I though I would pick your brains for a minute. I have 3 little girls 11,9,and 5. I want them to start taking a martial art. I was thinking Aikido, judo or ? What do you guys think?

Any of them are effective

I think I'm leaning more towards Judo for them as most fights end upon the ground.

Thats a good point....probably is better for them

BJJ for now. MMA or Krav Maga in later teen years.

Krav Maga

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/fashion/01krav.html?_r=0

Choose wisely. Around here they're almost as popular as the cheap nail salons popping up in every mini mall. cant all be the best or even very good. As noted above its all about the instructers/school. However maybe not be a bad idea to start off cheap and easy just to see if they actually going to take a serious interest, can always move up.

All good points spoken here. Not interested in the competition aspect for now. Just pure self defense.

BJJ. The exact position you have the advantage in is how you'll be in an attempted rape

Look for a balance affiliate

Just a thought as a father of a 10 y/o daughter. Any self defense class that will give them the confidence to strike is going to be effective. Anyone who would attack a child is a coward POS. They are not looking for a fight and any resistance would likely be as effective as the next.

Both of my kids spent several years at Golden Rule, an Isshin Ryu dojo in Oxford. My son went in as an autistic 8 year old who was scared of his shadow and my daughter started as a 13 year old who couldn't imagine actually hitting another person. By the time we moved to TX six years later, both had earned their first level of brown belt...but more importantly, they learned self confidence, respect for themselves and others and self defense. They teach some BJJ and ground fighting along with traditional martial arts. They're not a "belt factory"...the students actually have to learn and earn each progressive belt level and they won't be promoted until the sensei feels they're ready, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

 

 

This is my signature. There are many like it but this one is mine.

Yes because all your training has resulted in the bad guy being in top of you on your back legs spread....yeah the optimum position. .mmmmmmwwwwwhahahahahahaha.

 

Ypu kmow less than nothing on this topic it seems

Let's face it, if a grown man attacks a young girl he is gonna have a huge advantage and all the Kung fu crap won't get her out of that situation. Especially if it's how most rapes happen. She gets snuck, or the most common is date rape where he's already close and just goes after she says stop. In bjj you learn to handle that

Here is jocko's input. I'm sure a member of the peanut gallery will find a reason to disagree

 

http://www.bjjee.com/videos/navy-seal-legend-on-which-martial-arts-are-best-for-self-defense/

 

 

I've also seen mountain lions use BJJ.  Entirely effective.

 

And I've seen idiots chime into a conversation with no real input babbling nonsense

And the ignore list grows

All - Nicky, I know of your background and you have talked to me about your girls.  So, your opinion should be valued.

 

Girls have to establish a mind set contrary to "sugar and spice" to survive.

 

In what is available today I would say Krav Maga.  It works from many positions and situations. 

 

I trained under a lifer who was career jar head that spent his time in Korea (many years ago)

The most valuable lesson was learning not to go into shock when hit, situational awareness, confident body language and early on in training you learned escape and offensive counter actions that had lethal potential.

 

If you don't think lethal potential is a reality, just save your money.

 

As I see it any MA that emphasizes conflict aviodance and if that fails, escape and retaliation works for me.  But it's a mind set.

 

Avoid the belt factories at all cost.

I agree the school and instructors are key.  I think a good base in ground fighting early on and then progress onto a more strike heavy art as they get older. Or do I have it backwards?

Personally, I think it's backwards. 

 

With KM, the training is to meet violence with violence.  If God forbid, someone is forcing your child into a car, you have to train her to "be worse" than the other guy (i.e. delivering an eye gouge or groin strike).  That instinctual forceful counterstrike and the will to fight past exhaustion is something that needs to be ingrained (condition white to condition red).

 

But, like others said, talk to different schools and instructors.  Some will offer kids-only programs, free trials, or you can observe training.  Definitely take advantage.  You will quickly learn what is best for your situation rather than listening to the know-it-alls like me on the Interwebs.

I'm not super experienced in MA , but I do have lots of friends that take krav maga, and it's a great defense system. But depending on where you are located you may be able to find an instructor for Systema. I have trained a few times with Vladimir Vassiliev, and my instructor was his student and the MA is amazing in my opinion. Definitely something to look into. I know there is a instructor in Princeton that teaches it.

Wait Kung fun crap doesn't work.....but bjj does?

 

........to try to enlighten you about any martial art would be a waste of time....

 

If your a bjj fan boy that is fine....very stylist has the reason why THEIR style is superior....however no one style is superior...the one style that is superior is the style that allows and trains the practitioner for the proper mindset for threat and force escalation as needed.

 

If you have been mounted without some form of force escalation on your part to defeat the mount you have failed.....

 

Let's face it...when your mounted and you head is being smashed into the ground you've lost let's face it when you spend your time trying to execute your overly complicated technique that your frog brain tunnel vision is precluding from happening the bad guys friend is stomping in your face. ...you've lost

 

Or you bump and sweep

But honestly I enjoy Muay Thai more. But you gotta have ground game. Everyday I see 120 pound girls toss around grown men and I'm not talking girls with years and years of training. No gi bjj classes are a perfect way to learn to use it in real world situations. Take a Gracie combative street class or take the free 33 day trial at balance studio.

 

 

Check out a few of Ricky's videos. He's my street bjj instructor

And yes, I've been in lots of fights. But actually none in the fast few years

 

 

That girl kicked some ass .....

The point a made earlier was this. The majority of girls that are attacked are by someone the knew or were getting to know. Campus rape is very common. Some dude isn't gonna walk up and say I'm gonna rape you. Chances are he just wants to go farther then the woman wants. So at that point the stand up attacks are mostly ineffective. But being able to choke or put a guy unconscious from laying on your back with him between your legs is a great skill for anyone's daughter to have. Usually a male attacking a girl isn't gonna mount on her chest and post up to start a ground and pound. But taking more then one form doesn't hurt. Right now I take bjj gi and street, Muay Thai, wrestling and mma.

This is true ^

So nick if a girl is pinned on the ground and clocked in the mouth what do you suggest. It amazes me that you don't realize that most rapes are date rapes