Self Defense

Often people ask me about self-defense courses. Personally I don’t like them. In general the people that want to take a self-defense course are looking for a quick answer. The problem is there is no quick answer if you want to be able to defend yourself, especially if the attacker is larger and stronger. You need to develop a skill set and this takes time. You not only need to know the moves but have drilled them enough so that they are effective. The problem with most self-defense courses is that you are learning a very small skill set over a very short period of time.

At the Martial Arts School in Columbia Maryland where I train we teach many different disciplines. I would suggest that anyone who wants to learn how to defend him or herself study a Martial Art. It takes time so be prepared to stick with it. Training is not always fun for everyone but you need to just keep reminding yourself of your goal.

If I had to pick one Martial Art that will help absolutely everyone be able to defend themselves it would with out a doubt be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu takes time to master but once you start becoming proficient you will notice that it is very easy to control someone. I have personally witnessed a 19-year-old girl weighing roughly 115 lbs defeat a man that was nearly 50 lbs heaver then her and she was even not a black belt. Jiu-Jitsu is all about body mechanics. You learn how you can use leverage, off balance your opponent, and move & position yourself to control your opponent. It is also submission based so you do not need to rely on strength or power to knock someone out.

Another advantage in taking Jiu-Jitsu is the live sparring. In striking arts you cannot spar every day for injury reasons and also many people just don’t want to get beat up on. Since there is no striking in Jiu-Jitsu you can safely spar everyday (if you wish). This allows you practice the moves and positions with real scenarios and with real reactions from your opponent. It also allows you to gauge your progress and know how effective it really is. The sparing will also inevitably get into good shape, which can only help you in an actual situation.