Defending against multiple attackers

Obviously, a grappling art isn't good for this, while you have him in a hold, the other two guys are are hitting you. What's a good striking art for it?

 

Actually, not being grappled is so important that grappling skill is needed.

 

What are the best martial arts for standing grappling? I think Muay Thai covers this very well with the clinch? other than that, I assume wrestling?

 

As others have said, grappling is extremely useful. You needs skills to disengage and to stand up in the clinch/standing and on the ground.

As to your question about striking - and with grappling in mind - you could do much worse than boxing and judo in combination as a base.

 

Wrestling, muay thai, MMA, judo no particular order.

 

The issue is most SD specific systems are technically inadequate to cover this.

A much better approach is to train specialist systems such as judo/MMA/CaCC and then layer SD on top once you have the fundamental skills.

 

On top of the sensible mentions above in terms of grappling I'd put boxing as probably the best primary striking art to go with it. The obvious striking potential along with learning spacial awareness (ring awareness is something that I find is beneficial to SD carry over), along with good footwork and emphasis on general fitness would make a fairly solid foundation combination.

 

Grappling is a very useful skill in such a scenario. Defending against multiple attackers rarely means you have to take them all on in the same instant, and is a fundamental consideration which grappling can greatly assist with (along with footwork.) Putting someone in a hold is not static - it can easily be a transition to other things.

It's also good to keep in mind that even if you have 10 attackers, they can't all attack you at once. The space around your body only allows for so many at any given time.

 

I'd say gi sports such as judo and gi BJJ serve that we'll in terms of the skills of grip stripping though?

 

I've seen many discussions of this nature but basically I think multiples boils down to something like this....

Hands up, chin down, keep moving and try to make them get in each others way, be ultra aggressive and hit anyone (hard) that comes close but don't fixate on just one person, if someone grabs you make them pay for it and disengage as quickly as you can, you might be able to move that person in the way of the other attackers, don't fall over, really...don't fall over, if you do fall get up ASAP, don't voluntarily grapple or grip as that will limit mobility, keep hitting until there isn't anyone left to hit (they're all down or have run off), you see an avenue of escape or you can't hit anymore (you are incapacitated), run away ASAP (unless doing so puts others in danger that you need to protect).
Once the danger has passed get someone friendly to check you over, or better yet get to a hospital. You may have injuries you are unaware of due to being blindsided or attacked from behind and to a certain degree they will be masked by adrenalin. Take a first aid course so you can self treat any injuries you have (or cause in fact).

Looking at that sort of approach I'd say a mixture of something like boxing (for the foot work and primary striking), thai boxing (for secondary striking) judo and wrestling (to maintain your feet/balance and strip grips), BJJ (for getting up quickly), robust sparring and/or scenario drills (to promote a strong will and ability to deal with adversity) AND a thorough underpinning of context and legal considerations to inform your actions.

 

And i take out my gun.... (that tune that person sings in that south park episode about Scientology if you must know the tune) If you dont have a firearm, run, get a weapon or try to choke point them and take them on one by one until you can run. isnt there some psychology that attacing the strongest member of a group can stop a group attack? Its all the same advice, generally if its not a ad hoc kind of thing like druken row or something you would probbly be down on the floor before you can do anything. I suppose you could try and bring as many of them with you.

I will stand by a firearm being the best thing to deter a group attack if you cannot escape oena nd there is no talking out of it or escaping. I think you all know the problem with that one.

 

The problem being you don't own one, can't own one and wouldn't therefore have it to deter pigeons let alone a group attack?

 

Its been years, but of the arts I trained it seemed that Japanese Jujutsu was the best for multiple attackers, (although, believe it or not, it is also addressed in Taijiquan but not to the same extent), it was the combination of kicking, punching and throwing that seemed to cover multiple attackers well. The biggest issue, if my old memory serves me correctly, was getting, and keeping them all on one side of you.

I should also add, historically, if trained properly, Baguazhang is made to be used against multiple attackers. The issue there is finding someone who actually knows Baguazhang very well

 

In theory, but I'd be interested in hearing if you felt the training truly addressed this and if so, exactly how.

 

In Theory?

We trained it in the Dojo, it was not theory. So I am not exactly sure how to answer that question beyond, one student faced 3 and by using what we were taught we either succeeded or failed. I liked it and did fairly well at it at the time. And like I said, this is of the styles I have trained over the last 40 years, it was years ago, think early 1970s. I am not suggesting it is te best of all styles, only of the ones I trained. I am not qualified to say which style is best since I have not trained them all