Maybe try scrolling through the existing threads already covering your question.

That said, welcome to the Boards.

 

I wouldn't recommend it. Take them both see what works best for you then know a few simple facts. In a fight there are no rules. The winner is the one that is alive at the end so walking away and not getting hurt your a winner right there. Sometimes waiting and submitting is the best option and when you get a chance to strike back or escape take it at that point. I was robbed at knife point I put my hands up they pulled them down they took some stuff I had nothing on me at all so they went lets stab him so he has something better on him next time at which point I fought back. A thumb to the eye is a very effective way to stop someone. Breaking the arm, dislocating the arm breaking the nose and jaw only slowed them down thumb to the eye they were out. Putting them through a window and smashing their heads into broken glass I went from don't hurt me here you go to a I'm in a fight to the death anything goes mode instantly. They started it I was in it till I was dead or they were it's mind set. They ended up running away and ended up in the hospital I ended up with out a single scratch on me because I used my palm to strike the face not a punch I used elbows and knees. I also used the envoriment as a weapon around me. take a ladys self defense class it teachs you really dirty moves that work well. I took it and I'm a guy I got to be the test dummy I beat the instructor in hand to hand combate because I had lots of training from military, to judo, to wreasling to self defense classes. The military training was from retired military trainers who train the people to do the training so they simply went skip all the bs crap this is what you do legal or not who cares cheat.

 

I have practiced both and recommend both. Krav maga is a bare bones take them down, street fight, while MMA is more of a subdue.

Another good MA is aikido( which I have practiced as well).

The thing is, PSHTF ( or even now) you don't want to have that frame of mind of beating the crap or killing everyone who crosses you. You want that survival mindset of surviving with the least amount of force and damage as possible.


Whether it's a person or animal, you want to discourage them from messing with you, preferably without hurting them ( or you getting hurt).

The good thing about MMA( Ju Jitsu) is you can wrap them up until they calm down or choke them out and leave.

The thing with Aikido is you use their force against them. Watch youtube vids on it and see how they do it, it real and pretty easy to learn. When an opponent comes at you, you sidestep and make contact with them and go with their forward motion, then trap them and take their motion farther( in the same direction), taking them off balance, then suddenly you change direction, do a 180 and take them down quickly and there's nothing they can do about it.
That's if you want to be nice. If not, then you do the same-sidestep, go with them and then suddenly clotheline them in the throat with the front bone of your offhand wrist or near elbow.

 

I have that mind set for 1 simple reason. I don't care if I hurt you I only care if you hurt or kill me. I also don't rob people or pick fights for the simple reason I'm not that kind of person. If I do get attacked I defend my self to the death if I can't run away you have to have that mind set or your going to get more hurt when they run away don't chase them down or do things like that let them run that's the trick. Have almost no rules for fighting and when they run let them run when the cops show up what happened this is what happened I was in fear for my life because they tried to stab me this is what I did to them after I gave them everything. Cops let people walk away or hint at it I will talk to the other person you might want to just walk down the street when I turn my back. That's what they do sometimes once you explain what happened and why because you were the honest one were the other people story was some big dude jumped out of the bushs and beat the crap out of them for no reason at all and they were crack heads.

The simple basics is someone grabs you move your arm towards there thumb they then need to hands to grab your 1 then flat palm to the face works well. Then bend your knees and lower your center of gravity you can swipe out the legs or stuff like that. Twisting the arm behind the back then lifting will pop out the shoulder very painful but didn't take them out of the fight they were limited in what they could do but it didn't stop them as there was 2 on 1. 1 got a broken jaw, elbow, glass in the forehead from going through a window, and was missing an eye the other one just got a dislocated shoulder. 1 had a knife the other one didn't I was fighting with just my hands as this happened in high school. The cops were shocked that I was dead calm and knew exactly what to say and explained it yes sir no sir this is what happened this is what I did and I was in fear for me life. I have no problems telling a judge that. Do I know my attackers no I don't have no idea who they're. Ok go home have a nice day you charge them they charge you ect so I don't want your name they have a warrant for drug charges and skipping bound so they were going in for that.

Let me put it to you this way. I could take on the instructor for self defense class due to being trained at 4 years old and beyond and training every single year on how to fight with hand to hand combat. I was trained by people who charged a machine gun nest with a brick in his hand because he lost his rifle and knife and only had a brick so he fought with a brick. Any advantage is a good one thumb to the eye is by far the most effective attack out of everything your ever taught (they don't teach that) I was taught they try to stab you just get the knife and stab till you can't lift your arm or your dead then it doesn't matter. You have to enter into that way your going to die if you lose so at least take them with you. With that you might get away with no injury.

 

Boxing, wrestling or both is a great base.

 

Yes, but it good to be able to use your legs. Mui Tai kick is a good low kick that keeps you out of arms reach. The thing I learned practicing Ju-Jitsu is the dynamics of controlling the hips. Judo is another good one.

 

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=302804

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=55206

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=316557

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=317008

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=319756

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=282420

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=287388

Plus many more, just go to the main non-lethal weapons section and start scanning down the list of threads. :thumb:

 

Parkour.

(escaping) :

 

For SHTF, go try both and see which ones training methods suit you best.

 

Zen.. and the art of seeing it coming....

 

yes

no

yes

 

Stay away from Krava Maga Worldwide, Kapap, Commando Krav Maga and Haganah. Instead look for Krav Maga Global, Krav Maga Institute, Krav Maga Federation, Combat Krav Maga or International Krav Maga Federation.

Avoid MMA schools that do not have a legit BJJ black belt.

 

OMG, really? Well, the majority of folks only want to get in better shape and learn some self defense techniques , not become black belted and compete in the Octagon. The fact is, most couldn't even if they wanted to, it's a young person's game with great genes.

Folks would do good to join a cardio kick boxing class, a great place to start.

 

I studied Aikido to almost Brown belt level and I still love it, though I'm not a gymnast and never will be (throws). Some years after that I studied TKD and got my 1st Dan black belt. Having said those thing, the problem with actually USING Aikido is that, in my HO, you have to be a Black belt or pretty near there to actually make it Work. It's an art and a way of life. Now, the -jitsu arts are the "dirty street fighting" kinds, according to more than one of my Senseis.

I've only had to use my knowledge once--and once the guy saw I was becoming threatened (and dropping into Stance) he backed off. I've heard three things I trust--1. Best Self-defense ? If you can, RUN ! 2. All fights end up on the ground, and 3. Most fights are over in 30 seconds.

Almost any Art, taught well and practiced, will leave you better off than you were before you began.

 

I have studied Aikido as well as other things (muay thai, Bjj, Krav). In regards to Aikido, use the principles, not the techniques. Going with someone's force and using their momentum against them is good tactics, trying to execute the throws and joint locks will get you hurt. They are complex and not suited to combatives (which is what you need in this scenario). Everyone is going to recommend a different art, and then fight over which is better. They are all just skills. Winning the fight comes down to how much you want it. Your physical condition and skill are factors too, but they wont save you if you have the wrong mindset.

 

There's squaring off and fighting someone head to head, and then there's being attacked. They are two different things. You should never choose to do either of them.

In ninjitsu, you always want your opponent to be at a disadvantage no matter what the situation. And you should always seek to exploit any advantage that you can. If in a street fight, run and jump on top of a car roof. Your opponent will not have any experience fighting on a car and will not easily be able to strike you. This also works well in dog attacks, since dogs can't gain a good footing on slick car metal. Taking the high ground in this way really forces your attacker to press onward from an inferior position if his intent is to do you harm.

A lot of these other styles and strategies are based off of scenarios that don't need to take place in the manner they are practiced. You have a lot of control over how you engage in combat, whether you understand it or not.

 

Separate sport martial arts (those that concentrate on sport applications) from combat martial arts, in the Japanese parlance that means either a Do - Art, or a Jutsu - Way. Example: Judo vs Jujutsu, Aikido vs Aikijutsu, Iaido vs Iaijutsu, Karate Do vs Karate Jutsu. In the Korean Martial arts/ways "Do" does not mean the same as it does in Japanese, one must examine what is taught and what the "Thrust" is, what one is trained to do without thought. An example is the current Tae Kwon Do teachings that is now part of the WTF formed because of the Olympics is primarily a sport art. People that studied Tang Soo Do (me) or Tae Kwon Do in the 1960s and 1970s where still taught a combat martial art. Tang Soo Do (Way of the China Hand) AKA Korean Karate was almost full contact back then, and was 60/40 Foot/Hand, Tae Kwon Do was 80/20 Foot/Hand.

 

I don't know there are some combat martial arts that are not complete rubbish.

 

For the OP.
Several of us here have to be involved 'intimately' with other people at times for our jobs. Closest call I had was when someone tried to push a syringe through my face when he was in my peripheral vision.

If you're just starting out, I'd look for a school that specializes in gross motor movements, such as Judo, an MMA school or BJJ. It's very difficult in a frightening, high-stress situation to get your **** together, and anything involving intricate moves just goes out the window. The advice regarding women's self defense is a good one. I've taken away many good skills from participating in women's self defense. Generally, a good women's self defense system concentrates on the realities of surviving larger, stronger opponents and fear control. Fear can be paralyzing, even for the best of us.

Don't listen to advice telling you to avoid certain school names or franchises, that's all high school/political blather. Actually check out the schools yourself and see if A) the class you're watching is getting a good workout and B) if you're seeing actual concerted time being spent on fighting techniques.

Another thing for beginners is that a lot of schools tend to have some posturing a-holes, that are really set on lording it over a class, or new people. They can really throw off someone's conviction. Just concentrate on the gravity of what you're learning, get stuck in and the a-holes won't be a distraction.

 

MMA
Wrestling- freestyle, folk, greco-roman
BJJ/Judo/*****
Muay Thai/kickboxing/boxing
Karate- certain styles

^ Those in my opinion are pretty much the only worthy styles. They've been proven on both the battlefields, the streets and the MMA cage. Some are grappling styles, some are striking, some are both. What these arts all have in common is full-contact sparring being an integral part of each training session. Martial arts that focus too much on forms and performing techniques on an unresisting partner do not prepare anyone for a real unarmed combat situation, in fact it instills a false sense of security and confidence in one's untested abilities.

That being said, I'd avoid any kung fu. Tae kwon do is kind of watered down and impractical but can serve as a good base or introduction for beginners especially children.

 

I have done martial arts for 20 yrs, and have taken Kung Fu that was very street applicable, though I am told that most is not. I have taken a few "jitsu"s that were not, though everyone says that they are.

2 thoughts............ try out what is in your area and see how it fits your body, your life, and your "aggression level"

and the answer to the title........ the best martial art........ is the one you are doing, not reading opinions on.

Good luck!!!!!!!

 

Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.

-Bruce Lee

What I take from this is, it is not important what martial art you use. As long as you are proficient in the art and you learn more from practicing the art than just how to defend and maim and injure or kill.

 

Done both.

MMA every time. Although KM does have a few skills that are worthy it won't teach you how to actually fight as it neglects the fundamentals for 'tricks' and practically ignores physical conditioning which is essential.

 

:thumb: Given those choices, heck yeah on the MMA! Plus, good luck finding a REAL KM school. They are out there, but they're becoming like Take-Your-Dough schools. All flash and get-the-check.

Nothing wrong with playing with a KM school at some point just to see what it's about (or if the school is even real). But failing a 'jutsu dojo, MMA/BJJ will give you a lot more options. STRESS TO THE INSTRUCTOR YOU ARE ALL ABOUT SELF DEFENSE.

 

FMA, Boxing, BJJ

 

Any SHTF martial art presumes a lack of law enforcement or otherwise it would just regular martial art where you could defend yourself and still go to jail.

Any SHTF (and any real martial art) needs to be heavy on the weapons side as that is what will be used against you: pocket knife, kitchen knife, baseball bats, guns, and maybe even machetes.

Also avoid any art that claims self-defence but they still wear their PJs to class. The real world is not smooth hardwood floors and bare feet.

Avoid any style that has 3-5 steps to a technique before you see a strike when 1 step would do.

 

Also avoid any art that claims self-defence but they still wear their PJs to class. The real world is not smooth hardwood floors and bare feet.

.

Unless it's Judo, BJJ, ***** or Kyokushin

 

I say gun fu

 

Unless you live in a country where carrying a pistol for self-defence is illegal.
Which is most of the world outside of the US. :thumb:

 

That is a good article.

What I said applies even to BJJ, I hear it from instructors and students alike, "I pulled a training knife on him and "cut his throat" or "stabbed him in the ribs" while we were on the ground and the guy looks wide eyed and asks, "Where did that come from?!?". Same place it has always been if you were not in your BJJ is king cult mindframe. There is also a difference between GJJ and the more generic BJJ. I also laugh everytime I pick up some big heavy "Complete Jujitsu" books and all you see are two guys on the floor with no mention of how they got there...and all you see if two guys on the floor, no multiple attackers...and you never see any weapons from page 1 all the way to page 433.

Overall, it is the person who trains and how they train rather than the art itself. Train crappy in an art and it will be a crappy defense no matter what art it is.

 

Good olde fashioned western boxing.

It may not have the sex appeal of eastern martial arts, and like eastern systems, true mastery of boxing takes years and a certain amount of natural athletic ability that not every one has.

In the end though, boxing delivers an awful lot of bang for the buck time wise. Boxing is also designed more for the average, or slightly above average in regards to atheletic talent. In short, asian arts and espescially those assosciated with Buddhism presume that the student is going to be a full time student over the course of years. Boxing does not make this presumption.

Gains come slowly in eastern systems and I get the impression that many students reach the natural limit of their atheletic ability far sooner with complex asian systems than they would with more simple boxing.

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

Rex Kwan Do

Take a look at what I'm wearing, people. You think anybody wants a roundhouse kick to the face while I'm wearing these bad boys? Forget about it.

 

I think the best shtf martial art is the style that suits you best. I think its a personal thing... I think some people are better suited to a certain style than others.

 

In what sort of way?