Realistic Women's Self Defense
There are many articles online providing information on Women's Self Defense however, many of these articles are simply selling scared people useless or almost useless weapons giving them a false sense of security.
Many women these days have an aversion to carrying a weapon let alone learning real world self defense. Denial, fear, dependence on others and many more reasons exist that are completely wrong. There are several things we can all agree upon.
Women are less prone to violence than men are
Women are not encouraged to learn to fight as men are
Women are naturally smaller and usually not as strong as men are
Women are more the recipient of violent attacks than men are
Women are less inclined to train in martial arts or combat sports than men are
On the average many women tend to carry less effective forms of self defense such as:
self defense keys
pepper spray
whistle
Except for the pepper spray/mace they are not weapons of self defense but common household items. They are pretty useless against a determined criminal intent on doing harm. They are geared towards giving women a false sense of security only.
Do you really think a whistle or keys will prevent a criminal bent on violence?
Nope.
Ask any man who has been physically attacked (and most men have been in at least one fight) what they think of these as weapons. The pepper spray will slow the assailant down if you had it in your hand and ready to spray but you will only have one chance to use it.
In reality there are only three weapons that can really save you from a violent altercation if you are alone.
Train to use Situational Awareness
Train in a reality based self defense system
Train using real world self defense weapons such as a firearm or knife
What is Situational Awareness?
Situational awareness can be defined simply as “knowing what is going on around us” or – more technically – as “the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future”.
Why is situational awareness important to you? Situational awareness is important to everyone – it is important that everyone is aware of their surroundings and the potential hazards they face. It is important that each individual is looking out for his or her own safety as well as looking out for friends and family.
What is a Reality Based Self Defense System?
Reality Based Self Defense Systems or Reality Based Martial Arts refer to systems of self defense that focus exclusively on reality based self defense scenarios and conditions. Hence the words “reality based.” Unlike many traditional martial arts styles like karate and kung fu, reality based self defense is not a hobby or sport and it does not focus on tournaments or forms. It’s all about learning how to defend yourself by any means necessary. Here are the top 6 reality based martial arts in no particular order.
Krav Maga - What makes Krav Maga so effective when it comes to self-defense is its emphasis on reality based training where the main goal is to neutralize the attacker(s) as fast as possible. It is the official self defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces, FBI and Homeland Security as well as many police departments. Modern weapons such as firearms, knife and stick are also taught in many Krav Maga schools.
BJJ or Army Combatives - By combining modified moves found in Judo and Japanese Jiu Jitsu, the key to this martial arts style is to gain control and positioning over the adversary so that its devastating chokes, holds, locks and joint manipulations can be applied. It is the official self defense system of the US Army.
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) - MMA is great for self-defense situations because you learn many forms of fighting. In MMA you’ll train standup fighting, ground-and-pound, grappling, throws and more. It was created in the USA after the Ultimate Fighting Challenge was started. Even though MMA is a sport the philosophy is to overwhelm the opponent until they are unconscious.
Muay Thai Kickboxing - People call Muay Thai the “Art of eight limbs”, which include, punches, elbows, kicks, and knees as well as throws and sweeps. It comes from the country of Thailand and is a professional sport. What makes this martial art realistic is that they focus on fighting, striking heavy bags, toughening the body and sparring. Many of the matches end up with one of the opponents bruised and bloodied. Typical matches usually end up with a knockout.
JKD Concepts (Jeet Kune Do) - Is the art developed that Bruce Lee and Daniel Inosanto. Combining Wing Chun, Taekwondo, Karate and Filipino martial arts including grappling and striking. This form of self defense's training focuses on fighting and striking heavy bags just like MMA and Muay Thai instead of traditional forms.
Kung Fu - Kung Fu comes from China and are considered the oldest of the martial arts. Some kung fu is designed for health like Tai Chi while others are more combat oriented like Wing Chun, Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut. Some other types are more for sport like Sanda and Wushu. Some use direct movements while others use hidden or deceptive movements. Even though they all do have some type of forms training, Wing Chun, Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut tend to focus more on fighting than the other forms of kung fu.
What is Firearm and Knife training?
Living alone or as a single mother women have to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their children. With proper training, carrying a firearm or knife is one way to feel and be safer. There’s peace of mind that comes with being comfortable carrying a real self-defense weapon that can stop an attacker dead. A gun or knife can be carried around in the hope it won’t be needed, but it’s there if it is. Both are lethal weapons so training is a must.
Training, Training, Training
There is no substitute for training. What do we mean by training? In order to be proficient in anything, a person has to practice over a period of time. If you've played any sport such as soccer, softball or basketball you already know that it takes years of practice to be good in any sport.
Self defense is no different.
You must toughen the body, strengthen your muscles, quicken your responses and alter your way of thinking when it comes to your personal safety. Taking one self defense workshop will not help you defend yourself but it can help introduce you to the world of self defense and it's many benefits
No one wants to be a victim so you must be proactive in your search for knowledge. Research which schools are best for you, check their Google Reviews, make sure there are other women in the class and take an introductory class or watch a class in person.
Remember only you are responsible for your safety. You need to make the effort to keep you and your family safe.
We have had many fathers enroll their daughters in our classes before going off to college. We have women who have been the victim of violence or do not feel safe where they work or live. We've had women who hate going to the gym or playing sports join our studio because they know they are acquiring practical knowledge. While others just enjoy the feeling of confidence and empowerment you get from knowing that you can defend yourself while getting in shape.
Whatever your reason, please visit our website and sign up for a "2 CLASS PASS" so you can begin to learn to defend yourself today.
You can also register your email on our website to receive updates on many of our FREE Workshops.
Don't wait until it's too late.
Until next time, be safe.
