1 of 56

by Jon Crosby

• Writing:

• A
• A
• A

During my 30+ years of teaching various martial arts, I have been asked more times than I can remember whether practical self-defense courses are worthwhile and which martial arts style is best overall for self-defense. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to this question. Let me explain.

During a typical self-defense course, participants are usually given tips on how to avoid becoming a victim, and are shown a series of "tricks" (self-defenses moves) that can, hopefully, be employed to defend against a street attack. The "tricks" that are taught normally include blocking methods to keep from being struck, escapes from grabbing or holding attempts, strikes to vulnerable areas of an attacker's body and, occasionally, take-downs and throws.

I recall vividly my early days of teaching what I dubbed "practical" self-defense. During my eight week programs, I would show children, middle-aged house wives and senior citizens, among others, how to perform outrageously elaborate techniques that would take most practicing martial artists years to learn. Fortunately, through extensive readings and interactions with instructors far wiser than myself, I came to the realization that much of what I was teaching was anything but practical!

I ultimately shifted the emphasis of my programs to awareness and prevention. Moreover, I greatly reduced the number and complexity of the skills taught during the program and focused only on those that I believed had the greatest chance for success in a life and death situation. The bottom line is, self-defense is designed to save your life not win a fight. With this in mind, I emphasized only three target zones; the groin, nose and eyes and multiple methods of striking to these areas. My reasoning for this is that all three target areas, when struck, can result in immediate incapacitation of the attacker. Moreover, unlike some other areas of the body, you do not need a great deal of strength and power to inflict the necessary damage to incapacitate the attacker long enough for you to get away.

One of the major disadvantages of self-defense courses is that the participants have limited time and opportunity to learn the techniques to the point where their application becomes almost a natural reaction. Conversely, martial arts practitioners not only develop those natural reactions through constant practice and repetition, but they also develop the necessary flexibility, speed, timing, focus and power to effectively apply them at least in the dojo (training hall). Yes, even the trained martial artist is at a disadvantage in a street attack situation. Let me explain why.

First of all, unlike in the dojo, there are no rules on the street. There are no mats to absorb a fall, no protective gear to prevent injury and no instructors to stop the "match" if someone gets hurt. In the dojo guns, knives and clubs are used as props and are made of rubber to prevent injury. On the street these items are real and can kill you. Furthermore, martial arts practitioners are generally not accustomed to applying their skills in unfamiliar surroundings such as alleys, bars, parking lots and the like. In other words, martial arts students learn their art in a sterile environment where the focus is necessarily on safety in practice and avoidance of injury. There are no similar considerations on the street. In summary, I believe that neither the self-defense participant nor the martial arts practitioner can be considered well-prepared to ward off a street attack. So then, what's the answer?

In my view realistic self-defense begins with awareness and prevention. It needs to be clearly understood that we live a world where, unfortunately, there are evil people who, for whatever reason, will hurt or even kill you. In this regard, I encourage my students to become self-defense conscious avoiding situations that could potentially put them in harms way.

Some of these methods of avoidance are quite obvious.

Do not put yourself alone in remote areas during late night hours
Avoid high crime areas
Don't carry large amounts of cash with you
Let persons you trust know where you're going to be and when
Keep your car doors and windows locked
Have your vehicle serviced regularly to prevent possible mechanical breakdowns that always seem to occur in remote areas
Be alert at ATMs for people possibly watching or following you
Always check your car before entering to ensure no one is hiding in the back seat
Always carry a functional cell phone and know your location at all times
Keep your car fueled so as not to run out of gas
Do not approach a strange vehicle to give directions which is sometimes a ruse to pull you into the car
Never get into an unknown vehicle even if threatened at gunpoint. If you get in you may be signing your death warrant.
If you are involved in an accident in a remote area, remain in your car and call police if at all possible
If you have to leave your office during late night hours, ask someone in your office to accompany you to your car. If your office complex has security, have them dispatch a security officer to accompany you.
Keep your doors and windows at your residence locked and, upon returning home, check for anything out of the ordinary, such as broken glass, an unlocked door, etc.

If you do find yourself in a threatening situation, scream, scream, scream, blow your car horn and make as much noise as you can to attract attention. Many items in your purse such as keys, nail files, combs and lipstick cases can be used as weapons. Also, items you normally carry such as umbrellas, newspapers rolled up and books can be used to strike an attacker.

You may also elect to carry self-defense items like pepper spray, stun guns or even a firearm. If you do, be sure to familiarize yourself with applicable state laws and local ordinances relative to concealed weapons. You should also become thoroughly familiar with the function of any weapon and laws related to justifiable use of force. While you have the right to protect yourself, an overreaction could result in both criminal and civil ramifications against you

Learn more about this author, Jon Crosby.

Add your voice
Know something about Best martial art forms for self defense? We want to hear your view. Write now!