What Is The Best Martial Art To Win A Street Fight

Did you know this often the most searched Martial Arts related question on the internet? I’ve always found that quite disturbing, but I guess I understand. Martial Arts is the art of combat, it’s a literal education in how to hurt people. What people choose to do with their education is up to them.

However, as someone who teaches for a living, I can’t in all good consciousness, sit here and advise people on street fighting. In fact, if you want some advice on street fighting, here it is. Don’t do it. There are so many other ways to get an adrenaline hit, make money or deal with a bully than meeting a random stranger behind a bin and punching each other in the face. 

Putting aside the fact that it's illegal, dangerous and serves absolutely no purpose other than to cause pain and suffering to another human being. 

Street Fighting or Self Defence?

So with that aside, I guess the real question should be, what is the best Martial Arts to defend myself outside of a sporting situation? The short answer is there isn’t one art that anyone can or should recommend. But there are some fundamental principles that you should attempt to understand. 

Any fight can be broken down into 2 main elements. The striking (punches, kicks, weapons) and the grappling (wrestling, choking, grabbing) So if you want to feel confident that you can protect yourself in any given situation, it makes sense to have an understanding of these 2 major areas.

For me this would naturally lead you down a few avenues of practice: 

Striking

Be it boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai. Really what you are here to understand is distance and timing. The art of hitting someone without getting hit. The only thing that changes is what weapons you can use.

I usually recommend kickboxing and Muay Thai, simply because they afford you more weapons than boxing alone. The ability to knee, kick and elbow people are effective weapons in comparison to a bare-fist with no protection in the way form of gloves or wraps. 

Grappling 

Again you have choices, wrestling, judo, jujitsu. Yes you will learn chokes and holds. But really what you come here to understand is how to manipulate the body in close range. How to fall to the floor safely, what positions to avoid to stay safe. 

My usual recommendation is BJJ for the same reasons that I gave my striking choices. It has evolved massively through competition both in pure BJJ and MMA to have the widest choice of weapons. The largest tool box, which allows you more opportunity to protect yourself. 

Protection not damage

I apologise for anyone who was drawn in by my ‘clickbate’ title and is looking for information on how to hurt people. But I think the primary reason people should start a Martial Arts should come from the idea of protection. Protecting yourself and those you care about. Yes, sometimes, maybe, violence is the answer, and you’ll be grateful you learnt the skills necessary to dish it out when it's called for. But more often than not, physical confrontation can be avoided by simply developing your communication skills. 

The most powerful self defence 

Learn how to talk, learn how to empathise. Practice the art of relating to people and defusing situations. These skills will allow you to disarm many opponents without ever needing to lift a finger. Does it work all the time? No obviously not, but you’d be surprised how effective it can be, and when you weigh up the alternative, I know which one I would prefer. 

The best reason to practice Martial Arts

Practice Martial Arts to learn new skills, to compete, to challenge yourself and grow. An added benefit is that you’ll hopefully pick up the skills to defend yourself when needed. Don’t street fight.