Martial arts....recommend?

Question

Which martial art form would you recommend me for defending myself against guys with a lot of muscles and sometimes knives?

Answer 1

Seriously?

Some of these people have some inflated views.

Few things, no weapon vs. weapon means a bad time for no weapon guy.

People say they "train for knife situations" well going over rehearsed movements or dead patterns when your partner takes a predetermined swipe at you, is not preparing you for a knife.

Unless someone has a marker, or some other form of being able to mark you, and he comes out you with all that he has attempting to mark you up, then you probably really aren't "training for knives".

The few people who are damned proficient at knife fighting will tell you that it is a bad situation period, and that you will get cut.

Krav Maga as it is taught in Israel teaches knife defense under the assumption that you have already been cut or stabbed at least once, and you are attempting prevent further cutting and stabbing.

One Systemas main founders was stabbed to death while trying to disarm a knife weidling attacker.

I tell you this only to inform you, that even in Martial Arts there is no real mystic answer and it is bad situation to begin with. People who think they can deftly deal with a knife wielding opponent, or multiple opponents are seriously delusioned.

Check out the Dog Brothers on youtube, they practice full contact Kali/Arnis and give you and idea of what alive training actually looks like in regards to Kendo, Kali, Escrima, Arnis.

Kali/Arnis/Escrima were all meant as methods to be able to substitute machetes instead of sticks.

Check out this stuff:

http://www.straightblastgym.com/aliveness101.html

Or this group of articles on street vs. sport.

http://www.straightblastgym.com/street.htm

So just some words of advice as far as knife defense, any Martial Art that says they train for it, if they aren't having "try to stab me" sparring, then they probably aren't truly training for it.

As far as people with muscles, well that is another thing all together.

Big muscling guys don't have a lot of wind, as big muscles use up more oxygen. Any amount of technique will easily beat them, aside from strengthing up against them.

Here is a good article on how to find a good school. long but a great read.

http://www.bullshido.com/articles/finding-a-good-martial-arts-school.html

Anyway, any "realistic training" martial art will take you far. You have to spar, fight often, and really learn how to defend yourself with solid fundamental technique, and you can easily beat out brute strength.

It all depends on what is available and affordable in your area, and the level of commitment you are willing to put into it.

MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, Judo, Brazilian Jujitsu, Krav Maga (True Krav Maga, A-C certified professional with a few years in, where there is sparring and hard contact) Jeet Kune Do (that train with aliveness, see above), Kyokushin Karate, Kickboxing, or any art really.

Any art that spars often, goes with progressive resistance when learning techniques, and will put allow you to put your techniques to the test against a live fully resisting opponent who is trying to beat you as much as you are trying to beat him.

Then take the time to learn some Krav Maga knife defenses, some other knife defenses, and get a marker or a paint brush, and spar. Try to limit cuts to non vital areas of your body, or learn how to keep space from someone trying to cut you. Then you will learn effective knife defense, because truly you want to run, or give yourself the space and opportunity to get away.

You find out quick, against someone who is able to try to "cut" you.

I have done full contact Escrima, and done these sort of knife drills for a few years now, and still get "cut". Of course much less when I am armed, a whole lot more when I am unnarmed.

Real knife defense is very different then what they try to show in some dojos. 90 percent of the time you never see it coming. No one comes at your with the blade drawn, out in the open with some predetermined type of blow. And they never extended their arm.

Most of the time the only way to really protect yourself from a knife is to keep the person from being able to deploy it. When they reach for it, you control that arm, and do your damage.

Just trust me, don't listen to a lot of people telling you they train for weapons, knives, and for multiple opponents. Cooperative opponents who come at you in a predetermined attack pattern does not prepare you for multiple opponents.

Some swing a knife overhead, in a straight forward jab, in a wide arc from the side, or holding with predetermined grips, is not reality. Reality is a guy is in a fight with you, you two are wrestling, he pulls it out without you realizing it, and is already in close and stabs you repeatedly from close range.

I just don't want you to be misinformed, there are people who have been killed trying to do some of these disarms and knife defenses because of an overinflated misinformed belief in their own abilities.

Dudes with muscles is pretty easy, take a good martial art, find a good school and train hard.

Dudes with knives, get the heck out of the there, or have a better weapon as a deterrant.

Hope that helps, hate to be the bearer of bad news but I tend to speak the truth.

Good luck to you.

Answer 2

Hi there A good martial artist is quite simply a person who can do it, explain it and evaluate what they are doing to change it! Combine the above with experience and a good level of education makes them a good martial artist! Add a little bit of philosophy and worldly wisdom and you have a grandmaster on your hands! Overal a general all round good egg! Renyo makes an excellent point! A thug can fight and he can also be well trained but a martial artist he certainly isnt! Budo contains many things and some of them arent about fighting! Dont you have to be a gentleman and have a good heart to be considered to be a true martial artist? Otherwise youre just classed as a killer or a skilled thug! Best wishes idai

Answer 3

Aikido is a great form of self defense! I took it for over 7 years and from experience it does work no matter how muscular the guy is! Aikido is taking the energy that a person attacks you with and using it agenst them. If you are serioius on taking a class I would highley recomend it and suggest sitting in on some of the classes to make sure it is what you are looking for. Most places have just womens classes if you perfer or coed classes. Children are also usually put into seperete classes so you don't have to worry about haveing some 8 year old in your class not taking it seriously.

To let you know just how much it works my dad and I were joking around in the house when I was 17. I was about 110lbs. soaking wet, and my dad was the work out type that lifted weights an ran every other day like a religion. He came up behind me like the students were doing in class that day so I did a move that I learned. Next think we knew he was on the ground, needed reconstruction surgery, and was out of work for almost 1 year. After that I never used it unless I had to.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

I would recomend looking at doing a few things

Kyokushin Karate: karate is originaly designed for smaller guys taking on bigger guys, you will get toughened up and practice street self defence

BJJ: You need grapling skills if the fight goes to the ground, and BJJ is great to learn, it takes the best of everything that works from all other grapling styles

Senshido: Although i havent been to any of their seminars i own the shredder DVD and it looks like very good stuff, going to a few real life self defence seminars would definately help you

Sparing with a friend: especially a muscly friend if you have one, while karate will save your head from getting smashed around like in other boxing arts you should still learn what a punch to the head feels like, so once in a while get some gloves go to the park and spar

Enter Tournaments: You will have plent of opportunityes to enter tournaments through BJJ and kyokushin, in tournaments you learn how to cope under pressure because usually when you get into a fight the adrenalin makes your techniques go out the window and the last place you want to be is fighting toe to toe, punch for punch with an opponent who is bigger than you

ofcource the best self defence is to avoid fighting

Answer 5

I like that first answer about running away.
I do Isshinryu karate, and we train against those types of situations. There are other martial arts as well (forms of Karate, Aikido, Kenpo, etc) that train extensively in self-defense. You should have no trouble finding a dojo near you... Just try to avoid any dojo where you see their primary form of self defense as the "head kick." There is no logic to kicking someone in the head 99% of the time. (and most of that over 1% is filled with you already knocking your assailant on the ground first)

Answer 6

are you a bouncer or something? If you are I'd look into something such as jiu jitsu and/or judo, just because knocking a guy out is worse in a bar cuz then you have the risk of a lawsuit, if you can choke them out all the better. Also Judo is great for dealing with someone who has a knife due to the throws. If its just for self-defense cuz you live in a bad neighborhood I'd do muay thai or kickboxing, I'm 5'9 143lbs and have been kickboxing for about 7-8 months and i feel very confident when i take on bigger opponents just becuase of the know how and what to do. But when you throw a knife into the mix it gets a bit trickier I'd look at something like krav maga if your in need of a quick fix because things like aikido take years to master and learn where krav maga can take week's to months to learn depending on how often you attend, just something to look into.

Answer 7

A couple of recommendations as far as dealing with guys with lots of muscles:

Muay thai : I've seen 12 year old thai fighters deal with much bigger opponents and overwhem them with strikes.
Kyokushin, inshen, shidokan karate: These karatekas are tough as nails, and Shidokan also trains you in grappling.
San Shou: you'l learn effective techniques and good throws.

Judo: Judokas are underrated, these style has effective throws and grappling
jiu-jitsu and bjj : alot of fights end on the ground, where size becomes irrelevant, a good jiu-jitsu practicioner would dominate on the ground no matter the size of his opponent.
sambo: you learn both grappling and standing, very effective.
Kali: philipino martial art where you learn to fight with knives and sticks, and to defend against them.
Aikido: you learn to use your opponents weight and force against them.

good luck! I also believe that the best way is to avoid getting into that situation.

Answer 8

In all honesty the first answer is the best, run. Fighting is a last response when there is no other alternative. If you fear this may be the situation, here are a few styles that train in weapons and multiple attackers.

Kajukenbo
CHA 3 kenpo
Freestyle karate
Eskrima
Arnis
Pentjak silat

Most styles offer some form of training in this area.

Answer 9

Not a martial art but an athletic sport, it's called the hundred meter dash. It works.

Answer 10

And just why is it these guys with muscles and knives are interested in you? Maybe you should be asking yourself that question.
What about angry school kids with lolli-pops?
What about mormons who come to your door?
Stop discriminating against muscular guys with knives - they might be carrying them to defend themselves against guys like you.

Answer 11

Cobra Kai Karate.