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The ability to defend oneself depends at least as much on the mental development of the martial artist as it does on the development of technique. The curriculum of our program (traditional Taekwondo) includes the study of self defense techniques, but these are neither practical, in the sense of being instinctive, nor are they particularly effective against a stronger, uncooperative opponent.
This is not to say throws and joint manipulation cannot be effective in a stand-up fight, but to be effective they must be second nature, applied properly, efficiently and without hesitation.
A far more practical method , unlikely as it may sound, is to develop the student's proficiency in free sparring, or Kumite, depending on the style. This is not so much to teach a style of real world fighting as it is to create an automatic shift in mindset. Most people, accustomed to a safe, quiet life in their homes and neighborhoods, abhor violence and react with horror when confronted with it. Even a student who may not be particularly powerful or aggressive in a sparring situation learns to move beyond their fear and adopt a strategic mode of thinking. This presence of mind generally provides an unexpected advantage, as most street criminals expect little to no effective resistance in a physical combat situation. After that it becomes relatively simple, as techniques to cause pain and injury to an assailant are plentiful and, for the most part, easily learned, much more so than the forms and sparring that are part of the traditional curriculum.
All of this, of course, depends on the emphasis instructors place on mental development, but every broad statement must be qualified, as there are exceptions to every rule. For the most part, though, I feel that any of the martial arts are valuable tools in learning the practice of self defense.

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