I have just read an article titled “The Importance of Self-Defense” by Bryan J Buckner.  As a martial artist and a teenage girl, I could not agree more with the importance of self-defense.  There is nothing more important in the world than your own safety.  I am not suggesting that one become paranoid.  I just want us as people to be aware of their surroundings.   Look out for suspicious characters, and avoid dark alleyways.  For many years, people have been using self-defense items such as mace, pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, and personal alarms.   These are good when used properly, but what if you are without one of these many devices, or if it malfunctions?  Machines come in handy, but learning basic self-defense goes a long way.  Wouldn’t you like to have knowledge about actually defending yourself?

Most people who learn self-defense never need to use martial arts do to their general awareness. Most of the teachings of martial arts are preventative and not just fighting whoever comes around a dark corner.  Although, it does teach you how to fight, it does not want you to have to rely on your ability to fight. There are many basic things that we as people can do to make us much safer.  Like Buckner states in his article, he knows that jogging in public colleges or parks alone is dangerous.  Martial arts strongly suggest the buddy system.   Having someone with you makes you less of a target.  As an aware person you should scan your environment for potential hazards.  If you are alone and there is a suspicious character up ahead think about taking an alternative route.  Some of the things that we can do to keep ourselves safer just require what most people feel is common knowledge.  Avoid confrontation with strangers, and do not antagonize people for fun.

I am a student of Tang Soo Do, Korean martial arts.  When I was in Preschool, I was taught never to talk to strangers, or to get into their cars.  Teachers and parents teach children to kick, yell, and scream if someone tries to kidnap them.  Knowledge of what to do in a situation such as a kidnapping already provides a child with some type of self-defense.  Screaming and kicking does not only help toddlers and young children, but it also helps adults.  Kidnappers are thrown off guard when a person screams even if they know that a person could scream.  If you scream and run far enough away they are liable to be scared off by the possibility of being caught and the knowledge of the commotion.  In Tang Soo Do, when we practice kicking and punching we often let out a yell.  This is called a Kiai, and it is used as a very affective distraction.    When fighting an attacker the attacker does not expect a person to be hitting them and screaming at the same time.  Whenever a person lets out a scream the attackers subconscious knows that they have to control the situation and make sure no one has noticed.  If they feel people will have noticed they will usually run.  Both children and adults can benefit by using screaming or yelling as a type of basic self-defense.

Tang Soo Do gives a person the knowledge they need to be safe.  The point of martial arts is to be prepared for whatever may happen, and to know that there are specific things a person can do that will decrease their chances of ever getting into a fight or being robbed.  Being confident in yourselves and your abilities is very important in martial arts.  Some people feel uncomfortable when their eyes meet with a strangers.  Eye contact is very good and it shows confidence.  However, a few pugnacious people take eye contact the wrong way and might try to start something, you must decide for yourself if you know a person is just looking for a reason to fight.  But still, show confidence in your walk and that you are taking in your surroundings.  Do not act like a victim or an easy target.

At my martial arts studio, it is not a place to learn how to get into fights.  The masters and instructors tell you to only fight if absolutely necessary.  Martial arts are for pure self-defense, and stunt people.  A martial artist returns force with the same amount of force.  There is soft-defense and hard-defense.  Hard-defense is life threatening by someone who you may or may not know.  Soft-defense corresponds to things in front of you, such as someone holding onto your wrist or grabbing you by your shirt collar.  For soft-defense a student is generally taught to get out of the situation without causing pain to the attacker if it is a fellow student.  However, strangers still have no right to be touching you.  As a student moves up in Tang Soo Do they are continually asked if they have any trouble in school, or if they have been in fights.  If they cause trouble in school this generally means that they will not be able to advance until they change their behavior.  Martial arts is dangerous when used improperly and the studio understands and takes responsibility for their students.

Bryan J Buckner suggests learning to defend yourself by taking police and law enforcement sponsored classes. He feels that pepper spray, stun batons, and tasers should be additional to self-defense courses rather than an alternative to self-defense courses.  I could not a agree more.  A few lessons in self-defense could be a life changing experience.  Martial arts can give you confidence, respect for yourself and others, incredible discipline, and independence from weapons like tasers and pepper spray.  You never have to worry about leaving your training at home or forgetting to put in new batteries to your training.  Once you have learned martial arts it will not leave you and you can be a much safer and much more confident as a person.

Original Site: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-security-articles/the-importance-of-learning-basic-self-defense-1225857.html