Is MMA Good For Self-Defense?

MMA is one of the most popular combat sports that is also considered by many as the most effective martial art. But how good is MMA for self-defense? Is it better than other, conceptually similar systems?

MMA is certainly among the best combat systems you can train in to improve your self-defense abilities and learn how to fight. It covers all fighting scenarios as it teaches you how to use all limbs to strike, grapple in the clinch, wrestle, and fight on the ground. Training is hard, realistic and will prepare you for real combat.

Let’s further discuss how effective is MMA for self-defense, and what makes it better than other, more recognized combat systems.

What is MMA?

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is the most complex combat sport. It is a sport where fighters compete in all three elements: on the feet, in the clinch, and on the ground. As its name indicates, the MMA style is a mix of multiple martial arts mix together into one system.

The concept is a mix of grappling and striking techniques from various martial arts. To be successful, each athlete must be well-versed in all aspects of the game. They must know how to strike at all ranges, wrestle in the clinch, take each other down, and fight on the ground.

The sport is full-contact and embraces the concept of freestyle combat you may see on the streets. The main goal is to knock the opponent out with strikes, submit them on the ground with jiu-jitsu moves, or grind your way toward the decision. The action continues without any interruptions, only in case of fouls or when someone gets finished.

Over the course of three decades, certain martial arts proved to be very effective in freestyle combat, while others proved bad. As a result, the weekly training schedule of most fighters and academies is planned around the following four, most practical martial arts for cage fighting:

• Muay Thai (leg kicks, elbows, knees, clinch)
• Boxing (head movement, punching combos, footwork, angles)
• Wrestling (explosive takedowns and holds)
• Jiu-Jitsu (ground fighting, positioning, chokeholds, joint locks)

The system also adopts techniques from arts such as Taekwondo, Karate, and Sambo. Skilled fighters often add specific moves from these martial arts on top of their arsenal to further enhance their game.

Is MMA The Best For Self-Defense? 

Although it is listed as a combat sport, MMA falls into the group of the most effective combat systems for self-defense. The entire concept is designed to be in line with freestyle combat. The type of fighting you may encounter in real-life. Whether it is fighting in closed space at close range or in the open, on the feet, or on the ground, the sport covers most scenarios.

On the feet, fighters must know how to strike and block with their hands, legs, knees, and elbows. They learn how to fight from a safe distance, in the pocket as well as inside the clinch. Cling fighting is crucial for street fighting where people tend to grab and pull each other a lot. Overall, no matter which method the attacker uses to strike, you will have adequate skills to respond and protect yourself.

Self-defense situations are chaotic and often end on the ground. First, MMA teaches you good wrestling offense and defense which will make you superior to most people. And even if the fight hits the ground, you will have good enough BJJ skills to know how to secure a dominant position. You can either subdue them with pins or holds or maybe put them into a chokehold or joint lock and force them to surrender.

The majority of regular people are not trained in martial arts and this makes you far superior to them in a real fight. Even if they are trained boxers or BJJ fighters, their one-dimensional skill set is not as effective as your all-around style. Of course, this is all in theory and the majority of street fights are chaotic. This is also a reason why you can’t firmly say that MMA is the best for self-defense.

MMA can’t be considered the best simply because there are certain drawbacks to the system. For instance, the learning syllabus doesn’t include weapon-based training. But to be fair, most martial arts that do should better stop it. More importantly, the system lacks dirty tactics and some advanced self-defense drills like dealing with multiple attackers.

Reasons Why MMA is Effective In Self-Defense Scenarios

The following is a list of key reasons why MMA works so well in real-life and why so many people are enrolling in classes.

A versatile combat system

Not a single fighting style covers all aspects of the fight or is not as advanced as MMA is. For instance, Combat Sambo is quite similar. But it is not as technically advanced and it also doesn’t teach anywhere near the same number of moves and tactics.

Modern mixed martial arts academies are the only place where you can develop all-around skills. And since the sport is evolving at a high rate, teaching methods, and different variations of techniques are improving all the time.

Teaches only battle-proven techniques

As said earlier, MMA includes only the most effective grappling and striking techniques. Since it resembles freestyle combat, fighters do not spend a second learning fake and flashy techniques, or doing something that won’t enhance their performance. Each technique and drill is aimed to improve your combat abilities. Students learn legitimate techniques from boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, BJJ, and many other martial arts. But most importantly, they learn how to mix it all together in harmony and develop their own style.

Realistic teaching methods

The realism of training is also very important. In the beginning, students spend most of their training time perfecting the form. But once they master the basics, they move on to sparring. A workout where they simulate a real fight against the opponent.

This is proven to be the best method to teach a person how to apply martial arts techniques in a real fight. And in MMA, students spar all the time. Whether it’s a BJJ, wrestling, or Thai boxing class, students spar on a regular basis. Having proper form means nothing if you don’t know how to use skills in a real fight.

Teaches you how to handle stressful situations

MMA training is intense, especially full-contact sparring where you simulate a real match with the partner. In fact, the first couple of sessions could be quite scary. But over time, you will learn how to calm down while the fists are flying, and your body will get used to dealing with hard shots and damage.

This is crucial for self-defense as the one who maintains a cool head is usually the one who wins the fight. Panic and fear freeze your mind and limit your ability to perform the right way. With MMA, you will know how to put emotions on hold, focus on a problem and find a solution.

Final Thoughts — Should You Choose MMA for Self-Defense?

MMA should be your choice if you want to develop all-around skills and prepare for any type of freestyle combat. The main reason why so many people are enrolling in classes is clear — it is a very effective combat system. Apart from legitimate fighting skills, training will get you in top shape in a short time span, and improve overall health.

But bear in mind that there are some cons as well. In the end, MMA is a sport and there are no rules on the streets. You won’t learn how to deal with weapons or dirty tactics for example. Next, training is hard on your body and the risk of injuries is quite high. And above all, it takes many years of consistent training to develop all-around skills. The risk of injuries, intense training regimes, slow progress, and a big workload are things to consider before you sign up for the classes.

Still, if you have enough time, energy, and motivation, then MMA might be the perfect choice.