Best Self-Defense Techniques From Each Martial Art
There are three outcomes of fighting on the streets, and all of them are bad:
- You can get hurt
- A person you fight against can get hurt
- Someone is going to a police station
But life itself is fraught with danger and you never know when the troubles will come. There are certain scenarios in which you can do nothing except for fighting for your life. And once the fists start flying, it’s always better to know at least some of the basic self-defense tactics.
Read this article to find out the best self-defense tactics from various martial arts. You never know when you will need them.
Judo — Osoto Gari throw
Street fighting is not a pro match where we have rules, gloves, and referees. In most cases, it is a chaotic brawl that includes a lot of grabbing and pulling, and this is where judo comes into play. It will teach you all about balance, how to throw the opponent down and hold them there. And the best thing is that you don’t have to be strong to execute judo throws as the focus is on leverage and technique.
There are many judo throws and trips that are good for various self-defense scenarios. But Judo truly shines at close range, or let’s say in the closed space. One of the most useful techniques is the famous “Osoto Gari”, which falls into a group of judo basics. Although Osoto Gari takes time to practice, like all other martial art techniques, it can help you a lot in a self-defense situation.
This is notably true if we are talking about the fight in the bar, elevator, hall, or any other narrow space. These are the places in which you can quickly close the distance, secure a strong grip, and execute a throw. And let’s not forget that most average people don’t know how to defend against this move. As humans, we can all block a punch or move our head away, but apart from skilled judokas, who the hell knows how to defend against Osoto Gari?
Muay Thai — Thai Clinch
Muay Thai is a brutal fighting style also seen as a complete striking art. It will teach you all about real fighting, and how to use all of your limbs as a weapon in a fight. Students learn how to throw hard kicks, punches, and mix them together with elbow and knee strikes. Although the emphasis is on heavy kicks which are good for self-defense, we have decided to go with the famous Thai Clinch.
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It’s not that Thai kicks are bad, but they take a lot of time to master, and it’s really hard to land them in some scenarios. On top of that, kicks won’t help you much in a bar or any other narrow space as you need a bit of space to throw them. What helps you much more, however, is the famous “Thai Clinch” that is a very versatile move.
There are many variations of the Thai Clinch like a single/double collar tie or an underhook. The main point is to break the posture of your opponent and put them into a disadvantaged position from which you can execute various moves. The one who is controlling the neck is controlling the balance.
For instance, you can use knee strikes to the groin or body, elbows to the side of the head, or trip them down to the ground. But above all, the Thai clinch is a great defensive move as it stops the attacker from throwing strikes.
Boxing — Jab Cross
This one is a bit hard because boxing is such a complex fighting system. Yes, boxers use only their hands to strike, but, there is a reason why it is also called “the sweet science”. From footwork, basic punches to defense work, you can’t just pick one aspect and say “here, learn this and use it in a street fight”.
A great skill that can help you a lot in a self-defense scenario is footwork. But to be honest, this takes a lot of time to practice and you have to spend years of training to master this. On the other side, throwing a jab-cross is not rocket science but rather one of the basics.
Jab may look like a simple punch, but it is a versatile weapon in the fighting world. Fighters use it to set up the combo, keep their distance, or do a lot of damage when thrown the right way. Knowing how to throw a proper jab with a lot of speed, good timing, and high accuracy is a game-changer in any type of fighting scenario.
It is also great for self-defense because it is a simple punch that can do a lot of damage. A well-placed jab is often enough to break the opponent’s nose or teeth which would kill their confidence and momentum. This goes to another level if you combine it with a cross, which is a basic combo that is very effective.
Wrestling — Single/Double leg
Wrestling skills make a ton of difference in street fighting. The reason for this is very simple as most average people don’t know how to defend a takedown. As humans, we can all dodge a punch and swing back as this is our natural motion. Don’t get us wrong, dodging and blocking is a skill on its own, but it is also a natural instinct.
Like in BJJ or Judo, the focus of wrestling is on leverage and technique. This means that wrestlers can take just about any average human down, regardless of the size. All the muscles in the world won’t help you if you don’t know a procedure on how to defend a takedown. Average people don’t know how to defend against wrestling attacks, and that plays a big role in street fighting. And, taking someone down is much safer than blasting them with a barrage of punches.
However, single or double leg takedowns are very useful and may even look simple in the eyes of average people. But make no mistakes about that, all grappling techniques are really hard to master. You need to spend quite some time working and drilling these techniques to learn how to apply them in real life.
The easier option is to practice how to take the underhooks and go for a clinch. This is a great move to control the attacker and stall the action.
BJJ —Headlock / Standing guillotine choke
BJJ is often seen as the best fighting style for self-defense and for the right reason. Back in the early days, MMA events were pure street fighting venues without rules like time limits or weight classes. We saw fighters from various martial arts taking on each other in pure style vs style matchups that were brutal. But thanks to Royce Gracie and his amazing wins, BJJ emerged as the best.
Picking just one self-defense technique that you can use in a real fight is not an easy task. This is because BJJ uses judo throws in the standup while the emphasis of the art is on ground fighting and various chokes and joint locks. Or in other words, you have to know takedown techniques, how to secure a position on the ground before you can submit a person. That’s why the headlock or a standing guillotine choke is a perfect move for self-defense.
In the words of BJJ master John Danaher, headlock is one of those techniques that is always available and it forces the attacker to take defensive action. There are many variations of headlock in BJJ with one of the best being the “Front headlock”. From this position, you can control the attacker’s posture and apply a wide variety of submissions like the guillotine choke.
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