well, since we've moved away from knives and into self defense, I'd say go with what moves you, find a good school, and develop the proper mindset. I did Taekwondo for years. Lucky enough to have been in a community program that wasn't one of the black belt factories out there today. We trained in forms and full contact sparring, but also in practical self defense, throws/grappling, knife defense, etc. We'd have periodic exchanges with a judo club and seminars from shaolin experts, eskrima kali instructors, and basically whatever else we could learn. I just love being able to spin around and kick a person's head off, but that's just me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

At the end of the day, the best defense is throwing your wallet and running as fast as you can but being confident in your ability to crush the guy's skull if he decides he wants more than the $20 and the Burger King receipt in your pocket.