MARTIAL ARTS Training: More Than Just Self-Defense

Photo  by The Library of Congress

According to the FBI, four women die every day as a result of domestic violence and about 130,000 women report that they’ve been victims of rape or attempted rape annually.  Because of statistics like this, many women enroll in self-defense classes to learn the skills they need to defend themselves.  

The thing is, a short-term self-defense class may not address all of the areas you need to be able to fully defend yourself.  While martial arts classes won’t specifically train you for combat and fighting, they will give you the ability to defend yourself if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to practice self-defense.  The best part is that this self-defense isn’t always physical.  What most people don’t know is that in a good martial arts class you’ll learn a variety of skills to help you gain the awareness, peace and physical conditioning you need to be a stronger person, in all aspects of your life.

Confidence.  All the physical defense skills in the world won’t help if you don’t have the confidence needed to use them.  That’s the beauty of martial arts training.  In order to successfully train a martial art, you need to have your mind and body in tune with one another.  This self-awareness gives you the confidence you need to control and defend yourself if needed.  You’ll be able to handle everyday and extraordinary situations without losing your temper.  You’ll be able to stand your ground.  You’ll appear to be (and will be) more confident – and people who appear to be confident are less likely to be the victims of violence because they don’t look like “easy targets”.

Focus and Awareness.  While training martial arts, you need to focus and concentrate on what you are doing so that you don’t injure yourself or those around you.  This focus and concentration carry over into other aspects of your life as well.  Soon, you’ll find yourself better able to concentrate on work, school, and home.  You’ll even find yourself being more aware of your surroundings which can help you avoid potentially harmful or violent situations.

Peace.  Training martial arts will also give you an inner peace that can change your life.  First of all, to effectively train martial arts, your workout will always be changing. You’ll never get bored with your workout because it will always be challenging to your abilities (both physical and mental).  In addition to that, training martial arts is a great stress reducer.  You probably already know that regular physical exercise can reduce physical stress, but what you don’t know is that martial arts go one step further to reduce emotional stress as well.  Activities such as martial arts that require you concentrate on your movements and your core strength can give you full stress relief in one activity.

Strength and Conditioning.  When you train martial arts, you use your entire body.  You cannot use just one muscle set at a time.  The exercises are always changing and evolving to give you the maximum out of each training session.  Martial arts also increase your flexibility which is great because people who are flexible suffer fewer injuries, have better posture and are better able to relax their muscles.

Also, please see our web pages at www.kungfutemple.com and www.martialarts-instruction.com

Sincerely,

Robert Jones

Master Instructor

6th Degree Black Belt

Owner, the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts

---

---

10 Common-sense SELF DEFENSE Tips For Men

For more than 30 years I have been running specialized self defence courses and seminars. Over that time I have shown thousands of people how to protect and look after themselves.

Increasing personal safety ALWAYS commences with awareness.

Since most men may be attacked in almost any situation and for a wide-ranging variety of reasons I offer the following advice.

Here is a list of ten simple things that you can do immediately that will increase your safety:

1 - Most men get involved in physical trouble as a result of saying something rude, offensive, tactless, stupid or hurtful. Controlling what comes out of your mouth can keep it in good shape. Think before you speak.

2 - If a fight breaks out in a bar - leave immediately. Go before all the drunks and brawlers start swinging chairs, bottles, glasses and punches. A "free for all" usually starts with just two protagonists. Innocent bystanders often get hit. Those who leave all the fools to bash each other do not.

3 - NEVER attempt to mediate an argument between a man and a woman. Both will cease arguing or fighting with each other and turn on you - the common enemy. If you fear for the woman's safety, call the police.

4 - Understand that many people these days have a cocktail of drugs and booze in their veins. It makes them argumentative, aggressive and "Mike Tyson-esque." Avoid people who are "off the planet." Even a casual glance at them can set them off. Leave them with their own demons.

5 - Don't make the fatal mistake of thinking that ANYBODY fights "fair" any more. Those days are over - they have been since the John Wayne era! Expect multiple attackers, weapons, possibly both.

6 - The cemeteries are full of dead heroes. Don't add to their number. Run if you can. There is no shame in avoiding a fight. In fact, running away is smart.

7 - Recognize objects in every room of your home that could be used as makeshift weapons. Home invasion is a growing curse these days due to the unwillingness of our governments to protect their citizens.

8 - THIS IS MORE OF A LEGAL WARNING: Understand that if you allow yourself to be placed in a "compromising" position with a woman, particularly one who is "under-age," then the woman's version of events will usually be believed over the man's version. Do not allow yourself to get into such situations.

9 - Negotiation is a far higher art form than physical confrontation. Do anything reasonable to avoid a fight. NOTHING good ever comes out of conflict. War is proof of that.

10 - When all else fails, your back is to the wall and there is absolutely no other alternative left remember... "it is better to be tried by twelve than carried by six."

Remember my opening words - "increasing personal safety ALWAYS commences with awareness." Increase your awareness, mind your manners, know your surroundings and you will certainly improve your safety.

---

---

10 Powerful SELF DEFENSE Tips For Women

In the USA, every two minutes a woman is being raped.

A 1993 survey revealed that 50% of Canadian women have experienced an incident of sexual assault or physical violence.

In Australia, 19% of women aged 18 to 24 experienced an act of violence in the last year.

Statistics show that one in very four women in America will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

These are SHOCKING statistics!

For more than 30 years I have been running specialized self defence courses and seminars. Over that time I have shown thousands of people how to protect and look after themselves.

Increasing personal safety ALWAYS commences with awareness.

Since most women fear attacks of a sexual nature more than anything else most of my quick tips are geared towards that.

If you are a woman, here is a list of ten simple things that you can do immediately that will increase your safety:

1 - Do not wear revealing clothing in public places. Doing so will ensure that you attract plenty of attention, including attention from those people with evil intent. Be discrete and leave provocative wear to those times when you can enjoy the intimacy of your partner.

2 - Trust your instincts. Women are very intuitive. If you think a situation might be dangerous then it probably is. That little guardian angel should be trusted rather than ignored.

3 - Rape and other sexual assault is always increasing. In the event of the worst outcome use your fingernails to gouge your attacker's cheek. It marks him for identification and you will have DNA under your nails.

4 - Drive your motor vehicle in a courteous manner. Nobody appreciates rude hand signs. Remember - eventually you have to stop, even if it is to refuel. Psycho cases might follow you for many miles "just to teach you a lesson" - all because you made yourself a target to their twisted minds.

5 - Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, taking mind altering drugs and leaving ANY food or drink unattended where it may be tampered with is a recipe for disaster. Give your self an even chance.

6 - NEVER pick up hitch-hikers and ABSOLUTELY NEVER hitch-hike yourself.

7 - If you live alone make sure that all your mail is addressed by just your first initial followed by your surname. Never allow mail to be addressed to you with salutations like Miss, Mrs, Ms or with your christian or given name. Those letters and parcels pass many eyes before they get to you. Change them. Make them nondescript as to your sex and marital status. Why allow anybody even one extra shred of information about you?

8 - NEVER walk alone at night or at any time in isolated areas. Predators love these locations. Avoid them.

9 - Many sexual acts are committed by people who the victims knew - or, at least, thought they knew! Be friendly and polite by all means but be vigilant for tell-tale signs of "strange" behavior. Do NOT flirt. Be firm about any unwanted attention, particularly in the work place.

10 - Sexual attack is usually preceded by some visual sign, which is usually preceded by some verbal approach before the physical action. Recognize the sequence: the look - the talk - the attack.

Please feel free to distribute this safety list to every woman you care for. 

There are so many predators out there. Let's help our women to PROTECT themselves! Don't let somebody YOU know become the next victim.

---

---