Best Martial Arts for Smaller and Weaker People

[@MartialArtsJourney]

Learn more about Amber's upcoming self defense coach camp: fittofight.com/product/coach-camp-2023/ Which martial art do you think is the best for women's self-defense?

[@DojowuBobby]

The best self defence is to avoid conflict from the start! All martial arts that focuses on self improvement is great imoh I'm trying to get my wife into karate just to stay active "Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth." - Chuck Norris

[@MMAWARRIOR20]

Too many variables. I guess my answer would be a different set of skills tailored for each unique person. I wouldn’t give a one size fits all answer to all of them. I’m not going to tell a gal who is a cross fit champ to train in the same things as a soft spoke. Bookish girl lol

[@theirresistableE]

Rokas should go to an Aikido dojo where they actually do train hard, it kind of seems like maybe maybe he has not experienced that? Have you ever been to Brooklyn Aikikai? All the basic problems still apply, but the physical intensity and pace does make a huge difference. Curious what his view would be if he had actually experienced that.

[@dusandragovic09srb]

@@theirresistableE Rokas is becoming a fighter, a smooth transition from "martial artist". There is no "going hard in Aikido" 🤣

[@anonymoose9907]

@@DojowuBobby Often not a choice for women, "avoiding conflict from the start".

[@pickleballer1729]

What she said starting at 12:30 about youth sports is really _great_ insight. My family did not encourage sports at all, (and that's putting it mildly) and I was always scared of everything until I started playing Soccer (of all things) in College. Then after a couple of years of Judo starting when I was 23, my fear level went _way_ down, and I have been so much happier ever since. Parents, _please_ encourage your kids to do some sports. All in all, a great video. This lady really knows what she's talking about.

[@selvamani1973-p7b]

great advice, i started pretty late in my early 30s, it built so much confidence as I was still an anxious teen + adult

[@99kerosene]

you starting at 23 gave me hope. I am also considering doing judo/taekwondo at 22, but I felt like i am too weak to start it and too old and unflexible, so I felt really discouraged, not to mention me never being in any sport as a child/teen.

[@pickleballer1729]

@@99kerosene Well, my friend, as soon as I stop laughing (I'm 68, and 22 seems incredibly young to me) I'll give you some encouragement... Firstly, I don't know if I mentioned it in the comment you are replying to, but I didn't do sports at ll when I was a kind either. When I was 16 my parents, not having the money to buy me a car, bought me a bicycle. I could tell by the look on their faces they thought I was going to be heartbroken, but nothing could be further from the truth. Over the next 20 years, mostly in my late 20's, I rode well over 100,000 miles on a bicycle. It completely changed my life. At 19, I took up Soccer, and played well enough to make the varsity team at the small college I attended. I took up Judo in my 20's, cross country and Nordic Skiing in my 30's, rollerblading and some hockey in my 40's, and Pickelball in my 60's. You are not even close to too old to take up new sports. And btw, you've probably heard that men reach their physical peak at about 18. RUBBISH! If you stay reasonably active, you won't even notice any decline at all until you're about 40. Go for it!

[@cashews15]

​@@99kerosene go for it, you can do it!

[@sonofhibbs4425]

I’m not even a sporty person (not lazy either) but I agree so much.

[@BlindJudoJourney]

It’s so great to see someone understanding the benefits of judo over BJJ, I do both, but judo is consistently underrated.

[@davidegaruti2582]

I think judo may have one of the best pedagogy around : no other martial art has such a clearly defined chart of moves devided in both difficulty and danger to the practicioners , Catch Wresling doesn't have that as far as i know , it's up to the teacher ...

[@jaredmackey4511]

Would you say that judo has become somewhat overshadowed by bjj? I just recently listened to a discussion with Rhadi Fergusson where he claimed that that wasn’t the case. However, I see many more bjj schools than judo schools. They’re both awesome arts and sports in my opinion; judo just needs more exposure.

[@jwc7215]

Judo is literally the foundation of BJJ. It shouldn't ever be overlooked.

[@paba1042]

I used to love working take downs. I took judo in my late teens and twenties. My BJJ coach works takedowns maybe monthly but they’re more wrestling based than what we did in judo class. As a person nearly 40 I don’t like working that as much. I certainly have some take down game better than most in the class, but I did hyperextend my knee at the beginning of the year. I think bjj has a better competition scene but also think the physical barriers are tougher to overcome for a judo player.

[@BlindJudoJourney]

Definitely, BJJ has done a very good job marketing itself. However, people often overlook that the emphasis on throwing in Judo is offputting to people, especially adults. It can be more intimidating which leads to people dropping out of the sport. BJJ doesn’t have the fear of getting Costa minutes . My biggest issue with BJJ when people talk about offence versus Judo, is that, yes, BJJ has a better ground game than Judo, but BJJ and Judo ground work are easily effective enough in the self-defence situation, no one is pulling spider guard In self defence. You just need to know how to him someone, control them, and if necessary, apply high percentage submissions such as we’re naked, choke and straight on numbers. However, BJJ doesn’t really focus on stand-up at all, so against the average person their standard isn’t going to be particularly effective, whereas a judoka Will have no issue with the stand-up game, and they will also have significantly more experience with transitions. Issue with Judo is that it is harder to become proficient in. In my opinion, BJJ is 1000 techniques that each take one listen to man (the basics of) Judo is 60 techniques that each take. 2-4 weeks to learn, so it’s a lot harder to feel like you are making progress in Judo.

[@agzfd]

I remember complaining in the past about a video of yours on women's self defense which lacked the perspective of an actual woman. I have yet to see this video, and I don't know if you made it with that comment in mind, but I just want to say you have a great capacity to accept critique, and also for self criticism, and that is surely the key to your success as a martial arts divulgator. Keep the good work!

[@MartialArtsJourney]

Thank you! This video was 100% inspired by the comments that critiqued me for asking another guy about women's self defense. It was such a good insight that I'm embarrassed I didn't think of it myself before. Here's to fixing our mistakes!

[@agzfd]

Just five minutes in and already really enjoying it. Amber is just incredibly coherent and articulate, considering things like confidence making you less targetable, or the physical effort the average person would need to make said martial art effective... We usually think confidence is dangerous and assume judo is great because high level athletes use it successfully, so this is a refreshing perspective

[@MrCmon113]

@@MartialArtsJourney That's stupid. Women are half of the population. Being a woman doesn't mean you know anything more about "women's self defense" and being a man doesn't mean you don't know about it.

[@AnaMariaSocae]

@@MartialArtsJourneywatching this video made me want to get into martial arts myself. I’ve been researching purely for copywriting, your comments section is useful, plenty of takes, plus your content seems to tackle the problems in all directions. Thank you for this insightful platform 🙏🏻 I’ve been hearing self-defense is just mkt phrasing, Then is there such thing as self-defense? If yes, is it limited to martial arts?

[@descoutinho-e1y]

@@AnaMariaSocae It depends. Some people argue that self defence is a legal term. So a plea entered after an arrest when someone is incapacitated or broke his neck when you threw him on the kerb. And then it depends on the area where you live what constitutes reasonable force. You have the right to protect your own life and therefore the right to defend someone else but there are legal limits and it varies. Those who object to the self defence industry and possibly use the term self-protection which is not a legal term tend to vary in their approach so for some its purchase a gun and a carry conceal licence practice with someone who is very skilled at gun self protection classes. It still requires training but is the quickest way given that the self defence industry offers a quick way but their one doesn't work. If you were prepared to take more time then the general advice is eat more healthily gain strength and fitness including flexibility. So for that you could take up modern dance, ballet, gymnastics parkour whatever you enjoyed doing and would promote the muscle gain (so some kind of weight lifting programme) strength stamina and flexibility that would enable you to defend yourself better. Then the difference between martial arts and more focussed training would be the intensity of the combat. But this chap Amber has done videos on what she thinks its about and its still try to avoid getting into a fight as paramount. I'm like you without the content prep I just like watching videos and look for things for my kids to do. So for now karate but they've started football because they enjoy on weekends. And swimming because we have a heatwave in bangalore for now and that climate change is not going to change longer term unless it gets hotter. Being popular in school can lessen the chances of bullying so football works I think. In theory

[@imjooboy]

I’ve given self defense for my young daughter a lot of thought. One thing I don’t hear people discuss are the various situations a woman might find herself in and the applicability of the different martial arts. Situations such as date rape, assault by an authority figure, school bullying, etc… and not just the standard “being attacked on the street”.

[@3nertia]

Teach them to read body language and situational awareness *first* and then teach them the martial arts stuff

[@badart3204]

Those issues are more tactical issues than martial issues oftentimes and mothers or friends often teach good stuff for that. This includes always hold on to your drink, don’t be one on one in a room, always go out with friends to watch your back, etc etc

[@imjooboy]

@@badart3204 but this is a martial arts channel and a woman’s self defense ranking video. I think there is some discussion warranted along these lines in the context of this video.

[@af4396]

I don't know if you've heard or not, but martial arts are only good if they're good on da streetz, with 5 attackers with knives, wearing body armor and a variety of guns. Actual common self-defense? Doesn't exist! Some guy acts up at an airport? Take him to the ground by breaking his nose and knee, hope his head smashes on the tiled floor, and just in case that doesn't do it, you should already have your knife or gun pulled out! If some big girl is sitting on your daughter and pulling her hair, that's not worth talking about, you don't need martial arts for that, just smooth talking skills!

[@SHADOW1414]

I like BJJ for self defense for this exact reason. The unfortunate reality is you're more likely to be attacked by someone you know/trust, which means you may be in a bad position before you really realize you have to defend yourself. Since BJJ teaches you to work from a bad position, I think it's an important skill to have. Sure, it doesn't cover everything, but it's something you definitely don't want to need and not know how to do.

[@TapPaires]

Oh man this is the one of these I didn't know I needed before I watched it. I've seen a few videos with Amber (like Icy Mike), and her analysis & technique has always been so on-point. Awesome collab!

[@PhilosoFox]

In defense of Capoeira: It has advantages in developing a general kind of athleticism, will enhance your distance management capabilities, will upgrade your 3D-moveability-competence and all that while strengthening a positive mindset and providing the joy of singing together. Not by accident has it the highest rate of female to male long term practitioners (within the arts I did study) and will produce women that have the muscle set to tank and dish out. Combine it with Kali/Silat or any hybrid defense system that does sparring later on and your good to go. Or do Combat Sambo from the beginning, if you have the training options and are willing to invest substantially.

[@garynaccarato4606]

As somebody who has had a Judo background I do like the fact that Judo does focus on standing while yet at the same time the ground fighting aspect still gives you something to fall back on as a last resort if need be as opposed to having to use it as your primary go to open.Ground fighting is okay and has its place but in many self defense situations it should never be the go to option and if you're training in BJJ as opposed to judo your first instinct might be to use it as a go to option while it may not be all that great of an option.

[@3nertia]

Which, in your opinion, would have more value; Judo or Greco-Roman wrestling?

[@adriafro7321]

@3nertia I Would say they are pretty much 50/50 judo usually is trained with gi and grabbing legs(just preparing an attack is banned) so there would be some while wrestling has a bit less of throw variety but has more explosivity that really might come in handy (judo also has some chokes/locks)but overall i feel they are really similar.

[@gudea5207]

Judo focuses on standing and has ground work but the imposition of the most recent Olympic rules mitigates the efficacy of both. Any bum with no grappling experience has the chance to tackle a judoka who can’t sprawl and utilizes an upright posture. Judo Koshi waza exposes the back to an opponent and can put a newbie with bad kuzushi in a compromising position. Judo ne waza in reality focuses 80% on the turnover and pin or submission from turtle or flat on the stomach so it really isn’t this complete fall back plan as you said. Judokas have a tendency to fall to their stomach if they hit the ground which I have caught myself doing in MMA sparring. Gi grips have to be adapted in an environment where strikes are permitted making a potentially dangerous situation. Many judoka get rolled over with their throws which ends up with their opponent in top position even if it would score ippon under the rules of the sport. Don’t get me wrong I like Judo but I think we need to scrutinize it like we do BJJ for some obvious flaws. All of these martial arts when not cross trained can be blinded in their own rule set of their dominance.

[@adriafro7321]

​@@gudea5207 i agree completely :3

[@garynaccarato4606]

@@3nertia While I do appreciate the fact that Judo sort of has kata or drills which address thing specifically pertaining to self defense/weapons to a degree which Greco Roman/various forms of Western wrestling does not have I think that both can hold there own fairly well against an attacker.I would say that even though judo does have weapon drill stuff some of that stuff is fairly hard to train and learn how to effectively apply. while I still appreaciate the fact that this type of stuff is present in judo I sort of think that many judoka and many Greco Roman wrestlers might not have the easiest time against weapons.Not that weapons are the easiest for anybody to deal with.However if were talking about other forms of wrestling double leg take downs might be a pretty dangerous technique to try to pull off when theres weapons involved.

[@berniechoy5482]

I love the fact that Amber is giving her own perspective and not afraid to speak her mind.

[@chrisortiz8077]

Um, yea that's kind of the point of her being here. Have you not ever seen a woman speak her mind before lol? It's not some incredible feat of courage.

[@user-xm8pr7yr2r]

@@chrisortiz8077Thank you, people act like women should get a trophy for talking

[@jasonfrederick5210]

Another angry comment

[@FitToFightRepublic]

Instagram is pretty sure Amber is abused and stuck under "her husbands" thumb. Most people paying attention know she's her own little unicorn 🦄

[@bethanp3453]

Why would she be afraid to speak from her own perspective?

[@tnktsinik]

I actually put bjj as S for women and always recommend it to them. Someone trying to have their way with you will try and hold you down on the floor. That is exactly bjj domain. If you expect to out wrestle or out punch a big man that is trying to hurt you or worse, you are better running away. Now if he grabs you and pushed you down, well, well, well, time to break some bones

[@MrCmon113]

Also lots of attackers might not want to punch her anyways, making pure grappling especially relevant.

[@jerryvandevort2366]

Women can be and are really good at jiu-jitsu. Jiu-jitsu is definitely s tier and with Tae Kwon do kicks what a combo.

[@tikari3987]

BJJ is essentially rape simulation. Hands down the best art for women. Also, the one art where size differences matter the least.

[@markmessi9020]

​@jerryvandevort2366 add some wrestling and Muay Thai style clinch and it's the perfect self defence system for women

[@nonai7897]

I'd go with traditional Jujitsu and focus a lot on grappling. JJJ has ways to control someone on the ground without going down themselves.

[@camiloiribarren1450]

Amber is absolutely a great person to ask about which martial arts would help women best, get a female's perspective since many self-defense demos come from men and don't always account for strength or height difference. We need more of this, Q&A's and collaborations. Maybe Rokas and Amber can do some demos if they ever meet in a gym.

[@toddmcdaniels1567]

My Karate teacher was a small guy who came up to my shoulder. He worked as a security guard at a hospital and regularly had to grapple people into submission. We worked on traditional kata. We worked on traditional bunkai, which in Okinawan karate includes a lot of grappling and joint locks and such. We worked on practical applications to street fighting. We sparred. We sparred on a balance beam. I got to kickbox against a boxer on multiple occasions. We did ground techniques (because, yes, they were a part of karate). We practiced flips with people going head over heels on mats (yes there are flips in traditional kata). We practiced break falls. We practiced on a heavy punching bag. We had a makiwara and we did certain kinds of conditioning. The upshot of this is I don’t recognize the characterization of karate in this video. And there are a lot of misperceptions swirling out there about karate being nothing more than robotic block and punch.

[@DouglasGomesBueno]

You learned the True Karate the problem are in America we have a lot of Fake Teacher in Karate that doesn't know what they're doing and only teach robotic block and punch they doesn’t understand the essence of Karate, Okinawa Karate are more than block and punch is a Complete martial arts and have Grappling skills too.

[@ThatKenpoGuy]

I really appreciate Amber's perspective on Kenpo! I actually train BJJ primarily now and what Amber said about Kenpo's teaching methodology is spot on! Kenpo's self defense techniques are often a bit sketchy but the thought process behind them teaches you very well how to learn martial arts by breaking things down into basics, the reconstructing them to face fluid situations. There are a few videos out there of Ed Parker explaining the analogy of letters to words to sentences in putting together your attack and defense which applies very well to any system! Great video Rokas!

[@samclydemayes]

They didn’t cover kenpo. You might be thinking of when they discussed kempo. Slightly different.

[@neotenylv09]

Wow it must be pretty hard to find a legit good Karate Dojo, specially in the U.S. if she has such a bad impression of the art it must be because those schools were pretty sport karate focused, Mcdojos or simply bad teachers. Karate is even more complete than some of the arts above it in the list. Anyways, I really enjoy these ranking videos a lot, keep them coming 🔥🥋

[@goodboi1725]

I absolutely hate how saturated the US is with karate mcdojos. Makes it a pain in the ass to look for dojos that end up being a waste of money

[@kenirawadi4689]

This kind of comparison is just for fun. What really matter is the competency of the trainers. This day ppl combine and cross train diff MA. A taekwondo teacher could also be excel in boxing and teach it to the students. Plus knowledge in sport science, fighting experience, etc.

[@scottdennis456]

Agree 👍 says a lot about us standards for sure. Karate is the original mma and includes many if not all of other martial arts . In fact is from my experience the best to start with and then after to experience other styles as you have set solid foundations . Pressure testing is often not done enough although

[@pickleballer1729]

At 27:10, what she says about being good at talking is right on! I talked my way out of what could have been a deadly situation for me and for the guy that asked for my help, and by the time it was over, the would-be mugger walked us both to our car while telling his accomplices to leave us alone and even opened the door for us! Here are the details for those interested: I was in a bus station in a very rough part of town when a guy came up to me and asked for my help. He pointed to another guy and said he was trying to rob him as he had seen him get change for $100 bill. (Both the guy asking for my help and I were quite small and unassuming. The guy allegedly trying to mug him was large and imposing.) I told him that I would like to help but I couldn't be sure it wasn't a set up between the two of them trying to rob me. I said just sit here for a while and we'll see what happens. The mugger saw that he was trying to enlist my help so he came over and started trying to intimidate me to get me to go away. He was a tall black guy from a neighborhood where I had lived as a kid. I said to him “Hey, I know you, you were on the Lawton High School basketball team.” ( A reasonable assumption in a town where Blacks and Whites were largely separated and most kids had nothing to do but sports.) He stood up straight and proud and said that he was on the team, but he admitted that he was not a starter. I said “ But you should have been. You had some great moves!” We got to chatting about LHS, where my brothers went, and about 5 minutes later when my parents arrived to pick me up, we started walking toward the door where two other large guys were waiting in a car between the door and my parent’s car, obviously working with the mugger. The guy opened the door for us, and walked us out to my car, telling his friends that these guys were cool and to leave us alone. Believe it or not, he even opened the door for us! We left safely. Boom! Total victory!

[@korpzmarcelfranca6825]

Wow you took It to the next level

[@tokujinsicura2190]

Speech skill increased - 100

[@jinxhead4182]

Really love her perspective, especially about boxing. Holding fast and striking somebody in the face gets results and is much safer than many other things that could end in a failed attempt, but some form of grappling to round it off is imho the "best" way to defend yourself. Even as somebody much more comfortable with kicks, I'd practically never throw one in a street fight.

[@DoctorZisIN]

I used to teach a class to women. In my experience it's not the same as a specific martial art. In most cases women who take a self-defense class do not have any experience in any fighting art, so you need to cherry pick techniques from any of the above Martial arts which fulfill several criteria: -Easy to learn -Effective -Easy to execute -Intuitive -Tailored to the specific student, including physical fitness, skills, environment, possible situations, etc.

[@zakosist]

I think "easy to learn" may be optional, some things take extensive training and you put in that effort if you really want to. But good point

[@kiwiyogi2846]

Like Krav Maga?

[@Selma-Afnane]

Please, can you give me advice on the most self-defense sport? I feel confused and lost because I am a skinny girl and my clothes outside are always modest dresses that are long for the feet, so I am afraid that they will hinder me if I want to choose Judo or Muay Thai! I just want to defend myself!! 😅Thank you very much if you answer my question or if anyone reads it and has experience or has an opinion on the subject.🌹

[@DoctorZisIN]

@@Selma-Afnane Martial Arts are mostly for fun and good health. For self-defense nothing beats weapons like pepper spray, a taser or a handgun. Another option is a tactical knife or Karambit, and taking classes on how to handle a blade in self-defense. They would teach that in arts like Kali, Filipino arts or Silat. And a long dress shouldn't be an impediment in those cases. Example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJTFm59no6-ofMk

[@gehlesen559]

​@@Selma-AfnaneHEMA.

[@blacklion2432]

I'm a man but if i was asked by any of my female friends what they should train in i would say go full blown MMA with some BJJ on the side. The reason is simple with MMA you not only learn be a well rounded fighter but you know what to expect from an attacker in terms of hand to hand combat. With BJJ your lack of size won't be much of a disadvantage and most all if an attacker overpowers you and puts you on your back the odds will be in your favor as a woman.

[@KentPetersonmoney]

MMA might be too much sense it's actually fighting and not self defense. The law might treat the mma fighter like the aggressor the same way they do with boxers.

[@spacecadet35]

For women's self defence, the very first technique I teach is the eye gouge. The first thing you will do is the first thing that you learn, so I make sure that it will be effective. That, ear slaps, elbows to the throat/neck, stomp kicks to the knees and knees into the groin seem to stop most problems. If a martial art is not teaching these on the first day, then it will not really teaching self defence . But I suppose I teach this because I come from a karate background. But in a self defence situation, never, ever go to the ground. But the number one self defence technique of all? Avoid the situation. If you get into physical combat, then something has already gone wrong.

[@Chattepliee]

Yes! As I commented above we were just talking about arts where you fight fair. Chances are if a woman is being attacked it's already not a fair fight, no need to be polite!

[@bobbyjackson7325]

From what I was told is that women should learn grappling first before striking. 9 times out of 10 an untrained man is going to grab you. But in a self defense situation always strike first then try to get away. If the man somehow is able to grab you that's you learn grappling first. Agree with going to the ground should be the last option.

[@MrCmon113]

So you practice eye gouging? With goggles or sth? You're a chick with a dude on top and you try to press into his eyes, then what? He's still on top. Not only will you be unsuccessful gouging anything if you can't grapple, you won't get out subsequently. Hitting someone in the eyes hurts, but it's not an instant turn-off button.

[@spacecadet35]

@@MrCmon113 - If you drive your thumb into the back of their eye socket, suddenly they are reacting to you, not the other way around. And the need to react to an eye gouge is very, very strong. And yes, a proper eye gouge is pretty much an instant win. An eye poke isn't, but that is not what we are talking about. But there is a reason that eye gouges are banned in EVERY combat sport on the planet. Once they are reacting to you, usually grabbing your hand, then you follow up with a knee to the pubic bone or an elbow to the side of the head.

[@kot1pelto]

Owning and carrying a firearm is the best self defense tool for a woman. Change my mind.

[@MrCmon113]

What about owning and driving a tank?

[@kot1pelto]

@@MrCmon113 Sure, why not. I'd like to own a fighter jet as well.

[@Bucephalus84]

​@@MrCmon113🐑

[@06eyM3]

I live in canada cant carry a taser or pepper spray for defence, either. We just have to take the slimey cack.

[@thepapschmearmd]

In a person who has sufficient training in shooting and deploying the weapon under pressure as well as weapons retention training, yes. In a person who has taken a couple ccw classes honestly the firearm is probably just as much of a liability as an asset. And this comes from a former instructor and someone with multiple firearms.

[@lovernotfighter]

The comment about Aikido being the originator of wrist locks like Kote Gaeshi. Is wrong Jiu-Jitsu, (Japanese Jiu- Jitsu) was doing this before Aikido even existed. Also Chinese Chin-Na teaches Wrist locks and that is older then all the other Martial arts. Aikido was invented by Morihei Ueshiba After World War ll. The techniques were largely borrowed from older Martial Arts.

[@Kialna]

Hearing the fit-kickboxing classes ruining kickboxing is so sad, yet so common. Fitbox classes are found everywhere and people hit pads without proper technique and then hurt their wrists... and I am like 'please be careful with your joints!' That said, I love kickboxing, but I don't do it for self-defense. The main self-defense it gives me is confidence and the attitude that people avoid me. haha

[@afrancis7475]

Agreed, confident people also seem more intimidating than those trembling in fear.

[@anastasiya256]

Agreed. After taking a kickboxing course for a semester, I was immediately more confident walking down the street. Although, more recently, I’ve seen some scarier stuff, which has put me off my confidence a bit… mainly, people having guns. 😕 can’t kick or punch your way out of those ones.

[@Kialna]

@@anastasiya256 Nah when it comes to guns, I thankfully don't really have to fear them. But if ever, I think I'd just... give what they want or run. No point fighting that.

[@bobbyjackson7325]

In my opinion for women or smaller people for striking muy thai because you're elbows, knees, kicks. I didn't mention boxing because women don't have enough punching power to knock out a man. But with the leg kicks, knees, and elbows it could really hurt somebody. For grappling jiu jitsu because 9 times out of 10 an untrained man is going to grab a woman who is smaller and weaker. Women should train grappling first and striking second. But in a real life situation strike first and try to get away and grappling should be the last option.

[@Afterthefallout55660]

Reminds me of a conversation with my Aikido sensei. I ask him what I should do if someone kicks me. And he just said, "Look, he's standing on one leg." And I ask again what I should do about a kick, and again he said, "He's standing on one leg." And then he said, "You know , how long it take to perform a well-balanced kick without exposing yourself? Years... And no one with that much training would kick you on the street. He has been teaching Aikido for 40 years now and was a stundent under Yoshigasaki, the founder of Shin Shin Aikido. Therefore, I think he is one of the very few people who are honest when it comes to martial arts.

[@federicostanzani3437]

Bro aikido is bullshit for martial arts

[@trollking99]

@@federicostanzani3437 Aikido is indeed a martial art. But the emphasis is on the art part of it. For fighting and self defense it's not as effective as the in the movies.

[@agzfd]

When amber said jiujitsu is S tier when someone is already on your guard but priority should be not to get in that position, I really get what she means. She is definitely right. But I also think about the usual situations of violence an average woman may run into, and I think "deciding to make out with a man, he being on top of you, and then he turning aggressive and trying to force you into things you don't want to do" unfortunately has to be a really common situation.

[@3nertia]

You're probably right that it's a more common situation than it should be but I also think that maybe there were other indicators earlier on that this guy might be the predatory type?

[@agzfd]

@@3nertia Absolutely, watching for red flags in our relationships is way more serious and necessary than we may think

[@melusine826]

You can be 5 years into a relationship before shit goes sideways.... and at that point you are probably so messed up in the head / scared you aren't going to go hard

[@3nertia]

@@melusine826 Granted, some people are really good at being manipulative/secretive but there are always signs if one pays attention. This is also what friends are for and why females tend to "gossip" to each other about boyfriends - a good friend will tell you, tactfully, when shit ain't right :)

[@chrisortiz8077]

​@3nertia yea but this is about which martial art would be most beneficial in the case where you miss those red flags. If the answer is always "situational awareness" and not ending up in the situation in the first place, then that essentially makes the conversation they are having, and all martial arts, pointless.

[@jackheritage3023]

It is so frustrating that karate has these negative connotations (as earned as they may be). I run a karate school and we base all of our classes (kids and adults) on the traditional approach which encorporates the use of striking, clinching, throws, and pre-emption as the main ways in which to deal with real life violence. On top of that we run awareness, escape and de-escalation drills to aid the training too.

[@Moldovanul_]

Yeah, after the classes of GoJu-Ryu that I attend, I oftentimes return home in bruises

[@KrutiperoCZ]

Unfortunately, that puts you to be 1 in 100.

[@ncaviationfilms]

I feel like karate in general should be much higher than a D- on this list. I would probably give it around a B or B- personally. I can see why it’s not the most effective, but it might get you somewhere. However, it DEPENDS on the school and or style.

[@melusine826]

I spent my 17- 30s with a guy who did a lot of mma and multiple styles ( like 6-10 styles) . He LIKED hurting people and supposedly competed. He was at one point twice my weight and soooo much stronger. Statistically the most dangerous person to a woman is our partner or a male we know - which means the psychological component and hesitation to hurt that person is our worst detriment. I think i could go hard on a guy if a random attack, but from the guys i trusted , i froze when they ignored my lack of consent.... so yeah. Its not so clear cut. Fyi i was the mma guys' grappling dummy and it was the only time i was allowed to say no ( yes thats exactly what you think). So i got pretty good at taking hard locks/holds and not tapping out 😅🤔. Not sure thats a good thing

[@alyssakira8320]

That sounds terrible, so sorry you went through that, glad you got away from him

[@TheloniusJ]

This is a very important point. Thank you for raising and sorry you had to experience this. When I have taught women's self-defense, this is something I always tried to start with (though it is a difficult thing to do right). Basically, my point would be "We are going to deal a bit with the 'getting attacked by a stranger' type thing, but you really need to understand that statistically you are in the most danger from a domestic partner or boyfriend. It is important to know this and address this, which has almost nothing to do with martial arts." I'd also start a lot of my classes by making the participants yell aggressively in my (or one of the other male instructor's) face. I had read that a big barrier too many women was the willingness to be rude or confrontational with someone, especially someone they know. I definitely found that to be true in many classes. For some women, it would take a lot of effort to get over the discomfort of yelling "Get the F*CK away from me" right in my face, but I also enjoyed the sense of liberation I often saw after they broke through. My main point (which I got from Rory Miller) was that if you can't be rude to someone, you are definitely going to have a hard time physically confronting and potentially harming someone. FWIW: When I teach general self-defense I also point out that the 99% solution for males to avoid a physical attack is to avoid any environment where alcohol is involved. Not sexy, but it is the reality of the world.

[@MaxLohMusic]

Also I learned from many women the freeze response is actually a survival instinct to avoid getting clobbered to death by some deranged psychopath. Which puts to rest the whole "hurr durr why wasn't she trying to fight him off" argument

[@roarblast7332]

Talkjutsu needs to start being put on these lists. People should look into how effective talk jutsu is. We might be surprised.

[@harisankar2688]

Dattebayo!

[@TheKing-fo4xo]

Boxing+judo! What do you think!

[@Je_suis_Jefe]

For self defense Parkcour is #1, Firearms/stun gun #2, knife/baton cqc training #3, wresting and boxing #4

[@scoobydoo7275]

Gun-fu #1

[@sharongakii46]

​@@scoobydoo7275made my night 😂😂

[@gehlesen559]

​@@scoobydoo7275 Tank1do beats gun Fu.

[@obiwanquixote8423]

A consideration that I don't see mentioned often is age and time. It's different if you're putting an 8 year old girl into a martial art to learn self defense or a 50 year old woman. If you put an 8 year old into Judo seriously, in 10 years they're going to be very strong, and very athletic with thousands of rounds of sparring under their belt and able to defend themselves well against most average people and have a very good understanding of their own physical capabilities. Take that 50 year old and in 10 years they are either going to be competent or have been down a lot for injuries. Some martial arts will turn you into an athlete, but only if you start at the right time. Others will never turn you into an athlete and build that physical base. And depending on your age and athletic base, which path you choose will get you different results.

[@Colinlingle]

Hey Rokas. I would love to see you do one of these self defense videos that includes Hapkido. Hapkido is a very near and dear martial art to me. Like Krav Maga it's advertised as a self defense martial art, but unlike Krav Maga it actually delivers on that promise. I've seen a good bit of Hapkido online though, and it doesn't look the same as when I trained, so my Dojang may have been one of those outliers, but the way I was trained was extremely effective. In my Sabumnim's words, "A mugger isn't going to wait until you're a black belt before attacking you." We addressed clinching, striking, throwing, and ground work. We didn't do forms, and instead practiced applying techniques against a partner who would put themselves in position for you to apply the technique (i.e they would grab your wrist so you could apply one of the many techniques we learned to handle the situation) but would be instructed to resist and not just let you apply the wrist lock or whatever, so that you would have to apply the technique correctly. We also sparred at 50-60% power so we could practice technique application on an actual opponent, AND we learned how to identify threats, respond with the appropriate level of force, and de-escalate of possible. I'd say that out of all of the martial arts I've seen you rate, Hapkido (at least, the way I was trained) would be the most effective after only a year. I trained on and off for about two years (I was in high school at the time and did a lot of extra activities, so I didn't always have the time) but I have still been able to apply and use the techniques in real life scenarios. Note that I'm male, 34 now. only 5'5" on a good day, and a little overweight, and it has still worked for me. There were women in my class who were tiny, and the techniques were just as effective for them as long as they applied them correctly and used their body weight, center of gravity, and movement instead of relying on strength. One of my classmates weighed maybe 75 pounds, and was able to apply the moves to much larger opponents who were actually resisting. I'd love to see you do a review on the art as a whole and see what you think.

[@raydrexler5868]

One thing is for certain, train hard and get in shape, mentally and physically. No one would rather fight a green belt in judo than a house mouse.

[@Dave-lx3vt]

This is not the first time I've heard that confident people with Martial Arts / combat sports experience are less likely to be targets. Great point.

[@af4396]

Number one reason I don't like these rankings, is because realistically, you have to either practice standing and ground work, AND you have to be taught street smarts and preventative tactics. The arguement is always "oh, well people don't have time to take multiple martial arts, so this is if they could only pick ONE." The answer is, take a women's self-defense class that combines Judo, BJJ, FMA techniques concepts, and cherry picks those that have universal principles and would be used a lot in the context of women. What it can't have are martial art techniques or concepts that encourage "playing" fighting. You don't want to Box, you don't want to fight Muay Thai or Karate. You don't want to pull guard, you don't want to give your back to do a throw. You want to be able to avoid looking like a victim, you want to look like you'd be trouble in terms of time or noise or danger. You want to have enough wit to de-escalate. When it comes to physical contact you want to break grips and be ready to throw. You don't want to engage (like Judo) and throw, but you want to react and throw if someone grabs you. You don't want to go for a guard pull + sweep, but for a sweep if you get yanked down. You don't want to punch, but if they swing at you you want to be able to get out of the way and do damage on the way out (eyes, nose, neck, balls, depending which level you're evading). Point is, you need to know how to avoid conflict, how to be trouble and buy time, how to disengage grips and grabs effectively (including throws), how to get out of pins, how to get back to your feet and how to do damage quickly and effectively without engaging in a fight and putting up your hands like a moron, facing a 230 lb dude who has longer reach and way more power than you. You want to know the law of self-defense in your jurisdiction and when it's worth risking breaking the law, and when it's not.

[@antonioonieva8666]

I agree 100 %

[@MalikButler]

Krav as the highest ranked is absolutely hilarious 🤣

[@hailhummus]

Great to see this video done again with a woman's perspective and opinions, even if the rankings aren't significantly different. The nuance in the conversation matters a lot

[@joeholloway4558]

I agree that the best option is avoiding the situation. The more tools in your toolbox, the better... However, I am really disappointed that you included gun-fu, but you didn't include pepper spray. In many cases, a woman is going to be at a disadvantage in a physical encounter. But if it doesn't warrant a gun, pepper spray is a good option. I am a big guy. Even with 30+ years of martial arts experience, I still carry pepper spray. I don't want to get into a physical fight, and if forced to fight, I would deploy pepper spray first if the opportunity presented itself.

[@TheBearGrappler]

Probably should have investigated *all* the martial arts first. Ranking a martial art while admitting not knowing about it is disingenuous.

[@blindjusticeandcommonsense2786]

Yes, the tricky one is Filipino Martial Arts (Kali/Escrima/Arnis) since yes, there is a lot of variability, but also because most people don't know what it is. FMA proper is warfare. It is not tame or nice at all. It is killing or maiming the enemy. Which is a bit of a problem for your regular lawful self defence deal. The obvious thing to spot right from the outset is that FMA is complete. Wrestling through to archery. The thinking is not restricted to 'empty hand self defence' at all. Blades are ever present. Which again, is.a major problem for your regular self defence thinking. But FMA shows you the actual parameters in a lawless or warfare environment perfectly.

[@SnowWolf9999]

Yeah most people only think it's some stick drills. However this is another art that has some quality control issues in the US, I've trained with actual FMA instructors who spent years and years perfecting their skills and have also seen guys that did a few seminars and got certified online teaching the FMA program at local Karate schools labeled as FMA experts.

[@RicoMnc]

Even though I currently train BJJ I still reluctantly accept Amber's evaluation. Not all BJJ schools are the same, but most don't provide a lot of repetitive, consistent self-defense instruction, many give it enough lip service so they can put "Self-Defense" on their sign or website. Where I trained about 30% of the blue belt requirements covered self-defense from standing, I also trained Fit To Fight for 10 months, and the self defense concepts and techniques were very similar except for some minor details and emphasis. We also put on gloves and drilled dealing with punches and kicks. I recognize this is rarer with BJJ than it used to be. The most important things about self defense are Awareness, Avoidance, Attitude and always stomp the groin twice. /jk I think showing up and applying anything rated C or above is generally better than not training at all. The 6 month yardstick is a good one to use and rate self-defense instruction. How much legit self defense will someone likely learn if they consistently show up and train every week for 6 months.

[@buubtube]

Aside from the MMA thing (lol), the Judo ranking seems the most out of place to me. I do and enjoy Judo, and I think it's a great supplement to other martial arts (as Ronda used it), but on its own, very lacking. If you take off your gi jacket, the average Judoka will feel completely lost and are going to have very few options. The ruleset in Judo is very specific, which means their groundwork is nowhere near that of BJJ and wrestling, and often encourages bad practices. For general self defense I'd put, Wrestling > BJJ > Judo. For women I'd probably swap BJJ and wrestling just due to having more attack options off your back.

[@TB-fm8kf]

how many people do you encounter outside that don't wear cloths, and how often are you naked on the steets that you don't feel the need for defense againt grabs on cloths?

[@buubtube]

@@TB-fm8kf Who said anything about naked? You won't get (for example) a collar-sleeve grip on most clothes... How many street fight videos have you seen between people wearing winter coats?

[@TB-fm8kf]

@@buubtube You learn in Judo to defend againt cloth grappling, you don't in non-gi arts. by far, the most attacks on women on the streets begins with grabbing cloths. so if you don't run around naked, Judo has the edge abouve all non-gi arts

[@corywarshaw4100]

Something that she only touched on briefly is unfortunately for women a lot of self-defense scenarios are not "stranger on the street". It's more "in a crowded bar" or as she pointed out "someone you trusted". Martial Arts just do not address those situations, which is why I loved her comment at the end about improv. Honestly a real women's self defense course should probably only have a minimal amount of punching and kicking. PS This is not to say women should not do martial arts! Just know that it does not equal self-defense.

[@ducksauce2696]

Krav maga does with Stay Away course, seminars and scenario training. Fighting multiple attackers in the dark with loud music in a crowd is hard but something I practised during my krav training sessions. One of the sickest scenarios we ever did is throwing a women in a lockerroom with a large male attacker while being lured by another girl that was crying on the floor. We shut the door as soon as she walked in.

[@TenguTalks]

From my POV as a longtime JKD practitioner: I went to a school where my sifu was directly under Dan Inosanto, and structured the JKD classes as both competitive MMA and plenty of pressure sparring. We were taught how to "use the jeet" to intercept incoming blows and redirect them in mid to extreme close range. Lots and lots of Filipino Kali crosstraining (I mean we were Inosanto-aligned, that makes perfect sense to me), lots of pressure points, and a solid Muay Thai base were also parts of the core training no matter what we went onto later. From a self-defense standpoint, I found my school's "version" of JKD to be effective and useful. (The only other JKD school near me was heavy into Wing Chun, and no knocking it, it was also efficient, but based on more traditional Chinese styles than the Thai/Filipino blend that we practiced). My sifu did offer classes specifically for Women's Self Defense, and they were taught with zero MMA mindset, just what could be effective and 15 minutes of pressure sparring at the end of every hour-long class. Some of the women who took it were scary to watch after a few weeks. Was it JKD? Definitely in the sense of "absorb what is useful" that Bruce Lee used to write about. The style was drawn from every system my school offered (Muay Thai, BJJ, JKD, Kali, Wing Chun trapping) and focused entirely on what could be applied swiftly, easily, and efficiently. That might not be the same as what Bruce Lee laid down, but you can't argue it didn't work. And most of the students at my school tended to follow that core doctrine of "if it works, use it; if it doesn't, then don't." I guess what I'm trying to say is it was unorthodox in terms of style, but faithful in terms of philosophy. And one final point: in the two instances where I did need to defend myself after training there, I was able to neutralize my opponent's attack and GTFO before things got bad. I'm not saying I won or I took my opponent down, I'm saying I managed to use what I had learned to stop them just long enough to escape the situation unharmed. In my books, that's what self defense should ultimately be about.

[@SnowWolf9999]

I trained in a Inosanto affiliated JKD/Kali school years ago and it was the same thing, we did a lot of sparing/bag/Pad work, even sparing with blunt knives and padded sticks, as well as submission wrestling, it was great and probably the 2nd best school that taught me to fight aside from when I trained strait up Muay Thai in my early 20s. They also did women's defense classes for women who weren't trained and same thing only simple effective ways to get away and keep you alive, along with situational awareness. On the flip side one of the instructors was a woman who was certified JKD/Kali under Dan Inosanto, who also studied Sayoc Kali, Boxing and Muay Thai (outside of the school), and she was a fkin bad-ass and not afraid to go full out toe-to toe with the men at the school.

[@TenguTalks]

@@SnowWolf9999 Yeah that 100% sounded like my school. We had Sayoc classes as well for the upperclassmen, and brought in experts on Savate (for footwork and use of shoes) and Tuhon Atienza for seminars on self defense in street situations. I loved training there, I just eventually got priced out.

[@bow_wow_wow]

I'm a man and I felt more comfortable listening to a woman talk about martial arts than I ever have listening to a man. There's not much recognition out there of the existence of men like myself who are not particularly strong, tough or brave but who nonetheless long to find some pathway into martial arts. All I see out there are men (mostly) who are much stronger, tougher and braver I am and it seems impossible to make my way among them (and that often seems to be the point). Even just this woman's acknowledgement that it's intimidating to step into a dojo full of skillful, strong, tough practitioners is helpful. It's like, yeah, okay, my being regarded as weak and lame by comparison isn't a sign of failure, after all... it doesn't mean I've made a mistake showing up in the first place. I'm allowed to be the idiot new guy (the FNG). Bastardizing a line of Jesse Pinkman from _Breaking Bad,_ "I know who I am: I'm the f---ing new guy." 😎 By the way: Permission to simp? (Granted.) That woman in the video is scorching hot. Imagine being the man who can draw the attention of a woman like that. 🤯

[@smedleybutler1969]

This was a really good and honest interview it explained that it is not the style but the teaching that is so important!I have trained most of my life in many of those arts,Every street fight I have fought I won using a combo of them,A guy was coming at me with a broken bottle and I took him out with one front kick,I fought some really good boxers and used judo to finish them quick and some chokes! I think my hands got pretty fast from years of Filipino Arnis, I also fought in the Golden Gloves,Depending on who you are who you are fighting and the place you are fighting,no one style will work,Just develop skills,be in good condition and don't hesitate to really hurt your opponent! For a woman Boxing is very effective just open your fingers and go for the eyes then get out of there!

[@johnpauljones9310]

She's dead wrong about Judo. Judo isn't just about technique, it's about training. Judo is one of the few martial arts that makes you body hard and enables you to take falls and hits that would cause another person to be injured or KO'd. In a typical training session, a judoka is thrown to the ground about 30 times. Each time, the judoka's body has to deal with this impact. Sure, ukemi helps, but it doesn't prevent bruises, shock to the joints and tendons, etc. Overtime, a judoka's body hardens to these impacts. Then there's the gorilla-strength that comes from the constant pushing, pulling, and torque to execute the throws. This also requires balance. Of all the martial arts, Judo has the greater benefit of being able to deal with impacts, whether standing or on the ground. Taking a fight to the ground only works if you're still conscious when you get there.

[@johanneskrv]

MMA Is a separate martial art. Why? Because no other martial art covers specific techniques for wrestling against a wall and most of all specific techniques for striking while grappling on the ground.

[@Steve-fh1ln]

She is so dead on about almost everything. She's so smart and insightful. Truth is, most of us are amazing at self defense because we avoid physical confrontation all the time.

[@ChefChrisASMR]

Finally someone who isn’t bias about bjj.

[@3nertia]

Improv classes! Fantastic idea! This is why I love Fit to Fight, Amber, and YOU! Thanks for bringing this to us. Full disclosure, I am not a woman but have always been intrigued by "women's self defense" and what women themselves have to say about it and their perspective is always much different than a man's...

[@EEEasdfasdc]

Krav Maga above Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing, Wrestling, MMA and carrying/knowing how to use a gun lmao. At least she admitted she's biased

[@Matt2299]

Yeah putting Krav Maga as A- and MMA in F tier was WILD to me.

[@kenirawadi4689]

Krav Maga should be in F while MMA should be on top tier. For small and weak ppl it is very important to understand their limit. KM will give a false confidence, making ppl believe one can easily finish the fight by applying aggresive techniques. This is very dangerous especially for weak and small ppl. MMA will teach ppl the reality plus train the student with multiple technique from diff MA.

[@TheThundertaker]

She talked about other aspects of self defence like de-escalation as well as fighting skills. A decent krav school will teach these skills as well as how to physically fight. That is probably as, if not more important than knowing how to fight. I have known of talented combat athletes who due to overconfidence in their skills who have ended up getting smashed, stabbed or bottled and ended up seriously hurt because the MMA mindset amongst many is that if someone challenges you step up instead of talk them down and get out of there. In that respect Krav definitely has an advantage over combat sports when it comes to self defence. Self defence isnt all about how to win a fight against a skilled fighter.

[@EEEasdfasdc]

@@TheThundertaker de-escalation techniques are good, but if that's all that your self-defense system has going for you than its not a very wise choice. There are many instances where you can't de-escalate a situation. Krav Maga's fighting techniques just aren't practical or really worth anything compared to MMA.

[@TB-fm8kf]

@@Matt2299 MMA courses are completely useless for self defense, most of the teachings there make your situation actively worse.

[@DearStephanieX]

So glad I watched this, thank you

[@NettieDavidson]

Amber is absolutely a great person to ask about which martial arts would help women best, get a female's perspective since many self-defense demos come from men and don't always account for strength or height difference. We need more of this, Q&A's and collaborations. Maybe Rokas and Amber can do some demos if they ever meet in a gym.

[@lordnarasimha2500]

What I like best is that she’s clearly ranking the arts in a vacuum, meaning XYZ art and nothing else to supplement it

[@Bean-rt3pp]

I think the reason I think Kravmaga is the best is that I learn everything from punch, kick, wrestling, iKido, knife fencing. I think martial arts, of course, should cover all areas.Would it be easy for a person to give in just because they're punched? Rather, they can attack with chairs, bottles, or in the Philippines, they can come with a knife, or they can bring a friend,

[@nicktodd5294]

Is women's' self-defence really a special category compared to self-defence generally? Most of what is a good option is also the right choice regardless of gender. Not all guys are ready to square up to someone, and from a self-defence angle it's normally the wrong option.

[@afrancis7475]

I understand what you mean, but there are some things that are more likely to happen to women. So I think that that's why it's a different category. I agree that we should be careful with that type of generalization, but we can't deny it either.

[@thepapschmearmd]

Not understanding why women have unique self defense needs is just part of the privilege of being a man. Nothing bad about you, just reality. Being a woman, you are more likely to be in a variety of self defense situations and almost always against someone who is physically larger and stronger than you. That is not the case for most men. Additionally, the dynamic is just different.

[@crustophiles]

"Improv might be S tier." Couldn't agree more. The only fight you're guaranteed to walk away from in one piece is the one you don't get into.

[@bobbie4862]

Thank you for pointing out the detriment cardio kickboxing(I feel dirty saying it) has done to actual kickboxing. I've competed in both kickboxing and muay thai. It has ruined what people think of actual kickboxing. I have also done studio karate and jiu-jitsu. The issue with a ton of martial arts and "self defense" schools is that they do not prepare their people(men or women) for just how brutal 200lbs dude or even a determined 150lbs dude can be. Part of this is the school and part of this is both men and women, for different reasons can have a difficult time getting past the fear of what it is really like to get truly be attacked. This is were boxing, kickboxing(muay thai), jui-jitsu, mma, wrestling, etc truly can be beneficial. The problem of course is this training takes time and how do you get people in the door and to stay. When it comes to firearms, although not perfect, there are 500,000-2.5 million times per year(per CDC, not quite pro gun) people, mostly untrained use a firearm in some way to save their life or stop a crime. This is a staggering number, even on the low end. A firearm is a force multiplier that truly can even the odds with minimal training. Obviously the more the better. Schools like Tactical Response can train someone in two days to be reasonably proficient in fighting with a gun, mindset being the most important asset. I get what your point about having people clear a house when they could just leave. Any decent firearms school will reinforce this, but you do need to create scenarios to challenge people, induce stress and teach specific skills. Anyways, great overall video. Sorry for the long post.

[@randyc831]

Please do a tier list for active sesniors in the 60 - 75 year old range. Thanks!

[@augustopizarro6823]

Try Kravmaga, is the best self defense for the weaker to defend against a strong opponent. In my class we have men and women from ages of 12 to 82!!!

[@RobertoBren]

Good video with interesting insights. You both missed the mark on Ju-Jitsu / Ju-Jutsu. It's not a middle ground between Judo and BJJ. Judo came from Ju-Jitsu and the emphasis is on Nagewaza (throws). BJJ came from Judo and the emphasis is Newaza (ground fighting). True Ju-Jitsu comes from the Samurai and has throws, punches, kicks, chokes, ground fighting etc. which makes it a sort of pure and original MMA. Most Ju-Jitsu styles are about 70% standing and 30% ground. Being a battleground founded system (Samurai) it is geared toward killing or incapacitating an attacker fast before another enemy stabbs, slashes or shoots an arrow into you. Ju-Jitsu is not about points, tapping or medals and trophies. It is very effective for self defense. I'd say for the average woman it is the best self defense martial art. But like any form of training, you get back what you put into it. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. 👍🥋

[@docaff]

Nice interview. Although I disagree with some (e.g., the lack of quality control in Krav Maga is a bigger deal to me), I think the list was generally good and she was transparent and honest when she ranked things based on limited experience.

[@BrendanDHara]

I have been doing BJJ and other mixed martial arts for a decade now, and I've never been to a jiujitsu school that didn't teach take downs, working from the clinch and wall wrestling. If the class is really big and there's no room, sure we'll all be on our knees, but the idea that the majority of BJJ students that have been doing this for a considerable time, DON'T know how to take someone down to the ground, is ridiculous. And secondarily, running from an attacker is always the best option until they grab you and get close. (Then you have no choice but to engage in some kind of grappling.) All of that being said, its a tool. Not a tool for every case scenario, but its a tool regardless. Just like striking, or running, or even using a weapon.

[@paba1042]

Yeah I’ve seen this a lot lately. I’ve cross trained at a lot of gyms around the country(US) and I’ve never been to a gym that did zero takedowns and takedown defense. It’s not judo or wrestling level but most schools teach higher percentage takedowns. You definitely don’t spend as much time on each takedown as they do in a judo or wrestling class though so bjj athletes probably aren’t winning these competitions. But since they work high percentage takedowns it’s probably good for the streets. The competition scene and memes about butt scooting probably give people that impression. They also work the clinch like Muay Thai. I do think it’s still properly ranked just below judo though.

[@TheloniusJ]

Solid point. I think being very skilled at judo (and I'm talking at least brown belt level which can take a couple of years), is advantageous trying to actually a throw a skilled grappler, but the basic takedowns (and takedown defense) you get in most BJJ schools is more than enough to deal with an untrained or even slightly skilled opponent.

[@dhimankalita1690]

The thing is judo gives a person the sense of balance on feet that no other art does. You can hardly take down a good judoka because their firm as a stone when standing . Judo is the only art which has an specialised sweep takedowns which makes them more aware of balancing in feet. The idea of self defense it taking someone down in a controlled manner while also making sure you don't stay down with them and if somehow you go down with them u either submit them quick or stand back up and manage distance which judo does perfectly

[@af4396]

I think anyone that actually does BJJ knows that this common critique is BS. Every BJJ gym teaches either JJJ, Wrestling or Judo standing techniques (or all of them). The exception may be if the club ALSO has those separate martial art classes, and each one is more focused due to that. Although you see lots of guard pulls in comp, it's usually because both competitors are trained in standing, and it's hard to take each other down, so one of them gives up and takes them to the ground. Sometimes you also see standing subs, or takedown into sub.

[@buubtube]

@@dhimankalita1690 They're balanced until you attack their legs, which they have no answer for.

[@tiagoc9754]

My mindset for this tier would be: what's more effective against physically stronger opponents and avoid sparring? I'd put most competitive martial arts at rank D or lower

[@marabu78]

After years of martial arts I've tried Krav Maga (2 different schools), and while I agree with her pretty much with the rating of combat abilities - they focus on staying fit, doing some sort of sparing (not really pressure testing where I was) etc., I'd totally say it's like F for attitude. I mean I have met some women there that were 100 % sure they have no problem beating the men - until someone went all out on them with protective gear, and they realized it's done in like 6 seconds. Some of them also believed having arm in an armlock is no problem, because hey, they always got from it in classes easily. Because noone went hard on them, ever. I mean the confidence is nice, but there's a difference between confidence and desilusion.

[@denverwingchun9852]

I agree. Krav sparring is very poor because they don't use protective gear and therefore go at like 20% which instills false confidence and (worse) the fake-martialarts idea of pretending you're going 100% at 20%. This means that in a real situation, the Krav practitioner may be expecting the attacker to go at this 100% = 20% when in reality they're going to punch for real. I've also seen krav people lose teeth in their drills because they don't wear protective gear or mouth guards. That's just unacceptable in my opinion.

[@bayonetxiii9197]

“I have no experience with it so let me put it here” A lot of people on either side. Stand up guys or BJJ guys have their views on what is best. All I ask is give something a try for at least 6months. Find a school for example one that teaches the gracie combatives. Try that for 6 months and then give feedback. All martial arts have their flaws. I did karate for a large part of my life then moved over to kickboxing. Realising the flaws of karate. I then also started doing bjj to supplement my kick boxing. I am part of a gracie bjj school and we practice “fight simulation” where someone else puts on gloves and is allowed to do anything. Punch kick and so on. Where the partner is only allowed to use bjj. It’s fun and clearly shows your gaps and pressure testing the things you learned. Can’t knock things by what you think. Try it first.

[@denverwingchun9852]

or just do MMA and learn bjj and kick boxing at the same time.

[@larryzach7880]

Long term recreational Judo is in many ways better than the short term competition focused training (but admittedly not as fun) you get a broader more practical view and can train certain joint locks, standing chokes and a few throws that have been banned from competition. There are some of us in the Judo community who would've actually liked to see our governing bodies tell the IOC to pound sand. A lot of us think Olympic competition was good for exposure and growth but bad for the art at large.

[@raydrexler5868]

“You gotta lose to know how to win“ Steven Tyler

[@jonathansims525]

I don't think much of her rankings, but sje did have some really great thoughts and insights!

[@p.l.5860]

OK. I've watched a million of these Tier lists for martial arts. Amber comes across as the most modest and knowledgeble person to create this list. She addresses a lot of aspects of the defense that other people don't- For example the full contact aspect of grappling that give kids a lot of confidence. Great job. Oh. but the Krav Maga rating is higher than I thought. lol.

[@afrancis7475]

Yesss we really need this!!

[@DrawTheLine2]

The question was specific to Wing Chun, not Shaolin Kung-fu, and sadly she never attended a class, so it would be nicer to omit it from the list/not put in a category after it became clear.

[@iandavies6575]

Against a strong assailant, you do not want to grapple with them unless you are very experienced

[@OldSchopenhauer]

You don't want to strike them either.

[@iandavies6575]

It does risk escalating things, but that's self defence for you@@OldSchopenhauer

[@OldSchopenhauer]

​@@iandavies6575 I'm just saying You'll usually lose either striking or grappling against a stronger assailant unless you're very experienced.

[@iandavies6575]

Indeed, but it's best to stay on your feet, you have the chance then to run@@OldSchopenhauer

[@daftjoe5652]

Is it just me or did I miss why they skipped a couple? If it's because she has no experience in them, she hasn't in some other forms she did rank.

[@uros2321]

Gotta say that she was really wrong about bjj. All bjj competitions start standing, and you are penalized if you pull guard. I guess she is not a competitor, but you'd think she at least knew the competition ruleset

[@uros2321]

I gave it a little check she'a a brown belt, and she has actually competed once. This is making me worried about the US bjj scene. She won two matches both on points without using takedowns? How are you a brown belt in bjj and think that bjj practitioners by large don't know how to do throws and standing finishes? 😂

[@bruhmoment3731]

I think JKD is great for people who already have a good foundation in combat sports. Saw some videos of some JKD instructors from NY Martial Arts academy sparring with Jeff Chan and they're absolutely amazing.

[@PureDeenClothing]

Yeah Bruce Lee made it to fit in with the modern world

[@SnowWolf9999]

when Bruce first started teaching it, he only taught it to trained martial artists, Taki Kimura was the first person he taught JKD that hadn't already been proficient in other arts first

[@tokujinsicura2190]

The thing with capoeira is that apparently it was almost completely different in the 1800's, and was mostly used in the slums. Because of that, it was associated with crime, and people who did it were fined or put in jail. After so many years of that, one guy decided he was gonna try to bring it back into the public eye, but as more of a game, like tag mixed with contact improvisation. Theres definitely useful techniques, but you need to know striking and grappling before they become relevant.

[@olvolv71]

She is so wrong about BJJ, she said its better to prevent to get taken down, thats the point. BJJ practises takedowndefense all the time, maybe not as good as wrestlers do but still. Thats like saying "dont train boxing" because getting hit is bad

[@dhimankalita1690]

Aww did she burst to bubble about bjj Lmao

[@ThepurposeofTime]

😂 like 90% of BJJ tools are on the ground what are you talking about. It's better to know it, but even better to know how to prevent it in a dangerous environment

[@olvolv71]

@@ThepurposeofTime Yes but i am talking about the fighting aspect, you need to know Grappling when someone tries to Grapple with you. Pretty easy to understand, every BJJ practitioner learns to sprawl and defend takedowns

[@ThepurposeofTime]

@@olvolv71 sprawling is not the only defence for take downs. Judo or wrestling are far superior grappling arts to keeping yourself standing

[@olvolv71]

@@ThepurposeofTime Yes wrestling would be 100%, i even said that. BJJ comes from Judo, Judo has no leg attacks tho so i would still think bjj is better for staying on your feet. But that wasnt my point, i said that bjj is very good for self defense and that her argument didnt make sense

[@wwj14]

category error here young lady, yes ideally you want to avoid the grab/trap/ground and run away and dial 911, but especially in rape defense you should know juijitsu, the gracie women's empowered rape defense training is pretty good and moreover "doable" by ordinary women...realistically how many Sambo/Lethwei dojos are nearby and how doable are these for ordinary women..what I see is that these ultra combat schools are mostly young muscular men and there is a premium on size/strength/physicality... yes by all means learn striking/kickin but women better also learn as well as they can juijitsu and break free/entanglement defense...

[@korpzmarcelfranca6825]

Shes awesome. You should put her in USDC 3, to see how well she performs against the men.

[@Mery143341]

YES PLEASE

[@segundacuenta726]

that is a savage idea, love it!

[@korpzmarcelfranca6825]

@@Mery143341 WONT YOU COME AND PUT IT DOWN ON ME (im sorry intrusive thoughts won)

[@jwc7215]

If there is a problem with sport BJJ, its that the most effective way to combat a high level BJJ player is to sit gaurd and be a leg lock master. Which isn't exactly ideal in a real life fight. Its really effective on the mats, though. A bigger focus on the classic control, sweep, position, submission (or sweep and run) syle is incredible against... well every other system and especially against the untrained. Frankly I think any martial art that tells the average women they can stand and throw down with the average man is an absolute disaster and should be laughed out of the room. It should be all about protecting yourself and escaping. Situational awareness and self preservation should be priority #1. But also shouldn't be considered part of martial arts, but rather basic life skills. I've been in a few real world scraps, mostly through work, and sometimes, no amount of awareness talk can prepare you for that moment when the chaos breaks out. Lucky for me I have a wrestling background and have dominated every instance. I didn't throw a punch. I didn't score a takedown. I didn't start anything. But those instincts from years of true pressure testing kicked in before I even knew it and I was on top and in control before my brain caught up to what was happening.

[@Taekwon-Brando]

Bjj is the WORST for self defense why on God's earth would you want to bring your larger attacker closer to you on the ground

[@wenapse1639]

Judo can be easily learned by kids and a slam to the concrete is instant KO. Its the single best for women to learn

[@gabrielepicco3582]

The only drawback I see in Judo is that it is one of the most technically demanding arts, so you will become an incredible athlete, but that will require much more time and dedication than the average martial art. Other than that Judo is just amazing

[@jakefisher-psalm23]

I *_loved_* this video! Not only do I agree with her rankings, even for a guy, but it's so great just hearing her talk...about anything. I've mostly seen her just as basically Ryan's "Professional Uke." Maybe I'm not looking around enough, or whatever. I fully admit it could be my fault, but still... Amber's great. Current-day Ryan vs. maybe 5 years ago Ryan seems like he lost a lot of his humor for some reason? I could be wrong. I probably am. 🤷‍♂

[@CanaldoCarvalhal]

Capoeira has a unique origin. Black slaves in Brazil were prohibited from fighting. Therefore, they disguised themselves and pretended to be dancing. This formed the style, which is closely linked to the history of Brazil, and left it in this format. Another point about capoeira is that it is a style in which there is no combat or tournaments, just training.

[@ShiningHalo]

"Improve classes might be S" is such a based take. Pretty solid idea

[@mrimperfection1112]

Bruce Lee movie reference "What's your STYLE?" Bruce Lee replies "THE ART OF FIGHTING WITHOUT FIGHTING" She nailed it by saying "If you can talk yourself out of situations"

[@Carole-j3t]

Took hsing-i-chuan kung fu for 2 years. Full contact sparring was a big part of the curriculum. Years later, even though I'd forgotten all my forms, and all details of specific defense techniques, it still totally served me for self-defense. It absolutely improved my balance and made all these weapons on my body available to use second naturedly: (feet, knees, hands, elbows & shoulders) and from whatever angle. I was seriously amazed by what a good choice I'd made to have practiced it!

[@SnowWolf9999]

If you can find a Kung Fu school that actually does full contact sparring, it's a win, win in my mind, the non fighting parts help your flexibility ,balance, awareness of your body's mechanics and meditation better than any other arts I've personally studied, and if you can find one that actually teaches you to fight on top of it, it is seriously like finding a pearl in an oyster.

[@Carole-j3t]

@SnowWolf9999 plus full contact sparrring is fun & it made me not frightened to take a hit. When we got struck in the ring, the student quickly bowed in acknowledgment of the strike, it was like thanking our opponents for the lesson.

[@wemersomdasilvacaruso994]

My two cents... The most common blows that should be most feared on the streets are the 5 below: 1- punches, because anyone knows how to throw a punch even without technique and some people are very athletic even without knowing how to fight and can give you a strong punch (as in Streetbeefs and Strelka fights), not to mention a possible big weight difference on the street, to deal with this well I thought that being very good at boxing would dictate an abyss of technical difference when strength was not enough 2- clinch with knees and sometimes elbows, for that I thought of judo, to throw the attacker on the ground and quickly escape, after all, you don't want to keep exchanging blows in a clinch, you want to get out of there as quickly as possible. I would say that clinch to throw knees is more common in fights than elbows, but in any case, due to the exposure of the arms to grab you and the distance without being too glued, judo seems better for this situation than Greco Roman wrestling 3- grab the shirt (or neck/wrists) to throw punches while the aggressor holds the victim (like what happens in rugby and hockey fights). I think judo is better for this due to the intensive training in grip bursting in conjunction with Boxing to return punches if it takes even a little longer to release. The only problem is that I don't know if it's very difficult to break the grip on a regular shirt 4- grab the torso with the attacker's body pressed against yours to throw you to the ground. They are very dangerous, if you land on your head it is a sure knockout on the concrete, so I would say this time Greco Roman wrestling first and judo second. Someone have any tips on how to deal with them better for a judo practitioner who doesn't train much without the gi? There is no Greco Roman wrestling in my country :( 5- When the attacker manages to throw you to the ground and is on top, definitely jiu-jitsu, however, that would be 3 martial arts, so I would say Judo for those who can only do 2 arts, as there is a minimum of jiu-jitsu in case fall below in a possible attack

[@wemersomdasilvacaruso994]

A few more considerations: 1- I didn't consider the double/single leg very dangerous on the street because most people who don't know wrestling have a terrible takedown, including those who do jiu-jitsu, so I imagine that training takedown defense (sprawl) on your own and and good movement with a boxing pivot is enough 2- And about the kicks, I also think that there are few people who are good enough to use them in a street fight, i'm tired of seeing people take takedowns or punches in the face for not being good enough with kicks in Streetbeefs and Strelka fights, so rubbing a broomstick on the shin to reduce sensitivity to low kicks and plyometric exercises, weight lifting and short-distance running to increase bone density and training the defenses/dodges of kicks to boxing shadow should be enough 3- If a person declares aggression against you, even if it is just through language and/or gestures, and you are at least two arms' length away from the attacker, you can use pepper spray and run away, your family must accompany you in this mentality. My criterion for two arms' distance takes into account that the aggressor can pass his hand over his face and then put his hand in your face, and also takes into account that when you reach for your pepper spray, you could be punched in the face in a shortest distance 4- never turn your back to run from an attacker less than two arms away. If you have not incapacitated him in some way, he can quickly catch up with you and with your back turned you will be defenseless 5- If you fall on top of the attacker, just hit and get up to run, on the street the only real danger I imagine for Jiu Jitsu is being on the bottom 6- if you have family members to protect then you must instruct them so that they are minimally aligned with your thoughts of self-defense, after all, you are not capable of immobilizing 3 criminals on the street, at most you delay them so your family can run and you too run shortly thereafter Considering all this, for those who can do a maximum of two martial arts, I imagine that Boxing and Judo would be the best combination. It is an approach focused on the greatest aggressive explosion for the techniques that represent the greatest risk on the street and running as soon as possible

[@DirectorHMAN]

I didn't realise how many McDojos are in the US. The JKD training I received here in the UK was so in depth. Functional and very intense. When I joined kickboxing I slaughtered my opponents.

[@Chattepliee]

I think aikido should at least be a C 😂. One of the first things they teach you is to keep out of striking range and how to not let people hit you! Additionally, I have been to so many seminars where women were scared stiff to be grabbed or punched, the fact that aikido is 100% partner based gives you plenty of time to get desensitized enough to being attacked that you would be able to keep your head in a situation. Plus the whole leverage thing, I have thrown men literally three times my weight, and it's much easier to pin and wrist lock a bigger opponent than to punch them out with my tiny stick arms. I would rank it higher but it does take a while to learn. You didn't even touch on tai chi which is fair, most schools don't treat it as a martial art. But if you learn it that way, one of the things it teaches that other schools don't is dirty fighting - with any part of the body! Hook to the ear? Check. Elbow to the ribs at close quarters? Check. Step behind and push someone over your leg? Yes! My husband and I spar and whenever he has me locked I just pull out a close quarters tai chi move!

[@elbaann4800]

If people know your an MMA Fighter, almost no one would think to mess with you, unless they are also trained fighter or near that level

[@BMO_Creative]

Amber is awesome! Ya, She was thinking about the best martial art as being one that is more intuitive, instinct based, with moderate training.

[@petem6755]

I was very surprised to see "gun jitsu" rank low F tier for women's self defense. A well trained CCW holder seems like it should be much higher particularly for women of smaller stature. But yes realistic training is key, and when to and when not to deploy.

[@themoss7115]

It's F because it rarely teaches you what you really need for a gun use in self defense scenario. I've seen (and participated) some gun competitions/courses and no one addressed the most important thing - what happens before you can get to your gun. Attacks often starts at very close range (or even grabbing distance), especially attacks against women. First you need to know how to break a grapple or how to handle a man charging at close range. Then you can start thinking about actually using your gun. Teaching such martial art would save more lives than knowing how to clear a room.

[@petem6755]

@@themoss7115 Good CCW courses that I've attended were not solely focused on weapon deployment and shooting accuracy, but also included effective conceal methods (so people don't know you're armed in the first place), retention under attack, empty handed skills with an opponent at close range, de-escalation skills, accessing the firearm at the right moments, etc. A good CCW program isn't teaching room clearing, that's sounds like a home defense course. Having a firearm is the best defense against criminals favorite weapon, which is firearms and knives. A small pissed off woman with a pistol is something criminals fear.

[@thepapschmearmd]

As a former pistol instructor, a firearm is not a great method of self defense for most people. In people with significant shooting experience who know how to deploy the weapon under pressure and have good retention training, it can be great. For everyone else, you’re just as likely to get yourself shot with your own gun. And that’s most people.

[@incab0y]

I would love to see you add sanshou or sanda to these comparisons. I have practiced for over 10 years and I think it hits many of the well rounded pragmatic marks. The history of the art is very interesting and contemporary. Thanks!

[@chrismalp7702]

From an expert like she is, I absolutely disagree with Wrestling, man, wrestling people are on another level...Should be put ahead of Judo in my opinion

[@VinKasaba]

It's fine to say you don't know. People feel like they HAVE to answer but, you don't. I've done 10 martial arts over 40+ years and I'm happy to say "I don't know that could you show me?" I was a 7th degree black belt when someone pointed me to a Systema instructor....and I've never looked back. It's pure genius. Stop watching KZbin to evaluate things IRL. There's a gym in North Carolina that would take your self-defense to a new level. If you're interested in understanding...

[@TheloniusJ]

Great conversation and I'm glad you continue to be willing to rationally discuss contentious topics. I think one thing that makes this perhaps more contentious than it should be is trying to rate all of these in a wholistic manner. As comes up several times in the discussion, there is the physical skills (actually dealing with an active physical struggle) and the pre-conflict aspect. This last aspect includes things like situational awareness, avoidance, deescalation, and escape. And I think conflating these two into a single ranking is problematic (you can actually get this several times when Amber trying to place things). In the military, this latter aspect is sometimes referred to as "left of bang" and is usually treated somewhat separately from technical combat skills. For example, you teach hard-core combat skills like marksmanship and room clearing with a focus on effectiveness. You don't explicitly teach the "left of bang" stuff in this training, though you may discuss. That other stuff gets covered separately (as it should in my opinion), though will get incorporated in live exercises and scenario training that involve technical skills. I always treat this similarly with self-defense. I think it is critical for anyone interested in self-defense to spend significant time on "left of bang" things, for which I universally recommend reading Rory Miller and I would routinely do a little of at the beginning of certain classes when I was teaching BJJ. However, I still encourage people to train in an effective martial art if they can afford to whether that art explicitly addresses the "left of bang" stuff or not. Now back to the effectiveness aspect, while I understand the thought process Amber used, I'd definitely challenge her on a bunch of the ranking. Just as a simple example, if you took several groups of women and gave them 6 months to train regularly in a martial arts at the end of which, they'd have to address a physical attack, I personally believe the group that only did BJJ, would fair much better than things like boxing and judo. For context (and as a kind of disclaimer), I am a BJJ black belt, I trained in Aikido for many years in the 90s, I've done a fair amount of boxing training, and studied judo for a year (I am officially ranked as a green belt). After my first year of BJJ, I was able to deal with most people off the streets (something I definitely did not have after several years of Aikido). I can say definitively that I still struggle with applying judo on anyone with even a little training who is trying to resist me throwing them and if I had to rely entirely on striking to handle an aggressive attacker, I'd be in bad shape for sure. I mostly use striking and judo to create distance so I can escape or to create an opening to get to grappling range. Again, I 100% agree that there is not nearly enough focus on the "left of bang" stuff in almost any martial arts, but if I was going to recommend a martial arts path to anyone who had average time to put into it, I'd recommend BJJ supplemented with simple boxing and a good focus on the conceptual material presented by people like Rory Miller (or Matt Thornton). I am actually also a retired military officer who has been involved in some combatives training which also suffers from a lack of clarity in covering these two separate aspects effectively. Anyway, thank you again for all your great content.

[@fubokuen]

Wow. I'm a bit surprised the Kempo and TKD girl dissed Karate so hard.

[@bw5020]

Y'all, I LOVE that dude is willing to let others with expertise be great instead of just kinda run with conjecture. I love this. Man allows limelight for others in the same realm and I love it. These perspectives are super valuable.

[@grivoc]

I think the most debatable are Combat Sambo and Krav Maga. Combat Sambo is all the practically of Judo with striking. Krav Maga has as many mcdojos as TKD or Karate. Also I don't do Combat Sambo I do JJ and would agree with your rating.