Combat sports rooted in self-defense can provide a multitude of benefits for you. These benefits range from better physical health to access to a highly motivated community that builds everyone up. This Combat Athlete Gear blog post will cover 5 effective combat sports for self-defense. You’ll also receive a few tips on how to get started in combat sports and what you can expect when you start training.
5 combat sports you can learn for self-defense
Below are 5 combat sports you may have already heard of. The list of combat sports below are not in order of most effective to least effective. They’re in a list so they’re readable and easier to understand. It’s also important to remember there are more combat sports that aren’t on this list like karate.
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: BJJ is a comprehensive ground fighting system. While most sport rulesets in BJJ don’t allow striking, striking is taught in self-defense focused gyms. You’ll learn how to take a fight to the ground, fight for dominant positions, pin opponents, and submit opponents.
- Boxing: Also known as the sweet science, boxing is highly effective due to systems you can quickly learn. Boxers learn to put together combinations of punches to do damage. A good boxing gym will teach you how to use footwork and head movement to avoid taking damage.
- Judo: This martial art teaches you how to efficiently take an opponent to the ground in a way that deals damage to your opponent. After all, the earth is undefeated. You’ll learn how to manage distance and fight for dominant grips.
- Sambo: Sambo is one of the most complete martial arts in the world. In Sambo gyms, you’ll learn everything from throws to submissions to strikes. There’s a reason why Sambo practitioners tend to do well when transitioning to MMA.
- Muay Thai: The brutality and simplicity of Muay Thai contributes to its effectiveness. Muay Thai is also known as the art of the 8 limbs. Muay Thai fighters know how to use their fists, feet, knees, and elbows to land destructive bombs on their opponents.
Although these aren’t all the combat sports that can be used in self-defense, this list gives you a better idea of your options. It’s recommended that you choose a combat sport that provides opportunities for sparring and competition. Sparring and competition gives you the chance to pressure test your skills against a live, resisting opponent.
How to get started in combat sports
If you haven’t already begun your combat sports journey, here are a few tips to get started. These tips will help you gain momentum so you can accomplish your combat sports goals.
- Set clear goals: It’s tough to make progress if you don’t know what you want. Combat sports are challenging so you need clear goals to get started. Your goals may change over time but maintain consistent goals helps you stay focused. An effective way to stay on track with your goals is to schedule time in your calendar for skill development. For example, schedule out all of your training sessions 12 months in advance in Google calendar as repeating events. Doing this will help your subconscious understand that the decision to train has already been made.
- Find a combat sports gym or a combat sports academy near you: Location matters especially when it comes to training. The farther away a gym is, the harder it’ll be to train regularly. Do your best to find a gym that is less than 30 minutes away from your home and work. Reducing travel time to train increases your likelihood of getting in the gym. Like most things in life, eliminating friction helps you achieve your goals at a faster rate.
- Engage in your combat sports community: There are a variety of ways to participate in your combat sports community like competing and joining online groups focused on your combat sport. Competition helps you pressure test your abilities in a controlled environment. The process of prepping for competition helps you understand the skills you’re lacking. Participating in online groups helps you feel like you’re a part of something bigger. Doing this will also help you speed up time it takes to gain new skills. You’ll not only learn more but you’ll also make more friends with similar goals and interests.
About Combat Athlete Gear
We live and breathe combat sports. It’s who are. We relish that feeling of deep satisfaction that only comes from hard training sessions and tough competitions. If this is you or this is who you want to be, we’ve got your back.
Combat Athlete Gear for the fighter in the arena willing to put everything on the line. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to combat sports or you’re looking for your 10th pro fight. Our fight gear is for you. From the mats to the biggest stages, you’ll love Combat Athlete Gear.
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