Could anyone recommend?

Question

Could anyone recommend the most effective martial art for a woman? I'm five foot two and of slight build - have done krav maga and though I loved it, am not sure it was the best one for me.

Which martial art involves things like locks and grips? Essentially I need something where size and strength don't matter - but please don't suggest Judo! Tried it and disliked it!

Many thanks for your time

P.S. If anybody can also recommend a good place to do the martial art in London, that would be great!

Cheers.

Given that I specifically mentioned having disliked Judo, am a tad bemused that the first person to respond has suggested Judo....!!!

PLEASE DON'T SUGGEST JUDO!!!

Answer 1

tae kwon-do

Answer 2

Having done karate for 30+ years I regret to say that most karate instructors don't understand their art and teach sport or very poor self defence.
Though Wing Chun was designed as a fighting system by a woman and has a lot to offer it has certain limitations (it is very effective at close range, but not too hot at long range).
Jiu Jitsu can be very effective but, again, there are a lot of jiu jitsu instructors who wouldn't last more than a few seconds in a real fight.
Aikido is very effective, especially against stronger opponents, but it takes quite a while to become reasonably competent in the art.
TaeKwonDo is primarily a sport and though they develop good kicking skills in reality the self defence stuff is n.f.g.
ALL the martial arts were originally designed as systems where a weak person can defend themselves against a "superior" opponent, but to become "popular" they have wandered away from their roots and strayed into sport and exercise systems.
I would suggest a combination of Aikido and Wing Chun. Try both and see what you like.
Don't discount the other Martial arts though. Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Kempo etc CAN be very effective if [1] you have a sensei who knows his/her stuff, and [2] if you look close enough you will find the practical applications in the basic techniques.
Try out a few clubs but don't commit yourself until you have found a club you like and an instructor you believe in.
Enjoy.

Answer 3

Any traditional art can give you what you need. Here is a brief summary:

Striking: Tae Kwon Do. Karate, Shaolin boxing
Good: Can handle multiple attackers, can engage at long range, enables you to be pro active when necessary.
Not so good: Ground, hard to control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.

Grappling: Hapkido, Judo, etc.
Good: effective in close, good on the ground, can control an attacker without inflicting serious injury.
Not so Good: Not good at long range, you must wait for the attacker to make the 1st move. Not effective against multiple attackers.

Hapkido & Aikido are best known for using joint locks, but size & strength still matter. Striking styles rely more on speed. Tae Kwon Do emphasized kicking, which suits a lot of women because women are typically more flexoble than men (especially in the hips) & have relatively more lower body strength.

Answer 4

Have you considered buying a gun?: P Saves you the trouble of spending years to train to become proficient enough in the martial arts to defend yourself. Otherwise, since you specifically asked for a martial arts with locks and grips where strength is irrelevant, then like everyone else above has done, i suggest you take up Aikido. It relies on power from the hips and not on upper body strength. And it has quite a number of schools all over Europe so it shouldn't be hard to find one in London. Just a bit of warning though, if you expect to learn in weeks or months you might be disappointed. Traditional Aikido takes at least 3 and a half years to attain mastery of basics or Shodan rank, and most of that time is spent repeating the same lessons but with different applications over and over and over and over again til it becomes 2nd nature, so it might become a bit monotonous after 6 months, you need to be really dedicated to make the grade. The upside is, if you do stick to it for a year or so, you get to lose a lot of weight and have more wind and stamina than before.

Answer 5

Try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! It's can be seen as being similar to Judo but the emphasis is on groundwork (not throwing and pinning). It's all about position, grips, locks and chokes so therefore body size and strength isn't an issue. It's also an excellent workout and proven to work 'on the street'. Forget about those 'airy fairy' martial arts like kung fu, Aikido, Hapkido, TKD etc. they don't work in real life!

However, it (BJJ) is a male dominated sport at the moment. If this doen't appeal, try Thai Boxing.

Answer 6

I don't think one martial art would be the end all be all for anyone, it's most likely a combination of at least two. I would recommend muay thai kickboxing, because you learn some accurate strikes that will take down anyone no matter what your size or theirs, and you learn how to fight in close and from a distance. The second I would recommend brazillian jiu-jitsu, cause if a struggle goes to the ground BJJ is the perfect art for a small person talking on a larger person.

Answer 7

Hi , I would suggest you consider what you want from a Martial Art first . If it is self defense I would suggest Jeet Kune Do . Any smaller lighter person will need to fight 'smart' to defend themselves in a real assault situation . Certain arts such as Jeet Kune Do teach techniques that allow you to defend yourself from a larger person but at the end of the day it is a disadvantage so you need to defend yourself with surprise , cunning , speed & brutality if your safety is truly at risk ( ie there is NO other way open to you such as running away ) . If you Google "Jeet Kune Do London" it will point you in the direction of a number of clubs . Do shop around though as some are very expensive , Regards TM

PS Other arts I would particually recommend are Muay Thai boxing , Silat , Kali ( Also sometimes referred to as Escrima or Arnis ) & Ju Jitsu (probably not for you if you disliked judo) . Look them up on Wikipedia for more info .

Answer 8

I'd suggest learning Aikido... a Japanese martial art. The fundamentals of this style are locks, grips and throws. And you definately don't need strength, size to master this art. Just learning the basics can be enough, imagine becoming an expert!
Commercially, Steven Seagul is a a well known for practising this style. Watch some of his movies (although abit hollywood) and you'll see how effective it is.

Answer 9

Lets look at this logically. You are female and small. Judo won't work. You are quite right to dismiss it. Which one will work best however needs more than the facts you have given us to work with. Do you like to get up close and personal? If you do then Goju Ryu might work for you. You don't need to worry about the strength issue as the training will give you the strength. As a woman you might not like this so what else is there. Have you ever considered Aikido? Aikido comes in many forms from the sublime to the mystical. Yoshinkinai (SP?) Aikido is so effective that it is taught to the Tokyo police. This is Aikido as was taught by the founder when he was a young man. The principles are such that the stronger the attacker the worse it is for the attacker. In other words you use your attackers own strength against him. You are short. I am tall. If you are a skilled Aikidoka ( person who does Aikido ) then I am at a decided disadvantage. You are female I am male. Again you have the advantage. This all relates to center of gravity. Mine is high, yours is low. You can get me to rotate around yours but it is much more difficult for me to do the same to you. Agression is not a real factor in Aikido so you don't need it in class. You never come to really close quarters in Aikido ( compared to Goju and other such arts ) & this is an advantage I would think when one is small. So take your pick. I myself have done both Goju and Aikido. I am dan graded in Goju & my Aikido is just casual so you know which way I went. but my way is not right for everyone

Answer 10

Kenpo is a great self defense art with devastating techniques. I have been teaching it now for 10 years and, would recommend you check out some of the demos on youtube.com, enter a few names like Frank Soto, Jeff Speakman, Larry Tatum and Ed Parker...ENJOY.

Check your phone book for locations or even call your Martial Art Supply Store(s) and get some information.

Finding the right art that feels right to you can take time. Good luck and don't give.

Answer 11

Not about to suggest Judo then! Krav maga - I am jealous! not that many classes here at the moment. Yes Aikido sounds like the best thing for you, god luck with what ever you do