KanjiDevourer wrote:

So I'm interested in become physically stronger, but more important, mentally stronger (this is the most important I think). What form of martial arts would you guys recommend?

Starting Strength? ;p

I believe it means killer insults. You see, ancient martial arts are all about balance: yin and yang. If your physical and verbal game are out of whack, you're screwed.

One good way to develop your mental game is to initiate some street fights with women. Being physically weaker, they often rely heavily on verbal attacks. If you can manage to resist the urge to beat the crap out of them, you'll get in some good verbal sparring practice.

A word of warning, though. Try to avoid the ones who've taken self-defense lessons. They're not really interested in fighting. The 'Double Eye Poke' technique is more their style. It's rather difficult to beat people up with one's eyeballs dangling about.

[edit: um, intentionally absurd...?]

Last edited by Thora (2012 March 06, 7:48 am)

Thora wrote:

A word of warning, though. Try to avoid the ones who've taken self-defense lessons. They're not really interested in fighting. The 'Double Eye Poke' technique is more their style. It's rather difficult to beat people up with one's eyeballs dangling about.

If there are, and I doubt it, women who think this will work on somebody who actually does attack people on the street, ie a drug addict who has been through prison then please, please, please wake up. These people are used to violence and real world techniques are needed to deal with them. Combatives, MMA, Muay Thai.

Last edited by HonyakuJoshua (2012 March 06, 6:24 am)

No they don't - fighters who are massively weaker beat stronger fighters because they are better at well, fighting than them.

Last edited by HonyakuJoshua (2012 March 06, 7:12 am)

Fillanzea wrote:

The emphasis on self-defense for women almost always throws the focus off the fact that the vast majority of rapes and sexual assaults are not some random guy attacking you on the street. They happen with acquaintances, on dates, and in intimate relationships.

I'm a single woman living in a rough neighborhood. Being catcalled is hella infuriating, but being attacked on the street is not what I am afraid of.

I agree with this. Women should know MMA and combatives to defend themselves against these men because they are out there walking the streets and going on dates with women. These men exist and are not made up by feminists.

I think many of these woman's self defence courses are frankly ridiculous both in there descriptions of attackers/rapists (I once knew a woman into self defence who seriously declared "but he looks too nice to do that to women!!!" about a UK celebrity who was accused of rape...) and the techniques they prescribe.

I would advise you and all women to be extremely vigilant around ALL men and go to combative seminars occasionally as well as practising MMA regularly. Do you do any training?

@Thora I KNOW it was intentionally absurd, but there are women who I know who would read this who would believe it.

Last edited by HonyakuJoshua (2012 March 06, 3:16 pm)

@ Norman I don't have evidence of my real life experiences in the gym but: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BegMOFU_8J4

My favourite one is at 4:20 I personally don't think aikido is effective in real life. My anecdote: I went to a dojo and the guy injured me on purpose which I laughed at and didn't understand what I asked him about the Japanese language even though he claimed to be fluent... I just don't think aikido has been tested in real life.

Great video clips. It was my first MMA to ever watch. Now I understand how this sort of fighting has become popular. You would have to admit that the underdogs in those fights were all well physically built. They were just shorter, for the most part. A lot of the taller guys were less lean, and quite of few of them were simply fat. The Sumo-looking guy just charged the guy, few down on his own, and got kicked in the face. Imagine paying $50 for those ringside tickets. Now, if you showed me a video clip of a chick beating up a bigger guy in MMA, I would be convinced.

Aikido really doesn't look like much from a distance. I actually told that to my friend who is into it. After he took me to his dojo and showed me a few moves, I have become convinced ever since. Later, he showed me an old film of an aikido master who was 70 or 80 years old flipping a younger guy, 3 times his size, all over the place. Well, as someone with very limited aikido experience, this is the furthest I can argue on the matter. I think that someone with some expertise in this area can probably provide some better insight. Nevertheless, I just feel that MMA is not the silver bullet for women as a means of self-defense. Maybe a can of mace will do the trick.

Last edited by Norman (2012 March 06, 6:44 pm)

Based on my personal experience in the martial arts (and I've trained mostly for exercise and fun, not to jump in the ring or kick ass in the street) I have no illusions that I'd be able to wade into a saloon brawl, go River Tam on everyone's ass, and walk out without even a scratch. Do I stand a better chance in a random fight than I would had I never trained at all? Yes. Am I an uber-fighting killing machine? No, not even close. I have trained in several styles, some more applicable than others to self-defense, with kickboxing and Aikido among the styles I've trained in (though my Aikido experience is much more limited).

As for Aikido, I would highly recommend training in a different "hard style" (in the sense of direct blocking and attacking, as opposed to soft, redirectional technique, not "hard" as in "we train, between our injuries, full contact only and wear tapout shirts 'cuz we're bad mo-fos") first, and move into the "soft" style later. In a hard style, much of what you're learning in your basic beginner techniques will consist of learning to time your block to intercept a technique. I feel it's better to take the timing and skill you develop there and then transfer it into a soft redirectional style like Aikido. To start attempting techniques that are designed to take in and change the direction of force with a lot of subtle movements without having the basics some of these moves developed from is sort of like jumping straight into algebra without learning basic multiplication first.

And if you're thinking of studying Aikido or another soft style for self defense, expect it to take a LOT longer to develop enough proficiency to make it even somewhat  functional than something like Muay Thai training.

As for women's self-defense classes, they are no substitue for consistent training. Still, some familiarity with a few techniques to break out of someone's grip on your arm if they grab you, or to escape a choke hold can go a long way in a self-defense situation, if only to disengage and run. Rule one in the classes I've seen was to get away and escape, not to open a can of whup-ass on an attacker.

I'm currently going to a Japanese sword class. Real world practicality? Not unless  I just happen to have my sword on me when the zombie apocalypse  breaks out (though my firearms experience is also a good skill in that situation, I'm currently in a country with very few guns around). But it's fun as hell.

Norman wrote:

HonyakuJoshua, the guy getting his butt kicked video was funny because he was actually trying to hit her with power and she just unloaded on him. We must remember that the woman was a professional and the guy was an out of shape beer guzzler, so I'm not sold on the idea that MMA can offer much overall.

I think it offers women confidence to punch a man in the face which is what you need in a self defence situation.

Norman wrote:

HonyakuJoshua wrote:

I think it offers women confidence to punch a man in the face which is what you need in a self defence situation.

True, but a kick in the balls would be doubly effective.

That's in combatives. What do they call it in Aikido?

Last edited by HonyakuJoshua (2012 March 07, 1:42 am)

Zgarbas wrote:

What's so difficult again?

Having the confidence to do that to a hostile assailant who is threatening you and frightening you - I think you need to practice in the gym to have that confidence.

True story. Met a guy who just wouldn't go down. Punched him for 3 straight days. Never understood wtf happened.

Then again, I think he was very used to being beat up. Immunity built over time? Drugs? Booze? Combo? Who knows, point is that it was weird.