Top 10 Martial Arts For Self-Defence

TOP 10 MARTIAL ARTS FOR SELF DEFENSE Martial arts are great as spectator sports and a good way to get fit, but they really come into their own when they are used in self-defense – undoubtedly the ultimate result for many of them. This list looks at ten of the best martial arts for if you are especially interested in defending yourself against attackers. Muay Thai The national sport of Thailand is similar to kickboxing, but unlike its close relative, blows below the belt, elbows and knees are all legal. Like many martial arts, it's unclear exactly when Muay Thai was born, mainly because many of its elements are common in both Japanese and Indian counterparts. It gained huge popularity in Thailand in the late 1800s, but has seen a significant surge in popularity across the world in the last decade. The sport traditionally was very structured, with fighters performing strict, choreographed displays of respect before each bout. More recently, it has become focused on the body's many weapons, including fists, feet, shins, knees, and more, to defeat an opponent. Muay Thai is valuable because it teaches its followers that almost every body part can be a weapon. Used by Israeli security forces, including the special police, this martial art is a rule-less, violent skill. Not practiced for sport, it emphasizes devastating attacks to the opponent's vital areas, such as the groin and eyes, and encourages headbutts and the use of any available objects as weapons. This martial art features a three-step approach: Deal with the immediate threat, prevent the attacker from mounting a second offensive and then neutralize him. Krav Maga Derived from a Japanese word meaning "empty hand," karate is just that – a martial art in which no weapons are used. Karate's early styles are believed to have originated as early as the 1300s, but the father of modern karate, Anko Itosu, wrote the "10 Precepts of Karate" in 1908, giving birth to the martial art's code. Karate consists of weapon-less striking in which the legs and hands become spears, claimed ltosu. The martial art is supremely valuable because of not only its health benefits, but also its role as a self-defense tool. According to the precepts, it can also be used, ". as a way of avoiding a fight should one be confronted by a villain or ruffian." Karate Judo was founded by Japanese educator Kano jigoro, who was bullied during his childhood in the 1860s and 1870s. Taking basic skills from other martial arts of the day, he added his own throws to create modern-day judo. The word's prefix "ju" means "soft method," which, loosely translated, means using the opponent's strength against him. Due to this method of self. defense, judo practitioners need not have overpowering strength themselves. Judo's primary focus is on throws and work on the ground, rather than striking. Submission-style attacks such as chokes and locks are also prevalent in this martial art, which is valuable for defending one's self. Judo Boxing Few martial arts teach these two defensive skills: Use the head to protect the head and the body to protect the body. Instead, they use weapon-fighting tactics – using the hands to protect the head or the body. For self-defense from the pocket, it would be hard to defend against a good boxer. Of course, boxing's lack of elbow strikes, groin attacks and ground defense is limiting, but for pain tolerance and conditioning, it can't be beat. Aikido Created in Japan in the early 1900s, aikido's followers learn how to use an assailant's strength and energy against them. Students are täught to care for the well being of their potential attacker and are trained to disarm, but not seriously wound them. Weapons training is common in aikido, and followers are taught to defend themselves against staffs, Swords and knives. Its founder, Morihei Ueshiba, said that in order to be successful followers of aikido must be, "willing to receive 99% of an opponent's attack and stare death in the face." Kickboxing This style can offer the very best of realistic, upright striking skills, hands down. If you learn the old muay boran knees, the head butt, the bleeding and cutting techniques, and the old-school takedowns, this system cannot be beat. Its weakness is a lack of attention to self-defense as opposed to sport. The conditioning drills taught at most authentic schools make up for any need to practice purely self-defense scenarios. Jujitsu Jujitsu is an ancient martial art that involves grappling techniques (its name translates literally into "the art of pliance"). It focuses on the ability to use indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to relying upon direct force such as punching or kicking. While jujitsu training indeed includes kicking and punching, its focus is to maximize the ability to use an attacker's force against him and counter-attack where he is weakest or least defended. Today, jujitsu is practiced in many forms, both ancient and modern. While pure forms of jujitsu are still practiced today, various methods of jujitsu have been incorporated or synthesized into judo and aikido, as well as being exported throughout the world and transformed into sport wrestling systems. Elements of jujitsu have also been adopted in whole or part by schools of karate or other unrelated martial arts. Taekwando Translated as "the way of the fist and foot," taekwondo flourished after World War II, when Japan ended its Occupation of Korea. Known for its kicks, this martial art combines physical skills with mental strength, often shown when the follower breaks boards with a foot or hand. An Olympic event, taekwondo is considered the world's most popular martial art: It's practiced in more than 100 countries and has 30 million followers - three million with black belts. Taekwondo practitioners are skilled in strength, stamina, speed, balance, and flexibility. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Despite its country of origin, the founding father of Brazilian jiu-jitsu was Japanese. Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese fighter, winner of more than 2,000 bouts and considered the toughest man to have ever lived, arrived in Brazil in 1914, with the aim of spreading martial arts. There, he met the Gracie family, which is today regarded as the first family of the sport, with its descendants being popular in the UFC and its schools across the world. Like traditional jujutsu and judo, the Brazilian form emphasizes throws and groundwork, making it a popular tool for today's mixed-martial- artists. BROUGHT TO YOU BY TOPRANK SPORTLIMITED WWW.TOPRANKSPORT.CO.UK 来 道