What is the best self defense martial art to take??

Question

Curently I take mma (mixed martial arts) at a local gym. Its a good class I learn a lot of good techniques but few I can use in a real life or death situation. I want to learn some kind of martial arts that is made specifically for self defense. what would be the best choice to look into??

Answer 1

I agree in part with Tom P that a good MMA school will teach you techniques that can be very effective on the street. Maybe you are just at a school that is all sport oriented.

With that being said, what will matter most is how confident you are in what you have been taught, not the style. Understand that there are very few styles, MMA or traditional, who's only focus is self defense. Many of the traditional styles also work on building you as a complete person, not just a fighter. They tend to take longer to become effective in, but that is because they are designed that way.

If you want pure self defense, Krav Maga is a good option, however many of the places that train it in the states teach a very watered down version. Be careful.

The main problem with most MMA schools that teach the UFC style of fighting is that they train under a certian ruleset, and most never address thinsg such as weapons and multiple attackers. They never take into account that your opponent in self defense is not going to be wearing trunks and gloves. they will be wearing jeans, shoes, coats, etc. Sadly many traditional schools never consider this either. Why train for self defense on a padded level surface in clothing you would normally not wear?

I like our school because we do have nights where we wear regular street clothes, go outside and train on uneven terrain, practice fighting around obsticles, on stairs, gravel, etc. Not many schools I know of train thsi way though. I mention this because Krav Maga and some of the reality based fighting systems do train this way almost exclusivly, so for what you are looking for, one of them is probably your best bet. To figure out what is good or bad do a search on finding a good school on here, there are many good answers about the subject.

Good luck

Answer 2

You should look at the "Soft" styles of Martial Arts like Aikido, j*p Jujitsu and Tai Chi to name a few. The softer styles are more focused on the defense aspect of MA then say Karate, TKD or Mauy Thai which is more balanced between attack and defense.

Answer 3

Kung Fu San Soo is a traditional and practical combat art. You are training to instantly adapt to any combat situation and take down your attacker. Kung Fu San Soo is NOT a sport.  It is for self-defense. You are not training on how many points you can earn in competitions. You are training to defend your life.

Answer 4

jujitsu

Answer 5

One that you feel confident and comfortable using and can adapt to ( As not everyone can ) and is street realistic.

Best wishes :)***

Answer 6

1 THAT WORKS.

Answer 7

Jujistu, Kung Fu, or Karate. Don't do Tai Kwon Do cause thats all about breaking boards and doing cool stunts.

When I went to USMC Boot Camp we learned MMA and that helped me a lot I rarely used it but it came in handy.

Answer 8

Hi there. What are they teaching you at your MMA gym?! MMA is based directly on "real" fighting techniques. The simplest way to explain it is we take the "dirty" out of real fighting for the cage/ring (no groin, no head butting, biting, scratching, or eyes, and no knees and kicks to the head of a downed opponent). With that said these are basic things that someone without training could do.

If you are being taught a good mix of things then you should be able to defend yourself both on your feet as well as if you were dominated on the ground......even by a larger attacker. Granted you typically won't be taught how to disarm someone with a weapon but some schools will teach that just to have it under your belt.

I guess my point is that if you don't feel like you have learned skills that would help you defend yourself in "real" life then you should look for a different training center. There are a ton of arts to choose from but MMA is truly built on a real world fighting foundation.

In the 10 years that I've trained/fought I've only found myself in 3 semi-serious situations and have broken up a bunch of other skirmishes......and my MMA skills came to instant use each time.

I hope you find what you are looking for.....being confident in you skills is just about as important as the skills themselves!

Answer 9

Qinna if you can find it, couple that with Jeet Kune Do and you're Mr. Untouchable in one on one situations.