| If you're walking alone down a dark street, and | | | | competition and real fighting on the street are |
| you notice a suspicious person starting to | | | | two completely different things, requiring two |
| approach you, what should you do? Should you | | | | completely different techniques. |
| wait until they have their hands on you to start | | | | As a result, many martial arts teachers are |
| preparing to fight back? No! What you do before | | | | beginning to encourage the pre-emptive attack in |
| the attack begins can have a huge impact on the | | | | real self defense situations. In other words, hit |
| outcome of the attack. If you know an attack is | | | | them before they hit you. Many people, however, |
| coming- or just have a gut feeling that you might | | | | shy away from making the first move. Maybe |
| be in danger- it's time to start mentally preparing | | | | they're not very confident in their fighting skills. |
| yourself. If you have a stun gun, pepper spray, or | | | | Maybe they're worried about the law. Won't they |
| another self defense device, it's time to make | | | | get in trouble for initiating the attack? |
| sure it's immediately accessible, not buried in the | | | | The short answer is, no. Whether you use a self |
| bottom of your bag. | | | | defense device, or protect yourself using your |
| What if you're face to face with the assailant, and | | | | fists, as long as you can show that the attack |
| you know you're about to get tackled? What | | | | was indeed imminent the law allows you to |
| should you do then? If you have a self defense | | | | protect yourself physically. If you can show that |
| device, it's a wise idea to pull it out so that you | | | | there was nothing you could do except fight back |
| can get away quickly. But what if you're | | | | physically, the law should be on your side. |
| completely unarmed? If you plan to hit and kick | | | | In the end, it is often unwise to wait for your |
| your way out of the situation, should you be the | | | | attacker to get his hands on you before you put |
| first one to strike? | | | | up a defense. Once you're already grappling with |
| Martial arts teachers are divided over the issue of | | | | an assailant, how easily will you be able to pull out |
| the pre-emptive strike. On the one hand, most | | | | your pepper spray or get into position for one of |
| traditional training begins with the "assailant" | | | | the martial arts moves you know? You will find it |
| attacking the student. As a result, many students | | | | very difficult to defend yourself if you wait until |
| think that they can wait for someone to attack | | | | you're already in this situation. By allowing the |
| them, at which point the student deftly escapes | | | | attack to happen without putting up a |
| the attack using their martial arts techniques. | | | | pre-emptive defense, you lose control of the |
| Although these strategies work well in practice, | | | | situation. It's always best to run away from the |
| will you really be able to escape such a situation | | | | situation, if at all possible, but if not, you should be |
| by beginning to fight back only after the attack | | | | the one to make the first move. If the attack is |
| has already begun? These techniques may not | | | | truly inevitable, you have no reason to wait. |
| work, because fighting in a martial arts | | | | |