Self defense includes a number of techniques and although there are fewer than in martial arts which count many techniques in general, these are very concrete to ensure maximum efficiency and minimum risks.
That being said, having a realistic discourse means addressing a key component: the context of the aggression as well as the context of the counterattack. Here are a few explanations:
Table of Contents
The notion of context
As I’ve already explained in previous articles, most of the time, an aggression is particularly chaotic and it can happen in an infinite number of ways. Indeed, there are as many ways of attacking or being attacked as there are individuals, although certain typical patterns emerge.
It is on these common patterns that self defense disciplines are based, offering a range of techniques that can be used in most situations, but no in all cases.
And yet, one particular element is extremely difficult for any practitioner to master: context. As each aggression has its own element of hazard, of unknown factors (a visual nuisance, an obstacle on the runway, a slippery ground, etc.), the context can vary from one aggression to another and unable you to use certain techniques. This is precisely why there are no certainties in self defense!
Although counterattacks are designed to be adapted to most configurations, you must keep this in mind. This requires increased vigilance, being aware of your environment, etc. in order to be able to improvise.
That being said, improvisation can be practiced during training sessions, and to a lesser extent you can familiarize yourself to different contexts through thematic role-playing.
Nevertheless, this work often proves difficult for trainees. Indeed, most of them do not manage to commit themselves sufficiently to role-playing. And above all, no effort can reproduce the random nature of an attack, which is why it is almost impossible to master.
However, improvisation exercises remain fundamental and represent an indispensable tool that any good practitioner must use. It is therefore essential to sharpen one’s reflexes and to work on as many situations as possible during training sessions using what you have to hand.
“In the dojo everything is fine, in the street everything is upside down”
Comfort and safety in the dojo can mislead any practitioner about his ability to react in a real situation. This is a natural reaction, so it is important to set the record straight and to remind everyone, both the coach and his trainees, that no one is safe from a setback.
In addition to the elements described above, you can add stress, fear, the unknown, and other factors you can hardly anticipate. Only people who are used to these contentious situations can adapt over time (policemen, soldiers, security guards, etc.), but this requires work over the medium and long term.
And because we train in relative comfort (we don’t risk our lives on the tatami), paradoxically, the danger lies in the risk of gradually disconnecting from this reality (and in the worst case considering training as a game).
One can easily forget that a successful riposte is determined by many factors, including the timing of the technique (using the right technique at the right moment), balance (under tunnel effect, motor skills are altered), physical integrity (did you receive a blow? If so, how bad is the damage? Are you still able to fully use your body, or did the blow incapacitate you?) etc.
Coupled with randomness, you will understand as we said previously that “In the dojo everything is fine, in the street everything is upside down”.
To be meditated on for a while!
