I am an adult who has no experience or knowledge of any of the martial arts disciplines but I would like to begin training in one of them. I am leaning towards taekwondo only because this is the closest training facility to my home. I am only interested in training and fitness and not interested at all in competitions or exhibitions. can someone please give me a brief description of all the various forms of martial arts so I can compare them and decide which is best for me?
Hope someone out there is knowledgeable in this area and can help me, thanks.

You can train in ANY martial art and not worry about competitions or exhibitions. Don't sweat that.

As for the different types of martial arts, there are hundreds. probably thousands. there are a few common traits, though. For example, most Eastern striking systems, which are those that focus on punching, kicking, and similar techniques, have a series of forms (called "kata" in Japanese, "poomse" in Korean, or sometimes just refered to as "forms"). These are preset patterns of techniques. One is usually required to know at least one form per level of rank.

That's another thing: many Eastern systems, especially those from Japan, Okinawa (culturally distinct from Japan), and Korea will have a ranking system based on belts. the junior ranks are usually colored belts, beginning with white and ending with brown or red, and the senior ranks are black belts with various "degrees" attached to them.

For a broad overview:

Karate- name for a family of systems originating in Japan/Okinawa. Focuses on striking.

Taekwondo- Korean martial art related to karate. Focuses on striking, especially kicks.

Tang Soo Do- another Korean system related to karate.

Hapkido- Korean system that utilizes striking and grappling (throws, locks, etc), usually from the feet.

Judo- Japanese grappling system known for throws, that includes some ground work (pins, chokes, locks).

Jujitsu- Generic term for medival Japanese systems that focus on grappling (throws and locks), but also include elements of striking, and perhaps weapons work. many different schools.

American/Ed Parker Kenpo- Westernized striking system, based on Chinese and Japanese systems, known for its rapid-fire hand techniques.

Muay Thai- kickboxing system from Thailand. In addition to punches and kicks, it also uses knees and elbows, especially from the clinch.

Kung Fu- Generic term for martial arts originating in China. Extremely varied. some focus on long-range kicking, some on close-range in-fighting. Most include weapons and some grappling training.

Boxing- Western art of pugilism.

Brazilian Jiujitsu- grappling system derived from Japanese systems. Focuses on ground-fighting (pins, escapes, locks, chokes).

Kali/Escrima/Arnis- Filipino stick-fighting systems. also usually include knife- and empty-hand work.

Krav Maga- Israeli self-defense system designed for their military. Mostly striking, including gun and knife disarms.

This list is by no means extensive, but should give you a general idea of what's out there.

IF you are only looking for training and fitness then Taekowndo is good. Espeically since the facility is close to where you live. you don't need to dig too deep into what style is best and all that online fanboy war crap.

Step one. Open your yellow pages and see what's offered in a range you are willing to drive.

2. Look up each of the arts available to you online via wiki, or your choice of site, for an over view of what the art is about.

3. Select which one interests you most and go down to the school. see how the teacher handles things. Talk to him. ask questions. we all come from various physical backgrounds. does it look like it's going to be a work out for you?

4. if you like everything you see and hear ask to come in and try a few classes. if not then start back at step 3 with the next most interesting art on your list.

It's useless to get an over view on every art, because every art won't be available to you. good luck and get back to us if you have anymore questions.