I work at a bar and recently one of the female members of staff was attacked when a customer started making lewd remarks and she asked him to leave, I did what any decent guy would do and stepped in, unfortunatly, I ended up on the wrong end of a good kicking when his friend attacked me from behind.
I'm quite sure I could have handled the situation better if I had some martial arts training, so thats my new years resolution - I'm going to take up martial arts.
Which one is best for self defence? I have access to MMA classes, judo, kick boxing (not mauy thai) and kung fu.
I understand that MMA is considered the most "complete" system of the four but it doesn't cover disarming attackers with weapons or taking on multible opponents.
I'm physically strong thanks to many years of weight training but my flexibility isn't so good and neither is my cardiovascular conditioning, which one would be better for me?
What is the best martial art for self defence?
First and foremost, any art that is "designed for disarming attackers and multiple opponents" is selling you something.
Furthermore they instill a false sense of confidence that has gotten people killed. No literally, idiots attempting disarms getting killed. Not just mediocre students but instructors. (Look up Arkadiy Stepankovskiy, a high ranking member of Systema).
MMA is great, it will help you with some good fundamentals, more importantly you will learn effectively how to fight, because you will be hard sparring, and learning effective technique and it's practical application.
However, that only goes so far. Having a good head on your shoulders, I don't think you did the wrong thing in that situation, most men would have done that. However, no Art truly prepares you for all circumstances.
Multiple opponents is a loss 99% of the time. Non of that "taking a guy out in 2 seconds, then moving on to the next guy" crap works in actuality, unless you are very lucky. Most of the time you are unaware of a multiple attacker scenario, and you get blindsided from behind.
Since there is no internal chinese medicine way to see behind yourself, this is an unfortunate aspect of reality. Being strategic and knowing your environment helps, but you don't always get that advantage.
Cardio is great, flexibility is great, both are good for long term health, and both will help with Martial Arts and training. (I feel conditioning is far more important than flexibility)
Many arts will claim to be for "street applications" or teach disarms, etc. Be wary of any of that, because static training against non resisting opponents not only does not prepare you, but it also instills a false sense of confidence.
Eye gouges, groin or knee strikes should not be the end all for street applications, in fact they are more prone to get you sued or arrested for aggrevated assault. You should be able to subdue or deal with an attacker without permanently injuring or crippling him. Having the knowledge of how to escalate it is good, but having the skill to not have to is better.
If a situation calls for you to escalate it to that level, why bother using some complicated strike, just pick up a rock and brain someone.
Anyway, I go off tangent there.
Balanced Martial Arts, helps with you hand to hand physical altercations. Some systems do incorporate weapons and do so effectively, however they are very few. Look for places that practice those sort of things with a lot of padding, and with both people trying very hard.
Meaning person fake stabbing you, should actually be trying to stab you with all or most of their might. (I have seen markers, and paint brushes used to indicate wounds, and in place of weapons)
A person shooting you, should actually be in the same mind set, gun trained on you, waiting for you to move and pull the trigger. (At a few of the Krav Maga places I enjoyed they used Air soft guns for this with goggles or paint ball masks to protect the face).
Realistic training involves resisting opponents. Not cooperative, pre coordinated attacks and patterns that you will never see in real life.
All said and done, even the most prepared people in the world get caught. Great fighters get knocked out in street brawls, shot, or stabbed.
MMA is a GREAT way to start off. Learning as much as you can gives you tools, the more tools you have the better.
Good luck, and remember Chivalry is not dead, you may have caught an @sswhuppin but you probably earned somebody's respect, at least your own.
Reply:judo man...best for self defense
Reply:mma is the best by a long way you get the best of all the disciplines
Reply:carry and swing around a machete
Reply:Akedio is the best one . That is what stephan segiul knows .
Reply:karate is good but go to an adult class, or just go to a normal self defence class, sounds cheesy but you will learn a few tricks to have you kicking *** in only a few lessons, whereas martial arts is a long long process
Reply:While holding a dirty sock, preferably one that has been worn 2 weeks in a row, on your hand, keeping your hand in your pocket, if that happens again, take a swing at the person and even if you miss the smell will knock him down.
Reply:i believe tae kwon do is. you learn to do crazy kicks and punches. and if you have a really good teacher/sensei they can also teach you how to immoblize somone by simply pressing on certain pressure points.
Reply:I have done a lot so far and for the same reason being a bar maid who was almost attacked but got away i took up kickboxing it is really good!
I would take up Kung-fu if i were you i have also done karate but i prefer these two over karate.
Reply:if u want to be able to defend ur self and the females at ur work the take up kick boxing.or if u want to now how to 1 hit K.O someone then ill give u the tips.and get a heavy bag.well heres how to 1 hit someone.....
1. Make sure that you have your left leg forward, with your knee slightly bent and your right leg back. Feel a loose bounce in the stance.
2. Bring your right arm to your side, as you do this twist at the waist.
3. Stay loose until the final moment.
4. Right before you land the punch, tighten your body and unleash a mighty scream. This will focus your body and tighten your muscles releasing more power. Also it boosts your own morale and this will help in case of a continued confrontation.
5. Aim strictly for the jaw, the middle of the chin if you are accurate enough. There is a nerve you can hit by striking the jaw upwards to rupture the nerve and knock your opponent out.
6. When they are out, walk away not with your back turned, in case of a back attack or a cheap shot.
well there u go.
Reply:try gung fu yes I did say gung fu,it's good %26amp; has so many blocks %26amp; different ways of locking people up,usely if you can lock some one up they will back off,Bruce Lee did this art aswell,see if you can watch a couple of clips on your computer,Randi Williams clips would be a good start,good luck.
Reply:You might find Arkedo is what you are looking for as this is a very good at disarming attackers and uses your attackers weights and moves against you and it does work! But most self Defence classes work if you go into class with the right frame of mind.It will take time and most courses are in 10 weeks frame work and you will find out if you like it by ?? perhaps 20 weeks ish..Karate/judo are brill. Ateme is also very good you use and strike the nervious centre and disable`s your attackers . I hope this helps and I wish you train hard and true and dont use anger . Use your training. Good luck
Reply:Hey there Buddy;
If I have a say in this...you should have just backed away and called the police, IMMEDIATELY ((meaning BEFORE it got Ugly and stuff....Unless the guy just walked up to this woman and started slapping her...then you could've bust a "Jean-Claude Van Damme" move, or perhaps "Bruce Lee" Move or maybe your quickest "Jet-li/Jackie Chan" Move...=0)
I have been in Martial Arts since I was three years old...
*Flexibility is a definite must...and cardio is very important...it determines your conditioning and your consistency on this sport....I think you already have TWO huge problems that you might need to work on FIRST...then think of taking the classes...because if you are not "Sufficiently" ready..you might just end up HATING the classes and give up, before you actually take the "REAL" stuff....
*Friend...go on ahead and start running, jogging, walking, jumping rope, and for flexibility..try stretching classes like "Yoga, Pilates and Kick Boxing"....then, after those little IMPORTANT steps, sign up for Kung Fu classes....because Judo is more "Mind Powering" than "Hand Powering"...lol
*Bottom Line...MARTIAL ARTS concentrate more on Disciplining the State of Mind and Body...and Mauy Thai and Wushu just concentrate on the actual Bad@ss Maneuvuers...
GOOD LUCK...and Keep Your Head Up..every one has to take a good beating...remember ROCKY BALBOA:
**It's not how HARD you can get hit...but how MUCH YOU CAN TAKE and then GIVE IT BACK...!!** ((Consistency is the Key...Energy/Flexibility/Strenght is the DOOR...))**
*GET DOWN TO BUSINESS....and Have Fun and Kick Some Hardcore @ss**
Reply:Ignore all "MY MARTIAL ART IS BEST" responses. Instead, let's slow down for a second and break this problem apart:
1) You are looking for a style/method that will allow you to handle yourself in tight quarters
2) You are looking for a style/method that will allow you to engage more than one (1) attacker at a time
3) You are looking for a way to disarm/render harmless attackers without permanent or lawsuit generating injuries
4) You are looking at something that will improve your flexibility and cardio
OK, what single style will do that? Just about all of them except MMA which is geared toward 1v1 fights.
You best bet is to visit local martial arts schools, ask to take a week or two of free or reduced cost introductory classes and then choose the school that feels best. Any traditional martial art will teach you situational awareness and self defense, cardio, balance, and increased flexibility. Rather than trying to force yourself into one, find out which one fits you best and you'll be more likely to stick with the training and get to a point where it will have a positive influence on your life.
Reply:You need to study Badmitton, yep Bad Mit On
Get into some boxing classes to learn how to mix it up, then go get some Judo ( newaza ) skills.
Combine the tech's of such as Gene LeBell with the ability to stand and deliver.
Reply:actually, it doesn't really depend on the style, so much as on the teacher and your dedication. look for the school with the best teacher, who can get you motivated and who teaches mostly what you're looking for, and that will serve you best. MMA is pretty good, but like you said it is mainly for sports not self-defense. and the LAST thing you're going to want to do if there are multiple assailants is go on the ground. that doesn't, however, rule out judo entirely as it also has a standing up aspect of joint locks and throws. kungfu isnt detailed enough, if you update it to tell me what particular kind of kungfu i'll give a more accurate description tomorrow. kickboxing is definitely not what you want to do because that's ENTIRELY for sport because that's what it was made for. although the punching and kicking part is really good, still that's basically all there is to it. it has absolutely NO ground defense whatsoever and not even much self-defense because in self-defense anything goes and it doesn't teach you how to fight dirty at all.
so yeah, that' my two cents. before you pick an art because of this, look at all the teachers, watch one of their classes, and also take a free class if you can just to check them out. if they don't let you take at least one free class, then they're probably not worth their salt anyway.
Reply:try aikido
Reply:Of the ones you mentioned, MMA or Judo. You've got to learn what to do when someone gets close.
For the most part, skip the various Karate's and Tae Kwon Do's and Kung Fu's, as they tend to be watered down in their practical defense skills. The explosion of schools through the years has led to a decrease in the quality of instruction. Not saying you couldn't find good schools, but it's unlikely. If you try a traditional kung fu/karate/tae kwon do school and the don't do FULL CONTACT Sparring, or sparring in street clothes, skip it.
Flexibility is not real important in self-defense. You just need to be flexible enough to execute whatever moves you train in. Same thing for conditioning. Most fights won't last long and chances are you'll have plenty of adreniline. As a matter of fact, it's better to concentrate on dealing with the stress and channeling the adreniline dump than conditioning.
But Judo and MMA will help with flexibility and condtioning as well as help you prepare for stress and adreniline. It might also be good to supplement your formal training with some DVD's on Krav Maga or Defendo. Though it's hard to learn from DVD's, you may pick up a few nuggets that will help you in real-life scenarios. Peyton Quinn and Paul Vunak are also pretty highly regarded.
Reply:i think kick boxing or judo is best
Reply:my suggestion is to take a taster session in either Systema or Wing-Chun. both easy to learn and use from day one ,no realy complex moves .good luck
Reply:It could be which ever you "absorb" the best.. because there are a lot out there that could be effective.. if I had to pick one.. try the Filipino art of Kali (Eskrima) you start with sticks but it translates well into hand locks arm locks.. good stuff if you are trying to neutralize someone (Matt Damon trained it for his Jason Bourne character)
Reply:There is no "best" Martial Art for self defense, and yes MMA is aconsidered a "complete" discipline, but is is mostly designed as a one on one.
any time you consider getting into a fight, you absolutely Have to expect that if theres one badguy, there is the possibility if not the certainty of a second badguy (if not more) because there's no such thing as a fair fight, and the badguys will NEVER fight fair, so you should adopt that mentality as well; in effect you should do whatever is necessary), but any Martial Arts you study will help you to become more aware of your surroundings.
kickboxing and Kung Fu would definitely help you with your flexibility (as would any Martial Art) but they would also benefit you in the cardio as well.
it all comes down to what you think you would get the most out of because not one discipline is superior to another.
all i can reccommend you to do is to attend a few classes to see how they train and then make your decision based on what you've seen.
Reply:Seeing what you Class you have in the area
MMA only work on the ring dose not work on the street as much as People say it would(dont get me wrong i love wachting MMA fight) . lots of there moves are to compiled to used on the street and you don't want to summit you want to knock him out
kung fu is a good choices but most school of them don't teach self defense check that out first if they do sparring and SD stuff i would try that first but it take time to be good at kung fu
i Recommend judo or kick boxing
judo good fast tack down then you can finish him
kick boxing (if not Fitness kick boxing ) teach you good Striking moves.
judo class Teaches Karate to i would take the Judo class
cause you get Take down moves and Striking moves
Reply:No system will help you out of a fix unless you get training in seeing trouble coming. It's best not to get into it in the first place. You need awareness training more than anything else, then you need to be trained to overcome the mental blocks societal attitudes have out there to do something physical about it, if that is what is required to resolve the situation.
Reply:From those choices I would go with judo....but if you can try to find Systema...here is a vid of it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=O7_dzu4TQDs
Reply:Maybe you should try Krav Maga. Its a highly effective system. It teaches defensive tactics, fighting skills, and self-defense.
The guiding principles for those performing Krav Maga techniques are:
Neutralize the threat
Avoid injury
Go from defending to attacking as quickly as possible
Use the body's natural reflexes
Strike at any vulnerable point
Use any tool or object nearby
Reply:I would recommend Aikido.
From my experience with a number of martial arts over the last 30 years I would recommend Aikido.
I would also recommend that you get the women themselves involved in learning a form of self defence. Aikido uses your opponents strength against them. It is a gentle art but highly effective.
However any martial art well taught and based upon real life situations rather than spending all it's time on kata will be helpful to you.
Reply:just two words for you my man JU JITSU
Reply:most martial arts clubs now teach street fighting applications so try a few and see what clicks for you...everyone finds their own path but remember the first rule is to get away...there will always be a situation you can't handle...you could be a brilliant martial artist but still get shot, kicked in by a gang or beat up by another martial artist...never go looking for trouble
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