What is a good martial arts to take up for self defense?

I'm not talking about religious mma, or compition mma, but purely self defence. I want to be able to quikly stop an attacker. How can I find training for it in my area?

What is a good martial arts to take up for self defense?
It depends on your body type and mindset - there are lots of successful martial arts out there because there are lots of different people that move differently, think differently, and have different goals for their training. No one art fits ideally for everyone (those that claim to are the ones that you want to avoid, because it's a sign that they're more interested in 'selling it' to you than in really meeting your needs).





It sounds like you're looking for a "reality" type martial art, which focuses more on physical efficacy than spiritual enrichment. Some arts cater to that goal. Muay Thai (kickboxing), Brazilian Jiujitsu, Krav Maga, and good ol' western boxing come readily to mind.





Even in each of these, however, the focus varies by school. For example, I know that in at least three of the above-named arts, some schools focus on training athletic competitors, while others use the system as a path to personal development, and yet others train purely for self defense.





It all boils down to the instructor, how she/he teaches, and how you respond to his/her style. My advice to new martial artists is usually to visit schools nearby and (after observing a few classes) choose the one that fits your goals best, because (1) at the very beginner levels, pretty much all arts will teach you nearly the same basics, and (2) if it's nearby, it's convenient and you're thus more likely to regularly attend class, which increases the odds that you'll consistently stick with it and achieve your goals.





Remember, observe a few classes first! You want to know how the instructor teaches, how the students train, and all the other things that can't be conveyed in a pamphlet or website. If they don't permit you to watch a class for free, take a pass - good schools are happy to show you what they have to offer before asking for a penny.





A fairly decent studio locator is here: http://www.dojodirectory.com/schoolsearc... That site seems to focus on Asian martial arts, however, which may be a bit limiting. Also try running a search online, or the always-reliable yellow pages too.





Best of luck to you.
Reply:track and field. RUN RUN RUN
Reply:Tae Kwon Do is brilliant, no matter how un-coordinated you are it teaches you simple moves to help you deal with real life dangerous situations such as how to stop someone strangling or choking you, how to get out of headlocks, how to get someone on the floor etc
Reply:Have you ever heard it said that the best defense is a good offense?





I recommend Muay Thai.





Why? Because it is what I studied. Now, everyone else will tell you to study their particular art of choice too.





Why? Because there is no single art that is better than another. It only boils down to personal preference.





I recommend that you start out with the style and school that are located closest to where you live, just out of convenience. Then, after six months or so, you can change schools and styles if you want. To find the school closest to your home, look in the "M" section of the Yellow Pages under the heading "Martial Arts".
Reply:Judo, wrestling, or BJJ.





If someone grapples with you, your striking will be limited, so you're gonna have to learn how to grapple back. 90% of all fights end up in a grapple situation or on the ground, so mind as well train for those situations.
Reply:Some PURE self defense martial arts that are EXTREME and teach for the worst of the worst case situations with no BS are:





JEET KUNE DO CONCEPTS (including Executive Progressive Fight System)





KAPAP-LOTAR





COMBAT HAPKIDO





BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU





No offense to TKD people it is excellent as a sport but it has no pressure points or nerve center attacks and its techniques are about 70% feet and 30% hands. Not quite effective for self preservation and the high kicks although beautiful are easy to block and when both feet come off the ground and then come back down you must find your balance quickly before your attacker strikes again.
Reply:you can always avoid situations that may warrant you "quickly stopping an attacker"....





boxing is good...jab, cross...I have done some boxing, you can learn to run fast and throw fast punches.





kempo is also nice....defence against a right punch. forearm block...punch to "head" area, takedown, dance of death...or just stomp on their head a few times.





miuay thai/kickboxing is nice....shin kicks to the outer thighs, neck grapple and multiple knees to ribs and sternum areas...finish it off with some elbows if they are atill standing.





brazilian joiu jitsu is nice, just break their arm.





or you can try the bad *** no more babies for you style...groin kick, thumbs into eye sockets, pluck out eye balls and detach from optic nerve...uh, pls dont try this at home.





street fighter E.Honda styles...flying headbutt, hundred handed slaps.





street fighter Ryu...Hadoken Ken, HadoKen, hurricane kick.





or you can just transofrm into a Super Saijan and do a super Kamehameha!!!
Reply:interesting that no one so far has even touched on aikido... you wanted self defense %26amp; aikido is one of those martial arts that is PURELY defensive... aikido also teaches better control over your opponent than BJJ %26amp; other jiu-jutsu hybrids. Granted that if your looking for overnight results aikido might not be to your liking as some find it complex %26amp; alot to remember.... but then again if three year olds can do it....
Reply:If you stick with it long enough to become PROFICIENT,


ANY martial art will do the job for you.





It takes a lot longer to become proficient at some martial arts compared to others.


.
Reply:Muay Thai and Jiujitsu.
Reply:Start by looking around your area to see what is available. Go and watch a class and decide if the training they do is realistic. Try and find a school that is dedicated to teach self defense for the streets, and make sure that they will teach you to fight in all ranges of combat. You will need to become proficient both on your feet and on the ground if you want to become a competent self defense technician.
Reply:I would agree with J.V here. Muay Thai is great for attacking the attacker, which in my opinion is the ONLY way to win. being defensive and blocking or jumping out of the way doesnt stop a fight, but allows the attacker to restart the next attack.





it utilizes gross motor skill movements and is accessible in a high stress situation. fancy spinning kicks that involve cognitive focus go out the window and you waste your years of training in one single rush of adrenaline.





so anything would do for your needs IF it emphasized gross motor movements. tournaments involve fine motor finesse, so those abilities are good for self defense. combat classes are great for this, but true military combat instructors are hard to find, and not everyone who has served in the military is able to train in close quarters combat. too many scammers with minimal military experience are making money claiming to teach you t3h r34l d34dly skills. shame on them.





I wouldnt listen to anyone who hadnt been both a ring fighter and someone who had fought outside the ring. there are people on this site with no real experience trying to claim they know the answers.





so like J.V, I have had Muay Thai training, among others, and thoroughly enjoyed it for its simplicity and brutality in over coming the opponent. and is useful on the street. all the bouncers in my city are either amateur/pro muay thai fighters or do muay thai for the love of it. it has success under fire.





Aikido relies solely on fine motor skills and opponent co-operation. people on the street do not through single punches and hope to win with only one. people fire a barrage of punches and kicks and the adrenaline rushing through your brain will shut down all that nice fancy stuff.





Tae Kwon Do is competition based, and prides itself on fancy spinning kicks and skills that are also devoid under adrenaline stress.





remember, its not the persons toughness that counts, its the access to the skills on the gross motor side of reality that counts. thats why sluggers and brawlers are so successful on the street, because these skills are gross motor and easy to do under stress. they are not easy, but simple is never easy when we talk of fighting.





so to answer the question: learn about adrenaline, its effects on the thought process and body, and then look for instruction that has a large gross motor skill base. fine motor skill is great to know, but to survive with your wallet, you will need gross skill appreciation.
Reply:The best style is the 1 that has the best instructor in your area.
Reply:I'd reccomend you try Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Doh Jundokan or Goju Ryu for short, its the stle i take and its very useful its helped me a lot in confrontations where i've had to use my training to defend myself

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