Best Martial Art for self-defence.

TheDruidWizard

I've done martial arts training for about a decade and personally found that I prefer the self-defence aspect much more than the sports aspects. As I'm not really interested competitions.

So I was thinking about joining a different club in Dublin city centre or south side.

Some of my options are;

Krav Maga:
http://www.krav-maga.ie/

Wing Tsun:
http://www.wingtsunireland.com/

Jeet Kune Do:
http://www.jeetkunedodublin.com/




Another idea might be to just forget about the self-defence idea and use a club which focuses on MMA and just don't compete myself:
http://www.sbgireland.com



Any thoughts or suggestions?

Peetrik

To actually defend yourself, with the styles you've presented?

MMA, absolutely no question, anyone who says otherwise is just plain wrong.

hurpederp

SBG stands head and shoulders above those other options that you presented. I don't believe that any situation exists in a fight or scuffle that MMA doesn't address. Grappling, striking, ground fighting, standing back up - all of these are best addressed by training at an MMA club, where pressure testing, live sparring and competition ensure that everything you are being taught is effective.

There are other good options for self defence. Thai Boxing (Muay Thai), regular Boxing, wrestling ( though I wouldn't know where to find it ) and Judo are pretty good bets too, competency in any one of these puts you at a considerable advantage in any bad situation. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gets an honourable mention too, only it lags behind those listed above due to a tendency to have poor standing technique.

MMA is the best I think, because it actually combines almost all of the arts I listed above.

Gumbi

Tested under pressure. They work . It's as simple as that.

Krav (at it's best, I'm being nice) takes techniques from other arts and applies them poorly. You don't learn armbars in 20 mins. You don't learn good striking technique over a weekend. Etcetera...

Michael O Leary

TheDruidWizard wrote: »

I've done martial arts training for about a decade and personally found that I prefer the self-defence aspect much more than the sports aspects. As I'm not really interested competitions.

So I was thinking about joining a different club in Dublin city centre or south side.

Some of my options are;

Krav Maga:
http://www.krav-maga.ie/

Wing Tsun:
http://www.wingtsunireland.com/

Jeet Kune Do:
http://www.jeetkunedodublin.com/




Another idea might be to just forget about the self-defence idea and use a club which focuses on MMA and just don't compete myself:
http://www.sbgireland.com



Any thoughts or suggestions?

Hi,

While others can give you advice, it is up to you to see what martial art suits you best. I would advise you to try all the schools for maybe a month each. While I don't know much about the Krav Maga or Jeet Kune Do schools, the Wing Tsun instructors in Dublin City are colleagues of mine and run a good school.

I did go to a Straight Blast Gym seminar a few years ago and found it very good. I think they sometimes have a free month for beginners in January if you want to check that out.

Alternatively if you are willing to travel to Blanchardstown, we offer beginners a free month on an ongoing basis. With class three times per week you can get 12 classes free. In that 12 classes you will be taught easy to learn techniques against common "street" attacks as well as supplementary exercises to hardwire the techniques into your central nervous system.

Regards,

Michael

shutup

I'm also looking for an MA.
Some background about me. I'm not fit or tough. I've never been in a fight. I would run away now if I was attacked. So I guess I feel safe because if you don't hang around trouble you are pretty sure to stay safe.
But I think it would be so cool to beat up a bully. Especially in front of my wife. It would be so cool if it got caught on tape and went around the internet.
Anyway, I don't have much time to train due to family and work commitments.
I don't like the idea of getting hit or thrown around. So something without too much rough stuff would suit me.
Is there anywhere that does forms and slow motion non contact training that would get me confident.
I think that if I punch the air for 6 months I may not run away if any trouble comes my way. I may even cross the road to tell 10 loud mouth knackers to stop acting the b***** instead of keeping my head down and walking away. I might stay and fight and my training would keep me safe in the fight that I'm now in because my training made me feel I could stay to fight instead of running away safely.
I don't like the look of mma. It's just for impatient kids and besides thats sport fighting. I want something for the real life situations.

YellowSheep

Krav Maga.
I started the 12 weeks course. And I believe everyone should know this art of self defence. I come from a martial art background and it's not the same.
My instructor is the leading one in the country. If you need more info please on.

Cheers Oliver

arybvtcw0eolkf

shutup wrote: »

I'm also looking for an MA.
Some background about me. I'm not fit or tough. I've never been in a fight. I would run away now if I was attacked. So I guess I feel safe because if you don't hang around trouble you are pretty sure to stay safe.
But I think it would be so cool to beat up a bully. Especially in front of my wife. It would be so cool if it got caught on tape and went around the internet.
Anyway, I don't have much time to train due to family and work commitments.
I don't like the idea of getting hit or thrown around. So something without too much rough stuff would suit me.
Is there anywhere that does forms and slow motion non contact training that would get me confident.
I think that if I punch the air for 6 months I may not run away if any trouble comes my way. I may even cross the road to tell 10 loud mouth knackers to stop acting the b***** instead of keeping my head down and walking away. I might stay and fight and my training would keep me safe in the fight that I'm now in because my training made me feel I could stay to fight instead of running away safely.
I don't like the look of mma. It's just for impatient kids and besides thats sport fighting. I want something for the real life situations.

Is that your dojo under O'Connell St bridge?...

Get out of it pal.

Doug Cartel

YellowSheep wrote: »

Krav Maga.
I started the 12 weeks course.

Just take care here, because in 12 weeks it's a lot easier to get people thinking they've learned how to defend themselves than it is to actually tech them how to defend themselves.

Raging_Ninja

shutup wrote: »

I'm also looking for an MA.
Some background about me. I'm not fit or tough. I've never been in a fight. I would run away now if I was attacked. So I guess I feel safe because if you don't hang around trouble you are pretty sure to stay safe.
But I think it would be so cool to beat up a bully. Especially in front of my wife. It would be so cool if it got caught on tape and went around the internet.
Anyway, I don't have much time to train due to family and work commitments.
I don't like the idea of getting hit or thrown around. So something without too much rough stuff would suit me.
Is there anywhere that does forms and slow motion non contact training that would get me confident.
I think that if I punch the air for 6 months I may not run away if any trouble comes my way. I may even cross the road to tell 10 loud mouth knackers to stop acting the b***** instead of keeping my head down and walking away. I might stay and fight and my training would keep me safe in the fight that I'm now in because my training made me feel I could stay to fight instead of running away safely.
I don't like the look of mma. It's just for impatient kids and besides thats sport fighting. I want something for the real life situations.

I read that as irony/sarcasm

Adi G

I'd recommend Krav Maga, I've done a few martial arts and never liked the formal aspects of them like the Katas and uniforms and grading with belts.

In a street fight there are no rules like there are in mma or martial arts.
Krav maga has no rules, strikes to groin, neck and eyes are used all the time along with headbutts and improvised weapons. All is fair if you are just defending yourself from serious harm.

But mostly I enjoyed training with contact from day one with newbies and guys had been doing it for years.

Krav maga is being used by most law enforcement and alot of military units world wide.

You learn how to defend against multiple attackers and weapons and the most important thing you will learn, is run away if u can

Doug Cartel

Adi G wrote: »

Krav maga is being used by most law enforcement and alot of military units world wide.

No it isn't.

youllneverknow

Why could an MMA,Thai boxer or TKD person just attack some ones groin in a street fight.

TheDruidWizard

Should I just stick to Muay Thai?

Adi G

Nothing stopping anyone kicking anyone in the coiners, but they dont train to do it. I used to train in a gym that had an MMA/Boxing side and a Krav Maga side and there is a massive difference in the training. In MMA and kickboxing you are only training to fight one person within a strict set of rules.

Doug Cartel

TheDruidWizard wrote: »

Should I just stick to Muay Thai?

Do you like MT?

TheDruidWizard

For the most part.

I just don't wish to compete.

I also just preferred the self-defense aspect of Krav Maga, Learning how to defend against knives, guns, sticks and such.

Doug Cartel

If you like MT, stick with it. If you don't like it, find something else.

Those knife defences you learned probably don't work, and you are very unlikely to be attacked with a gun, so the effectiveness of that is moot. If you enjoyed the training though, go for it.

ted1

For self defence the best sport is running.

It all really depends what you want to get out if it, do you want to spar, compete ( full contact/ semi contact, etc)

Peetrik

TheDruidWizard wrote: »

Should I just stick to Muay Thai?

If you are currently training Thai then you are doing one of the best arts for self defense.

If you want to learn knife or stick fighting that's fine, you'd probably have better luck if you asked for this thread to be closed and start a new thread with the question...

"What are the most effective/most fun weapons styles/systems"

... as you are currently being advised on what styles are the best for self defense.

SweepTheLeg

I'm also looking to get into Martial arts, purely for self defence.

This might seem odd, but is there one that works a lot on kicks? Because my legs are heavily muscled from running, and are very flexible in that I can kick well above my height.

Raging_Ninja

SweepTheLeg wrote: »

I'm also looking to get into Martial arts, purely for self defence.

This might seem odd, but is there one that works a lot on kicks? Because my legs are heavily muscled from running, and are very flexible in that I can kick well above my height.

Well you have the running away bit down, why do you want to kick people? It'll just get you knocked over easier since I doubt anyone who is mugging you will be far enough away for you to roundhouse them.

If you want to kick, Muay Thai do them as well as punches.

SweepTheLeg

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

Well you have the running away bit down, why do you want to kick people? It'll just get you knocked over easier since I doubt anyone who is mugging you will be far enough away for you to roundhouse them.

If you want to kick, Muay Thai do them as well as punches.

I don't want to kick people lol. Just my legs are in better shape then my arms so I thought i would be at good starting point for Muay Thai, Kickboxing etc...

But I don't want to be stuck just with kicking, like I wouldn't do Boxing as it would be just using my arms. A nice mixture of both would be good.

Peetrik

SweepTheLeg wrote: »

But I don't want to be stuck just with kicking, like I wouldn't do Boxing as it would be just using my arms. A nice mixture of both would be good.

Muay Thai is a mixture of kicks, punches, knees & elbows and is undoubtedly one of the best arts for self defense.

Nappy

Hi guys,

I'm also taking up a martial art, I have no previous experience. I'm purely interested in self defence. I was considering going to a gracie barra jiu jitsu gym to ease myself in but after reading this I think mma might be better suited. I see there are a few SBGs, I could attend anyone. Which one is best? Any idea where I could find a timetable and is there any sign of a free trial for January.

FTA69

Adi G wrote: »

Krav maga is being used by most law enforcement and alot of military units world wide.

Can we drop this lark that Krav Maga is used by the ultra-badass Israelis to whip everyone? I was in Palestine recently, and believe me if the Israeli soliders there wanted to do you harm they wouldn't break out the auld KM, they'd shoot you with the Armalites they carry around.

Mellor

Adi G wrote: »

Nothing stopping anyone kicking anyone in the coiners, but they dont train to do it. I used to train in a gym that had an MMA/Boxing side and a Krav Maga side and there is a massive difference in the training. In MMA and kickboxing you are only training to fight one person within a strict set of rules.

Just because there is a strict set of rules that doesn't mean you need adhere to them when you aren't required.

You do well to forget all about multiple opponents too. As you said, MMA fighters train all their focus is on one person. Yet, matches regularly last 15 minutes. Instant finishes aren't easy to pull off.

In KM, the multiple attacker situation is based around subduing each person in turn with a single strike. When you rehearse that in training, your partner isn't subdued, he is pretending to be so you can do the next move you practiced. It's about as realistic as movie fights or WWE

Dyr

Mellor wrote: »

Yet, matches regularly last 15 minutes. Instant finishes aren't easy to pull off.

and yet in the real world for a violent confrontation to last that long is extremely rare and instant finishes are common place... that should tell you something.

shutup

Bambi wrote: »

and yet in the real world for a violent confrontation to last that long is extremely rare and instant finishes are common place... that should tell you something.

What should it tell us? I don't understand your point.

Dyr

shutup wrote: »

What should it tell us? I don't understand your point.

who's us now? I was only addressing one person

biko

The best martial art is the one you enjoy enough to keep at it for years.

I've done Savate and Aikido the longest and must say I prefer Aikido with its flowing techniques.
There is no "best" martial art for self defence but MMA teaches both boxing and wrestling, the two most common forms of combat.

Out of the ones in the OP I'd go for Wing Chun but that's me.

shutup

Bambi wrote: »

who's us now? I was only addressing one person

You don't have to react in an unfriendly manner.
"Us" is the boards.ie users.

I don't understand the point you made. May I please ask you to explain it to me.

Peetrik

Bambi wrote: »

and yet in the real world for a violent confrontation to last that long is extremely rare and instant finishes are common place... that should tell you something.

Well yeah it tells us that when you select two evenly matched opponents in peak physical condition they tend to be...

a) evenly matched.

and

b) in decent enough condition that one or the other isn't bolloxed after 2 minutes.

If you have a point I don't see it either.

Dyr

It should tell you that evenly matched and evenly prepared doesn't happen a whole lot when it comes to violence so that's the paradigm you should look to address if you're into the whole self defence lark.

Peetrik

Bambi wrote: »

It should tell you that evenly matched and evenly prepared doesn't happen a whole lot when it comes to violence so that's the paradigm you should look to address if you're into the whole self defence lark.

I don't think you've been paying attention.

The point being discussed is KM choreography having more or less chance to land a bollock hoof than an MMA guy who doesn't train bollock hoofs.

Adi G think because MMA guy doesn't train them he has less chance.

Others think MMA guy with live sparring has just as much chance or better due to live sparring practice

Peetrik

Oh and Biko thinks wing chun is just as good as MMA for defending yourself

Dyr

Peetrik wrote: »

I don't think you've been paying attention.

The point being discussed is KM choreography having more or less chance to land a bollock hoof than an MMA guy who doesn't train bollock hoofs.

Adi G think because MMA guy doesn't train them he has less chance.

Others think MMA guy with live sparring has just as much chance or better due to live sparring practice

Ah thanks but, the point im discussing is the one I quoted. That if one scenario is substantially different to another than you might understand why that is, unless suppressing cognitive dissonance is your idea of fun.

anyway on the subject of ball kicking, its funny.. one of my mates is a lifelong martial artist who now teaches KM, he also deals with violence every day in his job. I'm gonna say he has better chance of kicking someone in the sack in the really real world than someone who's trains not to. His version of KM might be different to the usual three week course stuff though.

Peetrik

Bambi wrote: »

Ah thanks but, the point im discussing is the one I quoted. That if one scenario is substantially different to another than you might understand why that is

If you just made your point this would be a lot easier. I still have absolutely no idea what your point is, just that it involves the duration of confrontations in some way.

shutup

Bambi wrote: »

anyway on the subject of ball kicking, its funny.. one of my mates is a lifelong martial artist who now teaches KM, he also deals with violence every day in his job. I'm gonna say he has better chance of kicking someone in the sack in the really real world than someone who's trains not to. His version of KM might be different to the usual three week course stuff though.

Who's your mate? I would like to go to his class

Adi G

The point being discussed is KM choreography having more or less chance to land a bollock hoof than an MMA guy who doesn't train bollock hoofs.

Adi G think because MMA guy doesn't train them he has less chance


I was just talking about my experience training in a mixed mma / KM gym. We use to train that in a fight the first thing you would do was put your hands up to defend yourself and if it was going to kick off, then kick to the groin with your front foot then try and finish him or run away.
I would love if in all these mma / martial art threads that the people who have actually studied the martial art would comment on its pros and cons.

I agree with others that the best martial art is the one you enjoy and look forward to going to the class.

Most places let you try a class for free these days so go and check out the gym and classes and make up your own mind.

smacl

Peetrik wrote: »

Oh and Biko thinks wing chun is just as good as MMA for defending yourself

Nah, I just reckon Biko thinks wing chun might be enjoyable to train, and worthwhile on that basis. There's also the distinct possibility that unless you're looking for trouble, you'll never actually need any self defence, which is also a good argument for sport fighting. If you're going to put blood, sweat and tears into an endeavour that could last for decades, you want to get more out of it than the fight that never happened If the fight does happen, well trained MMA / Boxing / Thai / Sanshou are the odds on favourite, but they all require a big investment in time and effort, where most people need to enjoy the training to progress to that stage.

crosstrainer1

bruce lee once said that it punches, it kicks, it smashes and grapples. Its meaning ones self. You can only respond at a certain time certain way depending on your physical state and your mental state. Different martial arts use different methods and defense strategie according to the structure of their stance.
I my oppinion there are two many people wanting the secrect ninja magic trick. that ends all fights and are perpared to pay someone vast amout of money because they come up with a fancy name to hit someone a smack.
Find a system train it addapt it you your own abilities and practice practice practice:)

lil_stevie

For pure self defence check out these guys -
Hard Target out in Swords .

Its a like krav maga in that in borrows from a lot of systems but it has the benfit of being pressure trained , gives you a sense of what a real fight is like .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZjk16kyfU


Nice guys - very safe learning enviroment etc ...

cletus

lil_stevie wrote: »

For pure self defence check out these guys -
Hard Target out in Swords .

Its a like krav maga in that in borrows from a lot of systems but it has the benfit of being pressure trained , gives you a sense of what a real fight is like .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZjk16kyfU


Nice guys - very safe learning enviroment etc ...

I watched that clip twice, just in case I missed something, and apart from the push and roar at the beginning, it looked like beginners mma

hurpederp

lil_stevie wrote: »

For pure self defence check out these guys -
Hard Target out in Swords .

Its a like krav maga in that in borrows from a lot of systems but it has the benfit of being pressure trained , gives you a sense of what a real fight is like .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcZjk16kyfU


Nice guys - very safe learning enviroment etc ...

I'm sorry to burst you're bubble but that just resembles an MMA fight - without any technique on behalf of either fighter

arybvtcw0eolkf

hurpederp wrote: »

I'm sorry to burst you're bubble but that just resembles an MMA fight - without any technique on behalf of either fighter

Look at this rubbish from the same people..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U8xvVFgtaM

Tim_Murphy

Gustavo Hissing Wreckage wrote: »

Look at this rubbish from the same people..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U8xvVFgtaM

I love the "Is your training real?" at the end of the video. Irony seems to mean nothing to these types of people.

pablohoney87

Gustavo Hissing Wreckage wrote: »

Look at this rubbish from the same people..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U8xvVFgtaM

Dunno what you guys are talkin bout. I always shout Bang when I hit someone in a fight

KwackerJack

pablohoney87 wrote: »

Dunno what you guys are talkin bout. I always shout Bang when I hit someone in a fight

So do I :eek:

The people giving out have obviously never seen the original Batman

Mellor

I challenge anyone to defend the lightening quick armbar at 1:30.
"SSHUAA"...Arm gone.

jigglypuffstuff

Id be inclined to say Thai as well

Im from a Kenpo background and although I can say ive learned some handy stuff over the year a lot of it is rubbish too...

you really need to be able to pick out whats good from whats bad...and if you arent training with reasonable resistance then you may as well head for the hills as you'll be KO'd as soon as you try some feather light delayed sword

Any martial art is fine to take up..but if you are serious about being well able to handle yourself you need to take up a striking art..and muai thai is the best one hands down..Id be inclined to say thai over MMA too as if you get into a habit of going to ground on the street it may very well go against you.

Compliment MT with something like Judo and you are on to a winner. other martial arts are fine too but know what to take and what to leave..others may disagree but ive my opinion based on the unfotunate viewing of a few face stomps on the ground

As Bruce Lee once said

" hack away at the unessential "