please help!

[wannabe-87]

could someone help me with tips for self defense? can you guys recommend me to a good self defense syle for street fighting. tonight i was walking homw with my friend and three guys ran up and before i knew it i gothit and knocked on the ground they then proceeded to kick me and beat my friend. this iisnt the first time something like this has happened. i reallt need some help with this i cant fight and never have been in a real fight. could you please please reccomend a good type of slef defense. im not looking to go out and kick peoples asses i just dont want to get hurt like i was hurt tonight. please ANY help would be aprecciated.

[Ice Phoenix]

I'm honestly not trying to sound rude or anything but if you are able to get knocked to the ground by running assailants before you even know they're there, maybe 'awareness and observation' training would be more appropriate than learning a martial art.

'Which style is the best' type discussions in this forum normally only start arguments, but in my opinion anything OTHER than Karate or Tae Kwon Do or some 'Exotic Style' will generally give you good self-defense skills!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is also a 'must-learn style' for everyone who takes self-defense seriously, but only in addition to a striking and clinching martial art, such as maybe Muay Thai or Wing Chun/Tsun Kung-Fu.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

Street awareness really is a must. Even if you study all the best martial arts you can, if you still make the same mistakes of not knowing how to watch your surroundings, avoid certain situations, and understand body language, etc. the same thing will happen.

Here's my short answer. I'd learn some good hand tecnhiques whether it be boxing, Muay Thai, JKD, etc. (JKD gives more tools with hands then simply fists i.e. finger jabs, palms, etc. All good for self defense...... but a boxing structure of some sort is a must.)

Learn BJJ or at least judo newaza. You've got to learn how to move and escape from the ground, and break a limb or ground and pound quickly.

But most importantly is training to heighten your street awareness. I'd recommend looking at some of Sammy Franco's material, Richard Dimitri's material (very good) and others like
Peyton Quinn, Tony Blauer, etc.

Ryu

[TracyKarate]

Contrary to certain beliefs, Martial Arts training will heighten your senses as well as your ability to control a bad situation. Try to find a school that addresses street situations and common attacks.

Why do people want to attack you so often?

[wannabe-87]

wait as for the awareness all i saw were three guys walking behind us, i dodnt know they wanted tp kisck our asses and then one just punchd me in th head. and for the reason, they were spouting off something like thatll teach you to throw gangs sins. which i didnt understrand how he interpreted anything i did as a gang sign eeing as how i ont know any.

[Kamatara]

Not to criticize you or anything but its night, you and your friend are walking, and theres 3 guys walking behind you. If it were me I'd be expecting something to happen. I mean its night, and 3 guys are walking behind you, you gota be prepared for anything and everything.


But to answer your question JKD is in my opinion one of the best street fighting arts...The reason why I say this is because your not restricted to techniques and such, its basically freestyle. And you use the least ammount of hits to take down your opponet, not 10 or whatever. Also JKD doesn't teach you how to run up a wall and then backflip-spin so you can just kick a guy or any kind of nonsense like that.


If you cant find any JKD or any martial art schools for that matter, I'd recommend getting some boxing gloves and box with your friend so you can atleast learn how to fight somewhat and learn movement.


Or if all else fails you could be a 10th degree black belt in Ching Ching Pow haha

[SweepEm]

Krav Maga would be my recommendation
but not available in many areas......

[Fighter]

Here are some style that can be applied to a self defence situation:

Jeet Kune Do
Wing Chun/Tsun
Brazillian Ju-Jitsu
Krav Manga
Aikido (not recomended but OK)
Muay Thai
Boxing

NOTES: BJJ probably is not good if you are always confroted by a group of people. Boxing and Muay Thai will help a bit.

Books:
Bruce Lee fighting method: Vol 1.
Blitz Magazine
Martial Arts Illitrated.

AND: To help build more awareness you can, in a public place eg a Resturant every time someone gesticulates you can cough, click, grunt etc. This will help to build great awareness skills.

[Szczepankiewicz]

I would suggest two things:
1) Keep your silly butt off the streets at night.

2) Invest in good running shoes if you ignore suggestion # 1.

SZ

[Fighter]

Thats not very helpful, but it is better to avoid danger by not going to places where it is common.

As for running...what if he pulled a gun. Was a faster runner, had friends behind you? hmmmm.

MA is the best option dont liste to SZ.

[Szczepankiewicz]

Not very helpful?

Not putting yourself in a potentially bad situation is the single best way to avoid the situation.

So what if he pulled a gun. He may or may not shoot. Even if he did shoot, the odds of hitting a moving target are less than hitting a stationary target.

If you turned around and practiced some fancy Wu Shu hand moves and he pulls a gun, you just gave him a nice stationary target that is acutally approaching him.

And if he is a faster runner, then I guess you'd better know how to defend yourself in some useful manner.

If he has friends behind me, that's great. That means they are not in front of me blocking my escape.

In short, my young Wannabe, the best advice I can give is to develop some situational awareness and learn how to keep a cool head in a stressfull situation.

You can take up some MA Training, but you have to try to find useful, realistic stuff. As Sweep em' said, Krav Maga is good, but if you can't find any, do boxing or JKD.

Whatever you do, find:
1) a full contact school
2) that studies striking
3) and grappling.

But you don't have to 'liste' to me for I am full of fluff and stuff and not nearly as experienced as our 15 year old Aussie Prodigy who's wracking up the incredibly high post count....

SZ

[Fighter]

Ha Ha Ha (lol)

Im just saying what I beleve. And definatly go with an effective style as SZ said. Some good ones are JKD, Boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, Krav Manga, Wing Chun.

[crazyjoe380]

if he uses a gun the spirit of karate will stop the bullet.. aint that right tracy?

[Szczepankiewicz]

Or maybe some thick gold chains. Perhaps a bible in the shirt pocket.

[ceasarx]

I have a question for you wannabe. what type of schools do you have in your area ? If there is a good JKD or MT system that will help. I would stay away from BJJ unless you crosstrain with something else and regardless check out your local Dojo's and see what they offer. But be warned almost every system says they are self defence oriented.
If they look to flashy they are probably no good