Martial Arts Self Defense

Say the words self defense and many persons think of a strong muscled man taking on a group of mean looking guys intent on physically destroying him

. Almost inevitably, the hero will use martial arts self defense to defeat the assailants who will scatter and run away, frightened and impressed with his martial arts prowess. The hero may also be a fairly puny looking guy who evens out the odds with his awesome martial arts skills.

Martial arts teach self-discipline, self-esteem and confidence. These attributes along with physical fitness are necessary for mounting an effective self defense when attacked or anticipating an attack. Persons trained in the martial arts appreciate the importance of timing, reading an opponent and throwing effective blows. Martial arts self defense is very popular among persons wanting to learn self defense.

There are some however, who say there are disadvantages to learning martial arts self defense. They believe that martial arts training which uses kata or a prescribed set of moves and techniques cannot respond effectively to real life uncontrolled situations. In these situations kata martial arts loses its usefulness because it is too structured and does not prepare the potential victim to respond freely to the assault. These practitioners are therefore at a disadvantage and are unable to truly defend themselves. They are more concerned with purity of movement rather than the results of the encounter. This makes them very vulnerable and unable to adequately defend themselves despite being trained in martial arts.

The alternative is the free response martial arts self defense system which allows the individual to assess the situation in which they find themselves and to apply the appropriate martial arts self defense moves. This need not be a part of a prescribed sequence of movements or kata but rather responses to the attackers moves. As a part of their training, these individuals will apply martial arts strategies which include putting the opponent off balance by striking a vulnerable area of the body. They will then proceed to bring the attacker down and ensure control of the situation by immobilising him.

Another advantage of martial arts self defense is using the knowledge of the opponents pressure points in the body to gain the advantage. Martial arts practitioners are taught the pressure points in the body and can bring enough pain and discomfort to an attacker by simple moves such as a pinch or squeeze. This can be enough to gain the advantage over the assailant.

Whatever the form of martial arts, be it karate, jujitsu, tae-kwon-do or any other, care should be taken to ensure that they are taught realistically and involve physical contact likely to simulate that of a real life encounter. Martial arts self defense which are not taught by rote but rather with an understanding of the techniques and how they can be applied in a real, life-threatening encounter is likeliest to be the most successful form of martial arts for self defense. Martial arts self defense will undoubtedly remain popular among self defense practitioners.

by: Charles Gunn

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