Which Martial Art is Best for Self Defense?
None of them. Martial arts are not personal protection systems
For the average person whose martial arts education consists of watching Jackie Chan kick bad guys in the face, it can be difficult to understand that flashy physical skills do not necessarily equate to effective self defense.
This may be a confusing concept if you’re not fairly familiar with all aspects of violence. To clear things up quickly, here’s a quotation from Tony Blauer, personal protection expert and Medium writer.
“Martial arts are not the same as ‘combat sports’, which are not the same as Reality Based Self-Defense systems, which are not the same as a violent encounters.”
In this post I’m going to explain what each category is and give a few examples, but you should be aware that not everyone may agree with my opinions, and I’m not claiming to be an expert in any of these fields. I’m just someone who’s been fascinated by combat and everything related to it for most of my life. Hopefully by the end of this you’ll understand why no one art or style could possibly be “best” for self defense.
