Next try and remember what their feet were doing at critical junctures in any given fight. That is much more difficult, isn’t it, because most people are only concentrating on a fighters hands where in reality their feet, their balance, or their base is just as important, if not more important as their hands.

A little off the subject, but still very important, do you know what the greatest golfer of all time, Jack Nicklaus said was the key to his success? He said it was what his very first golf coach taught him when he was a small child: “The key to your golf swing is your feet and the balance and base you create for yourself.”

A great fighter will always have well conditioned legs and exceptional foot work. In most instances when a fighter is in the defense mode, they will rise up on the balls of his feet, while the other fighter who is in an offensive position will attempt to strike while standing flat-footed.

There are only three types of animals that walk on their heels with humans being the most dominate one. But when we run, we do so on our toes, because it is far more efficient and effective. At the University of Utah they tested walking efficiency by measuring the amount of oxygen that was consumed over a given time frame. The experiments revealed that the best way to run was on either your toes or the balls of your feet. The best way to walk was heal to toe.

When attempting to develop a great martial arts stance for combat, there are a few key components that all champions have which are the following; where the feet are positioned, how far apart are your legs, and what is the weight distribution between your two sides.

If a fighter throws a punch when they are off balance, it will not be as nearly as powerful as it would have been if they were balanced with a great base, which would have allowed them to put everything they had into it. Even if a punch or strike is released incorrectly, if the stance is solid it will be extremely hard for an adversary to dislodge and gain advantage.

If and when you become serious about fighting and in particular martial arts, it is critical for your success that you understand that your foot work is just as important as your ability to throw a punch. An extraordinary martial arts stance always, but always starts with well conditioned legs and feet. You must also possess exceptional balance and be able to have a very strong base that will allow you to launch powerful punches.

First, don’t listen to most of what people tell you because most people don’t have a clue what they are talking about with regard to real world self protection and survival. Here’s what I can tell you:

1. Don’t get a gun, knife, or pepper spray, and think your problems are solved. Pepper spray is pretty much useless because it doesn’t incapacitate people (I know this for a fact, I’ve been sprayed and forced to fight – law enforcement training – Some people simply aren’t affected, others are too intoxicated or high on drugs, and most will still be able to fight anyway. Guns aren’t the answer either. If the person already has you in the kill box (meaning they are close to you, have a weapon already out, or the fight is on) the gun is useless. Lets not forget that most violent criminal acts are executed ambush style, which immediately places you in the kill box if you didn’t see it coming and greatly reduces your chances of surviving. Retention is also an issue. In any given year, of the total number of police officers shot in the line of duty, roughly 60% of the time it is with their own weapon. Having your gun taken and used on you is a strong possibility, even if you are trained. Same goes for a knife (to a slightly lesser extent, but can be equally as deadly). Let’s also remember that part of self defense includes taking actions that can be legally defended. Good luck if you shoot or stab an unarmed person.

2. I noticed a lot of people think boxing is a great form of self defense. Boxing is a sport, and the techniques are taught as such. Yes, you learn some good footwork and how to throw a decent punch, which definitely do help, but boxing is in no way intended to protect you in real life. I can also point out faults with every other style suggested; however, each style can contribute to your benefit as well so they cannot be completely disregarded. The trick is finding an instructor who is capable of teaching you what works and what is practical and applicable in the real world.

If you really want to protect yourself, find somewhere that ONLY focuses on self protection and does not treat it as an “on the side.” You will fight how you train and if you only train sparingly for real life, it won’t be there when you need it. Also, and most importantly, wherever you decide to train, make sure they are teaching you AWARENESS. That is lesson number one, and goes with every lesson after. Awareness is what really saves your life. Know the current crime trends and the tricks criminals are using. Know how to act in public and what to look for and avoid so that you don’t make yourself a desirable target for a potential attacker. Criminals look for targets they think will be easy. If you learn all this, and also add some techniques to bail yourself out of a situation, you will be fine. If your awareness is exceptional, chances are you will hopefully never even have to worry about actually fighting (but it’s good to know how, just in case).

Source: Yahoo Answers

You almost certainly do not want to go to the ground.  In this situation, you are an easy target and prey.

When fighting multiple opponents it is more about tactics then style. If you are truly concerned with fighting multiple opponents, you need to train in a style that addresses these combat situations.  This also includes training and live sparring against multiple opponents.  Some common martial arts that may address this are:

• Aiki-jitsu
• Aikido
• Japanese Jujutsu
• Krav Maga
• Wing Chun
• Reality Based Martial arts

Lastly, the worst thing you can do is actually try to stand your ground when there is a way out.  Sometimes you may need to “create” a way out and they involve actual fighting.  Some people may say “hit the biggest one and the rest will get scared”.  That is not always the case, and the biggest one might not be near you.  If you need to create an opportunity to leave, attack what you can, and get out of the situation.

1. Self-defense techniques that are easy and fun to learn
2. “Fun” Performing martial arts techniques: high kicks, jumping, etc
3. Discipline
4. Respect of authority and fellow students
5. CONFIDENCE
6. And the class should be fun!

You child will enjoy going to martial arts class and progress quickly in these classes if you find a school that has these values.

• Stand up Fighting Techniques:
  • Muay thai
  • Boxing
  • San shou kung fu
  • American kickboxing
  • Shidokan
  • Kyokushin Karate
• Grappling Fighting Techniques:
  • Brazilian jiu-jitsu (bjj)
  • Wrestling
  • Judo
  • Sambo (combat sambo also has stand-up).

Realistically – the belts do not have any bearing on the way one can defend themselves. Just because someone is a black belt in Karate does not mean they can defend themselves better then a white belt in Judo. What matters is the type of training you are focusing on; not what that belt might symbolize.

Some martial arts schools don’t even both using a belt, but most traditional martial arts schools do.

One of my favorite ways of viewing the belt system is that when you have achieved a black belt, you are now competent enough to actually start training. Before hand, you are just learning the movements and some principles. After you have reached your black belt, you can start learning the meaning behind the movements and the principles and then start applying them on a higher level with greater understanding.

Regardless of how your martial arts style views the belt system, the most important thing is to keep learning and training. The belts and progression will come, just focus on what is in front of you and the rest will fall into place.

What really matters  most is how confident you are in what you have been taught, not the style. Understand that there are very few styles, MMA or traditional, who’s only focus is self defense. Many of the traditional styles also work on building you as a complete person, not just a fighter. They tend to take longer to become effective in, but that is because they are designed that way.

If you want pure self defense, Krav Maga is a good option, however many of the places that train it in the states teach a very watered down version. Be careful.

The main problem with most MMA schools that teach the UFC style of fighting is that they train under a certian ruleset, and most never address thinsg such as weapons and multiple attackers. They never take into account that your opponent in self defense is not going to be wearing trunks and gloves. they will be wearing jeans, shoes, coats, etc. Sadly many traditional schools never consider this either. Why train for self defense on a padded level surface in clothing you would normally not wear?

Some schools even have training days where they wear regular street clothes, go outside and train on uneven terrain, practice fighting around obsticles, on stairs, gravel, etc. Not many schools I know of train this way though. I mention this because Krav Maga and some of the reality based fighting systems do train this way almost exclusivly, so for what you are looking for, one of them is probably your best bet. To figure out what is good or bad do a search on finding a good school using the find your school tool or find the best martial art style tool.

Source: Yahoo Answers