Why You Need to Know How to Fight: It's Not a Choice, It's a Responsibility
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by: Matthew.McKernan
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Word Count: 788
Most people try to live their lives without violence or having to fight someone. This is a noble pursuit and if you're able to avoid violence you should always try to do so, but that doesn't mean to abandon the idea of learning to protect yourself. In fact, failure to do so will put you and your loved ones at risk.
On average you deal with rational and calm people. When conflict arises, the majority of the time you can always workout your differences, but what do you do when you're not dealing with the average person or just an average person who has reached a point where they ‘don't care' anymore. What turns a commuter into a raging lunatic? What happens when you're faced by someone who simply wants what you have? You have a choice, comply or fight. You can be as diplomatic as you want, but everyone has a point where enough s enough and the risk is not worth the sacrifice. Everyone has something or someone they value above them self. And when that time comes and you're not even the least prepared, you'll only get hurt. Like the vast majority, you may not like the idea of physical confrontation, but don't let that stop you from being prepared, if only a little.
For those who don't want to be considered violent people there are a number of ready excuses for why they shouldn't learn martial arts to defend themselves. The reason that is almost always at the top of the list is that it is a job for the police. After all police officers are trained and they're armed, and it is their job to risk their lives. Well that all might be true, but even in the most populated areas police response times aren't instantaneous. Even if you're able to call for help it will take time for the police to get there, and during that response time your left at the mercy of a criminal. The police are there to protect and serve, but until help arrives you need to know what to do to stay alive.
Another excuse made by those who don't want to fight is that if you fight you will only make the situation worse by angering your assailant. Well, to put it bluntly, that assumption is dead wrong. Putting your fate in the hands of a sociopath is NEVER a good idea. The truth is that if you know how to fight you will only improve your chances for survival. When you're targeted for attack whether it is rape, robbery, or even murder your attacker has chosen you because they feel they have some kind of advantage over you and get what they want in the quickest way possible. They're counting on the fact that you won't fight back. It is up to you to prove them wrong, and if you know how to fight they'll be the ones in for a surprise. The sooner you start fighting and the harder you make if for them to do what they want to do, and if you fight hard enough you can drive them back and escape. The longer the conflict takes, the greater the criminals exposure and the more likely they will choose to leave to pick another target. Like all predators, criminals look for targets of opportunity. Weaker, smaller targets make for good opportunity.
There are still other people take the moral high road when it comes to using violence in self defense. They think they're as bad as their attacker and violence only creates more violence. Well that simply isn't the case, and you know it. A schoolyard bully won't stop picking on the kids around him until someone stands up to them and that means fighting back in one way or another. Martial arts don't teach you to be violent and aren't inherently evil and aren't practiced by people who enjoy hurting others. On the contrary, martial arts help you to be more calm, confident and aware. The teach you to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Once you understand and have the training and the skill it is up to you to decide how to use your martial arts knowledge, and if you're protecting yourself and those you love you aren't doing anything wrong. No one can tell you what your line in the sand is. That is for you to decide. Whether it's your children, family or a pet, there may come a day where you have to make a decision. And like the old firearms adage says, "I'd rather have it and NOT need it than need it and NOT have it."
About the Author
The Self Defense Company provides Martial Arts and Martial Arts Training using the Self Defense Training System.
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