Readers' Choice: Favorite Martial Arts School

The primary purpose and philosophy of Soo Bahk Do is the rejuvenation and the prolonging of life beyond the normal span

Patch blogger Peter Murray, owner of , wrote the above quote in. The quote shows that martial arts like Soo Bahk Do are about more than just physical conditioning. Martial arts training offers great benefits for students’ physical health, but also helps with mental and spiritual development.

The term "martial arts" is derived from Latin, meaning “Arts of Mars,” the Roman god of war. With roots in ancient combat, martial arts requires students to sharpen their minds. Much of the training is about how to predict or react to an opponent’s move and assess his or her weaknesses to use them to one’s own advantage.

Anyone who has attended a good martial arts class would have learned this from the start. So, have you or your child tried out a local school or class?

Similar to our Rivals feature, and , this column encourages friendly competition, and we're hoping you'll get involved. Each week we will pick a different category. Users will have the opportunity to vote in a poll and leave comments supporting their pick. Then, based on folks' feedback, Patch will name the favorite.

Here are some of the places we came up with when it comes to martial arts schools in the area (if we're forgetting yours, please let us know in the comments section below and we'll add it to the list):

•  in Southeast
• in Southeast
• in Danbury, CT
• Jinenkan Dojo in Mahopac
• United Martial Arts Center in Carmel

For more information, check out our Readers’ Choice rules by clicking on the PDF attached to this article.