What is the best martial art for self defense?
I see this question almost every day, Reddit, Facebook, discussion groups. People want to know what the best self defense system is for their kids, or for women, or just in general.
The answer is simple – ALL of them are.
OK… so does that mean that everyone should go out and start taking MMA classes? Maybe. MMA is involves head to head cage fighting, has rules, and limits on techniques you are allowed to use. No “cheap shots” in MMA, this is a sport, not a street fight. Being great at MMA usually requires years of training, conditioning, and most importantly, size and speed.
But does that mean MMA is it the best method of learning self defense?
Nope, not by a long shot. That’s Krav Maga.
Developed in Israel as a close combat system by for the Israel Defense Force (the Israeli Army) Krav Maga is a mixture of all of the best elements of traditional martial arts techniques, boxing, kick boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling. Krav Maga was designed to be learned quickly, using techniques that do not rely on size or speed to be affective.
Listen to what MMA legend, Bas Rutten has to say about the topic: