Best Martial Arts for Self Defense Ranked • Ft. Icy Mike
Icy Mike of @hard2hurt a self defense, combat sports expert and former police officer and me, a former Aikido instructor now on a quest to expose various martial arts myths joined together to rank the best and worst martial arts for self defense.
00:00:00 How we ranked the martial arts
00:01:19 Aikido
00:04:08 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
00:07:10 Gracie Jiu Jitsu
00:09:50 Boxing
00:12:46 Ninjutsu / Bujinkan
00:15:35 Capoeira
00:18:31 Wrestling is an S?!
00:21:34 Japanese Jiu Jitsu
00:23:52 Jeet Kune Do
00:27:36 Judo
00:33:35 Filipino Martial Arts | Kali / Escrima / Arnis
00:38:34 Karate
00:42:46 Kyokushin Karate
00:44:54 Kenpo Karate
00:48:20 Kickboxing
00:51:27 Muay Thai
00:53:40 Lethwei
00:57:23 Krav Maga
01:01:22 MMA
01:06:38 Systema
01:08:50 Taekwondo
01:12:05 Tai Chi
01:13:20 Wing Chun
01:17:39 Why there are no S martial arts
01:21:40 Did any of the scores surprise Icy Mike?
#hard2hurt #selfdefense #martialarts
—
Welcome to the Martial Arts Journey YouTube channel!
My name is Rokas. I’m a Lithuanian guy who trained Aikido for 14 years, 7 of them running a professional Aikido Dojo until eventually I realized that Aikido does not live up to what it promises.
Lead by this realization I decided to make a daring step to close my Aikido Dojo and move to Portland, Oregon for six months to start training MMA at the famous Straight Blast Gym Headquarters under head coach Matt Thornton.
After six months intensive training I had my first amateur MMA fight after which I moved back to Lithuania. During all of this time I am documenting my experience through my YouTube channel called “Martial Arts Journey”.
Now I am slowly setting up plans to continue training MMA under quality guidance and getting ready for my next MMA fight as I further document and share my journey and discoveries.
—
If you want to support my journey, you can make a donation to my PayPal at [email protected]
SUBSCRIBE to see when the next videos will come out:
► http://bit.ly/1KPZpv0
Check the video “Aikido vs MMA” which started this whole Martial Arts Journey:
► https://youtu.be/0KUXTC8g_pk
If you want to support me and this channel on a regular basis check my Patreon page:
► https://www.patreon.com/rokasleo
Capoeira is a martial art used and developed by slaves (afro and natives) to defend aganst slave masters and the police. The dance part was a way to hide the training, because the imperial police and slave owner repressed any for of resistência. Capoeira has ground attacks situations, weapon training, kicks, punchs, headbutts, takedowns and is a form of afrobrazilian culture, a way to learn alot about our history.
The training I got in Krav Maga basically distanced itself from the stuff you're referring to. My buddy and I left the Krav Maga world federation training for a private instructor who uses the techniques from specific units in Israel, but we actually had to put the stuff into practice. It reminded me of a mix of wrestling, muay Thai, kali, and firearms and knives. But some of the techniques are the "never used in sport" camp that you mentioned. Fun video, Man!
I’ve watched collegiate wrestlers get their ass kicked by purple belt bjj guys. I think wrestling is ranked too high. You’re right on non mma trained bjj practitioners. but wrong on wrestling.
re Karate for self defence: I think the styles youd get most millage out of for self defence would be Uichi Ryu, or GoJu Ryu. they have their problems, but ultimately have stayed true to preparing people for close distance self defence responses, including some ground training and lots of throws and joint locks. they'd all get destroyed in grappling by anyone whose done say a year or two of BJJ or Judo etc. but as we have established, just a tiny bit of grappling knowledge is ten fold vs anyone untrained in grappling.
Here's my main issue…Icy Mike gives so much credence to sport MA, "Cutting through the bullshit" etc, etc, etc. And yet…Sport MA doesn't train for weapons, doesn't train for "unlawful" attacks, doesn't train for raw self-defense. If you train yourself to pull guard against someone with a knife…? You're done in a real world situation. The idea that sport refines a technique or school is bs. Use what works. Discard the rest. So much of the credence here is put towards how to make money from having an MA school. NOT how to protect yourself. Don't be confined to one style, one school, or one WAY. If you want to handle yourself, commit to practice…every day.
I think it depends on the environment. Wrestling is pretty good but in a urban setting where the floor is rough concrete, them knee slides for a tackle is gonna be painful.
Also the knees or kicks to the face is gonna hurt or even knock you out. I've seen a lot of world star videos where that occurred.
With environment accounted. Judo is pretty good as throws can destroy their attacker's spine.
One big issue, IMO, with putting wrestling up at the top is that there is a massive statistical bias in evaluating wrestling. The sport emphasis and training methodology tends to make wrestling a filter for very athletic people. I think wrestling makes sense there IF you're of the mental and physical type that survives and thrives in wrestling. But the idea of self defense is usually about helping normal people defend themselves, and wrestling is not a good place for someone who's not a fantastic athlete.
I took Judo as a young child, learning how to fall has been an extremely useful skill and saved me from serious injury many times. Teaching how to break falls is a really good skill to have in life. But, I love to listen to Icy Mike's thoughts and logic. My major disagreement: – I feel like PTK is better than average FMA and don't think that Dog brothers style is all that good because they end up (typically) just exchanging blows with sticks which isn't all that helpful if you aren't wearing the protective equipment. Equipment has its place in training, but just beating the crap out of each other isn't all that helpful as it relates to self-defense. Just my two cents.
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
So, Hurts associates with Oscar Meyer? Disappointing!
I believe a good Judo throw can finish a fight pretty quick, the floor is not a nice place to be smashed against.
Capoeira is a martial art used and developed by slaves (afro and natives) to defend aganst slave masters and the police.
The dance part was a way to hide the training, because the imperial police and slave owner repressed any for of resistência.
Capoeira has ground attacks situations, weapon training, kicks, punchs, headbutts, takedowns and is a form of afrobrazilian culture, a way to learn alot about our history.
The training I got in Krav Maga basically distanced itself from the stuff you're referring to. My buddy and I left the Krav Maga world federation training for a private instructor who uses the techniques from specific units in Israel, but we actually had to put the stuff into practice. It reminded me of a mix of wrestling, muay Thai, kali, and firearms and knives. But some of the techniques are the "never used in sport" camp that you mentioned. Fun video, Man!
I’ve watched collegiate wrestlers get their ass kicked by purple belt bjj guys. I think wrestling is ranked too high. You’re right on non mma trained bjj practitioners. but wrong on wrestling.
what happened with silat, straight to F without commenting
Kyokoshin does have throws 🙂
re Karate for self defence: I think the styles youd get most millage out of for self defence would be Uichi Ryu, or GoJu Ryu. they have their problems, but ultimately have stayed true to preparing people for close distance self defence responses, including some ground training and lots of throws and joint locks. they'd all get destroyed in grappling by anyone whose done say a year or two of BJJ or Judo etc. but as we have established, just a tiny bit of grappling knowledge is ten fold vs anyone untrained in grappling.
Cries in Sumo wrestling
Here's my main issue…Icy Mike gives so much credence to sport MA, "Cutting through the bullshit" etc, etc, etc. And yet…Sport MA doesn't train for weapons, doesn't train for "unlawful" attacks, doesn't train for raw self-defense. If you train yourself to pull guard against someone with a knife…? You're done in a real world situation. The idea that sport refines a technique or school is bs. Use what works. Discard the rest. So much of the credence here is put towards how to make money from having an MA school. NOT how to protect yourself. Don't be confined to one style, one school, or one WAY. If you want to handle yourself, commit to practice…every day.
I think it depends on the environment. Wrestling is pretty good but in a urban setting where the floor is rough concrete, them knee slides for a tackle is gonna be painful.
Also the knees or kicks to the face is gonna hurt or even knock you out. I've seen a lot of world star videos where that occurred.
With environment accounted. Judo is pretty good as throws can destroy their attacker's spine.
You should have had Combat Sambo on the list.
One big issue, IMO, with putting wrestling up at the top is that there is a massive statistical bias in evaluating wrestling. The sport emphasis and training methodology tends to make wrestling a filter for very athletic people. I think wrestling makes sense there IF you're of the mental and physical type that survives and thrives in wrestling. But the idea of self defense is usually about helping normal people defend themselves, and wrestling is not a good place for someone who's not a fantastic athlete.
I think Muay Thai and MMA should b in the topp putting wrestling there is just silly
I took Judo as a young child, learning how to fall has been an extremely useful skill and saved me from serious injury many times. Teaching how to break falls is a really good skill to have in life. But, I love to listen to Icy Mike's thoughts and logic. My major disagreement: – I feel like PTK is better than average FMA and don't think that Dog brothers style is all that good because they end up (typically) just exchanging blows with sticks which isn't all that helpful if you aren't wearing the protective equipment. Equipment has its place in training, but just beating the crap out of each other isn't all that helpful as it relates to self-defense. Just my two cents.
he didn't include "goudou" fighting style. It is would have been S-tier.