No one is immune to situations where the only way to defend themselves or others is to fight. We want you to always feel confident and strong. That's why we've prepared a resource on the best martial arts for self-defense.
Let's be clear: any martial art is always physically demanding. And no matter which form you choose, it will be very difficult at first. Training will be challenging, you'll lose in sparring, and injuries are possible. But this difficult path must be overcome to reap the rewards: a toned, strong body, good endurance, self-confidence, and the ability to stand up for yourself in any situation. If you're ready to take on this challenge, it's worth learning more about the most suitable martial arts.
English boxing
This is the ideal option for beginners who have never trained in any martial arts before. Boxing is versatile, providing a solid foundation of skills that will make it easier to master any martial art. It's also simple. Boxing techniques are very effective, and mastering them doesn't take as long as many other forms of combat. Therefore, if you don't have a ton of free time but want to learn to fight as quickly as possible—and fight well—classical boxing is your best option. Furthermore, it's easy to find a qualified trainer in almost any city.
Mastering all the techniques to a high level takes about three years. However, even at the beginning of your training, you'll acquire skills that will come in handy in any unpleasant encounter. Some believe that boxing's main drawback is its limitations. You mostly practice punches and blocks with your hands, while throws and kicks will be your weak points. But experience shows that this is only true if you're fighting a wrestler. The average street thug's arsenal of techniques, however, is extremely limited, usually consisting of rather crooked punches and the occasional kick. A couple of well-trained boxing techniques will be enough to defeat such an opponent.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is a very effective form of martial arts for street fighting. It has a wider arsenal of techniques than English boxing. Each of these techniques is a powerful weapon against virtually any opponent. Mastering Muay Thai will involve striking with almost every part of the body (except perhaps the head), sweeps, and grappling. The primary lesson this art teaches is that any fight should be fought exclusively on your feet. And even if you find yourself on the ground, you need to get back up as quickly as possible. All the techniques are fairly simple, but if you master them well, you can take on even a master martial artist.
A more complex fighting arsenal, however, also requires a greater investment of time. You'll need to practice more frequently. While English boxing can be done less than three times a week, Thai boxing requires at least three full training sessions. It places more emphasis on coordination and motor skills, as well as discipline. Muay Thai is an option for those with the opportunity and desire to devote a little more time to martial arts. Experienced practitioners agree that it offers the ideal balance of effort and results.
Sambo
If you've already mastered a form of boxing but feel like you're not getting enough, or you want to dive head-on into the world of martial arts, Sambo is your choice. It's a comprehensive martial art form with many advantages, including high effectiveness, openness, and flexibility. Combat Sambo is constantly evolving, with new techniques and methods emerging. The existing arsenal is so vast that mastering it all can take years. This includes grappling, striking, and choking techniques. Sambo offers a whole range of skills for special forces personnel, including weapons handling, detention techniques, and more. But even in regular training, you'll gain a wealth of knowledge across a wide range of areas.
Some might even feel that Sambo training offers too much unnecessary information. An ordinary person who simply wants to learn self-defense doesn't need to learn all the techniques. Moreover, many of them are suitable only for competitions and would be irrelevant in a street fight. After all, the atmosphere in a well-lit gym is one thing, and in a dark alley, for example, it's completely different. And in a real attack, effectiveness is always more important than technical skill and elegance.
Therefore, not everything you learn in training will be useful later in life. But this doesn't change the fact that Sambo is an excellent way to develop your body and spirit to incredible limits. But it requires a lot of time, patience, and focus.
Let's reiterate, regular boxing is enough to fend off bullies and gain self-confidence. Muay Thai will give you more skills, but it requires twice the effort and time. However, mastering it is truly more effective in the long run. And only choose combat sambo if you feel it's your thing; otherwise, you risk becoming disillusioned with martial arts.
