Which martial arts focus on self defense?

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I'm trying to make sure I ask this question in a manner that doesn't make it subjective or argumentative.

While all martial arts have merit, I believe those merits lie in various areas. Which martial arts focus on real world self defense? I'm talking about something that can be applied to defending yourself in a real world scenario where there are no rules, no fair conditions, and "winning" means getting yourself and the people with you out of the situation safely.

I like martial arts for the physical and mental exercise but I have no desire to compete in any kind of tournaments. I feel like if I'm going to learn one it may as well be one that would provide real world benefit if I ever needed it.

Most martial arts seems to lean more towards the art part than the martial part. For example, BJJ is probably great for the controlled environment of a professional fight but putting someone in a hold only to have his friends start beating on me is not ideal. Obviously there are situations where no amount of training will help but what martial arts best prepare someone to handle bad situations?