I have been studying the martial arts for self-defense for over three decades now. I have personally studied, reviewed, or experienced many of the systems, styles, schools-of-thought, and teachers out there. What do I have that many others teaching self-defense don't?
In a word: experience. Real-world experience will temper and validate (or invalidate) any theory more quickly than it can take that theory to manifest in the mind.
If you're reading this, I can only assume that you have an interest in the topic of self-protection or that I have peeked your interest into at leat exploring the topic a bit further.
Regardless of your level of involvement in the martial arts or whether or not you have ever studied or attended a self-defense class or course, you have to admit that there are a whole lot of ideas about the subject out there. Not to mention, the sheer number of sites that you can visit on the topic here on the web.
As a first topic to share my opinion on, I thought it would be best to begin where I believe it does begin. Because, whether or not you acknowledge that there is danger in the world, stay informed as to the types of danger prevalent in your little corner, prepare yourself with the knowledge and skills to deal with it should it appear, you will have to accept personal responsibility for your actions (or non-actions) for the rest of your life. And, like the man said, "It's better to [have a skill] and not need it, than to not have [it] if you ever need it."
Self-defense, like everything else in our lives, starts with personal responsibility. As an ex-police officer, I can confidently say to those who believe that the police will protect you, "bull!" It just isn't true and can't be done. In fact, this simple, basic truth, is one of the main reasons that I stopped doing police work. Because, in over seven years of duty and literally thousands of calls related to assault and worse, I could count on ONE HAND how many times I was there to prevent the damage from occurring. In 99.9% of the cases, I was simply a secretary filling out a report after the person had been victimized.
You know what? One day, I decided that I had had enough. Now, I teach people how to NOT become victims. That was the second phase in my own personal responsibility. The first was in doing something to make sure that I was safe and able to protect myself and my family. The second, was in changing the way I chose to protect others. Police work was definately not doing it so, here I am - providing real training for real people, in a real world.
Thank you for your interest and I hope to hear from you if you have any comments about this post. Feel free to check out the links to some additional information onn the topic of self-protection and personal development for men, women, and children. And, always remember... no, that's not right... never forget, that...
... you, and only you, are your own first-line of defense.
link to Warrior Concepts Online
link to EDR:Non-Martial Arts Defense Training
link to Self-Defense for Women at Warrior Concepts Online
link to Self Defense Seminars
Peace and Happiness,
Jeffrey M. Miller, Shidoshi
Director and Master Instructor
Warrior Conecepts International
www.warrior-concepts-online.com
www.masteryourlife.org
"Master Your Self - Master Your Life!"
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