Everyone is more or less at risk of experiencing violence during their life. This is especially true for minorities, and as leftists in today’s political climate. The risk of violence will undoubtedly increase as political climates change, so we must be ready to defend ourselves, our comrades, our family and friends, and our communities.
I practise Krav Maga (I know) and have a limited background in wrestling, Karate, and Judo. It would be great to hear everyone’s thoughts on strategies and tactics for self-defence so we can help each other become more prepared to face violent situations.
If there’s enough interest in the topic I think it would be a good idea to start a community for self-defence.
I don’t go on reddit or twitter. That’s my self defense atm.
I’d like to know some sort of proper self defence though to use against fascists or bigots having a pop at me on terf Island.
Used to do taekwondo as a kid but like that’s hardly appropriate for street brawls “oh let me just space appropriately and try a kick” you’d get bodied before you could do anything.
If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t taekwondo originally based on Korean martial arts that used the style as a meditation and artful form of fighting? So it was more for demonstration and show then actual combat, so I guess that makes sense that it wouldn’t hold up to well in a street brawl.
But I’m still in awe of people who can do taekwondo, my bulky body would never allow me the flexibility to do a single kick… without breaking 15 different bones lol
I’ve heard that, I’ve also heard it was developed to allow people on horseback to kick others from horseback but definitely not “baz from the local is out for queer blood” fight technique.
I used to be better, I’m trash now but I can still do a slip spin sidekick (that’s what I remember it been called) which I’m proud about 😊 not as stretchy or bendy as I once was though 😭
Kicking is risky because it puts the kicker in a vulnerable unbalanced position while performing the kick. IMO kicking is best performed when the opponent doesn’t see it coming so it cannot be countered, such as part of a combination like throwing a high jab and then a round* kick when they block high. Groin strikes are also low risk and can potentially end a fight with one knee/kick.
Yeah definitely high risk high reward but even then unless the kick properly lands you’ve accomplished nothing.
Absolutely. As a general rule it’s probably best not to kick I’m a street fight, especially when facing multiple opponents where falling to the ground would be a bad situation. I would never plan to kick and would only do it if it came out naturally.
Kicks are good however for forcing your opponent to hold their distance, or dealing a devastating blow to a fatigued enemy, like how the Side Kick in SAMBO operates. If that lands? Instant KO, and at the very least massive damage. Plus if it misses or doesn’t hit the perfect spot, the opponent is forced to retreat to avoid grappling.
However I agree that kicks are terrible opening moves (except some leg sweeps), and they open the user up to much to counterattacks, especially against an experienced opponent.
Absolutely, kicks are great! I love kicking, the better I get at it the more I do it 😄
Yeah that’s how I’ve come to see it, better to just de-escalate for now or if I need to defend myself make sure I do enough damage immediately to either escape or shut down the fight.
That’s a great mindset, exactly the one I have as well. I really like this quote: “It’s better to avoid than to run; better to run than to de-escalate; better to de-escalate than to fight; better to fight than to die. The very essence of self-defense is a thin list of things that might get you out alive when you are already screwed.”
Why take my chances with someone who’s started and fight and is actively wanting to do harm to me when I can avoid that risk and the potential risk of prosecution as well.
I’d rather not lose a tooth over ego as I put it to someone who can’t seem to let their ego go in similar situations.
I absolutely agree, retreat is always the best form of defense 9 times out of 10. Fights usually happen because of petty or meaningless reasons, and the persecution and trauma that can arise from severally maiming or killing an opponent, even in self defense, is never worth it.
Plus, you never know who might pull out a knife or a gun, and no matter how skilled a fighter you are, that is an unwinnable situation without severe consequences for everyone involved, whether it be physical, mental, or legal.
Absolutely, it’s not about ego or being a badass. Self-defense is about getting home safe and surviving.
Cutting out Reddit and Twitter for me was like removing a giant leech so big I just thought it was my arm for the longest time…nope! Major kudos!!
Honestly the first month was itchy because its like “what do I do? I’m used to having these things, what if people can’t message me?!” And then after a month it’s like “why was I even upset in the first place, this is a dream, I feel so free”.
Wooooooooo! You’ve broken free! That’s really nice to hear!
💪 best feeling, would recommend 💯
Also to answer your question, I would highly recommend Judo for a beginner. It is very easy to start with a very high skill ceiling. It is incredibly “easy” to preform the moves once you master them, as everything is based off of manipulating your opponent’s center of gravity, since kicks and punches are illegal. It is also a wonderful form of exercise, you won’t get bruised up badly like most other forms of martial arts, and it can be a great way to find friends through local gyms!
For the self defense aspect, while it is mainly about focus and concentration, it can be a deadly form of martial arts, as several of the throws that even beginners learn, can shatter spines, break femurs, and snap arms if used in an actual all-holds-off fight. (Though don’t worry, you have to be hellbent on hurting your opponent for that to happen, and the gear you use protects against any minor injuries)
I feel like this is a small cool introduction of some of the more interesting moves: https://youtu.be/4iPCLiYcEHY
I’ll give it a look thank you 😊
I’ve almost got raped/robbed/murdered one time and my self defense was acting dumb and running away,I tricked the guy into thinking I don’t know what he’s doing then I managed to make him walk a direction then I ran the other way, with stuff like this I don’t think you have much choice to act badass,like I could’ve easily beaten him but what if he had a knife,safest option for me was avoiding
That’s an amazing response to that situation. Your mouth is your best weapon. If you can escape unharmed then that is the best outcome. It’s not about being a badass. It’s about surviving.
But what if you’re ever put in a situation where you are actually being raped or murdered? Have you considered if you are able to beat and demolish someone until they are incapacitated?
But what if you’re ever put in a situation where you are actually being raped or murdered? Have you considered if you are able to beat and demolish someone until they are incapacitated?
That is what scares me
I’ve found that regular consistent training has given me a ton of confidence in my ability to defend myself. Knowing that I’ve trained for the worst situations makes me more confident and relaxed in my life. If you can, I would recommend looking into finding a good school in your area!
I guess in a life and death situation I’d something crazy like pop the offender’s eyes or push them into traffic or bite their ears or nose or doing all of that, it also depends on the situation that I can’t control, What I have what I could what I can reach for what I can think of etc… there’s also a last resort option I have but I prefer not talking about it, the goal isn’t killing or defeating, it’s buying time to run away.
About self-defense training I don’t think it will do very well in an actual self-defense scenario, the offender will try to get you at your worst, and nothing is under your control, also how many hours of martial arts do you need to defeat a guy who just got into “knife wan do” (the art of just stabbing), like there’s rules and techniques, things that don’t exist in the real world, Another thing is that I am small, Yk like I’ll never have a chance to survive against even a 173cm man… Idk maybe all of this is just drowning my confidence and makes me underestimate my strength or maybe not, idk, That incident fucked with my world perception and I don’t like that.
I get where you’re coming from. It’s important to be realistic about our abilities and training outcomes. At the same time, I think it’s better not to have a defeatist or victim mentality (not saying you do) and train so that that we can bring more things under our control through our skills and abilities and give ourselves more options so that we may fare better in confrontational situations where an untrained person would fare worse.
If there is a good Krav school in your area I would recommend checking it out. If it’s a good school it will train as close to reality as possible, no rules (safely of course). We practise gun and knife defence, but I’m under no illusions about my skills and would only engage if I knew I was going to die otherwise. I’ll give up my wallet or car if I’m being robbed, not worth dying over.
Unless you have too much confidence in yourself, acting badass is never advisable, you are giving your opponent information, it’s like telegraphing one’s attack, it is wiser to act harmless and surprise your enemy. I’d recommend buying pepper spray, if you see it is sound to use it, don’t show it and wait until they are close to you, use it and run, knives are useless after that unless you are way too close and they are too experienced.
I’d recommend buying pepper spray
It’s illegal here after some women used it to steal jewelry, almost every other thing that can be used for self-defense is illegal except for very bright flashlights, might buy one ig
I would not give a fuck if it is legal or not, you probably can get it anyway, and it is better to be safe, but I understand.
If there’s one rule Algerian police doesn’t give a fuck about it’s not this one, it’s an item that will get confiscated at the border if bought from outside and is illegal to manufacter.
Krav Maga
If a martial art works better than others, there’s no reason to disregard it, regardless of its roots. As scientific socialists, real-world applicability and usefulness should be our measuring stick. Ultras would deny newton’s laws because they were discovered in capitalist England if they could.
I also recommend Krav Maga, but giving the heads up that anyone willing to practice it with a professor will probably meet a Zionist, or rather, several. Usually the professors themselves are Zionists
I practice Systema and both of the teachers that train me also practice Kappap (Krav Maga for civilians), and the person who taught them is a Zionist settler in occupied Palestine. He moved to some Easter European country, though, since several people where killed in front of him one time so he decided to move.
Thank you. This should be copypasta.
Learn to throw good basic punches, kicks and elbows. Learn to wrestle out of grapples. You are 95% there if you do this stuff. Everything else is sugarcoating. Make your fists solid by using punching bag, and progressing to walls if you can.
I have been practicing for quite a few years, and have a dojo/gym in house.
Solid advice. It’s all about mastering the basics and applying them with aggression for massive damage.
I used to do karate for a little over a year, but I stopped a few months ago because I couldn’t afford the classes anymore. After having wanted to do martial arts my whole life, I finally had the chance, I made progress, I became more athletic, but I only made it to a blue belt before having to leave.
I would love to get back into it. In the time during and after the pandemic, karate was one of the few good things I had going.
That’s incredibly hard to read. Like, for real. I’m so sorry. Have you already asked for a generous discount from your sensei until you get back on your feet? Many teachers don’t want to lose a passionate student over money, and times are hard.
That’s awesome, you definitely should get back into it! I trained karate for a couple semesters back in school. I didn’t really like doing the katas but it was a lot of fun otherwise.
I moderate the Systema community, it is not super active because only me and other dude practice it, but the good part about Systema is that you can integrate a lot of other martial arts into it, so you’d be welcome to post there not strictly Systema related posts.
I was looking through this one the other day! Highly recommend!
Glad you like, hope you some day manage to practice it.
Very cool thank you! I want to study system now lol!
I have shared some articles for beginners in there, I will try to find for some videos, too. Systema is about applying biomechanics and using as little strength as possible in order to defeat your rival in the shortest time possible. The advantage of it is that if you know any other martial art you can simply drop the aesthetics of it and transform it into the more distilled form of Systema.
That’s interesting I will definitely look into it! How does that philosophy deal with potentially applying to little force in trying to conserve energy in fighting? In Krav we are seemingly the opposite, to overwhelm our opponents with violence. Of course it would be great to be economical in the use of force but I wouldn’t want to risk losing because I held back. Is there a higher level understanding to this?
Well, it’s not like you will not use all of your strength in a fight trying to conserve energy (although you could do this is you are certainly clear you can bear your opponent using very little, this is situational), but that for example, if you are throwing a punch you could also hit with your elbow. You would be using all of the same energy that require you to hit with your fist but you are taking advantage of the already carried out movement to create two hits, alternatively, when you bring back the arm to your body, you could hit again with your elbow, and so on, and so on. This is an example, the combinations and possibilities are endless. Another key factor to take into account is that in Systema you apply as much force transfer as you can, that’s why you will see videos of people practicing it doing some weird move, you do not only hit with you fist, but with the weight of you forearm, you elbow, your should, your bust. A good example of this is the following.
Raise your arm as if you were to hit downwards, but place it like this:
O/
.|Now do the same but place your arm like this:
O|
.|The dot is only so that the head aligns with the body. With this simple adjust, you are now using gravity’s acceleration in your favour and you will hit harder even if you’d use the same amount of strength. Practice this with a partner and hit them on their shoulder, you should not try to break them but to feel the difference in both hits. For this to work, also, you should not keep you arm stiff while the trajectory is ongoing, but rather you should be flexible and soft until your fist reaches the objective, otherwise you will not be taking advantage of gravity since you will make the effort of moving your arm, instead of “letting it fall”.
Ah ok I see, makes sense. I find that cool because it’s kind of like trying to find the perfect course of action. Very interesting.
Basically, I am sure Krav Magga has a lot of similar things when you compare it to older martial arts.
I don’t even know the difference between the martial arts but I have always been interested when my life has time I plan to learn something! I got the shit beat out of me when I was about 17 or so, amnesia and broken face and everything, ever since then I have felt the need to learn something both for my safety and for my confidence. Paired with a concealed weapon ;) I don’t have the money for a gun but I am getting in the habit of keeping a knife, I’ve already been in one situation where I was glad I had it (didn’t use but definitely helped me feel a bit better).
I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m glad you feel more empowered now. Training has done wonders for my confidence. I think it’s something that could benefit almost anyone.
I have a black belt in kung fu AMA
What do you like about kung fu when compared to other martial arts?
oof where do I begin umm… Shaolin kung fu is much more about philosophy and how you live your life. Its much more than just punching and kicking. alot of popular styles were developed by the military to give recruits basic self defense training so you can master them in a few short years. Other styles won’t even begin to seriously train you, in the time it takes others, to award you a black belt and allow you to start teaching. So if you’re looking for a quick military style boot camp to learn how to punch and kick then quit soon after, those are good. However if you’re looking for something more serious that you can do your whole life I’d recommend something more spiritual, philosophical and ancient like shaolin kung-fu. So you might get your black belt in judo or krav maga after 3-4 years then go on to a more spiritual style like kung fu or jujitsu. But you would never get a black belt in kung fu and go study judo after. Brazilian jujitsu for example is an Americanized form of jujitsu that’s closer to judo but they still take 10 years to award a black belt. So the different styles can vary wildly.
These more militarized styles are also more associated with fascism and the right wing, not so much in the US but definitely in Asia. It’s rare to see female students, even rarer to see female instructors. Much like boxing the style is much more about overpowering your opponent, the training usually focuses more on strength training, pain resistance, and muscle building rather than things like balance and flexibility. You can see the difference in the childrens classes especially, they wont care about the childs home life, or what grades theyre getting in school, it’s like a boxing class they just come in do their exercises and leave like little soldiers. some of them are even gender segregated because all they do is punch eachother in the face as hard as they can lol.
So if you’re looking for quick punching and kicking bootcamp I’d pick one of those, otherwise I’d stay away from them. I would never take those classes because they are very basic and I personally wouldn’t learn anything because I’m already trained in another style, however there are many styles that I would love love love to study and would happily start off as a white belt beginner just like a brand new student because there’s so much unique to those styles beyond simple punching and kicking that I would have to start from the top. Some styles I have thought about switching to would be ninjutsu, aikido, and muay thai
That’s very cool, I’d heard that kung fu was more comprehensive, intertwined spiritual and life practice. I’ve always found kung fu to be visually beautiful and elegant too, it looks very relaxed but its still powerful.
I’m in the US so there aren’t too many kung fu dojos, mainly MMA, BJJ, karate, and tae-kwon-do. I’d love to do either kung fu or muay thai tho if I had the option.
out of those 4 I would do karate, karate is a very vague word though it just means any chinese martial arts. Alot of US veterans open “karate” dojos and just teach the stuff they learned in the army. Which is actually closer to taekwondo the korean military’s marital arts. I like BJJ, I think they get made fun of too much for being like the McDonalds of martial arts. They started in 1993 and became famous through one of the founders of UFC. But it’s kind of made up and has nothing to do with brazil either, which has its own styles like capoeira. and since its not really jujitsu, its judo a more appropriate name would be american judo, or really just judo.
There’s plenty of martial arts schools in America there’s probably a yearly tournament near you, every year you should check one out, theyre usually desperate for more popcorn buying spectators. You could also try looking up to see if there’s a rare form of martial arts taught near you, alot of very dedicated masters move to the US and teach a select bunch of students very rare forms of martial arts, like bando from cambodia, silat from indonesia, sikaran from the Philippines and sometimes wacko ones like haitian machete fighting, so be careful lol, but usually if you see a whole bunch of asian words you dont recognize followed by the words “gym” or “martial arts” its probably good
Loving what you’re saying, and it’s so cool to me to have a Shaolin blackbelt in here. Obviously no disagreement here, just wanna bring your attention back to the beginning of your post where you defined karate (I am thinking you meant to say Japanese?) Though I think the original meaning of karate was “the Chinese hand,” or something like that, as much of it was derived from Kung Fu!
And to Muad’Dibber, as thetables said, yeah, tons of styles! I hear really great things about Kyokoshin. Most places have a few shotokon places, and those can range from incredible to McDojo. A karate dojo is definitely worth checking out first, if that interests you. However, it’s worth saying, my bias is toward traditional arts, like karate and Kung Fu, because it’s what I’m into. Many on the internet are leaning toward MMA, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, wrestling, boxing, judo and BJJ, because UFC generally presents those as the most effective. A trip to the main martial arts sub on Reddit will show how popular this opinion is now. I won’t try to sway you either way, except to say, check out what interests you and find out if it’s good. People online can’t know what specific schools actually offer, and they make broad generalizations. Even I did it just above with the Kyokoshin mention.
Edit: See thetablesareorange’s response below. Looks like my first paragraph was off. Leaving it for context.
its more of a mistranslation, karate is actually from the tiny Ryukyuan islands, it was their own version kung fu literally called “the hand”. then “the chinese hand”, then when japan invaded in the 1800’s they forced them to change the name to “the empty hand”. Then American soldiers stationed on the islands from WW2 onward began taking martial arts classes or “karate” classes from the locals. This soon became a generic term for all east asian martial arts, although technically rooted in china, loosely based on fujian white crane style kung fu
Well color me newly educated! Thanks!
Please share with us your wisdom Sensei
I want your parents to write me a letter explaining what chores you do not do, then I want regular updates signed by them about how you’re doing that chore now. Everything is kungfu.
Will do! Thank you I’ve been trying to keep a cleaner house!
also sensei is our word we can call eachother that, you can’t call us that… I once asked my sensei why other schools make you learn japanese and he said it was because they were too lazy to teach the deaf
Lol ok noted. How should outsiders refer to someone of your rank?
It’s not Slickback, it’s “A Pimp Named Slickback.” Like A Tribe Called Quest, you say the whole thing
What if I don’t know their pimp name though? Will Pimp suffice?
For self defense and offensive oriented martial arts, I’m currently studying and practicing CQC because I am at high risk for danger where I live due to my identity, and I’m an absolute sucker for Metal Gear.
For exercise, “meditation”, building focus, and as a hobby, I am part of a local Judo gym.
I would be interested in a community related to martial arts here and would love to join if you make one!
Salad, try to remember the basics of CQC.
Press the action button to initiate a grab, then move the control stick in the direction you wish to throw the enemy.
Fingerguns
“You’re pretty good”
The Hudson River, two years ago.
A DUD?!
In the voice of rex from toy story
“is she the one they call fortune?”
(A line that sounds like it could be right out of Das Kapital)
“There’s no such thing as miracles or the supernatural, only cutting edge technology!”
“Queen”
Good for you! I think we train similarly - Krav Maga literally translates to “close combat”. We tend to skew towards defensive training with weapons but I mess around with them them on my own time as well. I’m sure your insights would be greatly appreciated on the matter!
Hmm, thats interesting! I’ve thought about Krav Maga but haven’t had a chance to learn or practice it. I’ve mostly been focusing on a SAMBO/Judo/Jiujitsu style unarmed CQC, and a separate US Marine based armed CQC, as it incorporates fixed bayonets, knives, firearms, and fighting armored opponents.
I’d also be happy to throw in my two cents and help any way I can with the community!
If you have a good instructor I would definitely say give it a try because it incorporates practising almost everything you’re training. I haven’t practised fighting armoured opponents in my class though. Your input would certainly be welcomed thank you!
There’s a left wing fight club in my town called Left Hook. Its pretty much dominated by Ukraine supporting Anarchists, mind. For a while we could all get along just fine provided we left our politics at the door, but there came a point where they started demanding the group pose with a Ukrainian flag for comms at the end of sessions. We’re currently trying to put together a group of alumni from them into something a bit more inclusive, but it’ll be a long journey to get to the same level as their set up; they had easily thousands of pounds of equipment and a dedicated venue. Vice did a report on them back in the day.
Damn that sucks. Hopefully your new group will become something even better. No one should be forced to take a stand on social media for some clout. Training should be the focus not political posturing.
Ive been practicing Judo and Jujitsu since 2019. The pandemic really did a number on my progress. Ive been constant recently tho until the inevitable injury happens during training. Lol wish it was a left wing club near me but thats next to impossible to find 😭
Sorry to hear that, hopefully you can get back in it soon. Yeah that’s the dream I just have to put my politics aside during class and focus on training.
Lol, yeah, where I train they are all right wingers.
Another Kung Fu person checking in. Not nearly a black belt, like the other commenter is. Started at the beginning of this year and adore it. I think a community would be great.
It was personally important to me to find a school that pressure tests techniques and spars. I think the number one piece of self defense advice I have is to spar. If your school doesn’t spar, but you love it for your own reasons (no shade; there are many completely legitimate reasons to love a school, style or teacher), just get permission to find some other students or people in the area willing to spar with you. I’m nothing special, and have no cool anecdotes about beating anyone up, but the confidence boost from knowing you can compose yourself and give it back when you have strikes coming at you is invaluable.
And one specific word that only applies for those not practicing and not planning to: if someone attacks you, kicks should not be a go-to. Lifting your leg to fake them out, low kicks to their legs, groin kicks with a clear opening, and kicking them from a felled position on the ground are totally on the table. But unless you’ve trained kicks, and specifically with sparring, going for an actual, above the waste kick, is more likely to get you screwed than to obliterate your opponent in one blow. First try running away (as practitioners should too), then punch them. Bite them. Use any grappling you feel confident in. Just don’t take the kick risk. Kicking is hard. Kicking effectively is way harder. This is one thing about starting out that I think a beginner like myself may remember better than someone who is excellent.
Sorry for the rant! I’m just super into this stuff and loving the thread. Got quite a cool variety of martial artists on this site.
This is so important. Finding a school that pressure tests techniques and spars is key if you ever want to be an effective fighter. It would be awful to train for years only to get fucked up in a real fight because your fighting wasn’t effective.
I’ve practiced Judo-Jiujitsu for a long time but it was a while ago, I really want to have a community to get back into it a little bit
That’s awesome! I want to get better at grappling!
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Nice. Great advice. Don’t have a favourite weapon!
