Thread: 3 problems with self-defense training

3 problems with training for self defense:1: how can you train for self defense? if you are sparring then you wont be behaving the same as if you were in a fight, you wont be as frightened/agressive, there are rules for sparring and you will be prepared for it when you enter the training area.
2: when somone attacks you you have one enourmous disadvantage, they are ready to fight you are not (unless you are completely paranoid), they decide how the fight starts, where, how they attack etc.
3: if you are big enough to win a fight with someone then you probably wont have to fight at all. eg Im an axe murderer, im walking down the street with my axe looking for a victim. On one side of the road there is a short, old, blind woman. On the other is a tall, muscular-looking man who happens to be a master of thai boxing. it doesnt matter how good he is because im not going to attack him, im gonna get the old woman. in short: you will only be attacked if you look defensles.

Originally posted by Crouchtig
3 problems with training for self defense:1: how can you train for self defense? if you are sparring then you wont be behaving the same as if you were in a fight, you wont be as frightened/agressive, there are rules for sparring and you will be prepared for it when you enter the training area.

1. You're right. Sparring alone won't do it. Traditional arts don't even look at this aspect. However, proper training whether it is Muay Thai or not will do several things for you including improving your strength, your timing, your accuracy, it should also raise your pain-thresh hold so that you can continue to operate while under attack and increase your wind so that you can run away when you have the opportunity

Originally posted by Crouchtig
2: when somone attacks you you have one enourmous disadvantage, they are ready to fight you are not (unless you are completely paranoid), they decide how the fight starts, where, how they attack etc.

2. This time yor mostly correct and excuse me for being overly concerned with semantics but what you described is an assault. A fight describes an event where the participants enter into the conflict volluntarilly. Besides that you're right. That is why your self-defense program must include antagonistic situational training in various environments.

Originally posted by Crouchtig
3: if you are big enough to win a fight with someone then you probably wont have to fight at all. eg Im an axe murderer, im walking down the street with my axe looking for a victim. On one side of the road there is a short, old, blind woman. On the other is a tall, muscular-looking man who happens to be a master of thai boxing. it doesnt matter how good he is because im not going to attack him, im gonna get the old woman. in short: you will only be attacked if you look defensles.

3. Again, no doubt. Criminals are predators who look for opportunities to committ their crimes. If a criminal thinks they can get away with assaulting you then you are automatically in greater danger than if they look at you and think that they would be placing themselves at risk. However, you make the mistaken assumption that the old woman is still defenseless.

Selfdefense courses should adapt themselves to their students and even old-blind women can defend themselves even if its with a combination of a Rottweiler seeing eye dog, a machette in her knitting bag that is slung over her shoulder, and a shock-glove (think tazer with the electrodes placed in the palm of an insulated glove). Decent selfdefense programs do not limit themselves to empty hands only training.

There are always situations where slefdefense training won't help you but there are many more where it will help you.