I am 24 and petite (about 5'1 and 115 lbs). I want to start learning martial arts mainly for self-defense. Which style of martial arts is best suited for this purpose?
What's the best kind of martial arts for a female who wants to learn self-defense?
Hi. Well I will be honest as I can with you. There is no one style that is better than another. Its is like finding the right pair of shoes to fit you.
You should go and check out the differant schools and self defence places within your range. Ask to try a week out of classes and see which one is for you. Only a good teacher can give you what you are looking for, not a specific style. Each have their methods of self defence.
Sure I think that learning pressure points and the weak joints of the human anatomy would definately help someone your height and size for you cannot count on brute strength to hurt some larger men or woman, but using pressure points and soft spots such as the throat, knees, areas that can never build up muscle to protect themselves making them as vulnerable at any height and weight.
First thing to learn in self defence is AWARENESS. Know where you are, who is around you and if it is a potential danger spot. by staying aware you can avoid like 90% of possible problems just by not being there. IF ever forced to have to use force to protect yourself, stun them quick and fast with what your teacher shows you, BUT do not stay and kick their butt, RUN and get help or call 911 go into a public place, do not try and beat your attacker, stun them enough to get away and yell out FIRE FIRE, never yell help, more people will respond to FIRE unfortunately.
It also never hurts to carry Pepper spray on your keychain as a back up for multiple people. JUst make sure it is legal in your state.
Hope that helps.
Reply:The one that you will study!
Truly, the art that you enjoy and will study for the appropriate length of time. A couple of days or weeks is not going to do it, it takes longer to become proficient.
If you are looking for pure skills, Krav Magna is direct and to the point. But, again, they all have their strengths and weaknesses.
Try several schools and see what you like.
Reply:Krav Maga by a mile.
http://www.kravmaga.com/krav01.html
Reply:It varies from person to person. Which suits you. Collect info and study then decide.
Do some homework will you please?
Reply:krav maga it´s used by the Israeli police and military forces it´s relatively easy to learn and highly effective
Reply:Jan De Jong Martial Arts Fitness http://www.jandejong.com.au/contact.htm, check out this company, they are well known throughout the world. There contact phone details are also on the website.
Highly recommended
Reply:Try Shotokan Karate.
Reply:i dont know where you live but id suggest you apply for a concealed carry permit and buy your self a decent handgun. most the time those martial arts things wont work for someone your size, im not trying to offend you but your kind of small ,a good firearms instructor would fit your needs nicely,and youll probably never need to use your gun but when you need it it will work .good luck
Reply:i don't know much about krav maga.....like the other answerers mentioned. i don't know much about it, but i feel that it's popularity is b/c it's the "vogue" thing right now.
however, i can tell you that kickboxing is very satisfying physically and it will make you feel pretty empowered.
i took up kickboxing in college and i feel pretty certain that i could hold my own in a situation.
i learned the proper ways to throw punches and when to kick and when no to. practice makes perfect too. i also gained stamina b/c a round sparring with a partner is hard to do!! i felt tough and i gained a really nice cut tummy. i would leave there in dire need for a shower b/c i would sweat buckets just like my fellow classmates.
check it out...it may be right for you!
take care.
Reply:hmmm..im only 12 and i go for taekwondo and aikido...i started taekwondo since i was 4 or 5...recently i joined aikido...of both i find that aikido is more effective for someone with a small build...taekwondo requires strength and unless you're REALLY good you might find it hard for a person with a small build as yourself to ward off an attacker who might be a lot bigger than you are...however in aikido strength and size aren't factors with the proper technique..i find aikido would be more effective in a real life situation..my aikido master holds a 3rd dan in taekwondo n he agrees aikido would be a more effective option...so far the techniques i've been taught are really useful once you can master them...furthermore,aikido is more of where exactly to place the hands,which joints to hold and which part to pull/throw or whatever...it basically can bring a big thug to his knees with the right implication of the waza...trust me,aikido is really useful..but personally i find taekwondo more fun and enjoyable...perhaps its because you get thrown down a lot in aikido..or maybe its because aikido is a very relaxed sport while taekwondo makes me move a lot and i like to be active...but trust me on this one, after learning taekwondo for so long i found it hard to learn aikido at the beggining for they are completely different...as for other martial arts,i cant offer much about them for i dont take them up...my dad used to do karate and he's pretty strong but thats coz he has a big build i guess...but for you,i think if you learn aikido properly it just might work...because as i mentioned before, size and strength aren't really important factors in aikido...
Reply:There isn't ANY ONE particular Martial Art that is a "best fit" for a person of a particular body type, height, weight, strength, or handicap (ie injury).
And just because someone TELLS you what discipline to try DOESN'T mean that it's going to suit your personal ideas (because a lot of people just blurt out disciplines because it worked for them and has become their personal favorite discipline so that shows a bias or partiality) about what YOU want out of learning a Martial Art, nor does it mean that the discipline they reccommend will have a school in YOUR area.
It's more of choice as to what Martial Arts school(s) are available to you in your area (up to a 15 minute drive away, if necesssary; unless you prefer something more local than that).
Choose at least three schools that interest you and watch some of their classes, if you think you like the class; then find out if they have some trial classes (without the hassle of being asked to sign a contract to take the class afterwards) up to a weeks worth to make a decision.
If you like the class after the trial classes and you're comfortable with the instructor, then enroll in the class.
And it's also more to the point of what you plan on getting out of the discipline, as ANY Martial Art will teach you self defense; it's not the type of discipline that matters how well you'll learn to defend yourself. But rather how well you apply yourself in training to perfect your techniques and how well the instructor's teaching style works for the class.
what you really have to do is watch out for McDojo schools or "belt factory" schools because they usually have a high turnout rate of students, meaning you won't learn the discipline all that well.
these schools often have "young" black belts (usually several of them will be 9 or 10 yr old kids, or some that're very high ranking which should be RARE if they are that high up in rank; unless the child started studying the discipline since they were 4yrs old), or boast that their students make their 1st degree black belts inside of ONE year (which the average time to recieve a 1st degree black belt should be more like four to five years).
they'll also try to get you to sign a contract for 6 months or more, or try to get you to pay down a large sum of money for just that length of time.
and you shouldn't be fooled by how many tournaments their students have won or awards they have garnered through competition because competition is the LEAST aspect of Martial Arts to be concerned about.
So basically these types of schools will "give" you a belt rank every few months as long as you're paid up on their outrageous monthly fees and won't really learn much in self defense.
Reply:you really should base that upon the option that's around you. just check few places out that's near your place, and see if their teaching method is good. because how they teach is going to make the difference of how much you'll learn and enjoy the classes.
now few things to keep in mind is that you probably don't want a style based on strength, and with your height jump kick could be a plus. i think i got rid of most of grappling and promoted TaeKwonDo and Muay Thai with those two... ^^;;
ps. sample classes are always good
Reply:For someone your size the best martial art is no doubt a weapon system if your goal is truly self-defense and not to become a great "hand to hand" fighter.
Depending on your age and area and other factors your best bet is in fact a CCW permit (carry permit) for a handgun.
If for some reason this is not pleasing (not everyone is comfortable learning or owning a firearm) then I would suggest you learn to use a knife. Carrying any bladed weapon also brings with it legal issues however for a 5'1 inch 115lb FEMALE you have got an advantage of believability that a cop will buy if you are in the right or might be in a grey area even you will get the benefit of the doubt if you handle yourself properly.
Knife fighting is very practical and not too difficult to pick up. You don't need fancy flashy crap knives like a switchblade or worse a butterfly knife (gag- they should be illegal because they are garbage knives not for the reason they are in many states), I have seen experts whip out a lockblade and flip it with thier thumb as they pull it from thier pocket or belt in one motion, and that is something you don't need a partner to practice and can do at home.
Instead of that if you don't feel comfortable carrying a knife, then I would suggest a small concealable stick like a jutte (which can be substituted for any small wood or metal stick of like size).
You should supplement your weapons with an unarmed MA, because the truth is that maybe you won't always be able to carry, but someone your size is definately going to have a huge disadvantage against even an average sized male or female opponent. A weapon will make things equal or in your favor.
Reply:You should definitely do some kind of MMA training. Krav Maga can be OK, but others as well. The training should be realistic. Check out the link as a good example.
Reply:I suggest Tae Kwon Do. I'm not a very large guy and don't have much of a build, but it doesn't matter much. If you have a skilled instructor, you will learn how to properly use your momentum and center of gravity to effectively strike much harder than someone three times your size.
For example, I can barely bench 80 pounds (I can hear the snickering already...), but I shattered a concrete brick Saturday with the palm of my hand. It was my first attempt and brick breaking in the 5 weeks I've been doing Tae Kwon Do. When done properly, the power of your hit has little to do with you strength.
Also, a large part of Tae Kwon Do requires learning various self-defense techniques. These range from simple "break and run" techniques to the more complex "counter and control" techniques. Even at a low rank, you will learn techniques that can be semi-lethal if done properly. Many of them are even simple to learn.
I strongly disagree with carrying a weapon. Relying upon a weapon can leave you undefended if you are caught unaware and/or unarmed. You are your own best weapon. Besides, carrying a weapon can also cause a lot of legal headaches...
Reply:Kempo, it is a good self defence martial arts.
www.ussd.com
Reply:There are many good styles to choose from. Any one who says that there is 1 ultimate style is ignorant. I study %26amp; teach Tae Kwon Do. We emphasize kicking, which is frequently good for women because, on average, women have more lower body strength relative to size %26amp; greater flexibility in their hips. What's most important is to find the right instructor.
Reply:I'm truly surprised that no one has mentioned Wing Chun. According to Wing Chun legend, Wing Chun was made for women by a woman. Here's the story, yo: Lady's getting wed, she doesn't want that junk. So, this nun from the Shaolin temple decides to train her in a style that was made for her body type, stamina, etc. In the end, Wing Chun ended up fighting her husband-to-be for her freedom. She whooped him. Freedom gained. Marries the love of her life.
That's just one theory as to how this extraordinary MA was created.
Some of the principles of Wing Chun: Center line (Keeping your hands close in and near the center line of the body. This keeps any openings in your center from opening up and also gives you good reaction time for any outward attacks, Rapid-fire strikes (without doing any gate changes or moving from the waist Wing Chun delivers a volly of strikes through the power of the center line and energy projection), Reaction testing (this allows students to develop mental and physical reactions to sudden attacks), energy project (nuff said).
I believe this style is very good for females because it teaches the user to the opponents force, mass, weight, and inertia against him. You redirect their power, back into them, multiplying it. One of the reasons Bruce Lee was so good at it, is because of his size. So, as a woman, you're taught to take down anyone, no matter their size.
Reply:I am 5'2" and 116 lbs so we're about the same size and age. I have taken many martial arts including tae kwon do, aikido, issynryu, shotokan karate and now American freestyle karate. Out of all the martial arts, I am totally loving American freestyle karate. They don't just teach one traditional style but combine many styles including the ones I mentioned above as well as kickboxing/boxing and fitness. They also don't focus on the Japanese or Korean terminology. There is a huge emphasis on self-defense and almost every technique we learn is explained on how it will work in a street fight and how high you kick is not as important as making sure you can do the technique correctly. A kick to the groin can be as effective as a kick to the head! They do teach forms (or katas) and still have points and free sparring but usually only after you master the basics and learn control. If you are looking to learn self-defense then look for a school that teaches free sparring so you can get used to getting hit so if heaven forbid you get attacked, you're used to getting hit and don't freeze up if it happens. You can practice self-defense drills all you want but you know what to expect. In free style, you have to stay focused and keep your guard up so it's the closest and safest way to prepare for a real-life encounter at real speed on the streets.
Reply:I would recommend a grappling art like Brazilian Jujitsu. Reason being is that most woman don't stand toe to toe and duke it out. Most likly if you get into an altercation you'll be grabbed by some guy much bigger then you, to either be raped or robbed. You'll want to break whatever hold he has on you (maybe break one of his limbs in the process), and get the hell out of there. Forget the movies where the woman karate fighter takes out the 6'2'' 230lb guy with a kick to the groin. Doesn't happen that way in real life. If you want practical then think practical.
Reply:The most important part of learning a martial art is finding a school and instructor that you like enough to stick with the training. It takes a while to learn any martial art well enough that you can use it as effective self defense.
That being said, I, myself, am a very large man. I have practiced several different martial arts (tae kwon do, kung fu, aikijutsu, capoeira, kali). The only martial art where my size was NEVER an advantage for me was in the filipino martial arts (Eskrima/Arnis/Kali).
Kali focuses on weapons, but all weapons techniques are simultaneously taught as empty-handed attacks as well. It's hard to explain how this is done until you take a class and see it. Also, the techniques involve a great deal of trickery, speed, and deflection of force. My first instructor weighed about 100 lbs less then me and could throw me around the gym without breaking a sweat.
The best Kali fighter I have ever met was a 55 year old woman and she was pretty much your size. And she had arthritis. And she beat stuffing out of me.
While my primary martial art is capoeira, I believe I learned more about self defense from Kali than from every other martial art I studied combined. And I would much rather get into a bar fight with The Rock then a 100 pound girl who looks like she knows how to use a butterfly knife.
If you look for a filipino martial arts school, you should note that Kali, Eskrima, and Arnis are three names that are, for a beginner at least, essentially interchangeable.
Reply:krap maggot is just like bjj everyone wants to bignote themselves and jump on the bandwagon just ignore them and they'll go away.a guns ok i suppose until you wind up in jail or someone takes it of you and uses it on you.and as for a knife forget it because chances are it will be taken off you,and just remember it's the weapon of choice for most rapists,im sure you dont want to help them rape you?do you?the same with ground fighting.do you really want to be on the ground with an attacker?espescially if there trying to rape you?
find a good freestyle karate instructer(if you can,which you'll be lucky)you'll learn stand up,ground,weapons and any other fighting you want.as well as how to take weapons of ppl and determine which weapon suits you best to use and or carry.to many answerers and ma instructors give bad advice that can lead to someone like yourself getting seriosly hurt,or killed.
Reply:Check out the many video clips on the net and you will soon see that krav maga will be an effective form of self defence for you. In its tactical form you are trained to respond with your natural instinct to fight or flee. If your reaction is to fight, you disable your opponent as quickly and agressively as possible, then flee. Running away is a good instinct to have ! As krav maga plays to your instincts it will be quicker to learn, but it does mean you will be trained to hurt people. Real world street-style Karate modified for women would also be good.
As women are stronger from the hips, a method based on you being on the ground and kicking out is also very effective, but really only against one assailant. There are women-specific self defence classes based on this principle.
Whichever way you go, chose a school that does classes specifically for women. Running away (if you can) will still be your best option, so take up jogging %26amp; don't wear high heels !
Reply:If you want to learn self-defense, make sure that you actually practice some type of sparring and/or fighting and not just self-defense techniques -- even if you learn all of the techniques in the world, self-defense involves MOSTLY avoiding getting hit or stabbed or shot. If you get hit in a fight, and get wobbly or pass out, all of the techniques in the world will be useless, in my opinion.
Personally, from your description, I would recommend strarting with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a base, learning to control your opponent and position yourself in a live fight situation, and adding to that a more self-defense art like Japanese jiu-jitsu, vee-jitsu, or Krav Maga that will teach you where to hit your opponent to do the most damage. Some Jeet Kun Do or mixed martial arts schools will teach you a combination of martial arts, and that might be an option also. Good luck and whatever you train, have fun. That will affect your life much more than any system of martial arts.
Ladies' necklace
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