What is the Best martial art/ self defense for teenage girls?

Question

hey guys!!! I'm planning to enroll in a Self defense/martial arts class. You know, for fitness and selfe defense. WHat do you think i should take and why?

Answer 1

'lo, chinita. I'm 18 and a girl as well. Been in Tae Kwon Do for 5 years. (Think that's impressive? Well, there are many people that have been in the martial arts longer than I've been alive... :-)

That being said, I tell anyone who asks this question: if you are interested in self-defense and self-defense only, then martial arts isn't for you.

Yes, martial arts training can help with self-defense, but it's just one *very limited* layer of personal protection. The best method of self-defense is prevention... namely, not getting into a situation in which you have to defend yourself, in the first place.

I strongly encourage you to visit this site: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

And if anyone tells you to take a popular MMA (mixed martial arts) style, such as Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, regard their advice with a gallon of salt.

I say this because the thing is, MMA is sport. So is Muay Thai, BJJ, Tae Kwon Do, and a lotta other styles I haven't mentioned. And the thing with sports martial arts is that their techniques tend to rely on strength and size. They also are designed to minimize the chances of serious damage/death to their opponent. Entire targets are left out-- ie., the eyes and the neck. Dedicated attacks to specific areas can and _will_ result in permanent damage, if not death. You'd have very few competitiors for the UFC if crippling injury or death were very likely possibilities.

As a teenage girl, if you're attacked, you can pretty much expect your opponent to be bigger and/or stronger than you are. So be wary if a 6' 200-pound muscular guy tells you that *you* can take out Mr. Big Bad using his sports-based system...

(And don't buy into the grappling craze, either... although grappling relies more on leverage instead of brute force, the ground is the absolute last place you want to go in a physical confrontation-- *especially* if you're attacked by a would-be rapist.)

I'm not saying that sports-based systems are completely devoid of self-defense application; they have valuable components. But unless you have a competent instructor that can recognize and point out these components, and also point out where his style is deficient (ie., Tae Kwon Do is purely striking; there is no emphasis on groundfighting), you most likely won't know the more technical differences between sportsfighting and self-defense.

And I haven't even touched on the surface of legal repercussions. 8-|
You have to make sure that what you did qualifies as "self-defense" in the eyes of the law. The legal definition of self-defense is *extremely* narrow. Legally speaking, you can't stomp on a guy *after* you've droppped him with a neck chop, even if he's a sicko who tried to rape you-- that's assaut.

Too little force, and you're dead or in the hospital. Too much force, and you could end up sued or in prison.

I'm assuming you're in school... so know this: you can very well be expelled for using *any* force on school property. So violence is really an absolute last resort. (see the end of my post about "Zero Tolerance")

I know I said it before, but it bears repeating: visit http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/ and take a poke around that site. The man who wrote that site knows what he's talking about.

While you're at it, check out the "Zero Tolerance" section of that site. Scroll down to the bottom of the homepage; they will have links down there.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Hi there

Like ATWolf has already said martial arts classes are for people that want to learn martial arts or some form of sports fighting. Self defense is a completely different beast. The best thing to do would be to check to see if anyone is running a woman's self defense course in your area. These courses are designed specifically for this purpose and cover other aspects that you wouldn't normally do in a martial arts class. Personally i think they should change the name from self defense to self awareness as its more important to understand why these attacks happen and how you can prevent yourself from becoming a potential victim rather than learning fighting techniques.

But if you want to learn martial arts then thats ok too. ;-)

Just don't get the two confused with each other.

Best wishes

idai

Answer 4

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Answer 5

If you are looking to participate in martial arts to learn self defense then do not look at a commercial school. They all follow curriculum that is set by a governing organization and 90% of the time very little attention is paid to actual self defense.
The best martial arts for defense; for you, are not going to be arts that go to the ground. If you are petite your attacker will use his weight to overpower you in any ground match and you will lose.
I would suggest Krav Maga. Practitioners of this martial art do not participate in tournaments and get trophies. They train to face realistic combat situations for self defense. It has been battle proven and is a great cardio workout. Most importantly though it prepares you physically and mentally to face a real life situation against a single and multiple attackers.
Good luck... do your research before choosing an art.

Answer 6

Hi chinita, I've seen some very good advice on here and with over 30 years in Martial Arts I've seen very bad advice as well. If your looking for strictly self-defense I would suggest Krav Maga or another art that takes advantage of a smaller frame such as Judo or Aikijitsu. My background is in Muay Thai, JKD, Kali, Wing Chun and Uech-ryu karate. I've also studied Judo and AikiJitsu. I hesitate to recommend Muay Thai since its more of a sport and emphasizes power techniques unless your lucky enough to find someone who teaches Muay Boran. Aikido is also a good choice since it redirects an attackers force and like Judo you use your attackers force against them but there is little grappling involved so AikiJitsu would be a better choice, in my opinion.
Its been said that 90% of the techniques that are being taught just dont work in a real situation or only work in specific situations. You'll see in classes where a training partner will 'go along' with the technique.
In my teaching I've always emphasized realistic self-defense and I have student to not cooperate with their training partner when practicing a technique so they get a good idea of what works and what doesnt.
On the whole It depends on the instructor, if his school emphasizes competition and acquiring trophies I would say to avoid this. If the instructor spends time on practical self-defense, real life scenario practice and rape defense then thats probably what your looking for.
Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Best Self Defense Techniques

Answer 8

Being a teenage girl, it wouldn't matter if you had 5 black belts and were the Brazillian Jiu Jitsu champ of the world. If you were attacked by a fully grown man, on drugs, trying to rape you, you would be completely helpless.

The only thing you can do to tip the odds in your favor is to carry weapons, and know how to use them. Guns are obviously the primary choice, but being a teenage girl im assuming you won't be able to carry guns for a few more years. Knives are the next best thing, and can be carried in most states by age 16 (18 in some places) as long as the blades are single edged, and less than 4 inches long. Double check with your local police department for the laws in your area before carrying.

If you decide to carry, make sure you keep your knife(s) in the same place(s), i.e. belt, pocket, ankle, etc., and make sure they are at the ready. DO NOT carry knives in your purse. You wont be able to reach them in time should you be attacked.

I would recommend Krav Maga, or any Filipino knife fighting art as the only styles worth pursuing for true self defense. Google "Filipino knife fighting" and check out some stuff that comes up. The reason I believe Filipino knife training is superior to most styles is because it was forged on the steets and on battlefields when every violent encounter potentially meant life or death. Krav Maga began the same way in Israel. Things haven't changed much. Violent encounters today are still life and death. You have to assume that the mugger or rapist has weapons, is trying to kill you, and also has friends. You have to learn how to handle yourself in those type of situations if you really want to learn true self defense.

The best way to protect yourself is to just be aware of your environment. Don't go places alone, especially at night, avoid dark alleys and parking lots, and always have your head on a swivel. Common sense, and smart choices will get you very far.

If you just want to learn how to protect yourself from another kid at school, then I would definitely recommend boxing, wrestling, muay thai, judo, or jiu jitsu. All will get you very fit, and you will meet some really nice people as well. Good luck with your search!

Answer 9

Take any traditional martial arts discipline that you can find in your area, that works with your schedule, that fits your budget, and that you are energized to participate in.

Visit all the local schools, talk with the instructor/s, chat with the students, and observe a few classes. Take a few classes if that is possible. This will give you a good idea of what to expect.

You are far more likely to stick with someone and something you actuall like and enjoy - so take some time, choose wisely, and begin the journey of a lifetime.

Good luck!

Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do

Answer 10

Handgun Kwon Do, or Pepper spray Jitsu, or even Tai Kwon Kick-in-the-nuts.

Or (seriously) something like Krav Maga, which deals with real life situations such as having a gun pointed at you or fighting multiple people. I can tell you what not to do, Karate, maybe it was just the place I went to but the stuff I learned in there was very impractical and silly, more flashy than useful. Jiu Jitsu or Judo could also be good, since many fights end up on the ground (though Krav Maga incorporates the more street- wise parts of Jiu Jitsu and Judo, such as takedowns, ankle locks, and chokes). The thing you got to look out for is thoes 'Mc Dojos', make sure you find a real good quality place with good instructors.