What's the best martial art for REAL self-defense?

[Xyo II]

The best thing for self-defense is a handgun. Even Bruce Lee himself always carried, because he knew that while it used to be "those that live by the sword die by the sword", it's now "those that live by the sword die by the gun". Saying that the martial arts won't do you any good in a real fight is a pretty stupid comment- even petty commercial schools have some practicality. I'd suggest boxing/kickboxing if you aren't comfortable carrying a weapon, or pepper spray/tazer.

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Nutjitsu. Which is simply the art of kicking someone in the nuts really really hard and then running away.

This is a very effective art.

 

[SoftwareEng]

Originally posted by: brandonbull
you try grappling or wrestling someone in a bar/street and you are asking to get kicked in the head while you are on the ground trying to make someone give up.

you break their hand and get up - you don't stay down there to reason with the dude. in most videos i saw, it takes 1-2 seconds

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
There's not really ONE single best style. It would be more beneficial to study several and take the best from each, since all have their own different philosophies and techniques which are appropriate for different situations.

On the other hand, I hear guns usually work real well.

QFT MMA FTW.

Guns FTRWW (For The Real World Win)

 

[child of wonder]

Hapkido is an effective art. Similar to Aikido.

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
Shuri Ryu teaches alot of disarming and disabling techniques. That would be (actually it was/is) my art of choice. Then again, you could carry a Katana with you everywhere...

Yup, Shorin-ryu (Okinawan non sport karate) and kojo-ryu are incredibly effective at close range (face to face) fighting with mainly the hands and killing/disabling your opponent. Both have some grappling as well, but overall you will want to learn some light BJJ basics for that. In the time that I've been studying it I could confidently say I could hurt someone pretty bad with my hands if the last resort was violence.

 

[GeneValgene]

Originally posted by: anxi80
rex-kwan-do. nobody will want a roundhouse kick to the face while you are wearing your american flag sweat pants.

LOL

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: child of wonder
Hapkido is an effective art. Similar to Aikido.

Better learn some grappling to go with the Aikido, just in case.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5615747381762149354

 

[BuckNaked]

Two I would (and am) considering are Krav Maga as others have mentioned, or Systema...

I am not an expert on Martial Arts, but have been considering it for awhile, have talked to a few people and have given some thought on what I expect to get out of it, and how much I want to put into it.

I am not looking for something that requires a great deal of time to invest to become proficient at, or requires a great deal of skill to be effective. Either of the two systems seems to fit my needs best. I do feel, and has been mentioned by others I have spoken with, is that you should give some consideration to the instructor. First they should be certified, but I would also like to talk to some students to get a feel if they felt the instruction was competent and effective. As in most things, there are a lot of people who say they can instruct you, but the number gets much smaller when you weed out the good from the bad.

My primary method of self defense has primarily been a firearm, and I have a substantial investment in time and money for training with both handgun and carbine, as well as tactical movement and trying to educate myself to the law in regards to should I ever have to employ a weapon in self defense. That being said, you may not have a firearm available all the time, may be disarmed, or may need to use a level of force below that of using a firearm, and I think you should have a well rounded skillset. An added benefit that should be considered is the fact that a skill that many don't talk about but is one of the biggest factors in self defense is mind set and confidence. Both of which may get you out of a situation before it even begins to escalate, or ad to your chances of winning if it should.

 

[SoftwareEng]

Buck_Naked,

You can't take your gun to a bar or a club, and you may still get disarmed and attacked with your own gun if you had it with you unless you do the Gung-foo as seen in Equillibrium the movie.

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: brandonbull
you try grappling or wrestling someone in a bar/street and you are asking to get kicked in the head while you are on the ground trying to make someone give up.

you break their hand and get up - you don't stay down there to reason with the dude. in most videos i saw, it takes 1-2 seconds

putting yourself on the ground in a bar/street fight is not a good idea. even if you are that skilled, a few seconds can get your head stomped on

 

[marulee]

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng
What's the most practical martial art to defend yourself on the street / in a bar? Against a knife, a stick, 2 opponents, big guys, etc. With take-downs, arm bars/locks, etc.

I live in Boston, if you can recommend a school here - even better

Videos: 1000 ways to fall. And semi-work safe: Aikido vs. karate

p.s. why must every serious thread turn into lolorama?! i know where y'all live!!!

There is no martial art to defend yourself against the gun... unless you are 'movie star'. lol

 

[zinfamous]

Hands down: Aikido. It is the martial art of self-defense. much of the theory centers around "disarming" armed opponents (put to literal use through steven segal). the "dynamic sphere" in aikido is an interesting theory. it involves dissabling/taking down an opponent with literally no contact. cool stuff.

Also, all of the moves (I'm no expert, but this is how I understand it) are defense-based. Meaning, Aikido only kicks in when someone is attacking you. I'm guessing that the theory behind the art makes it the perfect defensive martial art.

Stephen Seagal is a terrible actor. But he can kick some ass. If you ever pay attention to the fight sequences, you'll notice that he's never the aggressor. He waits for the opponent to make a move, then breaks their limb in about 3 seconds. Rather effective, I'd say.

Anyway, my brother took Aikido for several years; which is main exposure to it. (Lucky me, I got to be his unwilling practice dummy!). The things that I have read and witnessed strike me as being nearly unmatchable.

Of course, if you want the absolute best martial art, go for Jeet Kun Do. Good luck finding a trainer though...I believe their are only 3 senseis in the world who are considered legitimate masters

And yes, Tae Kwon Do is very gay. It is the gayest of martial arts.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

... and the martial art utilizing these 3 factors is...?

Have you ever taken any kind of martial arts? It's great to teach you discipline, but it won't do you any good if you get into a street fight.

so knowing the most effective way to strike, block, twist joints, distract your opponent by throwing something at him, does nothing for you?

No, it wont do anything in a fight. A puny 5'8 160lb guy will get crushed by a 6'5 250lb guy. Theres not much to argue there.

 

[gsellis]

Aikido.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

So let's say a guy draws a knife on me. Will I do better if I know how to block the knife and subdue him in the process, or if I don't know any of the above?

You wont be able to just block a knife like they might teach you. You're gonna get stabbed unless you dodge it, and that requires some speed and luck.

 

[beemercer]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Nutjitsu. Which is simply the art of kicking someone in the nuts really really hard and then running away.

(blue balls)

 

[ArchCenturion]

I am no martial arts, or fighting guru. But i am postive that having just about any martial fighting style is better in a fight than having none.

No matter what style you take, you learn a whole lot about what really hurts, and can take someone down, and what you need to avoid yourself.

You might be some freakishly huge guy, that can totally pulverize some guys face, but the other guy might just know how he can break your arm or to just kick you in the nuts, and you will be down for the count.

 

[ArchCenturion]

Also I personally feel that knowing some martial art will only tip the odds in your favor if you are fighting someone of equal or comperable size, speed.

when me and my little brother fight or wrestle, i can hardly do any wrist gabs, or armlocks on him simply because he is too strong and thick.

I am 6' 170lbs, and he is 5'10" 225 lbs. I only win because of my speed and i usually just end up on his back and choke him to submission. We dont strike eachother though, so i guess its different from a real fight.

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

... and the martial art utilizing these 3 factors is...?

Have you ever taken any kind of martial arts? It's great to teach you discipline, but it won't do you any good if you get into a street fight.

so knowing the most effective way to strike, block, twist joints, distract your opponent by throwing something at him, does nothing for you?

No, it wont do anything in a fight. A puny 5'8 160lb guy will get crushed by a 6'5 250lb guy. Theres not much to argue there.

I'm 5-6 180 and would dismantle any normal 6-5 250 guy with my self defense training. The taller the better so their ankle/knee/crotch is in the perfect spot.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

... and the martial art utilizing these 3 factors is...?

Have you ever taken any kind of martial arts? It's great to teach you discipline, but it won't do you any good if you get into a street fight.

so knowing the most effective way to strike, block, twist joints, distract your opponent by throwing something at him, does nothing for you?

No, it wont do anything in a fight. A puny 5'8 160lb guy will get crushed by a 6'5 250lb guy. Theres not much to argue there.

I'm 5-6 180 and would dismantle any normal 6-5 250 guy with my self defense training. The taller the better so their ankle/knee/crotch is in the perfect spot.

Bwhahahahaha


Yes you would

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

So let's say a guy draws a knife on me. Will I do better if I know how to block the knife and subdue him in the process, or if I don't know any of the above?

You wont be able to just block a knife like they might teach you. You're gonna get stabbed unless you dodge it, and that requires some speed and luck.

Which would be honed by said martial art? It's not just the techniques, it's the training and the reactions.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

... and the martial art utilizing these 3 factors is...?

Have you ever taken any kind of martial arts? It's great to teach you discipline, but it won't do you any good if you get into a street fight.

so knowing the most effective way to strike, block, twist joints, distract your opponent by throwing something at him, does nothing for you?

No, it wont do anything in a fight. A puny 5'8 160lb guy will get crushed by a 6'5 250lb guy. Theres not much to argue there.

Do you consider yourself an expert of some kind? If martial arts are useless then why do boxers even bother training? Why are military and police trained in these techniques?

Plus martial arts training will give you strength, and more importantly power in your strikes, which is not the same as strength, so that part of your argument is pointless. Can you punch through a concrete block? Many martial artists can, even small ones. I suggest you go along to a local martial arts club and test your theory - not on some kid who's been doing it for a few months, but a serious practitioner.

 

[KoolDrew]

Link

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

... and the martial art utilizing these 3 factors is...?

Have you ever taken any kind of martial arts? It's great to teach you discipline, but it won't do you any good if you get into a street fight.

Somewhat true. But they help to develops reflexes that is and a steady, calm mental ability to effectively deliver blows, escape attacks, and employ or get out of holds. It's best to study more than one as well.

But yeah, when it comes to real street fights with weapons and multiple assailants (sp?) the particular and perfect technique of landing a TKD tornadoe kick isn't going to amount to anything, but having developed the reflex and speed to avoid a swinging baseball bat plus knowing that you're going to kick/break their knee next helps tremendously.

 

[thraashman]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: SoftwareEng

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Martial Arts won't do you any good in a street fight. What it comes down to is size, strength, and speed.

... and the martial art utilizing these 3 factors is...?

Have you ever taken any kind of martial arts? It's great to teach you discipline, but it won't do you any good if you get into a street fight.

so knowing the most effective way to strike, block, twist joints, distract your opponent by throwing something at him, does nothing for you?

No, it wont do anything in a fight. A puny 5'8 160lb guy will get crushed by a 6'5 250lb guy. Theres not much to argue there.

I am 6'1" 225 and a friend of mine who is about 5'9" 160 or so can and has before dropped me in a few seconds. I don't even know what martial art he knows and teaches, but he took me down fast using pressure points one time. There was no malice in it, we were messing around at a party and he was demonstrating to someone, and I was willing to be his partner for it. He grabbed a pressure point in my arm and it was like my whole arm was useless.

Personally I've always liked Muay Thai, it's use of elbows, knees, and shins in addition to hands and feet allow greater range. Also it seems less flashy and straight to the point when it comes to disabling someone. But it's also a largely offensive martial art, purely defensive it seems Aikido takes the cake. Also if you want to look bad ass while kicking someone's butt, learn capoeira, though that won't be very effective in any form of street fight but you'll look damn cool.