what self defense class... 10 points?

Self defense is not boxing or kick boxing or sport martial arts. It is a separate part of martial arts. There are probably less qualified self defense instructors than qualified kick boxing instructors. So choose wisely. If you are serious and feel the need to learn self defense chose the school that has adult classes. I encourage my own daughter to take self defense classes and she had similar arguments. Fortunately good sense won out and she now trains where she is next to youngest in the class. You may find the older students more serious and will make less fun of you. Everyone starts knowing little or nothing, it's no big deal.

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If you are looking to take a short 3 month or so class many community colleges and health clubs offer self defense classes covering practical defensive tactics and AVOIDANCE (which is usually the more important of the two). I have participated in several women's self defense classes (as the guy in the padded suit lol) that my Kung Fu / kickboxing Sifu taught.

If you are looking to make a commitment (as in ANY martial arts require a commitment to excel in) to a martial art for self defense i would say Judo, a traditional Ju-Jitsu, Hapkido, Wing Chun or Jeet Kune Do. Remember there is a difference between the two. The SD class will teach a few general techniques to use in most common types of attacks. The martial art will teach much more, but will take more time and commitment.

You do not have to be fit for either, however the martial arts classes will increase you fitness level over time.

Prices vary some community center give free Self Defense classes (my Sifu did all of his self defense classes volunteer). A typical Dojo can cost anywhere from 25 - 150 a month depending on the instructor and whether they are profit or non-profit. My judo classes were 40 a month, my kung-fu classes were 80, my boxing was free through the park district.

Important info to know is the instructor credentials. Did he earn a blackbelt or get it through the mail. is his school sport oriented or defense orientated. Do you have to sign a contract. What are the injury rates in class

MMA or mixed martial arts isnt a specific martial, its a combination of them and require a number of years of training in various martial arts. As for which is easiest, they are all hard or easy depending on how much you apply yourself, the instructor and the level of class you are attending. You can find places where you can train all day every day or places where you can go for one hour a week or less. The best defense is to avoid confrontation whenever possible, but should u be in a position where you need to use self defense then the best defense would be a well practiced martial art. Which is better? Its hard to say because they can all be good. Something like kick boxing might be the best because the techniques are limited and simple compared to most martial arts. Some well practiced kicks and punches could serve you well. But remember to not become overly confident in your abilities as you start to practice.

While I commend you for your interest in learning how to defend yourself, I have to caution you about having preconceived notions about what self defense is and what "realistic" means. While it's true that full contact sports like Muay Thai or Kickboxing can prepare you for the sensation of getting hit, It's not a guarantee that you can defend yourself against a 200 pound man intent on doing you harm, especially if you intend to go toe to toe with him. The best self defense is still awareness, avoidance and escape. You can use mace or any other self defense tools to help you, but do not believe all that hype about how learning a "realistic self defense system" can transform a 100 pound female into a one woman as5 kicking machine, because that only happens in movies. As for Karate not being realistic, I disagree, it is in fact more suited for women because the techniques involved do not require you to be musclebound or physically strong to be effective, so don't knock it till you've actually tried it.

I love the fact that you come on a martial arts forum, where there are quite afew high ranking karate people, asking for help, all the while insulting karate, when your knowledge of martial arts is severely limited.

I am not sure where you get the idea that karate cannot be realistic...this truly depends on the instructor and their training methods. Try tellin a Kyokoshin karate ka that their styles is not realistic.

Here is an idea why not at least have a clue before you insult a style. BTW there are many styles of karate, as it is a generic term.

This is not a way to make friends on here.

In the classes we have ages range from 5 on up to 60. So don't worry too much about age more about are there people your size and bigger.

If your plan on only self defense I would recommend classes where you are going to get hit in the face. No I'm not crazy you need to know what it feels like. I practice BJJ and have to say don't bother at this time. Mauy Thai or Boxing, in both of these you are going to try and take someones head off and they yours. You are not going to get that in any other except MMA. But in MMA you may need a gi, that depends on the instructor teaching ground work.

So Mauy Thai or Boxing is what I recommend.

kickboxing is a great realistic self defense art and its a good work out. im 16 and i pretty much only train with adults its not that bad if you rember they are all there to learn just like you and i dont think any kickboxing gyms have karate unifoms we just wear whatever feels comfrotable so if you wanna learn self defense go for it its fun

What do you think is unrealistic about Karate? Why do you think kick boxing is more realistic? If you want just full-on self defence, the only way to really go is Krav Maga, but you probably can't learn that at your age. For other classes - all styles are taught so as to be effective in a fight - if they weren't they wouldn't have been invented (apart from sports styles). Some take longer to learn than others, but don't shut down your options because you wrongly think some styles are "unrealistic".

what you are looking for is Krav Maga, and if you live near sherman oaks theres a great studio there, pretty much the ONLY black belts in california work there, lol

Krav Maga is as realistic as it gets, they train you in real life situations, and even have you train in alleyways to prepare you to fight for your life, you don't wear a GI(you wear shorts) and they have a program for kids/teens

the price is actually pretty high though(especially the one in sherman oaks) but the ones in the surrounding area is cheaper