| There is no such thing as a safe place anymore: | | | | Attitude - But if the danger finds you anyway, |
| with home invasions on the rise and muggings in | | | | you have to be able to face it without letting fear |
| public places becoming more commonplace as | | | | or empathy paralyze you. |
| well, it seems like self defense training is becoming | | | | Ability - Without actual ability to perform the |
| an absolute necessity. The police aren't able to | | | | techniques you've learned, all that attitude won't |
| prevent violent crime; they can only respond once | | | | do squat. |
| it has occurred. (Ask any bouncer how often the | | | | Adaptability - Even Sun Tzu said it -- "The best |
| police have arrived on-scene and the fight is still | | | | battle plan does not survive first contact with the |
| going...it's almost never.) It's up to you to be able | | | | enemy." You must be able to adapt to changing |
| to protect yourself, and that means finding the | | | | circumstances, varying threats, and unforseen |
| best self defense training you can find. | | | | complications, period. |
| Self defense doesn't always mean hurting | | | | Many self defense training courses focus only on |
| someone that's trying to hurt you. Often, the | | | | Ability, and they leave you to your own devices |
| best defense is avoiding dangerous situations and | | | | to figure out the rest. A great self-defense |
| diffusing violence before it becomes focused on | | | | course will start with basic social awareness, and |
| you. But when physicality becomes unavoidable, | | | | teach escape, de-escalation, assertiveness, and |
| self defense training helps you to end it with a | | | | visualization techniques alongside the physical |
| minimum of hospital visits. | | | | techniques. |
| Different schools of thought, from martial arts to | | | | Speaking of the physical techniques, a small side |
| military-style close combat to street fighting, treat | | | | note about them: if your self defense course |
| self defense training in very different ways. Some | | | | doesn't include sparring, include it yourself. There |
| rely on physical strength and speed, some on | | | | really isn't anything that will teach you what it |
| anatomical understanding and applied science, and | | | | feels like to get attacked more effectively than |
| others on inner strength and force of will. That | | | | getting attacked. You will rapidly get a lesson in |
| said, there are a few qualities that separate a | | | | which of your techniques are likely to be useful in |
| true self defense training system from a sport or | | | | a real-life situation as well. Many times, a technique |
| a physical fitness regime. | | | | that looks highly effective in a constructed class |
| Awareness - Any attempt to secure yourself | | | | environment is nearly useless in the |
| from danger starts with being aware of where | | | | mind-numbingly fast world of real combat. |
| the danger comes from and what threats it's | | | | Self defense might end with the body in the |
| likely to bring with it. | | | | worst of circumstances -- but it always starts |
| Avoidance - Knowing what the threats are, simply | | | | with the mind, and any good self defense training |
| not being there is the best possible way of | | | | course will show it. |
| defending yourself. | | | | |