I've been thinking a lot about taking responsibility for what happens around me and stop placing myself to be in a victim (though luckily I haven't had to learn that lesson the hard way yet, I would like to keep it that way). My family and I have begun getting familiar with firearms lately and I do plan on carrying concealed at the age where it's necessary (training for the several years until then).
However, it's likely that a firearm will never be used and for legal and ethical reasons it really is a bad idea to use it in a confrontation unless you really believe your life is dependent on it. And even then there are other concerns. What if it breaks or jams? What if I couldn't carry it into a public area? And probably the most important, can I really be self-reliant if I can only do that with a tool?
Right now I'm 17, 5'6" and 115 ish lbs. I could really stand to put on some weight and some muscle. I think a discipline such as a martial art would benefit me to take up in a couple of ways.
I took BJJ for about 6 months and it's not quite whta I am looking for. It was great for fitness but I was never under the impression that I could defend myself or had even made progress in that direction (other than the choke holds which I found very useful and easy to implement, thankfully having never had to outside the mat).
I'm now considering aikido, muay thai, or krav maga. I'm attracted to aikido because I like the idea of the ability to use momentum against an opponent, to use it as a defensive tool (as I understand it, very little attacking is done in aikido), and I really like the philosophy. I understand that fighting is rarely the best option for self-defense, and that more commonly you want to avoid a fight, get away from a conflict, or control a situation until you can remove yourself from it rather than beat the other person to a bloody pulp.
I like muay thai because hands down it seems like an efficient fighting style using multiple parts of your body for striking.
I like the idea of Krav maga as a utilitarian, effective style used to control and defuse situations that you might encounter in a street fight. I've heard that in a proper training environment you will be immersed in full speed and full stress situations from the beginning, which I like because I think it would get your body past not knowing how to react to the stress. I have also been told, however, that this is the most intense physically. I am not an athletic person, and while I am willing to work harder for more gain, I don't want to take on too much at once.
I'm also aware of the "armchair commando" thing that happens and that taking any one of these would leave me better off than talking about taking all of them. However, I was curious to hear what the martial artists here had to say.
However, it's likely that a firearm will never be used and for legal and ethical reasons it really is a bad idea to use it in a confrontation unless you really believe your life is dependent on it. And even then there are other concerns. What if it breaks or jams? What if I couldn't carry it into a public area? And probably the most important, can I really be self-reliant if I can only do that with a tool?
Right now I'm 17, 5'6" and 115 ish lbs. I could really stand to put on some weight and some muscle. I think a discipline such as a martial art would benefit me to take up in a couple of ways.
I took BJJ for about 6 months and it's not quite whta I am looking for. It was great for fitness but I was never under the impression that I could defend myself or had even made progress in that direction (other than the choke holds which I found very useful and easy to implement, thankfully having never had to outside the mat).
I'm now considering aikido, muay thai, or krav maga. I'm attracted to aikido because I like the idea of the ability to use momentum against an opponent, to use it as a defensive tool (as I understand it, very little attacking is done in aikido), and I really like the philosophy. I understand that fighting is rarely the best option for self-defense, and that more commonly you want to avoid a fight, get away from a conflict, or control a situation until you can remove yourself from it rather than beat the other person to a bloody pulp.
I like muay thai because hands down it seems like an efficient fighting style using multiple parts of your body for striking.
I like the idea of Krav maga as a utilitarian, effective style used to control and defuse situations that you might encounter in a street fight. I've heard that in a proper training environment you will be immersed in full speed and full stress situations from the beginning, which I like because I think it would get your body past not knowing how to react to the stress. I have also been told, however, that this is the most intense physically. I am not an athletic person, and while I am willing to work harder for more gain, I don't want to take on too much at once.
I'm also aware of the "armchair commando" thing that happens and that taking any one of these would leave me better off than talking about taking all of them. However, I was curious to hear what the martial artists here had to say.
And I agree -- if you do end up on the ground, BJJ will help you more than anything else. But as I said, that's a place you want to avoid. Getting away should be the first priority.
