Understanding the different types of self-defense is key to making sure you are properly prepared when and if you need to defend yourself.
Not all defense systems are equal, but each is geared towards preparing the trainee for a certain level of self-defense ability.
Traditional Martial Arts
Traditional martial arts are those based on traditional and cultural influences from a country, region, clan or some other identifier. Karate for instance is a class of martial arts that focus on empty hand fighting skills from Okinawa and Japan. Styles include Shotokan, Shito Ryu and Goju Ryu. Other arts from Japan include aikido, Jiu Jitsu, Kendo, Iaido and many other traditional arts.
There are hundreds of styles of Kung Fu from China. They can be categorized as northern or southern. They can be designated as hard or soft and have originated from a village or family. Some examples are Choy Li Fut, BaGua, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, Shaolin, Black Tiger, White Crane and many others.
There are other traditional martial arts from many countries from around the world. One thing they have in common are age and the cultural influences of their place of origin. Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, countries in Africa and the middle east all have martial arts that date back hundreds and thousands of years. These traditional martial arts use language, costume and other cultural indicators to identify them.
Sport Fighting
Another category of martial arts are sport oriented. The popular one at the moment in North America is mixed martial arts, such as those demonstrated in the UFC and other sport combat programs.
These competitions match skilled fighters against each other for prize money and fame. It is glorified with product endorsements, pretty girls and lots of Hollywood razzle dazzle. People seem to enjoy the spectacle. We need to remember that it is a sport with competitive athletes who train very hard and agree to fight each other under controlled conditions with rules and codes of conduct.
Three of the things that designate a sport oriented martial art are the 3 r's – rules, referee and a ring.
Military Special Forces: Reality Based Martial Arts
Reality Based martial arts are about real life situations and protecting yourself and loved ones from a true threat.
This could be an intoxicated “tough guy” approaching you to ask threateningly for money or a seriously deranged person with a gun wanting your money or your life.
Reality martial arts are not concerned about origin, culture or anything of the sort, nor are they concerned with rules or looking good to spectators.
Military Based Training Systems
With Reality martial arts, the primary focus is on survival and winning in a violent confrontation.
Examples of reality martial arts are Israeli Krav Maga, Russian Systema, and other military based training systems. There are also several that have been developed by military and law enforcement personnel. The primary focus is on empowering people with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in conflict and win in a violent confrontation.
These are just a few examples of the many options you have when deciding what type of self-defense system works best for you.
It is critical to know the difference before you endeavor training, because you do not want to “bring a knife to a gun fight” so to speak, but you also do not want to spend a lot of money learning a system you will never use.
To learn more on making an informed decision on what type of self-defense system is best for you, please visit Secrets of Survival.