Which knife is best for somone just learning to cook? I'm just self-learning to cook and I'm looking for a chef's knife. I've read the many differences between a chef's knife and a santoku knife,  but it's still not clear to me which one I should choose. The only difference I'm aware of between santoku and a chef's knife is that santoku has exactly the same functionality as a chef's knife if one does not carve meat. 

I definitely want to obtain proper/efficient knife skills (referring to the rock and chop that's often discussed), but at the same time, I want something that will be easy for me to use (I tend to cut using an up and down motion). I'm pretty sure I know what length and weight I want the knife to be, but to keep the question from being too localized, I won't discuss those features.

I don't know if it's worth mentioning, but I almost never carve meat or cut bones.

So do I go with a gyuto, santoku, or chef's knife?
The difference between a santuko and European chef's knife is mostly a matter of personal taste and style.

However, if you live in North America, Europe, or anywhere else with a European cooking tradition, most of the resources and videos that you see to help you develop knife skills will assume you have a chef's knife.  For this reason, I suggest you start with a good basic chef's knife.  Secondly, you will want a paring knife.   

With these two knives, you can do 95% of kitchen tasks very well.

As you develop your skills, you can try santukos and other style blades and determine if the work for you.