| When you think about self defense, what comes | | | | attacker." |
| to mind? How about what you're able to do | | | | The answers to these 2 questions point to, not |
| against a real world attacker? | | | | just the need to think outside the box, but the |
| The reality is that, regardless of the opinions and | | | | very "boxes" that you need to learn to think |
| theories being tossed around out there by the | | | | outside of! I know that sounds confusing, but it |
| sport martial artists, a street self defense | | | | really isn't. |
| situation is NOTHING like a competition. And that | | | | What I'm talking about are the preconceptions |
| very truth begins before the combatants ever | | | | that we human beings tend to carry around with |
| get anywhere near the ring or actual attack | | | | us - the ideas that precede our thoughts, words, |
| location. The very fact that a fight - sport or not | | | | and actions. The point here is that, if you believe |
| - is not the same thing as an all out attack on an | | | | that a self defense situation is a particular thing - |
| unwilling victim by an assailant who wants more | | | | that it looks any particular way... |
| than a trophy, makes a self defense situation | | | | ...then you will train to be able to deal with just |
| something worthy of more attention than merely | | | | that thing. |
| learning how to punch, kick, or put someone in a | | | | Just as if you never give any thought to the |
| submission hold. | | | | different types of attacker logic, you will be |
| You must remember that, if you're training for | | | | naturally prone to assume they all think alike, or |
| effective self defense, that there are certain | | | | worse yet - that they would think and do the |
| truths that must be considered when you are | | | | same things that you would! Here are a few of |
| training and learning what you need to know. | | | | the boxes that you will need to explore and learn |
| These truths begin, not with the attacks and self | | | | to "think outside of" if you are going to really |
| defense techniques that everyone seems to | | | | master this thing called "self defense": |
| focus on, but rather with the mindsets that | | | | 1) How an attacker thinks |
| create them. | | | | 2) Your own perceptions (and misconceptions) |
| To understand this, lets go back to the questions | | | | about what it's like inside an attack |
| that I asked at the beginning of this article. They | | | | 3) What it means to strike |
| were: | | | | 4) What it means to "control" another person |
| 1)"When you think about self defense, what | | | | 5) The definition of "self defense" |
| comes to mind?" And... | | | | 6) And MORE! |
| 2)"What you're able to do against a real world | | | | |