BEFORE I BEGIN (DISCLAIMER):
Let me tell you that I am not comfortable discussing this topic. I do hope the available information in this post will be useful and educational. In no way do I condone or advocate any sort of violence. The information presented here is for educational purposes.Usually, a topic like this requires some resources in case readers are interested. In this initial post, however, I am not including any resources to self-defense because I mostly intended this to be a general digest and commentary regarding self-defense. I may add some resources in the future if I feel this post gets enough attention from the general public-at-large.
--- Self-Defense at a Glance ---
Let me begin with something I rarely do- quote a movie. And I quote..."...when I was growing up, (puts up fists) this was all the protection we needed. You win some, you lose some. But you live... you live to fight another day. Now you think you a man with that gun in your hand, don't you?"
-(a scene from the movie "Friday")
Self-defense is best described as one's ability to defend himself/herself from certain threats. The methods involved can range from hand-to-hand combat to the use of certain deadly weapons. No one person actually enjoys violence. There will be some times where as much as we don't want to fight, there are times where we eventually will have to fight. Why do so? The main reason is because someone is being targeted; and in an effort to protect ourselves, we have to learn to look after ourselves.
Learning self-defense is something everyone ranging from children to adults, males and females can learn and master. Basic self-defense involves hand-to-hand combat with methods like attacks and throws. A good non-lethal way of defense is in carrying mace spray. More extreme cases involve the use of concealed weapons- namely guns and knives. Self-defense isn't exclusively about proving your toughness by randomly attacking anyone. It is instead about being able to defend yourself without the assistance of others. Self-defense isn't pretty, but it is surely what has to be done for you to defend yourself.
--- Why Learn Self-Defense? ---
Why should one learn and utilize methods of self-defense? Well, nothing builds confidence in someone like the ability to protect oneself without the assistance of somebody else. There may be a person who may come around and help people who may be threatened by attackers. However, what if there is no one around to help you? You have to learn and apply methods to defend yourself when no one else is around. No matter how much you may cry for help, you may just have to take matters into your own hands- even if it results in getting injured or killed. In other words, even if someone is with you, pretend you are alone in the face of danger. How do you defend yourself? You may or may not have someone around to help you when in danger, so can you take care of yourself in the face of an attacker? It is important to try to find ways to protect yourself if in the face of danger from an attacker.Learning self-defense sometimes exposes certain things or focuses on certain deficiencies. For example, there are various clinics and seminars for women to learn how to defend themselves.
--- Methods of Self-Defense ---
This picture sets the mood for this post:
^ from: belfast.olx.co.uk (best I could find) - Can you defend yourself if threatened by an attacker? You can find a number of ways to defend yourself, including (in this example) hand-to-hand combat.
One of the best methods of self-defense is in hand-to-hand combat. I think this is the best method because it involves you being able to defend yourself on instinct rather than having any sort of weapon. Defending yourself may mean you use the environment around you to assist you in taking down any threat(s) immediately around you. You may rely on attacking certain weak points (such as one's groin) of someone to quickly take down somebody.
Non-Lethal Self-Defense.
When one isn't able enough physically to defend oneself, one method of self-defense is to have pepper spray on hand. Pepper spray is usually used to spray into the eyes of an attacker. The spray will blind the attacker. This could either buy the would-be victim time to either continually attack the attacker or evade the attacker. Another method is the use of tazers or stun guns.Lethal Self-Defense.
Now for the part of self-defense I am personally uncomfortable discussing- lethal weapons. Sometimes, the best method of going against attackers (especially violent ones), is to use lethal weapons. The most common of which are guns and knives. Self-defense with a knife involves being able to quickly avert a violent attacker by quickly subduing the threat quick a timely stab or slash against the attacker. Some people carry guns to defend themselves when faced with an attacker. Firing some shots will provide immense protection against real violent attackers.The use of lethal weapons- especially guns, and especially in self-defense- has been subject to loads of controversy. Namely, the issues of gun control and self-defense. In recent history, there was the case involving George Zimmerman shooting and killing a teenager named Trayvon Martin. The controversial court case led to the ruling of George Zimmerman deemed not guilty, saying that this was done in self-defense. This ruling sparked outrage among many people when many people wanted justice for Trayvon Martin's death.
Another aspect of self-defense and lethal weapons is on gun control. Should you carry a gun to defend yourself? Are you going to actually use the gun to protect yourself from attackers? This is just another issue of the controversial and discomforting side of self-defense.
Other Methods of Self-Defense.
Animals often are used for self-defense. Law enforcement and some civilians have dogs trained to attack certain attackers or intruders. Such animals defend others from harm.Animals as self-defense was really the only thing to come to mind for me with this section.
No matter what, self-defense is very much a varied and expansive issue.
--- Self-Defense: Final Thoughts ---
Learning some method(s) of self-defense is a valuable way to stay safe and be well. There may come times where you have to rely on you and your instincts to avert danger from any attackers. Danger can come at any moment, at any time, anywhere. How will you defend yourself? Can you defend yourself? Even at some of the most sketchy moments, you care more about trying to defend yourself at the expense of some attacker or would-be attacker. You can care less most of the time about who exactly the person is that you are defending yourself from. All you care about is living to see tomorrow at the expense of some attacker.Self-defense, while a valuable concept to our own personal well-being, can be very controversial. What qualifies as self-defense? When does self-defense reach controversial and vaguely-defined limits? Self-defense is something to practice to help protect ourselves in the face of danger from attackers. Most people don't enjoy violence or having to fight; but if faced with a situation where our own well-being is threatened, we need to learn ways to defend ourselves. Think of self-defense as a tool or a technique to use in case of emergency. Just knowing you have something just in case you need to use it is always assuring and helpful. Even more so when you're able to utilize those skills in a tight situation.
I do not condone or endorse physical violence or the use of lethal weapons. However, there are times where these are the best ways to protect ourselves and ensure our safety. It's sort of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Just the sad-but-true aspect of the society we live in.
Cross-Promotion/Other Reading.
I've done a lot of blogging here on "John's Blog Space!" Don't believe me? Look at these older posts with related topics:"Gun Control" (John's Blog Space)
^ The difficult topic of gun control is featured in this post. I made mention of guns as a form of self-defense. So take a look at this topic for my thoughts regarding gun control.
"Domestic Violence" (John's Blog Space)
^ An equally difficult topic relates to violence among lovers. Some couples inflict physical violence out of self-defense. So I am including this topic to discuss domestic violence. This topic includes resources in case you need any resources to help you deal with domestic disputes.
That concludes this blog post.
--- Self-Defense: Resources ---
This initial blog post does not feature any real resources regarding self-defense. However, I may include some material you can visit in case you found this blog post helpful.Self Defense: How Do I Get Started?
You could start by finding some online resources or some local services featuring self-defense classes and seminars. You can search online for various websites where you can learn how to defend yourself. Martial arts locations and such could educate you on defending yourself using hand-to-hand combat and even in using weapons. There are programs for children to adults, males and females, even material for those who are disabled or have some certain limitations. You need to find ways to defend yourself and learn methods to defend yourself. Whatever resources you can get your hands on, learn and master self-defense methods and mechanisms.What are your thoughts concerning self-defense? What do you think people need to know about self-defense? Share your thoughts here in my blog post. Thank you for reading!
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3 comments:
You are right!!
and I had some training of karate and sword manners
as I was a teenager.
Of course, I don't want to use the techniques
but you know...just in case.
http://fetish-tokyo.blogspot.com/
Great post John, I love to read your article and always impressed with your writing skills <3
that's very interesting. I've spent half of my live with material arts (even wanted to work as a coach but couldn't due to trauma) and had to defend myself several times as well. I think it's a must for everyone.
Lyosha
Inside and Outside Blog
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