Which Martial Art is best for self-defense?

I am not interested in getting a degree in Asian Culture and History. I just want to learn how to most efficiently inflict damage to a human body. In a street-fight situation, which training would best help me to survive?





Unfortunately, I live in a rough part of town and though I don%26#039;t intend to pick a fight with anyone, I may have to defend myself from attack. Also, which fighting style is best when attacked by more than one person simultaneously?





By the way, I am quite fit but have never trained in anything. I don%26#039;t even know how to throw a punch properly - so I want to learn quickly without all the %26quot;spiritual%26quot; crap thrown in.

Which Martial Art is best for self-defense?
I agree with 2 other people that have said Kempo. That is what I study. Go to www.ussd.com and see if they have a school in your area. they have 170 schools in 14 states. Most offer 2 free weeks so you can see if it is something you really want.


USSD stand for Untied Schools of self Defense. We learn how to defend ourselves and in Kempo it is 3 to 5 strikes that will take your attacker out. We also learn how to defend ourselves from multiple attackers. Good Luck.
Reply:TaeKwonDo.
Reply:Judo , Kick Boxing
Reply:thai chi
Reply:heard of bass rutten ?


his techniques are all developed for street fights. try to buy his videos but u can also download it.
Reply:Judo and Karate.
Reply:aikido





or kung fu
Reply:tae kwan do, for longe range defense, shaolin chinna for grappling, jujitsu for wrestling, and taichichaun for power.
Reply:I used to study KEMPO. It teaches to defend 1st, then to attack second.


Except the attacking part is pretty devestating. It uses the momentum of the opponent%26#039;s attack against him with a combination of moves to basically render the opponent unconscious and bleeding following your defense of his attack.





Its powerful stuff, man.
Reply:I believe Jeet Kune Do is the best practical stand up defense style out there. It was created by Bruce Lee and draws from a number of different styles including tae kwon do, karate, american boxing, etc.


There are no %26quot;katas%26quot; to memorize like in karate and we didn%26#039;t even have belts. It%26#039;s just practical defense.


Our instructor used to give tutorials to Navy Seals and police departments on the side.


It isn%26#039;t flashy, it isn%26#039;t always pretty (there are tactics like eye jabbing) but it is effective. The principles are designed to neutralize any size or strength advantages your opponent might have (Bruce Lee was a pretty small guy - plus who needs to train to fight someone smaller and weaker??)





We coupled it with Brazilian Jui Jitsu grappling so that we would be prepared in case a fight ever went to the ground.
Reply:Absolutely not TaeKwonDo, unless you want to get your leg grabbed while doing some showmanship and drilled head-first into the ground with a pile driver.





In addition to staying away from TaeKwonDo, I would recommend staying away from the vast majority of places that wear uniforms, practice %26quot;kata%26quot;/ballet, speak in foreign tongues and have old ladies in the class.





I would suggest learning boxing and wrestling, and a martial art should train you to defend yourself against someone skilled in these techniques, as opposed to blocking a kick to the face while you%26#039;re standing which isn%26#039;t going to happen. I don%26#039;t think that a lot of Karate punching and defending techniques are as good as those of boxing, and if you look at a lot of Karate guys, they don%26#039;t have a clue about keeping their guard up or not dropping their hands after they throw a punch.





They should really have special gear with someone simulating an actual street attack, as opposed to training you to score points in some sissy no contact tournament.





It boils down to the fact that you%26#039;re going to have to ask around in your local area the same as you%26#039;re asking here. Some of the biggr cities do have some worthwhile places.
Reply:I have found that running away is effecient when dealing with more than one person. Barring that I would suggest a combination of wrestling (not the professional kind) to teach grappling skills. Boxing to develop hand striking ability and power. Tang-soo Do to develop feet striking capability. And lastly Judo which teaches balance, throws, grappling, and strikes. This way you can you utilize all you have learned and preotect yourself. And although I understand your stance on not wanting to learn the Asian cultures, it is written in the philosophy of Bushido (that is the way of the warrior) that one must surely plan for peace and balance as one does for violence and chaos.
Reply:Jujitsu. In class I learned a lot of techniques for escaping, in addition to more offensive moves.





I%26#039;m not talking about the Brazilian style, but the Japanese style.





I agree with you - I don%26#039;t want to learn a lot of silly forms. The class I took was all about learning actual techniques that you can use. There was a spiritual element as well, but it wasn%26#039;t the focus.
Reply:Best practical street self-defense -Krav Maga - hands down.





Best one on one fight technique - MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Combination of Muy Tai and Brazilian JuJitsu (one on one, Brazilian JuJitsu is the best %26quot;real fight%26quot; technique.





In the flurry of a fight, flashy moves DO NOT Work - if you try to spin kick me, I will take you down and break you.





Bruce Lee%26#039;s Jeet Kun Do - pretty effective, not the best





If I were you, I would train under someone that has done many martial arts for many years, I did, and he based his teachings off the most effective moves from all the arts, some from aikido, some from shotokan, some from muy tai, most from Brazilian jujistu - he didn%26#039;t teach any of the junk that doesn%26#039;t work in real life.
Reply:Pohon88 and Marty K are correct.
Reply:The best martial art is the one you are willing to spend the time to learn. If all you want to do is learn self defense, find a local self defense course; you can contact your local police, they may have some classes or know where you can get the information.





Martial arts take time to develop, and no matter what you do, even simple self defense techniques, you have to spend the time to learn them so well that you don%26#039;t have to think about using them, you can react quickly to protect yourself.
Reply:It really depends on what you want to do, and what you%26#039;re looking for.





Arts that can be good for multiple attackers :








Choy Li Fut- traditional Southern kung fu.





Takes time to learn, lots of formwork, physical conditioning, and a crapload of weapons.....but designed to be effective in close-quarters fighting.





Wing Chun- traditional Southern kung fu.





Takes time to learn, but highly effective in close quarters in-fighting. Under the right pressure in training....can lead to seriously adept ability with hands, elbows, and low kicks.


Minimal weapons training.





Muay Thai- Thailand%26#039;s kickboxing.





Easy to learn, with a LOT of physical conditioning. Makes effective use of knees, elbows, and certain low kicks. Weak punches and push-kicks though. No weapons training, and


generally weak to weapons defense.





Jujutsu (traditional Japanese styles such as Yoshin Ryu.)





Depending on the instructor, Jujutsu either could be taught fantastically, or it could be crap.


Lots of focus on occupying space and throwing/locking/takedowns/applying a weapon/chokes, etc....moreso than just standing there and blocking.


Great for combat, if taught realistically. Lots of weapons work, defense and offense...and in turn, much better schooled in the applications of such.





Jujitsu (newer branch of the Brazillian variety.)





Great for one on one situations, and lousy for more than one attacker, as it%26#039;s entire focus is ground-fighting. Now, don%26#039;t get me wrong....what they do, they do VERY well...but it is quite one sided.


Weak against weapons as well.





Judo (traditional Kodokan style.)





Mainly useful for one on one....but can be applied for 2 or 3 people if you%26#039;re dang good. Main focus is throwing, but with skill...a throw can be nasty on the part of the recipient if they fall badly (if you know what I mean.)


Works well in conjunction with Jujutsu.





Krav Maga - Israeli military combat exercises.





Brutal, nasty, to the point. Enough said.





MMA - Mixed Martial Arts....pretty much an amalgam of Muay Thai, Grecco-Roman Wrestling, Brazillian Jiu-jitsu (dammit...why do they spell it so incorrectly....argh.)





Very physical, but you learn the basics....and quickly.





Bujinkan Taijutsu : (this is highly dependent on the instructor...sadly.)





The most thourough and well rounded Japanese martial art I%26#039;ve ever seen or trained in. Lots of weapons and unarmed combat techniques that universally apply back and forth...that range from the ancient to the modern, handguns for example. Focus on strikes, locks, chokes, throws, pins, groundfighting, etc.


And the mindset is fantastic....generally not much in the spiritual department....but it provides a wonderful...survival mentality if taught correctly.


Takes a long time to master, but the basics can be learned quickly.





What I would avoid like the plague! :





Tae Kwon Do, American Karate, Hapkido....or pretty much anything that wears multiple different belts whilst having people in lines doing kata and screaming %26quot;kiai!%26quot; for no apparent reason.





Basically, here%26#039;s the rub: if it looks way too fancy to work, it won%26#039;t.





I like to keep with the K.I.S.S. principle when it comes to combat...%26quot;keep it simple, stupid.%26quot;





Keep it simple, easy to learn/apply...and you%26#039;re good to go.
Reply:Krav Maga is great for self defense. JLo took Krav Maga to learn the techniques for her movie %26quot;Enough%26quot;. I%26#039;m sure that%26#039;s what you wanted to hear, right? I took it for a couple years and loved it and got in great shape too. I also took Taekwondo, but didn%26#039;t learn much about self defense. It was more focused on learning forms and boring stuff like that. Trust me, if you take Krav, you%26#039;ll be able to kick anybodies @ss that tried to mess with you!
Reply:it seems everyone on here is only posting the style they take. I definately have to say the best one%26#039;s are boxing, and kenpo. I%26#039;m an orange belt in kenpo and can already take on my own father. (he%26#039;s alot bigger and stronger than me, i%26#039;m 15) in addition, the focus of kenpo is self defense. especially against multiple opponents. it is based on quick strikes and take-downs. many of which i have used on friends, telling them it%26#039;s coming, and they still can%26#039;t block it and get thrown to the ground. As for boxing, i%26#039;ve only learned a little because my kenpo instructor also teaches boxing. but it%26#039;s based of four strikes, jab, cross, round house, and upper cut. not much to know, but learning that and using it in drills will really help you to defend yourself. when someone try%26#039;s to hit you, you%26#039;ll automaticly know what to do. my advice, take kenpo, i%26#039;ve been taking it for only 4 months now and already i can take on up to three of my friends at a time. (keep in mind that they don%26#039;t study martial arts) good luck
Reply:Lotta views on this one. First my own opinion: Move. Living in the right neighborhood is the best thing for all concerned. I moved from the Urban life to the rural life and I%26#039;ve never had any regrets. Especially coz it%26#039;s a better place to raise kids.





Another point, different perspective: I have some Korean friends told me about an international martial arts contest they used to watch every year growing up, people from all contries competing with all martial art types. I asked him a similar type question %26quot;So which was the one that ended up winning?%26quot;. He told me %26quot;without fail it was the guy using TaekwonDo, UNLESS.......%26quot; he added %26quot;If the Judo guy can make contact with his opponent then the Judo guy wins hands down.%26quot;


That%26#039;s the thing you have to consider in your situation. What kind of fighting style will be most suited. Are you most likely to be in close contact Brawl type situations? In which case Judo would be the best. But if it%26#039;s a Keeping your distance type throwing punches and kicks then Taekwondo. Or perhaps the best solution is a combination of learning both.





Then there%26#039;s the third point. You never hear on the news %26quot;Today a young man was held up at gunpoint in a convenience store, but fortunately he knew Karate.....%26quot;. No, most often the headline would go something like this: %26quot;A convenience store was held up today and fortunately no customers were hurt but the store clerk was shot dead when he attempted to use kung Fu on the perpetrator....%26quot;. Get the point??? Nothing is really gonna help you against the REAL dangers of living in a tough neighborhood. Someone in the group will always have a gun. There is no martial art that can stop a bullet to the brain.
Reply:i asked a few girls who r black belts in Karate i said what would u do if a bloke attacked u they all said %26quot;i would kick them hard in the nuts%26quot; I say no more...
Reply:taikwondo
Reply:Aikijutsu is most recommended - variants of it are used by special forces from all over the world including the Navy Seals and the NSA (Black Operations) in the USA as well as the SAS in the U.K. most of the folks who teach this stuff in the Military do not add any %26#039;spiritual crap%26#039; - just what you need to know to stay alive. Some type of %26quot;kung-fu%26quot; is the next best, or better for street fighting forms. try to stay away from %26#039;sport%26#039; forms, if you want to learn the stuff that will keep you from gettting killed in a real life or death street-fight.
Reply:First a slight correction...Hapkido does work very well. In fact, so well that the police in Korea use it, the police in the US, the military and many others. Both Aikido and Hapkido are from Aikijujitsu.


Now that%26#039;s out of the way - based on what you are saying I would look for Kempo, a good Kung Fu that also offers Chin Na (joint locks).


The reason for this is that Hapkido and some of the other arts require time to really become effective while Kempo and Kung FU also take time, but not really as much to become effective.


Normally I would say stay away from Americanized arts, but you sound like that%26#039;s what you are asking for so also considered a mixed martial arts school. MMA..
Reply:I%26#039;g go in the following order


something where you learn to control the opponents body to your advantage is a good way to go first off


so judo, jujitsu or aikido...and yes even ninjitsu, if you can get a good teacher(as it deals with the opponents presure points)





then if you would rather become a proficient striker go for


boxing(if for nothing else the learning to take a hit and actually punch, its amazing how many people dont do it properly)





muai thai(**** kicking/punching style)


kickboxing....no their not the same thing


tae kwon do...has powerful kicks and if its a good school will teach how to throw them properly


karate....has good kicks but not much fluidity


kungfu/capoeria.....cool to watch but not alot of practical usage for your average person
Reply:Give Choi Kwang Do a try.


check out http://www.choikwangdo.com for locations near you.


Also, you can try it for one month free.





A full month.