Martial Arts...

[Tyler85]

Hey everyone,

My question is for LEO's as well as non-LEO's who practice martial arts. MY question is which one do you think has the best practical application in policing? I have taken Kung Fu but have been away from it for a while and would like to get back into it or another MA. Also, I am going to be starting the application process soon and would like to get into a MA that will be most beneficial to me in my career.

-Tyler.

[Voirdire]

Ground fighting. 99% of fights go to the ground. If you go to the ground and don't know what to do, you're done. You don't stand up and exchange blows, it just doesn't work that way. I was in Shotokan Karate for 8 years or so (I'm one belt below black) and if I get taken to the ground, I'm done. It's a whole new set of rules once you're down.

[Foxgguy2001]

From a personal, mostly uneducated on the subject standpoint, wouldnt mixed martial art's schools that are popping up everywhere since the UFC got popular a good way to go? Just seems like there main goal is not elegance, not to give you an advantage over a certain fighting style, but to give you a broader scope to disable your foe.

[Voirdire]

Mixed is of course good but I'd focus more on ground fighting. When was the last time you ever saw a cop and a suspect duking it out while standing up? UFC style is ground fighting (for the most part). ALL of the fights (I have yet to see one not go to the ground) go to the ground. Now of course there are some that have stand up forms as well. However, keep in mind that there are different styles for different situations. For police work, holds and grappling techniques and whatnot is going to help you.

[Chadwick]

I would suggest jiu-jitsu for on the ground fighting and Krav maga.

[Raiden]

Most systems assume you are standing, like the one I study which is Ed Parker Kenpo. What you want is Krav Maga. It is basically a Isreali martial art that teaches hand to hand as well as ground techniques.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga

Good luck.

[Voirdire]

Hmm, Krav Maga is something to definitely look into.

[cantue5]

Have to agree with the Ju Jitsu and ground fighting....I was mostly a stand up type of fighter before the Marines introduced me to the ground game. Wow what a difference. You could not convince me that a good ground game will not beat out a great stand up fighter any day of the week. It is good to have some skills in standing and ground though. I fell in love with ground fighting and will forever advertise it as the best skill to have in a Military/LE occupation. Before you start I would suggest that you practice a bit of body hardening to prepare yourself for some falls you might take and the bending and twisting of your limbs.

[whatnext]

jiu-jitsu is a great tool to use on the ground but it would be good to do something along with that like muy tai kickboxing (not sure if thats spelled correctly) because they teach a lot of fighting techniques that deal with close in combat like elbows and knees. Those are great tools and pack a lot of power. Plus a lot of people don't know what to do that close in so you will have the upper hand. That form teaches some longer range kicks and punches as well but you should look to get training in more than one martial art to be as effective as possible. Look for a good school that will teach both of those or two that you like. One ground fighting and one stand up fighting technique so you will be well rounded. A good school will let you take both as much as you want for the same price or they are just in it for the money and those places are the places to stay away from.

[WC145]

To say that 99% of fights go to the ground is a ridiculous assumption. I worked as a bouncer for years and have been in all kinds of fights and ended up on the ground exactly once. In the real world the last place you want to be is on the ground because that is where you'll be most vulnerable. I've always been taught and I've always trained to stay on my feet or to get back up as quickly as possible if I go down.

Now, after saying all of that, I will also say that as a police officer you're going to spend time on the ground because in a physical altercation your job is to gain control of the suspect (not to fight with them) and get him (or her) into handcuffs and a hard take down is a good way to soften somebody and get the upper hand.

The way I see it is this, if I have to fight with you to take you into custody I want it to be over as quickly as possible. I want to move fast, hit hard, take you down and get you cuffed. The longer the fight lasts the greater chance of me getting hurt, someone else getting involved, the bad guy getting hold of my weapon, or who knows what else.

My black belt is in kempo, my background includes extensive training in karate, muay thai, jujitsu, wing chun, and escrima. Also, in my younger days, I fought as a kickboxer. What I actually practice now is similar to shootboxing - think muay thai with throws and takedowns - mixed with control and handcuffing techniques. I also practice transitioning from hand to hand to different weapons and back because I'm not going to fight anymore than I have to. If I need to I want to be able to access and put my ASP or OC or weapon into use.

As far as what you should train in... tough question. You might look at styles and instructors geared towards police work and see what's out there. If you can't find anything near you then I'd look at the places around you and find the one that is the hardest fighting and teaches in a practical, "real world" manner, regardless of what style it is because no matter what you learn you need to be able to fight, to hit and take a hit and keep going. I usually suggest a boxing or kickboxing gym that trains fighters as a great place to start because you will learn important fundementals in an environment that is all about fighting to win, nothing else. Once you have a strong foundation to build from then you can move on to a more "sophisticated" style like jujitsu or krav maga and build from there.

[Voirdire]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I don't care about bouncers or anyone else for that matter. This is a police forum so I'm talking about police situations only. Like I have previously stated, when was the last time you stood up and duked it out with a suspect? Seeing how this is a police forum, I shouldn't have to say "police situations only." Officers are held to a higher standard. They can't use moves like I was taught in the Marines. Like you said, it is critical that officers gain control of the suspect.

When it comes to the military, MCMAP and those techniques apply for the military. You can't go around smashing people's heads in with a rifle on the police force. Different training for different situations.

[Tyler85]

Thanks for all the responses. I am really leaning towards Jiu Jitsu I think. But I may try a few out first before I decide to devote a lot of time to one. Like I said before I have a couple years experience with Kung Fu, maybe I'll continue with it.

Also, has anyone here practiced Filipino martial arts like Kali?? I have been looking into them a bit lately. I think they may work well in an LE setting. They incorporate stick fighting which could be useful for the night stick and hand to hand stuff also.

[jrhodes]

as someone who practices both muay thai and ju jitsu and is an amateur fighter, i would recommend going with stand up first. groudn fighting is important, but why not stop it from going there in the first place?

[Migraman]

The best martial art is the one that is suited and works best for YOU. I'm a kali practioner and it has been very effective for me on many occassions.

Ground fighting skills are essential as has already stated but I find that most jiu jitsu/MMA forms focus on staying on the ground and wrapping your opponent up. Thats all fine and good in a controlled setting but on the street with a gun on your hip and the possibility of your suspect having any number of friends waiting to come out of the woodwork, getting tied up on the ground is not a good idea.

Whatever style you decide to take make sure that what you are learning can be applied on the street. With the permission of your instructor train with your body armor and gunbelt and see if the techniques still work. My best advice, do your research and learn to differentiate between combat arts and sporting arts. For real life applications stick to combat arts. Hope it helps.

[Lawenforcer72]

brazillian jiu jitsu would be the best. Weapons and ground fighting