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I'm 14 and looking for a good Self Defense and all Around good fighting type of martial arts, all of the listed are offered near me. any recommendations and why.

Will do and thanks

I agree with DesiBuu.... if what you want is self defense, Kenpo would be the best option in my opinion... that is, because Muay Thai and Tae Kwon Do, although strong styles, they are mostly used for sport and for that reason, they mostly teach to fight in a ring, tournament, etc etc..... American Kenpo incorporates a lot of different things. Yes, they do teach how to compete, too, but they also have a big arsenal of self defense techniques for real life situations... if you don't want to compete and want to concentrate on self defense, you can always tell the teacher exactly what you're looking for. =)

And yes... check all three and get a feel of each one... just because we prefer and recommend Kenpo/Kempo, doesn't mean you'll prefer it, too. =)

I would suggest Ju Jutsu And Ninjitsu. Ninjitsu is useful for if you get in a fight, you would be able to disable your opponents limbs. It is similar to acupressure to specific points on the body, but I would only suggest these martial arts if you are superbly fast. If you are slower than most then Ju Jutsu would be a better choice, but those who have a predisposition to wrestling i would suggest Judo, all 3 of these techniques are useful for throwing your opponent to the ground, and disabling them, so you can get away safely.

So true >.<

MMA has become just another sport and it lacks real technique. It has become nothing more than savagely beating down your opponent.

I believe Jet Li did a movie where his character used nerve manipulation... I'm not thinking about his Hollywood film 'Kiss of the Dragon' this was basically it's early Hong Kong inspiration! Your post reminded me of that!

Thats accually the wrong mentality any martial artist should have. martial arts were designed mainly for self defense.... like the shao lin temples in china. they simply adapted their training methods to include self defense. inorder to stop bandits from robbing them. the monks that adapted the use of karate into their kung fu then became known as.... no joke "ghost monks" . and believe me for this im now a 2nd degree black belt. ive had to take history classes for this!!

I completely understand the concept of not 'drawing the sword' to use boku's analogy and I have in may instances turned away from a confrontation, even though in some cases a larger part of me wanted to stay and fight. I know full well the honor walking away; but, there is a part of me that is interested in the sport aspect of most martial art schools now a days and the competitor in me would find it curious to step into the ring and go a few rounds with another competitor. The difference between not walking away from a confrontation and fighting in a match is that in the ring, both people are of the understanding that it is for sport, not life...and that regardless of the outcome, both players still walk away with their lives. Nothing but pride is lost. (Though I must say that a true sportsman might even be so much as humbled and awestruck to have come across a greater fighter then himself and having left his ego behind might actually see his loss as a learning experience or even motivation)

Secondly I believe that, in some ways, fighting with an opponent is the closest one can come to testing their ability to survive in a real life situation, without actually engaging in a serious confrontation. Granted, there are certain guide lines each fighter follows, and no persons ultimate goal is to seriously inflict fatal damage to their opponent. But fighting in a match gives you a pretty good idea of just how well you are capable of staying composed and in control during a real scenario as well as just how well your physical capabilities are.

I agree with Ninja_hunter5, fighting goes against the mentality of a true martial artist, but it isn't truly fighting with someone...it's just a glorified, more intense form of sparring...for me at least, though not all ring fighters may see it this way.