Martial art?

[Stephanie]

I have been thinking that I should perhaps learn a martial art for self-defence.   Do you practice a martial art, if so what one would you recommend?   


Post Merge: June 05, 2010, 07:29:49 AM
We are really quite vulnerable when you think about it.  An attacker could grap hold of our hair or a necklace, and kicking might be difficult in a tight skirt or dress, or when wearing heels.

And if you do successfully defend your self, then you risk having your attackers and any bystanders prejudices being confirmed that you really are just a 'guy in a dress'.


Post Merge: June 05, 2010, 02:42:20 PM
As we lose a lot of our upper body strength, perhaps Aikido and/or Judo may be better for us.   As these two martial arts use the attackers size and weight against them.   The down side is that unless you are near black belt level then Aikido and Judo will probably not be very useful if you are attacked by several people at the same time.

[V M]

I was picked on allot at school so my step dad started teaching me the Jujitsu and Taekwondo he'd learned in the Army

I became fascinated and studied Karate and Kung Fu later on

I realized just recently how out of practice, weak and vulnerable I'd become

I'm thinking about taking up Tai Chi now

[Kristyn]

After surgery I plan on studying Krav Maga--a hand to hand combat technique developed for the Israeli Mosaad which is based on instinctual movements.  Here are some interesting links.  Also, you can search youtube and find a lot of information there.

http://www.commandokravmaga.com/html/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga

[LivingInGrey]

I have a black belt from a standard McDojo (black belt mill). 3 years at $75 a month plus a $35 graduation fee for each belt I "earned".

Depending on the instructor you can learn a lot from those kinds of places. Dont be afraid to ask how long the teacher has been learning. What type of martial arts they know and stuff like that. If the instructor only has a black belt from the school you want to attend then you might want to look else where.

Also, most places will let you watch a class or two and possibly let you try a class out for free. I know a place where I live offering the first two weeks plus uniform for $25. Trick is all the "protective gear" must be purchased through them, with teir logo on it for their price.

[barbie]

Some essential and easy techniques for self-defense can be taught even within a day, but it can take many years to master a martial art for defending yourself. Even pros can not subdue two opponents. If the opponent has a weapon, it become more difficult. It is the same for martial art: if you have any weapon or even with a stick, a kendo student can subdue two or more opponents.

But it would depend on your willingness and mind. For example, in life-threatening situation, are you ready to gouge the eyes of your opponent by your fingers? This is an easiet self-defense technique, but I am not quite sure whether I can even try it even if my life is in danger. I saw the movie "saving private ryan", and the hand-to-hand combat scence. I just wondered why the  soldier do not attack the eyes of his opponent. He was just biting, which is very ineffective in self-defense. Could he attack the eyes of enemy if he had learned basic self-defense?

Barbie~~

[Ayaname]

Wing Chun and Southern Praying Mantis can be good for women to practice since they are both designed for smaller/weaker people (Wing Chun was actually invented by a woman)

[spacial]

Most of the mainstream martial arts are OK provided they are taught by a recognised teacher. For that, you really need to do a little research and find the correct governing body. I would suggest you check which the Olympic Games recognises.

I did Karate for a number of years. What I can say is I became incredably fit. A good teacher and it's also really interesting. You reach the end of a secession and though exhausted, feel an incredable high. I also lost my fear of people for the first time.

But I will repeat what my first sensi said when I asked him what would be the best defense technique. He said RUN!.

I asked him, what if I have my wife with me. He said, pick her up and run.

The point is, no matter how good you are, the best way out of trouble is to get out. Use what you need to disarm or put your assailent off then get out of there.

The images on TV and such, where some tiny girl beats a bunch of big guys into submission isn't reality, nor is it advisable.

But I would recommend a martial art to anyone fit enough to do it.

[Aquarius]

No offense but ->-bleeped-<- it, get a handgun (if your old enough) and then a concealed arms license I guess.

[Kellsie]

No matter what type of martial arts you learn, as a former taekwondo student of thirteen years as somebody already stated "run" multiple assailants takes many years of practice and it really does not matter if they have a gun.  Just learn to be aware of your surroundings and always go out in groups or find someone you know and trust go out with you.  A good rule of thumb to live by is "if it looks like a rough place to be, stay away".  While martial arts have their place, I have found that sometimes one becomes over confident.  When used wisely they are excellent means of excercise and self defense.

[Dryad]

Please don't get a gun, knife, or even pepperspray. Only frightened people carry an artificial weapon. That means that people who carry an artificial weapon look like easy prey. By the time you can get to your artificial weapon, it's too late, and bringing a gun to a fistfight is a very good way to die. Don't. It's not safe. Guns are nice on range, I guess, which makes them completely useless as a defence tool. Knives are very poor weapons, easy to dodge, and hard to handle. Most people who carry a knife into a fight end up stabbed by their own knife.

A martial art will give you the confidence you need, if you are afraid. Your gait will change, your posture will change, and predators of any kind will leave you alone because of those non-verbal signs. While a weapon reinforces the signs of an easy victim, relying on your own body removes them.
Also, there is simply no better weapon than yourself.

The only problem is: Constantly worrying over being assaulted is probably the best way to actually gét assaulted. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If you want to learn a martial art, there are a few that do very well. I myself have learnt shotokan karate-do, and did some kung-fu. In my opinion: Kung fu is not a martial sport. It is an art, and it's very intense, but in a fight, it isn't worth much. Better options are full-contact karate, tai boxing and gripping/hybrid sports, like judo, ju-jitsu, medieval european fist-fighting, krav macha and stuff like that. Avoid sports that look pretty. Beautiful martial arts are generally slow, interrupt momentum, and lack impact.

[Cindy]

There have been similar threads previously. I think the general summary by 'street' smart people that any of the self defense martial arts are of very limited use unless you have the body mass to absorb punishment and the strength to allow good technique to be powerful. Wearing heels a dress etc will be of little help to your technique. I can assure you that none of Charlie's Angels would last a heart beat in a real street fight. The nearest techniques for successful defense can be seen in cage fighting. They tend to be a combination of successful heavy punching to the face, fast reflexes, ability to obtain submission holds and the strength to support them. And the desire and ability to take advantage of a position with brutal force. That means if you manage to get your attacker at all open you need to have the will to take his eyes out. To inflict permanent and life threatening damage.
Few people can in fact do that without constant training and experience.

As others have also said, don't get yourself in a place where you are in danger. Women in particular need to read their environment very carefully. With our general lower upper body strength we have very little chance against an equal sized male. That isn't sexist it's biology. Run away is the best idea, screaming like hell at the same time. Take your shoes off if need be.

I'm not convinced weapons are good. Guns are banned in Australia so only the bad guys have them. We cannot legally use capsicum sprays, tasers, knives etc. So the best idea is don't get into the situation to begin with.


JMO

Cindy

[tekla]

Remember there are three kinds of martial arts.  Some are meant for recreation/sport and are of limited use in a street fight as such techniques are not taught.  Some are methods of exercise/health that balance a person out, and some are outright combat/thug techniques, which are of some use, if only to let you know you don't want to be caught in a situation where such things are used.

I always felt that its pretty much a given that street attackers know street fighting, and dojo training is a world removed from that stuff and often proves to be of limited, if not negative value.

I'm also aware that most of the fights I've ever seen go down in my life last about a second, which is the amount of time it takes someone to get the jump-off on you and turn out the lights.

[glendagladwitch]

I studied martial arts a lot growing up and as a young adult.  Tae Kwon Do and Aikido.  One thing I learned is that size does matter.  That movie myth about little people taking on big guys and kicking their hineys really is a myth.  Holds that work on people my own size are impossible to perform on those who are larger and stronger, and I am doing them right.  A kick to the solar plexis or strike to the temple on a big guy does nothing except anger them.  To pull off something on those guys I'd have to take them by surprise, which means being the agressor.  I long ago switched to the Smith and Wesson style and never looked back.

[tekla]

Brains+Awareness are more powerful then Smith+Wesson by a long shot.  That and S+W are not all that good - matter of fact anymore they are discount K-Mart weapons in a haute couture Nordstrom's world, give me a Glock, or a Beretta any day.  The kind of morons I know who carry weapons on the street have weapons that can unload a clip before you get a S&W to fire a single shot.

Dirty Harry was almost half a century ago.

[V M]

Brains+Awareness

Pluuuuus I think I am Dirty Harry... Can't you tell?   

Actually I have been trained on various fire arms in younger days but tend to avoid being around them now

Truly, being aware of your surroundings is the best way to avoid trouble in the first place

But in that rare circumstance where you can't walk away or run or hide it's a good idea to have a defense plan of some sort

[glendagladwitch]

Brains+Awareness are more powerful then Smith+Wesson by a long shot.  That and S+W are not all that good - matter of fact anymore they are discount K-Mart weapons in a haute couture Nordstrom's world, give me a Glock, or a Beretta any day.  The kind of morons I know who carry weapons on the street have weapons that can unload a clip before you get a S&W to fire a single shot.

Dirty Harry was almost half a century ago.

Sorry Tek, I have problems with automatics.  They jam on me.  Take too much strength to load properly, and shoot with a stiff enough wrist.  And I'm too lazy to clean them regularly.  So I'll take a revolver, thanks.

But lately I'm growing fond of the two shot deringer in .38 cal.  I figure if you need more than two shots, you're screwed.  And even a heart or jugular shot can take up to 30 seconds to drop your attacker.  Plenty of time for them to take your gun away and use the remaining rounds on you.  Two shots seems like the right number to me.  But I still have my 5 shot revolver with laser sight.  I've been meaning to trade in, but it's hard to give up a $1200 pistol like that.  I just wish it weren't so heavy when loaded.

[Vanessa_yhvh]

Although I've been lazy about it lately, I study Taekwondo. (I was practicing some nasty strikes on the heavy bag this weekend and learned a valuable lesson when I knuckled my right boob during an elbow strike.)

I also carry a S&W Sigma (Glock clone) 9mm. She's my friend.

[tekla]

Thinking you only need two shots makes you painfully unaware of what's really going down in the streets.  This ain't Leave It To Beaver anymore, and if your really going to be attacked, its going to be by a group, not by one lone nut. And the people in that group are not like you.  They are not too lazy to clean their guns, their guns are the most prized thing they own in the world, the total sum of their power.  They are lickity split clean, well oiled, and the trigger is exactly the tension they want it to be (it is adjustable if you don't know).  Nor are they too weak to pull the trigger a hella' lot faster than you can.

[V M]

It's a little bit embarrassing to admit, but the only thing that actually kept me from being raped a couple of weeks ago was being pre-op.

When the guy realized I didn't have the McNuggets he was after he got embarrassed and frustrated

Then comes the fear of getting beaten or worse

Luckily he just cursed me out and left 

[glendagladwitch]

Thinking you only need two shots makes you painfully unaware of what's really going down in the streets.  This ain't Leave It To Beaver anymore, and if your really going to be attacked, its going to be by a group, not by one lone nut. And the people in that group are not like you.  They are not too lazy to clean their guns, their guns are the most prized thing they own in the world, the total sum of their power.  They are lickity split clean, well oiled, and the trigger is exactly the tension they want it to be (it is adjustable if you don't know).  Nor are they too weak to pull the trigger a hella' lot faster than you can.

If I get attacked by ten guys at once, I don't think having 19 rounds in a Glock is going to save me.  The best I can probably do is get off a couple of shots before one of them caves my skull in with a baseball bat.  But most incidents that occur near where I work are just one guy snatching purses or breaking into cars or offices for a few days before he gets caught.  Last streak of robberies was just a couple of weeks ago. In one instance he tried to steal two purses at once from two ladies walking together, and he wound up shooting one of them in the face.  A two shot derringer in a jacket pocket or gun purse would have gone a long way in that situation.