It always pays off to be prepared and equipped with skills that can help you get through some of the difficulties in life. Being able to protect yourself from dangerous and threatening situations is one of the things that every person should be able to have in their arsenal.
We get a lot of advice to carry weapons to protect ourselves, from pepper spray and holding on to everyday stuff like keys or pens on hand, or not wearing headphones when you’re walking alone at night in case someone sneaks up on you. While these suggestions may be helpful, it is also crucial that you be mentally and physically prepared.
Learning the fundamentals of self-defense can boost one’s confidence and make them feel more prepared in case they encounter a dangerous situation.
Self-defense is more than just knowing how to punch and kick. The best way to keep safe is to properly equip ourselves with techniques and tactics that will allow us to disengage from the situation.
Here are 5 basics of self-defense that are important to know:
Awareness
Your best self defense strategy is avoiding getting caught in a dangerous situation. This requires being aware of your surroundings like where you are, how safe the place is and your escape routes in case there is a need to run.
You can notice rapid movement or if something seems out of place by looking around and being aware of what is going on nearby. Awareness also involves using all your senses from using your eyesight to check for multiple attackers and potential weapons to using your hearing for footsteps from behind where you are walking.
Your natural instinct and gut reaction is your body’s natural warning system for impending danger. That being said, you must be able to hear and pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you – whether your jaw is clenching, if you’re feeling worried, if you feel tense or unsafe. You should allow yourself to act on whatever it is you are feeling and sensing.
Violence of Action
This involves overwhelming the adversary to the point that they no longer want to be there. You might not come out on top at the end of the confrontation if you don’t incorporate this idea into your fighting attitude. What you lack in technique, you must make up for in violence of action. Acting quickly and violently can help you overcome a dangerous situation.
Stance
Stance is extremely important. When fighting, you should stand with your weight evenly divided between both feet, your knees slightly bent, and your hands raised and ready. Different martial arts have different stances. Typically one foot is in front of the other and the body is slightly bladed. Your stance is your armor- having a solid stance will help with all techniques and combatives that you use.
Positioning
Where and how you position yourself during an attack is as important as everything else. Always try to face your attacker so your tools are pointing towards them, and you can see what they are doing. Avoid being pinned between an object like a wall or call, or even another person. Don’t stand directly in front of an attacker- changing angle and getting off the line of attack are two examples of improving your position.
You should also manage your distance between you and your attacker. Depending on the situation, being really close or really far will help keep you safer. Try to avoid being in the range where they can hit you effectively.
Mindset
Your mindset is crucial in protecting yourself. We all have a line- if it is crossed, it is time to fight. Your mindset to fight back, to not give up, to keep going until you are safe will be a huge factor in your success in a situation.
These are some of the basics to consider when talking about self-defense. Our goal is that everyone can learn these and become safer in an increasingly dangerous world. Stay safe!