Self-Defense Reality vs. Martial Arts Fantasy

What is the best method or style for learning self-defense?

Traditional martial arts such as karate, Tae Kwon do, or Kung-Fu? Arts like these are beautiful to watch. The coordination, athleticism, and self-discipline that the traditional martial arts develop in their students carry over into many aspects of life in a very positive manner. It is often said that these arts help one attain self-perfection. FINE. However, what about those of us that are only interested in SELF-PROTECTION? The great Bruce Lee one said "The height of cultivation lies in its simplicity." Those fancy flying kicks you see Jackie Chan doing in the movies isn't going to get the job done in a real life assault by an enraged drug addict, mugger, rapist, etc. The very threat of harm to our physical body will elicit the famous "fight" or "flight" syndrome. This is also know as the adrenal stress stage, and this is the point where fine and complex motor skills perish.
In other words, when attached by the bad guy, you can pretty much say good-bye to using a technique that looks like it belongs in a dance or gymnastics routine. Spinning back kicks to the head, "death touch" pressure points and elaborate pain compliance techniques or locks will not be available to you when you are confronted by real-world violence. Techniques that are easy to learn and simple to execute is what you will have to rely on in a true life and death encounter. These techniques include, but are not limited to:
-hammerfist
-palm strike
-ax hand
-elbow strike
-knee strike
-shin kick
What techniques like these have in common is that they are large, gross-motor movements that can reliably be utilized while under adrenal stress. Utilizing self-defense tools like these will not look pretty, but they will prove devestatingly effective to your attacker. Flowery martial arts techniques are fun to look at, but in the real world, they only "pretty" that exists is the "pretty ugly". When deciding on a particular martial art or self-defense system, ask yourself the following- "Do I want to be a "Master of Fantasy" or a "Master of Reality?"