Well, we just had a post about youre worst fight, how about one about the styles you prefer when in a fight?  I am looking to possibly start something a little more complicated than basic kick-boxing, and would like your opinions.  I do not want to waste my time in a class that teaches you "routines", I would like something that involves training, and application.  I am a fairly small guy, 5' 11", 140 pounds, flexible enough to kick standard household door-frame, and can bench around 150+ if that helps.

Im not doing this because I have to, I am doing it because I just want to, I am sick of doing the same stuff from my "kickboxing lessons", but I do not want to waste my time on a style that wont suit me.  

I want to learn the most practical, well rounded style that is available, and I figure you guys are the ones to ask...I searched for old threads about this, and I cannot find it.  I recall a good one, but simply cannot find it.

Thank you all very much for voicing your opinions and thoughts.

Marine Corps Sniper School. Very Effective, and almost impossible to defend against...:)

Rich

L.I.N.E.

You Leathernecks know exactly what I'm talking about...

If I were you, I'd work on some take downs, ground work, and submissions. If you want to know how to fight, at least be well rounded. When was the last time you saw a real fight where there was alot of kicking? Unless in a ring. Many fights end up on the ground, so learn how to fight there, and how to get others there.

Even beyond self defense, in the arena of martial arts competition, well rounded fighters are dominant.

Just my two cents.

I've received extensive training in Judo and Karate (real martial arts instruction is not measured by the color of belts) as well as assorted self defense techniques taught in three police academies. I was an assistant martial arts/self defense instructor for three years for the Regional Training Academy in KC.
But I was also an alternate on the '76 US Olympic Boxing Team.
Of them all I found boxing to be the best form of real world self defense. Too much of martial arts training focuses on matches where points are awarded. There is no point system in the real world.
I'm too old and crippled up now days to fight even if I wanted to, which I don't. But sound boxing skills that teach you how to throw and take a punch combined with funamental Judo to grapple in clinches such as seamusmcoi discussed will take care of you almost every time. If you throw in a basic knowledge of some Karate kicks and strikes you will be as well prepared as you will ever be.
Most fights last only a matter or seconds. The winner or loser is usually determined by who has the most heart. If your oppoinent [i]thinks[/i] they are hurt most will lose. The trick is convincing them they are hurt in the shortest time possible.

Then every now and then you will find that one crazy SOB or the nut on drugs that will not know or care if they are hurt. You gotta beat those half to death in order to get the point across.

Longbow Apache
G.E. Six Pack

So Gunslinger, if I took some nice boxing lessons, or got really serious about kickboxing, and added some judo in later, would that pretty much take care of it?  What about from the defensive aspect of it, learning to block/piss them off, and only strike if necessary? (My personal favorite, ending a fight with no blood shed, just one person being embarassed and leaving because he couldnt hit me)  What would you recommend for that?  Thanks so much for your help, its nice to have some real suggustions around here :-)

Also, seamusmcoi, any ideas where I can learn the techniques you mentioned?  Any specific fighting style which emphasizes those maneuvers?

Ideally, I would like to end a fight before it even gets to the ground.  IE take the bastard down in one swift move, or block him, then put him down.

Then again, my real-world fight experience is quite limited, only 3 major conflicts, all of which ended up me trying to avoid it completely, then deciding to end it rather quickly.  Im very patient, until you press the right buttons, and the buttons were pressed lol.

The flying crane!

Trained in Judo and Karate.Now carry Colt .45,Kel-Tec .32,and .22 mag.I use a Para .40 cal in matches.Now I try never to fight because every fight could be a gun fight.

[url]http://www.kenshamrock.com[/url]

'nuff said

Bulldog Out

I will have to go along with garryowen on this one, the faster you run the longer you last..[:D]

Dirty..

I have a black belt in GUNFU.....

Menstrual teenage girl cat fighting.

trigger finger

and if no gun is avalible

Nike

That sounds like now you ee me, now you don't Akido/Jujitsu to me.

"what the heeelllllll...ahhhhhhhh  LET GO!"

Zaz

I currently study Dan Zan Ryu JuJitsu and I have studied 2 other forms of Martial Arts over the years.

The thing that impresses me is that JuJitsu incorporates other styles (such as Kempo & Judo)
in its system and under the school I currently attend actually requires you to get a blackbelt in another martial art to progress to a higher blackbelt rank (6th or 7th I think)

As far as practicality, I can say that it certainly helps to focus you mentally.

Another boardmember here watched me intentionally shock myself repeatedly with a stungun while performing an art to demonstrate focus.

It wasn't required for me to do, but the prof did it & I wanted to see if I could do it.

Ed

I'm a martial arts instructor in NY and a kickboxer.  The latest "fad" is cross training in differnt martial arts.  The usual trends are Wester Boxing, Muay Thai, and some type of grappling (Gracie Jiu Jitsu the most sought after, unless you are a Lion's Den fan).

"Something more complicated" will probably get you killed in a street fight.  Like the saying goes, "Keep It Simple Stupid."  If you want an adrenaline rush, jump into the ring and spar.

Ahhh......another student of Run-Fu. I too am a student. My specific style is Mino-Baddas-Do

I like the way Mia St. John fights.[sex]

Verbal Judo.
[peep]

I've been taking Krav Maga, the official fighting art of the IDF, five or six hours a week for three months. It is totally real-world based, with no katas or chi centering involved.

It's a mixture of boxing, muay thai and jiujitsu. There are jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts from boxing, as well as hammerstrikes, palm heels, elbows and knees from muay thai. The kicks are almost all below the waist, mostly to the groin or knees. Once the fight goes to the ground, the jiujitsu aspect of it comes into play.

There are also unarmed defenses against knives, guns and impact weapons taught. Attacks with knives and impact weapons are taught at higher levels, I understand. I have learned quite a bit of defenses against chokes, holds and headlocks, and it all meshes up pretty well with what I learned in the Marine Corps' LINE program. The great thing about it is that the defenses are based on your body's natural reaction to the common scenarios.

For instance, if you're grabbed by the throat in a choke from the front, your natural reaction will be to raise your hands in front of you. Instead of grabbing your assailant's wrists, Krav Maga shows you how to turn that grab into a pluck, thus freeing your vulnerable trachea of your attacker's thumbs, at the same time countering with a kick to the groin, followed up immediately with a series of palm heels and elbows to the face and neck, and knees to the groin and face, once he's bent over.

It emphasizes speed and brutality once the action is joined, and there are no complicated maneuvers to memorize, as most of it comes pretty naturally after you've done it a time or two. Another great thing is that there is no sparring for points. You get in the ring and fight rounds, trading blows for a couple of minutes at a whack instead of stopping everytime someone lands one.

Check it out at [url]www.kravmaga.com[/url], or you can email me if you have any questions. I'm no expert since I've only been at it for a few months, but I really enjoy it, and it makes a lot of sense to me.

[Edited to say: See, EricTheHun, here's something about Israel I like!]

Zaz be right on here- good ole Aikido. Though you CAN wrench an arm out of socket if they don't know how to fall (or you just don't let go)

"what the heeelllllll...ahhhhhhhh  LET GO!"

LMAO!!!

Airborne!
Don Out

BLUBITSO -- Train in the art of crying and blowing buggers out your nose at the same time. -- People will get out of your zone like you were onfire.-- Works really well for traffic stops too!! Good Shootin -- ALLONS11

Just wondering how Marine Corps Scout Sniper school prepares you for hand to hand confrontations? doesn't seem very practical to carry a 14 pound rifle with you.  

Damn, allons11, I only got through "TRAINING IN THE ART OF CRYING AND BLOWING" before I almost pissed myself laughing... then I finished your post and reread it, when you read all the words its not nearly as funny.

I'm with Garryowen.  There's not much I'm willing to lose my teeth over.  Also, throwing, for example, change at their face before you turn to run and squeal, helps.z

I don't know, man, it's even funnier now that I picture this scene in action! Damn!!! (I'm seeing the guy in the "Secret Weapon" thread here...)

Don Out!

If you want advice from a true sifu, ask/email SteyrAUG.  Until then, let a comparative novice give you some advice.

I've studied many styles since I was about 8 years old, including, in order of most experience:
JiuJitsu
Wing Chun
TaeKwonDo
JKD
Muay Thai (limited)
Thai Chi (limited)

I'm currently only a 1st Dan in TaeKwonDo, but I am much more proficient in my experience with JiuJitsu and Jun Fan (mixed Kung Fu).  What I lack in depth in one, I have breadth with many - but the most knowledge that's been gained from this wide training, even partially, in each has been [b]Realizing What Works and What Doesn't[/b].  Sure I've got my stripe in TKD, but will I actually ever use this in a fight?  Think again.

Flip_from_New_York stated earlier that:


This is true to an extent, and very misguided as well.  To truly experience what it's like to land punches, take punches, and get a proper biofeedback mechanism for how much damage you can deal and take, nothing beats good ol' boxing.  But you absolutely [b]CANNOT limit yourself![/b]  If all you know is how to stick and move, you're screwed if somebody shoots and takes you into a ground fight.

I could write a dissertation on the advantages/disadvantages of certain studies, and the proper styles for different situations, but here's a simple breakdown:
For ranges >15ft, have your gun ready.
For ranges 2-14ft, boxing is the way to go.
For ranges <2ft, you better damn well know some Judo/JiuJitsu or other "mixed" ground submission.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask/email...or seek the Kung-Fu Master himself -
[img]http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/assets/KungFu.jpg[/img]

Marksman,  I haven't studied lots of different types of martial arts so I can't give you an overall picture.  But I can add some data to your decision process.

I've studied Wing Chun Kung Fu,  Greco Roman wrestling and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brasilian).

Of the three,  I liked the gracie the best.  It's the easiest to learn and the easiest to defend against.  The best part of gracie;  you don't have to be very big to use it.  I'm a big guy,  6'5" and 320 lbs.  I'm also athletic,  I played D1 College football and a year with the Bills in NY before a nice string of concussions convinced me to try something else.

Despite my size and abilities, guys AND girls who are good at Gracie could make me submit until I got fairly good at it.  I never did beat my instructor (Pedro Saur) who'se a tiny little shit.  My 5'9" wife can and still does occasionally lock me down with an elbow lock.  She took for less than 4 months.

Wing Chun was fun and GREAT for your balance but overall it was too hard to learn and there was too much of the "mystical" stuff common in martial arts.  Believe me,  when the SHTF you don't wanna be trying to summom your chi.  You'll usually have some chi running down your leg if it gets real bad.  Plus Wing Chun was real "technical". If you didn't get the forms right and stuff you lost effectiveness.
And despite what EVERYONE in kung fu will tell you,  there is a size limitation to the wing chun.  I.E.  if the guy you are facing is very large and even somewhat determined,  he'll take you.  I don't care what any Triple-BlackBelt-Fourth-Shaolin-Wacka-Smacka-Masta' will tell you, if you are small, and he's big you have a problem.  My seefu tried some "impact" strikes on me and never left more than a nice deep bruise.  Despite my lack of training, none of the other students,  some of them advanced black belts knocked me off my feet or did much to irritate me.  Granted at the time I took Wing Chun I was playing ball and actually enjoyed being hit but still.  Had I been pissed, nobody in the class would have stood a chance,  one-on-one.

Greco Roman?  What can you say?  Fun as hell,  stupid outfits,  great shoes.  Very fun but not too effective for self defense.  Watch the wedgies.

Have fun in whatever style you chose.  But remember,  if there are more than one,  run! (Or shoot) (Unless you're 6'5" and 320 and think more than one is a refreshing challenge,  then wail away!)

Crash.