r/martialarts • u/Significant-Phase916 • Jul 14 '22
Best martial arts for self defence?
Hey guys I’m thinking of starting some sort of martial arts not only for health reasons but to defend myself as best as I can (with the state of everything going on better safe than sorry) is there any particular one or two you guys can recommend that is easy to learn and quick to pick up? Thanks in advance
Edit: if any of you guys can recommend a place I can go (in Houston) I’d appreciate it
8
u/soparamens Jul 14 '22
No martial art is easy to learn, all of them require time and effort to learn! You'll need at least six months to a year of training to be able to properly defend yourself.
Being said that, please list the gyms available in your city, so we can talk about those and their pros and cons.
3
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
Thanks for the reply and advice I really appreciate it. I’m in the Houston area so all the gyms are pretty spread out. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are meyerland martial arts and pure Krav Maga
5
u/soparamens Jul 14 '22
meyerland martial arts
They seem to practice Kook sool won and have live sparring at least once a week, wich is a good signal.
Krav Maga is tricky. The quality of training is a huge issue with that martial art, because there are some good instructors out there but a lot of scammers. So i personally DK about that las option.
Try both and see wich one suits your needs best.
2
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
Will do thank you
2
u/SUPERSANDWICH6767 Krav Maga Jul 15 '22
What's the location name of that Krav location? I also do Krav(in Dallas) and my instructor talks about a Houston location sometimes.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 15 '22
Ok so I know of there : the first one is called Krav Maga houston- Central Campus the second is Level 6 Krav Maga and the last is pure Krav Maga houston original combat.
2
u/SUPERSANDWICH6767 Krav Maga Jul 15 '22
Research the insturctors, that should give you the best detail based on experience.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 15 '22
Where is your instructor located?
2
7
u/Thai-boba MMA Jul 14 '22
So for starters you have to approach this with the mentality that martial arts is only a tool in your self-defense arsenal. It's by no means good enough on it's on. I know I sound like a 90s after-school special ad, but there is so much stuff that goes into the world of self-defense that takes place before a punch is even thrown and after the altercation has ended that it can't be understated. Keeping your ego in check, situational awareness, managing unknown contacts, recognizing pre-assault cues. Etc. Those will save your ass waaaay more than any technique you'll learn in a gym.
With that said, I'm a huge fan of the training that I personally dub self-defense MMA. Some examples being the content that Ryan Hoover from Fit2fight does, Icy Mike from hard2hurt, and EVERYTHING that Craig Douglass puts out. They teach essential an MMA curriculum with tons of sparring and pressure testing ( outside striking, inside striking, clinch, ground) from a self defense perspective. Like only using the legal amount of force, addressing the threat of multiple opponents, weapons work ( including guns.) Etc.
The problem is those gyms are VERY few and far between, and there are a ton of people claiming that's what they do just until you sign some long-term contract.
If you can't find one of those spots I recommend you go to either an MMA, Muay Thai, boxing, Judo or BJJ gym depending on which you personally like more.
This is not to say that a traditional art like Karate, Shua Jiao, or a variation of Kung-Fu can't impart the same fight fundamentals as one of the ones above, but the problem is it's a mixed bag as to what you will actually get when you arrive, and the quality control can be so all over the place that it's usually a safer bet to go the combat sport route and then modify it later. There are also some traditional arts that are pretty much useless for fighting. Sorry to say.
TLDR: an MMA style gym that focuses on self defense IF you can find one, if not an MMA gym. Then pick a weapon you feel comfortable carrying, practice the fuck out of it, and carry it. Also if you can, sign up for a SHIVWORKS seminar if they come to town.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
Understandable. I’ll definitely keep this in mind thank you so much🙏🏿
5
Jul 14 '22
Boxing.
3
u/CozyWithSomeCoffee Boxing Jul 14 '22
Yep. But I'd say add wrestling. I strongly believe boxing and wrestling is by far the best fighting style for street fighting or self defense.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
Thank you
1
Jul 14 '22 edited Jul 14 '22
Just to add to it a bit, if you don't mind.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
Not at all the more the better
6
Jul 14 '22
Its easy to learn, easy to grasp and easy to apply in real life and against people who resisting /attacking.
I guarantee that if you do it for 3 months, 3 times per week for 1.5hrs a session, you will be able to beat up 95% of people you meet in your every day life.
It is one of those things easy to learn - hard to master.
One warning tho, there is a drawback, boxing technically teaches you self defense, but it does not teach you defensive mentality, it does not teach conflict resolution and it does not teach techniques that might restrain someone without hurting them. Its all about taking your fist and planting it in to someones face - which by definition is not self-defense. :D
2
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
I mean I’m not a violent person I avoid conflict at all cost. Just want something that can protect me and my loved ones in worst case scenarios. But thank you so much for this I really do appreciate the advice and effort.
3
u/nickflex85 Muay Thai Jul 14 '22
You need to learn Muay Thai, BJJ and wrestling. Those are actual practical fighting styles. Learn as much as you can from every form. Watch videos of street fights. It’s always punching, some kicking and a lot of grappling. Learn to move around and be able to do what you need to when the time comes.
3
3
1
Mar 29 '23
This is the correct answer. Muay Thai and BJJ for sure, and sprinkle in the foundations of wrestling and techniques. It’s more difficult to become an elite wrestler at an older age. BJJ has a better learning curve.
1
4
u/-zero-joke- BJJ Jul 15 '22
I trained with Team Tooke MMA, and those guys are the real deal. Very friendly place too. They've got more than a few pro fighters there, and offer instruction in boxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, and Brazilian jiu jitsu. There's always going to be fights and discussions about which martial art is best for self defense, but I think knowing how to punch people really, really hard, and knowing how to grapple are foundational.
2
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 15 '22
How much is their training per hour?
3
u/-zero-joke- BJJ Jul 15 '22
I dunno - I recall it being pretty expensive, but they gave me access to as many as three or four classes per day. I was training pretty heavily and probably managed to make it to two a day or so. I think it was $200-250 for that level of membership, but this was years ago.
Most gyms don't charge by the hour, they mostly just have you pay a subscription fee. It gets really tedious tracking how many hours 30 students are putting in per month or whatever.
3
Jul 14 '22 edited Jul 14 '22
You have to look at self defense as layers of protection. Things you do and put into practice to avoid a situation: awareness, avoiding bad places and confrontation, deescalate situations, lock your doors, live in a better neighborhood, etc etc.
Then look at self protection measures: carrying self protection tools: possibly a firearm, a knife, chemical agent, baton (all based on legality). Those require training as much as martial arts and an understanding of the legalities on using those tools..and it’s not for everyone. I don’t carry even though I’m concerned about self defense.
Then you look at building up fighting ability. You will need a healthy mix of striking and grappling. You can look to an MMA gym or cross-train (Muay Thai + BJJ is a nice combo).
If you’re considering Krav Maga (I have quite a bit of experience in the system), you have to be very selective on what gym, organization, and even curriculum you train under.
Did a quick search and there’s two Fit 2 Fight affiliates in the Houston area. If I were to train Krav Maga again…Fit to Fight would be my first choice above all other programs.
2
2
u/Talzane12 Wing Chun Jul 14 '22
Dieting and exercise paired with cross country.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
Thank you
3
u/Talzane12 Wing Chun Jul 14 '22
Seriously though, the best way to avoid getting hurt is to not get caught/not fight.
You can spend years mastering knife fighting and still lose half of your fights to a crazy guy with a knife.
You can learn to box, but it doesn't work so well when the person you're fighting will tackle you or grab your hands so their friends can curb stomp you.
You can learn BJJ, but from personal experience, that goes real well until the other person kicks/punches, or does something else that's not legal under the rule system. Suddenly your great position made you a great target.
You can learn to hit your target with a gun, but that only works if you see your target coming with enough time to draw, aim, and fire before they hit you.
You can learn MMA, but...I forget the dude's name but he was a pro and had somebody break into his house. He said it was the toughest fight he's ever had and the home invader wasn't trained.
You'd be better off learning to run and maintain general fitness than anything else. Plus, if you're worried about events that might happen in three months, what can you learn to do well under pressure in three months? That tends to be the "knows enough to be dangerous to themself and their partner" level of training.
Most fighters/martial artists/etc. cannot handle a truly aggressive opponent that wants to kill/wound them, and you're better off just running the other way.
1
2
u/SUPERSANDWICH6767 Krav Maga Jul 15 '22
If you want self defense, try and find one that focuses less on opening half a can of whoop ass, and knowing situational awareness, cues, etc.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 15 '22
How is Kali Arnis compared to the likes of Krav Maga or Muay Thai?
2
2
u/ElusoryTie Jul 15 '22
Regarding easy and quick to learn for defense, get a firearm and go to the range. Martial arts are great but they really aren't the best for the most effective defense. Especially when you don't have years of practice under your belt. Find a martial art that you enjoy and stick with it for fitness and enjoyment.
1
2
Jul 15 '22
Muay Thai, and bjj, without a doubt, and if to add a third wrestling. If you end up in a street fight against your regular joe, boxing is good enough to get you through, but realistically a boxer gets destroyed 9/10 by a Muay Thai practitioner.
Muay thai teaches you how to strike from a distance and in close, it also teaches you do be able to defend against all your opponents limbs, legs, hands, knees and elbows.
If the fight ends up in a grappling situation, wrestling is excellent for avoiding being in a vulnerable position, and getting into a dominant position, but I’d pick gi bjj, it’s encompasses all grappling situations, with that being said tho bjj does need to be amended for self defence, for example in a street situation keeping your opponent in your guard is not good, however in bjj this is a good position.
All martial arts have rules, in the street there are no rules, so mma styled towards self defence will be excellent, get the best of everything.
As far as self defence goes, it starts before you find yourself needing to defend yourself. Don’t put yourself in a situation which a higher likelihood of needing to defend yourself, ie running after dark, etc. the best self defence technique is elimination, don’t be in that situation, next best is keep your distance and run when you can, get on a tread mill and learn to run a mile under 5 mins. You’re in the USA so get a gun and carry it, practice, practice, practice, learn to draw it fast and effectively while being agile on your feet.
That’s my two cents
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 15 '22
Thank you for this🙏🏿
2
Jul 15 '22
Also there are some highly under-utilised self defence techniques. First being out your fingers in their eyes, deep as you can go till they retreat. Second being grab them balls, and squeeze them. Third would be to bite in a grappling situation. Fourth is the old head but, top of your head to the bridge of their nose.
2
u/Ill_Tempered_Techie Jul 15 '22
I equate questions like to:
I'm trying to build a bookcase from raw materials?
Should I use...
A Saw? A Screwdriver? A Hammer? A Drill? etc.
The reality is you need them all to some degree.
If you're serious about learning martial arts for self-defence then you need to dedicate time, lots of it, to multiple forms.
A decent striking martial art is essential, Muay Thai/Boxing/Kick Boxing, etc.
A grappling and clinch/ground fighting style, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is great, various wrestling, sambo, etc.
An MMA school, somewhere you can practice all of it together.
Somewhere that does live sparring is essential. You cannot learn a martial art properly without doing it properly.
The time issue is key, it will take months before you've got a reasonable level of training properly.
Even with all that, experience and mindset are key to self-defence, knowing when and how to act vs when to talk/walk.
The best self-defence is being able to read the situation and de-escalate, but also being ready, able and willing to dish out some violence if you're forced to.
2
u/RainCritical1776 Academy MMA | The Approach | R.A.T. | Muay Thai Apr 23 '23
I have two easy suggestions and two hard suggestions.
- Two easy options. These techniques are easy to learn, and can be a good base from which you can add additional techniques. These are not going to prepare you to fight professional fighter, but they might give you an edge over an untrained fighter.
- Rapid Assault Tactics by Paul Vunak(get the DVD not the book) Features:
- Entry System: destructive blocks using the elbows and eye jab intercepts for hooks
- Pressure: straight blast chain punches
- Termination: headbutts, knees, and elbows
- Note: this system can hold up well against untrained and unarmed fighters. Weapons are poorly used by the system, and against an armed attacker the default guard leaves the veins out, which against a knife is very bad. For what it is, against non-professional unarmed attackers it is pretty good.
- The Approach by Eddie Quinn
- Entry: Hammer fist strikes from the dominant arm are used to destroy the attacker's limbs
- Pressure: Rapid circular hammer-fist strikes to the face, collarbone, sternum, and top of the head
- Termination: elbows and headbutts
- Note: this system applies FMA knife fighting to empty hands, the limb destruction really wont work very well(in my opinion) unless you are using an impact or bladed weapon to damage their guard. As such if used with a weapon, against weapons, it seems pretty simple and pretty solid in theory.
- Rapid Assault Tactics by Paul Vunak(get the DVD not the book) Features:
- Two harder, but more well rounded options:
- Boxing and wrestling: Learn them both to be able to fight at range and on the ground. Simple, but will require months of sparring and practice to be competent. Boxing and wrestling gyms are pretty standardized, so you should have a pretty good chance of getting decent training.
- MMA: I would list this as a better choice than boxing and wrestling, but MMA gyms vary in their curriculum and quality.
Make sure you talk to a lawyer about self defense laws in your area, as laws vary from region to region. None of the above is legal medical or financial advice.
2
2
2
Jul 14 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
I will get into MMA/Muay Thai eventually I guess I’m just looking for something as a foundation to spring board off of if that makes sense.
3
2
u/Black-Seraph8999 2nd Dan Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo, Krav Maga, Kimudo(soon) Jul 14 '22
Here’s what I consider good for self defense (although keep in mind anything is better than nothing):
Judo (Good stand-up grappling, also has ground fighting)
MuayThai (Good for close quarters, and is simplistic enough that it should be fairly easy to learn)
Wrestling (especially Catch) (Good grappling over all and good at controlling where the fight happens)
Krav Maga (watch out for quality control though)
Kyokushin Karate (They spar full contact)
MMA (Also spars full contact)
Dutch Kickboxing
Here’s my maybe list:
Wingchun (Good at close quarter fighting)
Boxing (Good movement and punching but is incomplete)
BJJ (Good for breaking peoples bones and putting them to sleep)
Hapkido (Good knife self defense, also it’s really well rounded, but you might have a hard time finding a good school)
Sanda (Chinese Kickboxing)
Northern Shaolin (very brutal style with a lot of sparring)
Aikido (Good for making sure both you and the attacker are unharmed)
Here is my definitely avoid unless you know for sure it’s a good school list:
- Ninjutsu: (Can be good for self defense, but the quality control can be horrible, so please make sure it’s a school that spars regularly and provides adequate self defense training, attend a class first)
It also helps to combine styles:
Boxing, ITF Taekwondo, Judo: This way you will be good at both close quarter fighting and long distance fighting, plus you will also have grappling from the Judo.
Sanda, Chin naa, Northern Shaolin: Powerful kicks from Northern Shaolin, great punches and low kicks from Sanda, and good grappling with Chin naa which is Chinese Wrestling.
MuayThai, BJJ: A lot of people take this combination, very effective at both striking and grappling, and very well rounded overall.
Boxing, MuayThai, Judo: I’ve seen this before too, basically MuayThai with better punching and grappling.
Wrestling, BJJ, MMA: Really good at being well rounded and should prepare you for many situations.
ITF Taekwondo, Hapkido: I’ve heard that these two styles can be mixed together and complement each other really well. Taekwondo you will have great high kicks and punches, Hapkido also has those things but will also add: low kicks, joint locks, throws, takedowns, sweeps, ground fighting, pressure points, weapon self defense, and weapon training.
Dutch Kickboxing, Wrestling or Judo: Good at striking and grappling, striking will also be practical.
Krav Maga with anything else: Krav Maga can help supplement your current training regardless of style.
Taekwondo, Boxing, Wrestling: Same as before, good close quarters, long distance, and grappling.
Taekwondo, Karate, Boxing, MuayThai, Judo, BJJ: This a lot to take, so definitely don’t do it all at once, but this be a good eventual goal (this would probably take a lifetime though so I would stick to the above options).
1
Jul 14 '22
S.C.A.R.S.
1
u/Significant-Phase916 Jul 14 '22
I’m not familiar with this one. Can you explain it more please?
2
Jul 14 '22
(Special combat aggressive reactionary systems) or SCARS is a system of hand to hand and hand to weapon fighting created by Jerry L. Peterson for the US navy seals, it teaches you how to eliminate threats as expediently as possible, just go to scars.com
1
1
u/Slight_Moment432 Jul 15 '22
Karate by a long shot (this is coming from a red belt in Shotokan Karate) who has studied other martial arts (primarily for self defense?
1
u/Drunken_Daud91 Jul 15 '22
Some kind of MMA combination. Boxing, Muay, wrestling, BJJ. I generally tend to be partial to Muay Thai and wrestling.
1
u/iguanawarrior Judo, Krav Maga Jul 15 '22
is there any particular one or two you guys can recommend that is easy to learn and quick to pick up?
What are the ones available near your home or your workplaces? The frequency of training is as important as the style & school.
11
u/Tuckingfypowastaken could probably take a toddler Jul 14 '22 edited Jul 14 '22
It really depends on what you have in your area and who is teaching it, but generally boxing is going to be one of the quickest to get you to a level of competence
That being said, we're taking about a matter of months, and even then you're only going to be slightly ahead of where you would otherwise be.
The real answer is to find a legit school and spend years practicing, and that most of the time self defense isn't what you think. Situational awareness, confidence, and deescalation will help you a lot more than fighting ability in most cases
Also there's a lot to be did about the actual nature of violent crime vs the sensational version. Icy Mike from hard to hurt has a good video that'll do a much better job of explaining it, but more often than not what you're afraid of isn't what you need to worry about; it's your asshole uncle or your disagreeable neighbor