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I took up martial arts when I was nearly 50. That is of course quite old, but I kept the old body flexible by swimming every day, power walking and the odd game of tennis.

The decision came about, because I am a woman, traveling the world professionally and for pleasure, sometimes to exotic and not entirely safe places, but always on my own. One day I finally got sick and tired of always watching my bag and my back, fearing attack and robbery. I decided that I had had enough of being a potential victim and that, if someone attacked me, I wanted at least be able to give them a hard time and put up a good fight.

So, I was very pleased to discover a Dojo near my home. They offered kick boxing, kung fu and, as an introduction, a self defense course. Taking a deep breath, I signed up for the course.

The first thing I learned was, that self defense does not require physical strength. It is a question of skills, physics and anatomy. Our instructor told us: "Look like a victim and you will become a victim." By that she referred to the way one should walk. If you hustle along, anxiously clutching your bag to your chest and casting furtive glances from a lowered head, you are likely to attract the attention of a mugger. It's a question of body language. Therefore, the first rule is: walk straight and exude confidence and the risk of attack is already lowered by a huge percentage.

Next: be alert, watch where you go and avoid danger. Do not walk into trouble, rather cross the road. Wise words. This introduction was followed by self defense techniques. That's of course where the anatomy comes in. We learned where the vulnerable points are and how to find and hit them. I was amazed how easy it is to slam a knife out of somebody's hand if you know where to hit. We were also taught not to follow instinctive reactions.

For instance, if someone holds you in a strangle hold from behind, your hands fly instinctively to your neck, trying to pry your fingers between your neck and the chocking arm. Wrong! You will never achieve that. What you do is: stay calm, step aside and slam your elbow into your attacker's abdomen. It does require a lot of training to overcome the natural reflexes, but the self defense tactics work.

After I had finished the course, I felt much more confident, but I got hooked on martial arts. That's why I decided to continue with kick boxing. At the beginning of any martial arts class or course, you are taught, that martial arts is not about violence, very much the opposite, it's about avoiding violence. Kick boxing is for me the best form. It combines physical exercise which skills and - philosophy.

Apart from a great work out, it is a fantastic means of self defense and, as I found out, can be practiced at practically any age, provided you have a certain degree of flexibility.

Kick boxing is also a great stress reliever. My instructor used to joke "what's its name today?" when I was hitting the punch bag. She was referring to some woeful tales of mine, when some particular client had gotten on my nerves.

I have kept and improved my flexibility and honed my reactions. I also like thr way you start every lesson with your instructor or you "opponent" by strictly prescribed bows and salutations.

Meanwhile, I have achieved three belts and I'm still going strong!

Learn more about this author, Inka Piegsa-Quischotte.
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