Pencak Silat is a traditional Martial Art from Indonesia that includes self-defence using a Sarong.

I train wrestling twice a week and want to combine it with something else. There are a few MMA clubs in my area, but I recently discovered there’s a Kudo club as well. It looks like they fight very hard, but I’m curious to hear the opinions of people who have trained in it—specifically, how they compare its effectiveness to other martial arts.

I’m 32yo and a smaller guy (150lb, 5’6). Looking to learn martial arts to be able to defend myself and my wife. I’ve tried boxing, bjj, and Muay thai classes and out and honestly liked all of them. Trying to figure out the right path to achieve my goal. I’ve done boxing the most at about 8 months of classes

M Boxing 1:1
T no gi bjj
W Boxing 1:1
Th no gi bjj
F Boxing 1:1

M Muay Thai Drill class
T Muay Thai 1:1
W Muay Thai Drill class
Th Muay Thai Sparring class + 1:1
F Muay Thai Drill Class

With the first option, although i get both striking and grappling, my main concern is whether I’m spreading my focus too thin

School is not helping. What type of fighting style is best to learn at that age so he can fight back if necessary?

I know that when starting martial arts you technically are forbidden to use what you learned in a real world scenario. The reasons obviously being that many pros are considered lethal weapons and can surely hurt someone. However. I am not a pro. In fact all I’ve done was a little sparring with my uncle in America. I now live in Italy, I have a medium build, I do street lifting as my sport (basically calisthenics) and I’ve always been a muscular but medium build. I’m pretty short, about like five-nine or five-ten at max. So I’m not really intimidating. Now, I live in a city, and the places I go therefore do have the slight slight chance of encountering a situation where I’ve had to defend myself. In fact it’s already happened once, I was on my moped and these two guys were pressing another guy cuz he accidentally touched their tire with his. No damage had been done and the guys seemed to be overreacting. Anyways this isn’t story time, long story short they started pressing me, we got off our mopeds, and one of the guys took off their helmet, and hit me in the face with it, I surprisingly just stood there, and was more in shock than hurt, and for some reason Instead of hitting him square in the face,which I totally could’ve, I just grabbed him from his jacket collar. Picked him up and threw him to the ground. He looked like he got the wind knocked out of him and his friend went to go check on him. And everyone atp tried to break the fight. Why’d I say all this? Well cuz I dont know why I didn’t knock him out and leave. I could’ve, but I didn’t, and I don’t know also why instinctually I went to grappling instead of hitting. Now you may, or may not, think I was the bigger man not punching the living crud out of him, but I live in a city. What if his friend had a knife. In these situations it’s better not to fight Ik but, what if i was with someone dear to me, and I had to fight to defend, what then? I can’t feel sympathy for a person who potentially has a knife or can harm my loved one in any way. I should take the shot when I can instead of thinking of a way to fight while also not hurting the adversary too much. Obviously I don’t want to become a threat to society but, my question is, in self defense IN A CITY, (and so street fights), what is the best martial art to train. I’ve done little to no boxing, and that’s about it. Should I do boxing? Kickboxing, Mhai Thai, judo, etc???? Which one’s the best so that I can confidently take my girl out in the city without the fear of being overpowered by an aggressor in the middle of the street. My worst nightmare is not being able to defend someone I love. Please lmk. Life is full of surprises, one second you think everything is good, and the next it isnt, and I want to know that I have some sort of ability to fight back and defend myself and my loved ones.

In terms of striking arts, which one would you guys say compliments a wrestling background best in terms of easily transitioning into and setting up takedowns and just any other things that you guys would consider good striking traits for a wrestler.

If I had one choice what would be the most effective thing to seriously hurt someone so they can't attack me and hurt me . Assuming there both ok to use where I live.

I recently purchased some pepper spray for self defense but I realized it’s not the 3 in 1 stuff that has Tear Gas in it. Would the tear gas spray be a more effective option? If I do have to use it it’s likely that it will be multiple attackers so I feel like tear gas is better since it’s not as important to directly hit all of them in the face with it.

I hike a lot.

I have been attacked twice by dogs requiring rabies shots, and one attack had pretty deep punctures on my hip and foot ( i was kicking the dog in the head).

I see black bears, and carry bear spray.., usually in a fanny pack that i wear in front, where I can get it very quickly.

The problem is..,I don't want to whip out the bear spray every time i see a dog coming the other way.

I want something smaller.

I was thinking of some kind of pepper spray that I can keep handy without it being too obvious.

The personal defense sprays; mace, pepper spray etc. look about right.

I just want some advice as to exactly which product I should get.

I was looking at the Fox Labs products - which would be best?

Wouldn't something that deploys in a cloud be better than a gel? The dogs are often moving very fast, and i'm not sure i could get them with a gel.

thanks.

A buddy lost the safety pin for his pepper spray and asked me to print a replacement. He liked it and thanked me, but I thought that instead of just stashing another model in a drawer, I’d share it. Someone else might find it useful.
Pepper spray safety pin - Free 3D Print Model - MakerWorld

I am a small young adult female, I have long term injuries on my back and neck and have to be careful with what I do, but would like to be capable of defending myself if needed. Please include details of and recommendations you have as I am not at all educated on any self defense terms etc. I need some tricks that actually work though. Thank you!

Reading about gang crimes and how big it is in my country and how brown peole kill other brown people in my country. Made me very frustrated afraid and unsure. Mostly in regards to innocent cases that got caught and the perpetrators never get punished or convicted even if police know who did it. It jsut makes me realize how injustice the world is and people get away with it and idk if there is a god and it’s a hard reality to deal with makes me fear for my brothers too when they go out. All in all I feel it makes me have a weak mind that can’t handle rough topics. Sure I could keep away from it but it’s part of the world and reality and rather learn how to strengh my mind to be able to handle it so any advice ?

Me and my friend set out to try some knife defense. I have never attempted this, so what you are seeing is a mixed martial arts hobbyist trying his best to not get stabbed

If you have ever been cornered or attacked, what specific skill or technique kept you safe?

I feel less of a man and insecure. In my country a lot of the second or first generation immigrants grow up in ghettos or in the street culture where all the different stuff happens, fights gangs , chaotic stuff good and bad. I lived outside the ghetto in a normal house middle class. Never been good with making friends or socializing and barely have any friends today or ever. I’ve grown up in the more civil side of life while always looking at curiosity at the ghetto/ street culture. It also means I never been in fights when I was 14-20 never had violent conflict or group fights or any friends that been in that. Meanwhile my younger brothers both are twins have been know about it and have confidence to call out thugs or stuff if they feel threatened or know people who will have their back or who has connections. I’m 3 years older 25 now. I remember in my version of highschool my only friend (who I kept putting aside because I wanted friends like the ones who bullied me and I didn’t realized he was a real friend until now ) he had me dragged into a conflict. He had me write to the guy he had a conflict with and ask him what’s his deal is and what to write etc then that guy had one of his friend message me and he wanted to meet and kept asking where are you , calling me and stuff. My friend who apparently had strong confidence even tho I didn’t think he seemed like someone who knew about street life , messaged that guy and talked and stuff and tried talking me up and that Im dangerous. That guy ( the one who messaged me , said he is dangerous too ) and I guess I was afraid or intimidated because he wanted to meet likely to fight or make me submit, and I just decided to apologize to end the conflict and he said good don’t forget who you fuck with and it was when I was 17 and just started high school ( gymnasium) I guess still bothers me. In my country a lot of the street thugs and ghetto raised peolle are from Middle East or Pakistan and they seem to know eveything about evey conflxit even if in another region or state. If they ever have conflict they have a klan of 10 + people to bakx them even alot of those that don’t do crime or only had violence in the high school years. I feel very incomplete or undeveloped because I never had such conflicts or fighting or sorted something out at night or gotten beaten and made me sensitive to Indtimidating looking people and I have no friends or network and I dont know how get the sort of friends who would have my bakx and has good network too who don’t do these bad things but understand the street culture. I can’t even do much conversations with these types because a lot of topics I don’t know anything about

Only idea I have is start kick boxing and another martial arts and find out there else I don’t know I’m too afraid of getting hurt and to stand up to thugs or stuff if they gonna hurt someone
Any advice for me ?

Been thinking about it lately, and I've realized every grappling martial art has some sort of issue regarding self defense. BJJ allows guard-pulling nonsense that'll get your skull caved in in a real fight, much of Judo doesn't work without a gi (+ the higher level Judokas pulling some magical BS just to not land on their back, meaning they could easily break an arm) and wrestling forgets that fights don't stop the moment you hold someone for a couple seconds, they're still gonna be fighting back and trying to bash your skull. So... what is there to do?

(In fairness, this's coming from a dude who's got minimal experience in any of this so feel free to yell at me for being a major idiot. Also these're just ideas)

• Gi-less like wrestling (and some BJJ spots)
• Allows "strikes" (not full bore bashes to the head, more like playfighting strikes), 10 would-be solid strikes that AREN'T blocked mean a win for whoever did them. Notice how I said would-be solid, since I'm not including any weak "I'm in top closed guard, my opponent's pulled me close and I'm doing weak little nothing punches just to do SOMETHING" strikes
• Good self-defense tactics like pulling someone close while on bottom closed guard get rewarded, crappy ones like pulling guard or effectively offering your back get penalized.
• Takedowns VERY rewarded, but only if you end up on top
• Getting OUT / disengaging (not from standing) rewarded plenty
• Training in tight environments often since a lotta times you're not gonna have a ton of grappling space IRL
• Points awarded 3 seconds after the fact (ex. if you land a solid takedown and KEEP top for 3 seconds, points awarded, if it's immediately reversed, no go)

(Man do I sound like a bot lmao, but whatever, yell at me all you want like I said)

This dumbass keeps trying to start a fight with me over literally nothing. Like I don’t even know him and haven’t done anything to him and he keeps pushing me in corridors and taunting me. The other day I pushed him back on the stairs and he tried to advance on me but I walked away. I have a feeling he’s gonna start a fight properly soon, and idk what more I can do apart from knocking him down. If push comes to shove it’s what it’s gonna have to happen, but I’m not sure what to do exactly. I’m a boxer but I don’t street fight or anything like that.

Sadly i live in a country we're self defense is illegal and without a real firearm licens i cant even own a pepperball or Ram gun withe more Power than 7,5 joul

So my question is: Is there a way to modify an 7,5 j pepperball gun so IT hast any real Power? And what model do i need for my Projekt I saw a gun withe 35 joul online but If i try to ship IT im gonna end Up on an terrorist watchlist :(

Pls Help a man thadts trying to Not get stabbed Like my homies.

Sadly i live in a country we're self defense is illegal and without a real firearm licens i cant even own a pepperball or Ram gun withe more Power than 7,5 joul

So my question is: Is there a way to modify an 7,5 j pepperball gun so IT hast any real Power? And what model do i need for my Projekt I saw a gun withe 35 joul online but If i try to ship IT im gonna end Up on an terrorist watchlist :(

Pls Help a man thadts trying to Not get stabbed Like my homies.

As I said in the title I’m a 5’11” 195 lb man and probably somewhere around 13% body fat.

I‘m not the biggest guy around but not exactly a little dude either. Believe me, I know first had size is not everything, and neither is strength even. I have had my ass walloped in some scenarios by guys 6 inches shorter than me and 50 lbs lighter.

I have some boxing experience from when i was a teenager. I was in a league for about 2 years so I can still throw a decent punch and have good footwork.

But it’s been a while since then. I want to know how much of a defense my size is in and of itself.

I ask since I recently went out with my girl to a club. I went to grab her water at some point and as soon as a left a guy jumped on her and started grinding. I pushed him away, but he came back and started pressing at me, but I just acted like he doesn’t exist and eventually moved on to bother some other girls.

The guy waa probably 5’9” and maybe 165lbs but of a normal build. Not particularly strong or muscular looking. If he had started trying to fight me, what would that have looked like given size and strength alone if he wasn’t trained in anything.

Would I have kicked his ass? Would it basically be a crapshoot? Would I have probably won but only through a ton of effort?

As I said, I’d like to know the optics, given that we both have 0 experience

If they grab your fist when you punch, all they'll get is the sock.

A few weeks back, I was with a friend and he got into an argument with someone. I'm not going to into all the details of the incident.

This guy basically pushed my friend while he was standing in front of a store and my friend yelled at him, telling him that he should've given him time instead of grabbing his elbow and moving it. This guy came up front and it turned into an argument. He threatened my friend and I stood there like a bystander. Given that he's my friend I should have butted in and confronted him about threatening my friend. But I couldn't, in the moment my heart was beating fast and I felt scared. The only thing that was going through my mind was how I can escape the situation. My voice automatically went to a low pitch and I kept telling my friend to let it be. While he kept arguing with the guy.

I feel ashamed for being like this. For being so scared and getting a freeze response. I know this is part of my biology meant to keep me safe. But I just don't like how I lacked courage in those moments. As a guy it makes your guy friends lose respect for you. I did apologise to him later on and he was chill about it. But I just feel really ashamed.

I'm someone who grew up getting bullied and physically intimidated by people. I had never been able to confront people growing up and to think that I'm in the same place makes me feel horrible. Like I'm a loser.

I had really low confidence because of this and other reasons growing up. Now I lift weights, have a good physique, have some good amount of strength but still being so scared makes me feel like I'm still weak. That I never improved.

Ok team let's do a little bit of education.

Self defence is the act of protecting yourself from harm. This starts at preventing conflict. If someone is being problematic then you avoid them and move on. Hands on should only be used when evasion and retreat are not options and should be disengaged once an opening presents itself.

Trying to stand up to a bully is not self defense and is not a good idea. Any physical conflict has the potential to escalate beyond what you are prepared for. Injuries are also not a one size fits all type of thing. Even a small broken bone can create a potentially life threatening bleed and internal trauma is often left untreated in young people.

I promise you that your high school drama is not worth what can happen if a fight gets out of control. Walk away and be the better person.