best martial arts? people that do more than one please help?

[madkad]

So my son does karate and I did it when I was little, but while I have been watching him I have started to think its a very show martial arts ie. all for looks to me

what is the best martial arts for self-defence? basically being about to kick some sh@t if needed etc

I might even do it with my son if I find a good one, I will not do karate again

thanks

[deku13]

Muay thai is the best choice I reckon. It's applicable in street fighting, and it won't be hard finding a gym that teaches it.

[Huke]

A lot of martial arts schools teach too many moves that are just for show. It isn't the first time I've heard of it happening in karate.

If I were to recommend a martial art for self-defense, I'd probably say muay thai, boxing, wrestling, bjj, or something along those lines. Those martial arts are all developed for 1v1 competition.

How old is your son? If he's still pretty young, just about anything he learns will be good for him.

Keep in mind that if he likes karate, you might want to keep him there. A lot of people like the idea of live sparring/competition style training, but then find out how hard it can be and find out they don't like it so much. I guess what I'm saying is that if he's happy and he's learning a few things that might help him out, why not keep him where he is? If you move him to a more competitive environment, he might not like it so much.

[madkad]

he is 6 years old

thanks for the replies

he is enjoying it and also asking can he go to the extra classes that are for competition training like tournaments, but it all seems to be very cash cash cash with it

I feel he could be learning allot more for the money we spend and also like I said if it was something better I think I would do it with him, i mean even the karate that I did when i was younger seemed a little better

[The_Animal91]

he is 6 years old

thanks for the replies

he is enjoying it and also asking can he go to the extra classes that are for competition training like tournaments, but it all seems to be very cash cash cash with it

I feel he could be learning allot more for the money we spend and also like I said if it was something better I think I would do it with him, i mean even the karate that I did when i was younger seemed a little better

If he's 6 then let him continue Karate. I think he's too young to start of with something like muay thai or BJJ. Karate will give him a great base in martial arts and when he's 14-15, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to start with some Judo, Muay Thai or BJJ.

As for you, if you want something that's very good when it comes to self defence then I would suggest Kali or Krav Maga.

[ulfhednar]

the base for everything, boxing + wrestling

[KyleMullins]

So my son does karate and I did it when I was little, but while I have been watching him I have started to think its a very show martial arts ie. all for looks to me

what is the best martial arts for self-defence? basically being about to kick some sh@t if needed etc

I might even do it with my son if I find a good one, I will not do karate again

thanks

Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing, and wrestling. Just go to a MMA gym, being able to deal with any situation is key in a fight. One style just isn't enough.

At my gym we do BJJ, Boxing, Muay Thai, basic wrestling, and Judo. Mainly BJJ though.

[deserusan]

Muay Thai or Brazilian Jui Jitsu. I took Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwan Do for many years but nothing really compares to BJJ. It's extremely challenging and often a good school will also offer a wrestling, boxing, and Muay Thai class as well. If you're lucky, they'll offer a MMA conditioning class as well like mine does.

[madkad]

thanks for all the help guys and taking the time to reply.

[MitchF_5]

Wrestling by far is probably the best self defense. Not only do they teach you the moves and how to control your body, but they train the hell out of you and you become so much mentally stronger and confident. If anyone has seen a collegiate wrestler or pro MMA fighters that are wrestler focus'. They are monsters

[madkad]

Wrestling by far is probably the best self defense. Not only do they teach you the moves and how to control your body, but they train the hell out of you and you become so much mentally stronger and confident. If anyone has seen a collegiate wrestler or pro MMA fighters that are wrestler focus'. They are monsters

I have allways seen Wrestling as allot of rolling around the floor am I wrong?

[oakroscoe]

I have started to think its a very show martial arts ie. all for looks to me

what is the best martial arts for self-defence? basically being about to kick some sh@t if needed etc

As you can see by my post count, I am pretty much just a lurker here, but I had to comment on this topic. It is a great topic, and I'm surprised that it hasn't stirred more debate, because undoubtedly whatever martial art a person is doing is "the best one" according to them. Of course, I am no exception to the rule and I'll say the same thing.

First off, I do respect all martial arts and those that practice them, but I think we can agree that not all are really designed for "real life defense". As you mentioned, your son's karate seems to be more for show and I have seen that a lot. Take Taekwondo, its very pretty to watch, but its far from effective in real life. Their rules are no punching to the head (although you can kick to the head) and no groin shots. In real life, you are looking for the quickest and most effective way to stop the fight, and the groin, head, throat, eyes, etc are the quickest way to do that.

The problem with trying to figure out "the best" is that no matter what the martial art, someone can come up with a problem with it. Someone says boxing is the best, but then a wrestler or a Jujutsu student takes the boxer to the ground, and its a fish out of water and the boxer has no chance. Someone could then make the argument that obviously wrestling or Jujutsu is the best martial art for defense. However, what happens if you are in a multi-man attack? You go to the ground and subdue one opponent while the other attacker (or attackers) is standing behind you beating you, and then you're done for.

What I practiced (before work hours became too insane) was Kajukenbo. Basically in Hawaii in the mid 1940s a few black belts in their respective martial art forms got together and wanted to design the ultimate martial art. They combined elements of kenpo, wrestling, boxing, jujutsu and judo among others. If it worked they kept it and did it, and if it didn't work they altered it or threw it out. The Hawaiins were generally smaller than the US Sailors stationed there, so they focused on quick hard strikes and using leverage to their advantage. And just like in the gym, they had the right attitude in the Dojo, train hard to get real results and you will end up fighting like you train. The typical Kajukenbo attitude is not to start any trouble, but to be able to take care of yourself and it is completely okay to use what other martial arts consider dirty shots: groin, eyes, throat, joint breaks, etc.

Anyways, my apologies for going into that history, I really should have just directed you to the wikipedia page if you wanted the grand history. In picking a martial art school, it really doesn't matter what branch it is or what its called. Ideally you would find a place that has the MMA training, because you would want to be well rounded and able to survive in a stand up fight or rolling around on the ground. You want to look for a place with knowledgeable teachers, good students and people who are willing to train hard, learn and adapt. Even if you find what you believe to be the perfect martial art for your needs, it will be pointless if the people there aren't doing the right things. Good luck and I hope you find a great school. Martial arts are superb cardio.

Again, my apologies for such a long first post.

[neomage2021]

I'm not sure about your area, but I go to Jackson's MMA. The kids class is excellent. They teach the kids grappling and kickboxing, but they also make it fun and teach through games. Especially in the younger kids class(under 11). The kids are able to compete in grappling tournaments and kickboxing smokers if they want to. Every friday during open mat time they have a pizza party for the kids too.

Very family oriented environment and very effective in self defense as well as a good sport. YOu might check around for MMA schools that have childrens class. If not I recommend BJJ

[ElTioMoreno]

TKD would be good for a kid to learn, solid kicks for whatever he decides to get into after, truth be told when I have my kids ill take them to gymnastics for a little. Good base for anything really

[mattyoc3]

not much other choice at that age id say. id think that anyone of any age could do boxing which is great but at an older age id say that judo is a very beautiful martial art when performed at a high level.

[bushwickboris]

So my son does karate and I did it when I was little, but while I have been watching him I have started to think its a very show martial arts ie. all for looks to me

what is the best martial arts for self-defence? basically being about to kick some sh@t if needed etc

I might even do it with my son if I find a good one, I will not do karate again

thanks

Muay thai is an excellent choice

[deserusan]

What I practiced (before work hours became too insane) was Kajukenbo. Basically in Hawaii in the mid 1940s a few black belts in their respective martial art forms got together and wanted to design the ultimate martial art. They combined elements of kenpo, wrestling, boxing, jujutsu and judo among others. If it worked they kept it and did it, and if it didn't work they altered it or threw it out. The Hawaiins were generally smaller than the US Sailors stationed there, so they focused on quick hard strikes and using leverage to their advantage. And just like in the gym, they had the right attitude in the Dojo, train hard to get real results and you will end up fighting like you train. The typical Kajukenbo attitude is not to start any trouble, but to be able to take care of yourself and it is completely okay to use what other martial arts consider dirty shots: groin, eyes, throat, joint breaks, etc.

Are you familiar with Master Roberts?

[madkad]

this stuff is insane and I want to learn it lol

[ElTioMoreno]

Jackson's in New Mex.?

[martial-man420]

As you can see by my post count, I am pretty much just a lurker here, but I had to comment on this topic. It is a great topic, and I'm surprised that it hasn't stirred more debate, because undoubtedly whatever martial art a person is doing is "the best one" according to them. Of course, I am no exception to the rule and I'll say the same thing.

First off, I do respect all martial arts and those that practice them, but I think we can agree that not all are really designed for "real life defense". As you mentioned, your son's karate seems to be more for show and I have seen that a lot. Take Taekwondo, its very pretty to watch, but its far from effective in real life. Their rules are no punching to the head (although you can kick to the head) and no groin shots. In real life, you are looking for the quickest and most effective way to stop the fight, and the groin, head, throat, eyes, etc are the quickest way to do that.

The problem with trying to figure out "the best" is that no matter what the martial art, someone can come up with a problem with it. Someone says boxing is the best, but then a wrestler or a Jujutsu student takes the boxer to the ground, and its a fish out of water and the boxer has no chance. Someone could then make the argument that obviously wrestling or Jujutsu is the best martial art for defense. However, what happens if you are in a multi-man attack? You go to the ground and subdue one opponent while the other attacker (or attackers) is standing behind you beating you, and then you're done for.

What I practiced (before work hours became too insane) was Kajukenbo. Basically in Hawaii in the mid 1940s a few black belts in their respective martial art forms got together and wanted to design the ultimate martial art. They combined elements of kenpo, wrestling, boxing, jujutsu and judo among others. If it worked they kept it and did it, and if it didn't work they altered it or threw it out. The Hawaiins were generally smaller than the US Sailors stationed there, so they focused on quick hard strikes and using leverage to their advantage. And just like in the gym, they had the right attitude in the Dojo, train hard to get real results and you will end up fighting like you train. The typical Kajukenbo attitude is not to start any trouble, but to be able to take care of yourself and it is completely okay to use what other martial arts consider dirty shots: groin, eyes, throat, joint breaks, etc.

Anyways, my apologies for going into that history, I really should have just directed you to the wikipedia page if you wanted the grand history. In picking a martial art school, it really doesn't matter what branch it is or what its called. Ideally you would find a place that has the MMA training, because you would want to be well rounded and able to survive in a stand up fight or rolling around on the ground. You want to look for a place with knowledgeable teachers, good students and people who are willing to train hard, learn and adapt. Even if you find what you believe to be the perfect martial art for your needs, it will be pointless if the people there aren't doing the right things. Good luck and I hope you find a great school. Martial arts are superb cardio.

Again, my apologies for such a long first post.

Hi, good post but you're wrong on your comment about Taekwondo. The "rules" of which you speak are for sport Taekwondo which is very very different from traditional taekwondo. As i'm sure you're aware Taekwondo means the way of the foot and fist and in traditional taekwondo lessons you are taught to punch to a variety of body parts. I can understand the mistake though as literally every single club I have visitted that teach Taekwondo (apart from the one i go to) is sports taekwondo which is actually completely useless for fighting as you said.

The best club I'd say is the one with the best instructors and / or dedicated members. As people have mentioned Muay Thai and BJJ are the most useful street martial arts i've learned myself, however i've been to numerous useless clubs for both.

Krav Maga is good as well

[KlLLEmAll]

So my son does karate and I did it when I was little, but while I have been watching him I have started to think its a very show martial arts ie. all for looks to me

what is the best martial arts for self-defence? basically being about to kick some sh@t if needed etc

I might even do it with my son if I find a good one, I will not do karate again

thanks

If fighting is what your after then your son should be training MMA. It's the most realistic training hes going to get.

Personally, I would highly recommend Capoeira. Its extremely fun, different but also builds tremendos athleticism. He will enjoy it and should he decides to get into something like MMA or boxing when hes older then he will already have a great base to work with. Just make sure you find a school that will focus on both the slow and faster styles.

[ScottishBear]

Interesting topic. Its a solid question and Ive seen some really good answers. My opinion is this: When searching for a combat martial arts one should look at where the art or style originated and the last time this MA was used in actual combat, life and death, not points. TKD, at least here in the States, has become a joke, sadly most TMAs are following suit. Muay Thai is a great standing combat art. Keeps you fit, and solid. MMAs or Jujitsu is a good art to know in the chance that a stand up fight goes to the ground. The only thing to keep in mind; the longer a fight is grounded the better the chance of kissing multiple boots. 1v1 ground and pound is useful, 2v1 not so much. Krav Maga taught by actually IDF trainers has served me well in my line of work.

Above all things remember to investigate the art and the instructor. Just because someone has alot of trophies, certificates and a pretty little black belt doesn't mean the art is for real self defense, and this goes for ANY martial art.

[Badzooka]

Boxing + wrestling now, then muay thai + grappling/bjj/judo later. And now that he knows Karate, if he follows that order, he's going to know what he needs to know to defend himself and even compete if he wants to in the future.

[rompuss]

The MMA deal is pretty much the tested and proven form of fighting quite literally evolved from bruce lee's jeet kune do. bruce lee never got to test his method against another highly conditioned fighter but now that they have people that are highly skilled and highly conditioned they have thrown out all that is unnecessary and keep the only very foundation with some fine tune/tweaks. karate is a crock of **** and should not be taught for fighting. if u ever see a full contact karate fight they use mma techniques instinctively when they get their heart rate up.

So my son does karate and I did it when I was little, but while I have been watching him I have started to think its a very show martial arts ie. all for looks to me

what is the best martial arts for self-defence? basically being about to kick some sh@t if needed etc

I might even do it with my son if I find a good one, I will not do karate again

thanks

[Moocow321]

Hooray first post....

I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

Some people have recommended Muay Thai and BJJ. For self-defence, Muay Thai and BJJ would not be my first picks. Muay Thai is primarily a ring sport and as such is governed by rules (e.g no eye gouges, no kicks to the groin, don't punch the person while he is down). When training for Muay Thai you learn to fight and be conditioned to these rules. In a self-defense situation, this will limit your effectiveness as most of the simplest and most effective self-defence techniques are outside of these rules. Similarly, this applies to MMA but not to the same extent. Long story short - there is no need to push a person up to a wall and knee him, like they do in the cage or a ring, when you can just chop him in the throat and end the situation there.

BJJ is very useful and can be (depending on how it's taught) really good for self-defense. The biggest issues are that it takes a significant amount of time to learn because of the complexity of the art and becoming spacially aware and adept on the ground. The other significant issue is that the art (again, depending on how it's taught and the quality of tuition) is primarily focussed on one-on-one encounters. However self-defense situations aren't always one on one.

If it were me, i'd look at Boxing. While it is also governed by rules, this is off-set by how relatively easy it is easy to learn and use. The fundamentals (such as stepping, covering, timing strikes) you will learn are all excellent skills and applicable for self-defense. Also Boxing Gyms tend to be quite common so you shouldn't have too many difficulties finding one.

If available, I'd also look at Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do or one of the modern Kenpo off-shoots. At their core, they are all arts designed to be effective and efficient in self-defense situations. Not only that, these arts are typically operate under a 'me or them' attitude. Consequently their students are prepared to whatever is required to defend themselves, which to me is vital for self-defense. Again, how well and and what you are taught does depend heavily on the quality of the school.

As this is my first post and people are probably wondering who the fuch is this guy, i'll qualify my answer. I have over ten years experience in martial arts, including BJJ, Muay Thai (primary art-been doing it for over seven years), Judo, Boxing and American Kenpo. I dabbled a little in MMA.

One of my instructors for BJJ help set up the first branch of the Brazil Top Team for BJJ. Another of my instructors trained with Royce Gracie when he was still getting his belts. He was there when Royce was awarded his blue belt. I currently am not training BJJ as I messed up my wrist blocking a triangle being put on by a very large and overly enthusiatic person. In hindsight my defense was a little crap...but seriously...what a way to find out.

My Muay Thai instructors are both from Thailand. One is a former champion for two weight grades at the Lumpini and Rajadamnern stadiums. The other is a former northern Thailand champion. Thankfully I still have this.

[DYAZ]

Krav magra or MMA

[DirtyBulkLegend]

Wrestling is the best to start with....if you control where the fight goes you control the fight. Wrestling also builds good strength and endurance.

[huafist]

I'm sorry guys, but anyone that thinks that grappling crap works great as self defense either 1) has never been in a real fight, or 2) is just an idiot. I won't take anything away from the people that do it, but to think it'll work as expected outside of a ring is foolish.

Most fights are over after the first good, solid strike. That's just the way it is. This idea of two guys exchanging blocks, punches & kicks is just movie fluff. If you're on the ground, you're likely getting attacked by the other guys buddies.

As far as being for show, you have to really be careful when choosing a school and a style, because this happens more often than it should. Some schools (and unfortunately, styles), are oriently soley on one goal: tournaments. They don't care if what they teach will save your life or get you killed, as long as you win a trophy in a tournament somewhere. You just need to find a place that teaches REAL WORLD application of what kata/forms are being taught, and do drills to reflect that.

I guess what I'm trying to say in the end is, don't blame the style, blame the instructor.



Oh, and FWIW, this thread is nearly a year old haha.

[lamborghini1]

I love Wrestling and enjoyed occasionally.

[Huke]

Lol, how does this thread keep getting bumped? I'm sure that after 10 months this guy has found a MA for his kid to do.