Self defense class options?

Hello,





I'm currently looking to join any type of martial arts class for self defense in the summer. However, I would like to know the different options that I may choose and which one may be best suited for me since there are many types.





What I am seeking at the moment is any type of unarmed self defense that strengthens my reaction time and also fighting techniques. The problem right now is that a lot of the different classes that teach styles such as Kung Fu or karate does not seem viable, either for the reason that it is more of a "art" rather than realistic fighting tactics and also for the fact that since most martial art styles do not need government licenses, most likely many classes are not fully legit and I'm afraid the instructors might not be qualified.





So I was wondering if anyone have suggestions as to what type of martial art I should choose for a more realistic learning experience in self defense.

Self defense class options?
Please ignore travis's answer. While these are both good styles, and would probably serve you well, they are not the ultimate. No style is or there would not be so many.





Contrary to what you think, and what a lot fo people do not want to accept on here is Traditional karate, kung fu, TKD are very effective styles for self defense, if you have a good instructor and the class trains them for realism and not sport. They have been around a long time, and the MARINES who brought karate back from Okinawa felt it was very good for self defense. Karate and the others when trained for sport are not great for self defense, just as any other style would not be.





As for your question if all you are looking for is self defense I would not suggest a traditional Martial Art, as these on purpose take a pretty long time to learn anything but the most rudimentary self defense. This is specificly taught this way so that your instructor can gauge your charicter before teaching you moves that could be deadly if trained well and used right. My guess is you would probably want to check out Krav Maga or another reality based fighting system if you only want to learn quick self defense.





Beware that the same thing that happened to karate etc., people maybe earning a blue to black belt and opening their own schools when they really don't know what they are doing, to make money, is probably going to catch up to the reality styles and MMA gym's, so make sure you check the instructor and the school out very well.





Hope this helps.
Reply:Krav Maga was developed in Israel right around it's forming in the midst of a bunch of countries that want to invade them. The civilian version focuses on making sure that you come out of even the worst of situations alive, including disarming knives/guns, fighting multiple opponents, and fighting when exhausted, blinded, or otherwise disabled. It's very often called the art of dirty fighting, and nothing could be more true. I've seen a Krav Maga instructor yell at a student for reasons including not kicking someone in the gonads when the opportunity presented itself, not picking up a stick to use mid-fight, and various other things. Krav Maga stresses that on the street, there are no rules, and that you should fight accordingly.
Reply:the 2 best martial arts for self defense are muay thai and japanese kickboxing!
Reply:Most good schools and instructors allow you to watch a class or two before signing up or joining. I suspect that the problem is that you are looking for a summer only type class or short class and a lot of instructors don't want a student only for the summer. The problem with such classes is that they take up the instructor's time and energy and usually compete with prime time classes where he has more students. Also most people while they say they want self-defense really don't make a serious commitment and dedicate their time, effort, and energy over a three month period and are willing to attend a class regularly so instructors either offer just mini seminars or nothing in itself at all like what you are looking for. Keep shopping and you will find something like that probably before anything else.

wallflower