Learn Self Defense

Martial Arts Self Defense - Street vs. Dojo

Martial arts self defense techniques are one of the most popular subjects for writers of fiction and advertisement across the nation. But there are a few martial arts moves that are particularly important to discuss in relation to self defense, including the single worst a couple of the best things that you can do for your own protection. If you decide to learn martial arts, pay close attention, because not everything that works in the dojo works on the street.

When you watch a pair of true martial arts masters square off, the chances are that the match will start with a lot of waiting. They examine one anothers' stances, looking to see which martial arts moves the other seems likely to perform. And when one does, it's usually all over: either the other master has predicted correctly and the counterattack ends the match, or they're wrong and the attack lands and the match ends. It's practically the hallmark of a master martial artist.

Unfortunately, it's also the single worst of the self defense techniques that martial arts can teach you. Self defense cannot be reactive -- the instant that you know someone intends violence, you must act decisively and without hesitation. We all remember the first Karate Kid movie -- the bad guys had a mantra of "Strike first, strike hard, no mercy". Ironically, when you're trying to learn self defense, that mantra is very solid advice.

Humans are lucky in that we generally know when we're in danger, like a sixth sense. Our adrenaline starts to flow, pupils dilate, and we make the crucial decision between fight and flight. Martial arts moves require enough discipline to overcome that reaction, but on the streets, it's vital to let it go and, if it's called for, fight with all you've got.

Of course, martial arts self defense tactics aren't all wrong for the streets. There are a few incredibly effective self defense techniques that evolved directly from martial arts moves. If you're going to learn self defense at all, learning these two concepts should be high on your list.

Maai is a Japanee word that essentially means "distance between attacker and defender". Sabaki means "movement of attacker and defender". Simply put, staying away from an attacker and moving into positions that prevent his attacks from hitting you are very powerful tools when in a streetfight situation.

Every attack has a range, and if you can move out of that range -- which counterintutively sometimes means moving forward, right up next to your attacker -- you can avoid getting hurt. Similarly, every attack has a line that it follows, and most attacks are more or less parallel to the direction the attacker is facing. That means that if you move sideways or around the attacker, you can avoid the line of his attack and end up in a better position to counterattack from.

The ability to determine when to use Maai and when to use Sabaki is something that comes from practice alone, so don't hesitate to learn martial arts in any way you can. Just don't get caught up in the notion that martial arts tactics are always martial arts self defense techniques that are good on the street.