Does anyone know...

Aikido definitely doesn't have the most immediately effective techniques, but I think part of it is that, even more so than many other martial arts, the physical techniques are just a framework. You use them to illustrate a point, and learn spatial relationships and awareness. No one TEACHES the "street" side. Just how it seems to me, But one of the final, unofficial tests seems to be realizing how to just sort of do whatever works and not worry about techniques. I've been practicing for maybe 9 years now, and I feel like what I have to do to understand the more immediately effective side of it is to-in a way-figure it out for myself, and not limit myself. Just a feeling, but whatever.

I would agree that most fights end up on the ground, and ground grappling is the specialty of jujitsu-especially brazilian jujitsu, or so I've heard-But it's great to get some more traditional "punchy" martial arts training as well. I would suggest wing chun kung fu, as it relies on short, efficient, simple movements.

I suggested Aikido because it gives a great framework to hang other bits and pieces on-you learn to be calm, aware, and centered, and then you can sort of mix and match the techniques you do, which are more effective because you learned the mindset first.

A) martial arts, certainly. I suggest aikido, but I admit to some bias, since I take it.
B)As people have said, there are plenty of self-defense groups.
C)join a weird paranoid militia group. Maybe you can find one that isn't weird,. paranoid, and unprofessional, in which case that would be ideal.

D) the funny solution. Move down to mexico, get citizenship. All mexican males, once they reach eighteen, are expected to report in and be given some basic military training, although they aren't deployed unless they choose the army as their career voluntarily. In previous years, they didn't do a lot of actual firearms and self-defense training, but that has changed.

...Then, emigrate back to the us. I make it sound so simple...;)

Armenian Survival, Google "boot camp" or "combat training" and then "California". Let me know if you come up with anything. Noble thoughts indeed, i've been thinking about re-joining the National Guard at age 40, though Iraq is not quite my cup of tea...

Guns dont solve anything.

...Why do you want to learn how to use a firearm, anyway? What reason could you have? You didn't specify one. Slightly seedy, I may add...

I trained at the weekend for six months in the parachute regiment (TA) for if ever that day comes. I left when they started more actively seeking out "volunteers" for Iraq - oh aye! not I.

Edited by Dolphin - 15-Aug-2007 at 11:59

Get a self help book. Or martial arts training. or both!

Originally posted by Dolphin Originally posted by Aelfgifu Why on earth would you want that.     Concur.   Seems a little scary that..Are you preparing for a war on American soil or something? Join the NRA, they have training for civilians all the time...

Its for when the Chinese invade, or the government becomes intolerable, which it almost is...

Yes. Its called the National Guard.