MARTIAL ART FOR ''BODYGUARDS''???

Which martial art style should be good enough to fight people who attack others??? I live in Greece, near Athens, in a place where gangs are something usual. In case I' m going with my friends out, roaming around, and suddenly being attacked by a gang, how should I protect them if they're too weak to fight? And I mean fighting, not running away or dealing with the attackers. Also would this style be useful if I wanted to be a bodyguard?

 

I understand what you say, that's what I always did 'till now and I've avoided a lot of fights this way, being with friends or not. But last Thursday when I was out with four friends, two boys two girls, I got attacked by four punks the way I discribed. They didn't stand at my talking and they hit a boy from mine. I then took one out quickly with a wing chun straight punch, then fought another boxing style. I was completely confused. In less than a minute, they run away. I looked at my side and I saw one of the girls leaned down, with a face covered in blood and a broken finger. The others as they told me just got scared and didn't move. I was very dissapointed I couldn't protect her. In such a case, which martial art could be mostly self defensive and also protective for others???

 

And thank you for the welcoming!!!

 

Invite your four friends along to where you train boxing, and get them all to read Geoff Thompson, then they're better prepared to cope for themselves and have fun training together.

 

Well, it's just that I train myself at home, not something specific, I just haven't found my style yet. One of the boys has been training for four years in Kiokushin Karate and the other three about a year Tae Kwon Do, but the adrenaline just kicked them out!!! I'm just looking something like 'what martial arts are bodyguards and such people training'??? (except from weapon arts of course!!!)

 

Professional bodyguards do not have a huge need for martial arts in my understanding. They pre-sweep areas, observe during presence of the protected party, and intervene if neccesary. This is generally not a hands-on sort of intervention, if you know what I mean, from my understanding.

Observation, control of angles, awareness of what's going on around you, and the ability to deescalate or leave at speed if neccesary is your best bet. You can't do a whole lot to protect other people once it goes live. Untrained groups are too cumbersome to escape or engage a deliberate attack effectively. You'll have a hard enough time protecting yourself. The best you can do is be aware and steer your group away from trouble ahead of time.

 

That was helpful. Thank you.

 

Just for martial arts: pick one from each row then train under an instructor

ROW A - Boxing, Mauy thai, Fullcontact Kickboxing

ROW B- Judo, Bjj, wrestling, SAMBO/SOMBO

alernative option - MMA

the wider ramifications of self defence have been covered by other - or at least they will be.

 

Krav maga



GUN fu

 

Whereas I usually chuckle at the whole gun fu thing (and I'm sure I've used it myself before), I wouldn't recommend actually going out and getting a gun. Toughened, cynical martial art street warriors we may be, but as the old saying goes, 'violence begats violence'

 

THIS.

I would add that most bodyguard training courses seem to be run by ex-military. In the UK you can look up close protection courses that include e.g. hazardous driving - there's probably something similar where you are.

As for protecting groups - this is what I was getting at by suggesting you all learn. Individuals usually have multiple bodyguards, not the other way round, because if you're busy, you're not spotting the next threat.

I also kind of agree with Killa's post. It's a short cynical list - debated at length elsewhere - but just train something that works. That's why I thought you were training boxing - you said separate moves as if you had an instructor. And IMHO, if you haven't got an instructor, you haven't learned anything yet.

Honestly, lots of styles can be good - Systema is ridiculed for some of the bullshido surrounding it, but when the guy using it used to be in the Russian army, I'm sure it can work well - it's about the individual, as proved by your friends freezing.

So, 1. Go get proper training. 2. Take your friends and have fun. 3. Think about awareness, avoiding the places with gangs, and running at the first sign of trouble. 4. If you want to be a bodyguard get the proper qualifications

MN

 

.. and rightly imo, simply check out some youtube clips (I practised systema for a while and experienced a weekend seminar with Vasiliev)- Being Russian and/or ex-military doesn't equate to expertise in SD or Body guarding.

....is simply paying lip-service to the issue - there is no 'thing that works' and combat has little to do with body guarding.

Ratty gave the most sound advise IMO. Fighting has little to do with people protection.

 

There's not much point saying check out the Youtube clips. That's my whole point - the bit that gets all the attention is the bit that's most dubious. And while being ex-military doesn't equate to expertise in SD or bodyguarding, it is a background for a lot of people who do it. I only used Systema as an example because I know Vlad has made specific vids for protection.

Well if there is no 'thing that works' then why not all do Yellow Bamboo
Some things work better than others - depends on instructor, student and lots of other factors, but they do, I'm not talking about as close protection, just as fighting.

And as for agreeing with Ratty, yes, if only there were something in my Post that hinted I agreed...:dunno:

 

On the contrary, it's the easiest way to get an insight on most of the 'combat' systems available, and with a little bit of research, and common sense, it's a good way to separate the wheat from the chaff without traveling the country in search of something suitable

As to the comment a 'thing that works'? I'm suggesting that there is never any guarantee that any combat 'style' will be useful or efficient - despite the plethora of rubbish out there it's always down to the individual.

 

As has been said, it isn't bodyguarding you're seeking to do. Bodyguards will have a principal/principals and will normally out number the principal by at least two (commonly four) to one.

Bodyguards second concern is their own safety, this means that you will have some bodyguards engaging a threat whilst another group removes the principal from the area.

Is your problem that you are protecting a group of peers (friends) or are you protecting dependants (children, elderly, disabled). This will massively affect your strategy.

I assume it's a group of peers. So the first question is, if gangs are a problem that you are aware of, why are you putting yourselves in a position where gangs become a problem. Why can't you avoid putting yourself in the situation? Plan to be somewhere else.

If children are involved and there are more than one 'guardian' you need a plan. The plan me, my wife and son have is one of simplicity, she picks up him and runs, whilst I fight or die for them. This might sound melodramatic, but it is the plan. If the exit is blocked, she picks up my son with her left arm and stands behind me with her right hand on my shoulder so I know where they are, I then start knocking people over to get to the exit, they pass through and I block it once they've passed.

As a bodyguard to my wife and son, my safety is my secondary concern. Of course, a dead bodyguard is of no use to anyone, so use some common sense

 

definately another vote for "Ratty"s post.
to many directions to look after, each of your group and each of the attackers. way to many directions. I am sure evry style has a theory on multipl attackers, but they are based on one defender that can fully focus and organize the attackers. you senario would have the attackers focusing on you AND your group. best to see them beforhand and avoid.

 

What exactly do you mean by this?

 

Think he means they didn't want to hear anything he had to say and were spoiling for a fight regardless of anything he could do to dissuage them?