Most practical fighting style/martial art?
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CQC?MaxTheReaper said:
There is a company that actually teachs people in practical close quarters fighting.
Really amazing stuff they teach.
It largely depends on your own personal abilities and comfort. Different styles require different levels of flexibility, speed, strength, and technique. Most styles also have different ranges at which they're most effective. Tae Kwon Do, for instance, is best with some range and ability to maneuver forward and back (since it gets its power from momentum). If all you know is TKD and someone manages to get you in a grappling situation, you're hosed. Shotokan is a mid-range style, getting its power from the hips, and is a good all-rounder. Aikido is a grappling style (mostly), getting its power from speed and leverage more than strength.
There is no "best" style, it's contextual. If you're fighting an untrained, unarmed opponent, any martial art is fine. If you're fighting an armed opponent, most of the non-sport styles teach counters (knives, especially. If someone pulls a gun, almost any sensei would tell you to give up; even in Krav Maga, you're taught to surrender everything except your life). If you're fighting a trained opponent, it depends on what each of you knows. It's not quite elemental rock-paper-scissors, but there is no ultimate style. A well-trained Krav Maga student could take on a well-trained Muay Thai student and possibly win. Same with any match up of two styles. Jiu-jutsu against Sambo, Capoeira against Silat. Under equal training, it's an "any given Sunday" kind of experience.
There is no "best" style, it's contextual. If you're fighting an untrained, unarmed opponent, any martial art is fine. If you're fighting an armed opponent, most of the non-sport styles teach counters (knives, especially. If someone pulls a gun, almost any sensei would tell you to give up; even in Krav Maga, you're taught to surrender everything except your life). If you're fighting a trained opponent, it depends on what each of you knows. It's not quite elemental rock-paper-scissors, but there is no ultimate style. A well-trained Krav Maga student could take on a well-trained Muay Thai student and possibly win. Same with any match up of two styles. Jiu-jutsu against Sambo, Capoeira against Silat. Under equal training, it's an "any given Sunday" kind of experience.
Krav Maga would be the middle eastern/ Israeli Defense Force's hand-to-hand style of choice...MaxTheReaper said:
Fist of the Northern Star reference for t3h winner!SharPhoe said:
As far as practicality goes, anything that involves you fighting an armed man while you yourself are unarmed seems unnecessarily risky to me, though I am a strong proponent of "speak softly and know how to kill things with your bare hands." I guess I would say any art that teaches you how to use and conceal a weapon, perhaps knife throwing (something I'm good at) or the use of a santsetsukon (you're walking down an alley with your walking stick, some muggers come up to take your money, they stand just out of how far they think you can reach with the staff and are found in front of the police station 20 minutes later, suffering from the worst headaches of their lives: three section staves just rule). Only problem with that is that knowing how to use a weapon and not having it is as bad as carrying a weapon you don't know how to use.
I guess I have to go with Krav Maga, hooray for bandwagon jumping!
How about parkor? It'll let you survive if you get in a fight: Run away and live to fight another day. But if you are in a situation where you HAVE to fight, then the Krav Magna bandwagon it is.
Edit: Also, there is an even more deadly version of Krav Magna (Gasp!) called Shin Bet. It is taught to the Mossad.
Edit: Also, there is an even more deadly version of Krav Magna (Gasp!) called Shin Bet. It is taught to the Mossad.
1- Knowledge Of Martial Arts Can Be Compensated By Raw Physical Strength
2- Try Judo, Boxing or Some Other Entirely Strike-Based Style
3- If All Else Fails, Learn the Art Of The Cheap Shot
2- Try Judo, Boxing or Some Other Entirely Strike-Based Style
3- If All Else Fails, Learn the Art Of The Cheap Shot