Is 3-6 months of training worth it for self-defense?

Hey everyone. Looking for honest opinions on whether short-term training makes sense in my situation.

Background:

• Trained Wing Chun in college for a few years
• Did private BJJ lessons for 9 months (flow rolls, technique work, no hard sparring)
  • I took breaks when I was injured
• Currently just weightlifting for health

Injury history:

• Grade 1 knee tear from BJJ (healed now)
• Nagging wrist pain when I was training
• Sports physiatrist cleared me to return to BJJ "privately and up to a point"

What I'm considering:

• 3-6 months of private lessons (BJJ + maybe kickboxing)
• Purely for self-defense - no interest in competing or long-term training
• Would quit after learning basics

My main priority is staying healthy and injury-free. I have a girlfriend now and thought about being able to protect her, but I'm wondering if short-term training is even worth it given my injury history and the fact I plan to quit anyway.

Would a few months give me anything useful, or am I just risking re-injury for minimal benefit? I'm also considering training longer (however long is needed) or just taking a weekend self-defense seminar instead - would that be more practical given my situation?

I want someone to give me a realistic answer on how long I'd have to train, whether I'd have to do hard sparring or would just technique work be enough and whether it's worth it if my #1 priority is to stay healthy and not get injured preparing for some hypothetical scenario.

For context, I'm from EU so carrying a gun is not an option for me.

Submitted June 25, 2025 at 04:27AM by A_Time_Space_Person https://ift.tt/BCVJcKF