Self-defense effect? Must be female self-defense? But women's self-defense will not have a good plastic effect.
Karate has a good self-defense effect, but learning karate is a bit domineering. After each training, you need to take care of your hands and feet to prevent them from getting rough. There is nothing else to pay attention to, and you can keep in good shape.
Learning karate is a very good choice. You can see Mao Lilan in Detective Conan.