Sports & Recreation

5 Most Effective Martial Arts For Self-Defense

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The most unfortunate thing when it comes to martial arts is that a great number of people only turn to them after they had a traumatic experience or felt that their life was in danger. Martial arts can serve as a skill to be used in self-defense, but they are also an incredible booster for our confidence and they teach us how to understand our bodies better.

When opting for a martial art it is important to understand yourself as well the martial art in question. Every martial art is unique in its own way, and different martial arts agree with different people. However, no matter which one you choose you can’t go wrong. You will soon see yourself performing acts that you once thought were meant only for the people in the movies. To help you make the best possible choice, we have compiled a list of most effective martial arts that will help you feel safe and prepared.

Krav Maga

Krav Maga, when translated from Hebrew, means contact fighting and it is one of the most popular forms of self-defense in the world.

The martial art, created by Imi Side-Or, is used by the Israeli Defense Forces as the official defense method.

Even though there are many variations around the world, in its basic form you can learn how to disarm someone with a gun or knife, but also grappling, striking, and kicking.

Aikido

Many will disagree with putting Aikido on this list. But, while some of us need to use martial arts for defending ourselves, there are people like prison guards, security detail, and police officers who have to use force all the time.

Aikido is good in that case because it cannot cause too much harm to the person you are defending against, but it can be good for restraining the opponent.

Of course, keep in mind that when it comes to Aikido, if you reach a professional level you can lock your opponent’s wrists and push them away easily, but only if your adversary is unskilled and has no other martial art in his/her sleeve.

Karate

It is only natural that Karate has found its place on this list.

Punching, kicking, blocking, and sometimes grappling are all parts of Karate, and can be very useful in self-defense.

Straight strikes, powerful punches and kicks are all benefits of this budget-friendly martial art.

Although there are those who claim this style to be very stiff in comparison to other martial arts who don’t use blocking as much, it can work wonders on your punches and kicks.

Keysi

Superhero and comic books fans will live this style since it was featured as one of Batman’s main moves in Batman Begins. This Spanish street fighting style is ideal for someone who is being attacked by several opponents.

Silat

Originally from South East Asia, this dance-like self-defense style is like no other. By using energy and manipulation of balance, this martial art is designed to confuse your opponents and potentially hurt their limbs.