What Martial Art Works in Real Life

I suppose when considering taking up a martial art, a foremost question in a person's mind is whether the discipline is effective in real situations. It's only logical that this would be a first thought among many interested consumers.

So, what should you look for when shopping for a martial art? First, I would offer, does the system talk to controlling the opponent. If you let the opponent loose to attack you, then you have no hope. The first thought should be, How do I control the threat? Then, the next thought should address how to end the threat. Putting the guy on the ground in a position where he can no longer attack, attacking his vital targets so he is disabled and so on.

Consider what strikes are most effective in a real fight. Elbows are compact and so harder; they are quick close range weapons and fights quickly reach close quarters.

Consider targets: Obviously, when the eyes are attacked the opponent is immediately preoccupied with his own safety and pain. A kick to the groin requires immediate attention. A low, strong kick to the thigh nerve is painful and difficult to defend against.

Remember that strikes must be learned and learned correctly to be effective. This involves understanding body mechanics and also training them over and over again so that you become faster and strike harder and more efficiently.

With its emphasis on simple technique, strong strikes and control of the opponent and it's foundation in Israeli special forces, Krav Maga is an excellent self defense system.. The idea too, is to use what comes natural to you and, fact is, you will most likely do what comes natural to you in a real situation so you might as well train it.

Self Defense by and large is natural. We naturally draw the hand up when something approaches our face. In this way, Krav Maga exploits our natural tendencies and puts it to use for preserving our lives. It also recognizes that certain weapons on the body are more damaging than others, like the compact, hard pointed elbow strike and knee strikes. These are fast devastating weapons that potentially end fights quickly.

Muay Thai is standard training for MMA fighters and a practical system of self defense. With strong low and high kicks, devastating elbows and knees and head butts, in addition to use of the clinch, Thai Boxing is a strong martial art for real situations. It has been around hundreds of years and has been known in martial arts circles for a long time but has recently become very prominent due to the fighters proficient in it in the UFC and other MMA bouts and also the movies of Thai superstars like Tony Jaa.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is known for its immediate control of the opponent which, as soon as possible leads to a submission of that attacker with a joint lock or choke. While this is well-known around the world in tournaments such as the UFC, it also has definite street application. Control of the opponent is always important for obvious reasons: An opponent who is controlled can't attack you. Grabbing and grappling are crucial in this regard. Obviously control is rarely the end of it, usually something disabling follows control of the opponent in any system of combat. In Jiu Jitsu this involves choking someone until they pass out or dislocation of a joint. Of course, throws can also knock someone out or even kill a person.

Focusing on attacking vital targets and practical methods of reaching these targets, like eye pokes and low kicks, Kenpo is a formidable system for fighting in the street and elsewhere. Another interesting aspect of Kenpo is its almost academic study of science as it applies to martial arts; for instance, rules of physics. Thus, you learn how body mass works with momentum to create power and learn about body mechanics. It is a comprehensive study of motion and how it applies to fighting.

The point is, fighting must involve controlling the attacker and getting rid of the threat. This means grabbing in some form and then disabling the opponent. You want to use strong strikes and kicks that target vital areas like the eyes, throat, knees and groin. These areas are easy to damage and, when struck, cause immediate paralysis and pain that offers an end to the threat that the enemy imposes.

This, in other words, is the structure of an analysis for finding a decent martial art that works: Whether it offers methods of controlling the attacker and a way of effectively disabling that attacker. Practical application of principles should show, through logic, that the methods offered by the system are effective.