What are the Best Martial Arts for Self-Defense?

• By Owen Reily

While martial arts are a great way to stay fit, build confidence, and learn self-defense, specific arts are significantly more effective in real-world situations. Running away should always be the first option, however, if this is impossible, knowing a martial art can be the difference between life and death. Because of the multitude of fighting arts and styles, understanding which martial arts provide self-defense benefits is crucial when making your decision. This blog reviews five of the best martial arts that can be used in self-defense situations.

5. Boxing 

Despite not having any grappling involved, boxing is a great discipline to learn for self-defense reasons. Boxing teaches great footwork, and head movement, and provides students with the ability to throw hard and fast punches. One of the most beneficial aspects of learning how to box, however, is the ability to understand range. Knowing where you can and cannot be hit while your opponent doesn’t is a massive advantage that lets you control the pace of the fight. Furthermore, the defensive techniques of boxing will make avoiding strikes particularly easy against someone with less than adequate combat experience.

4. Muay Thai

Muay Thai, also known as ‘The Art of Eight Limbs,’ incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, and knees giving you a vast arsenal of moves to defend yourself with. Like boxing, Muay Thai will teach you to deliver fast and effective strikes. Dissimilar to boxing is the incorporation of leg strikes. Using leg kicks, teep kicks, or other kicks to the head or body lets you control the distance and hit the opponent with (most likely) unexpected strikes.  The various clinch techniques taught in Muay Thai also make the art very effective at close range. 

3. Wrestling

Wrestling is the first of three grappling arts that are listed in this blog. Despite not teaching any striking, the ability to close distance and decide where the fight will take place is a favorable skill in a real-world situation. The various takedowns attacking the opponent's legs and pinning combinations offer the ability to control and move your opponent by properly utilizing your weight and techniques. In a self-defense situation, running away should be the first option. If this is impossible, however, wrestling will allow you to control your opponent either standing up with various cliches and headlocks, or on the ground with different pinning techniques. This makes wrestling, despite not having any striking techniques, one of the best martial arts to learn for self-defense. 

2. Judo

Judo, similar to wrestling, does not teach any striking but instead utilizes various upper-body throws, foot sweeps, and trips. As stated above, self-defense should be utilized only when running is not an option. The various grips, set-ups, and throws work great when being grabbed or within a close range when running away is impossible. Judo also teaches various submissions and pinning techniques that will allow you to control your opponent on the ground. Judo is also typically practiced in a gi. Despite no one wearing a gi in the real world, the grips can be properly utilized if fighting an opponent with a coat, sweatshirt, or heavy shirt.

1. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) incorporates aspects of both Judo and Wrestling while also teaching more advanced submission techniques. It is easily the best martial art for self-defense because of the various leg takedowns, throws, trips, submissions attacking both the opponent's neck and limbs, and the level of control that BJJ teaches. This martial art also teaches how to use the gi to your advantage, but it provides the option to learn the techniques without the gi. Though not teaching any strikes ‘the gentle art,’ as it is known, takes advantage of leverage and is based on the principle that a smaller individual can defeat a larger one making this art specifically beneficial for smaller individuals.

As stated numerous times in the article, self-defense should always be a last resort in a real-world situation. However, if running is not an option, these five martial arts give you the best chance of defending yourself if attacked. The various striking arts allow you to maintain your range while delivering powerful strikes while the grappling disciplines allow you to choose where the fight takes place and to control your opponent. To learn how to use the techniques, click the link to our courses that employ techniques from multiple martial arts taught by the best coaches.