Self Defense
For some people, those are two very scary words. The idea of self defense conjures up all sorts of negative images, most of them of the self-conscious type.
“I don’t fight”
“I can’t hit someone”
“I can’t be violent”
“I’m just not the type of person to …”
Let’s face some reality here.
First off, self-defense is about self preservation. It’s not about fighting. It’s not about violence. You may not even need to hit or touch another person to defend yourself. Self defense is about protecting yourself. Period.
Often, we see on the Martial Arts curriculum sections of training dedicated to self-defense. More often than not, these self-defense techniques involve a chain of movements that originate from a particular position.
Let’s face reality. While these techniques are often very sound and very good, unless you’re practicing the techniques regularly, you probably won’t be able to apply it to your everyday life. Seriously, are you going to be able to say to an attacker “Wait a second, you need to grab me just a bit higher here so my arm can come down on you like this.”?
Probably not. Self-defense that is taught in class is done to provide you with a foundation to develop your training. As your training advances, so too should your understanding behind the movements and how to become more versatile with them. When mastered, they build a very strong set of techniques which can be applied in a defensive manner to protect you.
Mastering such techniques could take years, perhaps even a lifetime.
Great so Martial Arts is useless for self-defense training? No.
Everything is a building block upon another. If you train in Martial Arts, there will be a larger arsenal of techniques you can utilize.
But even if you aren’t trained extensively in Martial Arts, there are some basic things you can utilize which will help you in self defense.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Always be on alert and don’t take shortcuts that put you into danger.
- Don’t be afraid to run. I’d rather live with the shame of running from a fight than not to live at all.
- Your life and well-being is worth more than any money in the world.
- Don't be afraid to seek help. If you're in trouble, call out for help. Get anyone's attention.
- Travel in packs, don’t stand out alone. If you’re not with someone, then at least travel within crowded area.
- Keep friends and family updates on your schedule so they know if they should worry should you not be around.
