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Best For Self Defense

10K views 95 replies 38 participants last post by  Trixter45 
#1 ·
HI All

Im a huge MMA fan and want to start getting into training (mainly for fitness and self Defense, dont want to get my head smashed in for a living.

While i was on youtube i came across this video:

YouTube - jkd

I was just interested to know which u thought was better for real life situations, JKD or a mixture of boxing, BJJ etc etc.

Also why is it that JKD has never been sucessful in something like UFC or pride? Are the moves shown in the video not going to work in real life situations?

Many thanks all!
 
#2 ·
Hey, man, I'm in the same position as you. If you look up some of my threads, that's all I'm interested in - Fitness and Defense.
But yeah, I'd stick to a combination of boxing, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and krav maga. I take the first three (new to them though), and will start on Krav Maga after I get better at the other three.
And I don't know much about JKD, but from the videos I've seen, I don't think it's too great. Also, I think it's more of a concept than a style. So if you take multiple arts, you're basically practicing JKD. :-\

Good luck in your training.
 
#3 ·
Trainee said:
Hey, man, I'm in the same position as you. If you look up some of my threads, that's all I'm interested in - Fitness and Defense.
But yeah, I'd stick to a combination of boxing, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and krav maga. I take the first three (new to them though), and will start on Krav Maga after I get better at the other three.
And I don't know much about JKD, but from the videos I've seen, I don't think it's too great. Also, I think it's more of a concept than a style. So if you take multiple arts, you're basically practicing JKD. :-\

Good luck in your training.
JKD isn't just taking from multiple arts (that is what Mixed Martial Arts is), it was specific moves that Bruce Lee took from different martial arts and combined into his one system.

If you're looking for just fitness and self-defense, I'd suggest something along the lines of Hapkido and possibly Krav Maga, but definitely not boxing. Boxing (and to some extent Western Kickboxing) are horrible, in my opinion, for self-defense since for boxing you are taught to keep your hands up and protect your head with your hands (which have huge gloves on them), but when you're in the real world it is very hard to protect your head when you are bare-fisted. BJJ is always a good option too.

The reason I say that you should try out Hapkido is this: it covers strikes (both kicks and punches) and blocks. It also covers throws and some joint manipulations (especially small joint manipulations). So basically, if you have a good teacher, you can go to one place to train for your self-defense art which saves money. If you want to do boxing and BJJ (which doesn't make much sense to me if you don't want to compete in MMA) then you have to pay on average twice as much and travel to (possibly) two different places to train, which eats up time.
 
#5 ·
Krav Maga is a completely modern martial art (it was developed by the Israeli army), and was designed to be as effective as possible in a street fight (so it focuses a lot on moves that are illegal in MMA competition, like groin strikes and headbutting), and also intended to be effective even with minimal training. It includes moves to deal with armed attackers. It is brutally efficient, and that's what I would recommend if you're only interested in self-defense.

Go for a mixture of boxing and BJJ if you want to be able to spar more and possibly compete. A few months of MMA will be adequate for basic self-defense, and you'll have the opportunity to participate in the sport of MMA.

There are MMA gyms that offer classes in a variety of different styles (the one I've been going to recently is kick boxing, BJJ and Judo), usually for a monthly fee (which is usually around $100-200. While that's not cheap by any means, it's a great workout and you'll have a great time, not to mention learn some pretty cool stuff.
 
#7 ·
krav is good but it doesnt hold the anything go's attitude that JKD does.
This place I know of teaches krav muytai jui jitsu and kick boxing. Krave is not as phisical as the others they dont do much sparing like you saw in the movie.
My opinion JKD is the best in self defence
 
#11 ·
JKD isn't just taking from multiple arts (that is what Mixed Martial Arts is), it was specific moves that Bruce Lee took from different martial arts and combined into his one system.
Oh, sorry. I said I didn't know much about it, lol.
I read up on JKD a little bit, and it's a little wierd. It doesn't seem like a style, really. Each individual practitioner can add his own thing to his fighting style, and can adapt at will. No Katas, just all out sparring. It doesn't really seem like a style, just a self-defense class where you can do whatever's necessary to survive. The idea is really good, but how much can one person accomplish, you know? One practitioner might stress more on stand-up fighting, while another might be mostly ground. It's wierd. And if you try evening it out, you won't really be a good fighter until you practice for a very long time. Dunno, I might be wrong, just my thoughts. Don't kill me for them. XD
Go for a mixture of boxing and BJJ if you want to be able to spar more and possibly compete. A few months of MMA will be adequate for basic self-defense, and you'll have the opportunity to participate in the sport of MMA.
Yeah, except I would replace boxing with Muay Thai. To get some kicking in there...just in case. You really don't use many kicks in real street defense...and I don't mean you can't use them against some punk that messed with you at school, lol. I mean like when you're confronted by a dude you've never seen before, or if you step on someone's foot in a party.

Good luck. :)

P.S. I'm new to this stuff, too. So everything I've posted so far might be completely wrong. However, I think that's the right way to go...it goes well with everything I've ever read or everything anyone's ever told me.
 
#12 ·
Trainee said:
Yeah, except I would replace boxing with Muay Thai. To get some kicking in there...just in case. You really don't use many kicks in real street defense...and I don't mean you can't use them against some punk that messed with you at school, lol. I mean like when you're confronted by a dude you've never seen before, or if you step on someone's foot in a party.
Muay Thai teaches more than just kicks and punches though, it teaches the clinch (which is extremely important in MMA). If you learn that through Muay Thai (instead of Judo, they take different philosophies on it) then if you were in the situation like you mentioned and you couldn't use a kick you could always get into a clinch and then knee the hell out of the person. If you're going against somebody completely oblivious to martial arts (especially anything with a clinch such as MMA, Kyokushin Karate, Muay Thai, etc.) then you should be able to get some knees to the head and end the fight early. If the person knows what to do, you should be able to get some knees to the gut of the person and then work from there.
 
#14 ·
Fang said:
Haha, that's one way to go, on a more legal standpoint get a tazer, those are lots of fun.
if you carry, and pull something out, to use a tazer is the worst thing in the world, you must wait for them to come within your 25 ft range, then if you miss your ****ed, "the slowest time recorded at the 2006 combine was 5.41 seconds by offensive lineman Josh Hall" this is the slowest time for the 40, done by a 300lbs man, that ran 4.8 times farther than the range of your tazer.... one shot you think you can reload that fast, what if there is more that one target????
 
#16 ·
I wouldnt do any grappeling art for self defense and this is coming from a grappler ...

Alot of people make the mistake of going BJJ for self defense but as I posted in another thread all of these grappeling martial arts are assuming that your only dealing with one attacker. To deal with multiple attackers in a grappeling situation you need to be very skilled and very conditioned. Ive done 2 person drills before in judo and jj. They wear you out five times faster then rolling with some one.

Thats how I used to prepare for tournaments. The problem is this in a real life situation if your fighting with one person on the ground their freind isnt going to say ok its a fair fight. If your fighting some one chances are they were looking for it and if they are that type of person most likely their freinds are too. So if you get some one in the mount and you go for a submition the freind will beat the crap out of you.

Also alot of people dont have that killer instinct that you need for street grappeling. people will put a person in the arm bar but they wont put forth the pressure it takes to finish the arm shoulder ankle or what ever your attacking with the exception of chokes.

in a street situation you want to stay on your feet so you always have the run away option if things get to dicey.

your best bet is some dirty style of fighting like krav maga . You have to keep in mind that the average person doesnt know shit about fighting or martial arts. So forms like krav maga will train you in 4 months to be able to take out most people on the street because most people dont know crap about strikes or defending.

So if you can cover decently and throw a couple of strikes decently you will devestate normal people
 
#17 · (Edited)
mrmyz said:
I wouldnt do any grappeling art for self defense and this is coming from a grappler ...

Alot of people make the mistake of going BJJ for self defense but as I posted in another thread all of these grappeling martial arts are assuming that your only dealing with one attacker. To deal with multiple attackers in a grappeling situation you need to be very skilled and very conditioned. Ive done 2 person drills before in judo and jj. They wear you out five times faster then rolling with some one.

Thats how I used to prepare for tournaments. The problem is this in a real life situation if your fighting with one person on the ground their freind isnt going to say ok its a fair fight. If your fighting some one chances are they were looking for it and if they are that type of person most likely their freinds are too. So if you get some one in the mount and you go for a submition the freind will beat the crap out of you.

Also alot of people dont have that killer instinct that you need for street grappeling. people will put a person in the arm bar but they wont put forth the pressure it takes to finish the arm shoulder ankle or what ever your attacking with the exception of chokes.

in a street situation you want to stay on your feet so you always have the run away option if things get to dicey.

your best bet is some dirty style of fighting like krav maga . You have to keep in mind that the average person doesnt know shit about fighting or martial arts. So forms like krav maga will train you in 4 months to be able to take out most people on the street because most people dont know crap about strikes or defending.

So if you can cover decently and throw a couple of strikes decently you will devestate normal people
i too am a grapple judo/bjj, but with a touch of boxing, due to sport jujitsu. pulling guard is a very bad idea. i keep almost all street fights on my feet, i will pound it out, then i will grab and grip fight, releasing to punch, arm drag you into a knee, and if i throw i will grip my hands around you. as for more than one attacker i would try to find an exit, keeping out of the circle would be my main tactic. most that attack in groups are done by scared, weak people.

your main weapon in any fight is the ability to stay calm and think.
"get back to the car... pop the trunk... even the odds!!!"
 
#19 ·
I think it all depends on where you are. If you're in a crowded area I think (for legal reasons) grappling is better. If you're alone with the person in a dark alley, then standing up is the way to go.

The reason I think grappling is better in situations with more people around is simple, if people can identify then there can be criminal charges against you. If you stand and strike with an attacker, you may get "caught in the moment" or for whatever reason take it a step to far and throw a punch or kick that was "unneccesary" in your defense. Now with a crowd as a witness the attacker can go ahead and get assualt charges on you and you get screwed (it's happened before). If you grapple, you either choke the attacker into unconciousness and get away or you break the limb (or small joints if you're used to non-sport grappling) and you make your get away. All your doing is disabling the attacker from being able to do more damage to you. You aren't taking it too far. The problem comes like mrmyz said, the non "killer instinct" and not extending to break the limb/tendon in your submissions.
 
#21 ·
Hollywood6655 said:
Easy answer.......just drop down to one knee.....everyone knows that
LOL

I went to a school that taught a bunch of different self defense techniques all in one class. I did it for nine years. They called it Tae Kwon Do but it was so much more. We had kickboxing, judo, Hapkido, JKD also. The TKD was the least effective in a street fight. The only thing TKD helps you with is it teaches you the correct way to punch and kick so that it causes a lot of damage no matter how small or weak you are. It also helps with reflexes but so does every other MA. I found that the Hapkido and JKD were the most effective in street fights. After 9 years of that stuff I can anticipate a punch before it comes and I have fast enough reflexes to deflect it and submit the opponent right away using joint manipulation much like the guy in the video. He is a little better than me though ;) . All that stuff you saw in the video does work very well in street fights, I know from experience. I have been in 3 street fights and all 3 of them ended withing the first 2 minutes because I had my opponent's arms or wrists in a position to where I could break them if I wanted. One guy said "ok ok I give up dude" so I let him go, then he threw a punch at me again when my guard was down. I deflected it just like I did the first time (which is how I know I have good reflexes) and flipped him over my shoulder and when he landed he was already in a position to get his arm broken. I am 5'8'' and like 140 lbs and this guy was at least 6 foot and at least 190 pounds. I didn't think I was gonna execute the throw correctly at first, cuz I have never used it in a street fight before, but it worked out good for me and I gave his arm a good crank and punched him in the nose. He was the only guy I have ever had the chance to get a punch in on in a street fight. All the others were over basically as soon as they took a swing at me. I credit all my MA training to those 3 successful and quick street fights.
 
#22 ·
Best for Self-Defense? Short of a firearm, a can of pepper spray backed up with a folding baton. After you practice CQC tactics, start doing 2 mile runs for time, because you will want to know how to get the hell out of the situation. In fact, if you drive, install a remote starter and power locks. That'll help you get out of there even faster.

Aside from that, learn how to actively avoid bad situations. Common sense goes a long way in prolonging one's life.
 
#23 ·
Onganju said:
Best for Self-Defense? Short of a firearm, a can of pepper spray backed up with a folding baton. After you practice CQC tactics, start doing 2 mile runs for time, because you will want to know how to get the hell out of the situation. In fact, if you drive, install a remote starter and power locks. That'll help you get out of there even faster.

Aside from that, learn how to actively avoid bad situations. Common sense goes a long way in prolonging one's life.
Once again playing the forum mom.:laugh: jk Onganju
 
#24 ·
best for self defence just hurt there weak spot, there testicals!

just stick your hand down their pants, grab there nuts and sqeeze till they explode. its actually pretty easy to stick your hand down someones pants in a real fight and once you have there nuts its over.
 
#26 ·
Zapatista said:
I think it all depends on where you are. If you're in a crowded area I think (for legal reasons) grappling is better. If you're alone with the person in a dark alley, then standing up is the way to go.

The reason I think grappling is better in situations with more people around is simple, if people can identify then there can be criminal charges against you. If you stand and strike with an attacker, you may get "caught in the moment" or for whatever reason take it a step to far and throw a punch or kick that was "unneccesary" in your defense. Now with a crowd as a witness the attacker can go ahead and get assualt charges on you and you get screwed (it's happened before). If you grapple, you either choke the attacker into unconciousness and get away or you break the limb (or small joints if you're used to non-sport grappling) and you make your get away. All your doing is disabling the attacker from being able to do more damage to you. You aren't taking it too far. The problem comes like mrmyz said, the non "killer instinct" and not extending to break the limb/tendon in your submissions.
Ok.. lets say the fight goes to the ground, and the other guy is on top of you, you go for a submission..
What do you think hes friends will do when they see you choke him out?
they will most likely stomp you in the head over and over again.. well then your ****ed
 
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