subject: What Type of Self Defense Training is Right For You? [print this page] What Type of Self Defense Training is Right For You?
There are a lot of self defense training courses out there and they are definitely not all created equal. That means that it does require some forethought in order to make sure that you choose the right self defense videos for your needs. The key to deciding which options might be right for you, there are several things that you may want to consider. Some of the most important factors to keep in mind include overall philosophy, physical strengths, and the real world application.It doesn't really matter how you are learning self defense, whether its a classroom setting or self defense videos, the overall philosophy is important to keep in mind. When it comes to overall philosophy, we are talking about the "goal" of the course. For example, some courses focus on using weapons like pepper spray, while others focus on unarmed self defense training. It is important to make sure that the overall philosophy fits your needs in two ways. First you need to make sure that it matches how you will defend yourself (armed vs. unarmed). Second, you need to determine whether the overall philosophy is more offensive or defensive minded because that will affect what moves you are learning.The next thing that you should consider is your own physical strengths and weaknesses. There are a lot of different ways that you can defend yourself so it is important to choose a style that matches your own personal strengths. There is no reason that you should choose a program that plays to your weaknesses because it already sets you behind the curve. Plus, it will increase the odds that you will over-matched if you ever are attacked. Again, everyone is a little different so be sure to take your time and choose a type of self defense training that plays to your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses.Another thing to consider is how you will use your self defense training in the real world. There are two basic approaches to self defense. One will teach you individual moves that can be used alone or in combination with each other. The other will rely primarily on combining several moves to be effective. In the real world, the simpler the moves are, the higher your chances of success. The more moves you are "required" to do, the higher risk of either making a mistake or having your attacker counter your attack. Either way, you always want your odds of success to be as high as possible, which means learning simple, yet effective, moves that minimize your risks.In order to decide what type of self defense training is right for you, there are a lot of variables that you may want to consider. Three of the most common variables include looking at the overall philosophy is, considering your own strengths and weaknesses, and of course, seeing how effective your moves will be in the real world. It doesn't matter whether you are taking a structured class or just purchasing some self defense videos, the criteria for choosing the best style for your needs should be the same.