What styles are the best for self-defense/ street situations?

ZenLateralus

Disposition Seagal
LD, I was thinking of emailing the kung fu school from a random email address (so they don't know it is me) and asking them how street applicable their style they teach is. What do you think?
 

ZenLateralus

Disposition Seagal
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu looks a little too much like wrestling for my tastes. Also, no barred fighting doesn't hold my interest either.
 

Littledragon

Above The Law
ZenLateralus said:
LD, I was thinking of emailing the kung fu school from a random email address (so they don't know it is me) and asking them how street applicable their style they teach is. What do you think?


That would be good, but you know they will say it is so they can promote and gain buisness for their school.

Like I said before in my opinion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most street applicable Martial Arts.
 

tenshinaikidoka

Martial Art Student
Zen,

Be careful when you are trying to find an "Aikikai" school. Aikikai is mearly an umbrella orginazation which many dojo's and federations belong to. Aikikai as a "style" is not. There is Yoshinkai Aikido (Not affiliated with Aikikai) and Tomiki style another non affiliated Aikikai style. Basically Aikikai issues Dan (Blackbelt) ranking to students who are affiliated with them. What this means really is that the Doshu (current head of the Aikikai Foundation/O'Sensei's Grandson) signs the dan certificates. There is no set cirriculm as far as I have observed with different schools either. So, I wouldn't worry to much about If it is an Aikikai school, just go visit the dojo's and see what they are doing as far as techniques and if it is applicable or if it is a dance version of Aikido, and I hope you know what I mean when I refer to it as a "dance".
 

Aikilove

Old member aikidoka
First of Zen, why are you so afraid to just ask your Kung fu teacher about the street applicability of the art, like:
- I know I havn't trained more than three weeks, but why do we do horse stance and only form? How will this be applicable in a self defense situation?
I would bet your instructor will be happy to explain it all to you.

Regarding Aikido and aikikai just do a search and you will find many threads about this here.

Regarding finding an aikikai aikido dojo in Pennsylvania it depends where you live of curse, but you can always try www.aikiweb.com/search (I found 12 aikikai dojo in pennsylvania!) or www.aikidojournal.com ( I found 19 dojo here!)
If you're anywhere close to Enola then I would recomend Itten Dojo, under the direction of Ellis Amdur Sensei. If you are in Philadelphia I recomend Aikido of Center City under the direction of Donovan Waite Sensei. Or also in Philadelphia the Beikoku-Ko Dojo with Paul Manoge sensei. Etc etc.

/J
 

ZenLateralus

Disposition Seagal
I did find a dojo that teaches Aikikai Aikido close to my home! I'm definately going to sit in on a class and maybe do that instead. Is there a way to tell the difference between aikikai and other aikido versions? The dojo isn't listed on www.aikiweb.com/search for aikikai although, the style isn't listed at all when I do a specific search for the class. I wrote them an email and he said they were 'affiliated with Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (M.Saotome Shihan), which is connected to Hombu Dojo in Japan'. I think I would definately rather take aikido than what I've been doing. I can practice kicks and punches on a punching bag at home. Anyway, many older adults take aikido. Is it going to be really odd for someone 24 to take aikido with a bunch of people 10 years+ older?
 

Aikilove

Old member aikidoka
I'm 27 and have been doing it for the last 7 or so years, so age is of no importance. You are in your best physical age right now. Use it.

Saotome Shihan is great. If they are affiliated with them then you should be glad to go there.

/J
 

ZenLateralus

Disposition Seagal
Aikilove said:
I'm 27 and have been doing it for the last 7 or so years, so age is of no importance. You are in your best physical age right now. Use it.

Saotome Shihan is great. If they are affiliated with them then you should be glad to go there.

Thank you for your recommendation. I'll definately check it out.
 

tenshinaikidoka

Martial Art Student
Definately check it out, I am 31 and have been in Aikido since 1992, and have loved it. So don't let age get in the way, it is only a number. Good luck to you Zen!!!!
 

ZenMaster661

New Member
I believe that Combat Hapkido, Aikido, Hakkoryu Jujitsu are all very good styles of self defense I am personally a student in Tae Kwon Do under Grandmaster Byong Yu and Combat Hapkido
 

Bushido

New Member
I go away and come back a year later and were still talking about the same stuff with the same people. This thread is like a reoccurring nightmare, and it is always started by the same guy.
 

Littledragon

Above The Law
ZenMaster661 said:
I believe that Combat Hapkido, Aikido, Hakkoryu Jujitsu are all very good styles of self defense I am personally a student in Tae Kwon Do under Grandmaster Byong Yu and Combat Hapkido


That is fantastic. He is one of the greatest Tae Kwon Do practicioner ever!
 

maurizio

Member
i think that is not so important what style u practice to be effective in self defense. for me there are some aspects to consider in a real fight on the street:

1. how do u feel in that moment, were u prepared to take part in a real fight or did the "enemy" make a suprise attack that u did not realize. what kind of reaction do we have in this case? block of every action/reaction because of fear or right aggressive reaction?
2. do we train in dojo to fight with a person that does not collaborate? do we kick or punch with a right contact or do we stop some centimeters before the other's face? I think that these 2 concepts must be clear to everybody otherwise is better to run away from the other.
3. Another thing to onsider in a street fight is that we should not think about our life but that there could e the possibility to lloose our life. Much better is not thinking.

All these things said I believe that a single style is can be a limitation of out martial vocabulary. that's why i prefere studying a method rather than a style. For example I study yoseikanbudo, which has techniques from many martial arts (aikido, judo, karate, boxe, thai boxe)

I hope you alll understand, sorry for my bad english and i wait of your opinions.

maurizio
 

shihonage

New Member
Its not about style but about the strength of the person. This is abundantly obvious to anyone who has been physically attacked in their life. 70% of a fight in non-physical, and whether the guy managed to intimidate and shake you up determines how the other 30% will go.

If you're intimidated they'll throw a long-haul hook which takes longer to arrive than a yokomen uchi strike and you'll still miss it.
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
Best street-fighting style:

Running away, as fast as you can!

-TD, not likely to follow her own advice, even back before she started taking aikido (faced down a mugger and a coked-up shoplifter on separate occasions, as well as faced down innumerable bullies who thought that just because she was little and fluffy, she had no stuffing)
 

Littledragon

Above The Law
I Agree!!

TDWoj said:
Best street-fighting style:

Running away, as fast as you can!

-TD, not likely to follow her own advice, even back before she started taking aikido (faced down a mugger and a coked-up shoplifter on separate occasions, as well as faced down innumerable bullies who thought that just because she was little and fluffy, she had no stuffing)

TD, that actually is the best method of self-defense, is to run away and avoid the situation.

But,

Once your back is against the wall and you have no way out, and your only option is to fight and defend yourself, then you better damn well know how to fight, know Martial Arts, and know how to defend yourself.
;)
 

TDWoj

Administrator
Staff member
That's assuming the guy you're facing down is less adept at fighting than you are. And that only happens in the movies.

Never assume. If you do, you're just as dead.
 

tenshinaikidoka

Martial Art Student
As far as style, I think that a "style" does not make the situation better, but it is more the person who has studied and what works for that individual. What some arts (Aikido in particular) teach, is how to use momentum from an attack against the attacker. Kind of a an action and an opposite and equal reaction situation.

I do not think any one style is better than the other, but I will say, Aikido, for me, is what I prefer and is what I use when I need it (on and off the job). If you know what your doing, any art has it's benefits, plus, the odds of being pitted against a skilled martial artist in a street situation, I feel, is low. A martial artist (or a good one I should say) would never attempt to harm anyone else. Now in no holds barred competitions, that is another story.
 

Littledragon

Above The Law
TDWoj said:
That's assuming the guy you're facing down is less adept at fighting than you are. And that only happens in the movies.

Never assume. If you do, you're just as dead.


Actually it's less likley you will encounter a skilled street fighter on the street. It is very slim you will encounter a Martial Artist that wants to attack you on the street.
 

Donald Lee Wilkey

A Steven Seagal fan
Bites, gouges, and squeezing the balls of the assailent will get them

of you, especially if they're muscle bound fighters
If they leave themselves open, go for their sensitive parts of their bodies
Muscle bound fighters only want to challenge your fighting skills, they're not concerned about getting themselves hurt or even possibly killing you(they're just that FIGHTERS), that's their downfall and weaknesses in a street fight, they'll lose everytime
Once you open their eyes to how serious you are about staying alive, they'll stop hitting and kicking you
 
Top