Martial Arts & Self Defense

Over the years I have seen and heard so many views on self defense and martial arts. In 35 years, various trainings, martial arts and martial sports practices ranging from taekwondo to jujitsu and Yongmudo to boxing to weapons and self defense specific classes, as well as personal experience, I feel like I have something perhaps worthwhile to share.

A recent question and comment sparked me to reflect again and I thought I’d share without getting too academic or philosophical.

Martial Arts are like a river with many origins feeding it, places where it pools up into a lake or pond, and many tributaries branching off along the way.

One aspect is bettering the mind and spirit, cultivating and strengthening through experience, education, challenges, reflection, and more.

Another aspect is the fitness and athletic aspect.  Finding ways to stay active in body are so important as we grow and age. At every life stage there are so many benefits to physical activity. And I strongly believe that there is a place in martial arts for anyone of any age or ability.

Both the mental and physical can include sport and competition. Through the evolution of martial arts development and the needs and realities have ebbed and flowed. Currently, we are in a competitive era. Martial arts survive and thrive by people’s desire for tangible showings of achievement, whether it is belt promotions, medals and trophies, or certificates.

There have been times where martial arts have been fed by the desire to be elite beyond the body, more in the mind and spirit with a deeper focus on the philosophy community wide. We flow as the river goes.

Now, another origin stream is self defense. The need and desire to protect oneself and community is as old as time. Martial Arts systemized the practice. Different moves that are seen as frivolous today were likely practical at one point or were raised beyond the point of practicality to demonstrate a person’s deep knowledge and ability to perform basic maneuvers. A flip started with a roll. All martial arts have the stream of self defense. In my experience, self defense stands alone in its modern practice.

We don’t actively break noses in practice with palm strikes, we don’t actively collapse windpipes, we don’t bite or pinch or scratch, we don’t scream (we do harness our in we strength with Kihaps), we don’t arm and discharge weapons, hopefully you get the picture. We flow by streams of form practice and tests and competition that bring us toward self defense. And these steps are extremely valuable, but they in themselves are not self defense.

I’ve had the pleasure to play and roll with many highly accomplished martial artists of many backgrounds, Olympic level down. Many people when put to the task of protecting themselves go to a more basic place than their training would lead us to believe. I’ve managed to restrain many people with more formal training than me in a self defense situation because they’ve trained for a competition with rules and judges. I’ve been the person fighting for my life where there was no one calling points or penalties.

This is the place from which I teach self defense. From the first feeling that something is wrong to getting to safety. I teach from a point practical application in various self defense scenarios.

I would never say that any martial art is “true” self defense as they all have evolved to meet specifics needs for a time and a place; it is all about the application and the practice.

If you find something you like, push yourself and press your instructor for a full experience and explanation. You deserve that experience.