Why Prioritizing Individual Safety Is Essential

The issue of violence is a grave concern that impacts individuals of all gender and age groups. According to some research, over two million people fall prey to violent crime in the United States annually. Unfortunately, women and children face an even greater danger of assaults. Since they are vulnerable and easier targets for criminals and predators, one in three women and one in four children will suffer some form of harassment in their lifetime.

Considering all of these, protective tactics are crucial for anyone who wants to secure themselves from physical threats. As a proven method for safeguarding, learning proper hand-to-hand combat techniques can equip you with the skills to defend yourself against an attacker, whether they are multiple, armed, or larger and stronger than you. On top of that, practicing will build your confidence and self-esteem — contributing to a healthy lifestyle — which can make you a harder target, i.e., less likely to become a victim of bullying in the first place.

If you wonder what is the best martial art for a street fight or what are the most suitable self-defense techniques for women, please continue reading this article.

A Few Words About Me

Before you proceed, I want to mention that I have been practicing and teaching various close-quarters combat tactics for more than 15 years, including participating in professional MMA competitions and delivering CQC training programs to the military, police, and bodyguards. So, I have tested each of the suggested forms in this post, and I believe they are the most effective martial arts, given not just from my viewpoint but from the perspectives of several elite instructors. If you want to get in touch with me regarding training inquiries, please reach out to me at contact@nemesisprotection.com.

Kickboxing: One of The Most Effective Martial Arts

Whether Kickboxing or its Thailand version (Muay Thai), it is among the most effective martial arts. The main reason behind this is its practicality. It can be implemented in everyday training routines and practiced realistically with a sparring partner. Moreover, it's well-known and widely used in sports competitions, allowing practitioners to hone and test their skills.

In my experience, Muay Thai is a better option than classic Kickboxing because of a broader range of techniques. Known as the "Art of Eight Limbs," Muay Thai is a highly useful fighting form utilizing fists, elbows, knees, and shins for attacking. With its focus on powerful kicks and clinching, it equips practitioners with the ability to strike from multiple angles and efficiently defend against aggressive opponents.

Despite its usefulness, it has drawbacks. The main disadvantage is inadequacy for combat on the ground. Anyway, comprehensive striking makes Muay Thai one of the most complete types of stand-up fighting. For this reason, I highly recommend this style to all learners, no matter their previous knowledge, as it is among the best martial arts for self-defense.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Among The Best Defensive Martial Arts

Another highly functional system is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It has gained significant recognition for its emphasis on submission grappling. Numbers show that around 90% of street brawls end up on the ground at some point. Therefore, knowing how to counter takedowns and neutralize and control aggressors, even from disadvantageous positions, is extremely important. All of this is possible with BJJ, which focuses on techniques allowing smaller individuals to defend themselves against larger attackers by using leverage and proper strategy.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is also practiced for sports purposes. Hard-core sparring is a fundamental component of every training session, which makes this method perfect for acquiring skills and gaining strength, endurance, flexibility, and confidence. You can train BJJ with gi or no-gi — I advise doing both versions. In addition, many military and law enforcement agencies around the world have incorporated this style into their drills, contributing to the effectiveness of its techniques. 

Although BJJ is second-to-none for ground fighting, it is not adequate for stand-up combat. Anyhow, this style is one of the best defensive martial arts.

Boxing: The Best Martial Art for a Street Fight

As a highly potent striking-based system, Boxing is renowned for emphasizing punching techniques, footwork, and head movement. It also provides excellent cardiovascular conditioning, enhancing overall fitness levels while improving reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

Additionally, Boxing is one of the most popular sports, with a million practitioners across the globe. Its full-contact sparring is challenging and close to actual combat. On top of this, it teaches you how to evade strikes and how to handle them when you get punched.

Nevertheless, this style has some disadvantages. It relies on power, so weaker individuals, like females, don't have a lot of chances against bigger attackers. Similarly, it is limited to using hands only, hence, it's inferior to all-around stand-up combat forms. When it comes to MMA, due to the lack of ground fighting elements and its incomplete striking techniques, there are more comprehensive options. 

Yet, Boxing offers many benefits, and the major advantage is its punching accuracy and quick and powerful knockouts, which make it the best martial art for a street fight.

Sambo: The Best Martial Arts for Self-defense

Sambo is a Russian fighting system with two forms: Combat Sambo for close-quarters combat — used by the Russian military — and Sport Sambo for sports competitions. Both versions are excellent. However, Combat Sambo is more comprehensive. While Sport Sambo integrates Wrestling, Judo, and BJJ techniques, Combat Sambo incorporates all forms of fighting, i.e., stand-up and ground combat. This approach is based on realism, practical techniques, and full-contact sparring. Thus, Combat Sambo is by far the most complete and certainly among the best martial arts for self-defense.

Krav Maga: The Best Self-defense Martial Art for Beginners

Known for its emphasis on real-world scenarios, Krav Maga is a ruthless hand-to-hand combat system initially developed for the Israeli military. Since it is aimed toward real-life situations rather than sports purposes, it has become an integral part of many training programs in both civilian and security sectors worldwide. Its focus on weapon defense and disarming tactics make it among the best defensive martial arts.

Thanks to its "dirty methods," you don't need the power to be able to subdue much larger opponents. Therefore, it's one of the most efficient self-defense techniques for women and weaker individuals. On top of that, unlike combat sports, Krav Maga teaches you how to identify, evaluate, and avoid incidents and not just how to fight.

Nonetheless, Krav Maga has its flaws. Due to its brutality, it is hard to be practiced realistically with a partner — the risk of injury is too high. Consequently, it makes this system good in theory but difficult in practice. Acquiring any skills without lifelike training and full-contact sparring is less likely. That's why many experts question its practicality.

Anyway, Krav Maga is considered the best self-defense martial art for beginners because of its simplicity. And to overcome the shortcomings of this form, I advise learning and testing its dirty strategies on a heavy bag or dummy and including full-contact sparring with a partner but avoiding using dangerous strikes.