Best Martial Arts For Self Defense

[Forever Learning]

I just started taking Tae Kwon Do with my 7 year old son. After I signed up, I watched some videos on YouTube of different Martial Arts and it seems Tae Kwon Do has a heavy emphasis on kicking.

 

I had a friend once who knew some form of Martial Arts that involved kicking.

 

So one day my friend was involved in an regular street fight.

 

He went to do a kick and the other guy (a regular street fighter/ brawler type) just grabbed his foot in mid-air, and my friend fell (and was subsequently beaten badly).

 

So, I am wondering if Tae Kwon Do is worth a sh*t as a true form of self defense on the street.

 

I really want my son to be able to defend himself, like by the time he reaches high school.

 

Should I pursue a different form of Martial Arts with him? I don't want to go too far down the road of Tae Kwon Do if its not that great a martial art form for self defense. I know it is very common and popular across the USA, but I don't know why, or what it is that people like about it for their kids.

 

I don't know much about the various martial arts, other than I dated a black belt instructor/ studio owner of Wing Chun Kung Fu.

 

It seems the emphasis in Wing Chun is up close fighting with quick, close to the body hand movements, designed for smaller stature people (women in many cases).

 

What forms of Martial Arts would you recommend as being truly practical for self defense in the real world?

 

Thanks in advance for all opinions on this.

[Cypress25]

Krav Maga. It was developed by the Israeli army and it is hardcore. It's not martial arts, it's self-defense. It's for the streets.

[Forever Learning]

Oh thank you for mentioning that (Krav Maga). I remember now watching various tv shows in the past that made mention of Israeli self defense techniques that many believe were the ultimate for self defense. I will google it and learn more. Thanks!!

 

What I might end up doing is stick with the Tae Kwon Do for a learning experience for my son and to teach him discipline and self esteem. He is excited to be learning it and interested in the concept of working towards achievements in skill in the form of belts. And, getting my son motivated to participate in anything other than play with his Legos and Star Wars stuff is a trick indeed.

 

Every time I go on YouTube and watch any various Martial Arts or self defense stuff, I realize it is probably a matter of opinion as to what is most effective. There is a show on tv (I have satellite here in the USA) and I forget the name of the show but they compare types of fighting techniques. It's pretty interesting but been a while since a watched it.

 

I have also heard that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seems to be extremely popular too, met some kids who compete in the nationals (and won medals) for Tae Kwon Do, and are now pursuing Jiu-Jitsu as well. For some reason I thought that in those cage fighter shows, the ones who tend to win the most, are the ones who know Jiu-Jitsu. Could that be because most fights end up on the ground sooner or later? Must be.

 

The other thing I worry about is my son, learning a very dangerous self defense move, and using it on a kid (in self defense) and killing the kid. My son is shy and not a bully, but I worry if he is forced to defend himself, he may not use great judgment in discriminating between using a move to incapacitate someone, or choosing a move in haste that would accidently kill them. That is always in the back of my mind with any of this stuff. I guess as he gets older and with enough training and experience, hopefully in a real life situation, he would act appropriately and defend himself without using deadly force unless absolutely necessary. I am SURE that is a concept the instructor drills into their heads during the training.

 

Anyone else with any thoughts or comments, I would appreciate all. Thanks.

[Nohbody]

I'm a Jeet Kune Do instructor (PM me and I'll give you more details, including my bona fides) - I've studied a few different arts and I will tell you that no martial art is inherently better than any other. It's the fighter, not the style. In order to develop a good self-defense plan you need to find something that will work for you, your abilities and your limitations.

 

TKD is optimized for point-sparring competitions. This is not to say it can't be used effectively - but the emphasis is on light contact.

 

Krav Maga is good - but it's also a standardized business. People who teach it in the US are not Israeli Commandos - most were never in the military at all. The place down the street that offers Krav Maga and Cardio Kickboxing does not teach what the Mossad teaches its guys. That being said, it is an adaptive system that has some good things.

 

Whatever you decide to work on, figure finding a style that focuses on punching and kicking, infighting (clinches and throws) and groundfighting or wrestling. This will cover all of your bases. Some systems work with weapons, some don't. Some styles focus on partners and spar regularly, some focus on 'katas' and teach through rote memorization and you throwing kicks and punches in the air. Use your judgement, and don't be taken in by a blackbelt around someone's waist. That's my best advice.

 

"not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. "

-Bruce Lee

Edited September 11, 2011 by Nohbody

[Dark Phoenix]

The U.S. Marines focus on Jiu-Jitsu styles of fighting for close quarters combat. They have modified moves for them to incorporate various equipment that they have at their disposal but the basis of their fighting style is Jiu-Jitsu.

[Nohbody]

@Dark Phoenix,

Oh really? That's not what my MCMAP instructor told me....

 

 

Modern Army Combatives are based on muy thai kickboxing and brazilian jiu jitsu, with a little kali stick and knife work thrown in for good measure.

[Forever Learning]

I'm a Jeet Kune Do instructor (PM me and I'll give you more details, including my bona fides) - I've studied a few different arts and I will tell you that no martial art is inherently better than any other. It's the fighter, not the style. In order to develop a good self-defense plan you need to find something that will work for you, your abilities and your limitations.

 

TKD is optimized for point-sparring competitions. This is not to say it can't be used effectively - but the emphasis is on light contact.

 

Krav Maga is good - but it's also a standardized business. People who teach it in the US are not Israeli Commandos - most were never in the military at all. The place down the street that offers Krav Maga and Cardio Kickboxing does not teach what the Mossad teaches its guys. That being said, it is an adaptive system that has some good things.

 

Whatever you decide to work on, figure finding a style that focuses on punching and kicking, infighting (clinches and throws) and groundfighting or wrestling. This will cover all of your bases. Some systems work with weapons, some don't. Some styles focus on partners and spar regularly, some focus on 'katas' and teach through rote memorization and you throwing kicks and punches in the air. Use your judgement, and don't be taken in by a blackbelt around someone's waist. That's my best advice.

 

"not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. "

-Bruce Lee

 

Thank you so much for the wonderful insight and information. Yes I will PM you to get more info but I wanted to be sure and thank you here. I would have never had an inkling about Jeet Kune Do had you not mentioned it here. Of course I googled it and read up and it is absolutely fascinating.

 

Bruce Lee was an amazing man, I always admired him but never knew a whole lot about him. After reading his philosophies particularly regarding Jeet Kune Do, I was just very impressed with him as both a martial arts specialist and as a philosopher and deep thinking human.

 

And so I thank you for chiming in here, this has been a fabulous learning experience for me today.

 

I found a neat website for a business offering Jeet Kune Do in a major city near me. I am going to PM you about it and see if you will have a look at the site sometime and get your opinion.

 

Then I checked out YouTube and got blown away by this guy:

 

(Holy Smokes Batman, is Tommy Carruthers impressive. Whoa!!! )

 

 

I thought Mr. Carruthers was just THE BOMB OF ALL BOMBS (aside from Bruce Lee of course). Sheeeesh. Mind blowing stunts and physical feats.

 

**************************************************

 

And regarding Isreali rooted Krav Maga (recommended by Cypress25 - thanks!) - I found a neat place offering training in that as well in my neck of the woods. They have programs for kids which is good news for me. The instructor's credentials and experience are unbelievably impressive, 30 years military and Krav Maga experience, studied for years under the founder himself, Imi Lichtenfeld.

 

I also enjoyed watching this video demonstrating Krav Maga, it looked TRULY USEFUL in real life situations.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0mWv1XMJBo&feature=related

 

Thanks for giving me these leads in which to expand my mind and think about some of options that are out there, they are fantastic.

 

Way better than Tae Kwon Do for true self defense purposes.

 

And I enjoyed reading up on Bruce Lee. He was an amazing individual. As is Imi Lichtenfeld, founder of Krav Maga.

 

Great stuff, thanks for the mind and eye candy.

[Forever Learning]

The U.S. Marines focus on Jiu-Jitsu styles of fighting for close quarters combat. They have modified moves for them to incorporate various equipment that they have at their disposal but the basis of their fighting style is Jiu-Jitsu.

 

Yes, thanks for the input on that. I found a great article about it and it was a good read, no doubt Jiu Jitsu is a Martial Arts to be reckoned with, it seems to be gaining widespread popularity worldwide. The Marines interviewed in this article emphasized how they used technique to leverage advantage over size and muscle mass with alot of legitimate success. Very good stuff, thanks for the info.

 

http://www.marines.mil/unit/iimef/2ndmeb/Pages/MarineUsesJiu-JitsutoStrengthenCombatEffectivenessinAfghanistan.aspx

Edited September 12, 2011 by Forever Learning

[Forever Learning]

I felt like it might be bad Kung Fu Karma for me if I didnt include a clip of Bruce Lee too. Just wouldnt be right to leave him out.

 

[Cypress25]

Here's a fun demo for you:

[tman666]

The type of martial art you study is of minor importance compared to your instructor and the quality of the school.

 

TKD is famous in America for focusing on exclusively point sparring and fancy flying high kicks and what not. High kicks are extremely risky in a self defense situation. Unless you're extremely adept at them and unless you land one *just right*, you're putting yourself at high risk for being countered in a big way. That being said, some TKD schools teach self defense basics along side the sport aspect of their martial art, so again, it comes back to the school and the instructor. Many Karate schools are the same way (and I say this as someone who does Karate).

 

The Krav Maga taught in the U.S. is far from the "hardcore" self defense martial art that the Israeli Military uses. The vast majority of Krav studios in the U.S. are targeted towards providing a fitness class for soccer moms. The upside to this is that it can be a good workout, and they do teach to respond to threats in an immediate and powerful way (good for SD purposes, maybe bad in the eyes of the law, but hey, what gives?). Plus, soccer moms.

 

I feel that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, while a fun sport and very applicable in police situations (such as the missions that the USMC is currently tasked with in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan), is not a good option for self defense purposes. There is absolutely nothing from stopping your target's buddies/cousins/girlfriend/etc. from coming up and stomping your head in while you're laying on the ground putting someone in a knee bar or a triangle choke. Again, it's a great sport, and a lot of fun, but I would advise against it for self defense.

 

For self defense purposes, most altercations will devolve into a basic boxing/wrestling cluster****. This in mind, the best defense is to learn how to de-escalate a situation and to avoid putting yourself and your loved ones into bad situations. In the meantime, avoid schools that lock you into contracts, have "black belt clubs", or otherwise show the signs of being a belt factory or a McDojo.

 

Another good indicator of the school is the students in it. You can learn a lot by just observing a class.

[Forever Learning]

The type of martial art you study is of minor importance compared to your instructor and the quality of the school.

 

TKD is famous in America for focusing on exclusively point sparring and fancy flying high kicks and what not. High kicks are extremely risky in a self defense situation. Unless you're extremely adept at them and unless you land one *just right*, you're putting yourself at high risk for being countered in a big way. That being said, some TKD schools teach self defense basics along side the sport aspect of their martial art, so again, it comes back to the school and the instructor. Many Karate schools are the same way (and I say this as someone who does Karate).

 

The Krav Maga taught in the U.S. is far from the "hardcore" self defense martial art that the Israeli Military uses. The vast majority of Krav studios in the U.S. are targeted towards providing a fitness class for soccer moms. The upside to this is that it can be a good workout, and they do teach to respond to threats in an immediate and powerful way (good for SD purposes, maybe bad in the eyes of the law, but hey, what gives?). Plus, soccer moms.

 

I feel that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, while a fun sport and very applicable in police situations (such as the missions that the USMC is currently tasked with in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan), is not a good option for self defense purposes. There is absolutely nothing from stopping your target's buddies/cousins/girlfriend/etc. from coming up and stomping your head in while you're laying on the ground putting someone in a knee bar or a triangle choke. Again, it's a great sport, and a lot of fun, but I would advise against it for self defense.

 

For self defense purposes, most altercations will devolve into a basic boxing/wrestling cluster****. This in mind, the best defense is to learn how to de-escalate a situation and to avoid putting yourself and your loved ones into bad situations. In the meantime, avoid schools that lock you into contracts, have "black belt clubs", or otherwise show the signs of being a belt factory or a McDojo.

 

Another good indicator of the school is the students in it. You can learn a lot by just observing a class.

 

Wow, thank you so much for all the excellent advice. I bolded the parts that I found extra enlightening. I am so glad I asked these questions here. This is giving me alot to think about.

 

So what I will probably do in the short term, is stick with the Tae Kwon Do. Its a good workout for me, and its getting my son some exposure to discipline, socialization amongst peers in a group setting doing a physical activity, and its helping with his coordination. Plus he is enjoying it. And so am I am. The instructor is a pretty cool guy, pretty much what I imagined & hoped for, as a martial arts instructor for my son.

 

Down the road I can see that i will probably want to include some Krav Maga into our schedule. It just appears to be very effective for self defense purposes.

 

You points about trying to avoid conflict as the best preventative measure of all, are pure gold. Thank you for all the excellent insight, I sure do appreciate it!! :)

[Forever Learning]

Here's a fun demo for you:

 

This was awesome! Its fun to think I can learn those techniques and feel so much more empowered walking down the street. It was interesting to watch the initial fight scene with a guy and girl against some guys.

 

Something like that happened to some family friends a few years back.

 

It was late in the evening and the family friends were driving home after having gone out to eat (husband and wife in their late 40's).

 

They were driven off the road by another vehicle with 2 guys and a woman in it.

 

They didnt know they were being set up to be robbed, just thought it was some kind of accident, so they got out of their vehicle to assess the damage.

 

The bad guys (and woman) jumped out of their car and demanded their purse and wallet. My friends told the robbers to go f*ck themselves (because they didnt see a gun in hand) and a brawl ensued.

 

The 2 bad guys thought they could take down Mike but they were the ones taken down. I don't know what kind of training Mike had, from having served in the Marines in the 1970's, but whatever it was, it was effective enough to render 3 probable meth heads down for the count.

 

I'd love to ask him about it more specifically but he passed away from cancer a few years later. Anyway, it's just great to know that with proper training, one has a possibility of defending themselves in such a situation.

 

Super cool Krav Maga video, thanks again!!

[tman666]

For what it's worth, I did Krav Maga for a while back in college. My experience was mostly positive, but I've heard some horror stories about some Krav Maga schools. The school I was at definitely taught you how to brawl. The tests were absolutely brutal. Krav is one of those systems that emphasizes physicality over finesse, which is both its strength and weakness. It'll definitely give you leg up on most people on the streets, but it could be much less effective against someone well trained in a traditional martial art. Before you drop a bunch of money, make sure you observe a class (as you should with any martial art). Any reputable instructor should be willing to let you do this.

 

Signs to watch out for:

 

1) Long term contracts

2) Black Belt Clubs (or other "fast tracks" through the ranks)

3) Too much focus on "inner martial arts" (chi, etc.). That's fine if you're into exploring that stuff, but realize it's not viable for self defense.

4) The instructor insisting or even suggesting that his particular brand of martial art is "super secret/ancient/deadly/etc."

 

There's a lot of crap when it comes to MA nowadays, and it's not limited to one style. Every single martial art style has it's good and bad apples.

[Cypress25]

The Krav Maga taught in the U.S. is far from the "hardcore" self defense martial art that the Israeli Military uses. The vast majority of Krav studios in the U.S. are targeted towards providing a fitness class for soccer moms.

 

That's not true. Many of them do offer a fitness class in addition to the self-defense class, but it's optional. Look for a Krav Maga studio that is a certified affiliate of Krav Maga Worldwide. This is the one I go to in Maryland: http://www.kravmd.com/. I haven't encountered any soccer moms in my class, but I have encountered a lot of huge guys who kick my ass every day. Believe it or not, you can learn real Krav Maga in the US. The only downside is the classes can be pretty expensive.

 

Most schools let you take a free intro class so you can see what it's all about before you decide to sign up. My first class intimidated the crap out of me, but the instructors were awesome and I figured the best way to not be intimidated is to learn how to defend myself.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Cypress25

[LurkerXX]

What about Aikido with a focus on controlling and recovering from falls and using your opponents' momentum against them?

[Cypress25]

Aikido is fine for flexibility and discipline, but terrible for self-defense. In Aikido, the goal is to defend yourself while protecting your attacker from injury. If you try this in a real-life attack, you will get killed. Why you would want to protect your attacker is beyond me. The real goal of self-defense is to eliminate the threat. You'll never accomplish that with Aikido; your attacker will just keep coming at you again and again.

[nofool4u]

oh the age old question of which is better for self defense.

 

They are all good for self defense. but its better to be well rounded in stand up styles and ground fighting.

 

Therefore a school that teaches MMA is, in my opinion, the absolute best for self defense.

[nofool4u]

Krav Maga. It was developed by the Israeli army and it is hardcore. It's not martial arts, it's self-defense. It's for the streets.

 

I have alot of respect for Krav Maga. Might be hard to find a school though in certain areas.

 

And the Israelis have to defend themselves against terrorists all the time. So they wouldn't study and practice it if it didn't work.

 

I worked with someone that studied it, and its alot of the same stuff you can get in other arts, but they do focus more on self-defense, thats for sure.

[omkara]

Krav Maga

Are you trying to learn self-defense to batter off a few aggressive drunkards, or are you trying to kill a man quick and simple? Krav Maga teaches you basically nothing but kill moves. And half of the stuff you learn isn't legal in the ring. Which is awesome if you or your family's life is being threatened by ninjas or the Chinese mafia, but what are the chances of that?

 

Aikido

 

Be prepared to be on the ground a lot. In Aikido, there's a lot of throwing and rolling moves involved. It teaches you how to use your own weight to toss your opponent. It'll also teach you what to do if you ever get knocked down in a fight. In fact, you'll most likely spend your first week of training learning how to fall down. It sounds silly, but most fighters don't know what to do when they get knocked down.

Tai Chi

Believe it or not, it is a martial art, not just for mediation. This deals with chi energy/forces, which is basically the adrenaline you get from a good punch. It teaches you how to harness that power and distribute it to different places to deliver a stronger blow. I found out a lot of teachers won't teach the self-dense part of Tai Chi, just the mediation portion. It's still good to know.

 

Capoeira

 

Despite common belief, Capoeira is a martial art. There are different styles of Capoeira depending on region, but only two that really matter: Capoeira Angola which is the dance, which often gets confused for being the martial art. And then there's Capoeira Regional, which is the martial art.

 

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you there's a lot of tricky **** in Capoeira. The moves contain a lot of acrobatics... A LOT! And you're constantly changing footing from south paw to orthodox. But because there's so much movement going on, this is also the most unpredictable martial art there is, and possibly the most intimidating and taunting (besides Drunken Fist). I mean, if someone starts dancing in a middle of a fight, you're probably gonna think they're effin' insane!

 

Quick history: The reason why the "ginga" (the neutral stance) in Capoeira is the way it is, is because the fighters were slaves, and had to develop a fighting method while wearing shackles on the arms and legs.

Muay Thai

 

My personal favorite, though I've never taken a class, I'm just a Tony Jaa fan. But from what I gather, Muay Thai is about legs, high knees, shins and elbows. If you've ever seen an Anderson Silva fight, you should already know how effective Muay Thai is.

 

Kung Fu

 

Very good for being evasive and making your opponent look silly apparently.

Jeet Kune Do

 

Basically, next to Karate, this is probably the most well-balanced form of martial art. Bruce Lee made sure of it. It borrows moves from various fighting styles all over the world. And I'm pretty sure it's evolved since it's first debut. There aren't a lot of school that teach it, but if you can find one, I'd jump on it.

 

 

Sources: I'm trained in everything on this list, but Muay Thai.

 

I'd say the best one for self defense is good ole Karate. Hope this helped.

[Cypress25]

Krav Maga teaches you basically nothing but kill moves.

 

Oh please, you can't kill a guy by kicking him in the groin. Even the "kill moves" are only deadly if you're very strong. A hammer fist to the back of the neck, for example, could theoretically kill someone, but not if I did it.

 

And half of the stuff you learn isn't legal in the ring.

 

Of course not, Krav Maga is not meant for the ring. It's not a competitive sport. It's meant for an attack in the streets, where your life is in danger.

 

I'm trained in everything on this list, but Muay Thai.

 

If you're trained in all of these disciplines, then you've had some Muay Thai training because most of them borrow techniques from Muay Thai.

[omkara]

Oh please, you can't kill a guy by kicking him in the groin. Even the "kill moves" are only deadly if you're very strong. A hammer fist to the back of the neck, for example, could theoretically kill someone, but not if I did it.

 

I see you didn't notice my sarcasm. But since we're on the topic: The only reason Krav Maga became so popular, is because it was voted the most vicious martial art in the ****ing world, dips**t. Whether you have the strength to kill someone or not is irrelevant in this situation!

 

Of course not, Krav Maga is not meant for the ring. It's not a competitive sport. It's meant for an attack in the streets, where your life is in danger.

OK wiseguy, if you wanna put it that way, NO martial art is a competitive sport, because they all contain moves that are illegal!

 

ALL martial art is meant for "an attack in the streets, where your life is in danger." That's why it's called self-defense.

 

If you're trained in all of these disciplines, then you've had some Muay Thai training because most of them borrow techniques from Muay Thai.

You're absolutely right! But I've never OFFICIALLY trained under a Muay Thai master, so I can't OFFICIALLY say I know Muay Thai. So what the **** is your point?

 

Why don't you troll a lil harder next time, douche.

Edited September 14, 2011 by omkara

[Cypress25]

omkara, what is wrong with you? I wasn't insulting you, I was correcting a few things you said that were wrong. Krav Maga is not all about kill moves and it's meant exclusively for real-life situations, whereas the other disciplines are also competitive sports that can take place in a controlled environment like a fighting ring. You don't have to get upset about it.

[omkara]

Sure, play innocent and make me look like the bully, I don't care. Starting a post off with "Oh please" suggests hostility.

 

You didn't need to correct me, because I never said Krav Maga only consists of kill moves, nor did I say it was a competitive sport.

 

And trust me, I'm not upset, I was just

 

correcting a few things you said that were wrong.

Edited September 14, 2011 by omkara

[nofool4u]

Krav Maga

Are you trying to learn self-defense to batter off a few aggressive drunkards, or are you trying to kill a man quick and simple? Krav Maga teaches you basically nothing but kill moves. And half of the stuff you learn isn't legal in the ring. Which is awesome if you or your family's life is being threatened by ninjas or the Chinese mafia, but what are the chances of that?

 

Aikido

 

Be prepared to be on the ground a lot. In Aikido, there's a lot of throwing and rolling moves involved. It teaches you how to use your own weight to toss your opponent. It'll also teach you what to do if you ever get knocked down in a fight. In fact, you'll most likely spend your first week of training learning how to fall down. It sounds silly, but most fighters don't know what to do when they get knocked down.

Tai Chi

Believe it or not, it is a martial art, not just for mediation. This deals with chi energy/forces, which is basically the adrenaline you get from a good punch. It teaches you how to harness that power and distribute it to different places to deliver a stronger blow. I found out a lot of teachers won't teach the self-dense part of Tai Chi, just the mediation portion. It's still good to know.

 

Capoeira

 

Despite common belief, Capoeira is a martial art. There are different styles of Capoeira depending on region, but only two that really matter: Capoeira Angola which is the dance, which often gets confused for being the martial art. And then there's Capoeira Regional, which is the martial art.

 

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you there's a lot of tricky **** in Capoeira. The moves contain a lot of acrobatics... A LOT! And you're constantly changing footing from south paw to orthodox. But because there's so much movement going on, this is also the most unpredictable martial art there is, and possibly the most intimidating and taunting (besides Drunken Fist). I mean, if someone starts dancing in a middle of a fight, you're probably gonna think they're effin' insane!

 

Quick history: The reason why the "ginga" (the neutral stance) in Capoeira is the way it is, is because the fighters were slaves, and had to develop a fighting method while wearing shackles on the arms and legs.

Muay Thai

 

My personal favorite, though I've never taken a class, I'm just a Tony Jaa fan. But from what I gather, Muay Thai is about legs, high knees, shins and elbows. If you've ever seen an Anderson Silva fight, you should already know how effective Muay Thai is.

 

Kung Fu

 

Very good for being evasive and making your opponent look silly apparently.

Jeet Kune Do

 

Basically, next to Karate, this is probably the most well-balanced form of martial art. Bruce Lee made sure of it. It borrows moves from various fighting styles all over the world. And I'm pretty sure it's evolved since it's first debut. There aren't a lot of school that teach it, but if you can find one, I'd jump on it.

 

 

Sources: I'm trained in everything on this list, but Muay Thai.

 

I'd say the best one for self defense is good ole Karate. Hope this helped.

 

You left of probably one of the most practical martial arts: jujitsu. or if not jujitsu specific, then any art that focuses alot on ground grappling.

 

Judo is another one that is highly practical