There are literally dozens of reasons to study the martial arts. Everyday, countless numbers of children and adults take up the practice and study of such martial arts as karate, judo, aikido, as well as many other mixed or ecclectic forms. And, for the most part, a student will probably find what he or she is looking for in the program that they choose. I say "for the most part" because, the one area of study that cannot be left to chance is that of self-defense. While just about every form of martial art can help a student to develop personal success traits like... - Confidence
- Discipline
- Focus, and...
- Respect
Not every art, or teacher for that matter, is cut out to teach you what you need to know to survive a life-threatening situation. Now, before you go off all half-cocked because you think I dishonored your art or school, or because you think I just said that you can't learn to defend yourself by taking karate, give me a minute to explain where I'm coming from. As a former federal police officer and undercover operative in the areas of drug suppression and black market investigations, as-well-as plenty of street-time as both a uniformed police officer and bodyguard, I can assure you that, there is much more to defending yourself than learning a few punches, blocks, and kicks in a karate class. So, how do you make sure that what you're getting out of a martial arts class or so-called self-defense program will work in a real-world situation? How do you make sure that you're not going to be spending your hard-earned time, money, and effort on something that, when the time comes, will be as worthless as not having trained at all? The answer is... ...you're going to have to do some work ahead of time. If you're going to get what you need to survive a street attack in Today's world, you're going to have to do some research in three important areas. They are... - Knowing What You Need
- Examining Your Life and Lifestyle, and...
- Researching the School, Program and Teacher
I go into these areas in great depth in the book, "The Karate-Myth: Why Most Martial Arts and Self-Defense Programs Don't Work and How to Be Safe in Today's Violent World." To read more about it and these important topics, just go here. Let's take a look at each area to see what's really needed if you're serious about getting control over this part of your life. Knowing What You Need This area requires that you direct your awareness at your community and the types of attacks that typically occur in your little corner of the world. Remember, you're probably not going to be attacked by a kung-fu stylist launching a crane fist. However, knowing that 98% of attackers in North America use a hooking or an uppercutting punch will take you a long way towards learning techniques and defenses that will actually work. Examining Your Life and Lifestyle As I point out on my knife-defense DVD called "The Cutting-Edge," your attacker will almost always come to your world. That means that you will most likely be attacked in familiar territory - where you live, work, and play. Take a good look around your world. Knowing where danger is likely to come from, and in what form, is a crucial element to being ready if and when it does. Researching the School, Program, and Teacher I find it disconcerting to watch people take more time trying on jeans to find just the right fit than is done in selecting a self-defense program. According to statistics, students chose a martial arts or self-defense program based more on comfort and convenience, than for effectiveness. Effectiveness, they assume, is the same regardless of school or program; so the decision most often comes down to location of the school and scheduling. It's important to remember that, selecting a school, program, and ultimately a teacher, is not the same as buying a pair of jeans, or a hundred other decisions that you could make. Why? Because this decision, if not made properly, could cost you more than you're willing to lose. What it comes down to is whether or not you want what you need, or you just want to feel like you've done something. The choice is yours. The martial arts, in their most original form, were designed to deal with dangerous assailants and for the preservation of life. If an ancient warrior didn't practice enough, failed to learn an important lesson, or wasn't prepared for the attack or attacker he was facing - he died. Plain and simple. In Today's world, we don't have to deal with physical danger on a day-to-day basis like our martial ancestors did. And, quite frankly, that's a good thing. However; it also produces a situation where underskilled, inexperienced, and sometimes unscrupulous intructors can pass off lessons that are more harmful than good. But, that does't mean that you can't find good, quality, accurate instruction. What it does mean is... ...you, and no one else, is responsible for your own safety and self-defense education. |
