can change up what they do based on what you need/what to do.
Then there are really strict places - one I studied at you had to learn the Japanese words for each strike, movement, etc. Your movements have to be crazy precise before you get any rank.
You can also find various cardio-kick , kick boxing type places - or tradition schools that have these programs that you can take without signing up for the normal martial arts. If you want a fun workout, this is a good choice.
There are all kinds of styles, Karate is very linear, hard, tight. Kempo/Kenpo is similar, but a little more loose and rounded in it's strikes. Judo is kind of like wrestling, Tae Kwon Do is known for lots of kicking. Most of the Kung Fu styles are very intricate and teach weapons. (please dont flame me for generalizing these)
As I understand it, a UFC style school would probably teach whatever techniques they believe are the best to win in the ring/cage. Back when it started, it was mostly traditional striking styles, then along came Gracie and kicked all their butts. His style is Jiu-Jitsu and mostly on the ground - ground fighting. Some people love this. I dont. Maybe he would kick my butt too.
Bottom line, try at least 2-3 places - ask if you can try a class - or at least watch a couple. See if you like it. See if you like the people - instructors. See which has the best schedule that fits yours.
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