Hey guys. This is my first post on this site as I am new to firearms, but I am not a noobie when it comes to MA. IMO if you want to learn MA for the mental aspect then traditional MA's are fine (Karate, TKD, Aikido, etc.). But if you want to learn MA to defend yourself then don't even waste your time with the traditional MA because they will only get you hurt in a real fight. All the blocking and spin kicks are fine when "sparring" in class or when Bruce Lee "fights" 20 guys in the movies, but they are completely useless in real-world fighting. When choosing a real MA all you have to do is see what really works in REAL fighting events. If you are interested in a stand-up striking art then I'd recommend western boxing or thai-boxing. If you want to learn grappling just in case the fight hits the ground then nothing beats Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu IMO. But of course the best thing would be to learn a hybrid of both styles of real, combat-fighting.
"Also; isn’t BJJ traditional? … and what about it as a training system makes it less vulnerable to prison trained attackers then say traditionally trained Aikido practitioners?"
What separates BJJ from traditional martial arts is that is has been combat proven. The founder, Carlos Gracie, refined traditional JJ by basically picking dozens of fights with people in order to find out what works and what doesn't. By throwing out what didn't work from traditional JJ and by refining the techniques that did work he and his family members practically completely overhauled traditional JJ and turned it from a traditional MA that was marginaly more effective than Karate, TKD, etc. into one of the most effective and PROVEN MA in the world.
Now I know I'm stepping on some peoples toes, and that is not my intention (especially since it is my first post
). I just wanted to clarify some things and state my opinion.
BTW- I should mention that I grew up learning TKD and Karate so I have been on the other side of the fence and know first-hand what nonesense is being taught as "self-defense".