Best martial art for bar fights?

Question

I swear I don't go around picking fights. The reason I'm asking is because older blue collar guys in bars, guys who look like they've had a tough life, hard jobs, and maybe 2 or 3 divorces, always want to beat me up in bars. It's mostly because I look very young for my age and I have a pretty face, and apparently that infuriates these guys.

I'm 25, 6', thin and I work out 3 times a week. I've been able to hold my own in fights against guys my own size. I'm also interested in this to supplement my exercise program.

Thanks!

Answer 1

stop going to those places go to church instead less likely to get in a fight there

Answer 2

You need to change wear you hang out. That is another issue.
Any Martial art that you can commit to will help. Just remember that no art is magic and won't make you invincible.
Bar floors and sidewalks are not where you want the fight to go so learn a good stand up art. TKD traditional for street fighting not sport TKD. Learn some ground stuff because if you screw up that is where the typical street fight goes.
Look for a school that covers both in the same school. It doesn't have to be TKD it could be Wing Chun or Kempo.
Doesn't matter much what is most important is your commitment to train hard.
The best fight is the one you can avoid. We teach conflict management and street smarts at our school. There must be someone doing the same see if you can find one.
These guys you describe sometimes hold grudges and will resort to deadly force. It ain't like the old days when the best man won and you all had a drink afterwords; it's a jungle out there.

Answer 3

if you have had a few fights you know that 99% of martial arts are not going to work. The tkd, karate and kungfu guys all generally get wiped out by the blue collar guy who has never done a days training.

Being a doorman for 8 years I have seen it more times than I can remember.

All the poor suckers on this forum and the millions out there paying money to some sensei who has never had a real fight himself, are accidents waiting to happen.

The styles you want are of course the full contact ones, boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, even judo and wrestling for takedowns, and of course MMA.

Being thin and 6' is no problem, that's the ideal physique for a heavy middle or light heavyweight.

Answer 4

Teacher Frank is right.
There are friendlier places to hang out and have a beer.
Truth is many of these older blue collar guys are as tough as a coffin nail and twice as strong as they appear.
And hold a grudge.......many of these guys will hold a grudge for decades and are more than willing to settle things late one night after waiting in the bushes.
Consider a place where the crowd is more in your age group or the crowd is is for the most part cheerful.
Kenpo,(Kempo),is a well respected Martial Art and very effective.
Appearing in court is rotten,having a "Violence" related charge on your record is double rotten.
The best fight is the one you avoid all together.

Answer 5

It looks like you have two questions: 1.) To prepare for a bar fight, Krav Maga focuses on multiple attackers, attackers with weapons, and quick finishes. Most other self defense styles do too, so find a dojo you like and when you get there, work hard. 2.) To prepare to be a bouncer, Sumo or Greco (Roman) would probably be best because they focus so much on relocating an opponents position (as in 86 out the door or 86 on the floor). They also have very strong stand up grappling techniques.

Answer 6

If you have no plans of going to a more decent pub to hang out next time, then your best bet would be WWE type wrestling : P You can learn how to use headbutts, elbows, suplexes, bodyslams as well as hitting a guy with a steel chair, a beer bottle, a table, a sledge hammer(or a cue stick if that's not available) or even a deer antler wall decoration if there's one : P

My advice...go someplace more decent. There's no money in getting your head pounded in by blue collar workers at a bar, at least the pro wrestlers get paid in the wrestling ring : D

Answer 7

Winning or losing is not the issue it's the attitude and behavior that got you into the fight in the 1st place that is the problem.

Unless ambush attacked the only true self defence is to walk away anything else is an agreement to beat each other to a pulp.

I agree with statements already made avoid such places and or develope a sense of awareness of your surroundings and the people in it to spot potential trouble before it occurs.

Answer 8

listen to sifu!all the martial arts in the world wont help against a gun.my cousin was a sixth degree black belt in shotokan karate and was murdered in a whataburger after a night of drinking.so keep ur cool and change spots man.i understand u want to defend yourself, and the best way to do that is to avoid the situation.people in the street don't fight fair.be humble.

Answer 9

Krav Maga. Most of the stuff doesn't work because in real life, not like the movies, bar fights are in confined areas and the guys usually clash and get pushed. Some guys may use weapons and Krav can help you with that.

Answer 10

Yeah...dodge the losers. Find a cool bar with younger or nicer people...with some nice looking young ladies.

Answer 11

Kenpo is a great self defense type of martial art. Though it wouldn't hurt learning some grappling with jiujitsu or aikido. If you do learn some martial arts, hopefully they'll teach you to avoid fights at all costs instead of getting yourself into those types of situations.