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There are numerous reasons why someone may decide to martial arts to train.
That said, one of the most important and common reasons is that they can learn moves that can protect them from attack, or even save their lives.
If you are interested in a martial arts discipline because of its self-defense techniques, it is crucial to understand that not all of them are equally effective at this.
In other words, some martial arts disciplines are definitely more effective than others at repelling violent physical attacks.
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
Top 10 Best Martial Arts For Self Defense
In this article, we share a list of the top 10 most effective martial arts disciplines (in no particular order) for self defense.
Krav Maga
There is a simple but really good reason that this official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is referred to as 'The Art of Staying Alive'.
It works.
Although it seems complex, the techniques are designed by the creator, imi lichtenfeld, simple and easy to perform.
Hence, his movements are generally based on instinct/reflex making it much easier for the practitioner to learn and use during an attack.
For this reason, virtually anyone, regardless of size, strength, or fitness level, can learn it.
Krav Maga combines moves from various other martial arts styles such as;
- punches from Western Boxing
- Karate kicks and knees
- BJJ's Ground Fighting
- and 'bursting' which is adapted from the ancient Chinese martial art, Wing Chun.
What makes Krav Maga so effective when it comes to self-defense is its emphasis on reality-based training where the main goal is to neutralize the attacker(s) as quickly as possible.
There are no set rules or routines in Krav Maga.
And unlike many other disciplines, you are encouraged to perform defensive and offensive moves at the same time to protect yourself from damage.
Krav Maga is one of the most effective martial arts in combat!
Keysi fighting method
The "youngest" of all the martial arts disciplines on this list, Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) was developed by Justo Dieguez and Andy Norman.
If you're impressed with Batman's fighting style in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Night' trilogies, you have to thank these two fighters.
The techniques are based on moves used in Dieguez's personal street fighting experiences in Spain, and focuses on moves that can effectively fend off multiple attackers at once.
In an interview with Bodybuilding.com, explained Justo: “KFM is a fighting method that was conceived on the street and born in battle”.
As with Muay Thai, the emphasis is on using the body as a weapon.
Knowing that many street attacks take place in small spaces, such as an alley or a pub, this style is unique in that it does not have any stairs.
Instead, it's designed to attack with quick elbows, headbutts, and hammer fists that can often be more lethal than kicks or punches, especially in real life situations.
If someone wants to attack you, it's probably with a group or a few others.
KFM does what no other martial arts have done. It puts this in the middle of the workout:
"OK. We are surrounded by a group, now let's see how we can survive."
This mindset produces a great set of tools and training exercises.
One thing we do find, and that is what is fueled in KFM training and hard to justify is that their training cultivates 'fighting spirit'.
They call this the predator/prey mentality and their practices develop this attitude to get you to flip a 'button' so that you stop thinking you are a victim and turn you into a ball of energy ready to go. fight.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or BJJ, created by the Gracie family, first came into 'fame' because of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competition where Royce Gracie was able to successfully defeat his opponents using only BJJ techniques.
Fast forward to today then Jiu Jitsu still the most popular martial arts discipline among mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters.
This martial arts discipline focuses on learning how to effectively defend against a bigger opponent using leverage and proper technique.
Therefore, it is just as deadly when practiced by women as it is by men.
Combining modified moves from Judo and Japanese JuJutsu, the key to this martial arts style is to gain control and positioning over the opponent so that the devastating choke holds, grips, locks and joint manipulations can be applied.
Judo
Founded by Jigoro Kano in Japan, Judo is known for its prominent feature of throws and takedowns.
It emphasizes throwing or knocking down the opponent to the ground.
It has been part of the Olympic Games since 1964. During a match, the main objective of a Judoka (a Judo practitioner) is to immobilize or subdue the opponent with a pin, joint lock or a choke.
Thanks to its effective grappling techniques, it is also widely used among MMA fighters.
While it has some limitations when it comes to attacking techniques, its focus on push and pull-style exercises with partners has proven to be effective in real attacks as well.
Wazas of judo nage (throwing) and katame (grabbing) protect the limbs of the body, training the judoka for survival.
Muay Thai
This celebrated national martial art of Thailand is an incredibly brutal martial arts discipline that works effectively when used as a self-defense system.
Commonly found in MMA training, with precise movements using knees, elbows, shins and hands to perform hard attacks, it's all about using your own body parts as weapons.
Said to originate in the 14th century in Siem, Thailand, Muay Thai is referred to as “The art of eight limbs” because it focuses on eight points of contact, as opposed to “two points” (fists) in boxing and “four points” ( hands and feet) used in kickboxing (more for beginners here).
In terms of self-defense, this discipline emphasizes teaching its practitioners how to effectively injure/attack an opponent to make room for a quick breakout.
Muay Thai moves are not limited to the use of fists and feet as it also includes elbow and knee strikes that can knock out an opponent when executed.
Using the Muay Thai stance when you need self-defense has many benefits.
First, you are in a more defensive stance, about 60% to 70% of you weight on your hind leg. Also, your hands are open in a Muay Thai fighting stance.
This does two things:
- open hands are much more effective than closed fists, and it offers a wider range of techniques
- This open-handed stance gives the appearance to an untrained attacker that you are afraid or want to back off. It's great for surprise attacks
Also read: the best shin guards for Muay Thai reviewed
Taekwondo
Recognized as an official Olympic sport since 2000, Taekwondo is a Korean martial arts discipline that combined many different martial arts styles that existed in Korea as well as some martial arts practices from neighboring countries.
Some examples include but are not limited to T'ang-su, Tae Kwon, Judo, Karate, and Kung Fu.
Taekwondo is currently one of the world's most widely practiced martial arts with more than 25 million practitioners in 140 countries.
Despite its popularity, due to its "flashy" showmanship, Taekwondo is often criticized as less than practical when it comes to self-defense.
That said, many practitioners are quick to refute this criticism.
One reason is that more than many other martial arts, it emphasizes kicks and especially high kicks.
This move can be useful in a physical fight.
If the practitioner can train his legs to be stronger and as fast as his arms, the kick enable him to neutralize the opponent quickly and effectively.
But as discussed earlier in this article, many of the other self-defense sports intended for street fighting focus precisely on the fact that kicking in tight spaces will often be difficult.
In self-defense, we believe that one of the most effective techniques is the center forward kick. This, of course, means kicking in the groin.
This is the easiest pedaling technique.
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Japanese Jujutsu
Although it is currently 'losing' in terms of popularity due to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), you would like to know that BJJ along with other martial arts styles such as Judo and Aikido are actually derivatives of this ancient Japanese discipline.
Originally developed as one of the foundations of samurai fighting techniques, JuJutsu is a method of defeating an armed and armored opponent at close range where the practitioner does not use a weapon or a short weapon.
Since it is futile to attack an opponent who is armored, he focuses on using the opponent's energy and momentum to use it against him.
Most techniques of JuJutsu consist of throws and joint holds.
The combination of these two moves makes it a deadly and effective discipline for self-defense.
Aikido
While this martial arts discipline is arguably less popular than many others on this list, Aikido is considered one of the most effective martial arts to use when learning self-defense and survival moves.
A modern Japanese martial arts style created by Morihei Ueshiba, it does not focus on hitting or kicking the opponent.
Instead, it focuses on techniques that allow you to use your opponent's energy and aggressiveness to gain control over them or "throw" them away from you.
Boxing
While those unfamiliar with boxing would argue that boxing is not a martial arts discipline, its practitioners would be happy to convince you otherwise.
Boxing is much more than slapping each other's face until someone decides to give up.
In Boxing, you learn to fire different punches from different ranges with precision and how to effectively block or dodge an attack.
Unlike many other combat disciplines, it also emphasizes body conditioning through sparring, preparing the body for combat.
In addition, helps boxing training to raise awareness. This allows boxers to react quickly, make quick decisions and choose the right moves to make during a fight.
These are definitely skills that are not only useful in the ring but also on the street.
Lees meer: everything you want to know about the rules of boxing
Karate
Karate was developed in the Ryukyu Islands (now known as Okinawa) and brought to mainland Japan in the 20th century.
After World War II, Okinawa became one of the most important US military bases and became popular among US soldiers.
This martial arts discipline has been used all over the world ever since.
It was also recently announced that it would be included in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Translated into Dutch as 'empty hand', Karate is a predominantly attacking sport that uses punches with fists, kicks, knees and elbows, as well as open hand techniques such as strikes with the heel of your palm and spear hands.
It emphasizes the use of the practitioner's hands and legs as the primary forms of defense, making it one of the most effective means to use for self-defense.
Conclusion
As you have read in this top ten, there are many different techniques for self-defense. The choice which is the 'best' is ultimately up to you and which form appeals to you the most.
Many places offer a trial lesson, so perhaps a nice idea to try one of these on a free afternoon. Who knows, you might just like it and discover a new passion!
Do you want to start in a martial art? Also check out these must have mouth guards to protect your smile.
