I'll start by saying I'm not a self defense instructor. But never the less i have some very strong beliefs on why much of what is taught about self defense is bull, what should be taught, why and what are the most important things. IMO anyone wanting to learn how to be safe should probably follow my guide until someone can demonstrate they have reason to believe they have a better one. Which they can't, as even self defense experts often massively disagree. Without further ado...
#1 The most important thing in self defense everyone should practice is... situational awareness. This entails a number of things. Knowing what is around you. Keeping your eyes open when someone is acting 'odd' or moving towards you/into your blind spot in any way that seems suspect. Knowing when you are in more or less self environments and knowing what is or is not a safe distance from someone in melee. (pro tip. usually you are not as safe as you think distance wise). This to me should be the cornerstone of all true self defense. It is something people who want to stay safe need to learn and practice. The fact almost no one in the self defense community teaches it is a crime. If someone walks to close to you on the street at night, don't be polite and not be ready. Take distance and be ready. Stuff like that.
#2 Being ready without being officially warned. In most situations where you need to protect yourself the person will not allow you to get set or let you know a fight is about to start. They may come at you from behind, or go from seemingly relaxed position to taking a swing. This ties into #1 but it needs a special mention as well. Life doesn't tell you to prepare to defend yourself and get ready to fight while taking a set position. Anyone learning self defense should learn to counter at least semi surprise attacks and realize when things may go south fast. This also ties into safe vs non-safe distances.
#3 Weapons. Don't bring a knife to a gun fight or fist to a knife fight. Most self defense when it comes to dealing with someone with a weapon is bunk. It is very hard and they rarely attack in a way you practice. It is much more feral, fast and jerky. You should always feel the need to carry a weapon on you, but it is a good thing to have in the back of your mind depending on where you are going. Just be sure everything is legal, and don't take it out to deescalate. If you are taking it out, it is better to use it. You can warn someone you are about to use a weapon before hand if you want, but once its out, don't give anyone a chance to take your weapon from you. You can also choose not to take it out depending on the situation.
#4 Optimal self defense fighting style. Simply put, punching, take down defense and breaking holds. This should be your bread and butter in self defense. Why? While BBJ may be amazing in a 1v1, you can't guarantee it will be 1v1 and unless you are willing to break an arm, you will need to free your opponent, what if he comes at you again right after? Someone might argue that the police can be called while you hold them, but that isn't ideal. What if no one else is around, and holding someone for minutes on end isn't easy in most holds. While I'm not saying don't learn it, the key in my mind to self defense is as follows. Finishing fights quickly, mobility, vision and options.
When you bring someone into a hold, you may or may not be able to finish the fight quickly, Maybe you can choke them out or get them to the ground and ground and pound, but either option is slowly then a good punch to the jaw. It also takes away your mobility. Once you bring someone to the ground or grapple someone, you are committing to them, this leave you open for another attack if someone else joins in. It also makes it harder to run, which should always be an option you keep open. Not ideal. And often enough many attacks will not be just 1 person. Another issue with using holds in the lose of vision. Do you know if someone is going for a knife or a gun? while trying to wrestle them to the ground? Can you see as well behind them or yourself? Your vision is taken away to a degree more than it would be if you took striking distance. Unless you can see what is coming you can't defense it. The last is options. You want to be able to change your plan quickly if the situation changes. Standing striking allows this better than jujitsu or wrestling does.
This is why standing is ideal, even if BBJ is better for a clean fair 1v1 more often than not. You just can't bet it will be clean and fair and that once you let them go they won't come at you again or that someone will call the cops while you hold them. I am not saying it is bad or you shouldn't learn it if you want. Just it is NOT the best option for a number of reasons.
Also, you shouldn't spend time learning a bunch of things unless you spend LOTS of time on self defense. Better to learn a few really well than spread yourself so thin that nothing you learn is dependable. People who will give you trouble are not kung fu masters. They are often young male punks/criminals who are between 16-40. They are not self disciplined enough to learn fighting seriously and almost always depend on strength and ferocity to win. Not training. You don't need to learn how to do a bunch of complex on the off chance the person jumping you is a 10x karate black belt or something weird. You need to learn to win the fight fast, to escape an untrained grab and to avoid an untrained take down. These are the people you will need to defense yourself against. Let's learn the best stuff to deal with them. Most people have limited time, and it is better to learn something specifically designed to deal with people who will give you trouble that will help you win fast and safely. That will allow you to keep on eye on other things going on. That will give you a chance to disengage and run if you need be, and that will let you clearly see if they are going for a weapon in their pocket.
Generally these are the ideas i follow.
Submitted April 12, 2023 at 11:24AM by Bobbert84 https://ift.tt/ViqkjtO
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