Knowing how to defend yourself is a nice feeling. If, God forbid, someone with bad intentions crossed your path, you could theoretically handle the situation better than if you hadn’t taken these courses. But the concept of “self-defense” is a broad church encompassing many schools of thought – some of which require a more critical eye.
Before paying for self-defense classes, there are a few things to keep in mind so as not to be sold to anything that doesn’t help much in the long run.
General self-defense courses have their merits
General concepts of self-defense can be beneficial for the layperson. Much of their curriculum teaches students how to identify potentially dangerous signs and situations, and for many people who have never faced physical threats before, these signs may not be inherently obvious.
And learning how to neutralize threats without doing physical exercise is a remarkable skill – usually most people want to avoid potential danger altogether without compromising their physical safety. De-escalation tactics, whether verbal or physical, are always the first remedy.
So the general self-defense course will help you on several levels. But you should also be aware of your limitations. As the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) writes Site of the city of Portland, Oregon:
A program should offer options, techniques, and a way to analyze situations. A program can point out what usually works best in most situations, but each situation is unique and the ultimate decision rests with the person who actually faces the situation.
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What are the limits of self-defense (and martial arts in general)?
It’s good to have a self-defense teacher teach you to kneel in the groin of an attacker. It is bad for them to claim that certain techniques can equip you with the skill necessary to take down multiple attackers, including those who are armed with weapons.
Unfortunately there is such a thing as a homework of martial arts counterfeiters who “teach” unrealistic and often blatantly ridiculous techniques. Take, for example, an instructor who shows students how to protect themselves from being held at gunpoint two separate attackers. Or this one Highlight role a self-proclaimed master who handles multiple attackers with ease. They are funny examples, but if you take them with a glimmer of credibility, they become instantly dangerous.
How to choose a self defense class or martial arts instructor
You should be aware of who your teacher is and what discipline they were trained in. Think of it like studying at college: you don’t want to invest time and money in philosophy if your lecturer isn’t the first to know Plato, right?
You want to take self-defense classes at martial arts schools that offer classes in a specific discipline. The search for general “self-defense” could lead you to the doorstep of those who may not have been brought into physically comprehensive situations themselves.
Understand your own training goals
The goals one might have in pursuing self-defense are obviously different from the goals one might have in training in a particular martial art. However, learning a specific style of self-defense – be it judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, karate, etc. – will equip you with more physical practice to better apply your skills when needed. Since you won’t actually be training with full resistance in a self defense class, you may have to go on a journey in a particular martial art, to really understand what it feels like when someone is pushing you, trying to knock you down, or punch you. Practical experience or, ideally, years of devotion to a martial art is the best way to be prepared for a dangerous situation.
Still, self-defense courses can provide valuable lessons that familiarize people with the overall context and situational warnings of physical confrontation. It’s just important to understand that no class or training will make you invincible.
