Something I always get asked when teaching self-defense is, "What's the best martial art?"
That's actually a multi-tiered question that requires a multitiered answer, and before I reply, I usually ask a question of my own: "Best martial art for what?"
You might think that's a silly question, but it's not. After all, people practice martial arts for different reasons. I know bouncers who take part because they need to be able to fight - I'm one of them and I know elderly people who go to tai chi class twice a week purely for the exercise. I even know people who have joined a martial arts class just to make friends.
However, what people usually mean is, What's the best martial art for winning a fight?
Again, this is not a straightforward question. What type of conflict do these people mean when they refer to fighting? In the martial arts community, there are three siblings: fighting in class or at a traditional tournament, fighting in a "match fight" and fighting for self-defense. Each has a different objective and therefore a different method of delivering the goods.
In class or competition, your goal is to win without hurting your opponent. In a match fight, your objective is to beat the other person in any way that's allowed: submission, knockout, judges' decision, etc. In self-defense, your objective is to get away from the danger as quickly as possible while suffering as little damage as possible. That's why all good self-defense starts with awareness.
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HOW TO CREATE A MARTIAL ART CASE STUDY: COMBAT HAPKIDO
On October 22, 2022, the International Combat Hapkido Federation celebrated its 30th anniversary. As you might expect, we're proud of our organization's longevity, stability and success.
MARTIAL ARTS ANATOMY 101
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LIVER SHO
LOCK UP
THE CLINCHING LESSONS TAUGHT IN THE ANCIENT GREEK MARTIAL ART OF PANKRATION ARE STILL RELEVANT - AND EFFECTIVE!
KILLER CHARACTER ACTOR
When Scott Adkins Isn't Headlining His Own Action Movies Like \"Boyka: Undisputed,\" He's Stealing Scenes in Blockbusters Like \"John Wick\" and \"Ip Man\"!
A DEEP DIVE WITH BENNY URQUIDEZ
Few fighters have a reputation as formidable and a record as impressive as Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. As you will see, his path from the traditional martial arts to full contact and then to kickboxing had more than its share of bumps.
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, PART 1
In my six previous columns, pre-emptive striking featured prominently.
THE DAY JUJITSU DIED
Let us look at one historical instance that illuminates a lesson in task saturation, or what Miyamoto Musashi called \"sword flowers.\"
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? GUY MEZGER: FROM MMA FIGHTER TO HEALER
To be successful in mixed martial arts nowadays, you need an all-around game.
KILLER INSTINCT
It's not the size of the woman in the fight but the size of the fight in the woman.
HAPKIDO'S BONG SOO HAN: THE MAKING OF A MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND
Much has been written about Bong Soo Han (1933-2007), his career as a hapkido master and his connection to the Billy Jack films.
