Starting out in self-defense can be a little overwhelming. To start off with, self-defense courses & classes have become so commercialized that weighing out your options are a bit more challenging, to the point of wondering whether learning self-defense works in the first place or is it all just a hype?
In this article, we help guide you through the basics of self-defense:
- What self-defense entails,
- What makes self-defense effective or worthwhile and
- What type of self-defense fight styles might be best suited to your needs.
Does Self Defense Work?
Yes, learning any form of self-defense works no matter how simple or intense the course may be, especially because a good self-defense course will teach you both life-saving situational awareness & defense techniques ie. to first avoid a situation and then the safest & quickest way to defend yourself to run away.
Self-defense does not necessarily mean physically beating your attacker, it means keeping yourself safe if you land yourself in an altercation of being threatened. Sometimes that might mean physically taking on your attacker but it can also mean being strategic about how you deal with them.
If all they want is your wallet and they have a gun, the safest option is probably to throw your wallet at them and run.
Most attackers rely heavily on intimidating their victims since they pick victims because they look like easy targets. Carrying yourself with confidence, being aware and behaving assertively is the first step in staying safe.
Fighting back when someone tries to overpower you comes next. A lot of would-be attackers will be put off as soon as they see you are willing to put up a fight. Even just calling out and drawing attention to the situation can be enough.
Self defense doesn’t have to be taught in a class but there are a lot of classes that have been expertly put together to maximize your ability to defend yourself, with options available for all fitness and strength levels.
Are Self Defense Classes Really Worth It?
Some people instinctively fight back while others are good at staying out of danger. A lot of us freeze up when we’re scared. All of us could defend ourselves better.
No matter how you react to danger, you are sure to react better if you deliberately train yourself for such situations. Self defense classes are a tried and tested way of doing that.
It’s definitely worthwhile getting professional instruction in self defense. There are so many details and tricks that you could never pick up without guidance, and the content of self defense courses has been put together by experts who have extensive experience in combat situations. They draw on that experience to teach you the most effective methods of fighting back when you need to.
Should You Attend Self Defense Classes? Any Benefit?
Even a short self defense seminar will introduce you to the mindset you need to reduce your chances of becoming a victim. It will also demonstrate some simple techniques that can be used to defend yourself physically, but without further practice, they might be hard to use in an emergency.
A long-term class will not only teach you the techniques you need but give you invaluable experience practicing them in simulated stress conditions. You will get used to being physically threatened. You will practice awareness, assertiveness and fight techniques until they become second nature, and that is your best chance of protecting yourself if it ever comes to it in real life.
At worst you could look at it as a type of insurance. It’s an extra expense, or in this case effort, that might not really seem valuable until you need to make use of it. Thankfully, most people find attending self defense classes a lot more enjoyable than paying their insurance bills!
What Is The Best Self Defense Technique Out There?
When it comes down to it, the most sure-fire way of being able to defend yourself is knowing how to fight. There are situations where, no matter how careful you are, how assertive or how quick, you can be cornered and forced to fight back or become a victim.
That said there are some fighting styles better suited to self defense than others.
Krav Maga
Teaches students to defend themselves in a street style fight. As a defensive art, a large component of the training involves strategic defense rather than physical. Krav Maga draws moves from a range of martial arts to allow for the simplest, most effective response to various types of attack. It’s designed to be quicker to learn and more intuitive than most martial arts styles. Although you might lose a fight against an experienced martial artist in the ring, one of the best all-round defensive training in a real-life situation is Krav Maga.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Like Krav Maga, MMA makes use of various fighting styles, but rather than teaching moves suitable to a rapid defense, the focus in MMA is in sustaining an attack against a skilled opponent. Read our detailed article here on 21 differences & comparisons between Krav Maga & MMA here
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
This is a very useful fighting style in street situations. It involves a lot of grappling and floor work so gives you good practice breaking out of holds and using leverage to overcome a more powerful opponent.
Muay Thai
Relies more on strikes from a standing position, but makes use of throws and sweeps to take the opponent down to the floor. It is an extremely fast and powerful fighting style.
Self Defense Tips & Techniques
The first and most effective advice to keep yourself safe is to keep out of dangerous situations. It sounds obvious but there are a few simple precautions we can all take to that end.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Look at where you are, who else is there. Are there places where an attacker could easily hide or drag you out of view?
- Be alert. Don’t walk around with your eyes fixed on the floor or your phone.
- Carry yourself with confidence. Attackers often target people that they perceive as weak or submissive.
- Make a noise if you’re attacked. Try to draw attention to what’s going on and where you are. This will put a lot of criminals off.
- Don’t be afraid to strike first. If your attacker has made it clear that they intend to use force, don’t wait for them to do so before you respond.
- Carry something you can use as a weapon. It need not be a gun or knife. Your keys jutting out of your clenched fist will make your punch a lot more painful, rolled up newspapers and umbrellas make good bats.
Tips and Techniques For Women
If you’re faced with an attacker that seems like he’s been in a few fights before and is obviously stronger than you, don’t try to stand and fight him like an equal.
- Get in a quick, dirty shot to stun him for a moment and run.
- Good targets to go for are the groin, knees, eyes, throat, and ears.
- Use the heel of your hand, or the side, rather than a fist.
- Use elbows and knees if you have to strike at him from close quarters.
React quickly and with everything you have. You’re looking to stun him rather than subdue him. If that doesn’t work out and he’s got a hold on you, try using leverage, rather than strength, to break his grip.
Tips and Techniques For Men
Unless you are a trained fighter, the strategy for defending yourself as a man comes down to most of the same points it does for a woman. If your opponent has more fighting experience than you they have the upper hand.
Your best bet is to get in a quick shot or two to immobilize them and then run for safety. Sensitive targets like the groin, eyes, ears, throat, and knees are still your best option, and you should use as much strength and aggression as you can muster when you hit them.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are defending more than just yourself you might want to focus your efforts on areas that can cause the most damage in order to immobilize them for longer.
- A blow to the windpipe can leave an opponent unable to breathe, and even be fatal.
- Slightly to the side, beneath the ear, are the carotid artery and vagus nerve, which if struck with the side of the hand can leave them unconscious.
- A good shot to the solar plexus can wind them, giving you a decent head start. Don’t pull your arm all the way back if you’re going to do this, because it warns them of your intentions, giving them time to tense their stomach muscles.
- If you can only reach the back of your opponent aim for the base of his skull or his kidneys.
- A swift kick to the side of the knee or a forceful stomp on his ankle can leave him unable to run after you at full speed.
When Can You Use Self Defense?
Self defense can be used in a variety of ways. The most obvious is being able to fight back if someone physically attacks you in the street. But you learn to defend yourself without things getting physical too.
A lot of self defense training focuses on building awareness of your surroundings and identifying potentially dangerous situations – so not falling for distractions and recognizing signs of danger. You might also learn how to negotiate in tense situations.
You’ll learn how to defend yourself in the street, but also how to defend yourself in less obvious situations, like in a home or office environment. You’ll train for different kinds of attacks – like where your attacker restrains you somehow, or where you’re attacked by more than one person. Advanced courses will teach you how to defend yourself against an armed attacker.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to use what you learn in self defense classes, but odds are you might. The Bureau of Justice Statistical Department reports that 500 violent crimes occur in the states every minute. Even safe neighborhoods are visited by criminals.
Is It Possible To Learn Self Defense By Your Self Or Online?
Eg. Can You Learn Krav Maga By Yourself?
Some aspects of self defense can be taught in books or online. The problem with this is that you won’t get to test what you learn in a life-like setting.
In my eyes, one of the biggest advantages of taking a self defense course is getting to practice what you’re taught with instructors and other students standing in for attackers. This not only gives you a chance to check your technique and iron out flaws but habituates you to the feeling of having your safety threatened by another person.
One of the most important aspects of self defense is controlling your initial reaction to being attacked, remaining assertive and thinking rationally about how to defend yourself. For most of us, that’s not what happens the first time we face such a situation, or even the second.
Regular experience in a combat environment will get you past that initial shock reaction until your immediate response when threatened is to defend yourself. I’m not sure you would be able to emulate that when learning from a book or video.
On the other hand, not everyone has access to self defense classes. Even if the only way you can learn some defensive moves is through an online course or a book it’s still better than not learning any defense at all.
Just be aware that technique and stance, for example, the way you close your fist to punch and the way you stand, are very important. You can only get a feel for how much these things affect your fighting if you practice against a solid target.
If you have access to a punching bag that’s a good start, or you could always try making one if not. If you can get a friend or family member to train with you, even better.
Final Thought…
All in all self defense is pretty much what you want to make of it. You could focus on training yourself to be more aware and assertive, or you could learn to fight. You could learn as much as you can from online sources and practice with friends and family or you could invest in a class with an instructor.
Whatever you choose, if it ever comes to a situation where you have to face an unexpected threat, fight back. Even if in the end you chose to do no self defense training at all, the courage to stand up for yourself may well be more than your attacker is willing to deal with.
