self defence,Kapapbristol and the SDF bring you modern day self protection

Self defence is not a martial art allthough is does incorparate aspects of the martial arts just as most martial arts incorparate some aspects of self defence.The general misconception is that self defence is all about a physical response but that ignores the many stages leading up to a violent encounter.Soft skills is the name giving to the non-violent responses such as awareness,avoidance,de-escalation,posturing,body language and many other skills that can and should be employed before confrontation.We as decent human beings have both a legal and a moral obligation as to what is accecptable and bearing in mind the current laws of the land regarding reasonable force we should always try to avoid and escape before anything else.
Sometimes none of these things are relevent as the situation has allready escalated to the point of physical response.In these situations the emphasis is on survival and escape,reacting quickly and with purpose to stop the threat.
Consider a few basic scenarios,these things happen often up and down the country and are far to frequent to ignore.
You are at a cashpoint withdrawing money when you are surrounded by three or four guys in hoodies.What do you do?
While walking home from work,a guy starts making suggestive statements and following you down the road.What do you do?
While walking arm in arm with your wife/husband after a romantic meal out you feel a sudden pain in the side of your head and fall to the ground.You have been struck from behind and are now surrounded by a group of drunken teenagers all shouting and trying to kick you.What do you do?
I havent put any of this in to scare people,but its important to be aware of what could and sometimes does happen to people.If you do not train things like surprise attacks,weapons attacks,multiple aggressors,aggression drills ect then you are not preparing yourself for the ugly sudden reality of violence.Two men squaring up outside in the carpark and then shaking hands afterwards is outdated and unrealistic.It takes courage to do that and most would be attackers dont look for an equal,they look for a victim.

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This is an article written by me on the subject of martial arts and self defence for the Tutor Pages.

This is such a wide and varied topic that has so many applications and different styles from all corners of the planet.It would be difficult to answer all the questions that arise but i shall try and answer a few key points.
Some people say martial arts started in India,some say they were born in China.All we do know is that as long as the human race has existed it has been fighting for its survival.And what are martial arts?They are a study in fighting skills and adjusting the mind and body to become weapons in times of need,so for that reason i'm sure that in one form or another martial arts has always been with us.
But the study of martial arts is so much more than just fighting,when persued correctly it can help build a better person in so many ways.It teaches respect,humility,self confidence,determination and so much more.
What is self defence?This is probably the most important thing when discussing our safety and the safety of our loved ones.Is it a martial art?Learning how to fight?Or is it learning how to deal with confrontation through verbal dissuassion and avoidance,or even making yourself a hard target and not giving off that 'victim vibe'.Self defence is actually a mixture of all these things and more,it is a mixture of whatever skills you need to use at the time to keep you safe.Most martial arts only concentrate on the physical response and i liken this to teaching your children about road safety.It makes far more sense to teach children how to cross the road by giving them the necessary skills which we call the green cross code than it does to just teach them how to deal with an accident.
The law states that we are allowed to use reasonable force but defining what is 'reasonable' six months on in the cold light of a courtroom is a difficult thing.The problem lies in the fact that the word reasonable is open to interpretation.I cannot give you a definative answer here as even the legal experts seem to disagree but what is excepted is that in the eyes of the law you are entitled to protect yourself from harm.This means that you can use the level of force required to stop the threat including pre-emptive striking(hitting first),but the emphasis should always be on escape.If you had knocked your attacker to the ground and then started kicking him as an example,that would not be considered reasonable as the threat would be deemed to be over,so kicking him while he is on the floor would be considered unreasonable.Only you can decide what is reasonable at any given time because different situations will require different responses.

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As an example you are walking through the park on your way home from work,a scruffy looking guy approaches you and then asks for the time.He's very nervous and his eyes are darting from side to side,he then reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a knife.Do you fight him?Run away?Give him your money and phone?Before you answer lets change it a little,this time you are still in the park but you are strolling with your 18 month old child in a buggy or with an elderly relative.It's not so easy to make a choice and we won't always be alone,in the peak of health on a flat well lit surface.Remember that in most cases these people are looking for a 'victim' and have targeted you because they perceive you as weaker than they are.They will have chosen you for a reason and they will have surprise and usually numbers and/or weapons on there side.
So what can we do to make ourselves safer?One of the basic lessons in self defence are the three A's.Awareness,Avoidance,Action.
AWARENESS.Not only does this include recognising signals and information about potential danger to you,it also includes your contribution to it.If you know you are going to a 'rough' area,a 'rough' pub or the ATM etc,then its time to be more aware than usual.Often there is a kind of assumption that it can't happen to me,well it can.But this does'nt mean being paranoid,just more aware of what is going on around you.
AVOIDANCE.This involves taking steps to try and extract yourself from possible,potential and imminent danger.If you are walking down the street and you see a gang of youths drinking and being noisy,then cross over or take a different route.They may not cause you any trouble but why take the risk?
ACTION.This does'nt always mean a physical response,but the action you take before it becomes physical,such as using the 'fence'.This is a way of controlling the space and distance between you and your aggressor.'Verbal dissuassion' or 'power talking'.Simply put this is a tool to try and end the situation before it becomes physical.By being firm and assertive there is a chance that they will decide that you are not worth it and move on to find an easier 'victim'.If the situation has escalated to the point where it has become physical then you must respond with 100% until the threat has passed.It has been proven in many case studies that you are more likely to be hurt by being passive than by fighting back.Remember only you can decide what is the right course of action at any given time.
There are many things you can do on a daily basis to make yourself safer and less of a target,and most of them require little or no effort.Some simple steps would be to limit your alcohol intake and if you do drink a little more than usual make sure there is a sober member of the group to look out for everybody.Don't take that shortcut home through the unlit alleyway,better to stay with with the main road and arrive a few minutes later.Keep valuable items out of view,you may feel safer talking on your mobile while walking alone but why let people know you have valuable items with you.

This article is for referance only.If you have any legal questions regarding self defence you should consult a legal expert.