Whats your fav self defense style or art?

[Chris Parker]

You know, I'll be frank and say I didn't even expect there to be any answers to this thread. There really can't be any such thing as "a favourite" self defence system, there can only be a system you have a personal level of experience in and belief in it's practicality. As such, if anyone is training with self defence in mind, and they are training in a system that they do not consider their "favourite" for such a purpose, they should stop. Otherwise it's like going to an opera and expecting a punk concert.

That said, my "favourite" self defence system is very simple. Awareness and avoidance.

 

[just2kicku]

I chose Kajukenbo. (Chosen for me) but like Mike said any art that was proven on the streets.

 

[SensibleManiac]

I would just like to add that specifically for self defense as you stated, the art is actually irrelevant as we'll as, what's you favorite?

The reason being that favorite has no place when you are trying to defend yourself, you do whatever the situation calls for and as to which artwhat does it matter as long as what you are doing works?

Maybe you should re-phrase the question to which art or technique is most effective? Still it's not simply answered, Awareness and avoidance as Mr. Parker stated are are paramount, then there is whatever gets you home.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Glockdo.

Just a few months training and you can take on a whole bunch of heavyweight fighers at once.

Deaf

 

[jarrod]

shingitai jujitsu, my primary style.

my preference for it has as much to do with the principles of shingitai as the jujitsu part. jujitsu is just what i enjoy & what comes natural to me.

shin (mind)
having the will to fight, or a fighter's heart...putting your head in the game. whatever. i like to think of it as the will to do what is necessary.

gi (technique)
make your technique as good & well rounded as possible. make it work for you rather than a strict imitation of how it's "supposed" to look.

tai (body)
be in shape; develop your physical attributes as much as possible & bring them to the fight.

it seems like common sense, but if you really absorb this & apply it to any art or style, it will work just fine for self defense. it's all in how you train, people. that's all.

jf

 

[xfighter88]

Glockdo.

Just a few months training and you can take on a whole bunch of heavyweight fighers at once.

Deaf

Haha I like that post.

To the OP though.....If I had to choose 1 empty handed martial art that would prepare me the fastest for a self-defense situation it would be Kav Maga. I feel like it does a good job of incorporating the basics from many different arts, and tuely the basics are what help you in real situations.

 

[Omar B]

Haha I like that post.
To the OP though.....If I had to choose 1 empty handed martial art that would prepare me the fastest for a self-defense situation it would be Kav Maga. I feel like it does a good job of incorporating the basics from many different arts, and tuely the basics are what help you in real situations.

Great style that KM and I would love to take the time out to learn it fully some day. My one problem is that the chest/upper body tends to face the opponent a bit more square than many other arts. I would hate to be using KM against someone well educated in CMA.

 

[corwin137]

My fave is context. Am starting to think that in itself is a martial art.

I tend to start with principles, then work my way down. Most of those I've gotten from JKD, Kali. As for how they're gonna save my life or limb, ruminating about the principles in context could take a while. Oversimplifying though, going from most likely circumstances to least likely, a "structure" that is both defensive and offensive that lends itself to adapting when something goes wrong, and returning to that structure easily. Pre-fight skills. Simplicity. Generalship, kickboxing, clinch and ground skills that I can actually do, and can be trained easily. Foul tactics. Use of tools, improvised and otherwise. Use of progressive resistance and non-cooperation, pressure testing material to determine utility.

That sorta stuff. Using those skills and principles (and more) as a filter to determine their usefulness.

 

[celtic_crippler]

What are your top favorite self defenese systems, arts, or whatever? Kenpo, jkd, judo? What and if you have a fav system or art WHY is it your fav and what makes it affective in YOUR eyes that it could save your life?

American Kenpo. It appealed to my practical/logical nature. It's a science really, that takes that same approach to dealing with various possibilities in relation to being attacked. From day 1 I wasn't just mimicking movements, everything was explained; the how's and the why's. It made sense to me and it's application has saved my life.

That said, there are elements of self defense in almost all martial arts. The degree varies, but there are other styles that offer quite a lot in the realm of self-defense. So I'm sure one could find one that fit their particular needs and personality. At the end of the day, it has to be effective for YOU and if you aren't enjoying what you're doing you likely won't retain any of the teachings.

 

[Draven]

Well I've trained in a few arts and cross trained in allot more when I had the opportunity. Favorite arts in general; I always had a thing for Shotokan Karate but favored the competition in Sport Jujitsu. For self-defense I have 3 for different reasons;
1) Ninjutsu;stealth is good for avoiding a fight
2) Shotokan Karate; in the origional format that included breaks and grappling but focused on strikes; for practical techniques is a damn good system.
3) Combat Jujitsu; an off shoot from sport jujitsu but includes more techniques that are intended to cause severe damage. Its easy to say that mastering noone lethal skills means your more effective at applying the lethal stuff but IMHO thats a cop out. How can you be effective at anything if you don't learn to use it; core techniques to a system and potentially lethal finishing methods.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Haha I like that post.

To the OP though.....If I had to choose 1 empty handed martial art that would prepare me the fastest for a self-defense situation it would be Kav Maga. I feel like it does a good job of incorporating the basics from many different arts, and tuely the basics are what help you in real situations.

I've been taking Krav Maga now for almost a year (as well as still in a TKD Dojo doing that!)

Yes I like Krav Maga alot for no-nonsense self defense.

Deaf

 

[Em MacIntosh]

1)Kempo
2)Wing Chun
3)Jiu-Jitsu
4)it's all JKD to me anyway (express yourself effectively)

 

[matrixman]

Hi Guys. Running would be my best defense, but that aside, karate. Trained in lots of arts, but that was the first, and it is so hard to undo those first impressions.

 

[Hudson69]

Personal preference is Police Combatives (Defensive Tactics); for me it is simple, direct and multi-faceted in its applicability.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

What is my favorite self defense style or art?

The one with the low side kick, the front kick, and the elbow. Those three moves in tandem saved my life once.

I happen to study hapkido, which happens to have all three, plus a whole lot more. I also studied taekwondo and still train in it, and it happens to have them too. Learned them in a Taekwondo class, in a TSD class, in a Shotokan class, and have seen them in other karate styles, taijutsu, and a number of other arts.

Of the bunch, my favorite is hapkido. Has all that and grapples too. So do other arts, but our uniforms are the most stylish.

Daniel

 

[scottie]

Glockdo.

Just a few months training and you can take on a whole bunch of heavyweight fighers at once.

Deaf

Lol! I was just thinking Glock 27.
I study (have studied) Isshinryu, American Karate, Sambo, and Judo for 3 weeks got hurt. I love it all.

 

[kaizasosei]

My style! Have to say, even though i'm out of shape with some things. I like many others too, without which i probably couldn't or wouldn't be. Plus now i have so much noncontact stuff....far out. Pass that through your nuts roger!(peruvian expression-very old story '95).
At least for my still incomplete martial arts, i'll die happy whatever the case. Best invention since barbed wire! Now if i could manage to just reach the last steps. I don't know but it's exciting. If there's no pot of gold(more gold) at the end of the rainbow, at least should be in good shape physically. win win shichueishon



j

 

[K831]

As of right now;

1.) American Kenpo, specifically the AKKI blend.

2.) FMA, specifically of the DTE blend I just started. I am having good luck with that right now, after having been left unimpressed with some Kali I tried a few years back.

3.) Krav Maga

 

[l_uk3y]

For straight forward street defense I would say my fav is Wing Chun for its striking methods.

However I believe my Hapkido training is preparing me better not necessarily for the techniques but for mixture of attacks we are presented with.

The biggest limiting factory of the Wing Chun I trained is that we always trained WC vs WC. When presented with somebody of a different strategy who knew what they were doing it put me out of my comfort zone.

 

[seasoned]

I'm with DS on this one, but mine is GoJu. 70% hands and 30% kicks. A pure striking art with locks and take downs. All kicks are low, favoring the knee kick. punching is a main technique using all surfaces of the fist for hitting. Open hands are used for eyes, ears, and throat strikes. As a close in fighting art it is very good for all aspects of self defense.