Hello! In this article I will highlight the three best, in my opinion, martial arts for self-defense. But, first I would also like to state that if self-defense is your only goal and you do not aspire to an oriental lifestyle, then I would stay away from traditional martial arts such as karate, taekwondo or aikido. It takes years to master these arts before you can dare to fight muggers on the street, and even with years of practice they cannot guarantee your safety mainly because of outdated training methods that do not prepare you for street fighting.
I based my choice mostly on:
- The effectiveness of the techniques;
- The speed and ease of learning the arts.
Here are the most effective self-defense techniques (in my opinion):
Filipino Martial Arts (Kali and Eskrima)
These arts emerged from a very wide range of martial traditions practiced by traders traveling through the Philippines, and mainly focused on stick and knife fights.
Although the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) has a complicated learning curve, especially with regard to stick fighting techniques, it is definitely one of the most powerful arts. As for knife fighting techniques, they are constantly evolving, as new ways of how to stab and how to defend against it are constantly being incorporated into the curriculum.
FMA hand-to-hand combat is based on the principle that the same techniques using sticks can also be used without sticks, as sticks are just an extension of the body.
The focus of this art is on sticks and knives, and since a person can find these tools or carry them almost anywhere, this martial art is ideal for self-defense in the street.
Penchak-silat
Penchak-silat is the term used to refer to a collection of Indonesian martial arts that were developed to fight the Dutch. This art has a wide variety of forms, and choosing the right one is crucial to effective self-defense.
The reason I chose this art as one of the top three is because of its extreme simplicity. After all, it involves many strikes rather than grabs, which makes it easier to apply, since the area in which this technique can be applied is much larger than in wrestling.
Overall, however, this art will teach you how to defend your life if necessary, even if your attacker is armed with a knife or gun.
Combat Sambo.
There are three forms of sambo, and while they mostly contain the same movements, their application and purpose are quite different.
- Sports Sambo, aimed at competitive combat
- Self-defense, aiming self-defense and causing minimal damage to the attacker
- Combat Sambo, which is essentially a martial art form designed to inflict serious damage.
Combat Sambo, in my opinion, is the most effective martial art for the street. Although regular Sambo also carries weight, because with such effective fighting techniques you will rarely need to strike an opponent. But, for that, it will take a long time of practice.