What Martial Arts/Self Defense Do You Know?

[Tiger Sora]

I'm a 7th level master of ty-quan-crowbar. I can kill ya before you even hit the ground!
I also have 200 lbs of raging fury I can unleash, when provoked to.

 

[Nouw]

I did Tae Kwon Doe for a good 4-5 years and reached red belt.

 

[TheKmanofAwesometon]

I'm a 2nd degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, been taking it for over 6 years.

 

[Plumerou]

I do or at least used to do Shito-Ryu (karate), but now im in college i havent been able to find or better said, havent had the time to look for a dojo since im studying in another city, on holidays i guess you could say i try to keep up

 

[Machocruz]

I do Shotokan (Karate) and Judo, Shotokan for much longer.

If you're trying to choose a martial art I might be able to help.
Karate: fighting off multiple attackers quickly and efficiently; medium amount of counters in counters; large emphasis on pattern memorization and strength
Tai-kwon-do: fighting off 1-3 attackers quickly and precisely; lots of counters and variations of kicks; large emphasis on precision strength
Judo: fighting off few attackers; lots of counters; large emphasis on throws
Muay Thai: fighting 1 attacker at once; few counters (i think); large emphasis on using brutal strikes with elbows and knees to quickly subdue an opponent

You are deluded if you think any amount of training is going to help against multiple attackers.

Training certainly can help [survive and escape] against multiple attackers, but the kind of conventional training that people usually refer to (Karate class to become Jason Bourne) usually doesn't

 

[Rylot]

Curling up in a fetal position and screaming 'not in the face!' is my go to move. Thankfully I'm pretty big and have a good 'don't fuck with me demeanor' so I never get messed with.

 

[TheLoneBeet]

Instinct? I've never had any formal training in self defense. I just do what comes naturally at the time. I fought sometimes in school but that's about it. Not worth a whole lot if you're fighting somebody will real training (as I've learned on a few occasions)

 

[dyre]

My self defense basically amounts to "kick em in the balls and run".
Not the best line of defense to live life through.

I personally really wanna learn kick boxing though. :I
I will watch this thread, as I am quite interested.

That's actually the worst defense plan ever. A person balls will shrink at the first sign of exercise because the blood is needed elsewhere, and adrenaline can go a long way in making that hurt less. Trust me, a kick to the balls is barely noticeable if someone is expecting it. Your best bet would be to find a weapon or run.

What? For some reason I want to test that statement, but if you're lying, that'll suck.

Any links or vids?

 

[VladG]

No real training. Come to think of it I haven't even been in a fight since 2nd grade (and those fights were considered violent if slaps were thrown around). Basically my form of self defence is looking somewhat like a 250-pound half deranged hobo.

But I do have some knowledge of popular fighting stiles and favor Krav Maga. Here's why:

Krav Maga isn't what you'd actually call "martial arts". Martial arts are fairly ritualized (especially japanese/chinese ones) and focus on form, technique and are somewhat adapted for competitions, making them safer for both involved. Krav Maga on the other hand is all about survival. Generally, there are no rules in Krav Maga, as it is a defense fighting technique which is not regulated, but utilized to keep the user safe and incapacitate the opponent by any means necessary. There is nothing holy (half the moves I've seen involve a hard part of your body and your opponent's balls, usually in comedic and eye-watering combinations). It's also considered the easiest and most efficient form of self defence since anyone, regardless of age, sex, prior training or physical condition can learn it very fast. It relies on short, efficient movement (none of that fancy jumping around, just a plain old elbow to the face and knee to the groin, thank you very much) and details many ways to remove and defend yourself against many common weapon threats(knives, guns, blunt weapons, etc)

Boxing is probably the most useful background to have if you want to pick up Krav Maga since it emphasizes punches as basic strikes which are useful in almost any situation

As a form of self defence I really consider Krav Maga to be the best choice out there. Other martial arts have, of course, other things in their favor: discipline, physical training, philosophy, but for pure self defence, you can't beat Krav Maga.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

I can box. Currently taking a break from training, but no one expects a chubby short woman to be able to punch.

So... I guess that makes me a stealth boxer?

 

[CommanderKirov]

Six years of Krav Maga.

Went in to shape up. Stayed for the cheap shots.

 

[VladG]

Six years of Krav Maga.

Went in to shape up. Stayed for the cheap shots.

That

 

[Tdc2182]

Lesson number one.


I'm not saying that it works... but it works.

But in all seriousness, there really isn't a martial art being taught anywhere near I live worth learning. If someone corners down in an alley, 9 times out of 10 you're gonna get hurt if you try anything.

Best to just buy a gun.

 

[A.A.K]

Dragon Kung fu - 2.5 years - still doing it.
'effective' shaolin kung fu - 6 years. I say 'effective' because I learnt via my dad and he learnt in a temple. So when teaching me he just took out the pattern memorization, gave me the technique and the practicality and moved on....
Done basic muay thai...brutal but hard.
Currently doing hapkido, and I hate it. I'm mainly there because it's my girlfriend's first martial art and she wants company.

Krav Maga and MMA, boxing and kick-boxing-to a degree, are NOT martial arts. They're either sport systems and fighting systems. Not to say they're any less effective, but they arent martial arts. Except ba gua - kung fu is designed for 1 v 1 encounters, so you'll need to expand and understand if you want it to be effective against multiple people.

Taekwondo in my experience isnt very good practicality wise, but I never focused on it for too long so dont count my opinion.
karate i hate but when you do kung fu for almost a decade, the prejudice comes in

 

[An Inferior]

Jeet Kune Do
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

These were both very fun, and teach very good skills.

I took a few classes in college. Nothing too advanced, just beginner level classes to introduce you to the different fighting techniques. But I really enjoyed it, and if I had the money I would try to find a gym near me now.

Jeet Kune Do is probably the best practical fighting system, because it focuses on learning the best strategy for any situation. It's not about specific moves, but about learning the best move to use for the fight. And if someone learns a better technique, then you add that to your Jeet Kune Do practice. So it is literally the most effective martial art if taught correctly. I really enjoy it cause you learn a lot of different techniques to deal with many different situations (standing at kicking and punching range, knees elbows and headbutts for closer range, take-downs and grappling, weapons, multiple opponents, and more)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a great take-down and grappling system. It is what we used for Jeet Kune Do, so getting extra practice in it was really cool. (most street fights will end up on the ground, so having a game plan for either staying safe while down there, or how to get away and back on your feet is very good for you) And my favorite part of Jiu-Jitsu is that you can really spar with it while staying safe and not needing a lot of safety gear. Because you don't do strikes in strait Jiu-Jitsu, you don't have to "hold back" when sparring, and it can be a lot of fun.

So yeah, I would recommend those to you if you can find a good gym that teaches them.

 

[Annoying Turd]

I know how to run.

Running and cutting losses is my best form of self defense.

 

[William Ossiss]

muay thai kickboxing and tae kwon do. it's a good thing.

 

[Biosophilogical]

I'm not proficient in any form of self-defense. I've been in fights, but let's face it, that doesn't mean much in the end.

You'd hope it'd mean more than not being in any fights. I've never been in a fight, I mean, I've had people be royal shit-fucks, but there has never been anything that required me to fight someone. I guess I'm either lucky, or don't react as aggressively as other people. I'm going to go with the former, but with the tiniest hint of the latter.

 

[easternflame]

I've trained in the arts of Ninjistsu, Batman Style.
My advice is, take Krav Maga, it's very good, I trained it for a couple of years and liked it, I switched to Ninjistsu because it teaches you two things: First, you are not this body and second, never underestimate your combatatant's ability in combat.
It also teaches us to never give up a never back down, but also, to avoid confrontation if you can.
My advice is:
When it comes down to a fight, it's fight or flight, even though it sounds like you are a coward, flight is the better option, when you have to fight and have no alternative, remember, no mercy.

So yeah, I don't think a lot of you will read this, but if you do, take it seriously. THis is very important to me.

 

[Llil]

I know Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and several other Chinese words!

But the most effective self defense technique I know is called "Run Like Hell and Scream Like a Little Girl". I've never had to try it in practice, but if the situation calls for it, I'm not going to hold back. So watch out, muggers and other scoundrels!