What self defence should I learn?

krav maga is good as something to learn quickly and be useful in a short time

it was developed to teach to the soldiers for unarmed combat so they wanted something to be able to be taught and learnt in a short amount of time

it has quite a short sylabus of techniques and you then spend time perfecting them .
 
The best defence is what?

running away

seriously!

anyway my 2c

Boxing is a sport, your training revolves around attempting to beat another boxer in a ring while adhering to the rules of the sport. Yes it will toughen you up, get you very fit and teach you to fight but as far as the OP is concerned - if you're looking for a good martial art for "self defence" then there are other much more suitable martial arts than boxing.

Aikido, Ju Jitus or Krav Maga would be a lot more suitable if it is specifically self defence you are looking for.

(if you're interested in the fitness side of things & want to spar too then Muay Thai would be a good choice - all the benefits of boxing but probably a bit more effective for self defence too)
 
Tried boxing for a few months it was like I had been sent to the remedial classroom, I guess repeated punches to the head does no one any good. Did 2 years judo, 2 years Tae Kwon Do, they were allot more challenging. The discipline and exercise was intense and good with all 3.

Best defence = run

If you cant run and are being attacked, the best defence is to instantly disable the attacker. In no particular order:
Fast hard punch to the upper stomach, then uppercut or toe punt to the face.
Jab to the throat.
Eye gouge.
kick in the nuts.
punch on the nose.

Then run.

These are all legitimate defensive techniques that will save you if attacked, never use them unless you are being attacked, as they can severely injure someone. Disclaimer etc.. ehh just run :)
 
I live in a rough area and go to some of the roughest pubs in the city but I've reached half a century without ever throwing or taking a punch.
I've learnt the art of knowing where not to look, how not to be an arse in a pub and knowing when to walk out of a pub.
 
I live in a rough area and go to some of the roughest pubs in the city but I've reached half a century without ever throwing or taking a punch.
I've learnt the art of knowing where not to look, how not to be an arse in a pub and knowing when to walk out of a pub.

i would say most of the training in any self defence is about avoiding problems in the first place. how to be a bit street wise and learning to walk away.

and giving you the confidence that you dont look like a target to start with.
 
Martial Arts are rediculouse and the biggest con out there, for young people especialy.

Boxing is the way to go, learn how to dodge, block and throw a punch and build stamina and strength.

I agree, you just have to look at the original UFC's to see how well the karate/Akido lot did compared to the people who actually know how to fight rather than score points/perform ballet.

Get yourself over to Bullshido.net, they regularly challenge martial artists of all kinds to come and prove themselves in the ring/cage, hardly ever manage to even make it to the arena funnily enough.


Its not BS, most schools give out black belts like candy these days.
 
I do amateur boxing and love it, the fitness and conditioning is beyond what I ever did in the many martial arts classes I have done. I think because martial arts are more family-friendly and they cater more to people who don't want to compete and also many instructors may know lots about their art but not as much about fitness and conditioning.

As for self-defence well you will be strong, fast, excellent reactions and amazing stamina, no-one could get near me to hit me and if they get hit by me they are going to feel it. I don't know what anyone else would need. Not that I have any desire to fight outside a ring though - there is almost never any need to self-defence if you live your life right.

As an added bonus, you also get an awesome physique.

I like to sell boxing but wont **** off any martial arts.
 
Bullshido is funny, kind of like richarddawkins.net for fighters with a similar level of arrogant crap masquerading as some kind of revelation of the truth...
 
Having tried several martial arts and boxing, in my opinion being dogmatic about which style to follow is foolish. MMA, the closest thing to a street fight you can get, relies upon being able to call upon punches, kicks, take-downs and floor grappling.

Having an awareness the punch-related area (boxing), take-downs and grappling (judo or jiu jitsu) and kicking (muay thai), is what you need. Though kicking isn't really going to be applicable in a street fight. Nonetheless, martial arts that try to teach you how to use your oponent's weight and strength against them yadda yadda, rather than knocking them out, fast, aren't going to be helpful.

Perhaps a 10 year veteran of aikido will be able to twist some big fellow around and backflip him the floor, but is the average guy aiming to be able to defend himself in ten years?

As an example of 'amateur' self defence, I have a big friend who is one of those naturally big and tough people. Fights a lot. Some ruckus was ocurring and this guy, while my friend wasn't looking, did an aikido/judo wrist lock on him to bring him to the floor. The result? My friend used his superior strength to turn back around and lamp the guy in the chest, a fitting humiliation for his attempts at elite martial arts.

Another time, my friend wasn't looking and someone punched him. The result? He went down and had a broken jaw. From that small sample, which seems to be the most effective?

If you're looking for self defence, learn to box, because that properly teaches you how to punch and dodge (which is what you're doing in a street fight) and something that gives you an awareness of how to get out of being on the ground (which is where you don't want to be in a street fight).
 
Oh yeah because in a street fight you really have the opportunity to be that accurate. Go out on a Friday night to your local town and watch a street fight, it's basically a slapping / grappling match or a big bundle. There's no real way to 'defend' against a ruck.

Unless it's 1-on-1 and you're being mugged in a side street I don't think any training is going to help, being a big Rhino-Freefaller-type would though.

Hey!! You calling me a Rhino?! :mad: :p

Let's face it, in a street fight or any brawl, people lash out, fight dirty and just throw as many punches, grabs, kicks as they can. More often than not you'll be outnumbered. The best thing to do is land the first hit hard and run - sounds silly, but probably the safest thing to do. Sure I'm big and strong, and can probably do a fair bit of damage, but outnumbered it doesn't matter, being attacked from numerous angles is just going to get you into trouble.

Pretty much most fights end up on the floor - really the best "combat" you can learn is aikido-type of self defence to an extent (that sort of thing, but to be effective you'd have to be a master really), or even boxing in terms of learning how to take a hit - or for that matter playing rugby or a sport where taking knocks doesn't phase you.

Adrenaline can do funny things to people, but setting yourself up for an "arena" fight or a fair one isn't going to happen. Some idiot will lamp you from behind or whack you over the head with a bottle, or plunge a knife deep into your flesh and organs instantly sending your body into shock.

Best advice - either be ready to kill, or run for your life.
 
the best self defence is the one that will deal with the scenario in front of you most efficiently.

given there are loads of scenarios, you cant pick one single martial art.

before you learn how to 'fight', i would suggest you learn how to avoid or calm aggressive situations.
 
If you want to learn for confidence and fitness etc great, go for it; if you think that you will be able to defend yourself against street fighting types, forget it.
 
Aikido - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8wNjCScMUw

I have been to 2 Aikido lessons, at both I was told how to attack and asked to go slower so I can be defended against, I was asked to fall to the floor during a demonstration of a throw because the throw itself was not doing the job. I am all for judo throws but Aikido is ridiculous.

"punch me, no not like that, no slower, no slow so I can grab your arm and flip you!"

An aikido master Vs a real fighter - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxb0PCBV0vk ;)
 
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