Something good in say mma and irl, I've got an average build up top but real big meaty fucking tree trunk legs
Real-life applicability - People normally suggest MMA, judo, or jujitsu. I've also seen very good results from some karate and generic kung fu dojos. Be skeptical of any self-defense system where the core plan is not "punch them in the face" or "throw them on the ground." Be skeptical of any self-defense training without a sparring component.
Exercise - Capoeira, taekwondo (but avoid the ATA), but really any decent martial arts course is going to be a guided workout with martial arts at the end. (Actually, toss "isn't a guided workout with martial arts on the end" onto your list of things to make you skeptical about a dojo.)
Sport - Judo and taekwondo are competitively interesting and less injury-prone than most sports. Ask what competitions they're involved in if that's what you're interested in. The sport versions of martial arts are much less optimized for self-defense, but the sparring practice and competitive testing also weeds out a lot of bullshit.
Yeah, solar plexus is fine. And I also think targeting the neck is underrated. If I was being detailed, I'd say punch (or elbow or backhand, but not kick) something at a reasonable punching height, which is physiologically (not pressure point nonsense) necessary to keep fighting (usually responsible for bloodflow or breathing). But when we start talking about controlling joints or disabling limbs or whatever complicated thing... eh.
I have met multiple people who study "kung fu" at a local dojo and ended up very strong, with very solid stances reminiscent of karate, and reasonable understanding of how to fight. "Kung fu" doesn't mean anything though. Apparently some people who know things still market their training as kung fu.
I studied TKD more than any other martial art. It's okay for self defense. You still learn spacing, footwork, and how to strike with follow-through, which are applicable anywhere. You learn how to roundhouse someone at head height, which I don't think is a great plan, but it will still end a fight immediately if done successfully. It's a little too reliant on having a decent amount of space around you (which has a lot of overlap with situations where you could just run away instead). A lot of its kicks and stances are vulnerable to someone simply jumping towards you at the wrong time.
Muay Thai. Harness the power of your thunder thighs comrade. Break the bat
Muay Thai seems to be the most effective for real life fighting. Efficient and powerful strikes, no wasted motion, and utilizes all limbs.
Yes and no. Muay Thai really doesn't emphasize defense. When I was first training in it my coach explained to me that often Thai judges will score an exchange for the person who stands in the pocket the longest even if they aren't the one necessarily winning the exchange. There's a lot of importance put on being able to stand and deliver in Muay Thai because the stance needed to defend against the constant leg kicks slows you down and cements your feet in place. Western boxing makes a much, much better use of head movement to keep you safe while exchanging.
But yea in a bar fight I'd rather lean into my Thai more than anything. Heavy strikes without the fancy footwork makes it deadly efficient and it's especially good for self-defense because it makes use of the clinch unlike most other striking sports. Every real fight involves a bit of grappling so knowing how to parry a clinch attempt into elbows is great
yeah for self defense like IRL as I've been researching I think peek-a-boo boxing, muay thai, and bjj would be really good for being really broad in terms of what you can do, of course thats a ways off though
The reality is in a mixed gym you’re going to be using aspects of all of the arts known by the coaches and the other trainees regardless of which sport you’re officially learning. I started in wrestling and it was years before I got into mma that I realized I was already sampling heavily from judo and bjj in my wrestling move set just because I had trained with other people that knew those systems and taught me their moves
Whichever is available in your area, which you can afford, and which has a friendly enough environment that you'll actually keep going and learning. I'd say don't focus on "which style or sport", since if you're asking this sort of question, it suggests any would be better than the none you presumeably have now.
Disclaimer, my only experience is boxing (which is a good choice both for being widely available and widely applicable) and crappy backyard wrestling with friends who learned properly in high school wrestling/ college.
crappy backyard wrestling with friends who learned properly in high school wrestling
This one is very fun
Self-defense with real applicability -Muay Thai or something like that. Like weapons, and maybe nerdy - find a good HEMA club. Looking for a fun cardio way to pass the time - regular ass Olympic fencing. Epee is better than saber is better than foil.
Depends on your goals, are you seeking fitness, self-defense, to compete?
Since I can’t dm yet. If you have the ability to contact devs or admins could you show them this. I seem to have an issue since yesterdays name change. Two identically named accounts one locked into my desktop (this one) and the other my phone (with the he/him)
https://hexbear.net/post/93107/comment/1022030
Bit of column A bit of column B tbh, not really column C though
Yea any local martial art is going to be able to give that, maybe not an Aikido, Judo, etc. kind of one. maybe check if there are any Red Combat Sports near ya
Any sport that competes is one that's guaranteed to work for self-defense (sans the ones that compete for style points ofc). If you're not looking for anything in specific I'd recommend finding your local MMA gym and seeing which styles they teach there. You'll usually find a gym with a single specialty and then a roster of rotating coaches who all teach their own style on some days
Oh I didn't mean point sparring. I was referring to the, usually east asian, traditional arts that still do exhibitions with point systems but are more akin to gymnastics than an actual martial art. They're usually spin offs of old weapons fighting systems that lost the sword/spear somewhere along the way. Aikido is probably the most famous example
Point sparring is great, safe practice though any system that only does point competition like some of the karate styles is imo too limited to be a good base for self-defense
few years til I can buy an actual gun bc I live in a state that is both lax and strict on gun laws. Can't buy a semi auto rifle or pistol til I'm 21 but I could legally build either, however I currently don't have the money for one. But once I hit 21 there are very few extra rules
