Thread: Why self-defense?

Originally Posted by Tom Yum

I think its good to diversify your training and imo RBSD-type training has a bag of tricks and techniques that are good to know.

Sports arts are great for keeping your training real-time, building your fighting attributes, keeping you tenacious and works pretty well for self-defense, but it isn't the be all end all of SD.

From what I've seen (on video) MCMAP still utilizes moves from aikido, judo and karate - non-sports moves. CQD utilizes moves from CMA.

Nice post TY.

Originally Posted by USArmyBJJ

Why did you feel that you need to learn to defend yourself? What scenarios are you worried about, or do you feel you need to be able to handle, etc? That's what I meant to ask.

My guess...
The world may very well be a violent place, but with that being said, it isn't necessarily so for everyone. Everybody either thinks they can fight until they get hit. I imagine most people who are attracted to the martial arts have had a wakeup call, or are insecure (sorry guys) about other things (like carrying a weapon to feel powerful...which may seem neurotic but is instead sort of the norm for my generation at the very least) that get projected into training martial arts. The remaining minority have morbid interests or have straight up predispositions towards violence. Or any combination of the above. Martial artists are either geeks/hobbyists, sportsmen/jocks, or are drawn to RBSD/Combatives/Martial Arts/Combat Sports by less than positive intentions (which may be positively influenced, as in becoming well not correlated, by involvement in martial arts).

I think people are drawn to the martial arts and rbsd for a number of reasons, and stay for a plethora of others. Perhaps another thing to consider is why some people who suffer dire circumstances that lead others to learn (such as being victims of violent crime such as robberies, muggings and sexual assaults) completely dismiss any type of self defense aside from carrying a firearm impractical and irrelevant.

I think a further area of interest is who among this small group could actually use lethal force unarmed or armed with a blade or impact weapon against another human being...I have been reading a really good book I'm sure a number of others here have read or heard of by a military psychologist covering, among other things, the hypothesis of an innate and almost a priori tendency present in the overwhelming majority of human beings against killing their own kind...with even stronger pressures against killing at close range with a knife or bludgeon...and especially empty hands.

I don't remember why I initially started to train...but whatever it was, I was hooked on many of the aspects of the arts even aside from technique...I enjoyed the espirit de corps between fighters and sparring partners, I enjoyed the cultures and ideas behind the training, the histories, I enjoy the movements and making them my own, I enjoy the fitness, and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the confidence they endow me with.

That being said...in all reality, it's entirely possible, nay, probable that I may go my entire life without needing to DEFEND myself. I don't buy into the survivialist-esque paranoia of many people that start into this line of stuff...but there is always a slight chance somebody may contemplate hurting me or a loved one...and more than likely I can avoid such an incident by being aware of my surroundings and having excellent communication skills and EMPATHY instead of HUBRIS and PRIDE, or feelings of something to prove. If an individual persists or the situation warrants extreme and immediate action...I may be forced to make a difficult and horrible decision. But the same could be said for anyone else in the same spot. The only difference is that I will have conditioned responses and the knowledge to do so minimizing the risk to myself, my loved ones, and depending on the situation, potentially even minimizing the damage to the assailant. Anyone can kill another human being, anyone has the physical capacity to do so, as is. It takes a great deal of knowledge and ability to be able to disable somebody and give them their live at the same time.

Coming from the helping professions (psych and medicine) I truly don't see another person as the enemy. I see death as the enemy and actions that need to be halted to preserve and promote life and wellbeing. In the worst possible case scenario, that means somebody losing their life so that I don't forfeit mine and my role in caring for my loved ones and my charges.

Real self defense...for me consists of staying happy and healthy. And all things martial (with the exception of martial law ) play into that for me.

Sorry about the rant.

Originally Posted by Tom Yum

but it isn't the be all end all of SD.

Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible to admit that nothing is.

I'm fond of pointing out that "SELF-DEFENSE" is a legal term to justify the use of force.

Generally speaking any violent action against another person is (simple) assault. It's only self defense if you meet certain specific (legal) requirements.

Originally Posted by USArmyBJJ

I'm also interested in hearing from the people who think that all, most, or even a substantial minority of fights end up with multiple fighters, or weapons, or people literally trying to kill you. Has that really been your experience?
In other words, how important is it really to learn to fight unarmed?

The thing is...in our society and in this day and age...they usually don't. People fight to posture and show off, mostly when they are intoxicated, or to try and bully people to get what they want...and very few are willing to take it that extra inch...and most of the time when it does, it probably started off as some drunk dinks doing what drunken dinks do and then escalated with somebody pulling, or god forbid, using a weapon or using the social faccilitation of the group to create a mob killing. The vast majority of fights you see will be with co-inhabitants and/or people intoxicated...and most of the time everyone will play a mutually combative role, including verbally instigating an assault.

That being said...that doesn't diminish the sheer horror of life-or-death incidents you see on the news or in shows like the "I survived" series...(plug)

I'd say learning how to fight unarmed is probably as important as somebody from the desert learning how to swim...sure it's good to know if you need it...and your life may depend on it if you fall off of a boat or into a well, or whatever...but it's highly unlikely you'll ever need it. Then again...if you want to try out for the swim team or practice scuba, become a lifeguard or a waterpolo coach, or whatever other analogy will come close to what I'm trying to say...it behooves you to learn to swim.

Originally Posted by Tant01

I'm fond of pointing out that "SELF-DEFENSE" is a legal term to justify the use of force.

Generally speaking any violent action against another person is (simple) assault. It's only self defense if you meet certain specific (legal) requirements.

That should be in the red letters in the Bible.

i think it comes down to exercise, of the mind and the body, more than a fear of a specific type of confrontation, but the fact that it can diffuse a potentially heated scenario gives me faith in learning about martial arts rather than, let's say, rocket science