The defernses between self defense systems and martial arts are lots. If we want to define self defense we have to say that self defense is the need one person have to defend himself from any attack that is possible to happened to him.

Now there is a lot of martial arts systems they say that they provide self defense, this is not correct because the most martial arts are made in particular way and thinking about fighting that they don’t suit the modern way of street attacks.

Of course one person that he trains hard in full contact systems like box, kick box, muay thai,mma, bjj has a huge opportunity in a fight from a guy that he don’t know anything, but everything change when a guy bring his friend in the fight and two persons simultaneously hits you, or three guys or even more.

When you train in a martial art even in the full contact systems the whole idea of training is hitting someone and fight with him in the ring and not in the street. That means in the most of the times you will know the guy you fight and his game before even you get into the ring. So you will be prepared and act for this particular fight.

But in reality you never know when the fight is going to happened, where is going to happened, how is going to be the guy you fight, what he knows, what is carrying with him.

Self defense systems prepare you for this, prepare you for the unknown.

Are they all self defense systems good? NO of course not, how you know a self defense system is good?

First of all you have to check the background of the system who was the founder of this system what he has done where he has fight, in what environment are the techniques tested. For my experience if you want something good you go to the best of it, no one can contrive a self defense system from his dojo, he must have a lot of street experience.
Second of all it has to be a full contact system you can’t defend your self if you don’t know how to hit hard and also how to take a blow without fear of it.

Furthermore it has to have solutions for any attack possible with empty hands but also with weapons because in the street the use weapons!!Also you have to do the techniques any self defense system provides in full force and speed so you will test if they work in real situations, if you have train a lot in one technique and you know it well but when you try it in full force it didn’t work something is wrong the system is no good!!

Last but not least you have to search and find the best instructor in your area, if you want to know something learned from the best don’t go to guys there are not sure for themselves and the system they represent because they can’t teach you nothing.
Also you can’t be a fighter and of course you can’t be an instructor if you are fat or if you are smoking you can’t teach something you can’t do, and a guy with out power and stamina can’t fight believe me!
Test your instructor ask him things to find solutions, and of course don’t judge someone from his belt and his rank only, he has to be an active fighter to teach you how to survive in the street.
From my experience in martial arts changing a lot of martial arts I found that the best self defense system is Krav Maga by far, but check the system as I told you and then decide what you will do and the most important where you will do it.

Panos Zacharios