[tachibana]

Agreed; the teacher and the students in the dojo are much more important than style. The things I would look for would be:

- a relentless focus on safety

- something you enjoy (weapons vs striking vs grappling, etc.)

- instructor who communicates in a style you understand (I'm an engineer, so I use physics to explain concepts)

- senior students who help the newer students

Since effective use / sparring is really more about game theory, there really is no one "superior" art to rule them all.

My personal experience:

- Volunteer teacher for various youth groups

- 2nd degree kendo, co-captain of varsity team, regionally ranked in Japan

- 1st degree karate, varsity team

- beginner aikido