For the Martial Artists

[Jarrett]

What makes you think Aikido is not a valid defensive martial art? I'm curious because my daughter wants to study it.
Like I said before I studied Hapkido, which is similar to Aikido and I think it has practical applications.

The Hapkido I've been exposed to is a much harder jujutsu like art that does seem fairly practical. The Aikido that I have been involved with was very impractical and took years to become even moderately proficient. I've been fortunate to get to work with some good Aikido, Aikijujutsu and Jujutsu instructors in my life have had many discussions with them on the topic.

Granted there are many flavors of Aikido out there ranging from the harder Aikijujutsu style of Ueshiba's earlier teachings all the way to the near moving meditation styles of his later teachings. Most of the time when you find an Aikido dojo, it tends to be more towards the latter.

Bottom line, if you are looking to learn an effective means of self defense in a reasonable time frame, Aikido is the last style I would recommend. Look for a school that trains dynamically on unwilling partners, ie near full contact sparring. In my experience those styles are Muay Thai, Judo, Brazilian Jiu jitsu, MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing and the like.

 

[bassbully]

I still go with Practical and tactical training. It was amazing how many MA people I was around who were highly trained but could not take a punch or recover if struck or if their defense failed.
The training I did was full contact and brutal we lost allot of students but we learned what it felt like to get hit kicked ,tackled..whatever. The training was way before we ever knew of MMA or BJJ..it was street fighting..smart street fighting. If you are in a walk thru MA..get out now IMO.

Boxing,grappling and learning quick strikes ,holds and plain dirty fighting stlyes can save you butt. Also train you legs to run like hell ...still the best defense to get home to dinner. Today people use weapons not fists so unless you are CC permit you are usally already in trouble.

 

[_Marshall_]

The notion that BJJ is strictly a ground fighting system is completely false. It's roots are in self-defense, not sport and thoroughly addresses stand-up scenarios (watch the old footage of Helio Gracie in the 1950's and the Gracies In Action Videos from the 1980's). Most legitimate BJJ schools teach a heavy component of Judo, strike defense and offense (my school also offers muay thai and boxing as supplements). The stand-up aspects of BJJ include: throws, trips, takedowns, arm-drags (to a back take and choke), shoulder locks, knife defense, front chokes (guilotine, cross-collar, loop), striking, strike defense and plenty of "dirty fighting" techniques... The notion of BJJ as solely a grappling/guard system is a false one. A well-trained and diverse BJJ practioner will never go to their back/guard unless forced to and will always, post takedown/throw, maintain mount or knee on belly (for control and situational awareness, you know, the ever present "friend(s) who will come to kick you in the head"). The best bet is to run if you encounter multiple attackers, always. There is no single system which will effectively defend against more than two attackers for more than a few moments. That being said, a well-rounded BJJ practitioner from a legit school (an instructor with a proven lineage that teaches self-defense as well as sport) is adequately prepared for "street" self-defense. The school I train at has students from various backgrounds including police, military, State Dept. and Homeland Security/air marshal program. All of these students attend our school because they believe BJJ provides a well-rounded system that enhances their extensive training.

 

[Blackjax]

I train in various families and styles of the Filipino Martial Arts, Muay Thai, BJJ, Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, and Silat. My opinion isn't any better than anyone else's about this, so take it for what it's worth. Hope you find value in it.

If you want to learn a martial arts for self defense, try to find a style, a teacher and a school that suits you and your approach to things. If it fits you, you will stick with it longer. Take your time, do your due diligence.

There is no one best style, each has their own weaknesses and strengths. Each is valuable in its own right, in the environment and for the goals it was designed to achieve.

Personally, I prefer Filipino Martial arts as they are weapon based from the get go, they incorporate things from various other arts and it just fits me. I also enjoy Muay Thai as that was my foundational art and I'm comfortable with it.

Aikido is a great and fantastic art. It doesn't suit me and because I started training later in life, I didn't venture into it as it often takes a longer time to be proficient than some others.

Training in martial arts is just like everything else, there are as many variations as there are people who practice. Good luck to you in finding the right place for you.

 

[Afc70]

In my training I also do heavy sparring, it's not uncommon to get "rocked" occasionally. But with this heavy handed / kicks included, contact , I believe it has greatly improved my pain/ punch taking ability threshold so to speak. I agree, it's best to avoid fights if at all possible. But, I do think sparring greatly increases ur ability to absorb a punch or kick.

 

[ThaiBoxR]

I've been a practitioner of Muay Thai for over 10 years and have been instructing for 6. I'm a Green Belt in Judo, and am versed in BJJ principles but do not train regularly in BJJ. I've competed on amateur level in Muay Thai. I was also a bouncer for 5 years and currently work in LEO/SEO. I use my training daily.

What I can tell you about applying it in the real world is to use whats effective. If you don't also train for the survival scenario, it can cost you. Take pages from various books so to speak. That is what Bruce Lee did, and he was an innovator.

I took up Judo because in terms of grappling it is more dominant standing up than is BJJ. Whereas BJJ is more dominant on the ground. Muay Thai/Judo/BJJ have played a vital role in my career and teachings. I do everything I can to avoid going to the ground, but when I do, BJJ comes into play.

How fast do you think a 200lb man gets up after taking a full velocity hip throw to asphalt? How do you think the average untrained street thug responds to a trained person? When a man realizes he can no longer swing wildly, what does he do? That's my mindset, and what I prepare for.

There is no specific art that is king among the others, it is the applicant. Plenty styles are revered, there are many theories and opinions. Do not ask a martial artist what martial art he suggests, you always get an answer based on his preference in most cases. But if I had to make a recommendation, combine a strong grappling art like Sambo/Judo/BJJ with effective striking like Boxing. Typical I know haha.

 

[vin*tone]

...Avoid Aikido if you want something that actually works in a dangerous situation. ...

Try saying that to a 3rd dan or above Aikidoka. I much prefer when people say that to me in person.

Aikido gets this reputation because people see the training techniques and believe that's how it is used in a practical situation. Aikido holds must be extremely accurate to be effective. In order to perfect this it is necessary to repeat the same technique over and over very slowly. People see this slow training and call it unrealistic but it's like listening to someone play scales and saying it's not jazz. Aikido developed from aiki-jujitsu as a weapon taking art. The techniques and strategies have been around for centuries and used on battlefields of feudal Japan... so yes, they are effective.

That said - you would need to stick with training Aikido for years before developing a level of control and the ability to improvise fast enough to use in combat. If you're not a committed and dedicated person, it's not your art.

 

[Jarrett]

Aikido developed from aiki-jujitsu as a weapon taking art. The techniques and strategies have been around for centuries and used on battlefields of feudal Japan... so yes, they are effective.

That's a big leap from what Aikijujutsu was then and what Aikido has become today.

you would need to stick with training Aikido for years before developing...use in combat.

Therein lies the problem. 6 months to a year in other forms of martial arts and most could wipe the floor with Aikidoka.

 

[vin*tone]

I disagree with your first point. The basic mechanics of the techniques should be the same and are employed in police training worldwide. The evolution of techniques is a central part of teaching, which is why weapons are an integral part of aikido training.

But In general terms I'd agree with your second point. If someone came to me and said they wanted to kick butt in 6 months I'd send them elsewhere.

... that said....

...a friend of mine (aikido instructor) takes a "Self defence for women" short course which is extremely effective. Aikido excells at defence against grabbing attacks - so it also depends on the attacker. Many people do not start training martial arts to "wipe the floor" with anyone. They do it to learn to defend themselves - and aikido is very good at that.

 

[Pilgrim]

Martial arts training is pretty much good for anyone. It improves physical fitness, balance, muscle tone, and has other benefits. Of course, if you beat yourself up too much in training and practice, that's not so good.

But IMO martial arts training in general is a very good idea for most people. It is something you take with you at all times, you never have to check it at the door, and it improves both your fitness and your self-confidence.

Firearms have only ONE use in self-defense: killing people. You never pull a firearm unles you're willing to use it, and the only justification for using it is that you're in a situation where the use of deadly force is justified.

Firearms cannot be used to threaten. They make lousy clubs. They have only one purpose in self-defense. And if you shoot, you damn well better shoot to kill because that's the only reason to shoot at all.

The best self defense is to stay away from situations where it is needed.

Don't go to rough places where trouble is likely.

Don't leave bars at 2:00 AM when the drunks are out; go home earlier and stay away from that potential trouble.

Park under lights, watch your surroundings and pay attention.

I'm 63 and spent 7 years as a reserve deputy. I've had two or three different kinds of martial arts training, although not in the past 15 years. I have had concealed weapons permits for much of my adult life. I seldom carry, and then only when I perceive a potential for a problem that cannot be avoided such as traveling through an area that might pose a problem - and I'd much rather drive around that area. I've never pulled a firearm in any situation other than ONE time as a deputy when checking out an open building late at night.

The best self defense is to use your head and avoid situations where you need self defense.

 

[UncleFluffy]

(Background: Shotokan + Choy Li Fut when younger, somewhat martially-flavoured Chen Tai Chi nowadays)

Two other aspects you might want to consider: (1) Any good martial art will change the way you carry yourself. All this arguing about how applicable a particular style is in a particular situation is only part of it - there are also a bunch of psychological and body language advantages that will help you keep out of trouble in the first place. (2) Some styles aren't so good for long-term health. I know quite a few people who did (for example) Shotokan for years and now have a lot of joint problems.

I'd recommend that you do some research into both of these as well before making your choice.

 

[vin*tone]

^^ +1 Good points.

I also believe that the underlying philosophy of the martial art should match that of the student. Striking arts fight fire with fire, grappling arts try to take control of the situation.