Welcome

The first time I set foot in a martial arts school, I was terrified. As a natural born klutz, I was certain that my trial attempt at karate could have only one outcome; me, making a complete fool of myself. My sensei teases me about “sneaking into the school” to this day. In most of my life’s activities, I had simply been a nearly invisible participant. And, quite truthfully, I was usually content with that. I almost didn’t notice the internal changes that were taking place as I progressed in my chosen art. As it turned out, sticking with karate was one of the best things I ever did for myself.

The internal benefits of martial arts are innumerable, and something that every person deserves to experience. But personal growth aside, I believe that everyone – women especially – deserves a basic knowledge of self-defense. Unfortunately we live in a world where people are not always good, and innocent people are often victims of violent and horrific crime.

Also unfortunate is the fact that, in many cases, these crimes were successful simply because the victim froze, rather than fighting back. That is the main advantage a martial artist has over someone with no training. Our minds are conditioned not to freeze in threatening situations. Self defense has little to do with the flashy, complicated techniques that the martial artists of the movies usually display.

That is the goal of this blog; to give readers some knowledge that they can use to protect themselves in realistic scenarios. Sometimes all it takes is simple awareness and training your mind to react. The focus of this blog will be effective and basic defensive strategies against realistic attacks. I will also introduce the mindset you must adopt in order to defend yourself. And, of course, I will devote some time to other martial arts topics, such as internal benefits, lifestyle, meditation, etc… (After all, those are the things I love about martial arts!).

I hope to use this blog as a backbone for a future self-defense book, but most of all I hope that readers will gain knowledge that may protect them in the future! (Though I sincerely hope that nobody ever has to use anything they learn here.) I hope you find this blog interesting and useful, and that you enjoy reading and learning from it! I must ask though…please use caution should you decide to practice any of the techniques discussed here! These are real and effective self-defense techniques, and injury is a risk. These techniques should be used for self-defense only.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Three Rules of Self Defense (Part 3)

Rule #3 – Remember the Consequences

You are the victim here, it’s true. Unfortunately you will still have to deal with the consequences of your actions. These may not always be legal consequences, especially if it was an obvious case of self defense, but you must ask yourself what you are willing to live with.

Consider this question from two different angles. First, can you live with the damage you are doing to another human being? The good news is that in many cases you will probably be able to defend yourself without doing any real lasting damage to your attacker. (Some attackers are shocked by resistance at all and will abandon attack once they realize their target isn’t weak.) A broken bone or three will heal, and if you’re lucky your attacker will be living happily behind bars. In some cases, however, it may take more to get yourself out of danger. Can you live with yourself if you kill your attacker? Remember that in some cases you may have to face legal consequences, such as jail time, for your actions.

Second, are you willing to live with the emotional scars, physical injury or even death that might result if you don’t defend yourself at all? In some situations, such as robbery, it might be more worth it to hand over your wallet. But what if your attacker’s plans are more sinister? What if his plans are rape, followed by murder? In these situations, you do have to make the choice; you or your attacker. Again, chances are you won’t have to do any lasting damage to escape (except in extreme circumstances), but are you willing to break a nose, a rib or a knee to defend yourself?

The Bottom Line: Even when we act in self-defense, we still have to suffer the consequences of our actions. You are the only one that can determine what actions you will need to take and how much force is needed. Remember this, however (I’ve said it before and I will probably say it again); you are worth defending.
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