Maybe along with your search for the best self-defense techniques available you’ve come across lots of options in martial arts training, but is this your best option for self-defense training?

While martial arts training is worthwhile and beneficial in the aspects of physical conditioning, instilling discipline, and establishing a good foundation for some of the advanced self-defense techniques, it alone is not suitable for real-world self-defense situations where a fighting style that is simple and practical is extremely important.

Here are 4 fighting styles and techniques you should consider when you’re looking to enhance your self-defense training.

Combat Hapkido

Founded in the 1990s by John Pellegrini, this form of Hapkido does away with some of the more traditional, but impractical techniques such as spinning jump kicks and other acrobatic elements.

Practicing the style of Combat Hapkido allows you to focus on utilizing pressure point attacks, weapon disarming techniques, joint locks, throws, trapping and chocking. Combat Hapkido incorporates elements of boxing, KunTao Silat, Jiu-Jitsu and Jeet Kune Do.

Close Quarters Combat (CQC)

The fighting style of Close Quarters Combat can be utilized either in armed or unarmed hand-to-hand combat. CQC is primarily used by the members of the military and law enforcement and is the epitome of the base level of training you should train in as a correctional officer.

As a corrections officer, your very job is in a close-quarters environment so you need to train in techniques that provide the maximum amount of effect and control in a limited amount of space.

Combatives

This self-defense incorporates elements of Judo, Escrima, Boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Combatives is also synonymous with CQC training as it also emphasizes techniques of defense in close quarters while building on the core training with additional drills and training based on different types of situations. Members of the military, special forces, and SWAT that transition to becoming correctional officers may already possess training in this area.

Krav Maga

A fighting style created by Imi Lichtenfeld, Krav Maga is based on his street fighting, boxing & wrestling skills. The current popularity of Krav Maga is probably well known within the law enforcement community.

Krav Maga allows you to learn a fighting system that can be learned very quickly and can be utilized in the event of a stressful situation that can potentially arise within a prison facility. This can be effectively be used as a self-defense technique allowing you to neutralize attackers of any size or skill level.

The above listed fighting styles are not the be-all and end-all in self-defense training. There are additional self-defense techniques and custom fighting styles that specifically provided the hand-to-hand, wrist and joint locks, multiple attackers, handcuffing techniques that correctional officers, prison guards, and jailers need to most to protect themselves and their fellow coworkers in the line of duty.