What is the best martial art for women’s self defense?

Let’s face it when it comes to fighting men have a natural benefit over women in terms of physical strength. This means that where self defense is concerned, it’s important for women to learn how to fight and defend themselves. In a world full of creeps and predatory men, sometimes it’s good as a woman to learn a martial art. This is beneficial for various reasons which will be discussed in detail below…but of all of these learning how to fight attackers is the most important.

From striking to grappling, these days there are a number of arts to consider. This is good news if you’re female as some people prefer certain styles in comparison to others. If you spend a couple of years training the below martial arts, then you will certainly improve your chance of survival on the streets. As a result, it’s important to look through and consider what is the best fit for you. Here’s the best martial arts for women’s self defense.

Boxing

Boxing has been taught for generations and is one of the oldest forms of self defense. When thinking about boxing, a lot of people think about striking the opponent and knocking them out. Whilst this is good, the main point of boxing is the art of avoiding how to be hit. As seen by Floyd Mayweather during his illustrious career, Mayweather won most of his fights by avoiding getting hit.

From a woman’s perspective, boxing is ideal in this sense to avoid getting punched in the face. A big part of this comes from learning the correct footwork and timing as well as stances. In short, a large man is swinging at you then he could knock you out in one blow. This is where boxing comes into its own and can get you out of a sticky situation. By avoiding punches, you can either counter with your own or choose to escape.

This means that learning speed in boxing is also highly important for women. Another huge benefit of boxing is the cardio that it brings. Simply put, boxing can be very tiresome so it’s good to train and spar. By doing this, you may be able to tire out an attacker by fending them off. As a result, boxing should be a consideration for women’s martial artists. These days, boxing gloves are also highly affordable.

Crossfit or a tough strength and conditioning routine with cardio

Hear us out on this one. Crossfit is not a martial art, nor is conditioning or improving your cardio. Now that is out the way, there are some big benefits that Crossfit can bring for women in a self defense situation. Basically, Crossfit will get you in great shape and improve practically every aspect of your body in terms of strength and fitness.

This involves rope climbs, lifting weights, sprints, jumps and general athleticism. Imagine being cornered in an alleyway by an attacker. If you’ve trained Crossfit then you have a substantially greater chance of escape by running or climbing over a wall. This means that if chased, your cardio should be superior enough for you to out-run most men. Further, by training climbing and jumping, it should also help your chances of escape in an urban environment.

The point is, sometimes it’s best to run. With all ego aside, this is probably the best way to defend yourself and avoid confrontation. With the health benefits that Crossfit brings, your flight response will thank you for training it. If you really want to learn a martial art, then Crossfit is also beneficial to learn on the side due to its strength and conditioning routines.

Judo

Judo is arguably the best grappling martial art for women to learn. This is because it emphasizes technique over strength. Of course, strength does go a long way with all forms of martial arts – and doesn’t hurt. However, the point of Judo is to use your skills to overcome brute force. There are various videos out there of Ronda Rousey using Judo on resisting men which prove it can be done.

In short, Judo is arguably better for women to learn over wrestling as it is based on less explosive, athletic movements. That isn’t to say Judo isn’t explosive either, but for women using it on men it relies on leverage and timing more than strength. As a result, stuff like establishing grips and footwork are vital.

Going further, you could even claim that Judo is the ultimate form of self defense for all genders. By getting good at Judo, it means you can instantly end a fight by throwing the opponent and pinning them or submitting them. Whilst wrestling takedowns may hurt as well, there’s nothing like getting thrown to a concrete floor by a Judoka. On a separate, aesthetic note – there’s something incredibly beautiful and appealing when you see a Judo takedown being completed to perfection.

Muay Thai

Muay Thai is one of the toughest martial arts and is no joke. Generally, it relies on strikes from a close and long range. Here, you will learn how to elbow and knee opponents from the clinch, as well as box and kick from distance. Further, Muay Thai also uses a number of foot sweeps and trips which can take the opponent down to the floor.

In this sense, Muay Thai is actually very well-rounded and isn’t just reliant on striking. Another positive for women learning Muay Thai is that it also has a healthy women’s community. Compared to certain other martial arts, there are quite a few women training Muay Thai which may be encouraging for some.

Due to its growth in popularity in recent years, Muay Thai gyms are fairly common these days. Unlike certain other martial arts, Muay Thai is probably too brutal to ever get watered down too. Thankfully, Muay Thai is also one of the cheapest martial arts to learn and is up there with boxing in terms of cost. With this in mind, give Muay Thai a go as it is highly effective.

Krav Maga

Krav Maga was designed by the Israeli military and has a fierce global reputation. Unlike other martial arts on this list, it does not focus on a competitive element and instead focuses solely on self defense. This means that it holds no punches and can be very nasty in terms of the techniques taught.

In other words, there’s no sportsmanship with Krav Maga as its sole purpose is fighting and winning. If you train Krav Maga, then you can get used to learning groin strikes, disarming weapons and eye gouges. The good news is that this is forbidden from sparring for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, it’s nice to have in your locker.

Nonetheless, Krav Maga does still involve sparring which is often a mixture of kickboxing and grappling. Whether you view this as a good or bad thing, Krav Maga is fairly rounded in its approach. This means it has a broad spectrum. Some may see this as too broad at times, whilst others may argue it covers fighting comprehensively and looks at all areas.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ has exploded in popularity over recent years and prides itself on pressure testing its techniques. It’s also very female friendly and has a large women’s community. One of the biggest philosophies of BJJ is that it often emphasizes using technique to overcome strength. As mentioned earlier, this is something which is sadly part of life…that stronger people have an easier ride when fighting.

However, in BJJ, you will literally see more experienced practitioners beating and choking newer, bigger opponent’s during sparring. This is incredibly promising for women as most attacks often end up grappling. Whilst most people are naturally clueless on the ground, this is where BJJ excels.

You will still learn takedowns whilst training BJJ which come from wrestling and Judo which is also nice. But, the main benefit of training is that you can attack from your back and safely subdue bigger attackers. Combined with Judo, BJJ is great for women who want to grapple.

Jeet Kune Do

Created by Bruce Lee, Jeet Kune Do was his own spin on Wing Chun that had self defense in mind. Unlike Wing Chun, JKD has a big emphasis on distance so is less restrictive in that sense. It also has a number of dirty street techniques that are also useful in street fights.

These include eye gouges, groin strikes and chops to the throat. In this sense, Jeet Kune Do is kind of similar to Krav Maga and does not show respect to its opponent’s. As well as this, JKD also has kicks and all of the good stuff that Bruce Lee learnt from Wing Chun. It also has a few takedowns which is nice. The only issue with this inclusion is that these days Jeet Kune Do is not massively popular. As a result, it can be difficult to find a school. Further, be careful as some of the gyms out there that claim to teach JKD can be suspect in their teaching when showing realistic techniques.

Sambo

Sambo is a Russian martial art that is based on grappling. Overall, you could say it’s a cross between BJJ, Judo and wrestling. The point is to start standing and put your opponent to the floor. This takes place in a gi with shorts, so it’s quite unique in that sense. Although Sambo can be quite tough, a good part of its curriculum is that it also emphasizes leg locks.

If you’ve ever trained BJJ then you will understand the importance of leg lock submissions. Basically, it doesn’t matter how big or strong your opponent is, if you manage to wrap their legs then you can break ankles and knees with very little strength. This is great for women as it literally puts technique over strength.

However, Sambo is much more than that and is mostly based on standing throws and submissions. The beauty of Sambo is that you can often use combat Sambo too which involves strikes and is not too dissimilar to MMA in this sense. Be warned however, Sambo is not for the faint hearted!

MMA

MMA (or Mixed martial arts for short) is basically a combination of many of the above arts thrown in together. Here, you will find a lot of teachings on boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ and wrestling. If you can get good at these, then you will become a very skilled and rounded fighter in all areas.

Having said this, some traditional martial artists also argue that you need to learn the dirty side of fighting too which is illegal in MMA. Nonetheless, for the most part – the majority of people agree that MMA will mold you into a very capable fighting machine. From a woman’s perspective, a prospective attacker may be in for a big shock if they preyed on a woman who is well versed in MMA.

Another big benefit of training MMA is the cardio improvements. The sparring can be very draining and tiresome. This is ideal for fighting as often it’s those with the best cardio who end up winning. You will also improve all areas of cardio in your resume. For instance, boxing cardio is completely different to BJJ cardio and so on. Thankfully, a lot of women train MMA too so you can also fight against partners similar in strength and size for practice.

Kickboxing/Savate/Taekwondo

Although these are all separate martial arts in their own rights, they all have one thing in common which is kicks from distance. Typically, kickboxers have long legs and a skinny upper body. With this in mind, this is ideal for taller women who possess long legs. The idea of kickboxing and Savate is to create enough distance and then kick the head. With enough training and technique, even the weakest of women can knock out the strongest of men by using these methods.

Not only this but these martial arts also involve punches too. Generally though, there is a bigger focus on kicks. The main difference between Taekwondo and the others is that it is also trained in a gi. This means grips on the gi add a different dimension and mix things up a little.

One issue with these arts though, is that they have little that involves takedowns or grappling. This is fine if you’re good enough to avoid these situations. Nonetheless, if you do end up grappling then you may find yourself in trouble.

General thoughts on women’s self defense

When it comes to self defense, a lot has to be said for simply running away. As mentioned in the Crossfit section, this can end a lot of negative situations. Of course, when running isn’t an option. This guide has covered all aspects of fighting when this is the case. From the stand up grappling of Judo and Sambo, to the ground fighting of BJJ. From the kicks of Savate, to the elbows of Muay Thai. Lastly, from the eye gouges of Krav Maga to the groin strikes of Jeet Kune Do…all of these martial arts should help from a self defense perspective.

There are other methods to consider too. For instance, combat umbrellas are also very handy and incredibly subtle. In some states, concealed firearms are also a great deterrent in case someone tries to attack you.

Having said this, it’s not just self defense that many women train these martial arts. There is a wide array of other benefits that you can get from martial arts which are as follows:

• General fitness. Your internal body will thank you and training martial arts will improve your cardio and help fight off issues such as heart attacks and a general sedentary lifestyle.
• Socialization and making friends. Regardless of gender, martial arts will get you mixing with people who share similar views and hobbies to yourself. This is a great way to get out of the house and meet new people.
• Confidence. Arguably, this is also a form of self defense and the art of talking is a valuable skill. It’s no coincidence that some people even call this ‘verbal Aikido’. The point is that if you can assert yourself then this is a great positive. Whether talking down an aggressor or trying to get a promotion at work, martial arts will help develop your confidence.
• Mental Strength. This quality ties in with all of the above. It may be a cliche but martial arts is great for your mind and teaches discipline. Often these days, people focus on the physical benefits, but the mental ones are there for all to see as well.

Should you be intimidated going into a martial arts gym as a woman?

Ultimately, this question and answer is up to the individual. Sometimes, you may see aggressive looking males hitting a punch bag hard and the outside atmosphere may seem tough. However, for the most part these places are actually incredibly welcoming and friendly to all. If the environment does seem too aggressive for you, then worry not. If it’s too much then remember you don’t have to sign up and no one forces you to join. Having said this, you should try to shop around a bit and see what gym or martial art is the best fit for you. Remember, everyone was a beginner once and most gyms work as a team.

A sign of a good gym is having a friendly owner or coach who will show you the ropes. Usually, most people are in there for the same reasons too which is often self defense, so typically you have nothing to worry about.

With this in consideration, there’s no reason not to start training a martial art today. There’s every chance it could change your life for the better and highly increase your chance of survival in terms of a self defense scenario.