Kungfu vs Taekwondo vs judo/BJJ for self defense against untrained thugs?

jeet kune do, muay thaI, JUJITSU, filipino martial arts


Most tough guys are head punchers- just keep your hands up. The dangerous guys are those who would stick a knife in your belly without fearing the police or prison. Guys who want to cold-cock someone with a right are not hard to beat.

I'd go with Kungfu since it encompasses all Chinease martial arts. So you have alot of options to chose from.

Don't do taekwondo. It's more about kicking and aesthetics, and is NOT for street fighting.

BJJ is nice for street fighting. Sure it deals with lots of ground moves. But since a lot of fights end up in the ground anyway, it's a good idea to learn how to defend on the ground. Not to mention, if you learn BJJ, you'll also raise the chance of taking the fight to the ground in the first place.

As for kung fu, there are many different kinds. I'm not too sure about them but some are for competition and others are for self defense. So make sure you take the right classes. The thing about Kung Fu is that it will take a lot of TIME to learn. But if you DO learn and master it, you CAN learn to engage multiple perps at once. The thing is, it takes a LOT OF TIME.

Engaging 2-3 guys at a time IS NOT A GOOD IDEA regardless of what training you have. Even if you know kung fu, you should have practiced for YEARS before engaging multiple targets. And even if, there is always chance of failure.

In your case, BJJ alone wouldn't be that great since it's meant more for 1v1. I would probably take boxing or muay thai to engage in fighting on your feet, and supplement it with BJJ.

As for krav maga, that's meant to KILL not for an average street fight. Unless you want blood on your hands, save krav maga for when you get mugged.

anyway. 2-3 people? best option is to run.

I love and practice BJJ, but what you're looking for is something that is a stand up martial art. Three come to mind, JKD, Muay Thai, and Boxing. I'm sure you can find a boxing class at your local YMCA. I would look into JKD or Muay Thai first though. Best of luck to you.

Personally I dislike kungfu. Some of the movements are to round! I see the first guy saying you can use it to fight six guys! Let me tell you up front. NO style is going to teach you to fight six guys at once. Especially if they are bigger guys. If you can, try Muay Thai or boxing for stand up and BJJ or judo for ground fighting. You dont need to be a black belt in any of it, just proficiant. one to three guys? Maybe. Six guys? RUN!

Personally I dislike kungfu. Some of the movements are to round! I see the first guy saying you can use it to fight six guys! Let me tell you up front. NO style is going to teach you to fight six guys at once. Especially if they are bigger guys. If you can, try Muay Thai or boxing for stand up and BJJ or judo for ground fighting. You dont need to be a black belt in any of it, just proficiant. one to three guys? Maybe. Six guys? RUN!

I'd say Kung Fu is all around the best. Brazilian Ju Jitsu is good in close quarters. I've found BJJ is basically wrestling.

Kung Fu IS intimidating. I got to my second black belt. You'll learn to engage six men at a time. Or more if you keep doing it.

The point isn't to go out and hurt people, it's to defend yourself when harm comes to you.

Lets say ur a tkd master, A guy comes,u do a back kick. Hel puke and end up on the floor.His friends wont dare come close.
For kung fu,u do a fingerjab,he goes blind. His friends wont dare come close.
Bjj,take him to the ground,bla bla,his friends kick u in the face.
Well of course,you NEED YEARS of training. 3 i guess?

Lets say ur a tkd master, A guy comes,u do a back kick. Hel puke and end up on the floor.His friends wont dare come close.
For kung fu,u do a fingerjab,he goes blind. His friends wont dare come close.
Bjj,take him to the ground,bla bla,his friends kick u in the face.
Well of course,you NEED YEARS of training. 3 i guess?