9 Best Martial Arts For Self Defense – Stay Safe in the Street

Which martial arts are best for self defense? This is a question that gets asked and tested constantly. There are many different types of martial arts, and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. But is one of them “the best” for self defense, street fighting, or any other real-life encounters?

The short answer is, no. There is no one specific style or school of martial arts that supersedes all others. What matters is who you learn from and how you train.

Disclaimer: This article was published for entertainment and educational purposes. It should not be used as personal or professional or medical advice. Please consult your doctor before deciding to engage in any new exercise activities or nutritional regimen. Take care!

The goal of this article is to help you select the right martial art for your needs. We will address the fact that martial arts are not self defense systems. In this article we are lumping things like combat sports or even general combative training into the term “martial arts.”

When most people think about what it means to study a martial art, they imagine someone who practices karate or kung fu. These styles have been around for centuries, and today are often referred to as “Traditional Martial Arts” (TMAs). However, because of their age, these styles are often less practical for self-defense.

The more a martial art grows and reaches new communities, the more it can become diluted from its original version. This can lead to a lot of flaws that make training ineffective for self-defense purposes.

Is martial arts training good for real-life self defense?

best martial arts for self defense

If your goal is to learn to defend yourself in a real-life situation, there is no alternative to proper training from a self defense expert. You can’t expect any amount of combative skill to protect you if you aren’t prepared for the shock and adrenaline of real-life attack. That said, learning combative skills can only be useful and practicing them prepares your body for uncomfortable situations.

With that in mind, let’s consider the best martial arts for learning combative skills.

What is the most useful martial art for street fighting?

Now that we’ve covered the difference between martial arts and self-defense, let’s talk about which style of martial art is best for learning skills that can contribute on some level to self defense.

Most people who study a specific style tend to think their art is best for fighting. In this list, we’ll do our best to remain a neutral party.

Krav Maga

weapon martial arts

Krav Maga is a self-defense system that is derived from various other disciplines, including Muay Thai and Boxing. It was developed by the Israeli Defense Forces to be easy to learn while still being effective in a variety of situations.

Muay Thai

muay thai

While Muay Thai is not an especially defensive art, it teaches powerful attacks and encourages superior fitness. Few styles are better for building a strong, conditioned body than Muay Thai. Because of their versatility and toughness, many Muay Thai fighters see success in cage fighting events such as MMA.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

mixed martial arts

MMA is not specifically designed to be just self-defense or combatives training. It pulls from many different styles and focuses on grappling as well as striking techniques.

This makes it an excellent way to build skills in multiple types of fighting. In addition, MMA is painful, which conditions the body for discomfort and pain in the real world.

The main disadvantage of this style is that it’s designed for competition in a sporting arena, not actual self defense.

Western Boxing

striking martial arts combat sports

Boxing is a popular combat sport, but can training boxing apply to protecting against a real life attack? Opinions are divided. While boxing teaches evasion and movement at a higher level than most martial arts, it is so constrained by rules that bouts are not at all similar to real self defense. That said, there are few better ways to learn a proper fighting stance than by engaging in boxing training.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling-based martial art that emphasizes taking the fight to the ground. A BJJ practitioner will use leverage and positioning on an opponent without striking them. While BJJ is an excellent complement to self defense training, it too is a sport with its own ruleset. There are many styles of BJJ, and some of them (while effective in competition) are absolutely inappropriate for self defense in the street.

Combat Sambo

Sambo is a Russian combat sport that incorporates many techniques similar to BJJ, Judo, Wrestling, and Boxing. It teaches the use of strikes, throws, submissions, and ground fighting. This wide range of skills can create a well-rounded fighter, however it may encourage students to become a jack-of-all trades and master of none. Like other martial arts and combat sports, Sambo has its own unique set of rules which would not be observed in a real life scenario.

Judo

Judo is a martial art with roots in Japan, and it provided an educational base for the style of grappling that eventually became Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 1886 the Japanese police designed a competition to test Judo against Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, and the Judo practitioners won 12 out of 15 bouts.

Judokas (Judo practitioners) typically have one goal in mind; to grab ahold of their opponent and put them on the ground with a big throw. While this style of combat can certainly help you incapacitate an attacker quickly, it lacks any sort of striking or defensive awareness beyond the single opponent faced in competition.

Karate

karate belts - traditional martial arts

Karate was originally born as a self defense system, but the history of karate is so long and varied that many schools teaching this martial art bear little resemblance to the original style. That said, karate is an excellent means of body conditioning and staying physically and mentally fit. It can also teach incredibly powerful strikes with both hands and feet.

Tae Kwon Do

tae kwon do

Tae Kwon Do (TKD) focuses mainly on kicking techniques, and produces some truly amazing athletes. From a self defense perspective, TKD may not be the best choice because it does not teach a lot of evasive tactics or even defensive techniques. However it does teach you how to throw fast, powerful kicks. While kicking above the waist is not recommended by most self defense instructors, having great power in your kicks is hardly a bad thing.

What is the most effective self-defense technique?

“If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

Bruce Lee

While there are many possible interpretations of this Bruce Lee quotation, one possible meaning relates to effective technique in real-world situations. In order to protect yourself, you must adapt to any situation like water taking the shape of a vessel.

The most effective self defense technique depends on the person, the situation and many other factors. For example, someone with no prior combative training might be better off using distraction and evasion to escape a street fight. For a trained boxer, strikes with the hands might come into play.

That’s why it is best to gain as much experience in self defense training and combative skills as possible. When you truly know how to protect yourself, you can instinctively choose the “best” technique for any given situation in real time.

Is Krav Maga better than martial arts?

If your goal is to learn a fighting style that’s appropriate for self-defense situations, then Krav Maga should be a better choice than traditional martial arts. However, this will require that you find a legitimate Krav Maga instructor, which is easier said than done. 

There are two things you should look for when selecting a self defense program: proper technique training that is actually effective, and an understanding of the human body’s reaction to the stress of being attacked.