As a Martial Arts instructor for the last two decades, one of the things that I have come to learn is teaching someone to physically defend themselves does not necessarily give them the skills they really need to survive an attack unscathed. Guns, knives, pepper spray, martial-arts - even with training all of these require a reaction and a decision. Most people are just not in real, life-threatening situations often enough to properly overcome the shock of being attacked and develop the reactions for physical training to be effective. I’ve seen highly skilled MMA fighters beaten in street fights. Even police officers can hesitate the first time they draw their weapons for real – and they practice and train regularly!
I believe that proper self-defense training starts with the right mental preparation, and I teach the three “A’s” – Awareness, Avoidance and Action.
Be aware of your surroundings, what is happening and how the people around you are acting. i.e. - don’t walk down the street listening to music and texting on your phone.
Make good decisions and avoid potential issues. Don’t choose to put yourself in bad situations. i.e. - don’t wait for a ride outside the mall at night alone (wait inside).
If something happens, take action fast and continually until you are safe. Take control of your own fate. Don’t give your aggressor that power.
“Hey! Let’s be careful out there.” – Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, character on 1980’s TV show Hill Street Blues
“Awareness is all about restoring your freedom to choose what you want instead of what your past imposes on you.” - Deepak Chopra
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