Martial Arts

[CSDGuy]

Perhaps start with something like Krav (find a GOOD studio) to get you started. Once you have some basic responses down, then transition over to something that will give you more options. Since you're looking for SD stuff, you don't want to get into a knock-down, drag-out fight. You want to be able to stop the threat quickly and bug out. Find an art that teaches striking and some ground work and allows for some sparring. You want the sparring time to get used to being hit and still functioning.

Expect that any fight you get into will end up on the ground and that there will be more than one attacker.

Just like a CCW, if you have to fight, something (like your own awareness) has failed.

There are lots of martial arts out there, but only a few that will work for YOU.

[Bryan16]

Just like a CCW, if you have to fight, something (like your own awareness) has failed.

Are you suggesting that awareness will always prevent a fight? Not sure if I am reading your post correctly.

[Dooligan]

^^^90% of the time, in my experience.

Not spam, I am not affiliated.

If you decide to go Krav, make sure to find it via here.

http://www.kravmaga.com/

Their national center keeps pretty tight quality control on certified instructors.

Wouldn't want to stumble upont the "Rex Kwon Do" instructor...

[fullrearview]

I would love to learn Krav Maga...Only, the nearest school is in Reno... Maybe when they finish the 395 bypass...That will likely save 15-25 minutes off of the drive.

[Dooligan]

I have studied Karate, Kenpo, BJJ (Gracie), Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, and Krav (years for each). For real-world application, I found Krav to be the best-suited. Just my 2 cents.

Like the argument for "Which handgun is best"...there is no right answer.

There is only the best technique to counteract the situation that has been presented. "The best" is limited by what you know.

The best course of action is to study many different arts for many years under many instructors...take what works best for you and practice it regularly.

Imi Lichtenfeld already did it for you if you want to skip that. Not saying Krav is best, just saying it is a short journey to proficiency in real-world-effective H2H.

[BoJackUSMC]

+1 for Krav because it works and it is more easily than to learn than old traditional Kung Fu and karate in my opinion.
I would also recommend Judo for LEOs because it teaches the user how to throw and control the suspect without punching the crap out of them.

[CSDGuy]

Are you suggesting that awareness will always prevent a fight? Not sure if I am reading your post correctly.

No. Awareness will not always prevent a fight. If someone wants to fight you, they will. Your awareness should allow you to recognize and evade the impending fight if possible or to prepare for it.

^^^90% of the time, in my experience.

Not spam, I am not affiliated.

If you decide to go Krav, make sure to find it via here.

http://www.kravmaga.com/

Their national center keeps pretty tight quality control on certified instructors.

Wouldn't want to stumble upont the "Rex Kwon Do" instructor...

I have heard the same thing about the National Center... they do seem to be pretty vigilant about their instructor's quality.

I have studied Karate, Kenpo, BJJ (Gracie), Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, and Krav (years for each). For real-world application, I found Krav to be the best-suited. Just my 2 cents.

Like the argument for "Which handgun is best"...there is no right answer.

There is only the best technique to counteract the situation that has been presented. "The best" is limited by what you know.

The best course of action is to study many different arts for many years under many instructors...take what works best for you and practice it regularly.

Imi Lichtenfeld already did it for you if you want to skip that. Not saying Krav is best, just saying it is a short journey to proficiency in real-world-effective H2H.

This seems to be the consensus about Krav. It is NOT the be-all, end-all martial art. This is why I suggested earlier about taking Krav to develop some effective self defense proficiency early and transition to other martial arts for building your "tool box."

[Outta Control]

I am one for FMA and/or Pencak Silat. Though Krav is still good I view it as a "flavor of the month".

[5shot]

Some good advice here. First off, you have to check and see what is available in your area. Don't just check the phone books, because that's where you'll find find a lot of chain school McDojo's that are big on talk, and small on substance. Also check your recreation depts, YMCA's, college clubs, and military bases.
Then watch some classes and evaluate if what their teaching is something that will fill your needs. Everybody's needs are different. You said your basically interested in self defense. So you may have no interest in spending hours training with swords, spears, nunchaku, etc.
Find a system that is versatile. Not all stand up, and not all ground fighting. A good balance that includes fighting at all ranges, defenses against multiple attackers, and weapons defenses. You may have to go thru a few schools or instructors before you find the right fit. I spent years in judo, aikido, and shotokan karate before I found the system that fit me well, Kajukenbo. And it's been a good fit for me the last 27 years. I feel eclectic systems and western systems are more suitable for modern day self defense needs. American Kenpo, Krav Maga, Hisardut, Escrima/Kali/Arnis, jujitsu, etc are good systems. But someetimes those systems can be watered down for the masses also. You want some "live" training against resisting opponents, with moderate to full contact. Not a lot of forms training and punching and kicking the air.
More important then the system is the instructor. Do your background on instructors you look at. Now days rank can have very little to do with knowledge and skill. There are McDojo's that turn out black belt instructors in a year, and there are schools that require 8-10 years to become a black belt. And then there are mail order black belts, and at home video trained black belts.

[Outta Control]

Any modern systems can be "watered down" because school operating cost can sky rocket let alone the liability insurance to run it and so like a fitness club they try and recruit as much members as they can. As far as my experience go learning an eclectic system such as Kajukenbo will be beneficial for real word incidents.

[Hornetsnest]

You want some "live" training against resisting opponents, with moderate to full contact. Not a lot of forms training and punching and kicking the air.

+1

This is key when looking for a martial art that you may want to actually use to defend yourself on the street. 10 years of perfecting the form of a punch/kick or hitting a bag will be useless if you never train against live resisting opponents. Your perfect technique will go out the window once you get punched in the face and tackled to the ground if you've never done live training that put you in those situations.

[Ron-Solo]

I've studied many over the years. S&W, Beretta, H&K, Ithaca, and Colt........and a little Kung Fu San Soo, Grasshopper.

[Notorious]

Before I got into LE, I did Western kickboxing and Thai boxing. I thought punching and kicking was cool and that's what I needed... to be a badass fighter... in the academy, while we had strikes and kicks in the curriculum for DT, there was way more emphasis on joint locks, controls and submissions.

You don't want to go toe to toe with suspects. you want to gain compliance and do what you need to do and get out. When you go toe to toe, you win, you get sued, you lose, you get hurt. Also, after you win a boxing match, you still have to control and cuff. So... I started learning some Chi Na and other trapping, joint locking techniques in addition to the basics in the academy like twist locks and come-alongs.

Sure, striking and kicking techniques are good to have, but it's not a primary response to what we do and it shouldn't be. We serve a defensive role in society and striking and kicking just is not the best way to defend, the way we are supposed to defend.

Put it another way, when you see a cop going in to make an arrest and it has to go hands on, do you think the cop should gain control, use control techniques, effectively gain compliance through pain but no permanent harm or injury, and get the cuffs on and be done with it? Or... do you want to see a cop duke it out toe to toe with the suspect, both standing upright and punching and kicking each other? Which one is more effective? Which one serves our role better? Which one protects the suspect better? (Yes, that is also a consideration)

In most cases, when I applied, departments never even asked if I knew martial arts. It's a non-issue. There were less than a handful that had somewhere on their app that they asked if you took martial arts or it came up in an interview. I answered truthfully, nobody really did any follow up questions other than the typical which art and if I can handle myself. It really was not that relevant.

[Samuelx]

IMsmeO, nothing wrong with striking and nothing wrong with striking being a primary response as long as the circumstances give the green light for it. The best defense is a good offense and, whenever possible, LEOs need to be the ones on the offensive, making the BGs respond/react to us, especially during an altercation or combat. If you are always defending, you will never win.

When I get into an altercation, the last things on my mind during the fight are how it's going to look on video, if I'm going to get sued or charged, if the suspect is going to suffer injury, etc. "protecting the suspect" is calling for an ambulance afterwards.

Hesitating to use force and not using enough force are two things that get good LEOs seriously hurt or killed.

[Notorious]

IMsmeO, nothing wrong with striking and nothing wrong with striking being a primary response as long as the circumstances give the green light for it. The best defense is a good offense and, whenever possible, LEOs need to be the ones on the offensive, making the BGs respond/react to us, especially during an altercation or combat. If you are always defending, you will never win.

When I get into an altercation, the last things on my mind during the fight are how it's going to look on video, if I'm going to get sued or charged, if the suspect is going to suffer injury, etc. "protecting the suspect" is calling for an ambulance afterwards.

Hesitating to use force and not using enough force are two things that get good LEOs seriously hurt or killed.

Most certainly agree when the circs dictate that response to go on the offensive. I've been lucky so far to not have to do that and all things being equal and I had to go hands on without a fight, I use the lowest amount of force to effect the arrest, which is a compliance technique through joint manipulation or other techniques.

I'm not going to walk up and punch a guy in the face and tell him turn around and put his hand together. In the 50's maybe but now if I can do it without striking via twist lock, I'd do that.

However, when it's on (and we know when it's on) then everything goes.