There are many different aspects of self defense, including everything from weapons, to striking, to clinching, to wrestling on the ground.
But there’s one particular aspect to protecting yourself that’s hands down more important than all the rest combined…
It’s not your striking.
You might have a killer sidekick, but if someone bum rushes you in a phone booth then you’ll never manage to launch your best weapon…
It’s not your grappling.
You might have a deadly triangle choke from guard, but if someone standing in your blind spot KOs you with a sucker punch then all the grappling prowess in the world isn’t going to help you…
It’s not your toughness.
Grit doesn’t help you much when a mentally unstable person runs back to his car, pulls a handgun out of the glove compartment and starts blazing away…
And it’s not your skill with weapons.
You might be able to whip those kali sticks around like nobody’s business, but you’re still vultnerable to getting clubbed in the back of the head with a lead pipe when you’re bent over putting groceries in the trunk of your car.
So then what’s the common denominator to avoiding all these terrible situations?
IT’S AWARENESS!
It is just so much easier to see a situation coming and come up a plan to deal with that situation than it is to get blindsided by something you didn’t expect and then have to play catch up.
Article: Why the most biggest thing keeping you safe on a day to day basis ISN’T your flying side kick! https://t.co/wxyDGc2OZc #selfdefense
— SelfDefenseTutorials (@SelfDefenseTut) January 23, 2017
It’s awareness, not your ability to defeat sparring partners in the dojo, that prevents you from getting surrounded by a group of young punks intent on relieving you of your wallet…
It’s awareness that makes you realise you’ve wandered into a bad neighbourhood and turn around before anything bad happens…
It’s awareness that gives you a heads up when someone is trying to invade your personal space, allowing you enough time to back up and verbally put him on notice that you’ve spotted him…
And it’s awareness that makes you to notice someone sneaking up behind you, allowing you to cut him in half with a backwards mule kick before he gets too close.
Here’s the thing about awareness: many people think you’re either born with it or not.
But I’ve got some good news for you…
Awareness is your #1 defense- and it’s a skill you can and should train! #selfdefense #streetfighter #martialarts https://t.co/wxyDGc2OZc
— SelfDefenseTutorials (@SelfDefenseTut) January 24, 2017
Awareness is actually a developed skill!
You can train it and improve it, just like you do with your punches, kicks and chokes.
On this site we discuss some of the actual physical techniques you can use in self defense situations. But we’ll also be discussing cerebral aspect of self defense, covering things like awareness, body language, and self defense mindset.
And – more importantly – we’ll show you actual tips, drills and strategies for developing this mental part of the game.
Being alert to impending dangers isn’t as sexy as knocking someone out with a spinning wheel kick, if I had to choose between awareness and a killer kick then I would choose awareness every time.
Stay alert my friends!
Stephan Kesting
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