I recently answered the following question from Yahoo Answers:

I want to know a good martial arts style for fighting multiple opponents and learn quick takedowns?

just what the question is I want to learn how to defend myself in a situation simmilar to this. Also id like to know ways to defend myself against opponents with weapons. i have no prior exeperience to any marital arts training and im open to all possiblities…

And this was my answer:

While there are martial arts that might be orientated to fight multiple opponents or a single armed opponent (for multiple armed opponents don’t believe what you see in movies…) it is indeed a very difficult and dangerous thing to do. In any case as a beginners as you are you should first learn how to defend against the general thug on the street that might prove to be a difficult task all together.

After a few years, and lots of confidence gained, you might think about extending your training to more difficult situations. Just one extra point: take downs, particularly if followed by grappling are on the opposite side of fighting multiple opponents: think about it, you start grappling one person and his buddies start kicking and punching you while he is holding you… it just cannot work: if you fight several opponents better attack the first one in line, injure him and run as fast as you can.