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15 Responses to “What Martial Art do you find really applicable for real life self defense situations?”

1. pugpaws2 on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   It is not the art but the instruction that is important. Everyone seems to get stuck on naming styles.
   1) All martial arts that are taught correctly are good methods of self-defense
   2) Not all instructors are experienced at teaching the self-defense aspects well

   Best way is to visit the local martial arts schools and see what they teach.

2. BUSHIDO on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   freestyle karate is the most practicle self defence,it teachs you stand up,ground/grappling and weapons.judo and jujitsu are also good self defence styles.kung fu(some styles)hapkido and akido are ok although they take a long time to become proficient enough in to be of any use in a real situation.steer away from the fad mas such as crapiera(breakdancing),krav maga(a poor and sloppy imatation of a real ma)and bjj(ok if you want to fight in a ring with a referee).
   anyway thats my opinion based on 40 years in ma and real experience in real situations.

3. anne on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   Aikido… Steven Seagal's specialty…. it involves attacking vital points in the attacker's body that can be so painful for them but so easy for you. It also has some simple moves and calm postures. You hardly ever see Steven Seagal do some big moves when doing his thing.

4. Danny on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   I find very interesting judo and Tae Kwon Do, I think you can learn fast and will help you to be with good health and open your mind.
   But you can learn for control yourself in complicated situations but not for fight, remember "Win who dont fight"

5. kangaroo on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   In my ju-jitsu class, we frequently act out real life situations. For example, last week we set out chairs as if we were in a car and worked on what to do if someone grabs the wheel or tries to overpower you. We also did self defence in enclosed spaces such as the window seat on a bus, and situations that may occur outside clubs if people have had too much to drink and how to stay safe if anything happens.

   I think that Japanese ju-jitsu is very useful for real life situations, as it teaches you some good arm locks, take downs, strikes and pressure points that buy you enough time to get away from a potentially dangerous situation. It's also really fun and not too difficult to pick up from scratch.

   Find out what martial arts are near you- go along to a class and watch- see if you like the feel of the place. Then maybe try some out (most will give you your first lesson for free) and see what suits you best.

   Whatever art you choose, good luck!

6. sfgfd on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   krav maga is the absolute best martial art for real life self defense from what ive seen. if you take a serious krav maga class you should get pushed pretty hard and they teach real situations like chokes, groin shots, hair pull, weapon disarming….whatever you need in order to survive. the Israeli army uses i think…some country in the middle east and believe me its effective.

7. Tim M on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   Pick what works for you, if an art is not for you then it will be useless to you, regardless of where you apply it. Any art can be applied in any situation from tai chi to muay thai, but only if practiced by the right practitioner. Keep this in mind.

8. Ray H on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   Kajukenbo
   CHA 3 kenpo
   Danzan Ryu Jujitsu

9. Matt C on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

   Karate, Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do

10. Stephanie R on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

    Taekwondo is a good martial art for adults because it's not too intense. You learn self defense for someone grabbing you and knife self defense. You learn pressure points and takedowns. Of course, things are different at different schools. So really any martial art would be a good choice as long as it's a good school with good instructors. Good luck in choosing your martial art, and have fun.

11. .................. on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

    Any of them can be. What matters is how you're training. You have to have self-defense style setups, as well as training that emulates what an attacker might attempt to do.

    Now if you pick a martial art (Or set of martial arts) over a combat system designed specifically from self defense (Like Krav Maga), you need to look for either training in all fighting ranges, or training against all fighting ranges. Whatever the style may be, if it specializes in some aspect, someone on the street won't fight the same. They may strike, they may tackle, they may come with a weapon, et cetera…

    Sparring (If any: Most self defense classes don't have sparring [Although Krav Maga does]) should be medium to hard, to emulate someone with a negative intent.

    Good luck.

12. That Guy on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

    Any and all.

13. Silent Monk on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

    Jeet Kun Do

14. mathman2013@sbcglobal.net on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

    all of them are suitable for real life situations, it really just depends on how it's taught.

15. hsmommy06 on June 6th, 2009 2:55 pm

    Most of these Martial Arts are for conditioning your body, but when it comes to really fighting on the streets your best defense is taking a Self Defense course.

    I have studied- Shaolin Kung Fu, Kempo, Shotokan Karate, kickboxing, and Self Defense and they all got me into great shape, but some of the most useful advice was from them self defense courses. It is stuff you would use in real life. You don't have to think about what move you would make. It just comes naturally to beat the crap out of someone or to avoid it all together.

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