Self Defense: Going Beyond Kicks, Punches, and Weapons

Self Defense has been an important survival skill throughout humanity’s existence. It has enabled people to survive many life-threatening attacks, whether it be from the animal kingdom or other humans. As civilization transformed into the modern world as we know it today, so too did self-defense. Every country developed its own unique self-defense or combat art: Krav Maga arose in Israel, Kung Fu in China, Fencing in France, etc. Despite the differences in philosophy and technique, each discipline roots itself in harnessing the body’s “Fight or Flight” mechanism. Will we run away, or stay and play?

Many people today are law abiding citizens striving to live a life worth living. However, those people are bombarded with threats to living peacefully. Criminals, terrorists, and unforeseen accidents drive their need for more rules and regulations to ensure their safety. Yet, trouble still seems to find even the best of us. Chicago has steadily become the murder capital of the world. Innocent lives are lost due to reckless gun violence and gang activity. In many states, cops are gunned down due to the backlash that has followed major police brutality cases. Active shooter events have become more common since the Columbine School shooting.

What are peaceful people, like yourself, left to do? To increase your likelihood of surviving any violent threat, you need to adopt new habits that increase your odds of survival. It doesn’t only mean finding the nearest martial arts / self-defense school to learn a few techniques for a month or two. It also means learning more than just kicks, punches, and weapons. You need to adopt an entire spectrum that includes, but not limited too: situational awareness, every day carry items, action against a threat, and medical care.

One of the first questions victims typically ask themselves is, “How did I not see that coming?” The truth is that many of them were distracted. Either they were too focused on their electronic device, personal interactions, or some other task that took their attention away from their environment for extended periods of time. Situational awareness empowers us to be cognizant of our surroundings. Every time you leave your home, do you take notice of the your immediate surrounds or do you immediately depart to get to your destination? If you immediately depart for your destination, then you are already distracted! Just because you know the layout of your neighborhood doesn’t mean that you know what’s happening around you during the early moments of your departure. Take some time to always observe your immediate surrounds every time you move from location to another. Just as you scan ahead while driving a vehicle, scanning while you walk or sitting for long periods of time grants you the extra time to recognize any immediate changes to your surroundings, which allow you ample time to decide your next course of action.

The saying, “Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” really applies in the Self-Defense world. The potential drawback is over preparing or carrying too many items. Everyday carry kits(EDC kits) are a handful of items that each one of us need to function out of the home like keys, cell phone, wallet, prescription medications. Additional items are tools we carry that may help make life a little easier: Swiss Army Knife, cell phone charger, flashlight, fanny pack. For practical purposes, many EDC kits should start off simple and be easily deployed when need be. My typical EDC is my phone, wallet, keys, and flashlight. I find it to be the most subtle and is least suspicious when going through security checks. Each item has a survival purpose. My phone I can use to contact emergency services. The wallet can be used as a distraction to get away(most of my private information is no longer in my wallet). My keys can be used as field expedient weapon if running/hiding is no longer an option. The flashlight has a dual purpose: To distract/blind and as another weapon as needed. Plus it won’t drain precious cell phone battery life. Now it’s time to start thinking about your EDC kits. Do you carry too many items? Can you deploy the tools easily should the need for self-defense arises?

When something happens or someone presents themselves as a threat, our “Fight or Flight” mechanisms begin to work. This is where the bulk of self-defense training is focused. How can you train yourself to handle such a situation without hurting yourself? Self-defense techniques are perishable skills. That means if you don’t practice them consistently, your body won’t respond accordingly. Yet, training does not replace your instincts 100%. Trust your gut into knowing when to keep your distance, how to act if avoidance is unlikely, and most important, reacting swiftly when the threat becomes an attack.

Another forgotten or undertrained aspects of self-defense is medical care. This is important for the obvious threat of injury and disease. Every time blood or another bodily fluid has been exposed, people need to seek immediate medical care. HIV, Hepatitis, and other communicable diseases are a real threat to your health! Also, underlying injuries can also be identified ASAP. Even if an incident is minor, I strongly urge going to the emergency room. Also, as hard as it is, one shouldn’t change or bathe between the incident and emergency room. It is helps to get DNA evidence of the attacker(s), especially if it is a rape case.

In conclusion, Self-defense is more involved than simply learning a few techniques. It requires behavior change and mental growth to even become remotely proficient at it. Situational awareness, possessing a useful EDC kit, fight or flight, and seeking medical care post event are just a few of the elements that encompass self-defense. But practice and adopting the skills within these elements will increase your chances of surviving an attack even before it happens.