I%26#039;m thinking of taking a martial art for self defense, having a wife and 10-month old at home. Which one would be the best? I think I%26#039;ve narrowed it down to Tae Kwon Do, Karate, or Kung-Fu. Is it best to take one of these that emphasizes standing, so that a group could be taken on vs. something like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where going to the ground is emphasized?|||With the exception of a few on here almost everybody will tell you the style they train or the %26quot;ufc%26quot; style, which is MMA, even if they don%26#039;t activly train in anything.
The fact is that people don%26#039;t take into consideration that not every style is reperesented every where. maybe the ones you mentioned are the only ones available where you live.
There are many styles of both karate and Kung Fu, and each is slightly different, or focuses on a different aspect. Many now days are taught more as a sport.
Far more important then which of these styles you should take is which school should you attend. The instruction you get, how you train, and what you put into it are far more important then anything else. A person from a good karate school will beat a person from a so so MMA school. it%26#039;s all in the training.
There are many questions with good answers on the subject of finding a good school and instructor, you should just search them and find out what to look for and what to ask of the instructor.
Too many people are hung up on style, but in the end the style will not defend you, you will.
Edit for Brodie- i definetly think that krav is a good style, but unfortunatly what is mostly taught in this country is a pale comparison to the real stuff. As for karate being a sport and having rules, yes some do, but many do not, particurly the Okinawin versions.|||As usual the arm chair warriors don%26#039;t know anything about traditional martial arts. Speaking from experience almost all styles of authentic Okinawan Karate %26amp; Kenpo teach you to fight on the street. Japanese styles of Karate are more sport oriented, but are also pretty good for street defense. Also Japanese Jujitsu is good.
I would also recommend Muay Thai, even though it is more sport oriented, the low kicks, knees, and elbow strikes are just as brutal on the street as in the ring.|||any stand up ma(including boxing) is better than going to the ground.only a fool would go to the ground in a real fight.
try the 3 you suggested and settle on which one is best for you.personally i would go with karate as its more practicle than the other 2.freestyle karate would be the most practicle self defence style.it will teach you stand up,ground/grappling and weapons.
EDIT.most karate,s will teach you in a real fight there are no rules and will teach you the dirty tricks and how to use them quickly and successfully.|||To be able to defend yourself in a short time, you want to learn an art that you can grasp quickly and build on, and that you can employ on the street - not to necessarily knock out ten people - but maybe just to ward of attackers and buy some time
Taekwondo except at high levels is not street practical, and when you say kung fu, thats a whole world and l dont know which style you plan to practice.
So ld recommend karate - or better still muay or jeet kun do
on the especially if there are several attackers, you dont want to get into grappling...too vulnerable. you want to hit hard and fast and get the hell outta there.
So from your choices, ld grudgingly go for karate, but no matter what you learn, always think through what really works cos when you need to use it, a lot of flowery moves learnt by a lot of people are dangerously innefective
cheers|||Certainly training in martial arts will be helpful to develop skills and spirit but bear in mind that in a real self defence situation most of the things you will learn such as spinning fly back kick and whatever else fancy move, goes in the basket when you are facing a much larger and meaner opponent and you are afraid for your life.
I train in kung fu, but not based only on the traditional stuff, our teacher also incorporates western techniques and trains our box punches , jabs, hooks, turning kicks. What he says, is what I mentioned before, in a street fight you will use your basic techniques and awareness developed from the martial arts training, instead of all those flash movements you see in movies.
I also know something called %26#039;%26#039;Closed Combat training%26#039;%26#039; by captain Chris a former navy seals officer who has learned techniques for effective self defense from veterans of the Second world War, aiming to train normal people how to protect their selves in a very difficult situation. I didn%26#039;t have the chance to buy the programme yet, but it seems to be very promising and the information in the newsletters is valuable.
You can check it out:
http://www.CloseCombatTraining.com/cctra...|||I would research KRAV-MAGA.
I have taken Krav and enjoyed it. It is strictly self-defense (what you are looking for), and invented by the Israelian Armed Forces.
Not putting Karate, etc down but yes they show you how to fight and protect yourself...but for a competition (i.e All legal moves, how to get a guy to submit to gain points).
Krav Maga is not a sport..it helps you inflict pain fast to get out of a situation (groin shots, disarm someone with a knife/gun, what to do if you get jumped/choked,etc...dirty but effective..aka real self defense). When you think about it, if you are looking for realistic self0defense..a fight out in the street or with a robber doesn%26#039;t start with bowing in respect..usually it%26#039;s a sucker punch.
Krav was also developed to be easily taught. Once again..just my opinion..but I would look into it.|||I would recommend that you take Wing Chun, Jeet Kun Do, or Krav Maga for practical self defense. Most karate, taekwondo, and kung fu styles are inadequate for practical self defense. Wing Chun, Jeet Kun Do, and Krav Maga are great to know when you experience Hick%26#039;s Law and your mind goes into the fight or flight response.|||The best martial arts for self-defense:
1. Any style of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu
2. Most styles of Chinese Kung fu
3. Several styles of Okinawan and Japanese Karate.
Avoid the ring fighting styles such as: BJJ or MMA. And avoid the blue gi styles of jiu jitsu.|||i have experience in martial arts and i can say tae kwon do or kung fu is going to be pretty hard to pull off in almost all situations...karate...is ok...
if you want something you can do on the street i would reccomend judo and muay thai
even better, find a mixed martial arts dojo, they work the best of everything realistic for a street fight in.
have you seen ufc? kung fu would die!!!|||The best style is the one that you will stick with long enough to become proficient. This is why we continue to encourage people to try out a few clubs for making any commitment. There really is no %26quot;best%26quot; style.
The best style for you is the one you will practice at least 3 times a week. Seek out the best school for you and the best teacher for you. The rest will fall into place.|||I would stay away from tkd and kung fu. Kenpo has a good hand techniques along with some throws and joint locks. Muay Tai Kick Boxing is really effective, but your best bet is to do MMA. You need to cover all aspects of fighting. Since most fights end up on the ground you do need to learn ground fighting along with stand up. Your best bet is to go to different studios and watch the classes. Check out the instructors how they teach and even take some Introductory lessons and then decide what fits you best.
Good Luck and have fun!!|||So long as you look great doing it who cares right!?
in all seriousness, fighting dirty is probably most successfully used method out there, the trick is in the run! you just Kick and run!!!
I hope this has helped you!|||My personal favorite is joint locking %26amp; joint breaking. It%26#039;s focused, easy to learn and deadly effective in street self defense and similar situations.|||I prefer kajukenbo.|||mixed martial arts!!!! they use it in u.f.c ... its basically street fighting!|||Go ahead and pick one and see if it%26#039;s right for you.|||Katana172 has a great answer. One that you will get from those with vast MA experience, usually high level instructors.
All of the Martial Arts can be used for self defense. That is the reason that they were created. How well they work depends on the individual, and even more so on the Instructor. Quality Martial Arts will always be more beneficial that poor anything.
As for choosing a style, I can tell you from intimate experience about Kung Fu. I am less familiar with TKD and Karate, but I know them to be quality Martial Arts IF you find a good school/instructor.
Kung Fu: Almost All people who tell you that Kung Fu does not work, has not had any experience with it, and is only regurgitating that which they have heard from others doing the same thing. Very few people will put forth the effort required to learn KF. There are many styles of Kung Fu, ranging from crap to spectacular finds. The style that I am learning (and teaching) is Seven Star Preying Mantis Kung Fu.
Kung Fu has been around longer than most other forms of MA, in fact many of the popular MA%26#039;s today were derived from Kung Fu. It has been polished over the many many years by many great Martial Artists. As a general rule, it will take you longer to get %26quot;good%26quot; at KF, but you will continue to get better for as long as you practice. Once you get your black belt (at my school approx 3 - 3.5 years if you work hard) you will be proficient at protecting yourself in most situations. From that point you begin to learn the more difficult aspects of KF, and what to do when you come up against another Martial Artist. This is when you move past self defense, and into the Art of fighting. It is in this time when your skill will grow faster and faster.
My Art is a complete one, with Strikes, Kicks, throws, joint locks (Chin Na), center control, grappling and ground fighting.
Choosing an Art:
Choosing a Martial Art can be overwhelming because you want to do the best one and be the best at it. The first goal is not possible, the second one is. First step is finding the school for you. Go visit each that you mentioned. Talk to the students and instructor(s). Get a feel for the people, as they will end up very very close friends. Ask a bunch of questions. Don%26#039;t worry about thinking that you have dumb questions. They should be ready and willing to answer any and all of your questions in a professional way. Arrogant people is a tell-tell sign of poor Martial Arts, reguardless of style. Ask about their lineage, how long they have been teaching, how long the head instructor has been doing MA, and about how many students are in any given class.
End result: Go visit and go with your gut instinct. If you see it and think that it is for you, go for it. You will not regret it.
Good Luck
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