When have chosen a martial art to study your next choice will be which dojo or school to train at. In most large towns and cities you will find a karate, judo and aikido club and ever increasingly a street self defence teacher. There will also probably be self defence classes for women.
Of course nowadays we can look online at our prospective martial arts clubs and teachers. This is a great first step and can tell us a lot. As well as obvious things like how often the club trains - does it fit with your lifestyle? - you will usually see biographies of the martial arts teachers at the club.
You may enter into the world of martial arts wanting to win competitions and if this is the case you will be able to see their attitude to this and level of success. Many clubs - especially aikido clubs - are more about self development and improvement.
A visit to the martial arts club is highly recommended to meet the instructors and fellow students. You should feel welcome and that the environment is friendly and co-operative. Feel free to ask questions - how often do they expect you to train, what equipment may be needed and how often they run gradings. Some martial arts, like aikido, take around 7 years to reach black belt level whereas some styles of karate may only take a few years. Don't be misled by this but bear it in mind when choosing your martial art.
Street self defence classses are increasingly common and you should be able to find a local instructor. I personally believe that street self defence is one of the few combat systems which can be learnt from books and DVDs. If you are reasonably fit and healthy you can learn self defence moves from watching DVDs and following the moves. A martial art like aikido or judo has to be learnt with a real partner and in the right enviroment so although reading some books is great you will have to find a dojo when you want to start real training.
Choosing a martial art and club can be life changing so don't rush into it! Sadly, high percentages of people give up their martial art in the first few months and if you do your research up front you should minimise the chances of this.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Which Martial Arts use Street Self Defence Moves?
Street self defence is all about dealing with attacks in real situations. Street self defece moves are designed to be effective, easy to learn and apply and basically to get the job done! Many martial arts are based on attacks you just don't encounter on the street. For example, in aikido many of the attacks are based on those samurai would have used on ancient battlefields.
A martial art which can be compared with street self defence is the Russian Systema. There uis much debate on the origin of this martial art but it's palin to see that a huge multi cultural country like Russia would have many different fighting styles. These are fused into what has become Systema. I believe Systema is a truly effective martial art but sadly there are few places that teach it in the West.
Systema has absorbed and combined elements from Chinese martial arts, Japanese martial arts, European martial arts, and even parts of Greco-Roman wrestling. Its moves and techniques are short, sharp and to the point - just like street self defence.
Another martial art which can be compared with street self defence is krav maga. Krav maga is a hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel that involves wrestling, grappling and striking techniques. It is known for its extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks and is taught to elite special forces around the world. Again, sadly you will find it hard to find somewhere to learn krav maga in most parts of the world.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is of course another martial art we can compare with street self defence. MMA fighters vary wildly in their range of techniques and styles but ultimatly its all about getting the job done!
The beauty of street self defence is that the moves can be learnt from books and DVD's. Yes it best to find somewhere which teaches it but you can certainly get a good grounding learning it yourself.
A martial art which can be compared with street self defence is the Russian Systema. There uis much debate on the origin of this martial art but it's palin to see that a huge multi cultural country like Russia would have many different fighting styles. These are fused into what has become Systema. I believe Systema is a truly effective martial art but sadly there are few places that teach it in the West.
Systema has absorbed and combined elements from Chinese martial arts, Japanese martial arts, European martial arts, and even parts of Greco-Roman wrestling. Its moves and techniques are short, sharp and to the point - just like street self defence.
Another martial art which can be compared with street self defence is krav maga. Krav maga is a hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel that involves wrestling, grappling and striking techniques. It is known for its extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks and is taught to elite special forces around the world. Again, sadly you will find it hard to find somewhere to learn krav maga in most parts of the world.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is of course another martial art we can compare with street self defence. MMA fighters vary wildly in their range of techniques and styles but ultimatly its all about getting the job done!
The beauty of street self defence is that the moves can be learnt from books and DVD's. Yes it best to find somewhere which teaches it but you can certainly get a good grounding learning it yourself.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Weapons in Street Self Defence
The whole basis of street self defence is having effective techniques and moves to deal with real street fights. Fantastic as they may look and devastating as they may be after years of training most martial arts techniques aren't relevant to most people dealing with real violence.
Street self defence is all about an appropriate response to an attack or situation. Those who study it aren't thugs out to hurt or injure people - we don't go looking for trouble we simply want to be able to deal with it.
Always of course wanting to stay inside the law we largely rely on our body's natural weapons in street self defence - elbows, fists and knees. But there are also times it can be neccessary to use what some may call an 'equalizer.' If faced with a number of attackers, a person with a knife or other weapon or jsut a situation where you feel the threat is extreme it's reasonable to improvise a makeshift weapon.
A good example is a simple bunch of keys. Held in your hand in an appropriate way keys can become and effective weapon in street self defence. You must keep your mind open to objects around you which in a moment can become self defence weapons. In a pub fight for example - the worst possible scenario is someone smashing a bottle or glass to attack you. Anything from a hefty ashtray, menu or the good old bar stool can all become equalizers to block or defend yourself or if required become weapons to counter attack.
There are objects all around us which can be used for self protection in street self defence. Matrial arts rely on traditional weapons like tantos, jos and staffs - fantastic in the right hands but you can't carry these around!
I'll talk about improvised martial arts weapons more in later postings but for now just keep your mind open to what can be used in self defence as situations demand.
Street self defence is all about an appropriate response to an attack or situation. Those who study it aren't thugs out to hurt or injure people - we don't go looking for trouble we simply want to be able to deal with it.
Always of course wanting to stay inside the law we largely rely on our body's natural weapons in street self defence - elbows, fists and knees. But there are also times it can be neccessary to use what some may call an 'equalizer.' If faced with a number of attackers, a person with a knife or other weapon or jsut a situation where you feel the threat is extreme it's reasonable to improvise a makeshift weapon.
A good example is a simple bunch of keys. Held in your hand in an appropriate way keys can become and effective weapon in street self defence. You must keep your mind open to objects around you which in a moment can become self defence weapons. In a pub fight for example - the worst possible scenario is someone smashing a bottle or glass to attack you. Anything from a hefty ashtray, menu or the good old bar stool can all become equalizers to block or defend yourself or if required become weapons to counter attack.
There are objects all around us which can be used for self protection in street self defence. Matrial arts rely on traditional weapons like tantos, jos and staffs - fantastic in the right hands but you can't carry these around!
I'll talk about improvised martial arts weapons more in later postings but for now just keep your mind open to what can be used in self defence as situations demand.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The Most Effective Martial Art? Street Self Defence
I often get asked 'What's the best martial art?' As a student of aikido I do of course lean to that answer! But the truth is we need to dig deeper into the question and what the person really means.
The best martial art for you is of course an individual thing. If you want to take part in - and hopefully win! - competitions something like karate or judo may be perfect for you. If you want something more spiritual and cultural aikido may be for you. But if what you really want is to be able to defend yourself on the street, to escape and avoid violent confrontations, street self defence is probably your answer. A critical consideration in these situations is what is reasonable force to defend yourself and you must always of course act within the law.
Street self defence is all about practical, efficient ways to deal with an attacker. The techniques are designed to be simple to learn and effective in real situations. It's a fact that most of what we lean in a dojo just won't work in the street when we need real self defence.
A lot of traditional martial arts are based on 'classic' attacks like strikes and kicks. In a street situation most fights are usually far less 'organised' and formal and will consist of grabs, headbuts, people pushing and falling over ... many street fights end up with one or all of those invloved on the floor.
Something most martial arts don't prepare you for is the fear of a real attack like you experience in a street fight. I've seen it in martial arts gradings when people literally freeze when faced with a full on attack. But on a 'real' fight that's ten times worse - you won't just lose your pride you could face serious injury or worse. Knowing street self defence is in my mind essential for all of us and I urge you to read more on the subject and learn some effective techniques.
A final note of caution and reality check on the use of reasonable force in self defense. Whatever country you are in you must comply with local laws. If a drunk guy makes a lunge for you in a street scuffle it would be way beyond reasonable force to use a weapon against him or leave him severely injured. In the heat of the moment split second decisions are called for and if you learn some good street self defence techniques you can balance the response to the attack and stay within the law.
The best martial art for you is of course an individual thing. If you want to take part in - and hopefully win! - competitions something like karate or judo may be perfect for you. If you want something more spiritual and cultural aikido may be for you. But if what you really want is to be able to defend yourself on the street, to escape and avoid violent confrontations, street self defence is probably your answer. A critical consideration in these situations is what is reasonable force to defend yourself and you must always of course act within the law.
Street self defence is all about practical, efficient ways to deal with an attacker. The techniques are designed to be simple to learn and effective in real situations. It's a fact that most of what we lean in a dojo just won't work in the street when we need real self defence.
A lot of traditional martial arts are based on 'classic' attacks like strikes and kicks. In a street situation most fights are usually far less 'organised' and formal and will consist of grabs, headbuts, people pushing and falling over ... many street fights end up with one or all of those invloved on the floor.
Something most martial arts don't prepare you for is the fear of a real attack like you experience in a street fight. I've seen it in martial arts gradings when people literally freeze when faced with a full on attack. But on a 'real' fight that's ten times worse - you won't just lose your pride you could face serious injury or worse. Knowing street self defence is in my mind essential for all of us and I urge you to read more on the subject and learn some effective techniques.
A final note of caution and reality check on the use of reasonable force in self defense. Whatever country you are in you must comply with local laws. If a drunk guy makes a lunge for you in a street scuffle it would be way beyond reasonable force to use a weapon against him or leave him severely injured. In the heat of the moment split second decisions are called for and if you learn some good street self defence techniques you can balance the response to the attack and stay within the law.
Street Self Defense for Women
Women have long been considered the 'weaker' sex but believe me I have trained with some ladies over the years who could really change your view! I don't want to sound sexist but the fact is women are more vulnerable to street attacks and other than the trained few having some knowledge of street self defense is essential.
Self defense techniques are sadly becoming more and more critical in our increasingly violent world. I don't want to scare you with crime figures but as a woman the chances of encountering violence are frightenly high. At the extreme that may be a sexual assualt or 'purse snatch' but perhaps even more disturbing is some form of domestic violence.
Sad as it is that our society demands it I beleive all woman must have some self defence knowledge. Many martial arts clubs of course wellcome women and if you are interested in this route I encourage it. Not all dojos are iver flowing with testosterone fuelled men! What some would call the gentler martial arts - like aikdio - are arguably better suited to women. Again this isn't being sexist about martial arts for women - aikido needs very little strength to be able to apply highly effective throws and locks making it a great self defense style for women.
Gender aside, whether you are a stocky six feet tall man or a petite woman the best self defense technigue is simple avoidance! Don't venture to places your instinct tells you may be dangerous, especially at night. If it feels wrong, get out of there. This simple advice will mean you avoid 90% of violent situations but at the end of the day learning street self defense in an invaluable skill for all women.
Self defense techniques are sadly becoming more and more critical in our increasingly violent world. I don't want to scare you with crime figures but as a woman the chances of encountering violence are frightenly high. At the extreme that may be a sexual assualt or 'purse snatch' but perhaps even more disturbing is some form of domestic violence.
Sad as it is that our society demands it I beleive all woman must have some self defence knowledge. Many martial arts clubs of course wellcome women and if you are interested in this route I encourage it. Not all dojos are iver flowing with testosterone fuelled men! What some would call the gentler martial arts - like aikdio - are arguably better suited to women. Again this isn't being sexist about martial arts for women - aikido needs very little strength to be able to apply highly effective throws and locks making it a great self defense style for women.
Gender aside, whether you are a stocky six feet tall man or a petite woman the best self defense technigue is simple avoidance! Don't venture to places your instinct tells you may be dangerous, especially at night. If it feels wrong, get out of there. This simple advice will mean you avoid 90% of violent situations but at the end of the day learning street self defense in an invaluable skill for all women.
Do Martial Arts Work? Real Street Self Defence
Let me say from the start I have every respect for martial arts teachers and students. I personally have trained in aikido for some 10 years and have an amazing aikido instructor. I have friends who are experienced in karate, judo and ninjitsu and have great admiration for their dedication and fitness.
But do formal martial arts work in a real street fight? Are the years of martial arts training worth it if your goal is to protect yourself and your loved ones in this increasingly violent world?
Personally I believe that learning street self defence is a far more effective method of protection than the likes of most martial arts. If you want to increase your fitness, make new friends and learn about other cultures and traditions take a trip to your local karate or aikido clubs. If you want to survive when some guy thinks your in his way after he's had a few beers and wants to use you as his punch bag learn some real street self defence methods.
So what is street self defence? There are some great courses you can follow and many fantastic books and DVD series out there. Basically it's about learning real, simple to use and potentially devastatingly effective self defence techniques. Yes I really believe you can learn these techniques from books or DVDs! They needn't be technical or graceful and you aren't going to have the style of 'The Karate Kid' when you apply them. But you will have a real chance of avoiding an attack or if it really becomes necessary of making a counter strike which will leave your attacker stunned, hurt or wounded and seriously thinking twice about coming at you again.
In my favourite martial art, aikido, we learn some beautful flowing techniques which give a real sense of achievement to practise. But as my instructor points out, in a real situation there are far simpler and more effective ways to defend yourself. These are the basis of street self defence. They may be strikes to the face - vulnerable areas like the eyes and nose - or kicks to weak areas like the groin or knees. Dirty some would say, but highly effective techniques in a real fight and that's what counts!
For more information visit Street Self Defence
But do formal martial arts work in a real street fight? Are the years of martial arts training worth it if your goal is to protect yourself and your loved ones in this increasingly violent world?
Personally I believe that learning street self defence is a far more effective method of protection than the likes of most martial arts. If you want to increase your fitness, make new friends and learn about other cultures and traditions take a trip to your local karate or aikido clubs. If you want to survive when some guy thinks your in his way after he's had a few beers and wants to use you as his punch bag learn some real street self defence methods.
So what is street self defence? There are some great courses you can follow and many fantastic books and DVD series out there. Basically it's about learning real, simple to use and potentially devastatingly effective self defence techniques. Yes I really believe you can learn these techniques from books or DVDs! They needn't be technical or graceful and you aren't going to have the style of 'The Karate Kid' when you apply them. But you will have a real chance of avoiding an attack or if it really becomes necessary of making a counter strike which will leave your attacker stunned, hurt or wounded and seriously thinking twice about coming at you again.
In my favourite martial art, aikido, we learn some beautful flowing techniques which give a real sense of achievement to practise. But as my instructor points out, in a real situation there are far simpler and more effective ways to defend yourself. These are the basis of street self defence. They may be strikes to the face - vulnerable areas like the eyes and nose - or kicks to weak areas like the groin or knees. Dirty some would say, but highly effective techniques in a real fight and that's what counts!
For more information visit Street Self Defence
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