whats the best one for strictly self defense?

I haven't bothered reading all the messages in this post.
I have done martial arts coming up to 9 years.
Have a black belt in: Jui Jitsu, Nin-jitsu and Karate.
Also have done Krav Maga for 10 weeks. (note the whole course takes at a maximum 16 weeks to complete).

Personally, due to growing up in a fairly rough neighbourhood and background Krav Maga is most definitely the most practical in terms of pace, on the street, and is modern and easy due to bio mechanics.

I don't regard my black belts as much compared to it, Krav Maga in my opinion would be the best way to go.

Pick the teacher and school, not the style.

Every body seems to overlook one martial art... Boxing, you'd be surprised how much you can learn by going down to your local amatuer or pro gym in just a few months. Learn to throw a proper punch with power and acuracy, get on the pads and learn some combinations (they'll work in ducking/ rolling etc - avoiding being hit) and get some sparring in, the one thing no one is prepared for is being punched in the face, get used to sparring and realise its not a big deal that will take away some fear of confrontations. Then remember that in a real life situation you have your legs and knees and elbows as well.

You'll also get ridiculously fit boxing.

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The highest level of martial arts isn't using it for fighting, it's having the ability to not use it and staying out of fights. Really. The smaller amount of energy you can put into the fight the better. What is less energy than just talking out your issues and not having to fight. Do it for the confidence in case you are in that situation and the awesome workout it provides, not planning to be in a fight. That is a hollow goal, you can always lose in a fight. You always win when you don't fight. Think about it. You can't get hurt if there isn't a fight. That is the real goal in self defense. If you aren't planning to use it for self defense get the fuck out of the dojo.

Sorry but sometimes bad people just want your shit or just want to hurt you and no amount of talking will change that especially if they're say a gang member or junky you're not going to logic away that situation with polite conversation. In those situations taking initiative and suprise away from your attacker and swiftly ending the confrontation (in other words kick the guy in the nuts, K him the fuck O and leave) is the best and safest option.

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No shit. I never said let your ass get kicked because you were trying to be the dali lama. Once someone throws a punch, or seems like they are going to throw a punch fair game, don't hold back. That's common sense. Anyways staying out of bad neighborhoods and away from junkies can decrease those chances greatly. Get it yet? I am not preaching non-violence just proper use of violence for what the situation calls for. And a little situational awareness. Like don't wander into junkie-ville.

well sir we agree then

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Rocky said: "It's not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward!" and thats gon help you anywhere..

whatever the sport is what you practise, you allways learn to give respect and to get respect,

my advice: Kick/Thai boxing or Sambo.

Goodluck!

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If she ain't got it she ain't got it, the theory is brilliant.

I think the whole question here is being ignored, thier is no single "best" martial art to learn for self defence in a street fight, its situational.... my advice is dont get in one unless you HAVE to... if all else fails learn to run

Just let me tell you a short story...

Krav Maga saved my life. Literally. Once I was heading home from a party. I did not want to drink that night somehow(THANK GOD!) Then suddenly 2 attackers appeared, one with knife, out of nowhere, demanding my money.

I was actually quite focused about something like this to happen because that part of the city is full of gypsys.(no racism intended...but these are the kind of gypsys you want to avoid) I almost instantly knew what to do. After I quickly disarmed the knife guy and delivered a few crotch kicks his mate punched me in the face badly but adrenaline rush eased the pain. He tried to hit me again but lost his balance a little while doing so and I kicked his knees which caused him to fall down of course.

Then I ran away... I had no intention of going to jail. Law sucks here in Hungary. If you hurt someone badly it doesn't matter who attacked whom or that your life was in danger. I went to the hospital where they told me it was just a bruise.

If I hadn't learned Krav Maga I'd be dead. Those guys had no intention of leaving me alive after they'd take my money. I know it because two weeks later they attacked someone else who was brought to hospital with life-threathening injuries. The police didn't take my denunciation seriously but they found them after this. The guy told local news he gave them his money and despite this they stabbed him, he had a really good luck to survive the assault.

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Krav Maga I would recommend

Says a lot when I've never done it myself but KM is designed for purely hand to hand combat and they prepare you for day to day situations (knifes/bar fights etc). I'ts very dirty and some techniques are deadly but if you're in trouble knowing this stuff would be cruical for you. It also good as it's prepares you mentally in which IMO again crucial.

I don't recommend MMA as although it's "combined arts" it prepares you for one on one not against more in which some situations people may be inn. In addition a lot of MMA clubs (NOT ALL!) are wannabe ones unfortunately and they are (again IMO glorified fight clubs) just to prove to the clubs in the area they have the toughest club - no technique just how to take a beating.

Oh btw this in my opinion of "British MMA scene" only

Ps. I'm a big MMA fan

soure: Former Semi-Pro MMA, Brown Belt in Wadu-Ryu Karate with also experience in Boxing, Muay Thai, Korean Kick Boixng and BJJ

In fairness I've seen some really bad krav maga schools.

To dismiss MMA on the basis that it doesn't prepare you for multiple opponents/knife encounters/bar fights is silly.

multiple opponents: 2 simple principles around which to organise your MMA training - don't go to the ground, and try to take them one at a time.

knife fights: nothing prepares you for a knife fight... easiest thing is to run... if you think you can handle a knife because you do krav maga, you're seriously deluded

bar fights... nothing wrong with mma... try not to go to the ground so as not to get kicked/stamped by friends of your assailant.

In all honesty, I'd choose MMA over Krav Maga, eventhough there is some very reputable Krav Maga out there, for the following reasons:
- emphasis on sparring - that alone is invaluable
- emphasis on conditioning - a critical factor, despite what a lot of people somehow think.
- lots of practicing of transitions from stand up to ground game (which a lot of schools, eventhough they have now latched on to the importance of ground fighting, seem to ignore.

Phoenix, from my experience the british MMA scene is in a big state of transition at the moment, and it's quite easy to find very decent clubs (3 in my area ran by BJJ black belts)

Good point AJ ......as for MMA schools in Britain, bad experience I guess, I know there are good schools out there but their are definitely bad ones as well. It really pissed me off because they (the bad schools im talking about!) say they are helping the sport but I've witness some pride themselves on having 10 new comers and only 1 sticks it out. People who watch UFC etc are really appealed to it but they go to one class and they don' come back because they have such a tough time. I know MMA is not for everyone but i've witness a few times when noses been broken, trips to the hospital (me one time), 1 arm broken , students dropped on their head (me one time again from the coach btw) most of these circumstance happened to amateur students - nearly all was not necessary. This was 2 clubs in my area in fairness there was a 3rd and they was quite safe, but hey no one talks about the good do they? It's always about the bad!

I stopped doing it myself as it just was not basically fun anymore!

I know i'm getting of the point now but I just needed a rant about, cheers for reading ha

Man you know... this stuff happens... I've broken two toes, and I've had my ribs broken twice plus a serious injury to my back from judo.
In MMA, I got dropped on my head, dislocated a knee, and had my nose broken...
BJJ, nothing serious so far... just a slight cauliflower ear.

A whole bunch of minor injuries and bruises too.

Some of these might have been avoided ; others just happened.

You just have to take the bad with the good in these cases though... and the good is that you get an experience which very few guys will have in their life.

I mean, I honestly do not go looking for a fight, but from my life in martial arts (and hard sparring specifically), I know that I can cope with some situations.

The problem of course is that, in pubs and clubs or even in the streets, you often don't see the attack coming (concealed weapons, back stabbings... etc).