what self defense style should i take?

Question

what self defense style should i take?

Answer 1

there are places that will provide just self defense classes.

You want something that will allow you to use the other persons weight against them. Aikido is very focused on this, so is Tae chi (in case you can't find just a regular self defense class). Boxing and tae kwon and most karate is impractical in a real situation. Judo and Ju Jitsu are okay. I still say Aikido would be the most self defense.

Answer 2

if you want self defense, Hapkido is great. It covers situations like people grabbing you from behind, grabbing your arms, hair, chest, neck, in general it covers self defense very well. its a fighting system which uses joint manipulation and redirecting your oponents force against them so that you can defend yourself better.



Hapkido is also taught with alot of korean martial arts, like Taekwondo, so if you can find a Taekwondo school with hapkido in it, then you should try and go there.



karate and kung fu are also great for self defense purposes, because both incorporate kicking, punching, jointlocking, and in karates case, takedows.



Jiujitsu, Judo, boxing, muay thai, kick boxing, are all very good self defense systems and are highly effective on the streets. I dont know your age, but if your young, you might want to take Taekwondo, Karate, or kung fu because thats where you can make more long lasting friendships, learn self defense, and have fun. Martial arts like juod or boxing are a bit more intense and involve more hard contact, so you might find it hard to start out, but dont worry, youll get the hang of it after a week or two. I do WTF TKD and do boxing and Muay thai, and I can tell you that in TKD I have meet some very good friends, more than in MT or boxing combined, and have learned some great ways to defend myself. But I will admit that hapkido, boxing or muay thai do help more on the streets than TKD in the short run. after 3 or so years of practice in TKD, you have knowledge enough to know what works and what doesnt on the street, so you wont do a dumb thing like a spinning hook kick as soon as you get close enough to strike, but youll learn that along the way!



one more thing. Really look for an instructor who cares about you and will teach you what you want. My TKD instructor knows mauy thai, boxing, tai chi (hes pretty much a crosstrainer) so he teaches us both how to spar in competition and in the streets. but it all depends on the instructor. ask if you can see a class, get a couple of free lessons to see if you like it (althought they usually offer, my TKD instructor offers anywhere from Two free weeks to a month). keep away from ATA TKD, as their really in for the money, and dont go to places where you HAVE to have a contract, becuase their only in it for the money. also, places that say you can get a blackbelt in a year or two, they lie, all they want is your money.

Answer 3

there is no best art, only best artists. the quality and frequency of the training will far outweigh the style being trained in.

find a good school, not a good style.

check out all the schools in your area, take free classes.

ask to see their contact drills.

never sign a contract. never pay for rank testing.

look for a clean school with respectable people

Answer 4

Check kravmaga.com

Answer 5

NO MATTER WHAT STYLE YOU STUDY... Spend a year in a kickboxing club first. There you will actually hit people and be hit. You won't get contact at martial arts schools for years and that's actually the thing that people have the most trouble with in a real situation. Someone gets your trust to use a phone, ask the time, etc, then they hit you when you don't expect it. It's actually very hard to hurt someone, like putting the worm on the fishing hook and not wanting to feel it squirm when the hook goes in... At a kickboxing school you will hit and be hit so when that nice old man who wanted to know what time it is punches you when you don't expect it, your first reaction will not be shock and freezing up but you'll knock him out. Boxing is good but a lot of boxing gyms have more rude guys at them. If you go to 99.9% of martial arts schools, you don't get hard contact for years and in that case, when someone hits you in a real situation, you don't hit back, you stand there in shock for 2 seconds or so and that IS enough time for someone to knock you out, start tying you up, etc and then you are dead. After a year at the kickboxing school you can go study ulitmate-super-kung-karate-tae-do-fu or whatever but first you need to be able to take a surprise hit from some seemingly nice person at the local bus stop and your instant reaction has to be to floor the person, not stand there in shock and disbelief for a couple seconds.

Answer 6

I would deffinately suggest Krav Maga its easy to learn and is always having new tactics. You can learn to protect yourself, unarm an enemy, learn self-disipline as well as many other great benifits.

Answer 7

Brazilian JuJitSu

Answer 8

My hand to hand instructor (US Army, Green Beret) said something very wise to me.



Regardless of the fighting style, the most important thing in self-defense is being in good shape. Why? So you can run.



Second most important thing is learn how to be aware. Why? So you can avoid a dicey situation from the start.



The fact of the matter is, the combatant who gets to *select* the battleground has a distinct advantage. And an attacker will always be picking the battleground. So your *best* defense is to be able to get away.



General good physical conditioning will help with that more than any style.



As to fighting style? Well, it's like a gun. It is less important that it be the biggest or the best, but more important that you be trained and comfortable with it. You don't have to be able to do a fancy spinning arial backfist to take out an opponent. You don't even have to kick higher than his knee, honestly.



A good self defense teacher will teach you the "discouraging moves". Criminals are lazy (otherwise, they would just work for money) and in general, will leave you alone once you become too much trouble.

Answer 9

Brazillian Ju Jitsu - 1st choice. Proven realistic ground fighting system. Most fights end up on the ground.

Thai Boxing - Proven stand up fighting system. 2nd choice

Krav Maga - self defense system. I dont believe the average krav fighter would beat either of the above systems though.

Answer 10

Every martial art can be utilized for self defense, below i have organized the strengths and weaknesses of certain martial arts.

Karate: Lots of focus on Katas (pre-arranged "forms" of movements. Some sparring, but it's mostly low contact "point" style sparring, with protective gear (Kyokushinkai is one of those exceptions to the generalization here, as they spar full contact - until knock down or knockout, with no protection, but with no punches to the head). Lots of time doing traditional stances, kicks, reverse punches, etc. I'm not so sure this is very effective in self defense situations, as many of the techniques are very ritualized, and unrealistic.

Tae Kwon Do: Same as Karate, except much greater focus on high kicks. Even less realistic for defense than Karate.



Japanese Ju-jitsu: Focus on stand up grappling, wrist locks, escapes from grabs and chokes, many throws and falls. Has the same ritualized formal practice as Karate - lots of practice against an un-resisting, unmoving attacker than grabs and then freezes, or punches then freezes. Some punches and kicks thrown in, but just a few. I'm not sure this is so great against a resisting, moving opponent - mainly because the practice methods don't allow practice in that sort of situation. The techniques are more realistic than Karate, but I'm not so sure all of them are usable in real life. Since you don't have to punch or kick to fight or repel and attack, this is ideal for use against someone you don't want to hurt - a drunken uncle at a party for instance. Against a determined attacker, I feel some of the primary techniques are less useful.



Aikido: Similar to Japanese Ju-jitsu, but more focus on flowing with an attackers force. More philosophy, less "hard" techniques. I think most of the criticisms of Japanese Ju-jitsu apply here as well.



Hapkido: About 80% Tae Kwon Do, and 20% Ju-Jitsu. Same observations of those arts apply.



Judo: Has many of the techniques of Japanese Ju-Jitsu, but has many of the "deadly" techniques removed. By taking out the punches, kicks, wrist locks, etc. you are left with some techniques that are safe to be used in a sport. Lots of throws, falls, trips, and groundwork. Most of the practice is against a resisting, moving opponent.





If you can throw someone who is expecting it, and has trained in resisting it who is REALLY trying to stop you - then the odds are really good you can throw some guy in a fight who doesn't expect it. Its weakness is that it is missing striking, and maybe some of the "deadly" techniques that might really be useful.



Western Boxing: Since you are practicing against someone actively resisting, as in Judo - the training has great value for actual self defense. The weakness is that only the hands are used, there is no grappling or kicking. Also, much of the body isn't a valid target. It's also worth saying that the transition from wearing gloves (and fighting someone wearing gloves) is a big one.



External Kung Fu: There are many styles that fall into this category, and there are some big differences between them. There are ones that focus on punching and kicking, and others that include techniques similar to Ju-Jitsu (or you could say Ju-Jitsu has techniques similar to them). It's worth pointing out that Karate is basically a Japanese version of an Okinawan version of certain external Kung Fu styles.





There are forms as in Karate, and some schools practice sparring as in Karate. The techniques are a bit different of course. Kung Fu in general is a bit "softer" with more circular motion, and flowing stances, versus the linear movement of Karate. Of course, that's a generalization - some styles are very similar to Karate. Some styles such as Wing Chun focus on "trapping" which involves hampering and controlling an opponents arm so as to facilitate striking, and to prevent them from striking you. Other arts, such as Chin-na focus on grappling, pressure points, and locks as seen in Japanese Ju-jitsu. I feel that many of the same critisms of Karate and Japanese Ju-jitsu apply here.



Internal Kung Fu: Tai Chi Chuan is the best know style in this category. The other styles are Hsing-I, and Ba Gua. The focus is on training the generation of Qi (life force or energy), and the application of Jing (the manifestation of power through the use of Qi). The idea being that this energy is generated internally to the body, rather than through gross muscle movements as in Karate. Practice involves slow practice of forms, drills such as "sticky hands", and basically pushing a partner. There are punches, kicks and other strikes of course - but the emphasis is on the power coming from the Internal methods. There isn't much sparring that I have seen. It would seem that these arts don't have a lot of application in actual self defense.



Muay Thai: This art has western style boxing punches, elbow and knee strikes, and kicking. This is practiced as a sport, so many of the positive comments related to boxing would apply here as well. In my opinion this style has the most effective kicks of any Style - utilizing a very powerful round type kicks to the leg as a common target area.

Answer 11

1

Answer 12

Best Defensive Fighting Style

Answer 13

From my experience, if you want a really practical (as in you can actually use it when you're on the street) system of self-defense, you should look up KRAV MAGA.



All of the other martial arts are mainly for show (like really showy, cool-looking, and performance geared) or are philosophical (like Aikido, it focuses more on mental strength etc).



For example, I've done Taikwondo ever since I was a kid until high school (I'm in college now), and I still can't even defend myself that well on the street. All I remember from TKD training is focusing on forms and breaking boards and stuff. Things that look good when you're performing in front of a crowd, but not very practical on the street.



I've also done 2 years of Aikido. I actually really like the philosophy behind it. It's also pretty much an all-out defense art. But, again, it's not that practical when you're on the street.



I don't have anything against the other arts. I think they're great for building confidence and developing a philosophy. It's just that when you're on the street, people don't play by the rules. The attacker isn't always going to use roundhouse kicks and straight punches. That's why I recommend KRAV MAGA, which teaches you how to deal with street situations where people play dirty: knee, knives, guns, uppercut, jab, etc.



Check it out on wikipedia or youtube and learn a little bit about it to see if it suits you.

Answer 14

Stay away from wu shu, it is made to look like kung fu but it is for show, not for self defense. Though there are people who would tell you different. All disiplines will tell you there's is the best so be very careful beleiving everything you here. The martial arts world is very waterd down. You have many people who are black belts claiming to be masters and opening up schools and handing out trophies and belts of all different colors but it's just business. There are schools that have a ceremony every time you get a new belt. And they give new belts all the time but it's just a way to make more money from you. A good school is not too expensive and doesn't have many belts. 4 and below is a good number of belts. When you see more than that, chances are the tuition is very high as well. To give you an i

Answer 15

Though there are people who would tell you different. All disiplines will tell you there's is the best so be very careful beleiving everything you here. The martial arts world is very waterd down. You have many people who are black belts claiming to be masters and opening up schools and handing out trophies and belts of all different colors but it's just business. There are schools that have a ceremony every time you get a new belt. And they give new belts all the time but it's just a way to make more money from you. A good school is not too expensive and doesn't have many belts. 4 and below is a good number of belts. When you see more than that, chances are the tuition is very high as well.

Answer 16

I would visit several classes before making my decision. Even a great style of martial arts can be ruined by a not so great teacher. Meet with a few instructors and explain to them what you are looking for. They can tell you about their classes and will probably let you observe. I took ZenJitZu for years. It was wonderful exercise and a great style to learn. Unfortunately it is not a recognized style. My instructor broke away and started his own style. But was told that he could not keep it. However the instuctors that started their own class from his class did get to keep the name. It was a combination of Judo type throws and holds with tae kwon do kicks and punches. My instructor was very good. He was strict and patient. We had alot of children in the class and he always reminded everyone, "This is for self defense only. If I hear of you starting fights and causing trouble, you will be out of my class."



After my instructor stopped teaching, I did visit a few other styles just to see what it was like. I ran into some that I thought were very good. But then I also ran into some instuctors that were very cocky and kind of encouraged trouble. I wanted no part of that.



In my class we did practice alot on technique. But he also showed us how to apply those techniques towards self defense. He said a few times in class, "Karate is self defense. Anything that you have to do to survive an attack is Karate. If that means you bite someone's big toe off and get away...that is self defense and karate. Whatever works."



I would look for an instructor who made me feel at ease. Look for a class with all kinds of different people and different ages.

Answer 17

There are many martial arts styles. Some suck and some will make you a true badass. But the most important thing to consider is how serious are you about it? Most styles take a long time to learn to be truely effective in a street fight. When you are attacked on the street your primary goal should simply be to get away. If all you're looking for is simple self defense, look for a plain no frills self defense class. Check with local martial arts schools or call your local rape crisis center, many of them offer classes. And I will repeat what others have said.

1) Learn to see trouble before it sees you

be aware of your surroundings, avoid situations that

invite problems

2) Learn to take a punch or be thrown

like others have said, suprise is your attackers best

weapon

3) Learn to escape your attackers grasp

it is often easy to escape a choke hold, wrist lock, ect.

with a minimum amount of training

4) And most of all, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

these things need to become second nature, find a

friend or relative to go to class with, then practice on a

regular basis and don't be afraid to get a little rough

(read #2)

Answer 18

Kung fu, it is a more complete package. Stay away from wu shu, it is made to look like kung fu but it is for show, not for self defense. Though there are people who would tell you different. All disiplines will tell you there's is the best so be very careful beleiving everything you here. The martial arts world is very waterd down. You have many people who are black belts claiming to be masters and opening up schools and handing out trophies and belts of all different colors but it's just business. There are schools that have a ceremony every time you get a new belt. And they give new belts all the time but it's just a way to make more money from you. A good school is not too expensive and doesn't have many belts. 4 and below is a good number of belts. When you see more than that, chances are the tuition is very high as well. To give you an idea, I don't pay more than 100 per month and what I get is priceless. When you pay more, you get less because martial arts is about honor not money. good luck to you

Answer 19

I'm taking a position that you are not interested in any establish martial art school which would offer a lifestyle of physical and mental training.



From your question, you are interested in learning to handle yourself in a bad situation. In any bad situation, the victim simply hit quickly and run away to get help. This is the reality, not a movie where there is minutes of fighting. Given no experience, you would need a school that would train you to keep your cool when confronted. The school should have some physical training just to get comfortable in touching someone and being touch. Many new comers to self defense have a touch and freeze.



As for a place, local police for self defense / street smart school. Also many women's group may have a self defense class. Remember self defense includes avoiding a bad situation.

Answer 20

Krav M'gar - Israeli Defense Force hand-to-hand combat



Gracie Jujitsu - sometimes called Brazilian Jujitsu



Hwarang Do - derivatives of this Korean martial art were the original Navy SEAL hand-to-hand combat



Wing or Win Chun - a more traditional Chinese style that was the foundation of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do; developed by a Buhdist nun and usable in about a year



Jeet Kune Do - if you can find it



American Combat Judo - just to be a bit patriotic, the original NSMC hand-to-hand combat training



And last but not least, jailhouse rock - the close quarters fighting system, not the Elvis song

Answer 21

I've studied and hold ranks in many styles i've studied over the course of 30 years and I hold a black belt in Tae Kwan Do. There is no one "best" style. It really boils down to what works for you and what kind of instructors you have. I would suggest trying different styles. There should be no problem with letting you take a free class or 2. See what you like.



Look out for people who insist that their style is the best or ultimate. This is a very common thing taught in many martial arts schools and it just isn't true (it can't be - how can every style and school be the single best?). It shows ignorance and disrespect of others.



Look out for the cult-like schools. You should be dedicated and train hard, but not expected to quit your job or babysit the instructor's kids.



Look out for the cookie-cutter (I call them McDonalds of martial arts) schools. Standing in a line of 30 people throwing a million low blocks is not going do a lot for you. You should have plenty of personal attention in each class.



Make sure it is what you really want to do. When I taught, we did a lot of full contact fighting. People got hurt - not seriously mind you - but bruises, black eyes, chipped teeth, etc. were not uncommon. This is not for everybody and I recognized that. Nobody should be forcing you to do things like that either or letting you do it when you are not yet ready, no matter how much you may want to.



Make sure the instructors are experienced and good teachers. Just because they have a rank is not important. Some schools let someone get to a black belt in a year. Often young, inexperienced instructors are not such good teachers regardless of how high they can jump or how many boards they can break. Some things only come through tears and grey hair. A dedicated, wise, experienced martial arts instructor is like a gold mine for you.

Answer 22

Akido is excellent for self defense, but runs into the problem that the people teaching it are experts in self defense - not in attacking.



A combo of boxing and Akido would cover both offense and defense while at the same time giving you two arts that concentrate on rolling or redirecting blows off of your body, rather than an art like Karate, where you try to stop (block) the blow. Blocking is great, assuming that you're at least close in physical strength. If you're opponent is much stronger than you, the hit will just come right through.



In boxing they really hit you too. Plus you get practice actually hitting things.

Answer 23

Tough to answer. That depends upon your physical abilities, your willingness to change and learn, and your anticipated opponents. How much damage are you willing to do? Are you willing to hold an opponent indefinitely until help arrives? Are you willing to kill? You need to know how far you are willing to take the fight and compare that with anticipated training. Wrestling is a good form of defense if you can do it. You can break bones and really hurt joints with wrestling. Be warned, some bones might be yours.



Don't worry about flexibility. That will come with training. They go together. Unless you are in a high risk profession or area, I would suggest going with something less intense. I suggest you be willing to learn how to hurt someone. Learn where people are vulnerable. Don't be concerned about your enemy's eyes or ears. If you can blind your enemy, then you can run. Use a club and break his bones. Crack his skull open. Use any available weapon. Your concern is your safety and not his. Other than that, pick and choose what seems right for you. Last thing to remember: anything you use against someone might be taken away and used against you.

Answer 24

Well first what are your options? In other words what schools are near you that you have to choose from?



Are you long legged? flexible? have good balance?

Then I would say Taekwondo/Tangsoodo lots of schools around.



Do you have strong upperbody? Not oppossed to getting in close? Try Judo/Jujitsu. Again lots of schools.



Want to be able to use your attackers strengths against them? Be able to use pressure points, joint locks, or takedown moves? Try Akido/Hapkido



Do you want linear straight fast techniques? Pretty balnced in hand strikes & kicks? Try any basic Karate



Do you want to look pretty doing your style? Go Kungfu.



What ever you decide look at not only the style but the instructer as well. Go watch some different classes to see what appeals to you. See if there are any free classes or short term (30 day / a class at the "Y") so you're not heavily invested into a school incase the fit isn't right.



You should also ask why you want to study?



exercise - then all are good

sport - Taekwondo/Judo both Olympic rules

weapons - what kind?

basic self defense - any style can give you basics by around green belt level

meet people - go with the school thats friendly

shy? - do they offer 1 on 1 classes

Is the school part of a health club with other benifits?



------------------------------------------



The self defense will come with practice and confidence.

Even if you don't plan on competting I recomend that you do try it a few times. It will allow you to judge your skill level agains people of about equal skill. Also you will experience other styles and you might see some weakness in your own.

Flexiblity will also come with practice. Only by doing will you gain experience, but everyone started with no experience.

Answer 25

"strictly want self defense tactics"

You should look into what styles that are avaliable near you. There are alot of good styles many mentioned in all your replys, tae kwon do, ju jitsu, karate. I have taken Hapkido myself for over ten years. You need to focus more on whats around you and how the instructors are near you, since you probably dont want to drive two hours or so just to go to a martial arts class that fits a style you like. But that may also be another option, best opinion I could give it visit each school near you say you "Want to try out a class" meet the teacher and the students and do the class and if you like it keep that in mind and visit other schools also. Most people wont stay and attend a school where the teacher is bad or mean and the other students are not very friendly. So you should do your homework and see what schools and teachers you like as self defence is just that and should be a enjoyable experience. I am always nice to new students that come into my dojo who wish to attend and so are my students, thats why we often get returning people to join. Good luck and I wish you all the best! God speed *Bow* :)

Answer 26

o be masters and opening up schools and handing out trophies and belts of all different colors but it's just business. There are schools that have a ceremony every time you get a new belt. And they give new belts all the time but it's just a way to make more money from you. A good school is not too expensive and doesn't have many belts. 4 and below is a good number of belts. When you see more than that, chances are the tuition is very high as well. To give you an idea, I don't pay more than 100 per month and what I get is priceless. When you pay more, you get less because martial arts is about honor not money. good luck to you

Answer 27

Kenpo Karate is really the best for self defense. A lot of the other answers like Brazilian Jujitsu are perfect if you want to be the "super man tough guy" who can take just about anybody who gets in their way but it sounds like you want self defense rather than to become a championship fighter in one of those tough man competitions. LOL



A great movie that demonstrated many of the techniques of Kenpo was "Perfect Weapon". If you get a chance, you might want to check it out. Steven Segal is a fan of Aikido so any of his movies gives you an idea although it is made to look more flashy on the big screen.



And as far a Judo not being "deadly", some of the choke holds, headlocks, and arm bars are pretty serious business. I would not dismiss it so lightly as some have in their answers.

Answer 28

In my opinion there are three good styles to anyone interested in self-defence.

1º Krav Maga

2º Filipino Martial arts

3º Hapkido



But since you don't think you'll use a weapon you probably aren't interested in filipino martial arts since they focus mainly on weapons but also have a very strong mano-mano system that includes Striking ( punches, kicks, elbows, knees and headbutts) in all rages of fighting (long, close and medium rage) , grapling, ground fight. It's a very powerfull system and very well rounded.

Hapkido if thaught properly includes everything that i said above but don't focus on weapons, but more on grappling, joint locks, take downs and kicks. The main goal of Hapkido is to to finish a fight as fast as possible with the minimum damage to you and the gratest damage to your opponent (usually by breaking the arm, wrist, neck, etc...) Hapkido takes some time to learn but its very solid, well rounded and effective.

I'dont know much about Krav Maga for what i've seen it focus mainly on striking and has a little bit of grappling. It looks very simple and easy to learn.



All the three arts are effective, and easy to learn. All of them aim to finish the fight quickly, and that is a very important thing on the street. So you should try all and see the one that fits you best.

Also i wouln't recommend that you start with Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu because in the street going to the ground is the last thing that you want to do, any instroctor that teaches self defence will tell you that once you are on the ground you best shot is to break, bit or rip something off and quickly get back on your feet. The only ground fitghting that i've seen so far is one guy on the floor and three or four other guys kickin his head. So stay away for ground fighing styles, at least until you got solid stand up skills.



Don't get me wrong i agree that ground fighting is important but not the kind of skill that should be used on the street.



Good Luck!

Answer 29

When I was growing up I found a Tae Kwon Do class at the local Y that offered me a way to learn self defence. The training was rigerous at times but very beneficial. Tae Kwon Do means basicly hands and feet. If you are lucky enough to get an instructor that teaches according to the book and style created by General Choi Hong Hi you will learn what is considered to be a true style of the art. Enjoy the learning experience. If you are in Colorado, seek out the school in Broomfield ran by Chuck Seriff, a very learned and highly recommended instructor.

Answer 30

Many style swill help you to defend yourself. However, there are a couple that are better for fending off an attacker rather than the fighting styles. I always suggest to females, who are looking for a defense against a would-be attacker, one which will disarm and/or enable time her to get away without the attacker regaining his composure and running after her. For these reasons, akido is an excellent defense. It is mostly upper body defense. This means that kicking is rarely used, but can be incorporated. Akido, uses the attackers movements and weight in defense of the attackee. Its use of submission holds is very effective, if applied correctly. This is not meant to say you would simply put the attacker in a hold until her "gives up", the idea is to further the hold to temporarily or permanently injure him so that he will let go and enable you to run for help. Another is Brazillian jujitsu. This style is one of the most popular styles used in extreme fighting. It will show you very well how to defend, disarm and disable an attacker. Good luck and stay safe.

Answer 31

While a lot of Kung Fu forms are really awesome, they are not always practical on the street. Brazilian Jui jitsu is great as a sport but because you have to choke people out or get them to submit, when you take it to the streets it will end in you going to the ground every time and either seriously hurting or killing someone.



My recommendations are: Akido, a style from japan based on water and being passive, you learn how to not be taken down, and how to throw people with very little effort, and I mean very little. You learn to turn people's strength on them rather then having to bulk up to be good. It is made for people with low strength and flexibility.



American Karate is a melding of a lot of styles and is very versatile. It is good for many functions up close or far away.



Japanese Karate is traditional, and functional. It gained popularity when a heavy weight boxing champion put out a call to see if anyone could knock him out. He was hit once by a 60year old Japanese master and was knocked out cold. The style teaches you how to end a conflict with one blow.



You can also find your local Guardian Angels chapter and they will teach you real self defese for free. www.guardianangels.org



2 things to remember:

1. Beware of "McDojos" These are franchises found all over town. They will not teach you anything useful and move you through belts way too fast. If you move up a belt every month, you are moving way too fast! A minimum of 4 months per belt is what you should be growing at. Find a nice old japanese man to teach you the traditions and the proper way to do things. You will be well rounded and a much better fighter.

2. Never fight unless you have to! It is an insult to your sensei (Japanese for teacher) to abuse the training he gives you.

Answer 32

If you want just defense only (not attacking), take judo, aikido, or hapkido. They're really good and suitable for people without a big size and/or strength.



If you want some attacking besides defense, take tae kwon do or karate.



In addition, Chinese kungfu is very interesting. I'm not talking about movies with the great actors like Bruce Lee or Jet Li. But if you try it, you'll see it looks like working out and when time goes by, you're more flexible and your strength will improve.



Good luck!

Answer 33

Japanese Ju-jitsu: Focus on stand up grappling, wrist locks, escapes from grabs and chokes, many throws and falls. Has the same ritualized formal practice as Karate - lots of practice against an un-resisting, unmoving attacker than grabs and then freezes, or punches then freezes. Some punches and kicks thrown in, but just a few. I'm not sure this is so great against a resisting, moving opponent - mainly because the practice methods don't allow practice in that sort of situation. The techniques are more realistic than Karate, but I'm not so sure all of them are usable in real life. Since you don't have to punch or kick to fight or repel and attack, this is ideal for use against someone you don't want to hurt - a drunken uncle at a party for instance. Against a determined attacker, I feel some of the primary techniqu

Answer 34

The answers here are pretty informative. Judo and Muay Thai have been mentioned for their effectiveness and practicality.



However, give the Filipino martial arts a try as well. That is if you can find a certified and not to mention a competent instructor around your area. These can vary in style based on the region of the Philippines which it orginated. Arnis comes from the northern Luzon provinces. Kali comes from the southern Mindanao regions. Lastly, eskrima originated in the central Visayas region. From what I know, eskrima and arnis both utilize various forms of stick-to-knife fighting. Overall, all three major styles utilize various edged weapons-based systems.



I know that you may　ＮＯＴ　ＬＩＫＥ　ｔo use a weapon, but the empty-handed versions of eskrima are just as effective on the streets. A visual example of that can be found (although heavily dramatized) in the film, The Bourne Identity, with Matt Damon. Another film starring Tommy Lee Jones called The Hunted incorporated a military variant of Filipino Martial Arts into their action scenes and storyline.

Answer 35

I always suggest to females, who are looking for a defense against a would-be attacker, one which will disarm and/or enable time her to get away without the attacker regaining his composure and running after her. For these reasons, akido is an excellent defense. It is mostly upper body defense. This means that kicking is rarely used, but can be incorporated. Akido, uses the attackers movements and weight in defense of the attackee. Its use of submission holds is very effective, if applied correctly. This is not meant to say you would simply put the attacker in a hold until her "gives up", the idea is to further the hold to temporarily or permanently injure him so that he will let go and enable you to run for help. Another is Brazillian jujitsu. This style is one of the most popular styles used in extreme fighting. It will show you very well how to defend, disarm and disable an attacker. Good luck and stay safe.

Answer 36

Japanese Ju-jitsu: Focus on stand up grappling, wrist locks, escapes from grabs and chokes, many throws and falls. Has the same ritualized formal practice as Karate - lots of practice against an un-resisting, unmoving attacker than grabs and then freezes, or punches then freezes. Some punches and kicks thrown in, but just a few. I'm not sure this is so great against a resisting, moving opponent - mainly because the practice methods don't allow practice in that sort of situation. The techniques are more realistic than Karate, but I'm not so sure all of them are usable in real life. Since you don't have to punch or kick to fight or repel and attack, this is ideal for use against someone you don't want to hurt - a drunken uncle at a party for instance. Against a determined attacker, I feel some of the primary techniques are less useful.

Answer 37

but runs into the problem that the people teaching it are experts in self defense - not in attacking.



A combo of boxing and Akido would cover both offense and defense while at the same time giving you two arts that concentrate on rolling or redirecting blows off of your body, rather than an art like Karate, where you try to stop (block) the blow. Blocking is great, assuming that you're at least close

Answer 38

So you want to learn a martial arts huh? And you are not flexible huh? Then i would not advise you to learn a specific martial arts, as these require many lessons and rules and other stuff. You probably will never master the self defense and will probably forget all the lessons and rules when you are in need.

What you should do is learn how to punch so it hurts. Punch forwards straight at the person. Dont curve your arm to punch with a hook, but just punch. Another thing is learn how to dodge. And never ever kick in a real fight, this leaves you completely open to a counter attack and u will fall over. Punch. And dodge, dont block as that also hurts.

So...good luck learning how to defend and dodge.

Answer 39

For straight self defense there are some schools that teach a defense course. These are a combination of things used just for defense. As for the flexibility it will come, or use an art that concentrates on hand techniques. I would stay away from TKD. It is to sporty today and useless for anything.

Answer 40

If you are looking for something quick 'n easy, some martial art schools give you an overview of the weak points on a human body. For example, a light punch between the chest & the stomach can make the attacker stop breathing for a short amount of time, but a strong punch can even kill the attacker. These crash courses give you an idea of how effectively you could use your elbows, knees & heels to bring down the attacker. You don't need to be flexible to practice these moves, but you will need to be alert & time your strike well, so you don't get overpowered.

Answer 41

A combo of boxing and Akido would cover both offense and defense while at the same time giving you two arts that concentrate on rolling or redirecting blows off of your body, rather than an art like Karate, where you try to stop (block) the blow. Blocking is great, assuming that you're at least close in physical strength. If you're opponent is much stronger than you, the hit will just come right through.

Answer 42

Avoidance I always tell my self-defense classes that the best way to defend yourself in a street fight is to be at home having tea with friends at the time. Very few "street fights" happen because someone jumped out from a doorway on a well lit, well traveled street and just started beating on some stranger. They happen due to a series of bad decisions by both parties. Things like going into a rowdy party, getting into a verbal altercation, challenging someone to a fight, walking down a dark alley alone, etc.

Answer 43

As I think some one said earlier take up Krav maga (קרב מגע )its what Israeli Army teaches. Every Israeli who has done civil service has been required to take it. It's a simple self defense technique that I have seen even little old ladies use!



The guiding principles for those performing Krav Maga techniques are:



Neutralize the threat

Avoid injury

Go from defending to attacking as quickly as possible

Use the body's natural reflexes

Strike at any vulnerable point

Use any tool or object nearby



the basic premises of Krav Maga are:



You're not going to care how much damage you're going to cause.

Cause as much damage as possible and run.

Do not try to prolong a fight. Do what needs to be done and escape.

Answer 44

There are a couple of things to consider, and they may surprise you, and even be disputed by people who answer who are "experts" in one martial art or the other.



First and foremost, you need to consider a school that there is a strong likelihood you will actually attend classes regularly. Just owning a t-shirt with the school name on it won't help you. You have to consider where the school is, and whether or not the class schedule suits you. Don't kid yourself that you'll be willing to drive fifty miles every day to go to class, or that your boss will let you off work early twice a week for a 4pm class, or that you'll actually start getting up two hours early for a 7am class. Be realistic, because you have to make a six month commitment (to yourself) to even start to form the long term habits this will require.



Second, you should consider your goals, whatever they might be, and evaluate senior students to see whether or not that's realistic. If you want defense, watch them spar a few times, and see if you think they could really hold their own in a serious situation. It doesn't matter if the instructor is Steven Seagall or a seventy-five year old blind fat man, look at the students to see what they are actually learning. If the school doesn't train sparring frequently, at least for intermediate students and above, it probably isn't going to really train defense well. You can teach someone how to hit without sparring, but you can't learn the importance of defense without taking a hit now and again.



As far as styles go, there are basically three broad categories of styles. "Hard", "Soft", and "Grappling". There's nothing wrong with any of them, they're just different.



Hard styles are like Karate, TaeKwon Do, and the way to recognize them as hard is in the stress on direct punches and kicks, and often prove their power by breaking boards and bricks. Soft styles, like TaiChi, KungFu, and Aikido use more circular and flowing blocks and attacks, and to the untrained eye don't appear very effective. At beginner levels, they actually aren't very effective, but over time, can easily equal the power of hard styles. Hard styles have an advantage early on because they are more like the way people fight instinctively, and Soft styles are not. One advantage of Soft styles is that they aren't as rough on the older student like Hard styles can be. Grappling styles include Judo and JiuJitsu, and can be frustrating for those beginners without muscular strength, or anyone with a physical handicap, such as an amputee. Making allowances for such limitations and adapting training is more feasible for the other styles, with a good instructor.



As far as your own limitations, let me say that your flexibility will increase with time, and surprise you, and that you will need to rethink your preference against competition if you really want to learn defense. You have to develop some competitiveness to learn to defend yourself.



Anything is better than nothing, but enrolling in a school you will not regularly attend is the same as nothing.

Answer 45

Karate offers practical punch, block and kick techniques.



Kung Fu is more highly stylized than karate. Wing Chun has practical self-defense techniques.



Tae-Kwon Do is mostly for sport, features more high-kicking. I would avoid it.



Hap Ki Do, Jiu Jitsu, and Judo are basicly grappling and wrestling techniques. These are very practical from a combat perspective, but you should be prepared to get thrown and tumble. Aikido is similar, albeit gentler.



Muay Thai is a popular kickboxing form. It's designed for competition.



Plain old boxing is useful and a great workout.



Some military hand-to-hand forms have a following: Russian Sambo, French Savate, and Israeli Krav Ma Ga.



Also, consider taking basic self-defence training from your local police department or college, to learn basic survival fighting, before committing to a martial arts form.

Answer 46

Check out womens self defense classes if you have any as they will get right down to teaching you self defense technics. Learning self defense takes time so you can learn how to kick and strike and where to kick and strike. Truthfully I have studied Karate for over 10 years, and after my first year I was starting to learn how to throw a kick and how to strike, and most important how to block.Look for a good Okinawan style like Shorin Ryu, Gojo Ryu, Shotokan, are great styles to learn. One thing to always remember is the highest goal of any martial arts, is how to walk away from a fight and walk away with confidence. Korean Karate is also very good as they do a lot of sparring in class, Tae Kwon Do, it is called and in that style you can learn many ways of attacking and defending, but, you need to be flexible, as they like to kick high. If you have questions please feel free to e mail me as I am an insrtuctor, and I used to teach kids in Ca. What really gave me an edge was going to class 4 times a week for 3 to 4 years straight. Then I had to back off to 3 days a week because of my business.

Answer 47

I studied Kempo for eight years. This is a Japanese style - Kempo means 'Law of the Fist'. I think it is an excellent style especially for younger people. However, the most important aspect of any style is the instructor or Sensi. I would avoid Tai Kwan Do because it is mostly a sport and mostly is into kicking and tournaments. But in the end there are no bad styles - again it depends on the teacher and how you feel. Make sure you study a style that you enjoy. The teacher should be able to tailor your training based on your physical abilities.

Answer 48

not very flexible doesn't leave much room for the martial arts

you're going to have to work on your flexibility when training and in order to get very good at anything you'd have to train for awhile



there are basic self defense classes available everywhere but not knowing your actual size and build it could be difficult



I would have to say akedo would be best if you're just trying to learn practical self defense



kick boxing is my second recommendation if you want to learn how to fend someone off but that is not taking into account if you are captured



jujistu has the greatest range of techinques but they are not all very effective

by the style being so broad some effect of use must be lost in order to allow for progress in all of the areas



do not go into karate or boxing if you are looking for a practical defense class they are based more on confrontation than they are on every day usefulness

Answer 49

If you are constantly stressed over just what can take place to your family, to your kids? All of us intend to feel safe and the very best way to have this safety and security is learning the self-defence throw this website https://tr.im/BqpnH

By blending steps of different self-controls and making changes based upon scientific study, the Patriot Self Defense system offers you a toolbox of relocate to confuse and bewilder even the most hardened street thugs.

Don't lose more time and learn the best ways to safeguard on your own and your love ones with the Patriot Self Defense system.

Answer 50

Gun-fu is the best. But since you don't like weapons, try wrestling. Concentrate on choke holds and face locks. These moves cut of air and give any aggressor something else besides harming you to think about. You will need some flexibility but not as much as the Asian martial techniques. Also you might want to consider carrying pepper spray.

Answer 51

I took Aikido for 6 years and Judo for 3 years. Most martial arts will work if the attacker can't box well.

I would suggest Mixed Martial arts like you see in the Ultimate Fighter. You will generally get into a street fight. There are no rules. The mixed martial arts is the closest thing to it.

Check out the classes and ask questions.

See if they do regular sparing and not kata (fake fighting).

You must be able to take a hit and still keep your cool.

Answer 52

It's not the art that makes the figher, it's the fighter that makes the art. Although you'll usually find better self defence at a Jeet Kune Do studio than a Tae Kwon Do studio, it's only partially the art itself that makes that true. I'd simply study the books of Bruce Lee and apply the attribute-building concepts to whatever art is most available and appealing to you. If you're really interested in self defence, then Thai Boxing and Jujitsu would be the most effective combo of all.

Answer 53

If you need self-defense buy a gun for yourself as no martial art is fast enough to stop a bullet.



But if you want to improve you mind and your health, then any one could suit you. Basically you will need 5 years of practice (2/3 times a week, 50 weeks a year) to achieve a master level.



Martials arts is a path of sacrifice. Through suffering you achieve a higher state of mind. You will obtain self-confidence, wich is the best self-defense starting point.



I practice Taekwondo. And I love it, but any other martial art will work for you, as I said, you will need as a white belt (begginner) a life time traininig.



Tae = Leg

Kwon = Fist

Do = right path, right use, proper use



Thus, Taekwondo is the "right use of the leg and the fist".



Cheers and good luck



neXo

Answer 54

What is your goal? Do you want a style just for defense or do you want something to do for health benefits? Tai Chi and Wing Chun are a good mix of both. Tai Chi is more health oriented than Wing Chun with the latter being more defensively oriented (by having a good offense). I think those two styles are the lowest impact and require little initial flexibility while still providing a good health benefit return.

Answer 55

Here's a change of direction.



Find martial arts schools in your area and visit them. Speak with the instructor and, if possible, some of the students. Then sit in on a lesson. If they offer a introductory lesson, take it.



All the self defense schools will increase your self confidence, provide self discipline and improve your physical fitness.The chore is selecting the one that best fits you.



Remember, there's a honeymoon period. Fancy uniform, going to learn self-defense etc. etc. There will come the time that you'll not want to go. It could be you're sore, or homework, or a date, or you're stuck on a form. That's when picking the right school becomes important.

Answer 56

Lot of your mainstream Martial Arts are competition oriented.

Judo, Karate, Aikido, Kendo, Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Ju Jitsu.



If your looking for something strictly for self defense, look at your lesser known arts that don't compete.



Mostly those with Do (doh) in the name are the "the way of". Arts that have Jitsu are more of "the art of". Jitsu arts are more combat oriented and developed for battlefield use, so you have Ken Jitsu, Jiu jitsu, Aki Jitsu, Kempo. These are related to Japanese arts.



Chinese, Korean and Filipino arts have different styles related to competition or combat.



Karate/Kempo - almost similar to boxing

Judo/Ju jitsu - almost similar to wrestling

Kendo/Ken Jitsu - the use of a sword.

Akido/Aki jitsu - uses ones force against themselves.



Tae Kwon Do - Kicks are a large part of the art, has some punching and grappling.

Hwrang Won Do - Similar to Judo/Ju Jitsu



Tai Chi / Tai Chi Chuan (sp?) - Mostly for increasing well ness but can be applied to fighting/combat.

Wing Chung - punching and grappling (being able to entrap their attacks while making a hit at the same time).

Hung Gar/Siu Lum Pai (Tiger and Crane) Shaolin Kung Fu - Hits and strikes related to animal forms.

Bak Mei - (Traitors Kung Fu) I've heard of it and known a couple of people who studied it but am not sure of the type or form it uses.



Kung Fu has so many different styles that are way to numerous to list.



Escrima - Filipino stick art (Also known as Kali Escrima)



Hawaii has an art called Lua (means toilet in english). Not much is known and only a select few have studied it.



Okinawa has several



There is also an art called Shorinji Kempo.



All the names of the arts can be looked up and see which might appeal to you. I would highly suggest going to the schools, watching the class and talking with the instructors. If they let you try their class, the better yet.



One more point to relate, most street fights end up in a wrestling match... rarely do you have another martial artist fighting another in the streets. If you've ever seen several street fights, you'll notice they always end up on the ground.

Answer 57

If you are not much taller than 6'(1 85cm) and dunking is difficult and does not comes normally for you then you will need the program from here https://tr.im/3hTY0 to learn to dunk with no problem.

The Vert Shock plan claims you something between 9 to 15 inches improvement on your vertical jump.

With Vert Shock system you will not need a gym since all you have to for the work-out is just a park benchor even a small wall and a smooth area where you are able to do your depth jumps and your box jumps and a basketball for many exercise.

With Vert Shock you will discover ways to dunk 9 to 15 inches larger in just 2 months without costly gym.

 

Answer 58

There are a few great arts I can think of here are a few: Win Chung, Aikido, Tai Chi and Ju jitsu.

**Win Chung --The reason for this being a great choice is that it was a martial art developed by women and is quite effective and cool

** Aikido "The peaceful art" - I would highly recommend this art as I have studied it for many years. It is like a graceful dance but by no means should it be taken lightly- remember Steven Segal?

**Tai Chi is another great mind and body art- it may look slow but I dare anyone to try and fake out punch a Tai Chi expert. It's really a matter of preferance, I hope you find one you like.

Answer 59

Look into Hwarang Do.

They teach you very well and the self-defense is very efficient. There are many schools around the world, so no matter where you live, you're bound to find a school around you.

Go here to learn more about it:

http://hwarangdo.com/



Ever since I've started taking it, I've learned many different takedown techniques. It doesn't only teach you self defense but also self discipline and helps you stay fit.

Answer 60

Jujitsu. Not the Brazilian kind - just regular old Jujitsu.



I took it for two years. What I liked about it is that you didn't learn all these silly forms like you do in Karate and Tae Kwan Do. You did have to learn routines, but they were with a partner. The routines were different methods of escaping, incapacitating and overpowering them. And it wasn't just about twisting them up and breaking their bones - it included some kicks and various strikes (your basic punching but also some different types of "Judo chops.")



Although I've since forgotten many of the techniques I learned, I have retained the ability to pack a very good punch, I could probably remember how to escape a wrist hold, and I think I could probably get someone down on the ground and break a bone or two.

Answer 61

krav maga is a really good self defense. i see on the answers that a lot of martial arts are being suggested but it takes a long time to become efficient in any martial art. krav maga was originally taught to the isreali army but now is taught all over the world. it is a very very good way of self defense. in a intensive course which is what the army would get which is 6 weeks of 8 hour a day training. but you can go at a slower pace. i would recommend to search around for courses.



forget any martial arts if you want to become ready for self defense quickly.

Answer 62

I think Mixed martial Arts is a great form of self defense. Y learn how kick, punch, and how to do ground fighting. Maybe you should check with a gym and see if a Personal Trainer teaches kick boxing. Also you may want to call your local police department and see if they have a self defense class for women, some agencies provide one or can maybe direct you to the domestic violence department etc..

Answer 63

Aikido is one of the best self defense styles, counterattack style that uses holds to cause very great pain without actually needing to strike the person (submission holds). You don't have to lay them on the ground either. You could in one motion pin a persons arm at an angle behind them while keeping one of their legs from moving so that they can't escape, and slowly continue moving their arm back to the verge of dislocating or breaking it(Depending on if you grab near the elbow or shoulder)

Answer 64

My husband was in several forms of the martial arts for many years. He is so attuned that I cannot wake him up unless I am standing a few feet away from the bed.



He has told me many times, that Aikido is probably the best form for a novice female to take. The movements of the attacker are deflected; their own weight used against them. There are a lot of circular movements ... almost like swimming. (Watch some of the Segal movies ... That is the form he uses mostly).



Try to stay away from forms like Tae Kwon Do. It is largely composed of high kicking and is almost usless on the street. It is used more for competitions.



Ju Jitsu has more breaking or killing techniques than Judo. Judo is considered more of a sport.

Answer 65

Well American Martial Arts are not the thing if you really want to learn diff moves of protection because it goes over the same thing for to long. But Japanese Styles are better. If you have in mind what part of your body you want to use the most,such as the arms punch's or legs for kicking look on the net on alot of sites it shows what style teaches what part of the body. Jeet Kune Do is the best I think not to hard and out ther to learn but you still get all the things you need to know in a real fight. And it gets you in good shape to.

Answer 66

Almost all of the answers to the question are valid. There are a myriad of styles. But if your sole concern is street self-defense, your best bet is a system of combatitives such as: Brazilian Jujitsu, L.I.N.E. (formerly Marine Corp, now Army Special Forces defense system), Tony Blauer's S.P.E.A.R., or, as previously suggested, Krav Maga. But be open-minded, and do not discount traditional martial arts, as all of the above draw heavily from them.

Answer 67

Beware of anyone who tells you one style is superior to another. This is simply not true and I would avoid any self defense instructor who claimed this. I practiced Olympic style Tae Kwon Do for 4 years and my instructor (who at the time was the US Olympic Team Coach) the very first day of class explained this. He also mentioned that he had achieved black belts in Judo and Hapkido as well and that Tae Kwon Do was simply his favorite style. I suggest you research the different styles of self defense and pick a style you like. Then do some more research to find a reputable school in your area. Many Karate/Tae Kwon Do/Kick Boxing schools pop up and fade away leaving their participants without a class. Also, I suggest that you pick a school with an instructor with many years of experience in the style. Research, Research, Research! And by the way, you WILL get flexible.

Answer 68

One of the problems with martial arts is that they are not all martial arts. Karate is more an attacking form of martial as is tae-kwon do. The last thing you would want is to attack someone and end up in court for GBH or assault.

Martial arts like jujitsu and aikido (think thats how you spell it) are defensive MA's. Therefore you can shown that it is self defense.

Although I'm on brown belt for jujitsu, my best advice is that running is the best form, better that then dead.

Answer 69

Take a running class. Seriously! If you really want to fight good then you gotta take boxing courses. You'll be able to spar and get used to head movement and usin your hands quick. Theres alot of fake self defense out there. If you never practice fighting your never goin be ready for one. Boxing good because you'll be able to practice. All that grapplin **** is stupid. You dont want to go to the floor in a real fight. A real fight meaning 5 vs 1 or 2 vs 4. Dont be on the ground when your getting mobed! So if your serious stick to it. Practicing for 6months doesnt change anything. It takes years. Most importantly for defense just be relaxed and attentive. Have fun!

Answer 70

I know this question is asking about marital arts, but let me offer a better short term solution. If your goal is self defense, your best option is a handgun. You need to look at the reality of the situation. Martial arts are great, but unless you are a black belt or the equivalent, you are going to put yourself in more danger, if you try and defend yourself. Why do I say this? First, you are a woman. I don't say this because I am sexist. I say this, because your average male has 30% more upper body strength when compared with your average female. This is a fact. Second, you don't know what kind of drugs your attacker might be on. I have a friend who is a police officer and he has told me countless stories, where the person they were arresting was on meth or coke and it took 4-5 officers to restrain that person. Third, skills come slowly in martial arts training. Do you want to be safe now or two years from now? Unless you are gifted at fighting and you possibly could be, your skills are going to come slowly over time with much training and discipline. Fourth, how many times have you heard police officers telling us that we are safer if we just give up our money, watches or whatever else a mugger might want? Just give them what they want, because they are physical things that can be replaced. Your life cannot and if you fight back, you are risking it. Granted, their are situations where I would fight back, even if it meant putting my life in jeopardy, like a rape situation.



If you truly wish to be safe, a handgun is your best bet and is even better when you pair it with martial arts training. I know you think that you could not use a weapon, but you could. If you can develope the skills to defend yourself with martial arts, you can easily use a handgun. As long as you have no felonies on your record, a permit to carry a concealed weapon is not very hard to obtain in most places in the US. There are many handgun safety classes available all over. Their are also lethal weapons certification classes which I would highly recommend if you take the handgun route. It will only increase your confidence with a handgun that much more. The bottom line is that a handgun is the only weapon which evens the playing field for anyone who chooses to use one and is easily learned by anyone. I suggest that if you truly wish to be safe, you go this route and take the martial arts classes on top of carrying a concealed weapon.

Answer 71

take a style that is effective on the street and not in the competition arena. Hapkido, Akido, and Judo teach joint locks and body manipulation as well as breakaway techniques. acrobatics and gymnastics are for the movies not for self defense. when it comes to self defense though, its not 100% what style you take. Its the need for you to over come the fear of hurting someone.I could teach you how to break away from an attacker and retaliate in about five minutes, but unless you have the intent to kick some one on the knee cap or the groin hard enough to cause damage it doesn't matter. self defense is about two things, causing as much damage as quickly as possible and to get away. not standing toe to toe and pretending to be Steven Segal. do a LOT of research and look into all the schools around you. make sure that you visit and observe a class...



EDIT



you dont EVER want to use a weapon for self defense. in most all states your attacker can sue YOU for assault...

Answer 72

The art of self defense is Aikido. It teaches you how to defend yourself in every situation. Its a lot of fun to. I used to take the class when i was a teenager. things happened in my life and i stopped. I wish that i didn't because i loved it so much. I hope this helps you. You don't need the be flexible or have any experience.

Answer 73

Out of a personal likening I would say Jun Fan. But what you should do before anything is that you should do a trial at many schools most will allow a free trial lesson and stuff A school that does MMA (not UFC or King of the ring but multiple martial arts) and see if you find any thing you like

Bruce Lee said something like its not a set way but a proses of elimination finding what works best for you. something to that effect.

Answer 74

First, many of the martial arts are just that, arts...

In real world fighting, street fighting in other words lol, they are pretty much useless.



What determines who'll be victorious often depends on who has more guts. In real life, people tend to freeze up during fight. Those who can boldly act in proper timing will win the fight..



However, being a female, if a big male comes at you with all their might without fear, there's really no amount of martial art that'll keep you safe...



Little protection devices like mace or the likes should be better option...

Answer 75

hayan:

try checking out KungFu SanSoo. it's decisive, effective straight to the point type of defense. my instructor puts it- practical street-wise self-defense, with NO animal mimicry. it can adapt to strikes & attack from other styles/ offensive forms. since i've trained, they've not given me strategic techniques that don't make street-wise fighting sense.



if not that, try Judo. lot o other guys are saying that. it's techniques are designed from being in the "disadvantage" kneeling position. this is effective too. some schools will say, U gotta compete. San Soo never has competitions. San Soo techniques are meant for blatent damage.



karate/ kung fu... karate is more block/ abrupt stiff motions. Kung fu is more flowing & smooth motions.



Aikido is a lot of joint locking & manipulation from there. U can break bones & joints. U can throw, or sweep. lock th opponent into a disadvantage stance, & counter strike.



Muy thai, is a lot of strong power kicking. you slam the force & weight of your body, transmitted thru to your shin bone, & strike it onto your opponent. U have to train so your nerves on your shin bone are dead.



all the above are ancient defensive martial arts. Krav Maga is only about 35- 40 years old. i'm not too impressed with it. although many see it as a street-smart approach to fighting.



Tae Kwon Do.... as an art i respect it. but i don't recommend it. U said U want street-wise strategic defense. in TKD i don't see them teaching U kool techniques until you are high upper black-belt. another thing w/ TKD federation, U can get your black earlier if U wanna pay more $$ rt now.



brazilian Ju Jitsu was supposed to be more a fusion of Japan Ju Jitsu & some brazilian thing. what it's turned into is pretty much Grappling/ submission holds/ bars, chokes. San Soo has "ground Fighting" also. but San Soo applies more strikes, kicks, flips, leverage (joint locks) & breaks, from the ground position. if i've already been thrown & I fight from there, to get my opponent down &me back up.



check out Kung Fu San Soo. go to google & type in "IKFSSA." & U can ask if there are any trainers in your area. i'm in S. california.



the flip over, dance-like one is Capoeira. they featured some Capoeira drills on one of the Stargate episodes. lots o leg work & lots of trunk rotations. your body moves all the time, even if your not fighting. spins flip-kicks, back round-house kicks. sometimes leaves your targets open while one legs is kicking. it was originally meant to be disguised as a "dance" thus it looks like a dance.



good luck. which ever U choose, there's no substitute from practice, train hard/ train safe. ....& have fun.

Answer 76

Hi!

I'm in Italy and I'm at my 3rd year of study of a self defence art, and it drives me crazy the KRAV MAGA!

It's the israeli way of Golani soldiers.

I'm particularly hard to learn 'cause I never get any sport in my life (and now I'm almost 50!).

Krav Maga is not a real martial art, but a mix of many of them (ju jitsu, karate, muay thay and a lot of others...)

To understand it better i'm currently studying ju jitsu, judo and "aerobic fight"(maybe kick boxing should be better, but I didn't find in my city a good school about it).

On www.kravmaga.com U can find a lot of informations... but it's the ideal if u never get any contact with a martial discipline.

I think it's perfect 4 the people never got a martial culture before.

Excuse me 4 my English!

Many Wishes!

Answer 77

When I was a much younger man, I got about five years experience dealing with aggressive and destructive inviduals in a correctional/institutional setting. I was pretty well trained in a variety of techniques and was personally assaulted well in excess of 400 times, usually by morons, but in many instances by very determined individuals. Nevernever does a good job of describing the various martial arts philosophies and I would choose from his list if I were you, I have just a couple of observations.



First of all, self defense that involves kicking-now I'm not talking about kneeing an attacker in the groin, I'm talking about real kicking here like kick boxing and martial arts that emphasize it-is one of the most difficult and potentially dangerous forms of self defense for the inexperienced. Mainly, it is real showy so it is popular in the movies and hence has made it into store front self defense classrooms that are more promotionally minded than actual self defense oriented.



In my type of work, kicking was often employed by aggressors, so I was trained to counteract kicking with a variety of techniques-from the viewpoint that anyone who tries to attack you in a way that a) broadcasts their plans in slow motion because they have to bunch muscles in all sorts of ways to deliver a kick, b) puts them on a single point of precarious balance and provides you with not only a great deal of momentum to work with but c) also a large and convenient handle to grab hold of while d)simutaneously keeping their other means of assaulting you at more than arms length has e) just given you the equivalent of the nuke button all wrapped up and tied with a bow.



Second, many of the techniques that Nevernever questions as effective in real life...well, I can testify with certainty that they absolutely are.



Finally, my experience has been that the most ineffective martial artists are the ones who broadcast their affiliation(s) with the local martial arts retail store. You know, by wearing the embroidered jackets and so on. Revealing skills anonymously here at Yahoo Answers is one thing, broadcasting them in real life first of all tips off an attacker to any skills you MAY have-which can be a deterrent-but also indicates a little bit of insecurity cloaked in arrogance, which is one of the easiest attitudes to defeat in actual hand to hand combat.



Finally, remember that the longer a physical confrontation goes on, the likelihood that a 'fatal' mistake will be made increases expotentially. And at least 9 times out of ten, the person who initiates an assault makes a mistake when he makes his very first move. Fights that last ten minutes are mostly movie fantasies, real fights are usually over in mere seconds.

Answer 78

I have read most of the other entries, and I have to say most of them have not addressed your real question. Almost everyone mentions 'fighting styles', but doesn't hit on (pun intended) what self defense style you should take. If you are a 'new-bee', I would recommend you start with Tai-chi (also known as T'ai-chi or Tai chi chuan). It doesn't really focus on self defense, but it will teach you proper stretching and exercise, and prepare you for what's in store for you when you go to the next step.



Pick up some Martial Arts magazines, and scan through them for something you think you would like to try. After all, you did say 'Self Defense', and not 'How To Take Out a 300 lb Man in a Bar Fight'. I would pick out one to start with that won't get your nose broken.



You may notice that many parents send their kids off to Karate School. This is good for them because it teaches disipline, respect, competition, goal setting, and confidence. And the side benefit of learning how to handle themselves someday.



This may sound funny, but send for a Johnson Smith Catalog, or go on-line. They have many books and videos on various types of self defense.

Also check out 'SafetyTechnology.com. They have a large selection of training books and courses for martial arts, and general self defense.



Personally, I started out with boxing, because my dad taught me, and he learned to box in the military. Then I took 'Dragon Style' kung-fu at a Do-Jo. Next I took some Karate at a Community College, then later some Tae kwon-do from a Green Beret. I used to arm wrestle for beer money. Best three out of five for twenty bucks. I only lost twice. Wrong way to stay out of a fight!

The more you learn, the less you have to use, or need to.



I hope this helped!

Answer 79

I have been kickboxing for over two years now and I have found that it is great excercise and great therapy.



Most typical self defence classes for women teach you basically what to do in certain situations, ie if a gun is pointed at you. I have also taken a self defense class and found it to be very helpful. My #1 tip that I took from that class is that in life and death situations, you have to fight like a girl. Even if the guy is bigger than you, a shot to the balls will take him down fast if you have the opportunity to do it. Girls bite, scratch, kick, and scream.

Answer 80

Definitely Aikido. This form of martial arts does not require much flexibility. This, in my opinion, is the true art of self defense. Futher, you do not need to be strong, only quick. Using this form, you can learn how to take down an opponent twice, or even perhaps thrice your weight. This sport isn't one of those out there where extensive strength is required or superb stamina. Just straight to the point, clean and easy training, and not to forget, highly effective form of Martial Arts.

Answer 81

First off, I've never seen such prolific answers, wow!



Second, you have to realize that there is a difference between competitive styles (like Tae-Kwon-Do) that don't do anything for self-defense, and practical styles (I saw kravmega, the Israeli fighting elite style) etc.



So lastly, as a female, you'd be best off with pepper-spray or stun-guns. Any one man would be able to overpower you, let alone several, unless you're a female Bruce Lee or Red Sonja.



Good-luck.

Answer 82

External Kung Fu: There are many styles that fall into this category, and there are some big differences between them. There are ones that focus on punching and kicking, and others that include techniques similar to Ju-Jitsu (or you could say Ju-Jitsu has techniques similar to them). It's worth pointing out that Karate is basically a Japanese version of an Okinawan version of certain external Kung Fu styles.

Answer 83

yo dude if you wanna have self defence then you could take boxing i am a kid and in school there are mean bullys and you now what boxing helps ya becuase there is the jab which can be hitten lower,medeuim,upper so think about it.

really taekwando no way really its only kicking in legs ,juitsu i dont think u need it like you r not going to be a flim star so no way ..well i could advice u something from and experienced 5 years .weapons are not the only way to be defence if you handle this weapen uncarefully your breaking the ice so i would suggest taking in judo for making people fall,karate but you need patients as always said patients lead to good ways so you could take karate and boxing and after u v finished these stuff then take kick boxing and then get a dog a german sheperd or a purebred boxer .

Answer 84

Personnally, I advise jui jitsu. It's teached to services in charge of presidents' protection in many countries. Because you can either incapacitate a silly or a drunk person without harm by locks, or kill a very hostile opponent. It's a mix between Judo and Karate, has evolved through the brazillian school. It's accesible for girls as much as boys(my sister handle it without problems). Moreover, you'll learn the most precious lesson in martial arts, self confidence and how to master a hostile person depending on what danger she really represents without fear or loosing your head. I hope it will help you.

Answer 85

Use psychological warfare ideas, since most of the times you face male aggressors, just bring with you a burdizo and tell your enemy you have castrated someone else with it before. that should do the trick! hehehe :)

No, No, No I am joking of course, the best you can do is practice whatever martial art allow you to feel confortable with, maybe the less contact but deliver the most damage, at the same time never intent to get that close, bring mace with you, an air taser or a hammerless revolver, those are small easy to conceal and very effective in bringing down a criminal... always shoot twice to the center of mass, and he won't be in a treat anymore.

Answer 86

KRAV MAGA....without a doubt dude. It's what the Israeli secret police use (and we all know they're the best). No meditation, no bs, straight hands on tactics. Might be hard to find and probably a bit more expensive than any other martial art but it teaches you from day one all form of techniques one might use in a real life attack. Best of luck. Still not satisfied, look it up online, or even in the History Channel and you'll definitely be sold. The move I was mostly blown away with is how to get away from any choke hold; IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 87

The defense style u should learn is the zenzai kahn rhe it involves the ancient work of the great charlie dane which he invented in the 1920's with partner san triloni.. Its also known in the western world as thai che or brazilian chefton (peaky). It can improve balance speed and strength by as much as 200%. It can also help prevent feeling various pains during the heat of battle and helps you fend off against attack such as the great Malcom Blight (fright) and the anceint cuba which is know as black mans soul.. dundee ran straight thru the camp and u couldnt even get a shot off



p.s i stink like urine

Answer 88

In my class we did practice alot on technique. But he also showed us how to apply those techniques towards self defense. He said a few times in class, "Karate is self defense. Anything that you have to do to survive an attack is Karate. If that means you bite someone's big toe off and get away...that is self defense and karate. Whatever works."

Answer 89

I do Combat Hapkido and I really enjoy it. Requires no flexibility, no competitions. It's really great, and totally self-defense oriented. Used by police and military. Check and see what martial arts are offered in your area and try out a few different classes. Get a feel for what YOU like. Good luck!

Answer 90

I think wrestling is your best bet. I grew up with sisters who wrestled each other. We were all fierce. We use to arm wrestle the boys as teens for fun and they were all scared of us. Maybe you can find a self defense class taught be policemen or firemen. They probably use several different methods .That way you can know some of each method.

Don't forget, just running away and hollering really loud as well as carrying mace with you ready to spray.We need to use all the things we have sometimes!

Answer 91

Actually, you should take firearms training and carry. Martial arts only goes so far. If you are up against an assailant that has some level of skill in hand-to-hand you may be worse off especially if they are MUCH larger than you AND determined to press the fight no matter what. In the case of a side arm.... you are always equal, size strength are not an issue, and you will definitely stop the attack. At least go to a fire arms instructor and discuss it.

Answer 92

The one martial art that would be excellent would be WING CHUN KUNG FU since it was designed by a woman and it doesn't uses any acrobatics or high kicks or jumps is a style design for both men and women and this style is about relaxation. The style is also simple to learn and really effective.

Answer 93

You would need one that's well rounded, simple and brutal. You could do Thai boxing, which is fairly simple and uses alot of elbows and knees, Brazilian jujitsu teaches you to use joint locks and chokes to take out people bigger than you, even while flat on your back ( fact 90% or more fights go to the ground) Wing chun is a style of kung fu invented by a woman that doesnt require much strength to defeat larger opponents. My advice is to shop around, and find what you like, and please dont do TKD it's way too comercial and wont help you much in a real fight.

Answer 94

As you're not taking martial arts as a sport, take a more practical self-defense class. Karate classes, if they focus on katas or forms, you probably can pass on those.



Generally, most martial arts being taught today are more for competition and sport. Probably your local YMCA offers a truely practical self-defense class, not a martial arts class. But generally, if you're street smart, you won't ever need to employ self-defense techniques.



If you're not too flexible, I'm sure it'll be fine, constant stretching before and after practice and you should be flexible in a bit.

Answer 95

I think the following video on youtube will answer your question:



http://youtube.com/watch?v=v4xpOsCcWIw



For a female, nothing is better for self defense than judo. I would say aikido might be my second choice.



A female will never end up in a fist fight. It will always boil down to grabbing and choking. Judo and aikido will teach you to turn the tables on anyone in that situation - as the video clearly demonstrates.



Jui Jitsu is also very effective. But I think it's much more combat oriented. Lots of punching and kicking is involved as well as wrestling.

Answer 96

you need to consider a school that there is a strong likelihood you will actually attend classes regularly. Just owning a t-shirt with the school name on it won't help you. You have to consider where the school is, and whether or not the class schedule suits you. Don't kid yourself that you'll be willing to drive fifty miles every day to go to class, or that your boss will let you off work early twice a week for a 4pm class, or that you'll actually start getting up two hours early for a 7am class. Be realistic, because you have to make a six month commitment (to yourself) to even start to form the long term habits this will require.

Answer 97

hey .... try kick boxing... i started 4 months ago, and i LOVE it. I had started , with the intention / purpose to loose weight. after 2 kids , i gained some weight , and i just couldn't stand looking at myself anymore. i didn't feel sexy , even for my hubby anymore. So i started this class... i have loast weight , i fell better than i have in a LONG time , i have learned SELF -DEFENSE , i am more aware of my surroundings (which goes along with protecting yourself), I have better balance, am quicker on my feet, I feel like I have energy, I have now been taught (and just as the other reader / commenter put it about kick-boxing) to take a punch, so to speak....and then hit back, HARD. But most importantly , you will build your confidence as you learn to protect your self. scumbag lowlife muggers and such, they look for who to prey upon. Of course , they always will see women as the weaker sex , but they do leak for the ones who look like the weaker , less ... confident ones. I am not saying the strong woman is never grabbed (god help the man that does it), but some of those low lifes DO look for that difference. Good luck to you !!

Answer 98

I would advise taking a look at "mixed martial arts."



While all systems (e.g., aikido, judo, kenpo, karate, gung fu, silat, kali, escrima, muay thai, tae kwon do, tai chi, boxing, kendo, etc.) can be effective, it seems that each has flaws. Some ask you to be fairly conditioned; Some ask you to be reactive rather than active; Some depend on you being extremely close to your opponent; Some ask you to have great flexibility; Some are complex and take a lifetime to master; Some are simple and straightforward as well as effective but may lack the "art" element of "martial arts."



Given that all people have different strengths and weaknesses--like being tall, fast, slow, overweight, inflexible, etc., one finds that to study numerous systems helps one "create" a system useful to themselves. This is the very notion of Jeet Kune Do as a aspoused by Bruce Lee.

Answer 99

I think many answers above are not assuming that you are a girl. Depends on your body weight and strength, I would say go for Aikido if you're opting for purely defense. You would be amazed at the unbelievable internal energy you can use within you to flip the largest man alive. It takes years of training (what doesn't?), and trust me not even an ounce of muscle is needed.

Answer 100

My son is a 4th degree black belt instructor in Tae Kwon Do.... I took it myself for a while.... it's NOT strenuous, they have plenty of warm-up exercises to get you limbered ---and they teach excellent self defence techniques.... I used to work at my son's school when he was taking lessons (that's how I paid for 11 years of lessons)... and people from 4 to 65 can take the classes easily... by the way, one time my son WAS attacked by several guys on the streets in the city near us..... He went into his martial arts mode using the techniques he learned, decking the first attacker so quickly the guy never saw it coming.... the others were then SCARED and backed off their attack and actually RAN away down the street.... the guy that TRIED to attack my son was basically unhurt except for his pride ..... Also, you meet a lot of really nice people in your classes... the commoradarie was my favorite part....but you learn a LOT very quickly....

Answer 101

I do Aikido. Aikido helps you become flexible and it is very easy-going. No injuries in this martial art, you don't even injure the attacker. No competition also.

The only problem would be to find a dojo. There is one in Delaware (if you live close by) that has a great teacher right from Japan. He is very gentle and friendly, knows English well.

Answer 102

I would take this question to a good martial arts teacher who is proficient in a number of different styles. Personally I am partial to tai chi, but I'm not recommending it for you because it is very deeply rooted in philosophy, and I sense you wouldn't have the patience to see the practical self-defense applications.

Answer 103

There are forms as in Karate, and some schools practice sparring as in Karate. The techniques are a bit different of course. Kung Fu in general is a bit "softer" with more circular motion, and flowing stances, versus the linear movement of Karate. Of course, that's a generalization - some styles are very similar to Karate. Some styles such as Wing Chun focus on "trapping" which involves hampering and controlling an opponents arm so as to facilitate striking, and to prevent them from striking you. Other arts, such as Chin-na focus on grappling, pressure points, and locks as seen in Japanese Ju-jitsu. I feel that many of the same critisms of Karate and Japanese Ju-jitsu apply here.

Answer 104

I would definitley take tang su do. This is a martial arts style that is large un un-armed defense against armed opponenets and it's even deadlier with an unarmed opponent. I know you want self-defense, but you will also have to learn forms (katas-teno,heons1-5) and other important things will come into play.

Answer 105

A "martial art" is an only good if you practice it. After all it's an "art". If you train enoungh you're reactions become second nature, only when this happens would you even have a decent chance of defending your self in a bad situation.



If you don't take the art seriously... I'd recommend a can of mace, cell phone, and a good pair of running shoes.

Answer 106

If you live in a slave state that does not have a SHALL ISSUE concealed carry permit provision I recommend that you take courses in Krav Maga.



Krav Maga is the Jewish form of martial art that is taught to Israeli commandos.



It is very pragmatic, there is no discussion of philosophy, I guess being Jewish they think that is covered and the moves are designed to work in combat. The martial art is designed to teach a lot of people and being in 100% tip top shape is not necessary.



Better yet, learn Krav Maga AND move to a state that has a pistol permit provision.

Answer 107

Learn Hun Gar Kung Fu for the flexibility and speed, Kenpo and Shotokan Karate for strength Shin Kendo and Iaido for swordsmanship and get in a bunch of bar fights with hells angels then go to China and get arrested, there a man name Ducard will have you find a rare wild flower that grows only on the peaks of a far off mountain. Then you will be BATMAN!!!!



(Only if your a rich white guy that lost his parents due to violent slum criminal events.)

Answer 108

Jujitsu or Krav Maga would be your best bets here.



Jujitsu focuses on leverage and using your opponents momentum against them so no matter how big they are you will always have the upper hand. Finding the style that works for you is the only difficult part - besides being thrown around in training that is :).



Krav Maga is used by the Isreali military for self-defense and fighting. It can brutal yet effective.

Answer 109

Krav Maga

Brazillian Jiu-jitsu

Answer 110

Try Krav Maga, it doesn't require a lot of flexibility( ie you are not going to have to learn to roundhouseor acrobatics you see in movie) but its effective, easy and is becoming the system of choice for law enforcement in military around the world.

Answer 111

i can make a simple suggestion... take something that is near you and that you enjoy! if its too far or you don't enjoy it then you will not continue to take classes and if you give up it will not help. anything you learn will help you take care of yourself. as others have mentioned, there are certain styles that don't require as much kicking for flexibility. those would be



jujitsu

Akido

win chun



there is also judo (more like wrestling but very effective.

and several styles of Karate that don't do as much kicking as Tae Kwon Do or other styles.

Answer 112

Judo, it's used by the military. My dad was an army ranger, and says he's used it on many occasions and it's worked, he's even taught me some.



It's not fancy or flashy like Kung Fu or Karate, no special moves, it just shows you where weak points are, how to hit them and how to get away as quickly as possible or disable your attacker completely.



Great for everyday self defense. And where Karate and Kung Fu take years of training, Judo you can learn rather quickly.



Judo is the way to go for everyday self defense, trust me.^^

Answer 113

For self-defense I wouldn't recomend any kind of martial arts for the current reasons: most of the techniques they will teach you involve trusting a part of you body (Arm, Leg) towards the opponent. This will get you in trouble because a reason with quick reflexes will grab the body part and then it's all over, you are better off practicing way of getting faster reflexes and take boxing because in boxing you learn to move around on your feet allowing you to dodge and wait for an opening and also they will teach you how to bend off a hit to keep it from doing as much damage.

Answer 114

believe me no martial arts work at all except ju jitsu i know by experience and i don't think you'd want to go to the ground on the street. first step to defending yourself is talking out of it or running away. girls are naturally disadvantaged that's the truth no going around it the best woman fighter would be destroyed by a mediocore male fighter it's just a fact.



if those don't work then the best would be mma like what you see on ufc. pat miletich teaches the miletiches is a great system for teaching mma. good luck

Answer 115

For fast results : Tae Kwon Do (preferrably ITA style)



For slow but effective results : Karate - Goju ryu is good



For results after indepth study - Judo



For results after prolonged study - Aikido



For women - combination of Tae Kwon Do and Aikido or Judo



In general : Kung-fu



For results after a good practice and proper indepth understanding : tai chi chuan, hsing-i, chin na etc.



True it is difficult to choose the right art for you and your needs.



All are equally good. All are effective after prolonged studies and proper understanding.



See some video clips / pictures / browse through writings or books of different arts and choose that you find most suitable.



A lot depends on the school and the instructors and masters you learn from.

Answer 116

If you have the time, you should take tae-kwon-do. They'll teach you from the beginning and you'll eventually learn many forms and self-defense. You should also take cardio boxing as well. There both a great workout. You'll learn and have fun at the same time.

Answer 117

What are your disposition and purpose?



Any of the martial arts are good for strength and conditioning, however,



if you're agressive, I would recommend one of the karate styles-- shotokan or taekwondo



if you're strong, one of the wrestling styles-- judo, any jiuitsu



for general health and defense-- kung fu



I would recommend aikido for a more pacifist demeanor-- self defense with little harm to the attacker.

Answer 118

Kung Fu has so many different styles that are way to numerous to list.



Escrima - Filipino stick art (Also known as Kali Escrima)



Hawaii has an art called Lua (means toilet in english). Not much is known and only a select few have studied it.

Answer 119

I studied several martial arts for many years and then realised that I didn't want to kill anyone so Karate, Kung fu and tae Kwan do are out. Judo is very physical and rough but useful. Aikido is fun and user friendly but long term. Jiu jutsu is very practical but can be hard work.

Wing Chun Kung fu was designed for a woman but hard to find.

My money is on Aikido.

Don't forget; you can just put your fingers in his eyes if he won't leave you alone!

Answer 120

take hap-ki do. It is a Korean martial art that uses the force or momentum of your attacker against them. You don't really have to be big or flexible to control the scum bag, just a knowledge of balance and control of joints on the body.



But the ultimate use of defense on a guy is go for the nuts.

Answer 121

FREE Self Defense Lessons !



#1. Kick your opponent in the balls then karate chop the carotid artery.

#2. Use your fingers to dig into your opponent’s body to grab their rib cage and pull. If you pull hard enough you might be able to rip the lungs out.

#3. Use the tip of your thumb and strike the throat. If you do this hard enough your opponent will choke and die.

#4. Hit the face executing 5 punches to the nose as fast as you can before your opponent falls down.

#5. Strike the solar plexus with your thumb and take out your opponent’s knee.

#6. Grab hair and pull your opponent down to execute a knee strike.

#7. Elbows. They work.

#8. Thrust your palm upward into the opponent’s nose causing the bone to be thrust into their brain.

#8. Go for the eye with your finger index finger.

#9. Cup your hands and take out the eardrum disorienting your opponent then grab their head and twist jaw to allow neck to break.



Good luck and be safe !

Answer 122

i suggest you take up muay thai or thai boxing... why?



1. it is direct to the point no flash but the most effective



2. no flexibility required not like brazilian jiu jitsu or judo where you need to do confusing submission techniques and holds...



3. it hardens your body... this martial art not only focuses on offense it also trains your body to get used to being hit... unlike tae kwon do which is a softer martial art and only teaches you good kicks but not at all effective blocks and punches....



kung fu, brazilian jiu jitsu, tae kwon do, karate, judo are all very good martial arts but the flaw of these martial arts is that its hard to apply to a real life high risk situation.. especially martial arts that involve submission holds since the only time you have the advantage is when your on the ground and not standing uppright.... other flaws are seen in martial arts like tae kwon do kung fu and karate.... though a fun competition sport its too structured traditional and hard to apply to a real life fight... the only way you can effectively apply any of the martial arts like these ones to real life is if you become a real master...



you can also try boxing....



hope this helped you out!:D



don't forget to pick a best answer!

Answer 123

In my opinion, aikido is the most practical, economic and pragmatic martial art. On the street, if you were attacked, you wouildn't have time for high kicks and one inch punches! Take a tip from stevan segal and learn how to deflect, incapacitate, and if nessecery break some wrists :)

Answer 124

The style of martial art you choose isn't as important as the instructor or school that you choose. Do some research on the credentials of the school and its instructors. Be sure that you will be getting instruction from the owner not just from his or her subordinates. Whatever style you choose should suit your needs just fine. What you put into it is what you will get out of it. Just like anything else in life. Good Luck!!!!

Answer 125

Learn what you can from any fighting style.Every little bit helps.Bruce Lee is a prime example of this.

There was one point I was in Wrestleing,Karate,boxing,and I studied theory on Kung fu.I read Bruce Lee' books the best teachings ever.

It will all help many ways.Be flexable in that way.Learn a veriety.That way your opponent can't just figure you just for one way of fighting only.

Answer 126

Krav Maga.



Developed by the IDF (Israeli defense Forces), this martial art is not a sport.



It teaches you how to survive an attack against multiple opponents, knives and guns.



If you are ever attacked for real, you will have to overcome surprise, fear and confusion and defend yourself against a more powerful and possibly armed opponent.



Krav Maga will teach you the techniques to use and will develop your survival instinct.

Answer 127

Judo or Aikido. They are very simple to learn and very practical to use. I personally prefer Taekwondo is what i studied as a child and it has helped me through out life as both workout and self defense. But if all you want is to brush out of a parking lot without fear of being mugged,I recomend those two.

Answer 128

In any martial Arts you will learn how to use the most ancient weapons, Arms, legs, hands, fist and the best weapon of all your mind. I study Tae Kwon Do, not the modern or the sport of the Martial Art but the Ancient Art of Tae Kwon Do. I was undefeated when I used to complete. As for me the Ancient Art of Tae Kwon Do was the best. With this I also study other forms and mix them together in my matches.

5th Black Belt.

JED

Answer 129

Karate is the best. All you need is technique like to block a knife you just hold your hands like you are giving up and quickly clap and they drop the knife.remember to protect yourself with martial arts you should only use it if you cannot run away. I am a yellow belt and it is in only over summer vacation about a year or 2 ago.

Answer 130

Look out for the cult-like schools. You should be dedicated and train hard, but not expected to quit your job or babysit the instructor's kids.



Look out for the cookie-cutter (I call them McDonalds of martial arts) schools. Standing in a line of 30 people throwing a million low blocks is not going do a lot for you. You should have plenty of personal attention in each class.



Make sure it is what you really want to do. When I taught, we did a lot of full contact fighting. People got hurt - not seriously mind you - but bruises,

Answer 131

#1; there is no one (style) in self defence.Check out various styles out there and see if its for you. Or take a move here, there. whatever feels best for you. Usually when you need self defence you are allready under attack. So be swift and remember; the attacker counts on the ellement of surprise. Be aware your surroundings; ;Hit em in the shins, balls solar plexus, finger jab to the neck. RUN Plus STAY FIT! Whatever it takes (even the worse) get out unhurt and allive!

Answer 132

-I was in the same boat at you, wondering what to take, but I ended up just taking a Tae Kwon Do class, that also involved a little Ju Jitsu.

-I more did it for the exercise, b/c you get great ab workouts.

-I did it for about a year, but stopped b/c it does get costly.

-I'm with you, I wanted just self defense, I don't care to do competitions, I just want to learn in a class, it was highly recommended to do a tourney, but didn't think I should have to, I didn't want to upset others by turning tourney's down so I stopped.

-But, it's great to learn real life situations for long term solutions.

Answer 133

Tang Soo Do isn't bad.. in English it means "Art of the Knife Hand" and the reason for this is that about 75% of it's moves are hand strike/defense related... so it is something you don't have to be super flexible and able to kick above your head to be proficient at.

Answer 134

Isshinryu, that is what I took for 11 years. Its pretty basic, and does not require you to be very flexible. Its a huge martial art, that is what they were doing in the karate kid, except that one leg lift arms like an bird and kick thing, that was for drama.



Do not take Taekwando, its a crappy martial art, they let you just fly through it in 2 years, and it requires high kicking which leaves the groin completely open to a thrashing.

Answer 135

my advice as a profesional martialartest u need confiedence u ever get made at an ex and want to kick them in the n.ts what stoped u? confidence is most important and nowing u can do somthing on your own and not worring about what will happen next is key look for discipline of hopkido very good offense and great defence and confidence.:)

Answer 136

It basically depends on what you want and how fast.



Martial Arts can seem like the obvious choice but if you don't have the time then I would go with boxing.



Boxing is probably the most helpful in a streetfight and there are a lot of boxing places around. Most Martial arts are americanized watered down clones. Finding an authentic martial arts dojo can be very difficult and when you join , you will have to do a lot of physical combat rather than practicing doing "flashy" useless moves.



I have known guys who were black belts in karate and still lost in a school fight. It wasn't a close fight either but a straight win by a long shot.



If you have the time and effort, then join a "real" martial arts dojo but if you don't join boxing.

Answer 137

learning martial art takes time - at least few months just to learn the basics and years to master it. my advice would be to go after self-defense course. in many places former police officers or military guys lead courses for self defense - it is not a particular style, it is more like a mix of real life mock-up situations and the right way to react in that particular threatening situation. When making your choice about which course to take, chose the one where the trainer focus attention not just on the techniques but also on the behavior . In critical situation quite often the ability to avoid clash is more important than the skill to fight back.

Answer 138

1) Aikido

2) Jujitsu

3) Judo

4) Wushu

5) Karate

6) Kung Fu

7) Taekwondo

8) Jeet Kune Do



Among the 8. I would advise you either Aikido, Kung Fu, Wushu or Jeet Kune Do.

Answer 139

Many police departments provide self defense classes. These are the best for specifically self defense and how to stay out of trouble. Contact your local police department or township they should be able to point you to the next course.



The link below takes you to a site

Answer 140

jui jitsu is a good one. It teaches you some striking but alot of grappling. Most schools teach in this art really teach you how to use the skills in a real fight. A real kickboxing school is another good choice. When it comes to Karate or Tae Kwon Do, most schools teach self confidence and not how to properly defend themselves.

Answer 141

It depends on your personality. If you have an extroverted personality, try the external (hard) styles: Karate, Taikwondo, Kick-boxing, Kung Fu, etc.



If you have an introverted personality, try the internal (or soft) styles: Aikido, Hapkido, Judo, Tai Chi, etc.



The difference is in how they project energy. External styles or 'hard' styles project energy in straight or direct lines, i.e., they attack the target head-on, in a perpendicular force trajectory.



Internal or 'soft' styles project energy in in-direct or tangential lines, i.e., they deflect energy and control the force tangentially along a curved trajectory.



But don't be fooled by the effectiveness of either one, they are both effective in their own way, and both are powerful.

Answer 142

No gun ain't a good idea.either marshal arts or karate lesson in this world we live in its a good idea to learn some Self-Defense Techniques & Tactics for defense

Answer 143

first off as mentioned by some "there's no perfect martial art" its what the person brings out of the art that counts or its the individual not the art.....do your homework to find a "proper" school, if you just want to learn self deffense and nothing "traditions" like you would get from a good kung fu gwan, or "commercialism and tournaments" like from a discipline like "tae kwon do" I would reccomend something that teaches in close fighting where you would not have to rely on strength but develop speed. , As for the grappling arts, i'm not "knocking them" but in a real situation you want to be on your feet at all times , I would reccomend either "A" checking with womens groups to find out about a self deffence or "prevention" class for starters, most likely that would be very basic and very effective....or "B" a chinese kenpo karate class, yes you might be touching on the "traditional" stuff with it, but i can tell you from my own expieriece Kenpo is no nonsense, you do what you must to get out of the situation, and you do it fast and with persission, no movement is wasted, they dont call it the "fast hands art" for nothing, and dont worry about balance and speed, it comes over time, other schools i would mention would be a "jeet kun do" school the style founded by bruce lee, once again in close, fast , no movement wasted, or even the israeli style of "crav magga", just like the kenpo and jeet kun do, in close fast no movement wasted, i have been very lucky to find 2 excellent schools in the 15 yrs (not very long) ive studdied both kung fu , but i love the traditions and history, thats not for everyone, especially if you have a reason to pursue self deffense.......be careful, check into any schools thoroughly, ask alot of questions, and be patient, dont expect miracles over night....good luck to you

Answer 144

I took brazilian ju-jitsu as a class for PE (in college). I loved it! We didn't get to learn too much because of the limited amount of time, but I feel confident that I could defend myself if I needed to. Ju-jitsu gives you control in different situations. It teaches you to control your opponent while standing and how to prevent from being taken to the ground. However, in the event that you are taken down, it teaches you how to regain control and escape. I enjoyed the class and think that it would be a good choice for you.

Answer 145

Dude straight up take Jujitsu style of self defense karate and when your done with this class your arms are considered weapons to kill.

Answer 146

Kickboxing is real fun.Kickboxing refers to the sport of using martial-arts-style kicks and western-boxing-style punches to defeat an opponent in a similar way to that of standard boxing. Kickboxing is often practised for general fitness, or as a full-contact sport.

Answer 147

Contact your local law enforcement agency and sign up to take a R.A.D. women's self defense course. This is the best self-defense course there is for women. More info at R.A.D. Systems website. Most courses are offered for free.

Answer 148

Judo is the gentle way. Not concerned with punching, more with the balance, and use of the aggressor's momentum against him. I won most of my matches by chokes and arm bars. Kung Fu is aggressive, but each instructor chooses his students. Taekwondo is good defense, but aggressive. There are places that just teach you self defense. Ti Chi (don't know spelling) teaches the flow- also a gentle way. I enjoyed Judo when I studied it.

Answer 149

Kickboxing is a very good sport, and teaches you to fight and defend yourself. The first rule that is taught in kickboxing is how to fall. That is the key. If you fall, you can recover quickly and either fight back, or get away. It teaches you proper stances to protect your vital areas, and it teaches you how to inflict the most amount of damage in the quickest way. All of this helps in buying you time to get out of the situation that you may be facing.



And best of all, it's one of the most aerobic and healthiest sports you can do.

Answer 150

This is a hard question, and I tell you why: After Bruce Lee left us, it was a tidal wave of "NEW Karate Instructors" who claim to know all kinds of weird things, and break all kinds of stuff that don't exists on this planet!

Research the dojo(studio) and the instructor(s).

Don't be afraid to ask questions about where they got their rank and how long they been teaching.



I recommend Kenpo Karate.



Good Luck...

Answer 151

What's your goal?



If you want to deal with a specific problem, near-term, then a different strategy is recommended.



If you want to build yourself a better person for the long-term, then select something that suits you.



There is no absolute "best" system - just the best system for you - and the best instructor for you, personally.



Best way to find that out is to get some local references and then to attend not less than two or more typical classes as an observer. Do that for each of the schools you want to evaluate.



And, evaluate all the schools you want to consider before you make any commitment to any of them.



That's my advice as a dojo-owner who regularly directs visitors to my competitors' schools to help them find what they're looking for. Much more important they're well-fitted than to get them in the door...



Good luck.

Answer 152

Depends on what you want out of it. If you're not competing and you're not flexible, then I recommend one of the following.



Tajiquan (Tai Chi Chu'an) - Good for promoting health and blance. Internal style. Go for Chen-style Taiji if you want somehting more athletic/combatitive than the usualy yang style you see old people practicing in the parks. Not every teacher will teach you application, but the moves are for joint locks/breaks, Take-downs, fist/elbow/shoulder/knee/hip strikes, low kicks. complete end-to-end martial art.



Bajiquan - Guaranteed to teach you real Chinese fighting in a complete style. Joint locks/breaks, grapples and Take-downs, fist/elbow/shoulder/knee/hip strikes, low kicks. Complete end-to-end martial art. Highly focused on training and development of internal (spiralling) energy and explosive striking/breaking power. Focused on very close-range fighting and power.



Aikido - Founded by a Juijitsu master who was inspired by studying Taijiquan. no strikes. purely defensive.



Judo - Really a sport, but not practical in real fighting... no strikes, no joint breaks. no kicks. Just wrasslin'



Juijitsu - Kinda like a sport, more complete than Judo, in that it involves joint locks/breaks.



Any Internal style King Fu... Taijiquan, bajiquan, baguazhang, pigua, hsing-i.... etc.



Most other arts required flexibility.

Answer 153

If you can find a location that teaches it, then Krav Maga that's the only street tested martial art. You won't be getting no katas and fancy dancy form nonesense. If not, then I would suggest boxing, Brazilian jujitsu, and/or Muay Thai.

Answer 154

i think the best style for you would be to learn Aikedo which is a very good style which i have been doing 4 the past 2 years. it has changed by thinking in some ways and out look on life.

Answer 155

I recently talked with an instructor from Impact (personal safety), they teach personal safety and assertiveness training; teaching individuals to make personal safety choices. They talk to you and train. Its not one of those classes where you're in a classroom, being told about all the techniques, then go learn. They show you a technique, then you go straight into doing yourself.....against the assailiant.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Answer 156

What About Kyokushin Karate Or Seido Karate, They're Both Good.

Answer 157

Hwa Rang Do is one of the best styles around for self defense, physical fitness, and overall mental health!

Answer 158

Well, for self defense purpose only, you should consider taking Judo or Aikido. These two martial arts focus on grappling and reverse techniques. An example of Aikido, is countering one's momentum to throw your attacker. Judo consists of types of strikes and blows to immobilize your attacker. These martial arts are extremely useful for random encounters!

Answer 159

Krav Maga, it will train you self defense. The really gritty moves you need to save your life! Check it out . I study Aikido and it takes much longer to be able to use in real life.

Answer 160

I would go with Krav Maga. It is an Isreali martial arts that teaches you to disable the enemy and get away. That is the whole purpose of defending yourself, it is not to perform elegant kicks and manuevers but to save your own life. Krav Maga does just that. It is a real world fighting style that teaches you to use your own body and the environment around you to defend yourself. It is quickly becoming the stardard taught to most law enforcement professionals.

Answer 161

Definitely, Krav Maga! Very simple a straightforward techniques. No high kicks and such. No mystic meditation mumbo-jumbo either.



'Course, I love my baby Glock, OC spray, and Taser too :-)



[I've never had to cause anyone permanently injury though :-]

Answer 162

It may be hard for a beginner such as you(no offense), but Aikido is a very good, strong style that does not require the most flexibility.

Answer 163

i think tie kwon do is best you only need to be able to kick as high to make abought a 98 deg. angle from your other leg and Little balance skills . along with self defense its good exercise and good for your posture and back problems and you only have to compete if you wanna and judo is throwing and could really hurt you if you don't do it perfectly right . hope i helped! ^~^

Answer 164

The best martial art for you would probably be Muay-Thai (Thai Kickboxing). The truth about martial arts such as karate, is that they really are not good with self defense. They teach you an array of crap "self-defense" moves that will do nothing to help you. Take up Muay-Thai, it's a much rougher sport. It will get you toughened and trained up for a fight, if it ever comes. http://youtube.com/watch?v=M3R4xtjl5b4 Seriously though, don't listen to the people saying things such as Karate, it's crap. Also, towards the people saying jiu-jitsu, that's ground fighting, not the best. People who say TKD, good for you BUT this guy says he's not flexible, which is a big part of TKD, flexibility.

Good luck!

Answer 165

Tae Kwon Doe is a good form of protection. It teaches to run away if you can safely. If you can't run away it teaches really good techniques in defending ones self and also being the aggressor if needed.

Answer 166

Don't worry, all you need is good talking skills. It is better to talk it out than to fight something out. But since you are asking for some style, try here



http://www.squidoo.com/MartialArts101



That really helps to make your mind up. I prefer taekwondo/karate/muay thai for striking and jujutsu/judo for some throws and grappling.



You don't have to worry for your flexibility because it will come naturally as you train.



I hope that helps

Answer 167

I would also recommend Krav Maga. It's a great system for learning how to react in any situation -- from a fist fight to a gun attack. It also uses stress drills to help you practice for what a real-life situation might be like. It is intense, though, and will involve getting your body in shape -- which is definitely a plus. My classmates and I talk about how we started taking Krav classes to learn defense but ending up dropping pounds and toning up, too.



To learn more, check out this site -- http://www.kravmaga.com/krav01.html

Answer 168

Brazilian JuJitSu

or

boxing

Answer 169

I would say take a basic Karate class first. Once you learn how physically demanding it is, what aspects of it you like and dislike, and what you are going to learn in it, you can use that knowledge to figure out what styles will appeal to you. Strict defense styles like Judo and Aikido are good for takedowns and countering, but you'll want a knowledge of striking enough to where you can take out an opponent. You can also try to find a self defense class that mixes two styles to achieve that focus, because assuming you get grabbed from behind, you want to be able to get out (Judo) and then disable the attacker (Karate), so look around your area, see what you can find.

Answer 170

I do WTF TKD and do boxing and Muay thai, and I can tell you that in TKD I have meet some very good friends, more than in MT or boxing combined, and have learned some great ways to defend myself. But I will admit that hapkido, boxing or muay thai do help more on the streets than TKD in the short run. after 3 or so years of practice in TKD, you have knowledge enough to know what works and what doesnt on the street, so you wont do a dumb thing like a spinning hook kick as soon as you get close enough to strike, but youll learn that along the way!

Answer 171

Krav Maga

Answer 172

Jujitsu will be the best self defense you can use for a number of reason my family is train in it and one of my family members had to use it to protect herself. plus it does not take much to take a person down nor do you have to be super strong.

Answer 173

Karate. Beginner

Answer 174

Street

Answer 175

Finding a school and a teacher that work for you is much more important than which style you study.



Visit a nearby school and watch a class. If it doesn't feel right to you, keep looking. If you like what you see, dive in!

Answer 176

Goshin Jutsu Karate " Defend with Honor"

Answer 177

the best martial arts for self defence is wing chun it's not flashy like taekwondo, not related to chi or anything spiritual like aikido and other stuff, it's not forms and patterns like kung fu and karate but just straight up ways to defend yourself in a street fight without having a lawsuit on your hands after the fight because it emphasizes on prefight which is a large part of the fight.

Answer 178

If you don't want to take karate you should try krav maga. Krav maga uses self defense from weapons and uses moves they teach you to not get hit by a kine, gun, etc.



karate in the other hand only teaches how to defend yourself from people who grab you.



So I perfer krav maga hope this helps! :)

Answer 179

Tae kwan Do take the civilian form and not the military form. It is a very easy, non aggressive appraoch. The first move of every form is always a step backwards to give your opponent the opportunity to cease his attack.

Answer 180

Jeet Kune Do, it uses every style of martial arts. It does not discriminate. Plus, it's created by Bruce Lee, the late master of martial arts. You can utilize it to what you want to focus on too. JKD is universal.

Answer 181

There are now some very interesting Israeli martial arts you can take called haganah and krav maga. they focus on simulating real life situations, so you can be best prepared for a real confrontation. these martial arts are not about dicipline and learning forms, they are about protecting yourself. the FBI as well as other government orgs are trained in them. hope i helped

Answer 182

youre looking for a hard martial art, hard as opposed to soft not easy. I take Oki Ru Kempo, Oki Ru means open system which means in includes a variety of different martial artws moves but is yet its own system. and it is physical and it requires you to work. You become physically fit and good at fighting. that would be my suggestion.

Answer 183

I would Say learn hap ki do it shows you how like to break and arm or wrist or leg or whatever without using much effort.



but they shall be only used as defense. hapkido is like dealing how protect your self in real life situations from someone grabbing you from behind or when they pull a knife at you

Answer 184

1st choice Mixed martial arts- No limits

2nd choice BJJ for ground fighting and breaking peoples joints and make them lose consciousness by different holds or Muay Thai for fighting standing up and knocking the living crap out of people.

Or join a track team and become a sprinter.

Answer 185

Kempo,or second is a carry permit, best street self defense there is. Join the NRA to know your rights.

Answer 186

Filipino Cali (or Cahli, i'm really not sure how you spell it.) its a very simple and effective form of self-defense. It is the type of self-defense Jason Bourne uses in the Bourne movies.

Answer 187

kick boxing is nice for any one you learn where to hit what to do iam sure if choach is nice and love doing his job he well teahc youu some other thing for self defence



but ya kick boxing well get your whole body strong and so your body be able take more hits



just saying because one my friends take kickboxing and hes built and no he anit the hulk all over his body from it not just his uper part his legs/feet/back/ so on

Answer 188

Try to find a gym that teaches MMA(Mixed Martial Arts)It teaches different fighting styles that work great!My dad is taking it and he is in great shape,he shows me some of the things that he learned.They teach;Kickboxing,Wrestling,Jujitsu,Karate,etc.

Answer 189

I think you should study tai-chi it is more than physical self defense. It is also mental self defense, It is the use of someones own energy turned back on themselves. It also has personal benefits such as a stress reliever, and mental awarness.

Answer 190

There are two types 1. 357 2. 9mm

Answer 191

To be honest, you dont need high kiks or arm breaking stuff.

The real question is how are you going to handle the fear of loosing your life in that circumstance.Ive been a martial artist for many years and the one thing is to overcome is fear. Emagine you are in your home and suddenly you wake up knowing someone in your house?.Do you feel your chest swelling up and your heart beat like a ton,that is the fear im talking about.

Answer 192

Learn Jujitsu.

Answer 193

Aikido is a form of Jujitsu that is based on protecting ones self instead of attacking. it is the ultimate defensive art, and very fun. I take it, and its great.

Answer 194

Hmmmmm...............well Karate is for pretty much anyone........or Taekwando.........after you get a little experience from those if you want to learn more try Aikido.........it's really challenging though.

I advise you DON'T take capoiera........it's requires agility nearing olympic level(in my opinion).

Plus you need great agility.

Or just take plain old defense classes.

They combine many together.

Answer 195

the best self defence is to go away from the things that could cause you problems, before these to happen, it is called prevention, I suppose that best self-defence is prevention and some interprate this as predicting the future in order to know what to avoid or pray to god,living in harmony with the divinity

I was attacked in the market few days ago by a woman who sold lingerie and socks and with whom I had an argue and she came from behind me and hit me in the head with the fists and cause i was confused because of the hits in the head then hit me with her legs cause I was simply incapable to do anything few seconds I was to the police and they told me I should sue her in court cause they can't do anything

i took some few years of martial arts years ago, but I lost my practice , what I would have wanted to do and believe me I would have wanted to stop her from attacking me and not hurt her, just make her understand it was wrong what she did

but yes, I would have liked to have the chance to be better fit and able to defend myself, but not to live in a world where you must battle, but being able to protect yourself and others who may ask your help

Answer 196

I think you should do Tae Kwon Do. It's a martial arts and self defence. You learn Blocking, kicking, and other techniqes that can help you in self defence.

Answer 197

look, if all you are wanting is some self-defense. then just go down to your local YMCA / YWCA and take a classes there. it will be cheap, an just what you are looking for. All my best to you! (And forget about all the "Martial Arts" BS)

Answer 198

Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. No flexibility required or strength.

Answer 199

This is Steve Hayes web Page he has taken the traditional Japanese Martial Arts and made them practical for todays self defense needs http://www.skhquest.com/

Hpoe it helps

Answer 200

"When in danger, go for 'GRAPPLING' techniques."



"The most sensitive areas on a man's face, is his eyes and

his (throat area) 'Adam's Apple'."



"For example, the throat area."



"1994 World Championship Wrestling's, Pay-Per-View

event, 'Halloween HAVOC' match-up, between the

challenger, 'Merciless Mental' Inglewood Stuntman [V.S.]

the champion, 'the Widowmaker' Barry Windham."



"For the W.C.W., Western States Heritage Title."



"Next example, the eyes."



"1995 World Wrestling Federation's, Saturday Night's MAIN

EVENT match-up, between the challenger, 'the Birdman'

KoKo B. Ware [V.S.] the champion, 'Merciless Mental'

Inglewood Stuntman."



"for the W.W.F., Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship."

Answer 201

If you ever get this far down the list. Try Kosho Shorei Ryu. I have done dozens of styles this was by far the best. IMO

Good luck

Ripper

Answer 202

Hello dear friend, I would like to show you the easy way that can cost nothing. You have to meet some one and he can protect you for all your life. His name is Jesus and He is willing to defend you for ever, if you let Him to be your teacher and your Lord. I had same problem as you have now. and I did give my life to Him. He said that " I am the only way " " I am the beginning and the end ".

I hope I did not hurt you my dear friend. Give your life to Him and trust in your Lord Jesus.

He loves you so much that , He gave His life for you and me.

Answer 203

i recommend tung-su-do, it is a korean style, so many girls find it easier, because of the lack of the need to "bulk up" to be good at it, you also dont need to be that flexible, although that is an advantage granted by tung-su, you will become more flexible over time, ive been training in it for about a month now, and its very fun, but it can also be very powerfull.

Answer 204

Don't listen to none of these idiots...... any martial arts master will tell you... there is one defense that no martial art can every beat and that is "Gunate". When used correctly, there is no defense or offense against it. Gun-a-te. Think about it.

Answer 205

Karate

Answer 206

I am no expert in this field but I had several classmates back in school that took taiquando. When I went to a black belt practise they had learned a "dance" of moves that could subdue an opponent. They then created their own dance. Sorry that I don't know to much but I hope it helps.



Good luck

Answer 207

If I were you I would take Kick boxing and werstling. I've had to fight a lot in my life and not once have I been able to krate chop some one.

Answer 208

For pure self defense, I would recommend Krav Maga. There are no frills with this system.

Answer 209

you dont need to focus on styles, when your attacked you need to be able to adapt and react to your attacker not stop and think about your forms. look for a basic non martial art self defense course to build your confidence up. also, I covered wrestling for three years on my college paper. it's an effective and dvasting art. look up panchion, the original traditionl greek style wrestling. it's coming back. that and boxing are really all you need. or once you master boxing learn different wrist and arm locks from different styles. look at mui thy, lot of focus on lower body and it uses the natural movements of the body. you dont need to be like jet li, you just need to have the heart to stand up for yourself and learn to avoid bringing trouble on yourself. peace.

Answer 210

Kick boxing/ Thai boxing is the most practical form of self defense.

Answer 211

Krav Maga, straight to the point there are no meditations, it is simply disarm and disable. It's what law enforcement typically uses.

Answer 212

try to learn silat.it's the south east asian maritial art (it's came from indonesia or malaysia for sure).silat have it's own weapon such as keris,parang,golok etc.but silat is best for self defense when you are weaponless.just search the web and you will know more about silat.

Answer 213

http://www.tbotech.com/combat-karate.htm



for a quick self defense/ offense primer purchse Dale Comstacks ' American Combat Karate DVD



then sign up for Tang Soo Do



and purchase a firearm ....... and get married to a MAN that believes in self defense .......



you may not "want" to use a weapon,but you may HAVE to .......

it is a DANGEROUS world ..........

Answer 214

Style is exactly that style. protecting oneself id different than participating in formal matches with peer groups.

Look into Eskrima if you want to make short work of protecting yourself. Also called MUAY THAI.

Answer 215

if you are intending to use what you learn in this class in real world combat from muggers or other attackers you will face in real life situations i believe muy thai kickboxing would be the MOST effective in realistic situations...



If you are using this class as recreation i would suggest karate or tai kwon do... those are the most popular and you get to collect colorful belts depending on your skill level

Answer 216

Aikido

Answer 217

well....taekuan do is kinda impractical , same for karate , only gets interesting when you hit black belt



i recommend judo or aikido , both are very good as they put you in situations , i prefer aikido cause you can somewhat apply it immediately after the class(that is if you remember)



for aiki,you will be able to cause alot of pain with minimal effort , its really slow , slow but dangerous

Answer 218

I wanted to learn some self defence techniques to protect me and my family. I followed the course of this site http://www.downloadita.it/r/rd.asp?gid=423. It helped: I feel much safer now.

Cheers.

Answer 219

If anything i would take capoeira.Capoeira is a south brazilian martial art. Capoeira is very practical for take-downs and methods of "disabling" your opponet. You learn alot of different forms. LIke steps for situations like, If somewon throws a fist at you, You grab there fist twist it opposite of you sweep there left leg, take-down and kidney punch. It is a very useful martial art. Tae-kwon-do is a very good form system martial arts as well. I know both very well :)

Answer 220

Find the one closest to your home. Any kind is good, and being closer to home makes it easier to go to your lessons. I studied Kenpo karate for awhile. It definately improves your self confidence.

Answer 221

Talk to an instructor but I thin Tai Kwan Do, will be the best for you because it use physiology and other ways to defend yourself. My ex boyfriend was an instructor. I learned some great techniques.

Answer 222

Anything sponsored by the NRA ;)



MMA is pretty good, as you learn BJJ with non-ground fighting. Krav is good for multiple assailant attacks with weapons. Majority of fights end up on the ground anyways.

Answer 223

The handgun is the "great equalizer" and you should exercise your 2nd Amendment rights to carry one.



An off-duty cop blows away 3 bank robbers and gets a medal. A regular citizen defends him/herself with the same gun, the media drops the story.



Don't bring martial arts to a gun fight buddy, you just wasted your time.........and your life.

Answer 224

If you are taking it for actually useful purposes, your best choices are jiu jitsu or kung fu (although kung fu is harder to find a teacher for.)



You don't want karate. All you do is memorize a certain list of moves in a certain order, there isn't much practical application.

Answer 225

Krav Maga is the latest craze. I've seen it be way more effective than Judo. Looks pretty cool. I'd do it, if I had time and money.

Answer 226

You should Learn Krav Maga

It teaches you how to quickly defend yourself against anything even guns and i heard that when u become really good u learn how to defend against grenades, but it is good for everyone of all ages.

Answer 227

Brazilian jujitsu is very good with hand to submissions. Mauy Thai is very very self defense its a good idea to use it

Answer 228

try taking some beginners courses in yoga or pilates to get your flexibility up if thats a problem for you,

i find most forms of japanese and chinese exersise to be great you can put the moves to great use

Answer 229

Wushu is a from of visual pleasing and deadly strikes if performed correctly, also capoeira, or win chun which is more on learning to lock peoples joints and some. Ju jitsu. You have plenty of options.

Answer 230

Hapkido is also taught with alot of korean martial arts, like Taekwondo, so if you can find a Taekwondo school with hapkido in it, then you should try and go there.

Answer 231

why dont you try Silat. Simple movement but yet effective. No high kicking, only from waist to below. A lot of hand movement skill to. But I can assure you that it still simple.

Answer 232

Karate is the best. I have been doing it for 7 years and it has completely changed my life.



Good luck

Answer 233

well for 1 anyone can be flexible its just a matter of working at it i would go for mixed martial arts it gives you a wide range of different kinds so you can specialize and pick witch one suits you

Answer 234

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it allow very small people to submit huge guys, I have taken it 3 years

Answer 235

Savat. French martial art. Definitely. Very simple, and very effective. Great history.

Answer 236

you should take krav maga...it is a mix of all the best martial arts( basiclly teach you how to street fight) ...it teaches you how to defend your self against mutiple attacker, and armed and un armed. It was developed by the Israli military....i take it now and it is so much fun....and i have had to use it and it def works!!!!!!!

Answer 237

Kenpo

Answer 238

Find a place that deals with actual simulated attacks instead of a place that wears uniforms and does ballet routines.

Answer 239

Akido remember the teacher's creed contains (yes besides alot of other wisdoms) "the teacher must always be able to kill his student" so he won't show you something he'd take a microsecond to do to somebody who deserves to die. Did you ever wonder "what do bullies think!?!!" & you'll see why Stephen Segal always says like,"hi...........(and some smart *** greeting) to those perps just before he kicks their ****, you'll find out

Answer 240

All the names of the arts can be looked up and see which might appeal to you. I would highly suggest going to the schools, watching the class and talking with the instructors. If they let you try their class, the better yet.

Answer 241

hi,

now a days womens are capable to practice different kinds of self defense in order to potect ourselves,u must enroll to gym first to evaluate your body.. u must try aikido or kickboxing..

Answer 242

Definitely karate

Answer 243

karate i think it is the best...and u can hve 2 things in 1 u get a gr8 shape and nice moves i think karate would be the wise option

Answer 244

God forbid you ever have to be in a situation where you might need it. you also need to be a very ruthless and uncaring if you don't get that in your head its like having a gun and not pulling the trigger. always train like your in the fight of your life and you well do good.

Answer 245

Tae Kwon Do or Judo

Answer 246

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kick-boxing -

The ultimate combination

Answer 247

Tykwando awsome style and big self defense stats!

Answer 248

Wing Chung - punching and grappling (being able to entrap their attacks while making a hit at the same time).

Answer 249

The most practical arts that don't compete & you don't need to be that flexible are Krav Maga (see links for KM faqs) http://www.kravmagahouston.com/FAQ.html

& there is also Combat Hapkido http://www.combathapkido.com/

Answer 250

Take some defensive pistol classes, street fighter is for hard core thugs.

Answer 251

well me i grew up on the street of brooklyn so i dont need to know self defense. but i reccomend boxing

Answer 252

Muay thai

and krav maga

Answer 253

Ti Kwon Do :D not sure if that's self defense I think it is though.

Answer 254

If ALL you want is self defense, see if there is a Women's self defense class in your community. These teach a few simple, effective techniques to quickly drive off or temporarily disable an attacker.

If not...pick a pragmatic mixed style like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Jeet Kune Do. Arnis is probably rougher than you want, and Judo and many Karate styles are too specialized. If you can't find a mixed style, take BOTH Judo and Karate.

In the end, however, it doesn't really matter which style you pick, it matters how much effort you put into it. A truly dedicated Judoka will outclass a Jeet Kune Do practitioner who misses classes and doesn't practice in his off time.

If you live near a military base, check and see if they have a self defense class. Same with local colleges.



You want to skip classes that require lots of katas--katas are boring and do little to prepare you to fight off a rapist. You also want to skip classes that teach board breaking and ice breaking (the boards are dried in a kiln to make them fragile...the ice is pre-broken) because these waste valuable time that you are paying for and could be using to learn to free yourself from a mugger's grab.



Ok...I've seen a few previous posts now telling you to try specific techniques and styles...some simple info...

1. High kicks are a great way to build strength and limberness for kicking, but worse than useless in a fight.

2. TKD/Tae Kwon Do...is a good style if you want to kick...but you are also going to want to free yourself from locks and holds.

3. Anyone telling you absolutes (Ed Parker is the best, TKD SUCKS) is setting you up for trouble.

4. Kali is also likely to be rougher than what you want.

5. If you keep getting your butt kicked in class...you are going to stop going to the class. Which means you don't want styles with immediate sparring like Muay Thai.

Answer 255

For self defense I recommend American Kenpo also known as Ed Parker's Kenpo. The kicks usually never come above the knee,( so you don't have to be flexible) and it is based entirely in self defense. Kenpoist don't train to point fight, they train in scientifically based self defense models.

Answer 256

Krav Maga Israeli fighting

Answer 257

Try kempo its easy to learn and easy on the joints, get a conceal carry permit and carry a gun.

Answer 258

Rex Kwon Do

Answer 259

Parkour and kickboxing. The second is to knock the person out or break a knee cap and the first is to run away as if you were spiderman. You can see some parkour on youtube.

Answer 260

well, the ultimate would be shaolin kung fu...but you would have to find some1 willing to teach a female



but other then that, id say judo or brazillian jiu jitsu, or both if you want, they work well with each other

Answer 261

I took KENPO and really enjoyed it. It was not low impact and useful for using the attackers momentum against them. (As is many/all of the martial arts, as well as mental discipline.)



Whatever you choose, you will, no doubt, enjoy it very much.

Answer 262

Take Tae-kwon-do. You start off stiff and work your way up. I'm a black belt now. I've been doing it for 4 years. It's fun, and some tdk places offer weapons class. (with fake swords and nunchuks). You dont need experience and dont have to be flexible.

Answer 263

Some answers here are silly beyond belief!

TKD, Karate or Judo, you can have any body style and do these.

Answer 264

Kung Fu. You learn everything. Boxers can't deal with kicks, Kung Fu is fantastic. Karate is slow and just strikes. Kung fu is the best, seriously.

Answer 265

Don't listen to what the others say. Instead, just watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2REG3-Wb5gM



If this isn't real life situation self-defense, then I'll be damn.

Answer 266

You can all ways try taking lessons from a karate teacher, or you could practice by yourself.

Answer 267

Try Jeet Kune Do, its use for both offense and defense.

Answer 268

Id go for the new cage fighting.. They have classes everywhere and so fun and itll get u fit!

Answer 269

depends on ur fighting style some ppl prefer to be more offensive and others prefer to be more defensive. for offensive i think muay thai is good for defensive juijitsu is good.

Answer 270

Jiujitsu a good choice, you just use your hands and waist, could also teach you some dance moves as well..

Answer 271

my children do shukokai which is a form of karate. there is no weopens included it is about learning katas and grading every 3 months to get a belt and they do kata comps and fighting comps its very exciting and my son is actually the national champion for his age.

Answer 272

Krav Maga. I have a black belt in tae-kwon-do, and have trained in akido,wing-chun and boxing. but maga is the best i have ever seen

Answer 273

Karate/ Judo etc... basically a martial arts form .

Answer 274

Jutso

Answer 275

from styles, if you mean martial arts, there is actually only one that's completely defensive - it's Aikido.

Other types involve lots of attack techniques whereas Aikido uses the force of an attacker and transforms it in to defensive energy.

Very hard sports, but most beautyful..

Answer 276

For self defense you want a SELF DEFENSE STYLE.

I would not recommend Taekwon-do (I love doing it but not for self defense) or jujitsu. Jujitsu is a great art if you're going on

one on one in the ring. But on the streets you going on the GROUND is the LAST thing you want to do. Why? You never know if your attacker has a concealed weapon, or any buddies to hit you while you're applying some sort of choke or lock. For self defense, it's best to stay up your feet with the ability to move and RUN.

I do both traditional and olympic Taekwon-do and they are both great martial arts. It's not just TKD however, but also Muay Thai, Karate, Boxing, and Kickboxing that I would not recommend for basic Self-defense. I know Taekwon-do and Karate will teach your self-defense techniques, but judging from my experience some of them are out of date and sometimes not appliable. Self defense is taught, but not entirely focused on with sports that involve tournament and competitions. What I want you to watch out for is Wushu, Chinese martial arts are great, but there is a category called Contemporary Wushu, which is meant for shows and movies. Sammo Hung, a Wushu movie star, claims that he doubts he can do well in real fights. Tai Chi and Aikido are all great martial arts and I have had a taste of both, but they are only effective after you have done YEARS (at least 5-10) of training.



It doesn't matter if you have any experience or not. Everyone starts out somewhere. Flexibility is something that you will have to get better at over a long period of time. Although it takes a while, just stretching everyday for 5-10 minutes will be increasing your flexibility. If you only stretch 2 or 3 times a week, you will only be maintaining your current level of flexibility instead of increasing it.

Before I begin talking about arts, I would like to talk about the importance of school environment and the teacher. It's really important for both your training facility and teacher to be comfortable to learn from. Here is a short video with great tips on what to look for in a self defense instructor.

http://beauty.expertvillage.com/videos/self-defense-instructor.htm



Now onto the arts... The first style I would recommend is Jeet Kune Do. Have you ever heard of Bruce Lee? Jeet Kune Do is the art/method created by Lee. His main intentions was to be able to teach something that would be mainly used for self defense, and not go through traditional methods of learning (such as kata or breaking wood). What he did was that he took effective techniques/methods from other martial arts, and combined them together. Some of the arts he based it on were Wing Chun (a chinese martial art), Kali (a Filipino martial art), and many others including wrestling, jujitsu, boxing, and savate. I have trained in Jeet Kune Do, but stopped because the school was too far away and money problems :[, and I find it to be incredibly appliable to self-defense. One different thing Jeet Kune Do will teach you is 'fighting dirty' as people call it. Although some things will be considered 'cheating', when your life is in danger, it is survival. Examples would be eye gouging, groin strikes, and biting techniques.

The sad thing is, Bruce Lee passed away before he was able to spread his art. There are still a pretty good number of schools in the US and in Europe. I suggest you check your local listings or Yahoo Locals if you have a Jeet Kune Do school near you.

If you do not have a Jeet Kune Do school near you, I would really suggest you checking out Wing Chun or Kali. Both are extremely good martial arts and are effective in the streets. Wing Chun is one of the few martial arts found by a woman.



Another one of my suggestions would be Krav Maga. I'm not too familiar with the history and background of Krav Maga, but I do know that it, like JKD, was made by collecting the strenghts of various styles and putting them into one. It was founded by Imi Lichtenfeld, who taught his style to Jews so they could protect themselves from Nazi invaders. Krav Maga is a military combat form of martial art and is very effective in self defense situations. They will teach you everything from dealing with empty handed attackers and with weapons. It has been growing popular over these years and has been recognized as a real practical self defense martial art.



Again, check your yellow pages or Yahoo Locals if any of these two martial arts are near you. If you have schools with both arts, I suggest you visit the schools and see which teacher you think would be right for you.

If you cannot find any of them, I'm sure you can find classes of self-defense for woman only. I doubt they will be as effective as JKD and Krav Maga, but it will still help.

Also remember that other martial arts can still help. If you can't seem to find any suitable martial art for self-defense and you are still interested in joining a school, keep in mind for the requirements of a good teacher and learning environment.

I hope you find my answer to be informational and informative. I spent so much time on it ._.

good luck and work hard

Answer 277

a stun gun is an easy to use protective device . and give you enough time to find an exit from a potential dangerous situation and they are not that expensive. i gave one to both my daughter and my girlfriend. try not to stick around and fight.

Answer 278

Do Kickboxing its very good for self deffence and also for fitness

Answer 279

AIKIDO!!!!its self defense butchu lerna lotta excercises too neat huh? ^^ other than that id say kung fu (cha cha,choppity chop chop)

Answer 280

420 answers!my mind is fuked thats like reading a fuking novel

Answer 281

None of them. Convince your goverment to allow concealed carry of firearms.

Answer 282

Try tactical combat handgun training.

Answer 283

DEFINITELY JUJITSU! But not Tae kwon doe. Tae kwon Doe sucks. and most martial arts places out their suck. There just people who did tae kwon doe for, like, 2 years and give themselves a blackbelt and call themselves a grandmaster. And avoid anything that breaks wood or stuff like that, thats just for show at competitions its not teaching you anything. Stay away from Fancy stuff, breaking wood, mixed martial arts, tae kwon doe, and plastic fancy crap. Do look for Real Punches n kicks, Self defense, Self Descipline, Responsibilty, And traditional stuff!

Answer 284

Tai Quan Do

Answer 285

if you have time i think kong fo is best else you can learn self defense (in no style)

Answer 286

Tae Kwon Do.

I took it and loved it. It definitely gave me more self-esteem and confidence.

Answer 287

try a Glock 26 9mm Works a charm, also a scorpion silencer is a good upgrade



hope that helps

Answer 288

I took Tae-Kown-Do for a year and it sure helps your self esteem and the knowledge of how to kick a assailant in the balls

Answer 289

karate kung fu ninjitsu boxing stick fighting Taibo kick boxing and aikido

Answer 290

i've taken tae kwon do for a couple years--its fun, energetic, and you don't need to be really flexible...it takes long to move up to a black belt--at least a few years, though



good luck

can u help me please?

http://sg.answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylc=X3oDMTE1dXMzZ29nBF9TAzIxMTU1MDgxMTgEc2VjA2Fuc19ub3QEc2xrA3N1YmplY3Q-;_ylv=3?qid=20080114160330AActXLj

thanks so much

Answer 291

"the best defense style is running away from a fight"... this is no joke... it's a paraphrase that states "the best defense is knowing how to avoid conflicts..."



all martial arts teach different style of self defense and strict dicipline in the code of the "dojo" or house fo teaching.



yes, its confusing to which school of defense you sould like to

enter because of the so many variants.



btw MEDITATION is not only just a form of relaxation but a form of discipline and a "brake"... to stop you from self destruction...

all martial arts variants teaches its student "the greatest enemy you can encounter is the enemy within".



self-defense strategies encompasses offensive techniques to defend oneself... that's why meditation is always keen in place to stop the practitioner from self-destruction. to prevent you from being restless and irresponsible of your actions...



competition is just one way of "programming"... if you don't want to enter a competion. you can be a non-competing practitioner... practitioners who "perform" stances or dance style --- to show their capabilities and knowledge of their school.



competition is an option... but it would be best to join a non-medal competition or bout just to "program" yourself to what to do if the inevitable presents itself... so that you can automatically know what to do in a fight situation... SNAP... *Punch here*... *Kick in the groin*... DOWN THE ENEMY...



you stated that you are not flexible... self-defense needs one to be flexible... a perpetrator can present themselves in different situation... let me explain... flexibility in this sense is being flexible to the presented situation... knowing what to do in one situation or another...

does the perpetrator have a knife? what if he grabs you from the back? what if he's strangling you? what would ou do if you are down but still conscious?...



as you can see... in summary martial arts teaches self-defense... there are just too many variants... a persons ability to defend himself must encompass himself/herself holistically... meaning flexibility is needed to be able to react to different situations to the inevitable... but... flexility fortunately can be learned... just be dynamic... you can enroll yourself in different classes and all these different techniques can combined... THE CHOICE YOURS... don't listen to us here giving answers... these're really guides to your path to enlightenment not answers... okidoki?



P.S. FACT: There is no 100% effective self-defense technique... everything depends on YOU... your STRENGTH (what you learned); CHARACTER (how you perform them); and SPEED (how fast can you decide what to use when trouble comes into play.)

Answer 292

Judo, plain and simple.

Throwdowns and running away are the best bet.

Answer 293

Martial arts alone will not protect you if you are, not aware of your surroundings, put yourself in dangerous situations, and not listen to your gut instincts. if something feels and seems wrong it probably is.

Answer 294

Tae Kwon Doe. It's very helpful and challanging, but FUN. :)

Answer 295

i personally would recomend takin judo or martal arts but me myself i want to learn the art of ninja so that's my stduy of self defense.

Answer 296

Kong fu you can stay far and fight plus it helps your legs and makes them more flexible boxing isn't good if you box you have to get close, so I'd say Kong fu......

----------MoeJoeX3

Answer 297

brazilan ju jitzu. that is what the army uses now, they changed over to it a few years back for just that reason. not everyone is strong and flexible.the col thing about it is its all about using your opponent's boyy weight aginst his.

Answer 298

a 9mm or "inner-city pencil" You are most likey not going to be strong enough to fend off your attacker, also mace dosent always ward off attackers and can make them even more angry.



Where as a gun will scare them, and a bullet will kill them.



A inner city pencil is a pencil like tube with a spring loaded blade that is hollow like a syringe...deadly.

Answer 299

You can try with ninjutsu, it is about the ninjas tradition and skills, this is a very practical fun and easy to learn martial art. It is very effective and you can start at any age, and have good results. you don't need to learn stunts or things like that.



Only you have to be carefully to choose a real ninjutsu school.



Other good option is the aikido.



so it's you decision... d[^_^]b

Answer 300

Taekwondo so you can kick some guy in the nuts.

Answer 301

brazilian ju jitsu. its the most useful.its great for self defense. muy thai kickboxing too. i tryed that but you need to be flexible, so since you arent probably not a good idea.

Answer 302

Tea Kwon Do. I have taken it and it doesn't involve weapons acrobatics or meditation.

Answer 303

Brazilian JuJitSu and tae kwon do.

Answer 304

i study kenpo my self also traditional kung fu ive studied bushido and tae quan do also i suggest ken po though

Answer 305

all martial arts are great and gives self confident and self steam and disciplined but if i were you i would choose tykowndo its really simple and you can learn it very easy...



Good luck

Answer 306

Best is aikido can be applied in real life situation.

Answer 307

karate is best i did it for 5 years

Answer 308

what's with all the thumbs down on this question? try any of them girl. if you want to do it. just get started.

Answer 309

Take american karate....that's what i take, they really teach you how to defend yourself if your on the street or something real life.

Answer 310

Hap Kai Do, I think thats how you spell it.



Basically, it improves your agility.

Answer 311

tae kwon do Ten years i finished my Belt Black ??



my master was hard on me but i felt great he taught me alot of



techiques, if someone strikes you, then you fight back



i loved tae kwon do after i broken my kneecap i was out i had



to Retire for it 1989-1999

Answer 312

kung fu... if you watch a competition of various martial arts, this one just about always wins.. its tough stuff, but good to learn

Answer 313

i would suggest muay thai since it involves most using elbows, knees, and kicking which are very effective in maybe almost any fight.

Answer 314

Learn to shot a gun. not many people are alergic to high speed lead poisoning. lol lol.

Answer 315

tae kwon do

its awesome

plus you learn to use two nunchuks which is like really cool

Answer 316

Russian grapling or Sambo!

Answer 317

Krav Maga is DEFINATELY the way to go, its better than boxing and all that other fake stuff, Krav Maga teaches you real life situation and offers the most damage with each technique.

Answer 318

judo or jui jit su, probably it will increase your flexibility, enhance your strenght ang lenghten your endurance

Answer 319

jiu jitsu is good , the best that you can get is krav maga heres a link of a demonstration of it



http://youtube.com/watch?v=7Z4UH_LG6t4&feature=related

Answer 320

Why don't you try kickboxing . essay to learn not more meditation you think.

Answer 321

Learn to run really fast.

Answer 322

Muay Thai.its all offense and defense.you kill them before they even take another touch at you.

Answer 323

try to have tae kwan do or akido..



best of them.



just use the abilty without weapon..

Answer 324

tiekwondoe or buy a taser for the price of a lesson.

Answer 325

Tae kwon do

Answer 326

Anywhere that teaches basic kung-fu should serve you well.

Answer 327

go to the Shaolin Temple

Answer 328

Ikedo or jujitsu

Answer 329

Gorilla neck-biting is the best warfare

Answer 330

Basic Instinct (not the movie)



Just go with what you think then execute it.

Answer 331

Try each Martial Arts. You can ask for a free tryout. From there u can choose. Thats wat I did. Now I am a blackbelt. i am doing Taekwondo.

Answer 332

maybe JUDO its karate but u do a lot of streching i go there and im a black belt



LOVE,

JASMIN CHAVEZ

Answer 333

capoeira because it requires your feat and give you both upper body strength and lower body strength and it looks cool

Answer 334

i do Taekwondo and it is fun and strong. it is a great exercise and teaches great self defence/attack

Answer 335

Do anything but karate or boxing.

Answer 336

the one u like

Answer 337

All martial arts are good,

TRY WING-CHUNG.

iTS SPECIALLY DESIGN FOR FEMALE.

AND ITS REALLY USEFUL FOR STREET FIGHTS AND CLOSE DISTANCE ENCOUNTERS.

CHECK IT OUT ...IT SHOULD FIT YOU THE BEST.

Answer 338

i personally like ninjitsu but its what you like you should look into diffrent styles and find what fits you

Answer 339

You might want to try ju-jitsu. A very good defensive tool.

Answer 340

maby u should just take regular karateto just get started

Answer 341

Mexican Judo is good..



As in ..



Judo know who your messin' with homes!!!

Answer 342

jiu jitsu or muay thai

Answer 343

Carry a knife or a hangun.

and, FYI, oven cleaner works a lot better than Mace.

Answer 344

get a can of mace and also do boxing and martial arts.No one would EVER mess with you.

Answer 345

judo but if your in for the defense tie quan do kempo jujistzu

Answer 346

Karate.....it's more into the self-defense. It's ok....I wasn't flexible, but it slowly loosens you.

Answer 347

to my opinion, the best protection is to know when you are safe as in know when you are likely to conceive(i mean your ovulation period).

Answer 348

aikido as defence depends on the move made on yourself by the other person hence (SELF DEFENCE)

Answer 349

quack-fu........like Howard the duck....cute but affective

Answer 350

i think the best is kung fu thn martial arts then karate

Answer 351

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport in which a wide variety of fighting techniques are used, including striking and grappling.



Modern mixed martial arts tournaments as a popular phenomenon emerged in 1993 with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, based on the concept of pitting different fighting styles against each other in competition with minimal rules in place, in an attempt to determine which system would be more effective in a real, unregulated combat situation.[1] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, mixed martial arts events implemented additional rules for the safety of the athletes and to promote acceptance of the sport, while maintaining as much of the original no-holds-barred concept as possible. Since these changes, the sport has grown rapidly, to the point of setting pay-per-view records.[2]



The history of the modern MMA event can be traced to the Gracie family's vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s, and early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s. The fighting concept of combining various combat disciplines gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the emergence of Bruce Lee and his theories of mixing various martial art styles. The sport gained international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie dominated the Ultimate Fighting Championship, sparking a revolution in the martial arts,[3] while in Japan the continued interest in the sport resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships in 1997.[4]



Modern mixed martial arts tournaments are rooted in two interconnected movements. First were the vale tudo events in Brazil, followed by the Japanese shoot wrestling shows. Vale tudo began in the 1920s with the "Gracie challenge" issued by Carlos Gracie and Hélio Gracie and upheld later on by descendants of the Gracie family.[14] In Japan in the 1970s, a series of mixed martial arts matches were hosted by Antonio Inoki, inspiring the shoot-style movement in Japanese professional wrestling, which eventually led to the formation of the first mixed martial arts organizations, such as Shooto, which was formed in 1985. The concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was pioneered and popularized by Bruce Lee in the late 1960's to early 1970's. Lee believed that "the best fighter is not a Boxer, Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style." His innovative concepts were recognized in 2004 by UFC President Dana White when he called Lee the "father of mixed martial arts."[18]



Mixed martial arts gained significant international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, sparking a revolution in the martial arts.[3] In Japan in 1997, the continued interest in the sport eventually resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships.[4]





Chuck Liddell (right) and Tito Ortiz broke PPV records with their rematch at UFC 66.The United States Army began to sanction Mixed Martial arts when the US Army Combatives School held the first annual All Army Combatives Championships in Nov 2005.



The sport reached a new peak of popularity in the December 2006 rematch between then light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former champion Tito Ortiz, rivaling the PPV sales of some of the biggest boxing events of all time,[2] and helping the UFC's 2006 PPV gross surpass that of any promotion in PPV history. In 2007, Zuffa LLC, the owners of UFC, bought PRIDE, creating strong ties between the sport's two largest promoters,[19] and drawing comparisons to the consolidation that occurred in other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in American football.[20]





The following are various nicknames applied to different fighting styles. Apart from the fact that fighters are usually much more versed in one particular fighting style such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, judo, Muay Thai, wrestling, or other martial art, the following terms are used to describe how a particular fighter is attempting to accomplish a particular victory. For instance, BJ Penn and Fedor Emelianenko score victories by striking, "ground and pounding," and submitting, depending on the strengths of their opponents. Note that some of these are not complete styles; rather, they are merely phases in a fighter's game.

Answer 352

love

Answer 353

kick boxing

Answer 354

Tae-Kwon-Do. rocz

Answer 355

Tae kwon do.

Answer 356

just use peper spray, that thing will give you enough time to run

Answer 357

Asian silat. silat have in Malaysia and Indonesia. if i not wrong

Answer 358

Just kick him in the nuts. All those martial arts style are unrealistic for a person like yourself.

Answer 359

tae kwon do is da best

Answer 360

take karate because i took it and i can kick anyones ***

Answer 361

first u should mentaly prepare that,"i m not weak from others, i can fight with anybody."

Answer 362

BRAZILIAN JUJITSU, or mixed martial arts

Answer 363

i would start with karate because you are not yet experienced

Answer 364

Parkour.. so you can run away from almost anything..

Answer 365

well,well,well,

above all this,all i can is that,be yourself anytime and get ready always....

presence of mind is necessary.

Answer 366

become a professional wrestler ...lol

In all actuality One of my favorites is Mad monkey fu

Answer 367

just get a tazer

Answer 368

Crazy

Answer 369

mairtal arts

Answer 370

jeet kune do, mace , jui jitsu,or a gun

Answer 371

has to me krav maga

Answer 372

Gun safety class!

Answer 373

M8 i dnt no anyfin bout dat realy but i thought da things u jus listed are needed 4 suff like dat. Wat bout just takin up boxin, batter ne1 da gives u ne banter. ha ha

Answer 374

i would recommend Judo

Answer 375

u should call the police.

Answer 376

i think you should take tei kwon do

Answer 377

"Using Brain" :-) No physical technique is as good as that...

Answer 378

anything that gets the job done. ow.

Answer 379

Any fighting style can be effective for defending ones self. It's not really the style that makes a good fighter it's the fighters themselves. If you're just looking for a rather simple,practical, way of defending yourself you may want to consider taking your basic women's self defense course. Many dojos offer this type of training these days. Your local YWCA also probably offers such a course but my advice would be to find a martial arts school in your area for instruction.

Answer 380

karate

Answer 381

resitleing or boxing

Answer 382

a good kick to the balls and you should be good to just kick his axx

Answer 383

kenpo teaches you how to attack when attacked and use it against them

Answer 384

Every martial art can be utilized for self defense, below i have organized the strengths and weaknesses of certain martial arts.

Karate: Lots of focus on Katas (pre-arranged "forms" of movements. Some sparring, but it's mostly low contact "point" style sparring, with protective gear (Kyokushinkai is one of those exceptions to the generalization here, as they spar full contact - until knock down or knockout, with no protection, but with no punches to the head). Lots of time doing traditional stances, kicks, reverse punches, etc. I'm not so sure this is very effective in self defense situations, as many of the techniques are very ritualized, and unrealistic.

Tae Kwon Do: Same as Karate, except much greater focus on high kicks. Even less realistic for defense than Karate.



Japanese Ju-jitsu: Focus on stand up grappling, wrist locks, escapes from grabs and chokes, many throws and falls. Has the same ritualized formal practice as Karate - lots of practice against an un-resisting, unmoving attacker than grabs and then freezes, or punches then freezes. Some punches and kicks thrown in, but just a few. I'm not sure this is so great against a resisting, moving opponent - mainly because the practice methods don't allow practice in that sort of situation. The techniques are more realistic than Karate, but I'm not so sure all of them are usable in real life. Since you don't have to punch or kick to fight or repel and attack, this is ideal for use against someone you don't want to hurt - a drunken uncle at a party for instance. Against a determined attacker, I feel some of the primary techniques are less useful.



Aikido: Similar to Japanese Ju-jitsu, but more focus on flowing with an attackers force. More philosophy, less "hard" techniques. I think most of the criticisms of Japanese Ju-jitsu apply here as well.



Hapkido: About 80% Tae Kwon Do, and 20% Ju-Jitsu. Same observations of those arts apply.



Judo: Has many of the techniques of Japanese Ju-Jitsu, but has many of the "deadly" techniques removed. By taking out the punches, kicks, wrist locks, etc. you are left with some techniques that are safe to be used in a sport. Lots of throws, falls, trips, and groundwork. Most of the practice is against a resisting, moving opponent.





If you can throw someone who is expecting it, and has trained in resisting it who is REALLY trying to stop you - then the odds are really good you can throw some guy in a fight who doesn't expect it. Its weakness is that it is missing striking, and maybe some of the "deadly" techniques that might really be useful.



Western Boxing: Since you are practicing against someone actively resisting, as in Judo - the training has great value for actual self defense. The weakness is that only the hands are used, there is no grappling or kicking. Also, much of the body isn't a valid target. It's also worth saying that the transition from wearing gloves (and fighting someone wearing gloves) is a big one.



External Kung Fu: There are many styles that fall into this category, and there are some big differences between them. There are ones that focus on punching and kicking, and others that include techniques similar to Ju-Jitsu (or you could say Ju-Jitsu has techniques similar to them). It's worth pointing out that Karate is basically a Japanese version of an Okinawan version of certain external Kung Fu styles.





There are forms as in Karate, and some schools practice sparring as in Karate. The techniques are a bit different of course. Kung Fu in general is a bit "softer" with more circular motion, and flowing stances, versus the linear movement of Karate. Of course, that's a generalization - some styles are very similar to Karate. Some styles such as Wing Chun focus on "trapping" which involves hampering and controlling an opponents arm so as to facilitate striking, and to prevent them from striking you. Other arts, such as Chin-na focus on grappling, pressure points, and locks as seen in Japanese Ju-jitsu. I feel that many of the same critisms of Karate and Japanese Ju-jitsu apply here.



Internal Kung Fu: Tai Chi Chuan is the best know style in this category. The other styles are Hsing-I, and Ba Gua. The focus is on training the generation of Qi (life force or energy), and the application of Jing (the manifestation of power through the use of Qi). The idea being that this energy is generated internally to the body, rather than through gross muscle movements as in Karate. Practice involves slow practice of forms, drills such as "sticky hands", and basically pushing a partner. There are punches, kicks and other strikes of course - but the emphasis is on the power coming from the Internal methods. There isn't much sparring that I have seen. It would seem that these arts don't have a lot of application in actual self defense.



Muay Thai: This art has western style boxing punches, elbow and knee strikes, and kicking. This is practiced as a sport, so many of the positive comments related to boxing would apply here as well. In my opinion this style has the most effective kicks of any Style - utilizing a very powerful round type kicks to the leg as a common target area.



Are you trying to figure out which is the best martial art for self defense? As you probably know, there is a lot of confusing information out there about martial arts and self defense. There seem to be hundreds, if not thousands of different types of martial arts.







Karate

Kung fu

Tai chi

Tae kwon do

Do rey me...



Just to name a few!





Not to mention the fact that there are at least a dozen different forms of Kung Fu alone! It’s enough to make your head spin!





Which one is really the best martial art for self defense? Which one is really going to save you in a street fight? Which one addresses your needs and concerns regarding effectiveness, adaptability, competition, your age, and your physical condition?





If you have been having a hard time trying to figure out all of the different types of martial arts, you’re not alone. I was also confused when I started. Even the most experienced martial artists can’t keep them all straight. If you are having trouble choosing the best martial art for self defense, I’m going to make it easy for you. There is really only one thing you need to remember...





It’s All Jujitsu!

Answer 385

aikido

Answer 386

uechi ryu karate.





http://uechi-ryu.com/m/

Answer 387

tong soo do. i took it, but quite, it wasn't my thing. but it was fun.

Answer 388

take beginning judo.

Answer 389

mantis kung fu Ive done briazilion jiu jitsu its not that great

Answer 390

ninja defense like naruto.........

Answer 391

one word BOXING

Answer 392

try jujitsu

Answer 393

k I'm a UFC fighter

and if your dedicated take tae kwan do

but then there is jiu jitsu its faster and it utilises alot of ground tactics

Answer 394

jujitsu or pistol with bullets

Answer 395

karate prob?

Answer 396

San Francisco slap fighting. You close your eyes, turn your head to the side, and repeatedly move your hands in a dog-paddle fashion. This is very effective against 3rd grade girls.

Answer 397

tai-chi

Answer 398

9mm

Answer 399

boxing,

Answer 400

try to run

Answer 401

be open minded and look stuff up on google idk be creative take a certain class and see what you can learn from it

Answer 402

you should take karateh

Answer 403

more later. terrific.

Answer 404

ty kwon do

Answer 405

Aikido. :)

Answer 406

mma

Answer 407

If i was you i would do Tae-Kwon-Do

Answer 408

Martial Arts is alot more about how you think then how you move.

Answer 409

i do tkd. it is awesome.

Answer 410

try muay thai

Answer 411

One of the best styles known for its vigilance is Wing Chun. the style is a good choice because it contains skills that you will use for all aspects of an attacker suprising you. also that with choy li fut is a good combination because while wing chun covers the street fighting, you will need a sort of grappling if you are wanting to be ready for anything. wing chun is unstrenuous but a challenge. also you will be losing weight while working out and getting into shape. it is a 2 in 1 bonus. I like this style myself because it isn't just fancy kicks and show off items. this is an actual self defense type that will prepare you for anything that comes your way. I do this style and am a 3rd ranked BB in it. (3rd degree) I recommend it but if you do decide to do it make sure that you get a good teacher. the way to tell a good teacher is: do they train with you not just sit around, can they beat you in combat (of course), and are they willing to fight you without hesitation or putting another student on you. Thanks for your time :P

Answer 412

THIS ARE THE 13 KINDS OF MARTIAL ARTS THAT`S SUITS TO YOU!

So you still don't know quite what martial art might suit your desires

best. Won't take 'no' for an answer huh? OK. Well here are some ideas

that may help you narrow your search.



What are you looking for in a Martial Art? If you know what you want out

of it, you'll have a better idea of what "kind" of art to look for.

Typical answers include:

Better Physical Fitness

Street Useful Self Defense

Sport Competition

Striking Techniques (Punching/Kicking)

Joint Lock Techniques

Grappling Techniques (some similarities to wrestling)

Pressure Point Techniques

Traditional/Oriental Weapons

Street/Common Weapons

Mental & Emotional/Spiritual Development

Attractiveness/Fluidity of Movements (this is very subjective)

Traditional "Feel"

Speed of Advancement/Ease of Learning Techniques



Brief Descriptions of these:



Better Physical Fitness:

Some people's primary motivation in a Martial Art (MA) is improving their

Physical Fitness. To them, if they can learn a MA while getting fit, so

much the better.



Street Useful Self Defense:

A primary motivation for many is the ability to truly be able to defend

themselves in a street confrontation against typical street techniques and

weapons.



Sport Competition:

Many arts contain a greater or lesser degree of competition and some will

encourage their students to compete in local and national MA sporting

events in competition restricted to that particular MA and in various open

competitions. Awards and medals are sometimes given. Arts that emphasize

competition too much are thought by some to sacrifice some of the self

defense value to ingrained competition safeties. Arts that are well known

for their sport value include Tae Kwon Do (TKD), Judo and Kendo.



Striking Techniques:

This is more a facet of a MA and typically describes punching and kicking

techniques. Some arts emphasize this to a greater or lesser degree with

some focusing on it almost to the exclusion of all other techniques and

with some teaching nearly none of it. Arts that are well known for their

striking techniques include most Korean arts like Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon

Do, and Okinawan/Japanese Karate.



Joint Lock Techniques:

This is more a facet of a MA and typically describes techniques that lock,

restrict, manipulate, or sometimes break and dislocate the joints of the

aggressor. Some arts emphasize this, to a greater or lesser degree, with

some focusing on it almost to the exclusion of all other techniques and

with some teaching nearly none of it. In arts that teach a variety of

other techniques, joint lock techniques are typically thought of as an

"advanced" teaching and are typically reserved for higher ranks. Arts that

are well known for their joint lock techniques include Aikido, Pencak

Silat, and Japanese Jui Jitsu (such as Aikijitsu and others).



Grappling Techniques:

This is more a facet of a MA and typically describes techniques that are

similar to wresting in many ways and include throws and groundfighting

techniques (what to do when one or more combatants are at least partially

on the ground and not standing). Some arts emphasize this to a greater or

lesser degree with some focusing on it almost to the exclusion of all other

techniques and with some teaching nearly none of it. Arts that are well

known for their Grappling/Groundfighting are Judo, Brazilian Jui Jitsu, and

some other types of Jui Jitsu.



Pressure Point Techniques:

This is more a facet of a MA and typically describes techniques that

manipulate pressure points on the human body. These "points" can in some

cases cause a great deal of pain and some practitioner say that Pressure

Point manipulation can slow down the aggressor, cause limbs to go numb,

stun or even kill an aggressor outright (though this is an extremely

advanced technique not taught to everyone and is still open to controversy

in the MA and Medical world). Some arts emphasize this to a greater or

lesser degree with some focusing on it almost to the exclusion of all other

techniques and with some teaching nearly none of it. Arts that are well

known for their Pressure Point techniques include some types of Kung Fu

(there are over 50 well know Kung Fu forms), and some types of Jui Jitsu.



Traditional/Oriental Weapons:

This is more a facet of a MA and typically describes techniques with

weapons not considered to be militarily effective, or street convenient by

today's standards. These weapons would include sword, spear, bow, and

staff. Some arts emphasize this to a greater or lesser degree with some

focusing on it almost to the exclusion of all other techniques and with

some teaching nearly none of it. Arts that are well known for their

Traditional/Oriental Weapons techniques include many forms of Kung Fu, many

Okinawan Karate forms, and some Japanese forms such as Kendo, Kenjutsu, and

Iaido.



Street/Common Weapons:

This is more a facet of a MA and typically describes techniques with

weapons considered to still be militarily effective, or street convenient

by today's standards. These weapons would include knife, club,

cane/half-staff. Some arts emphasize this to a greater or lesser degree

with some focusing on it almost to the exclusion of all other techniques

and with some teaching nearly none of it. Arts that are well known for

their Street/Common Weapons techniques include many forms of Kung Fu, many

Okinawan Karate forms, and some Japanese forms, and especially Indonesian

forms such as Pencak Silat, and Philippines forms such as Kali, Arnis, and

Escrima.



Mental & Emotional/Spiritual Development:

This is often considered a strong benefit of taking MA's. Many instructors

advertise their MA directly to parents as a way of increasing children's

Self Confidence, Socialization Skills, and Personal Well Being. Spiritual

development is a strong component of many but not all MA's. The Japanese

word "Do" (when applied to a MA) is considered to mean "way" or "path" to

Spiritual Enlightenment or personal understanding (Koreans arts ending in

"Do" have a similar meaning). In general, any Japanese art ending in Do

will have to a greater or lesser degree a Spiritual or Self Improvement

aspect, while Japanese arts ending in Jitsu are primarily concerned with

martial abilities and will have little or no concept of Spiritual

Enlightenment or Self Development, except as is important and added by the

instructor. This is largely dependent upon the instructor in any system.

Arts known for their emphasis on Spiritual Development include many forms

of Kung Fu, especially Shaolin Kung Fu, taiji and certain Japanese "Zen"

martial arts such as the Aikikai form of Aikido. (note: lots of

generalizations here)



Attractiveness/Fluidity of Movements:

This is one that's as hard to pin down as the Spiritual aspect. Suffice it

to say that some arts just look prettier than others. A master in most any

MA is going to have a fluidity and grace of movement, however that is not

always true of the students. As a gross generalization, typically,

"circular" arts will appear more fluid and graceful than "linear" arts. A

simplistic definition of circular vs. linear is that each variation tends

to have a greater emphasis on movements and techniques in its "category."

Thus circular arts will tend to have a lot of sweeping circular and rounded

movements, while linear arts will tend to move in more direct lines. Also

as a gross oversimplification, linear arts tend to be "hard" (direct and

force/impact oriented) while circular arts tend to be much more "soft"

(redirect and control oriented). One more gross oversimplification,

circular techniques tend to be more difficult to master than linear.

Striking arts tend to be more linear and Joint Lock & Grappling arts tend

to be more circular. Examples of largely circular arts are Aikido and

certain Kung Fu forms (Baguazhang / Pa Kua Chang). Examples of largely

linear arts include Tae Kwon Do and Karate. An example of a very exciting

and fluid art is Chinese Wu Shu.



Traditional "Feel":

This describes the feel of the "weight of tradition" that is attractive to

some Martial Artists. Some MA players like to feel like they are

participating in a tradition thousands of years old and readily accept

ancillary aspects of MA study such as bowing and foreign terminology. Most

MA's have an aspect of "tradition" to them, especially the Asian arts

(i.e., Chinese, Korean, Okinawan, Japanese) and almost all MA's have a code

of etiquette to follow while in the training hall. Frequently there are

rituals involved, some with religious significance, some merely as a show of

respect for the founder or the instructor. Some MA's require a uniform and

some (such as Capoeira or Pencak Silat) may not, at the instructor's

discretion. In general, how "traditional" an art feels is almost entirely

dependent upon the local instructor. Any given art has instructors who

prefer an informal environment or a more formal one. Generally, the

further back the roots of the art stretch, the more instructors there are

that will prefer a formal or semi-formal environment though this is

anything but a hard rule. Further, societal origins will tend to have an

effect on the formality of the training environment. Japanese arts for

instance tend to be more formal in nature as the Japanese society has a

long standing history of formality in the minutia whereas arts that are

American in inception (there are a few) will tend to be very informal since

the American society is a largely informal society.



Speed of Advancement/Ease of Learning Techniques:

There are really two separate issues here, though many people equate them.

A common question is "how long must I study before I know the art?" or

alternately "how long must I study before I get a Black Belt?" Whereas,

another common question is "how long must I study before I can defend

myself?" The nature of these two questions is different. Most people

equate Black Belt with having achieved Martial Arts godhood. This couldn't

be further from the truth. The actuality is, typically, Black Belt (or

First Dan) is where a student is finally gaining a base level of competency

and understanding in his art. One description that I recently read was to

think of a Black Belt as if it were a Bachelors degree from college. It is

an expert level, but not a Doctorate level, or even a Master's Degree.

Those are more typically associated with higher Dan ranks. This is an apt

description since in most reputable MA's, it should take between 3 and 5

years practice to be awarded a Black Belt. It is not unheard of for a

reputable school to produce an occasional black belt in 2 to 3 years,

however, this person is either unusually dedicated and practices on a

nearly daily basis or is a Martial Arts Prodigy. Any school that promises

you a Black Belt in under 3 years or routinely produces Black Belts in 2

years is what's sometimes referred to as a "Black Belt Factory" or a school

that "Sells Black Belts" (McDojo) and should be avoided. That being said,

the question still remains "how long must I study before I can defend

myself?" If home defense is your only goal, buy a gun and learn to safely

use it. You can become proficient in the safe use of firearms in a far shorter

time than a MA, and firearms are typically much more effective. Why do

you think the Military uses them? Or perhaps you should buy a dog.

Statistics show that less than 5% of homes that own _any_ sort of dog will

_ever_ be burglarized (this includes those hairless rat-dogs the

Chihuahua). If this is not an alternative for you or if you are also

concerned about protecting yourself where you can not, for various reasons,

take your gun or your dog, then perhaps a MA is for you. How much study it

takes for you to become effective at defending yourself is a component of

many different things, including the art its self, your aptitude at

learning it, and the abilities of the person attacking you. The stories of

Black Belts being beat up by untrained drunks are true. And also, the

stories of new students using the MA to successfully defend themselves

against rapists and murderers are also true. Whatever the case for your

aptitude, the more effort and practice you put into learning your chosen

MA, the better you will be at defending yourself and your family.

Answer 413

kenpo

Answer 414

i suggest brazilian muay thai easy to learn and hard to defend against

Answer 415

Youre a girl.



Just.



Scream.



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Answer 416

You should watch bum fights, and adapt their fighting style.

Answer 417

take up golf its very versitile

Answer 418

A good self-defense style is Wado-Ryu japanese karate

it doesn't take that much flexability and kind of person can do this style

Answer 419

taiwondo maybe....

Answer 420

JUDO!

Answer 421

track and field.............learn how to "run" away!

Answer 422

Just kick them in the face! :)

Answer 423

Judo

Answer 424

WRESTLING!!!!!

Answer 425

best thing for self defence would be philippino martial arts called KALI. it same think you saw in BOURNE trilogy. and you should watch on discovery channel FIGHT QUEST, you'll find what to choose from

Answer 426

You may want to consider Ed Parker Kenpo Karate. It is the most complete self defense style out there. It incorporates both stand up and ground fighting techniques. It is and art designed to fit the practitioner regardless of their size or ability, the practitioner does not have to conform to it. I think it is well worth checking out ltatum.com to find out more about Parker Kenpo Karate.

Answer 427

taser!!!

Answer 428

MCMAP

Answer 429

doryoku, it is a mixture of EVERYTHING! awesome lessons, teachers and everyone who goes is kind and disciplined with full respect.



visit

http://www.thedojo.net



they are all over england, not too sure about other countries though!

Answer 430

Tae-Kwon-Do

Answer 431

Karate is good but just a warning they do a lot of pushups

Answer 432

The one that doesn't get your a$s kicked

Answer 433

Tae-Kwon-Do.

Answer 434

carry a gun and a glove made of iron



thumbs up for me! =]

Answer 435

Hi,



I'm not going to write a huge article of the possibilities. There are so many different "styles" you could chose from. Let's just quickly go over the basic, most well known styles that you would most likely find in your area:



Karate: Karate has been around forever. It's the most well known term next to kung (gung) fu for describing the martial arts. Karate is japanese, and to date, has become a more commercial sport for competing. Not only do the majority of Karate school train you for competition, even if you found a genuine experienced teacher, Karate is still not street-realisitc.



You want a martial art program where you can feel safe on the street, be able to defend yourself against knives, multiple attackers, other weapons, etc. etc. Karate would not fall under those categories.



Tae Kwon Do: This would probably be the most unrealistic street fighting method, and in my personal opinion, the most ridiculous "style" ever created. It may as well be called Tae Kick Do because all they do is kick. For example, if you're walking down the street in the ghetto of your states capital, and some guy wearing a hoodie, baggy pants, buff, stalky wants to take your wallet or beat you up I doubt the first thing he's going to do is throw a high kick. You NEVER see anyone street fighting and throwing round house kicks, let alone flying kicks. With that being said, you would still go straight into training on how to do all the types of kicks, and all the types of how to block kicks. Unrealistic, and outdated. You can look up videos of Tae Kwon Do matches against other styles and you'll never see the Tae Kwon Do fighter win, or get even close.



You want a real art, street realistic, "self defense" art that you can not only learn, but after you've learned, feel confident that the skills you posess are effective.



So, let's go into some of the more street realistic arts.



Boxing: Boxing would be a more realistic art. Mainly because if you were to get into a fight, you would most likely start out boxing. Most street fights are fought with your fists. Not your elbows, head, knees, or anything else. Most attackers only throw punches unless they're trained in an art. Do I recommend boxing? Not specifically, but it would be something worth while.



Wing Chun Gung Fu: This is what Bruce Lee was trained on, and later modified. The name may sound strange, unknown, and possibly stupid. But don't let that fool you. Without getting into too much detail about the art, there are so many advantages of wing chun. Basically Wing Chun fights out of trapping range. Which means a bit closer than boxing range. Most fights you get up close and personal when fighting. You don't see fights like boxing matches on tv because when the two boxers link up and get too close, the ref steps in and puts them back into boxing range. Trapping range on the other hand, like I said is a much closer range. A more realistic range which happens far more in street fights. Now, what Wing Chun is based on is sensitivity, and what they call center line. Sensitivity is basically being able to feel your opponents energy, and then using that energy to combat your oppenent. If you're a good Wing Chun man, you'll never end up on the ground because you have good sensitivty to your oppenent, and you know where everything is coming from, and going. A side note: have you ever watched movies with those wooden dummies? The wooden things with 2 short arms, 1 arm below them, and then a knee looking thing sticking out? Those are Wing Chun dummies. Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Jet Li, all knew wing chun, and used wing chun dummies. Most navy seal, marine, swat team, and other military personel are trained by martial artists that know wing chun. Paul Vunak was trained by Dan Inosanto, who was Bruce Lee's most famous student. Paul Vunak teaches navy seals how to fight, and is highly regarded as possibly the worlds best martial artist still alive. The point being - Wing Chun is a street realistic art, that yields great results. You can train in wing chun, and if you get in a fight, you get mased or pepper sprayed, and you get into trapping range and get close to your oppenent, you can actually still fight just as good. If you ever see videos of bruce lee, or anyone else with blind folds on fighting or defending themselves against someone else - all that is the sensitivity they have from training in Wing Chun.



Savat: Savat is almost the opposite of wing chun. It still fights out of trapping range, but does not use the center line theory. Center line theory is basically occupying center line, and moving in straight. Hard to explain through typing, but savat does the opposite. Both great ideas that are effective. But, you may not find Savat schools anywhere near you.



Tai Chi: Tai Chi is commonly known as some type of meditation art. Which is completely false. Tai Chi fights out of trapping range, and emphasizes the use of pushes mostly. Not highly recommended by myself, but it fights out of trapping range, and bruce trained in it, so it would be an experience for the benefit.



Muay Thai: Muay Thai doesn't neccasarily fight out of trapping range, but it emphasizes the use of knees, elbows, and head. This is a phenomonal art, that is very effective. I think if you incorporated Muay Thai with Wing Chun, you'd be completely set. Muay Thai is like an upgraded version of boxing. It's far more effective, and a bit more street realistic. If you look at MMA fighters like in the UFC or Pride Fighting, almost all fighters have knowledge of Muay Thai. You also don't hear much about fighters having knowledge in Wing Chun. That may be because of the nature of the art, and the science behind it, but basically those fighters that do grappling all day long, and fight out of trapping range, have a sense of sensitivity to their opponent already. So in essence, they are gaining the same attributes that you would get from Wing Chun. Forrest Griffin a champion fighter in the UFC although does have experience with Wing Chun.



Grappling: Grappling can be juijitsu, Grecko-Roman wrestling, or just wrestling. These are ground arts. If you ignore all my recommendations and go into one of these arts, I guarantee you'll be able to choke someone out on the ground, or be able to defend yourself well on the ground. But, what if you're a small short guy, and you're fighting some 6'2 250lb guy that's ready to rumble. I doubt the last thing you're going to want to do is fight on the ground and wrestle! Also, planning to fight on the ground, or try to get someone on the ground just because you know a ground art is a bad idea. If someone fights you that's heavily experienced in boxing, who stays away from the ground - you're out of luck. Most fights are fought fist fighting, and some end up on the ground, but people have legs and arms, and can almost always get back up. It's a good art to know, but I don't recommend it. Basically if you learn Wing Chun, and get experienced - you wouldn't end up on the ground in the first place. And, most arts even wing chun have tactics for ground fighting. It's not the main attraction, but they do have techniques.



Jeet Kune Do: This is Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak and MANY other famous, and highly regarded martial artists choice. Bruce Lee didn't want it to have a name because it's not neccasarily a style. Some people clarify it as a bunch of arts mixed together, or something of the sort - but it's far more than that. Bruce's son said it great when he said something like "When I saw my Dad training, I was watching his interpretation of Jeet Kune Do". Which means, Jeet Kune Do isn't bound by any style, moves, or anything else. Karate is Karate and always will be. You can put two people in a wrestling class, one beig 6'2, the other being 5'2, and the guy that's 5'2 spends 2 years training, and the 6'2 guy only one month. They wrestle, and yet the guy 6'2 still wins. Jeet Kune Do is expressing yourself in a way that pertains to you individually. If you didn't have arms, I would recommend Tae Kwon Do. But you probably do. You might be short, with not much reach on your arms. I would recommend wing chun becauuse it fights out of trapping range. I said boxing would be well worth while. BUT, if you are short, and so are your arms, and you have horrible "reach" - you could be the best boxer in your city, but some guy with about 2 - 5 inches more of reach could woop your butt because of that right there. Jeet Kune do is almost a combination of western style boxing, jun fan gung fu (wing chuns revision by bruce), tai chi, pananjakman, savat, fencing, and many more. You can incorporate anything you want into jeet kune do. I highly recommend jeet kune do because of the training and mentality that comes with it. You don't find anything else like it. When you go into Karate, Wing Chun, Boxing, or whatever - you are bound to what you learn, and are limited by it. You can't go into a boxing school, and 5 weeks into training you ask your coach to teach you how to ground fight. And the same goes from wrestling. Don't expect to learn how to fight out of trapping range when you are learning wrestling. Jeet Kune Do is the most practical way to not only learn how to fight, and defend yourself, but also a phenomonal way to grow as a person, and develop a better mentality than other arts can give you.



I wish you the best of luck, and hope you find something that suits you great!



Side note:

I don't recommend a fire arm. I do maybe in your household incase someone breaks in. But you can't legally shoot someone down that wants to beat you up! That's asking for trouble. No one wants to kill someone. And, if you pull out your gun threatning to shoot - what if they have a gun and shoot at you back, or if you don't have the guts, they just kill you before you can think of what to do! And the benefit of martial arts isn't just to know how to fight - it gives you peace of mind, and is almost a way of life. I doubt a 9MM pistol can help you lead a better happier life. And, you can learn how to defend from someone with a knife or gun in martial arts.



Also, with all respect, anyone who says you don't get contact at a martial arts school is being ridiculous. Boxing again is limited to exactly that - boxing. ONLY hand fighting. And kickboxing, ONLY hands and feet. Why would you expect to go into a martial arts school and not actually fight? I guarantee you'll have far more realistic situations in a martial arts school than you ever will in a boxing or kickboxing school. And, it starts off almost as soon as you start. You WILL NOT wait years for contact at a martial arts school! With boxing and kickboxing, you spar with huge gloves on, in a ring, no ground fighting, no elbows, maybe no knees or kicks, or anything else. Boxing and kickboxing is basically just conditioning and competition! Sorry, just reading through some of these peoples comments are overwhelming of how irrational and how little knowledge they have on the fighting world.

Answer 436

Run away and marry a hooker

Answer 437

I DONT KNOW KARATE BUT I KNOW CRAZA!

Answer 438

JOIN A WRESTLING TEAM!!!!!

I did and I am in the best shape ever and I can beat anyone up!

Answer 439

Try doin judo!! Ideal 4 u!!

Answer 440

TKD

Answer 441

kuk sool won



its a pretty well rounded martial art system composed of all the korean martial arts



it contains, acrobatics, gymnastics, meditation, strikes (punch and kick) joint locks, grapples, throws and weapons



this martial art gives you more techniques than any martial art



count 230 by first degree black belt

Answer 442

More details

do you strictly want self defense? do you want meditation? acrobatics or fitness? weapons? more detail is needed

Answer 443

just get a can of mace. If not, do boxing.