"I would recommend you learn Aikido. A central tenet of Aikido is that you cannot use it unless you're attacked first, and further, the ultimate purpose of the defensive technique is to neutralize, not injure, the aggressor. Certainly, the way it's done, you could definitely snap several bones in their body in half, but you aren't forced to."
Having a couple blackbelts in Shorin-Ryu (ie. Okinawan) Karate and TaeKwonDo, a brown belt in aikido, a blue belt in Gracie Jujutsu, 15 years of tai chi and pakua and a little judo, escrima and fencing the last thing I'd recommend to someone who wants to actually defend themselves against a robber would be aikido as you have described it (there are schools that take a more martial flavor). Sorry.
#1 choice - NONE of the above.... a short barreled shotgun (pistols and rifles take more aim and will go through walls.)
Stephen
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