The best martial art for self defense

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Grape Ape, Jan 30, 2011.


  1. Grape Ape

    Grape Ape Monkey+

    imo survival starts with keeping yourself physically fit.
    I have been practicing martial arts for many years.
    Some styles are more traditional and some modern styles are geared more towards instant results in a fight.
    One style that comes to mind as a survivalists martial art is Krav Maga.
    I was thinking of checking this style out more...
    I figure any style you choose has its benefits, however some are better geared for realistic self defense than other styles.
    Does anybody here know of any styles that are considered superior when survival is the main goal.
    What are some of your favorite styles ??
     
  2. hank2222

    hank2222 Monkey+++

    i went with the basic Krav-Maga hand to hand combat training and it a great way to keep in shape and it not that hard to learn the basic drils that is has
     
  3. UGRev

    UGRev Get on with it!

    Krav-Maga has a vote from me as well. I've done MA for 20+ years and haven't come across much that cuts out the traditional stuff in lieu of getting the job done. It's sort of a style that is a kin to Jeet-Kun-Do's philosophy (not the techniques or anything).. which was a move towards cutting out un-necessary and traditional techniques that have long histories attached to them (the short of it. I'm not going to get involved in a discussion on it, so all of you JKD history buffs should just read between the lines).. shorten the style to become more of a martial arts for street fighting/killing.

    I've done Shoryn-Ryu, Sankaku-Kyokai under Shihan Lou Stanishia who studied under and with Sensei's Latino Gonzales and Peter Urban, Nihan-Ryu Jujitsu under Dave Baker from the Troy Judo Club in Troy NY, Kyokushenkai and some Aikido. After a while, I learned to just use the the techniques that do the most damage. If you have that kind of background or better, you might have a cognitive dissonance with the philosophies of Krav, but then again, maybe not. I found Krav to be very much to my liking as it already conveyed a philosophy that I eventually ended up with after so many years.
     
  4. Halffast

    Halffast Wannabe Hack Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I am not martial arts expert. In fact, the more I study, the less I find I know. That said, I believe you need to know some striking and some ground work. No martial art, as much as I love and reccommend them, is going to turn you into a badass, though. Being a great fighter has as much or more to do with being able to take a punch than being able to give one.
     
  5. PSYOP Soldier

    PSYOP Soldier Monkey+

    Krav/Combatives....Add Judo and Muay Thai later...
     
  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Defensive techniques are fine. Grappling and Jujitsu are fine. Muay Thai is fine.

    But...when you want to get into offensive techniques and the real ability to effectively kill, then go pro. Ninjitsu and Systema are no joke.

    [​IMG]

    The best defense is a flawless offense.
     
  7. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Hakru jujitsu for defensive/offensive... best offensive style is 12 gauge shotgun... Combine judo karate and jujitsu
     
  8. UGRev

    UGRev Get on with it!

    Judo is the sport version of Jujitsu.. if you know Jujitsu..you are pretty much good to go with Judo ;) But your point stands as it's exactly what I've done. Combined the two sides for what works. The base material is all there and ready when it's needed.
     
  9. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I remember years ago a kid wanted to show off and prove how advanced his skill was in karate, so he performed a flawless running jump kick, I effortlessly slapped his leg upward, and he landed on his back in the perfect place where all show-offs belong. Some people told me I didn't even move, which would be very close to the truth. Most people defeat themselves in a fight. The toughest thing I ever had to do when trying to teach a new student, was to find a way to get them to unlearn all the worthless crap they acquired.

    All the major "self-defense" martial arts only teach defensive techniques. Fact. Anybody who tells you otherwise is lying. Ask the elite military forces what they are trained in. I said elite forces. Thank you. :)

    Nothing against defensive arts -they are essential.
     
  10. UGRev

    UGRev Get on with it!

    I love it.. and agree. My feet never leave the ground, my back never turns.. and you are 100% about the defensive techniques bit. I thank my lucky stars that my father was in SAC (special forces).
     
  11. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Then your Dad knows a thing or two about hand to hand ;) Especially if he was trained pre-1990's...but even after then, there are a lot of great skill sets for fighting. I recall somebody asking one notable instructor I remember who was old and had a full head of gray hair, why every move shouldn't be considered 'offensive' in nature. He simply replied, "does your move sever the jugular, vertebrae, or incapacitate?" I think a cold chill went through the room.
     
  12. Disciple

    Disciple Monkey+

    Back in high school I was into Tae kwan Do, and did actually get in a fight over who was better and there is no doubt in my mind, He was better than me but he appirantly wanted to prove that, so one day at school he shoved me into a brick wall ,and busted my nose open..........I was going to let it go but he shoved me again then popped me in the chest with a open hand upside my head............well I cracked my neck and my knuckles and alright lets go. He ran towards me jumped up in the air and tried to do a reverse spin kick on me and I ducked but as I was ducking I started throwing a nice left uppercut, and bam My balled up fist contected with his testicles
    with brute force, and he went to the ground, and did not get up, he just covered up cupping what was left of his future family in his hands............I eventually just gave up doing Tae Kwan Do, when I figured unless you are into the weapons, martial arts
    is best left for the Yakuza and the Triad and the show fights. The thing that really got me thinking about that was Norris' movie Forced vengeance.....yeah he did some martial arts.........But............He also tagged a bunch with that revolver he was carrying........I don't care how high you can kick or how hard you can punch, or how quick you are.......nobody......But Nobody can outmove a .44, or a .357. Ya just don't take a knife into a Gunfight. You take a BIGGER AND BETTER GUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  13. UGRev

    UGRev Get on with it!

    yeah, he was in '57-'61 stationed in Naha, Okinawa. Tough as nails even at his age.
     
  14. hank2222

    hank2222 Monkey+++

    i was trained in both sides of the Krav-Maga and i find as one person who was training us said if not ending the fight in the first 8 seconds then you are showing off for the crowd ..

    he would tell us dureing the training that the reason why we are training is to stop the fight and get yourself out of the problem that has just happened to you

    i also find that when the other socalled martial arts are training with us in a group that they tend to find out that there socalled style does not have real world use in basic street bawling type of fighting to save you life ..
     
  15. BAT1

    BAT1 Cowboys know no fear

    I learned Kaji Kempo [street Kung Fu] and practice it to this day. It saved my tail in a Houston mugging in 1980. The cops thought I had beat them up until they saw a huge gash on my skull. I hollered 'hey everybody look out your windows'! I had fourteen witnesses. They served four years each. Martial arts improves your awareness, speed, agility, self confidence and synchronizes your mind and body to work as one. I now practice Wuji Gong a powerful Qigong form from Grandmaster Foo.
     
  16. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I respect the Fu. No doubt about that.
     
  17. mysterymet

    mysterymet Monkey+++

    Systema and Silat.
     
  18. Equilibrium

    Equilibrium Monkey++

    I'd think anything that helps keep us in decent physical condition would be a good thing in this era of paper pushing. Everyone but me used to be into Juijitsu then they switched over to something called Aikido. Then one of them got into something called pancretia (sp?) for a while but then he decided to get into wrestling instead when he started HS. That one said when he's out of college he'll go back to that Aikido. I don't go to any of their classes or tournaments but I do go to the HS events and that kid is doing pretty good wrestling so he must have learned something from going to the din a coupla times every week. I don't think my husband or any of the kids are any good at any of this martial arts stuff but nobody's fat in our house.
     
  19. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Aikido is excellent for physical and mental conditioning, and with the right instructors and style implementation it proves to be a most beneficial cornerstone.
     
  20. UGRev

    UGRev Get on with it!

    I couldn't agree more. In our jujitsu style, we actually retrained a number of our techniques using the techniques found in Aikido. The body kinetics, IMO, is far more advanced in Aikido than in Jujitsu.. the two blend very well together.
     
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