What Makes For
Good Self Defense?

The first answer is, whatever works. Whatever gets you out of an ugly situation is good self defense. Whatever gives you the greatest chance of survival is a good defense. Whatever you can do TODAY; right here, right now, to stay alive. When it comes to saving your own life, there is no rule that says you must fight fair. You have to use every "dirty trick" in the book.

That being said, there are three very important factors that need to be considered.

The first thing you must ask yourself is, "When will I be attacked?" The answer is: You never know! There are times, locations and situations where it may be more likely than others, but the cold hard fact is, you just can't possibly know for sure. It could happen tonight! Will you know what to do?

"When you least expect it..."

Think of the worst possible scenario. Chances are you will be attacked when you least expect it. That means your assailant will always have a distinct advantage, because he is prepared and you are not. You must assume he will be larger, he knows what he wants, he is probably armed, and it is very likely that he has friends nearby to help him out. Anything you do must account for these real possibilities.

The "rules" will not be announced before the fight, so chances are you won't know what he has up his sleeve until it's too late. The next question is, "Where will I be attacked?" The answer is, "It could be anywhere!" There is a good chance you could be assaulted on a trash-littered sidewalk, with glass storefronts and moving vehicles just a few feet away. Therefore, you must consider the fact that your environment may pose just as many dangers as your attacker.

"In an oil-slick parking lot..."

What are the odds you may be attacked in an oil-slick parking lot, where the next step you take puts you face down on the asphalt? Though not an issue in competition, obstacles and uneven terrain must always be taken into account in a real street attack.

What about ice, snow, loose gravel, the beach, the woods or even your own living room?

Each situation presents a unique set of circumstances, and you need to move in a way that keeps your feet firmly underneath you, while at the same time avoiding obstacles. In most cases, careless moves such as jumping around and kicking will probably get you a broken ankle even before your attacker lays a hand on you.

Finally, you have to consider your own limitations. No matter how much or how hard you train, you are not Mike Tyson, or Jackie Chan. You probably don't have decades of training like they do. And even if you did, there is a limit to what the "average" person can do against a larger, stronger (and probably armed) opponent. You cannot overcome your attacker by force alone, because he will always have more force than you.

"You may suddenly find yourself facing certain death."

You also have to consider what happens to your body when you suddenly find yourself in a situation of extreme stress. When caught by surprise, your heart rate immediately increases, often to twice its normal rate, making it extremely difficult to breathe. Brain functions slow to a minimum, you get tunnel vision, you loose control of your fine motor skills; many people simply freeze with panic.

Don't believe it when someone tells you that martial arts training and sparring will prepare you for the sudden adrenalin rush that comes with a real street attack. It's a lie! Even the most hardened combat veteran will tell you that it is ALWAYS difficult to overcome that natural tendency to panic once the fight is upon you. When faced with a true life-or-death situation, your ability to perform even the most basic skills becomes seriously impaired.

Trust me. I've been there, so I know all about it.

"Excuse me sir, does that mean there is no hope? Are you are saying I won't be able to defend myself anyway, so why bother?"

Not at all, soldier!

The point is that in order to have an effective method of defense, you need to take into consideration all of those things: the attacker, the environment, and personal limitations. You must ensure that you will be learning a method of self-defense that is specifically designed to address and overcome each and every one of those problems, from day one.

The sad truth is, far too many "self-defense" programs never address these issues!

Reality-Based Defense Systems

Some people have realized this shortcoming of most martial arts, and have coined a new phrase, "reality based" self-defense. Unfortunately, much of what is billed as "reality based" defense isn't much better than previous systems. If you look at almost any of these methods of training, you find the same thing over and over again; the use of sport based martial arts applied to the street. The only difference is the guys demonstrating the techniques are in street clothes.

Many of these "experts" have very limited training to begin with, usually in a sports-based martial art. Then, they simply strip out all the stuff they know won't work on the street. What you are left with is a watered-down sport, still loaded with complex techniques designed to work against opponents with comparable skills.

Even with fewer techniques, these types of systems still take years of training to learn and perfect.

You can't afford to spend three years to learn how to protect yourself. You could get attacked tomorrow!

What You Need to Look For

A competent self-defense instructor will have the deep level of training and experience in a combat proven method of personal protect. It is the same system that is taught to military special operations forces -- tactics that go all the way back to WWII. The tactics taught for real combat (not sport combat) are specifically designed to overcome the unbelievable stress of the battlefield.

Think about it. These guys were no different than you or me. They came from every city and rural town across America, fearful that they may never come home again. But after only a few short months of basic training, they hit the deadliest battlefields the world has ever seen and used what they had learned, with amazing success.

If it worked for them, it can work for you.

Sport based martial arts simply cannot provide the training you need TODAY for life-or-death situations.

So, before you sign up for just any self defense program and give someone your hard earned cash, be sure to ask them three questions:

1. Where did your system come from?

If they tell you it comes from "proven military combat training", then you may have a winner. But, if they say it is "made up from several different martial arts", Run Away! That means it is a completly made up and phony system that won't work. Don't waste your time and money!

2. How long will it take to become proficient?

If they give you time periods in 'years', this probably isn't the system for you. It should't take that long to learn the basics of self protection. If they tell you you can learn something TODAY that could save your life, you are probably in the right place.

3. Can my 80 year old grandmother learn to do this?

Basic self defense should not require strength, speed or acrobatics. Breaking boards, jumping, and spinning has absolutely nothing to do with self defense. Anyone of any age, in reasonable physical condition, should be able to defend themselves.

CONCLUSION

A truly effective method of self defense must have been proven on the battlefields of the world. Just because a specialized form of combat is proven in the sprots arena, does not mean that it will be effective in the real world.

The system must be easy to learn in a relatively short amount of time. You need to learn to protect yourself NOW, you may not have three years before you are viciously attacked. The system must be designed so that anyone, regardless of background, age, or physical condition, should be able to do it.

And finally, the system must have built-in consideration of factors beyond your control, such as dealing with a sudden surprise attack that could come from any direction; accounting for bad environmental conditions and uneven terrain; and overcoming one's own personal limitations of size and strength.

You may already be asking: "Does such a program exist, and where can I find it?"

If you can't wait to get started learning the most powerful system of self protection ever devised, then I don't want to hold you back. I can't promise that I can help you find an instructor near you, but I will try. I want you to visit the directory of my good friend Damian Ross. He has a list of instructors around the world that have the training and expertise to teach you a truly effective method of combat proven self protection.

You can visit the directory of instructors by clicking on this link:

Learn Real Self Defense

He even has a free on-line course so you can see what this program is all about, and to get you started.

Don't wait! Click on the link NOW!

If you want to learn more about how this system works, and how it is designed to overcome all of the problems associated with real street attacks, you are welcome to continue reading by clicking on the following link:

Combat Proven Strategies

You can also explore the button links on the left side of this page to find out more about the things we offer such as Videos, Seminars and Articles on everything you may want to know about self defense and the martial arts.

Enjoy the journey!

© 2008 The Paragon Project. All rights reserved.