hand to hand combat is great to learn but most of it has been dumed down to a sport. originaly martial arts was made to protect agains leathal force and to deliver leathal force, the best. If you were in a gun fight with several people do you want a single shot rifle or a fully auto 30 round mag. the same should be thought about when chooseing a self defense. if it is chosen for just sport disepline then some of the martial arts like mentioned would be great and may help stop a bully. When I moved from Eugene Oregon to Stockton CA as a kid Dad told me I had to stand my ground and dont let the gangs push you around. Dad grew up in Stockton. Down the street from my house was a old Fillapino Man teaching his family fighting style to a hand full of boys, he invited me in and blew my mind. It is the most devistating weapons and hand to hand there is. By devistating i meen the fastest way to kill with hands or blades there is. the style defense/offence fighting is called Eskrima, there are many styles . I learned DE Cuerdas, Largo Mano, Serrada, Arnis,not to mention the hands fighting side of things wich is a biger secret than the blades. google and you tube some of the masters i have been around, Gilbert Tenio, John Iliab, Arther Gonzalez, Leo Herone, Dentoy Revelar, Angel Cabales, Wally Jay, Toro Tanaka . the fighting is unreal, and the cameras have not been speeded up, its realy how fast we moved. I highly recomend the filipino style, and is great when combined with JU JITSU, boxing.