what style should i pick for self defense?

Question

i have tkd, shotokan karate and muay thai to pick from

i am 14 yrs old weight 106 lbs i am about 5ft 3"
i am some what muscular and i can move quickly
which style do you think i should pick? i want to learn it for self defense and to compete

Answer 1

TKD is garbage. If you want to learn self defense than this is not what you want. Same with Karate. These 2 martial arts are great for discipline but do not teach you anything at all that would work if someone wanted to kick the snot out of you.

At your size, if it you cant some how do it. Study Ju-Jitsu or Judo.... but if you cant... Muay Thai is your best option out of what you asked about. It is no BS crap like mind over matter garbage... They will teach you how to fight. Not give you lessons in mind over matter and pointless weapons or hand chops and screaming.

Either way with what ever you take, your still going to be in a world of trouble if someone takes you to the ground. It happens a lot in street fights. Thats why I reccoment JuJitsu or Judo.

Answer 2

While all three are good exercise, I would recommend Muay Thai over the other two. TKD is pretty and all, but the majority of those high flying kicks they teach are not that effective. Karate is not bad, but I think Muay Thai is a much stronger fighting art.

That said, if you want to do competitions, TKD and Karate are probably better for that. Muay Thai is more about full out fighting in a ring, as opposed to the points and sparring competition that TKD and Karate competitions for people of your age.

Answer 3

I'd recommend Shotokan. I'm not a fan of tkd, and muay thai is pretty specialized. Shotokan is a good Okinawan style that will give you a solid foundation in kata, sparring, self-defense, etc. that you'll be able to build upon later. I started with Okinawan karate when I was a kid, and have found it easy to move on from there to other things (jiujitsu, Arnis, etc.).

Answer 4

Being fairly small and wanting both self-defense and to compete I would chose Shotokan karate if I were you. It will teach you how to use both your hands and feet equally. Also since it emphasis's power and you are somewhat muscular it may also suit you very well for that reason.

As for competition larger karate tournaments sometimes have a tall division in fighting for those that are over a certain height in the junior divisions. Most of the time they also try to pair fighters of similar size in the same divisions so that there is not an unfair advantage in their first match. In the adult black belt divisions they have weight classes. For kata your shorter stature is actually an advantage in competition.

Answer 5

#1 Muay Thai #2 Shotokan... I wouldn't do TKD.

Answer 6

At your age, I think the most important thing is to find the style and instructor with the best combination of mental and physical training. Look for something that will also teach you to be assertive in a dangerous situation. Therefore, the character of your instructor and what they impart to you is just as important as what they teach physically.

My two cents:
TKD: Decent mental training, for the self-defence aspects, great kicking training. LIttle punch training. Unrealistic in the sense that punching will be the weapon of choice in a real fight.
Shotokan Karate: Great mental training, good all around fighting abilities, but they mostly teach you how to fight defensively.
Muay Thai: Good all around fighting abilities. In my opinion, poor mental training.

I think for a young beginner like yourself, Shotokan Karate is the best place to start. If you just would like to defend yourself and be mentally assertive, nothing beats it. Good luck with your training.

Answer 7

To win a street fight means you survived. Whoever said jogging or distance running, that is funny and not to far off. I would only add climbing and such to get over fences quickly. As far as gun-fu, gun fu has to be trained. Many folks fail as they do not train with the gun, getting the gun out, aiming, etc. As far as finding a martial art. Find what is a available in your area. A mixed martial art school will probably give you a better chance. I personally like American Kenpo Karate but I digress. Boxing, kick boxing, BJJ, etc are all good to try depending upon the teacher. Krav Maga is fine if the instructor is good and you train. Best of luck.

Answer 8

I would go with muay thai, it will teach you more at a faster rate.

Answer 9

i think u should learn muay thai @ kickboxing..
pretty cool for somebody who can move fast..
i pick dat too..

Answer 10

shotokan karate