Have you ever considered taking martial arts classes for self-defense purposes? If you did any research on the subject you quickly realized that there are many martial arts disciplines from which to choose. If you want to narrow your list of options then consider what the best martial arts for self-defense are according to a Navy SEAL.
Jocko Willink‘s first recommendation is a gun and a concealed carry permit. If that isn’t possible then he also has a few other recommendations.
Navy Seal Rates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu As 2nd Best Self Defense
But we knew that already.
Agreed on the #1 best option. Have to agree to disagree on the second-best option.
BJJ is great, IF you have a lot of time and money to invest in practicing, IF you are physically fit and able-bodied (i.e. young and with no prior injuries or disabilities, and don’t mind being thrown to the ground … a LOT), and IF you’re facing a SINGLE assailant. Most of us don’t have the resources to become a full-time master of any martial art (which takes years if not decades) and/or are too old/broken to start.
And bad guys tend to travel in packs. [sarcasm] Nothing screams “effective self-defense” quite like executing a perfect submission hold against your attacker, and subsequently getting stomped to a pulp by his three buddies who were hiding in the shadows. [/sarcasm]
Opinions are like @$$-holes; everybody has one. However, if you want mine, Krav Maga is a better choice for self-defense, or if you have a flair for the Asian styles, you can try Wing Chun. Both are designed from the ground up to be learned — and decent proficiency (if not mastery) developed — quickly; the blocks and parries mimic the body’s instinctual gross motor movements (read: don’t have to depend on fine motor skills during an adrenaline dump), and the flashy flying and spinning (read: wildly-athletic and difficult to learn) moves are largely cut out in favor of direct, efficient, and effective strikes.
Just my $0.02.