Any recommendations? It kind of occurred to me the other day I really don't have the first clue what I would do if I was in some type of situation where I had to use a type of hand to hand method of self defense to get myself out of a jam. I am not talking about training for MMA or anything like that, just some basic stuff I could utilize if I had to. I played hockey at a fairly high level in my younger days and got into the occasional scrap, but that was a controlled situation and kind of a free for all for about 20 seconds before the refs generally put an end to it. I also dabbled in wrestling a little bit. If I am being honest with myself though I probably wouldn't really be happy how I'd react if I had to protect myself or my family should the situation arise. I am pretty fit and stay active, so even if it was something I could work into my week for something different I would be open to it. I see lots of MMA gyms now, boxing gyms, jiu jitsu, karate, etc. Just wondering what other folks experiences are.
Basic Self Defense Class/Methodology
- Thread starter shields shtr
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BJJ is an awesome thing to learn even a little of. It is not ideal for all situations but if things go to a one on one physical altercation it is excellent. That said it is expensive to join most gyms.
Boxing / kickboxing mixed with some Jiu Jitsu will get you along way in the real world.
Traditional martial arts are kinda useless unless you want to compete or just do it for the excersice.
Traditional martial arts are kinda useless unless you want to compete or just do it for the excersice.
What in the world was that guy thinking? I thought it was settled long ago that MMA-style cannot be countered with that Mr Miagi stuff.
This.
There are major differences between theatrical martial arts and practical martial arts. Tai Chi and some forms of Wushu are excellent for developing endurance, patience, cool-headedness and other essential character improvement skills. If you can blend some of these elements into your regular sports and fitness training, that would be perfect. But if you are looking for skills that will give you the edge in a violent defensive encounter, you better stick with a reality based training system. BJJ, Krav Maga, etc.
Tai Chi is like long distance walking. It is good for developing inner strength. But when shit really goes down the gutter, I prefer knife-do, Glock-jutsu, and 1000-lumen flashlight psych-ops...
Hi,
IMO BJJ is horrible for entry level self defense. Being that most BJJ schools will have you on your back for the first several months and when you do "roll" they start you on the ground already.
Well street fights do NOT start from the ground and your back is the last place you want to be.
For entry level self defense...pure old fashioned boxing is the foundation you are seeking, IMO.
If you do not know how to punch then knowing a triangle choke from your back is not going to do you much good.
Beyond entry level is when things get more complex and diverse though.
Sincerely,
Theis
IMO BJJ is horrible for entry level self defense. Being that most BJJ schools will have you on your back for the first several months and when you do "roll" they start you on the ground already.
Well street fights do NOT start from the ground and your back is the last place you want to be.
For entry level self defense...pure old fashioned boxing is the foundation you are seeking, IMO.
If you do not know how to punch then knowing a triangle choke from your back is not going to do you much good.
Beyond entry level is when things get more complex and diverse though.
Sincerely,
Theis
BJJ, with some background in either judo or wrestling. Good BJJ schools start teaching takedowns from day one. At my academy, we are taught takedowns, drill takedowns, and start standing when it’s time for live training.
My coach has a D1 collegiate background in wrestling, so that’s primarily what he teaches when it comes to takedowns. A few of us have backgrounds in Judo, so we get to expose our teammates to that as well.
I hear what @THEIS is saying about being on your back. A lot of that is a function of being a white belt, and rolling with a purple or brown belt. The way I train is to work for my take down, and then work the position and submission. Once that’s done, I will start in a bad spot (give my training partner my back, or side control, etc.) and let them work their stuff while I defend... and I’ll do this for the rest of the roll (5-10 minutes).
Right off the bat, a week into BJJ your not going to outright destroy anyone with it either in the gym or on the street. 6-12 months in though, and it’s a whole different story. I’ve heard it said that an average white belt 6-9 months in would do very well in a typical street fight, and your average blue belt will flat out destroy most people in the same situation.
BJJ is a grind. It takes time. It’s not for everybody. You’ll either love it, or hate it. If you stick with it, it’ll pay off huge if your ever caught in one of those situations. Hopefully your never in that spot, and you just train cause you love it, and you make some of the best friends you could have possibly imagined.
Look around at different schools before you commit too. Schools are different. There are super regimented schools, and more laid back schools. Try a few out and find one that appeals to you. They will typically let you train there for a day to a week without requiring anything of you. Use that time to see if BJJ right for you. Know going in that it’s going to be hard. It can be a huge ego check to some... those are typically the ones that wash out.
My coach has a D1 collegiate background in wrestling, so that’s primarily what he teaches when it comes to takedowns. A few of us have backgrounds in Judo, so we get to expose our teammates to that as well.
I hear what @THEIS is saying about being on your back. A lot of that is a function of being a white belt, and rolling with a purple or brown belt. The way I train is to work for my take down, and then work the position and submission. Once that’s done, I will start in a bad spot (give my training partner my back, or side control, etc.) and let them work their stuff while I defend... and I’ll do this for the rest of the roll (5-10 minutes).
Right off the bat, a week into BJJ your not going to outright destroy anyone with it either in the gym or on the street. 6-12 months in though, and it’s a whole different story. I’ve heard it said that an average white belt 6-9 months in would do very well in a typical street fight, and your average blue belt will flat out destroy most people in the same situation.
BJJ is a grind. It takes time. It’s not for everybody. You’ll either love it, or hate it. If you stick with it, it’ll pay off huge if your ever caught in one of those situations. Hopefully your never in that spot, and you just train cause you love it, and you make some of the best friends you could have possibly imagined.
Look around at different schools before you commit too. Schools are different. There are super regimented schools, and more laid back schools. Try a few out and find one that appeals to you. They will typically let you train there for a day to a week without requiring anything of you. Use that time to see if BJJ right for you. Know going in that it’s going to be hard. It can be a huge ego check to some... those are typically the ones that wash out.
See if you can find a Krav Maga class in your area. For strait up self defense it’s hard to beat. Otherwise look for a good kick boxing gym. Even at a basic level you’ll be far better off than all those guys off the street
A lot of places these days offer training from experts in multiple disciplines. If you can find a one stop shop, you will be able to get muy tai, jujitsu and some incarnation of krav maga, maybe boxing and maybe a knife class mixed into a few nights a week. They all want a credit card and will play dumb when you quit and keep charging you. This is by design. Many will offer no form of violence inoculation, which is just as important as the techniques which you are shopping for.
Admittedly, I’m a bit biased here as a former boxer. I’d done quite a bit in my younger years & it’s saved my ass a few times.
I would recommend finding a good boxing gym. Spend a while learning to hit the bags, mitts & throwing combos before sparring. A good gym / coach(es) will not feed you to the wolves. I don’t recommend sparring until you’re comfortable. In order to grow as a fighter you’ll need to spend time sparring. That being said, you’re going to get hit at some point; suck it up & move forward. You may not believe this now, but you’ll have so much adrenaline pumping that the punches don’t hurt much at the time.
You’ll also find your strengths & weaknesses. Not everyone is a power puncher. Power has nothing to do w/ muscle. Be honest w/ yourself & train to your strengths. Use your power, speed, experience (once gained), etc.
From the very limited MMA / ground fighting I’ve been exposed to, I find a lot of the training to be too technical. Trying to figure out which way to maneuver this joint or that, working out of bad positions w/ out getting caught in another bad position, etc. I’m not taking away from this craft, but in I’m my opinion it’s too complicated to give a beginner an edge right away over anyone.
As a sport I’d say MMA & ground fighting are great. As soon as the fight is a two-on-one or worse all that ground fighting is worthless. This is why I favor a strike based fighting style; once your on your back w/ one guy, his buddy is going to put the boots on you for sure. But if you hit the first MF’r in the mouth & he starts spitting chiclets, do you think his buddy is going to step up & ask for the same? Probably not, but if he does, who cares? You’ll most likely have a decided advantage & be in a position to deal w/ him too.
Don’t feel intimidated going into a gym. We all did it the first time too. You’ll start to figure things out pretty quickly. As someone else said above, you’ll make some really good friends in the gym too. *Don’t talk a lot of shit. I had a buddy who used to like talking shit & one night he asked me to spar. The head trainer says “I know he’s got a big mouth, but go easy on him.” As we we were waiting on the bell to start the round he was still talking shit. The bell rang, we touched gloves & started moving. About three seconds into the first round I dropped him (16 oz gloves). The trainer had to break out the smelling salts. Guess how much shit he talked after that?
I would recommend finding a good boxing gym. Spend a while learning to hit the bags, mitts & throwing combos before sparring. A good gym / coach(es) will not feed you to the wolves. I don’t recommend sparring until you’re comfortable. In order to grow as a fighter you’ll need to spend time sparring. That being said, you’re going to get hit at some point; suck it up & move forward. You may not believe this now, but you’ll have so much adrenaline pumping that the punches don’t hurt much at the time.
You’ll also find your strengths & weaknesses. Not everyone is a power puncher. Power has nothing to do w/ muscle. Be honest w/ yourself & train to your strengths. Use your power, speed, experience (once gained), etc.
From the very limited MMA / ground fighting I’ve been exposed to, I find a lot of the training to be too technical. Trying to figure out which way to maneuver this joint or that, working out of bad positions w/ out getting caught in another bad position, etc. I’m not taking away from this craft, but in I’m my opinion it’s too complicated to give a beginner an edge right away over anyone.
As a sport I’d say MMA & ground fighting are great. As soon as the fight is a two-on-one or worse all that ground fighting is worthless. This is why I favor a strike based fighting style; once your on your back w/ one guy, his buddy is going to put the boots on you for sure. But if you hit the first MF’r in the mouth & he starts spitting chiclets, do you think his buddy is going to step up & ask for the same? Probably not, but if he does, who cares? You’ll most likely have a decided advantage & be in a position to deal w/ him too.
Don’t feel intimidated going into a gym. We all did it the first time too. You’ll start to figure things out pretty quickly. As someone else said above, you’ll make some really good friends in the gym too. *Don’t talk a lot of shit. I had a buddy who used to like talking shit & one night he asked me to spar. The head trainer says “I know he’s got a big mouth, but go easy on him.” As we we were waiting on the bell to start the round he was still talking shit. The bell rang, we touched gloves & started moving. About three seconds into the first round I dropped him (16 oz gloves). The trainer had to break out the smelling salts. Guess how much shit he talked after that?
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