Most people don’t like engaging in violence or activities that could cause injury or death. However, life’s uncertain nature means you don’t always know what will happen, so it’s best to be prepared. Learning basic self-defence strategies is one of the best ways to ready yourself for life-threatening situations. But how do you start?
Assuming you can’t own a firearm, martial arts training is the best method to get you out of tricky situations. However, it isn’t easy to choose, as you have several options. Read on to discover the most common combat sports and the best martial art for self-defence.
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a martial art created by the Israeli military. It is an all-around combat sport that uses street fighting tactics. Unfortunately, this martial art can appear brutal for people who aren’t used to frequent life-threatening situations.
There are no official competitions for Krav Maga since it exclusively focuses on self-defence and neutralising the attacker. Training teaches you how to disarm attackers, one or many, using any tactic available. Simply put, this sport focuses on saving your life, even if it inflicts serious injury or kills the attacker.
Training can be too intense and scary for some individuals because it emphasises real-life fight scenarios. For example, instructors of other students may hit you with sticks to stimulate real-life attacks. Yet, despite the brutality of training, it’s the best preparation for adverse situations.
Boxing
Boxing is arguably the most commonly used martial art in street fights. Everybody knows how to punch, whether effective or not. This is where training comes in handy – it teaches how to lure and time your attacker such that you throw effective punches. It also teaches evasion, allowing you to avoid potential knockouts.
Untrained boxers aren’t effective because you can easily predict their next move by looking at their stance. On the contrary, trained fighters use feints and jabs to create unpredictability, allowing them to throw unexpected, heavy punches.
The biggest disadvantage to boxing is you can’t defend yourself when you’re down. If an attacker overpowers you, you’re all but done. However, it makes up for this by teaching evasive tactics.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is largely effective because it permits the use of eight limbs – knees, legs, elbows, and fists. The game emphasises using punches to set the opponent for powerful knockout kicks. It also teaches how to get close and grapple an attacker.
When you grapple, you can use elbows and knees to break off the clinch and sweeps to throw the attacker off balance. These techniques are applicable in street fighting, explaining why professional MMA fighters use them.
Additionally, Muay Thai training is intense and increases strength. Sparring also enhances your fighting skills, whether at close range or distance.
On the downside, this combat sport doesn’t teach how to stop takedowns or defend yourself while on the ground. Also, being adept at Muay Thai doesn’t guarantee against attackers wielding weapons.
Lethwei
Lethwei isn’t popular outside its native Myanmar because of its brutality. It shares much with Muay Thai, but fighters can use bare knuckles and head-butt opponents. These rules might seem inhuman, but they are similar to street fights, where no restrictions apply.
For example, punching with bare knuckles hurts you and the attacker. However, Lethwei teaches how to deliver punches without hurting yourself. You also learn how to weaponise all limbs and use dirty tactics to overcome attackers.
As expected, it isn’t easy to become proficient at Lethwei. It takes hard work and determination to progress through the ranks. Also, access to training is limited outside Myanmar.
Final Words
All martial arts can improve your confidence and chances in a violent situation. However, the best martial art for self-defence is Krav Maga since it teaches how to neutralise opponents, including those with weapons. However, training is demanding and can be brutal at times.
