i have done tried a few marital arts in my time and have been doing kickboxing for 3 years. i feel in a real situation no marital art would be of any advantage against a good experienced brawler.
Update: i was just thinking when someone is very angry in a fight they will quite often overwhelm you and beet you down and they wont feel pain

martial arts- two words one is about fighting and the other is art- so there is another attribute to each martial art in that practices the art aspect - concerning the fighting part- it is a tool. you use a tool- if you are an expert at a specific art that's good, but if you are a natural fighter or gifted in that way -you are given an edge over a street scrapper. All street scrappers or brawlers are focused on survival and some even train to be more vicious. This makes scrappers and brawlers of the streets to be very dangerous people- best avoid em if you can.

Martial Arts again- a tool to use, but if you can't use it -it certainly isn't the martial arts' failing- it is the persons.

There is no art out there that is king to any other- it is the person who makes the difference- and one does not need to know martial arts to fight at all.

But back to the question if they work, yes they do- especially if you are a master of that art as well as a person who is indeed a fighter too.

Reasons people feel martial arts don't work- because it takes years of dedication to learn the basics, and applications, and time to let it sink in and stew so that it is second nature and a response without thought. Martial arts can be very fancy looking and have large curriculum's- that does not mean to say you need learn all of it to be of any use- or it is apparently all useless for combat, due to the fact that people don't fight in the way a kung fu player exercises or karate kata.


These again are tools for development- power structure and most important variety and trained footwork and timing. If you look at these exotic arts and turn your heard in disbelief it would ever be of use you have already closed the idea of combat skill higher than that of a common street brawler. If you still feel that most Martial arts are mostly useless then- I would not argue with you.

In today's era of fighting bjj, mma, and alot of kids are into the marketing of brute brawling -but they miss that what it is really is just a fad and a sport- it has rules. but I am not to judge its' worth or the practice- the psychological mindset of the idea of mma and cross-training didn't start with bruce lee, it's been happening since humans first combat methods were invented. What happens from this practice- which lets admit is brute strength and has very little to do with technique or martial arts- are extremely basic grappling and kickboxing. If that is what your reality accepts to be realistic fighting- and martial arts don't work than you are shunning countless traditions of combat that fuel the training programs of the best fighters who serve in our armed forced.

Again, you don't need martial arts training to fight- brawlers are proof to that - but to be a martial artist is to aspire to be better- and this includes beating brawlers with their mind and body- calm and with conviction.

sadly, I have to say there are less and less who actually practice martial arts to be able to use them- so in essence fighting is no more effective than a street brawler. Kickboxing is still a sport and can lend to habits that may prove harmful when facing someone who wants your head. Do martial arts work today in society against street fighters- my answer then is 'no' due to the instruction methods.

just thinking out loud