Akido is a great type of martial arts to learn for self-defense, but it is not the only type out there that is great for protecting yourself if you are ever attacked on the street. In the following article, Joseph Vervilles, the man who started the San Francisco Akikai club back in 1993 is going to talk about some of the type of martial arts that are great for self-defense.
Jujutsu
Jujutsu is very effective for self-defense because, just like Akido, it uses the aggressiveness of the attacker against them. When a Jujutsu fighter is attacked, they will redirect their adversary’s momentum and energy in a way that suits them best. This redirection of energy will make the attack useless and will give the Jujutsu fighter a chance to strike back to protect themselves. Most Jujutsu moves are joint locks (where you apply breaking pressure to the knee or elbow) and throws. Using both of these in combination is what makes Jujutsu a deadly and effective martial arts style. Disarmed samurai used to make use of Jujutsu to protect themselves, so it can be used against unarmed and armed attackers.
Taekwondo
If you are watching a martial arts film and you see high spinning kicks, then the fighter is more than likely making use of Taekwondo. These fast and powerful high kicks help to make Taekwondo a very effective type of martial arts. Although it is characterized by these powerful kicks, Taekwondo actually loosely translates to “the way of the fist and hand”. Taekwondo is one of the only styles of martial arts that is a sport at the Olympics. We are sure that if you have paid any attention to the Olympics when it is on that you will have seen a bit of Taekwondo.
Krav Maga
This style of martial arts has been designed in a way to neutralise threats quickly. The moves are simple, and they are often dirty. If the moves look good on the eye, then it is probably not Krav Maga. The main aim of this martial arts style is to neutralise, so that no harm comes to yourself. Unlike other types of martial arts, defense and attack are intertwined in Krav Maga. Instead of continuing to block until you can attack back, you defend in a way that allows you to then counterattack. You should aim for the vulnerable parts of your attacker’s body such as their eyes, groin, neck, or throat.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the best martial arts for defending yourself – nearly every single UFC and MMA fighter has been trained extensively in this style of martial arts. It teaches fighters to use weight distribution and leverage to defeat much bigger opponents. It is a mixture of ground control, takedowns, and submissions. The submissions can be deadly as fighters learn a mixture of joint locks, chokes, and cranks. A choke cuts off an opponent’s oxygen, a crank twists the adversary’s body into very unnatural positions, while a joint lock puts bone-breaking pressure on joints.
Muay Thai
When it comes to martial arts as a means of self-defense, Muay Thai is the best one out there. This style has been designed in a way to convert different body parts into different weapons. When you learn how to do this well, your hands become like swords or daggers, your elbows become like a mace or a hammer, your knees can cut someone down like an axe, your legs can bash like a stick, and your forearms and shins can be used like armour to protect the vulnerable parts of your body.
Some final words from Joseph: “Learning how to defend yourself when faced with physical conflict is one of the best skills that you can have. I recommend that you try a variety of martial arts styles before you commit to one because some types of martial arts are not for some people. Many studios out there will even offer a first class for free, so you really do have no excuse when it comes to learning to protect yourself. If you Akido and you are in San Francisco, you are more than welcome to visit my club for a chat“.
Do You Feel Like Some Martial Arts but Cannot for Some Reason?
Sometimes you might have an urge to do some martial arts, but you cannot for some reason. Maybe you are recovering from a nasty blow or maybe you are suffering from a sickness and you do not want to go and spread it to everyone at the club. Whatever your reason, you can still get your martial arts fix thanks to online gambling. Slot games are highly popular at online casinos and there are many great slots out there that have a martial arts theme.
Some of the best martial arts slots that you can play at online casinos at the moment include Ninja Ways by Red Tiger Gaming, Legend of the Golden Monkey, and Flaming Fox, also by Red Tiger Gaming. These slots will keep you thoroughly entertained thanks to the wide variety of bonus features that they come equipped with. If you do opt to sign up with an online casino so that you can start enjoying some martial arts themed slot games, we beg you to remember to gamble responsibly. If you find that you are no longer having any fun, then please stop.