It can be difficult to choose the right self defense method when you are a beginner! Which one is the most effective? Actually, this is not the right question to ask yourself. What you need to know is which one fits you the most. Anyway, the goal is to learn how to defend yourself. If you have already done some research, you must have noticed that there are many options available!
In order to understand what are the best self defense methods, we have collected for you the 5 best disciplines practiced in France.
Table of Contents
What does self defense consist of?
Self defense is not a discipline in itself, but rather a name referring to a set of methods to learn how to defend oneself effectively in case of physical aggression. The idea is to be prepared to face an aggressor and to be able to react without being overwhelmed by your emotions.
On the one hand, you develop your reflexes with simple and effective movements practiced and repeated during training. On the other hand, practice allows you to identify risky situations and to react, which helps you gain self-confidence and improves your stress management. In self defense, unlike traditional combat sports, the goal is clearly not to “win” the fight, but to subdue the opponent long enough to flee or call the police.
Also, self defense allows you to react with the same intensity as your attacker. Thus, you can defend yourself while sticking to the rules of legitimate defense.
Top 3 of the best self defense methods available
Here is a selection of the 3 most popular self defense methods, but please keep in mind that the list is clearly not exhaustive. Indeed, many disciplines exist although they are less known. Moreover, many of them are themselves derived from self defense disciplines that already exist, and very often from Krav Maga.
Krav Maga
It is often the first method that one considers, because it is the most well-known. It is of Israeli-Czechoslovakian-Hungarian origin, and was born in the 1950s. It is very much practiced worldwide, and self defense enthusiasts only swear by this method. Imi Lichtenfeld is the founder of the discipline. Krav Maga combines close combat techniques from boxing, muay-thai, judo, ju-jitsu, and even wrestling.
Pencak Silat
Pencak Silat is a discipline that combines Indonesian, and sometimes Malaysian, martial arts. Just like Krav Maga, there are countless styles of Pencak Silat, each teacher adding his own touch.
Systema
This is the ultimate self defense discipline in Russia. Systema is basically a martial art. Today, it is used by the Russian Special Forces. It is quite widespread worldwide, although it is slightly less popular than the two previous ones. Some movements are similar to those of Aikido or Taiji Quan. Year after year, it is becoming almost as popular as Krav Maga and Pencak Silat.
Street Karate: an excellent alternative method!
I developed this method of self defense myself. Indeed, after I learned new disciplines, I decided to condense my knowledge to create the Street Karate which combines specific movements and techniques to a maximum, while remaining within a “martial” framework, namely that of Karate. Thus, you will find elements from Karate, but also Krav Maga, Pencak Silat, Kyusho or Goshin Jitsu. This method has been carefully elaborated to allow a civilian to react to a physical aggression, in a true risky situation.
This method is accessible to all practitioners and allows one to evolve one’s Karate practice towards a much more pragmatic approach to street fighting, which should speak to practitioners who wish to get out of the “traditionalist” straitjacket of this art, which prevails in most dojos.
This method is mostly taught in online training and seminars, as most practitioners already have some experience. This methodology is not widely used in the industry, but it has already provided excellent results for hundreds of trainees.
Discover the different methods of self defense!
In order to be sure to choose the right one, you can try the different self defense methods, directly online, no matter your physical condition. Here is a selection of free self defense training courses, available online that allow you to discover self defense at your own pace, comfortably seated on your couch.
