A usual reply would be many words about how extraordinary the writer’s chosen martial art is. This scene from the dark comedy Foot Fist Way sums it up pretty accurately, with a little off-color language:

There is in reality no best martial art or best school. My mother practices Tai Chi, at a friend’s home; it helps my mother stay healthy, so Tai Chi is to me the most awesome martial art of all. And too Tai Chi probably won’t be a great deal of use in getting out of a rear naked choke. Martial arts can develop a variety of qualities, in varying degrees, including confidence, character development, cultural appreciation, conditioning, peace of mind, self-defense, spirituality, sporting success, and much more. Whatever art provides over time, with work, those qualities that you most want or need to develop is the best art of you.

Emphatically, this is not to say that all martial arts are equally good at everything. Typically, there are approaches that specialize in one area of development over others, and these areas of focus can vary enormously. And too there are countless factually incorrect claims of effectiveness, which, if self-defense is of interest, can or should be a deal breaker. But even if two schools have nearly identical approaches, many less-recognized factors can come into play. A famous gym may not offer the average student nearly the personal attention that a smaller, far less heralded one will. Proximity to your home or workplace plays a big role. How compatible you feel with the membership is a massive factor, as community will invariably play a large role in your development. Further, a great teacher in something that is not exactly what you want will likely take you far farther than will a poor teacher offering precisely what you want. In sum, choosing the best school (for you) can be complex.

So first decide what you want to get out of the practice. Then find a place where you feel comfortable, under a 30-minute drive away, led by an established subject matter expert in whatever is of keenest interest to you, work hard at it, and don’t quit. That’s the best school, for you.

Lastly, keep an open mind about martial arts. Usually, but not always, there is something useful in every approach, albeit sometimes a small one. Unfortunately, practicing a martial art can lead to one’s sense of self becoming too closely identified with the gym or teacher, and then all other schools are viewed as inferior. MMA adepts can come to see traditional approaches as hopelessly ineffective. Aikido students can view combat sports as nasty, brutish, and short. Believing your Eagle Fang is way more effective than their Miyagi Do is, literally, comedy. So don’t ask whether any given martial art is right or wrong, but rather, ask how is it right. Usually, there is a positive answer.

And in closing, what matters most is hard work. The dictates of the market are such that, most unfortunately, instructors feel compelled to make classes ever easier and shorter. If you observe a class, and it doesn’t look like physical, mental, or spiritual hard work, then you aren’t going to get very far from where you are. And beware, some teachers are skilled at pantomiming hard work, substituting ornate movements, loud yells, and stern facial expressions, for what the class actually needs to do, which is work hard. There are no secret moves, and no shortcuts. All real martial arts are hard work, above all else.