Practical Self Defense Training/Practices

Sif_Shepard

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Hi there bees! I know I could just google this, and probably will later, but I'm curious about self defense and combat training and I'd rather hear from you all. If you have any experience at all, have been to any classes, trained with a trainer, or anything in between, I want to hear about it. I have a few caveats though in what I'm interested in, specifically: practical self defense (particularly for women, but it doesn't have to be exclusive), absolutely no weight classes (I know some forms of combat training do this but I'm a former eating disordered person and I won't participate in this, plus I'd rather learn about combat and defense against people of all sizes), and ideally something that can be performed in athletic wear instead of training specific clothing (though I'm not entirely opposed to this).

I've been interested in defense and combat training since I was a little kid and my favorite Disney movie was Mulan, and then later the Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv shows, and then later anything with pugilist-style combat. I always wanted to take classes in something, but I never really knew what would work best for me, and then time passed and I stopped thinking about it, though it was always in the back of my mind. I have pretty much no idea what I'd be interested in for myself, as there are a lot of different fighting styles out there, so that's why I thought I'd ask all of you!
 
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Solution
A word of warning: I'm really passionate about this. So I'm going to speak like an authority but no one has given you bad advice so far and we are all allowed to hold different views.

Self Defense and Martial Arts should have overlapping but different goals. As a martial artist, if I were teaching, my goal would be to help you become the best practitioner of that specific martial art that I could. That should also make you able to handle most normal threats of physical violence, but might not give you literally any tools for threats where punching isn't appropriate. (Humor: Why are there problems I can't punch? Stupid non-punchable problems!)

For self defense, the goal (IMO) is more to provide you with a mindset and a variety of...

Fremen

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"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
A self defense course is the easiest and fastest way to learn the basics of self defense and if it's done right it makes a difference.
Alternatively, you can consider any martial arts that involve sparring.
I have practiced several traditional Japanese martial arts: Karare, Akido, Kendo, Iaido and now I'm starting to practice Muay Thai and the approach to sparring is completely different, in the end to learn how to defend yourself you have to try and try again attack and defense situations, if self-defense is your goal, sparring is essential :)
 

Sif_Shepard

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@Heniek Thanks for the video! The techniques were very interesting, and I'd definitely look into something like this. MMA and street fighting also interest me from the limited knowledge I have in these areas. I would like a combination of defensive techniques like in the video and sparring as well.

@Fremen Just like a basic self defense course? I feel like I've heard of offerings like that but I don't know anything about them and was wondering if other sparring practices also include that kind of defense training, like the simplistic moves in that video above. Also my understanding of the basic course was that they offer a couple classes, and if that's the case while that's awesome and I would consider that too I would possibly want a more long term thing to get involved in. I'm just starting the research phase and it's almost overwhelming how many different combat styles there are to choose from! Also I have been enjoying reading about you getting into Muay Thai in your thread and look forward to hearing more about it as you continue. :)


I will add that I've done a decent amount of shadow boxing in my life, and my wife and I even have boxing gloves and punching mitts that we use occasionally, so I'm not a complete beginner, but we just spar for fun and I'd like to train with a qualified instructor and more specialized training. My wife is petite and my punches are too strong so I have to hold back a lot when we play lol :D
 

koriandr

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Hi! I've got both stories and martial arts experience :) .

So, first of all, I'll tell you about the experience that basically forced me into martial arts, but a little bit of backstory :welcome:

When I was little I was going to taekwondo, where we were easily doing hundreds of sit ups and not as many push ups, but we ran a lot as well. I was being bullied a lot at school, girls and boys would openly assault me. I've been "stabbed" with pencils and pens before, one time in my face and some more in my legs (don't worry, I've recovered both physically and mentally). So taekwondo was what gave me confidence to go into class without fear. And so it was until I grew up. It was around when I was 17 when I almost got abducted. Almost, because I left all of my taekwondo training to the side and ran like hell (which I still think is the best self defence technique you could master lol). After that I started Muay Thai at a local gym. As @Fremen noted, it's totally different from other Asian martial arts. I've never had more bruises on me, my shins and knees are constantly in bruises, my ribs hurt and sometimes I get knocked out during hard sparring, but my confidence before the abduction attempt came back. I know that I can take damage and give back some more, but yet, if I were confronted and had the option to dodge it all I'd dodge it. But if I don't have a choice, muay thai has some pretty good techniques in order to make your enemy regret their choices lol. I specialise in the Muay Khao style, because I favor the clinch, that's where I thrive (and because I hate kicks lol, I guess I broke something when I was young in that taekwondo class). Hope this somehow helps you <3
 

Kanary

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A word of warning: I'm really passionate about this. So I'm going to speak like an authority but no one has given you bad advice so far and we are all allowed to hold different views.

Self Defense and Martial Arts should have overlapping but different goals. As a martial artist, if I were teaching, my goal would be to help you become the best practitioner of that specific martial art that I could. That should also make you able to handle most normal threats of physical violence, but might not give you literally any tools for threats where punching isn't appropriate. (Humor: Why are there problems I can't punch? Stupid non-punchable problems!)

For self defense, the goal (IMO) is more to provide you with a mindset and a variety of tools, some of which apply to those problems you can't punch. The creepy guy on the bus is still a problem even if he isn't being creepy enough that you should hit him, but there are things a person can do to help with that situation, right? But also enough physical skills that you can remove yourself if creepy bus guy becomes a physical problem.

As such, I tend to think that self defense is best taught in seminar format and martial arts are better long-term time investments.

I also think that the best martial art for self defense is the martial art you enjoy practicing. Anything from aikido to muay thai to lightsabers is good as far as I'm concerned.

My best recommendation around finding a school is to look up a variety of schools in your area and go visit them. One of the things that people often forget is that you won't be training in some Platonic ideal of a school: you'll be practicing with real people and how well you like those people may matter more than if you like the idea of the style. See how they treat each other. If you can easily figure out who's a newbie, see how everyone (students and instructors) treats the newbie. As a woman, see how they treat the women. This will make a whole lot more difference than if you like the shape of their kicks or not.
 
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Sif_Shepard

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Thanks @koriandr for your story and advice. I have heard good things about taekwondo and Muay Thai, I'll definitely look into those more. Sorry to hear you've had to deal with such scary things, but I'm glad you're doing well now.
I left all of my taekwondo training to the side and ran like hell (which I still think is the best self defence technique you could master lol)
100% this, and thank you for including it on here.


@Kanary I had a feeling you would have a passionate response, and I thank you for taking the time to write all that out (as well as everyone else on here, again thank you!). I don't mind all the differing views and actually I'm so happy to hear so many different takes and suggestions, that's what I was hoping for when I posted here! :ss:
Why are there problems I can't punch? Stupid non-punchable problems!
:D:pow:

I think the gist I'm getting is definitely look to more than one thing for defense as well as combat, which is fine by me. Honestly I would love something that's a seminar/practice hybrid where I could practice techniques on big men who are stronger than me in a safe environment. I know I'm very strong but it's just like how in dreams where you're fighting someone but nothing connects? Like I'd just like to know for myself with experience that the strength I do have can be used effectively without causing myself harm and with enough practice to avoid a panic response for scary situations (that I've been lucky enough to wholly avoid, and it's more of a curiosity for me to know that I can handle myself. We all deserve to feel safe and secure). Also in practice I'd be afraid to hurt someone. A setting to test the limits of my strength and abilities would be ideal. Also would prefer one on one but I imagine that's fairly expensive, though not entirely a deal breaker. I feel like gyms might offer something like that but I just have no idea.

I like your last paragraph as well about finding training to view and see for myself. I didn't think that was an option, but it's a great idea!
 

lofivelcro

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I don't have much to add to the general advice about real self-defence training, but want to add two or three general points that don't deal with that:
From own experience, learning to read a situation and choosing the right course of action is overlooked. Is it something you can still de-escalate? Then try to do that, but pay attention when the mood slips.
Running is the best self-defence. If you can, get as much distance between you and the aggressor as possible. Really, fights are best avoided instead of fought. This is even more important when a knife is involved. You don't want to get into a fight with someone with a knife.
If possible with local laws, personally, I'd always recommend carrying a gun, but, eh, that's not really what you were asking for. But depending on the area and the threat level, a gun would be my to-go choice. If possible.
 

koriandr

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"Headbanging to classical music"
I don't have much to add to the general advice about real self-defence training, but want to add two or three general points that don't deal with that:
From own experience, learning to read a situation and choosing the right course of action is overlooked. Is it something you can still de-escalate? Then try to do that, but pay attention when the mood slips.
Running is the best self-defence. If you can, get as much distance between you and the aggressor as possible. Really, fights are best avoided instead of fought. This is even more important when a knife is involved. You don't want to get into a fight with someone with a knife.
If possible with local laws, personally, I'd always recommend carrying a gun, but, eh, that's not really what you were asking for. But depending on the area and the threat level, a gun would be my to-go choice. If possible.
Oh no when a knife is involved your best choice is to fly away. In my humble opinion, knifes are THE scariest thing you can come across if you're getting attacked, mainly because you won't see it until it's too late. Yikes
 

lofivelcro

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"Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today"
@koriandr knives are the absolute horror. If knives are involved, you can only lose if you get too close. Even pros who have learnt to disarm combatants have only a 50-50 chance to come out of the fight unharmed. At best. I like carrying a knife myself, but they're absolutely not for self-defence.
Flying away would be indeed the best choice.
 

Sif_Shepard

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@lofivelcro @koriandr Yes de-escalation and avoidance are super important to learn as well with this discussion on defense. I'm usually a highly observant individual thankfully, and it is important to emphasize how vital it is to simply get away as a first step whenever possible. As I said above in my reply to Kanary, I do want to learn these things as a curiosity and test of strength to know the full limits of what I'm capable of. I do however also want to learn as many practical defense things as well through this journey so I can have as well rounded a knowledge base as possible.
 

lofivelcro

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@Sif_Shepard I think learning self-defence in any form has a lot of benefits. You get to know what you're capable of, and afaik it changes how you carry yourself. One point to not getting attacked or harrassed in the first place is how you are perceived. If you don't seem like a weak or easy target, chances are higher that you won't be considered. Sounds like a win to me. And I suppose it's good training.
Look who's talking, someone who doesn't have an inkling about self-defence training :sus:
 

Sif_Shepard

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@lofivelcro Absolutely! And as someone who's gone through ed recovery, I am finding myself having a lot more confidence than I ever used to and I think that all feeds into my desire as well. I'm getting to a place where I can actually see myself participating in these things and it makes me want to learn more and be even more secure in myself!
Look who's talking, someone who doesn't have an inkling about self-defence training
haha still good advice though, and I'm glad you posted here!
 

Fremen

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"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
@Kanary' s answer made me reflect, some of his observations are excellent and deserve to be deepened.
Self Defense and Martial Arts are two completely different things that sometimes come together but you don't know it until you have been practicing a martial art for a few years.
Almost all martial arts "have evolved" first from mere attack to a greater emphasis on defense and then a general improvement of the person.
If you want to know how to defend yourself, a specific self-defense course is faster and more effective because everything is focused on what can happen to you in a current context and how to react.
In my opinion, practicing a martial art is more on the path of personal growth through discipline and commitment.
There is no better martial art but there is one practitioner better than another.
Go and try, different things, different courses, different teachers or instructors and different groups because the real difference is who teach you and the people you practice with :)
 
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TopNotch

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"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
I'm really not sure about self-defence classes. We do many self-defence techniques during my Taekwondo training. The coaches always remind us that we are learning to do something this particular way and if we actually need to use a self-defence technique, but the person attacks from a different direction or whatever, we can't use that exact technique - in which case, we ask, what's the point of learning it? It's all about reaction, and perhaps there is something that we can use at the time. During one self-defence session, we all learnt to hold our hands up at face height and a little forward and yell "Stop!" at the tops of our voices. Then we learnt to do that while stepping backward. We learnt that the very first thing to do is (though it sounds awfully cowardly!) run away. Just yelling "stop!" may actually be enough to stop someone, or to attract the attention of people who can assist.
The thing about self-defence classes is that in order to perform a self-defence technique quickly and effectively, you've got to practice that same technique so many times it becomes as automatic as breathing. But which technique do you choose? And do you have the time and focus for that?
Don't get me wrong - I love my martial art, but in a real fracas, I'd be the one running away! In my imagination, of course, I've got six opponents licked with some brilliant kicking, mind-blowing aerials, and witty Schwarzenegger-esque one-liners.
To give yourself confidence that you do have a good chance at defending yourself, though, I'd say work on your cardio (that running away thing!), learn to throw a decent powerful punch, know how to get out of something like a wrist grab (by not pulling backward but by going forward - it's counter-intuitive and takes a lot of practice). And, as @lofivelcro wrote, not looking like an easy target is also very important.
Bear in mind that in really bad situations, though, most people will freeze.
 

Fremen

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"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
Don't get me wrong - I love my martial art, but in a real fracas, I'd be the one running away!
It would be the most sensible thing to do :)

When I was practicing Karate it happened to me to have to defend myself from someone who wanted to punch me, the training reflexes and the automatisms learned worked perfectly BUT I didn't hit him.
He stopped because he couldn't hit me but I had neither the readiness nor the nastiness to beat him even if he wanted to hurt me.
I only intervened because he had just headbutted a friend of mine and was about to beat someone else, there were younger girls and boys and I was the only one able to intervene, otherwise I probably wouldn't have done anything because too upset by a similar situation.
In that case I realized that what happens on the street is another world than what happens in a Dojo and it is better to keep it in mind or it ends badly.
 

Sif_Shepard

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@Heniek thanks for the additional videos! Also I like the advice about palm strikes. I would absolutely love to have a punching bag, I've wanted one for years but we just don't have the space for one in this house. I do know from practicing with my wife with punching mitts that I do throw good punches but I'll see if she wants to practice palm strikes with me, could be fun.

@TopNotch I like the sound of the defense techniques practiced in your training. For me it's definitely wanting to have someone to practice with breaking holds, quick deflecting moves so that I can run away more than delivering a pummeling or anything like that. My brother (7 years older than me) used to teach me hold breaks when I was a kid often enough that I still remember how to do them, but I always wonder how effective it actually is against people who've really got a death grip on you, you know? I do know I can throw a good punch, and I'm not a runner and loathe distance running but I'm capable enough of sprinting, though definitely something I'll practice more in regards to this training stuff. I guess what I'd really love is a training partner/coach I could practice with consistently for defense and sparring. I like it a lot for exercise and fun, not so much interested in anything competitive. I enjoy when my wife and I practice sparring together but I don't want to hurt her and though we have fun I'm more into it than she is and I'm stronger and tougher so it's not exactly an even match lol.

@Fremen
In that case I realized that what happens on the street is another world than what happens in a Dojo and it is better to keep it in mind or it ends badly.
Absolutely. It sounds like it was good you were there to intervene and help your friend and the others around you. I like the awareness that comes with martial training, Being fully conscious of what your body's capabilities are so much that it's second nature, but also having the sense to deflect and de-escalate whenever possible is an absolute win.
 

Kanary

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Can anyone speak to my other questions about the practices you participate in with in regards to weight classes (or any kind of weigh in thing that would trigger someone recovering from an eating disorder) and the type of clothing/uniform worn in those practices?
I've trained in a lot of places. There are very rarely moments where an instructor will recommend pairing up with someone who seems to be about your size so that the tiniest person in the class doesn't inadvertently get paired with the person who's the combo of tall, muscular, and heavy for technical drills where mass matters, but that's not usually a day-to-day thing. I've never trained anywhere that cared about weight classes beyond that. In most places, it's considered good form to try to train with everyone who is available in a given class and that provides for training with a variety of skill levels and body types.

Clothes are hit and miss. My current school has a strict uniform. I've trained other places where the dress code was basically "wear clothes appropriate to the activity". I'm not even sure you can judge by martial arts style: I've done aikido (usually pretty uniform-centric) in a place where most of us were in street / workout clothes. So you'd really have to ask the school.
 

TopNotch

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"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
Ah, 'ed' stands for 'eating disorder'! I suffer from an 'ed' but it's a different one - I got quite confused! :panic:
Right then. The only time I've ever had to 'worry' about my weight was in a competition. Unfortunately, I was the only one in my category, there was just one person in the category above so I had to face that person. I'm kind of glad I lost that match or I would have had to have fought someone in the Open category - ie, 15+k heavier than I! But that was a sparring competition.
In Taekwondo, given that there is no grappling or throwing, weight during training isn't really an issue. Sure, you don't want to have a tiny person holding the pad for you if you kick like a bull, but generally, if that is likely to happen, there'd be someone else who would be able to hold. Some terms we do a lot of kicking to pads, some terms we do hardly any.
I love wearing my uniform. Okay, baggy white pyjamas might not be everyone's sartorial choice, but when I pull them on, it helps me get into the right mind space. During the Covid shutdowns, my club filmed hour-long training sessions, two per week just like normal classes, and at the beginning of them, we were reminded to be in our uniforms because this was what we would normally do. I think, just as bowing when we enter and leave the dojang, it's a sign of respect. And it really just puts me in the mood.
There are two 'sides' of Taekwondo - sparring, where if you compete, you'd need to be in a weight category, and poomsae, which has categories based only on age and/or belt rank. In poomsae, it doesn't matter what size or shape you are so long as you are accurate and beautiful in your performance.
 

Fremen

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"“Keep an eye on the staircases. They like to change.” Percy Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."
Can anyone speak to my other questions about the practices you participate in with regards to weight classes (or any kind of weigh in thing that would trigger someone recovering from an eating disorder) and the type of clothing/uniform worn in those practices?
Almost all gyms and courses allow in the early days to train in a tracksuit and t-shirt so do not worry, they will tell you what to do and when, I always have asked how to dress and what to bring so I never had any problems :)
As for the weight categories, these only make sense in competitions in a normal workout you train with whoever is there :LOL:
 

val.lavigne86

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It's very nice to hear the weight stuff is left for competitions, do any of these practices require competitions or are they fine if you don't want to participate?
Competitions are not a requirement, though you can learn a lot from doing them!

As @Heniek said most belt ranking up in each discipline does require a test and typically with a higher ranked belt when you do it.

I'm certainly late to this party a bit with my two cents, though slightly biased as well, but for strictly self defense techniques for possible everyday scenarios I am firmly in the BJJ corner. I have used techniques in several real situations over the last few years with 100 percent success and I am a tiny person - 5 ft 3 - it really works! I've never felt more confident in my ability to keep myself safe in literally any moment since I started doing it just over 3 years ago. Even my ASD kiddo does it now and it's a huge relief that I don't need to worry about him being physically bullied or anything of this nature. He can hip throw to arm bar in less than 20 seconds and his double leg takedown to mount is better than mine!
A smattering of muay thai thrown in with that is a rather beautiful combination.
 

Sif_Shepard

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Thanks for joining the discussion @val.lavigne86! I am slightly more familiar with BJJ as I'm a big fan of Jenna Marbles and her partner Julien Solomita, who practices BJJ, and he's posted videos in the past of his competitions and practice. :LOL: Seems to resemble wrestling a little more than I'd like for myself from what I've seen, but it is interesting for sure, especially for the defense techniques you mentioned.
 
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TopNotch

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"Motivation is temporary. Discipline is forever."
I did one sparring competition early on, just to see what it was like. Sparring and me - not really a good fit! Oh, and the broken wrist didn't help! :p But I also did a couple of poomsae competitions and they were much more my cup of tea. But I'm not so into competitions, and there is absolutely no requirement that any of us competes.
 

Silverrey

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"Knocking the rust off."
If you can find a MANDT or EASE (Effective and Safe Engagement) training in your area the physical safety lessons are very good at keeping you safe and setting you up to get out or get help if things go south. A nice bonus is that most of the techniques are designed for when you are weaker/smaller/surprised/in a poor position compared to the attacker. They can also be fun to practice with since a core idea is to minimize risk of harm to both you and the other person. My niece loves to surprise "attack" my wife and I; she gets put in a hold that she calls "a big hug" and we get practice that doesn't involve someone who actually wants to hurt us.

**Edit for information**
I learned these for use in mental health/hospital settings due to my job but they have been good tools to have outside of work too. Both focus first on verbal and environmental de-escalation then physical should nothing else work. Most of my training and practice is done in street clothes (including jeans more often than not) and aside from one inseam getting blown out during an actual incident what I wear has had little to no effect on it. You will get very sweaty though. lol
 
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scramJam

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Ah. I understand that you are looking for advice on self-defense-as-activity, but I can't stop myself from chiming in with a small religion of mine.
Chemical warfare Pepper sprays.
And I mention them religiously 'cause I often found people interested in the topic of self-defense, hell, living in a dangerous parts of the town - totally oblivious to the existence of those spicy little cans of fun.
Saved my hide more than once, works on wild dog packs, and, well, saves you the trouble of punching whatever kind of a meatbag(s) is trying to ruin your day. One downside - if said meatbags are savvy enough to have some of their own... I'd wager you won't be able to show off yer moves too. It all comes down to situational awareness and preventive measures in the end. And we are talking a full-on confrontation, personally, I prefer the coward's way out to testing my grit :vD.

Training-wise - blank cans for that purpose are usually available. As long as you can pull it out of the pocket and spray down the target reliably - you are golden.
As far as irritants go - it's usually a mixture of C and whatever else your local government allows. For me it's CS - works wonders - and CR. CR is very effective, but available to the general public options are a bit finicky. I'd advise against formulas with CN. They are largely phased out at this point, but you never know.
I'd also recommend avoiding gel-based sprays. Probably.

You'll have to research what's available to you and what actually works - but I firmly believe that getting a pepper spray is the first thing one should do self-defence-wise. Well, apart from taking that longer but well-lit route, avoiding big and loud groups, yadda yadda yadda.
Even if it fails - you can move on to the Jackie Chan routine and save the day afterwards. No downsides, as far as I can see.
 
Warrior from Sea of the dunes
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"If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions."
I do jiu-jitsu, I'm an absolute fan of it, and it's one of my favourite sports/martial arts, I even got into fitness through it.
If I would recommend you a martial art, it would be jiu-jitsu or MMA, the reason is; jiu-jitsu helps you fend off people bigger than you, builds your character and teaches you patience, (getting a black belt takes around 10 years). I got into it when I was 13, and after 6 months of training, I got into a fight in my school with a guy who was 17 (then), after an exchange of angry words he threw a punch at my head, and I remember doing a clinch and hanging out close to his body, rendering his punches useless. I stepped back and did a move called double leg takedown, which is a move in which you dive towards the legs and you lift, slamming him on the ground. Well, the guy was out cold XD. After that, I made up my mind that I will train harder, and trust me, the level of confidence it gave me and self-assurance was unbelievable. It also made me calmer and more calculated. That's my experience with BJJ (Brazilan jiu-jitsu ), sorry about rambling on :happy:

As for what jiu-jitsu is you could find on this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu
 

d1_trackstar

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"Faster, Faster until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death."
Three of the biggest things with martial arts training are that it requires not only BODILY AWARENESS, BODY CONTROL, and FLEXIBILITY.

But for self-defense, that's probably more close quarters and face-to-face so anything that gets you to move as fast as possible in a small amount of time and maybe doesn't require as much flexibility.
 

Damer

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I'm adding a little perspective to all this here, and I love your take on this. A little background on me first so you understand where this is coming from. Three black belts: Karate (Wado Ryu 1st dan, Tae Kwon Do WTF 1st dan, Tae Kwon Do ITF 2nd Dan). I've trained once on a month long-camp with Bill Wallace and Henk Meyer. Did competitive martial arts at national and international level from 1991-2000. Self-defense is great, as a practice and even a discipline when it comes to developing balance, awareness and physical skills. The best form of self-defense however is situational awareness (understanding what's happening around you and what it means for you) and your legs. If you can run away from trouble then the problem is solved. If you need to engage in a physical match in a non-competitive situation you're really in a world of trouble already. No rules apply. You do not always understand the intent of the other person and you're never quite prepared. This is something that will happen A. Because you've slipped up. You walked into a situation. or B. You had no other option. In either of these cases you need to get out of it as quickly as possible and in that case you do everything you absolutely can. I am not even going to address too deeply the even more disturbing psychological component here. It takes a specific mindset to truly hurt another person. It's not something you can develop on the spot. It carries its own trauma with it and, should you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to employ self-defense, bear in mind that the other person's brain is probably already traumatized which means they're malfunctioning as a human being. It doesn't change the need to do everything you can to get out of there on your end, but it means you're already 'playing' in a game where the other person understand better than you what they're prepared to do and why, even if it is at a subliminal level.

In one of my day-job projects I've had the opportunity to talk to hundreds of special forces operatives and snipers. Their form of self-defense? Think of where you are. Understand what's going on. Identify the avenues of escape available to you. Be prepared for anything. Don't stay longer than you absolutely need to. I really hope this helps.
 

Kiceres

Member
Rogue Posts: 12
Myself, I like to practice more aggressive styles for fitness (I do a lot of muay thai), but for conflict, street or otherwise, I like more dodging and evading. I wanted to start aikido or judo but, they have a bad rep regarding applicability, that it keeps me from trying (don't have the money to spend in something that won't stick to)... Does anyone have any words of wisdom?
 

Xalepatakala

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Fighter from Switzerland
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"I had an account in the old hive with the same name but I couldn&#039;t restore it yet. Hit me up :)"
I used to train krav maga first and now I train muay thai for 1,5 years and I just have to say that in my opinion in a situation where you can't run away and someone comes at you aggressively, basic self-defense moves you've learned "dry" won't help you much. Fighting someone off successfully when you're with your back against the wall needs a lot of sparring and pressure testing and besides a standing art like muay thai or boxing, you'd better learn an art for the ground too like wrestling or judo. I see stuff like krav maga or self-defense courses as a good addition when you already know the basic skills of fighting.
Without any training when it comes to a fight, I'd try to hit either nose, solar-plexus, or groin - and I'd protect the head at any cost!
If there's the possibility to de-escalate I'd do that (the pro of specific self-defense training is, you'll learn exactly that).
If there's the slightest possibility to run, I'd run (best self-defense is to train 100 to 400m dash :p).

Imho I'd absolutely train muay thai because you learn to move your limbs in any way, it's very athletic, and unless you want to fight there are no weight classes in sparring. We spar against light and heavy people alike. Training together with running is absolutely grueling but you will gain a good mindset and good skills from that sport.
 

tooponn

New member
Posts: 1
I don't have much to add to the general advice about real self-defence training, but want to add two or three general points that don't deal with that:
From own experience, learning to read a situation and choosing the right course of action is overlooked. Is it something you can still de-escalate? Then try to do that, but pay attention when the mood slips.

hellodear.in

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Keith john

Member
Posts: 6
Hi there bees! I know I could just google this, and probably will later, but I'm curious about self defense and combat training and I'd rather hear from you all. If you have any experience at all, have been to any classes, trained with a trainer, or anything in between, I want to hear about it. I have a few caveats though in what I'm interested in, specifically: practical self defense (particularly for women, but it doesn't have to be exclusive), absolutely no weight classes (I know some forms of combat training do this but I'm a former eating disordered person and I won't participate in this, plus I'd rather learn about combat and defense against people of all sizes), and ideally something that can be performed in athletic wear instead of training specific clothing (though I'm not entirely opposed to this).

I've been interested in defense and combat training since I was a little kid and my favorite Disney movie was Mulan, and then later the Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv shows, and then later anything with pugilist-style combat. I always wanted to take classes in something, but I never really knew what would work best for me, and then time passed and I stopped thinking about it, though it was always in the back of my mind. I have pretty much no idea what I'd be interested in for myself, as there are a lot of different fighting styles out there, so that's why I thought I'd ask all of you!

Any and all advice, stories, and experience is welcome and the more the better please and thank you!
My background in martial is quite vast, so I won’t bore you with the details here.
But I have one sound advice which I learnt many years ago.
Never seek out a self defence class, why?
Well the details are in the name that most people miss, the name self defence means that you are going to let someone attack you first and you will defend against them, which by the way and sorry to be blunt but is a stupid way of thinking.
Now I am not saying go out and bulky people and start fights, definitely not but never wait for an attack, why?
If a person is faster than you, which you will find that an initial attack is most of the time faster, you will get hurt and lose the fight.
Train in a martial art if your choice, no one art is better than any other by the way, train in YOUR chosen art until it becomes second nature and then you will be able to defend against most attacks successfully.
You will need daily training as well.
If you need anymore details, please don’t hesitate to ask, thanks.

Keith John.
 

danjohnston

New member
Posts: 3
I did 4 years of Yoshinkan Aikido and Kenjutsu, this include hardwood weapon training. I would train 8+ hours a week and home solo practice, 1/2 the time was weapons with a partner and sometimes more. I got to green belt but my weapon was at blackbelt but you can't grade higher than the green at the time.



One day after work I was in the bathtub when I heard a crash in the kitchen, got out the tub and wrapped a towel around meself then found I had a burglar in the house. I had all me weapons on the living room floor and when I practiced my solo form would always imagine an opponent. I was ready to do what ever and assume he may have a knife but I have my hardwood bokken nearby, he chose to run away.

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As someone who has had practical training in self-defense, I can confidently say that it is a very important skill for everyone. Our lives are constantly at risk, and knowing self-defense techniques can help us protect ourselves and our loved ones in critical situations. I also recently read about domestic violence, found https://supremestudy.com/essay-examples/domestic-violence/ for this. The practice of self-defense not only helps to develop physical strength and agility, but also improves self-control, self-confidence and the ability to make informed decisions in stressful situations. I recommend everyone interested to start self-defense training as early as possible.
I watch videos like this too, it really helps. The main thing is to practice after that.
 
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