Martial Arts in the Playground

[DarkEternal]

From my personal experience:

If you want to learn how to really, really hurt someone, and in my own personal opinion the most realistic real life system of combat that will teach you how to handle yourself on the street(but can also land you in jail because like I said, it's really about laying on the hurt), then Krav Maga. It's as lethal as it gets. Like every good Krav Maga instructor will say; "There is no bad martial art. And if you're in combat with someone who gives you time to prepare, that's great. Krav Maga is when you need to react. Immediatelly and with the maximum results. Also, no martial art is as good as a good pair of legs and a healthy pair of luns, both that can serve you to run the hell away from whatever it is".

It won't turn you into a Superman, but it will give you a good chance, and it's got pretty intense training. I've been training it for three years now, and it is good, though to be sincere I would never have the stomach to do the things they teached me there (in a normal fight. If I was under mortal threat, well...then I suppose you don't really think about anyone's safety but your own there).

BJJ is also very good, but of course, focuses mainly if you get on the ground(chances are, in real life scenarios you probably will)


If you want conditioning, good body workout and overall, again in my opinion, the most physically exhausting, look no further then Boxing. It's going to make you drenched by the end of every session. Three minutes in a ring, even as an amateur with a guy who won't hit you with any strength will make you feel like you've been through the grinder and make you feel really, really good afterwards. Of all the martial arts-sports, I really liked boxing. It is pure, it is unfiltered, and there's intelligence behind every single move that you make. It's all about the movement, about your physical condition and by using your wits. I know, when you look at some of the pro's, you'd think they are not capable of it, but trust me. Box is great. And has a real life application.


If you want to sweat it out in a more exotic way, Capoeira, Tae-Kwon Do, sports like those. Notice I said sports. They are fun, they are rhytmic, and they are engaging. But honestly, from what I have seen, in real life situations, not a single person I knew ever used anything they learned, except their own body conditioning(no high, fast kicks, or acrobatics) in real life situations. Not to say it's bad, but depending on your body type and your own wants, it depends.

Other eastern martial arts are far more "philsophical" with the exception of Judo and Aikido which can lay down the hurt just as much as the ones I mentioned upwards. Judo in particular is devastating against people that don't know what they are doing, and your own body type is not as important in it( What I mean, you can basically fling people twice your size with the techniques you learn). Still, be very careful where you go to study these systems. While I adore the philosophy of martial arts, there are too many frauds out there that will try to turn you into a "ninja" or some other nonsense while in general all they are doing is taking your money. Things like that happen in the western arts as well, but less frequently due to the "mystique" of the East. For feeling good and being able to do it anywhere, Tai Chi is okay. Karate is well known, though personally I never liked it much. I have a soft spot for Kendo because it's a style I never got the chance to try out, and I really wanted to(too far away from my home, the only dojo in my town).