Someone posted this question recently in one of the forums online.

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Q: What's the most useful form of combat to learn? I'm taking taekwondo and boxing what are some other forms of combat I could learn

Mr. Haas' response:

A: The personal safety and awareness that is advocated by Marty below  is right on the money. (in another response Marty spoke about safety awareness and avoidance, which is an incredibly important issue)

The question is about combat though. I believe that first and foremost, you should know good striking. TKD is excellent for kicking, but I prefer to keep my feet on (or near) the ground on the street. Boxing is great for learning defense and good body mechanics and basic boxing should be practiced and understood by anyone interested in combat (I am talking about street combat, not fightsport). The problem with boxing is that I don't wear my gloves around when I go out... so I need to learn to strike in a different manner i.e. open hands (palm strikes & fingers) and forearms / elbows.

Proficiency in stand up grappling (locks/ takedowns) is very important on the street. Ground fighting is necessary too, especially learning counters and escapes.

Having said all that, if you are good with weapons it will nullify most opposition. Our training with sticks and knives (possibly improvised) coupled with the striking, grappling and ground fighting I mention above will add up to a complete system of combative martial arts that would be very difficult for any assailant to overcome. RH

>>>At East Coast School of Self Defense, we are basically presenting you with two options as a teen or adult that wishes to learn how to take care of themselves on the street. If you are looking to really step up your game, we teach Counterpoint Tactical System. The CTS training will incorporate training with sticks and knives every bit as much as empty hands. "The overall goal of the Counterpoint Tactical System is to safely bring students to a physical and mental level of ability and understanding to deal with life threatening situations whether it be with single or multiple opponents, standing, on the ground, armed or unarmed" - Zach Whitson, founder Counterrpoint Tactical System.

Our American Kenpo classes are terrific for empty hand self defense training and include outside elements of Boxing, Kickboxing and grappling. If you want to learn and train for proficiency in a more traditional style, these classes are for you. SEE YOU ON THE MAT!