How does your training make you feel?
Now before you go thinking that I'm trying to get all psychological on you, I want you to realize that this plays a HUGE role in your training as well as effectiveness.
Just bear with me and find out how.
If you are training with the interest of being able to defend yourself then you realize that awareness is a key aspect of self defense.
With that in mind, it has often been said that self-awareness is the highest form of awareness.
"So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss." -Sun Tzu
This quote signifies the importance of awareness.
It's even more important to realize that if you walk around trying to be the biggest bad ass then you will simply be escalating any situation where someone else feels the same way about themselves.
Compare that view of yourself with instead developing a quiet confidence and you clearly see the difference where you aren't adding fuel to the fire but are giving off the impression that you will not make an easy victim, something that all predators are looking for.
So ask yourself this question seriously, how does your training make you feel?
Confrontational, aggressive, angry, violent, or self-confident, self-assured, and focused?
Which set of feelings do you think will help you avoid or survive an altercation?
Which of these two sets depicts someone who is more likely to be involved in conflict?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Many Levels Of Self Defense
As I approach the end of my 30s I think back at what has kept me interested in training in defensive tactics for over 17 years, I realize the importance of what true self defense is really about.
Ultimately there is ALOT more to self defense than merely learning to fight.
The majority of training programs and systems out there emphasize one main point, learning to take out an attacker, some do it with honesty and others use hype and marketing tactics to sell a product that is actually worthless.
Still, I feel after all these years that, teaching others ONLY to protect themselves physically will usually impart other benefits to most of those training.
But it's a shame if the skills necessary to think critically and feel compassion are left out of the mix.
Some people might ask what's the point?
Why would critical thinking and compassion matter in learning to fight?
Well, anyone who's been practicing for a few years will eventually figure out that in order to truly go beyond the level of somebody who can kick ass, to somebody who can affect the world around them in a positive way, becoming an "evolved" fighter, someone who fights for something more than just themself but who also embodies the skills he practices, is the unfolding potential of anyone who truly deserves to be called a fighter.
Surely you would ask yourself, what prevents you from simply becoming an enraged out of control thug that you started training to survive against in the first place?
Thinking critically and maintaining compassion are the immediate reasons that come to mind.
And this brings me to what has maintained my interest after all these years.
That ultimately self defense skills play a role in the bigger picture of not only learning to protect yourself, but of becoming a better person in the process.
Ultimately there is ALOT more to self defense than merely learning to fight.
The majority of training programs and systems out there emphasize one main point, learning to take out an attacker, some do it with honesty and others use hype and marketing tactics to sell a product that is actually worthless.
Still, I feel after all these years that, teaching others ONLY to protect themselves physically will usually impart other benefits to most of those training.
But it's a shame if the skills necessary to think critically and feel compassion are left out of the mix.
Some people might ask what's the point?
Why would critical thinking and compassion matter in learning to fight?
Well, anyone who's been practicing for a few years will eventually figure out that in order to truly go beyond the level of somebody who can kick ass, to somebody who can affect the world around them in a positive way, becoming an "evolved" fighter, someone who fights for something more than just themself but who also embodies the skills he practices, is the unfolding potential of anyone who truly deserves to be called a fighter.
Surely you would ask yourself, what prevents you from simply becoming an enraged out of control thug that you started training to survive against in the first place?
Thinking critically and maintaining compassion are the immediate reasons that come to mind.
And this brings me to what has maintained my interest after all these years.
That ultimately self defense skills play a role in the bigger picture of not only learning to protect yourself, but of becoming a better person in the process.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Self Defense Begins With Self
Self Defense Begins With Self
Very few people realize the importance of the word "Self" in the term Self Defense.
Why do I think it is the most important word in the term?
While all the self-proclaimed self defense experts around the world will tell you that their "system" is the way to go to learn to protect and defend yourself, their emphasis is always on the system and not on the individual.
I will say right now that responsibility for defending yourself falls in your hands, unless one of these experts is offering to be your personal bodyguard then their marketing remains just that.
I have decided to continue to post in this blog more regularly as the world of self defense (more specifically those who are thinking about training to defend themselves and don't know where to begin) seems to be in serious need of of an objective and rational approach.
So every week I'll be covering different methods, techniques and other skills involved in self defense in an effort to both enlighten AND empower everyone interested.
I just want everyone who continues to read this blog to remember one point, YOU are responsible for your own defense, actions and results, not any system or martial art.
If you are prepared to move past hype and into TRUE discovery, then you have come to the right place.
Very few people realize the importance of the word "Self" in the term Self Defense.
Why do I think it is the most important word in the term?
While all the self-proclaimed self defense experts around the world will tell you that their "system" is the way to go to learn to protect and defend yourself, their emphasis is always on the system and not on the individual.
I will say right now that responsibility for defending yourself falls in your hands, unless one of these experts is offering to be your personal bodyguard then their marketing remains just that.
I have decided to continue to post in this blog more regularly as the world of self defense (more specifically those who are thinking about training to defend themselves and don't know where to begin) seems to be in serious need of of an objective and rational approach.
So every week I'll be covering different methods, techniques and other skills involved in self defense in an effort to both enlighten AND empower everyone interested.
I just want everyone who continues to read this blog to remember one point, YOU are responsible for your own defense, actions and results, not any system or martial art.
If you are prepared to move past hype and into TRUE discovery, then you have come to the right place.
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