In this blog post, i will clarify a few misconceptions on self defense and explain what true self defense is. By understanding what self defense is about, you will learn how to better defend yourself on the streets. In the video posted, it gives you some myths on self defense.* Self defense IS NOT about fighting - When people talk about self defense, they automatically think of martial arts and combat. Yes, fighting is apart of self defense but it's meant to be used as a last resort. The real battle begins before the first punch is thrown in the mind. If you failed to recognize potential danger, you've already lost half the battle. There's many variables that could go wrong despite years of training. You could get hit unexpectedly or kill someone by accident. You might even come across a situation that you haven't yet trained for. What's the best way to prevent that from happening? Pick your battles wisely! If you have no fighting experience, that's very good. That means you never had to put yourself in harm's way. If you want to learn, read my post "why martial arts does not mean self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-martial-arts-does-not-mean-self.html).
* Self defense IS NOT about simulations - Many people like to be creative and come up with solutions to potential problems then teach them. The problem with this is that it's not always based on reality. Criminals don't think like you do. If you took a self defense course on defending against home invasions in combat when many robberies occur when your not home, you've trained unrealistically for self defense. Realistic self defense is about facts and understanding the criminal mind then train around what you know. If you want to learn more, read "know your enemy in self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/02/know-your-enemy-in-self-defense.html).
* Self defense IS NOT about provocation - Some people like to think they can provoke someone to violence and still claim self defense. You might not be attacking others physically but you are attacking them verbally and psychologically. Thus, you are the one essentially starting a fight.
* Self defense IS NOT about disregarding the law - Some people like to get straight into a physical confrontation without thinking about the law. They are so quick to draw a weapon on an unarmed attacker. This is very reckless behavior. If the police find evidence that you acted unlawfully, you are going to be charged and be punished. Therefore, you should fight with caution and not make it look like you are the assailant.
Now i will discuss what self defense is.
* Self defense IS about resolving or avoiding conflicts - Part of self defense is learning how to resolve conflicts peacefully without resorting to violence. If you can avoid a dangerous neighborhood or give someone a reason not to fight you, you've successfully defended yourself.
* Self defense IS about ending the threat quickly - The longer you fight, the more danger you put yourself and others in. Effective self defense is not flashy. It's simple and efficient so it seeks to end the threat as quickly as possible. 9 times out of 10, you don't know your attacker. You don't know how skilled or violent he or she is. If you think of combat as a fight rather than survival then it's going to be skill against skill. If you focus more on catching your attacker off guard and doing whatever it takes to quickly end the threat, doesn't matter how skilled your attacker is in hand to hand combat.
* Self defense IS about using what works - There's no precise definition to self defense. It's basically about using whatever works to defend yourself. There's no "cheating" in self defense. If your attacker cannot fairly attack you, that's too bad for him/her and good for you. There's no "right" or "wrong" way to defend yourself as long as it accomplishes your goal without putting yourself in harm's way.
