Which martial art is most effective for self defense?

Originally Posted by eidolon

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Name three people who aren't scam artists who run schools in the United States and teach students directly.


I haven't done a study of it, but I know two teachers who are pretty good. do I wish that the operation that I study at wasn't so commercial? sure, but it seems to me most dojos in the US are very commercial.

This methodology of training, that exists within the IDF, has not been recreated in the Western world from what I have seen.

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well, yeah, nobody in the US, or certainly no civillian, would want to train in krav the way it is tought in the IDF. but that doesn't effect the system. there is a very well defined system for teaching krav, even in the states.

If you want to hurt someone, badly, you can do it without training in anything. Eyes, throat, "zone" out and do not stop. If you learn how to punch, if you become acclimated with being punched (no one stops flinching), if you learn how to subdue someone close in you get what you need without the crapshoot that is Krav Maga.

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I disagree with you about that. what most people need is to learn how to use some agression. if you have never really been in a fight, or never really done heavy contact sparing or hit a bag, this is exactly the type of thing that krav can teach you.

Originally Posted by Mr T

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What I really want to know is which martial art is best for offense? Which style would be best for just attacking people without provocation?

I would still stick with Muay Thai or Boxing. If you are going to run down the street and randomly kick people's asses, one should at least know the proper way to punch or kick. It's always about style.


That is if you don't want to use a weapon...

take up tai chi, those boys are killers

heres me boxing! woo this is what it can help you do!

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

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Ok. Maybe the best self defense for you yachtie is to see if your state allows a concealed weapons permit. Therefor if you pull out your gun at would be attackers the chances are extremely high that you wont get punched, stabbed, kicked, a beer bottle smashed over the head, on the ground, or running. You might not even have to break a sweat because u can just slowly walk away backwards getting onto the bus and watching them tremble as you take your seat and drive away.

Who needs a permit for that ? That said, I'm already familiar with streetfighting and general brawling. Something more systematized would be helpful.

Originally Posted by West24

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heres me boxing! woo this is what it can help you do!


Nicely done! +1

Originally Posted by yachtie

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Nicely done! +1

thank you!

The inimitable RJMan once distilled my entire relevance to the forum as 'boxing, Vietnam, repeat' - so obviously I do have a bias, but I wouldnt necessarily say it is the best street defense style. Firstly, as Eason first said - make sure you are training some place where you are hitting and being hit. Now, this is most cheaply and readily available at any boxing gym on the planet. Most muay thai places will be the same....but I would still say, for an overall style that is quick to learn, lawless in its approach to getting you out of trouble, and street effective, take up Zach's offer to introduce you to his Krav guy in Chicago. I am not a big believer in the 'it all ends on the ground' theory. I think most fights end with someone clinching up, absolutely, but I have always been skeptical of the off-mat application of BJJ....and I say this as a BJJ student. Do it outside, end up with dirt in your eyes, cant see ****...do it in a bar, cut self on broken glass, and that doesn't even get into the 'I took one guy down, had his arm twisted backwards, till his friend kicked me in the head' issue. edit : Just found the PM I sent to Zach with the Youtube links to Krav Fightquest....

Originally Posted by m@T

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Have you seen this? Might bring back some memories.... Skip part 1, it is just the intro, which is repeated in pt 2 anyhow. Part 2 3 4 5 6 7

Originally Posted by West24

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thank you!

That outfit is so not SF-approved.

Does Nike make bespoke tanktops?

Originally Posted by West24

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heres me boxing! woo this is what it can help you do!
You always fight people half your size?

Originally Posted by West24

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heres me boxing! woo this is what it can help you do!


Well done. what was the difference your weight and your opponents?

Originally Posted by JammieDodger

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You can't deal out some pain by running. Also, the last thing I'd want to do is turn my back on someone who is trying to injure or kill me. For a start running would give me under 50% odds and I wouldn't know just how fast the enemy could run.
Don't be marsupialed, think. The worst case scenario is that you actually get into a fight with someone. Once you get into that ****, the odds of something worse happening increase exponentially. If running is an option, always do it. You never know when someone has friends behind you, is carrying a weapon, or is a judo black belt or some ****, so avoid it.

fight? **** that, i let 6 friends do the work for me.

Truly a loaded question. Everyone will have their own opinion, so here's mine. If you are looking for a quick, overnight fix, boxing is an effective martial art you can learn in a reasonable amount of time. Yes, there is footwork and movement involved, but at it's base it's really just learning about 6 punches. Make no mistake, it takes alot of time to truly master the sport though. Lately, more people are doing Muay Thai, which is also an effective martial art, but remember you need to be pretty flexible to be good at it. For some, flexibility takes a looooooong time to achieve. Others are naturally flexible. If you're one of those naturally flexible people (lucky bastard) then I'd recommend Muay Thai, since it's also a martial sport that's quick to learn the basics.

If you're willing to take time to learn a martial art, then I'd recommend pretty much any of them. Just try and find quality instruction. That's really the hardest part. I don't know how many masters of Tae Kwon Do, Okinawan Karate, or Judo there are, but every strip mall in the country seems to have a place to train. I believe pretty much all martial arts can be trained to be effective for self defense, some take much longer to learn than others. Aikido & Tai Chi might take 15 years before you're comfortably able to use them in a fight. Just remember, no martial art makes you bulletproof no matter what the instructor tells you. You'd be amazed how many claim to be utilized by the Navy Seals, etc. Don't let some guy try to sell you that you'll be able to fight like Jason Bourne. A popular fad these days is claiming that their art is the only art worth studying because [90]% of fights end up on the ground. These statistics are true, but these are taken from police reports where officers are trying to handcuff a suspect and need to wrestle him to the ground in order to get the restraints on. Another gimmick today is that the instructor might tell you that their art is the most effective streetfighting style and have the documented proof to back it up. On closer inspection you'll find that the data is true, but pertains to 1960s street fights in Hong Kong. The lesson here is every martial art will say that theirs is the best...they have to, it's the way they recruit students and keep themselves in business.

Have realistic expectations of the art you choose to study. Movies are just that, movies. Fights don't happen the choreographed manner that you see them in. Rarely will others not get involved and let the fight go one-on-one. Using objects/weapons in a fight can happen. It doesn't matter if you train as a standup fighter or a ground fighter, or both: multiple attackers & weapons are going to make things very difficult for you. It's pretty easy for a troublemaker to conceal a handgun.

My last piece of advice (or others may say: more bullshit from this guy) is to train in something you enjoy doing. You have to put in the time and energy. When the instructor is teaching, pay attention. Watch for details. Listen, listen, listen to the instructor and to senior students. If you train in Krav Maga and you end up hating it, quit. You're probably half-assing through the lesson when you aren't busy looking up at the clock. The first martial art you choose might not be what you're looking for...or it just might be. Good luck.

Originally Posted by m@T

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. . . Just found the PM I sent to Zach with the Youtube links to Krav Fightquest....
Wow! I just noticed in the links, a female soldier takes one of the students to Hadera to learn Krav Maga. I was in Hadera not that long ago and met a woman who looked to be near her 80s who was in the Hagana in the 1940s, which is, I gather, when Krav Maga began. I asked her what she did and learned in the beginning and she said they had no real weapons so she trained in hand and stick combat. She showed me some of it and it is amazing what a woman that old can still do. And with a small cudgel in her hand she was scary. I guarantee you that today she could clear a room full of college students in 15 seconds.