| ise in popularity of MMA and Jiu-Jitsu has increased | | | | conflict at this moment than you. As a teacher I |
| public awareness of martial arts and created a | | | | always imagine one of my students who is |
| current wave of martial arts enthusiasts. | | | | female about 5’2 and weighs about 105 |
| However, an unfortunate side effect of this | | | | pounds and is over 45 years old (but looks 10 |
| popular martial arts movement is that the | | | | years younger than she is) being attacked by a |
| average person sees tournaments such as the | | | | 19 -23 year old, 250 lb male who is muscle bound |
| UFC and thinks that self defense works like the | | | | and freshly out of prison with rape and killing on |
| fights that occur in the ring or octagon. Nothing | | | | his mind. His legs are nearly as big as her whole |
| could be further from the truth. | | | | body. Is she going to out box him? When he |
| By street self defense I am not referring to a | | | | begins attacking her is she going to be able to |
| school yard fist fight whereby the loser gets a | | | | grapple with him in a realistic way that will allow |
| black eye and the winner gets to be the school | | | | her any advantage before he pounds her into |
| champion or bully for a few days. By real street | | | | submission? If he has a weapon or friends will |
| self defense I am referring to situations where | | | | boxing, MMA or Jiu-jitsu give her any skills that will |
| there is no ring, no referees, no friends around to | | | | really help her deal with this attack? The sports |
| help you and to stop the situation before it gets | | | | mentality is one of “Get in there and |
| to far out of control and no one to stop the | | | | fight!”. Does this sound like her smartest |
| attacker from beating you to death after you | | | | strategy in this situation? A ring/cage/octagon |
| have been knocked down half unconscious. In fact | | | | fighter may train some awareness skills but not |
| in real street self defense the attacker may be | | | | the kind that is designed to help you recognize |
| armed with a knife or gun and the friends who | | | | potential attackers in real life because in the ring it |
| are around may be his accomplices who are | | | | is very obvious who you are fighting, where they |
| helping him to beat you to death. Also, in real | | | | are before the fight begins and that they are |
| street situations attacks happen without warning | | | | there to fight you. The nice benefit for you in a |
| or provocation. Just being in the wrong place at | | | | ring fight is that at almost anytime you want you |
| the wrong time and having something that a | | | | can simply yell, “I quit” and leave |
| criminal wants is enough to draw a vicious and | | | | and the fight is over. Obviously this is quite |
| unrelenting attack from someone who is | | | | different from a real street attack. |
| experienced and who is larger, stronger, younger, | | | | Please see our article “Attacks Vs Fist |
| faster, better armed and more ready for a | | | | Fights and Posturing. |