Poll: Do you know self defense?
- Thread starter smearyllama
- Start date
Recommended Videos
As a self-defense instructor I have to say that I agree with this statement completely. I cannot count the number of times I have seen a person trained in traditional martial arts attempt to perform self-defense in class, only to fail miserably.Thebiggestpanda said:
The problem is not so much the technique - a good punch or kick is crucial to any fight - it is the mentality. In a ring there are judges and referees to call it off when the going gets too tough. On the street there is no towel to be thrown. The mindset of self-defense is truly one of total brutality, wait for your opponent to strike, then use crippling blows until he cannot or does not wish to continue the fight. It is mostly about timing and brutality.
I know this from experience. I have never been in a streetfight that lasted more than 15 seconds because I knew that if it did the playing field would quickly even out.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, most people do not know how to talk down an attacker and avoid the fight altogether. Keeping cool and talking your way out of conflict is the most desirable course of action. Asking questions, agreeing with your potential attacker, speaking in a calm, soothing voice, rationalizing the situation, negotiating, these are all elements of self defense. Once again, I know this from experience. I have avoided countless fights because I talked my opponent down.
Overall, I think that people are afraid of violence. They see it on TV and in movies and applaud it, but once it comes into their lives and homes they are terrified. People do not realize that knowing violence does not make you a violent person. Violence is a last resort, a necessary evil if you will. Learning brutal action must be accompanied by learning peaceful minds. Only then can you truly be able to defend yourself.
I study tai-chi, which is definitely a martial art, and a surprisingly brutal one if you see how the form relates to the physical applications.
However, it also involves a philosophy that goes against aggression, and most tai-chi masters go out of their way to talk down any potential attacker long before it ever gets to the point of a fight.
I don't consider myself good at self-defense though; And fortunately, I've never really had to find out either.
Tai-Chi as a fighting style is demonstrably more effective the more aggressive your opponent is, and the calmer you remain.
I've seen this in demonstrations, and first-hand when playing around with friends.
But, as to what would happen in a serious situation, I have no idea.
However, it also involves a philosophy that goes against aggression, and most tai-chi masters go out of their way to talk down any potential attacker long before it ever gets to the point of a fight.
I don't consider myself good at self-defense though; And fortunately, I've never really had to find out either.
Tai-Chi as a fighting style is demonstrably more effective the more aggressive your opponent is, and the calmer you remain.
I've seen this in demonstrations, and first-hand when playing around with friends.
But, as to what would happen in a serious situation, I have no idea.
I don't look it, but I am actually quite good in a fight. I've done judo (yellow), however that was quite a long time ago so my tactics consist of A) bear hugging them to the floor, B) twisting wrists/arm lock
The closest thing I get is having an older brother. We'd get into fights all the time so it's mostly form experience, he didn't take it easy either. One thing I learned from fights with him and scuffles outside of school is that people aren't used to the rabid monkey approach. In my self-taught style of fighting you get behind your opponent and claw at their face like a possessed cat or something. I keep my nails long for that reason.
Of course. I used to do Taekwondo, Aikido, and Judo when I was younger. Unfortunately, my parents' divorce prevented me from going anymore. I would love to pick it up again. Currently, my method of self defense consists of applying pressure to the crotch via a swift kick.
Encore, Encore!alandavidson said:
I am loving both of these statements!
A life/death fight needs to be viewed as any other survival situation. The most important thing that you must have is the will to survive. You must be willing to do anything and everything in order to live. The first step in practically all survival situations is to remain calm and take an accurate assessment of what is happening and your own abilities.
Assuming that the worst case scenario is occurring in a fight situation, a survivor must be willing to use everything at their disposal - bite, gouge eyes, punch throat, crush testicles, break kneecaps, use car keys as weapons, etc - do whatever it takes to escape the situation and survive. If you have assessed the situation and come to the conclusion that the only way to survive is to use deadly force, then you must act and not hesitate or your opportunity to survive might be lost.
I did Tae Kwon Do when I was younger, and we had a really awesome sports program at my old school, so I used to take different self-defence/marital arts classes every semester through them at the Police Youth Club. It's been a while, so I'm not, like, a trained expert or anything, but still competent. Just ask my punching bag.
Yes, I have trained in the martial arts. I'm a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and am now collecting martial arts, not to cause damage or start fights, but because i find them beautiful.