How do you make sense of a chaotic self defense situation in order to apply the martial arts moves you’ve learned? While some believe that all you need to do is memorize some karate moves, or simply make it up as you go, there is a more successful way to engage an attacker physically. Successful martial arts with a self defense focus is more about strategic thinking, not about specific techniques.
Have you ever wondered how you will know how to fight back effectively when an attacker is coming at you? If you do not learn martial arts with an eye towards self defense, the truth is that you will not be learning effective strategies for real-life situations. This has been described as the “kata” approach, after the memorized movements learned in karate. Although mastery of this predetermined pattern of movements (known as forms) is essential if you want to earn your next belt color in karate class, it leaves much to be desired on the self defense front. While it provides a good structure upon which to build real-world responses, the student does not learn how to “figure out” what to do next.
Another approach to self defense using martial arts, the free-response approach, involves the teaching of various responses and how to use your intuition to know what to do. In this approach, each student develops his or her own way to handle dangerous situations, rather than memorizing pre-set combinations of moves to use regardless of the specific threat. The downfall of this method is that the student is left without the benefit of tried-and-true models of self defense.
Martial arts training for self defense must incorporate both basic moves and strategic methods for using them. Determining the moves to use in a physical altercation must rely not only on intuition, but also on an understanding of how a fight begins, escalates, progresses, and is controlled. By gaining awareness of this overarching structure, you can develop a way to make sense of self defense situations that seem to be chaos. An effective self defense strategy must take into account the four major phases of the attack. These four phases should not be seen as distinct steps. They should flow naturally from each other as you enter, engage, and gain control over the self defense situation.
The first step is to observe a potential assailant. With martial arts experience, you can tell if an assailant seems to be setting up for grabbing, striking, or lunging at you. This stage is about discerning your attacker’s initial strategy with regards to direction and control.
The next stage is to avoid the confrontation. Do not get beaten by your attacker’s first move. During the initial attack, your concern should not be on trying to hurt your attacker as much as avoiding becoming hurt yourself. Dodge or evade strikes, maneuver to regain balance, and neutralize the effects of the initial strike.
Once you have avoided your attacker’s initial attacks, shift your strategy to making it difficult for your attacker to continue. In this phase, begin fighting back with your own strikes and maneuvers, gaining control over the assailant. Finally, take your attacker down. Your attacker must be on the ground in order for you to escape. Use your strongest martial arts techniques and skills to stop the attack. Make sure that the attack has stopped, and then get away to a safe place as quickly as possible.
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