Best Fighting Style for This Purpose?

[aaron_mag]

yeah, I never really thought about that. But it makes sense, I guess they wouldnt make as much money if all the UFC's best people were maimed or crippled every fight.

But how could you really evaluate the "real world" effectiveness of various fighting styles then? Is there a fighting organization with no rules that allows people to acutally prove wich fighting style is the most effective?

Screw real world effectiveness. I have take jui jutsu and I wouldn't want to be holding someone in the guard (legs around the other persons waist) on an asphalt street while his friend kicked my head in from behind!!!

Dude!!! There is no way to have a safe controlled environment and have 'street reality'. Street reality is a myth. There is simply no way to 'be safe in all circumstances'. You do the best you can and that is it. Life is a risk. Driving is a risk. Getting mugged with someone with a knife or a gun is a risk you take...you can't escape it.

And let me tell you...some of my martial arts buddies and I tried to take away a plastic knife without getting cut....none of us could do it.

So finally one of the guys (this big black guy who was built tall and stacked with muscle and zero fat) says, "I guess we all know what to do if we see a knife. Hand over your wallet and run like heck!!!"

[vf-xx]

*sigh*

There is no "BEST" art for what you describe.

If you want to be really good at handling whatever is unexpected I suggest you learn at least 2 different styles, if not more. I suggest one stand up and one grappling art. Try a couple of different styles and see which one fits you best.

I personally enjoy Brazilian Jui-Jitsu. It's a great work out, you practice full contact and it fits me personally. I've never gotten in a full out and out fistfight, but I'm fairly confident that I can take down just about any yabo I meet on the street. I honestly don't think that many guys who go out and fight are properly trained. But that's just my opinion.

Mantis Mag, myself, and a number of others had a thread a ways back about different martial arts. http://www.automags.org/forums/showt...t=martial+arts

[-Carnifex-]

Muay Thai & BJJ > *

[Steelrat]

i agree that you should learn grappling and ground fighting but where the hell does that statistic come from? honestly. it's a bunch of smoke blown up your butt by teachers of grappling arts. does anybody really believe that they did a poll? or some kind of study? haha.

Talk to some police officers about the fights they get in to. AT LEAST 90% end up on the ground. And let me tell you, these are FIGHTS. An unskilled opponent is not going to let you get in your kicks and punches, they are going to get in close to even things up.

[tropical_fishy]

yay for brazilian jiu jitsu! i have a black belt in kenpo but i think bjj is so much more useful.

[SpecialBlend2786]

yay for brazilian jiu jitsu! i have a black belt in kenpo but i think bjj is so much more useful.

she kicks my butt all the time.

[MantisMag]

vf-xx yeah we had a couple good convos a while back. i just did a search. it's funny how many conversations about joe eigo i've ended.

here's a link to one where we do more talking.

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=33171&page=2&pp=30

[LeatherPants]

In a way it's not the style it's where you take it. A black belt from one Karate Dojo is NOT the same as a black belt from another.

Lots of good points were brought up in here.

Tae Kwon Do even if Olympic style sparring is good because you get more endurance. I've been taking it for the hell of it and I do agree with Aaron_Mag that it tends to make you forget about your hands.

Jiu Jitsu is also good but more of a one on one fight. You will get the guy to the ground as his friends kick the crap out of you at the same time.

Muhy Thai is basically pain tolerance. To be good you bascally have to kill your nerve endings. Not saying it's a bad style look how many MT guys win K-1. Break someone's leg you win the fight.

I came from a Karate background and there are alot of things that I wish I knew from other styles.

If you can find a place that teaches different styles that would be the best. Even American Boxing is great for street fights.

Bottom line is make sure the place you take from does alot of sparring. Theory and doing is too different things. You have to think fast in a fight. No matter how much you have practiced you have to fight so you know what works and what your body does best.

[RevBrown]

I would go around and talk to instructors in your area. See what there philosophy is.
Again go with your body style. If your a shorter broader guy like I am your not going to be alot comfortable jumping around and tumbling. Go with a style that will adapt to your personal strengths. My kenpo instructor really let me build my strengths and it seems to be pretty all around (I am only a green belt)
Also I would make sure that the instructor allows some sparring. There is no real better teacher than experience. Since it is pretty unwise to go out and start trying to trash bozo's this will be a fair substitute.
This may not be right for you and I only bring it up because it's my only real martial arts experience.

Any teacher worth their weight in salt will teach you to have the confidence to not need your abilities.

[stondroopy]

crane kick i used to box for awhile and that usually was enough.I'd learn a lil wrestling or grapling,find something that focus on using pressure points.
oh ya i forgot about the ancient style of brick throwing

[Lohman446]

Jeet Kun Do as mentioned earlier is theoretically useful, its base premise of attacking down a centerline of the opponents body and protecting yours is a good base theory - actually borrowed from Wing Chun.

I would find something like the United Karate System or Kenpo. Combination styles they have in general taken the most effective things from other styles and dropped them into theirs. However... I have practiced the United system for some time - and my most effective method of dealing with getting jumped is my .45. Basically I have taken from the system those moves that distance me... and gun retention techniques as what are most useful in street situations.

[Willystyle21]

Jeet Kune Do

I agree with Wingmanand Lohman, besides the style was brought into the light by Bruce Lee. What else would you ever need. Good luck finding a Black Belt to teach you though.

Or you could go through life with a small arsenal tucked in your shorts....................

[Clare]

Definitely Muay Thai. Aside from Capoeira, I've also practiced Tae Kwon Do (my least favorite-left after I got my black belt), Kendo, and Muay Thai. Sure, my shins looked like hell but it was so much fun. I wish I had the time and money to do all of it but paintball has pretty much taken over.

[Yudanja]

Been in martial arts for a long time, 20 years or so. from 5 years old and up.

1 Thing I have picked up...martial arts are like paintball guns. Everyone has an opinion on one and all the opinions are different.

The other thing is, Rank is nothing. The color of your belt means bupkis. Dont get caught up in it, just absorb and learn.

I would suggest a school where they teach multiple arts, they have a few places that i know of that teach kick boxing, ground grappling, karate, taekwondo and aikido.

Cross train. I have taken/been introduced to a ton of arts. I started in Taekwondo from an early age, its ok if you dont have a olypmic style coach, but favors legs. You need to be limber, which is a plus cause you gain limberness.

My next art I was introduced to was Combat Hapkido. I love CBHK. I hate most other "combat (insert art here)". CBHK is hapkido with the frills removed and some other stuff thrown in. Teaches you a little about everything. Knife disarming was mentioned here. Its not about "not getting cut at all", its about defending yourself that you dont get stabbed in the chest or have a crucial area sliced, defend with the top of your arm not the bottom, so your wrist doesn't get cut.. CBHK works a lot with other arts/styles and gains great information.

I am now 6 months into BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). All this time in MA, these white belts can put the hurt on me, and quick. But as people mentioned before, you take someone down and gain mount, but he has 3 buddies....ouch. Best one on one. Also, GREAT rape defense. A lot of fghts get to the ground, you need to gain good position and GET UP if there are friends involved.

OK, in summary, cross train. Dont get stuck in 1 style saying they are the best hands down, its not true. Oh, and be aware of legality. Ground and puound is not a viable civil suit defense. If you take someone down with a wrist lock, generally you are not legally covered if you start kicking him in the face, or stomping on his chest. Be aware of that, if you are being taught that, check laws in your are, it may not be the right thing to learn.

PS.
Most Krav Maga is the stink. Stay away in my opinion. If you find a good intructor that teaches it correctly, it is GREAT. If you find yourself walking into golds gym to watch a class, or the sign says "Krav Maga/Pilates"....its a work out nothing more.

[Cougar]

I agree with Wingmanand Lohman, besides the style was brought into the light by Bruce Lee. What else would you ever need. Good luck finding a Black Belt to teach you though.

Or you could go through life with a small arsenal tucked in your shorts....................

There are no "Black Belts" in Jeet Kune Do.

If I were you, I'd stay away from it. It's hard to learn on your own, and your unlikly to find someone local that is at an instructor level. You can buy the lesson's on tape, but it's just too hard without someone to help refine your skills.