by Kevin Pack

Created on: May 02, 2009

The best martial art to learn for self defense is an issue that has been debated over for centuries. In almost all societies, the primary means of defense has generally been a weapon of some sort. Sometimes the same weapon was used by everyone, sometimes people used a variety of weapons. However, this does not answer the question of which martial art is most effective, as martial arts generally refers to weaponless combat or self defense. In ancient Greece, there was Boxing, Pankrateon, and Wrestling. In Feudal Japan, there was Judo used by the Samaria, and tai jitsu, which incorporated techniques from aikido, jujutsu, and karate were use by the Ninjas. Scanning through other articles, a common trend that I noticed is the emphasis on learning a variety of arts based on the belief that no single art is perfect. I disagree with this suggestion for two main reasons.

First, while it is true that no martial art is perfect, the subject refers to which martial art is the best. Perfetion is not a part of the criteria, and with regards to self defense, perfection could actually be a negative quality for a martial art to posses. The reason is simple. Perfection implies flawless teqhnique, which requires practice. A mugging, or an encounter with a violent or hostile person can not be recreated exactly the way it occurs on the street. Scenarios can come close to recreating a live situation, but it is never exactly the same. Therefore, no set techniques can be practiced enough to be considered perfect. No matter how efficient, there is always that "what if" factor. Therefore, perfection of a martial art is acquired through mastery within the confines of the rules or objectives of the art, which, once again does not duplicate the potential threats of daily life.

So here is my point, an art that teaches rigid movements, techniques that are practiced on obliging partners, and training sessions that does not allow a student to work on his or her technique while tired and beaten, is a poor selection for self defense. Although it may provide a boost in confidence, which in turn would make you less likely to be selected as a victim, if you are attacked, you need to be prepared to act instantly, even if you have been hit, and even if the attacker is coming at you in a way that you are not familiar with. Perfection of a defensive technique against a specific offensive technique will not benefit you outside of your gym or dojo.

To resolve this problem, I recommend Boxing, or Kickboxing.

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