Self defense will provide you with more or less techniques that will help you deal with as many situations as possible. All in all, it depends on the club and the style of self defense it promotes.
No doubt that the martial arts and the imaginary associated with it lead many people to think that technique is the most important thing in teaching and that perfection means efficiency.
That’s not true! The outcome of a conflict does not only depend on the technique you master, the decisive factor is rather the assimilation of more fundamental concepts, and ESPECIALLY the ability to analyze the situation and act accordingly.
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Technique VS Concepts
In a previous article we discussed why concepts are more important than techniques in self defense, hence we won’t dwell on the issue any further.
As a reminder, self defense techniques refer to a precise gesture, executed to counter an attack. This is what you practice at the gym in the framework of a pre-established scenario with two or more training partners.
Self defense techniques are meant to be as simple as possible, without any frills. The idea is to be able to assimilate these techniques as quickly and efficiently as possible. In other words, you must avoid complex movements which you will never remember when you’re stressed out.
The technical aspect of self defense is therefore the opposite of that which can be found in martial arts, for instance, where relatively complex techniques are developed.
These martial techniques are an excellent training for both the body and the mind, but unrealistic they would never be applied in real life.
However, although self defense techniques are quite refined, it is important to focus on the concepts. Indeed, they are the most likely to survive under stress as they are the most instinctive form of the techniques.
As an example, if your opponent arms a hook, instead of thinking of the technical steps to fight back, you’d better think about how to protect yourself effectively and as quickly as possible, with a cover for example.
Remember that you have to act without thinking too much.
Once the concepts are fully assimilated, it becomes easier and much more natural to assimilate the techniques that are a little more advanced.
But still there are situations in which placing a technique can be risky, too risky to be worthwhile. That’s the case when your aggressor is holding a knife to your throat.
Wait until the situation evolves
In such a situation where you are hold hostage, trying to run from the outset is suicide since the perpetrator can slit your throat at the first hint of opposition.
This situation is only an example to illustrate a reality you have to be aware of: depending on the situation, it may be better not to act than to try something that can cost your life!
This is the case in situations where the risk of dying outweighs the chance of surviving if you try to fight back.
When you are held hostage, the attacker does not only want to finish you off, he is also focused on the other victims, the surroundings and the loopholes.
In such a scenario, knowing how to control yourself and remain lucid would make a difference as the situation is bound to shift at any moment. Indeed, the assailant and the hostage won’t remain static forever. It is highly probable that the assailant will make hand gestures in the direction of other individuals to show his intentions, hopefully with his armed arm.
Seize the right opportunity to act
It is at this particular moment that you need to be able to assess the situation and identify whether or not it is evolving in a way that allows you to intervene, or not. This is extremely difficult for a hostage who is completely stressed out.
Let’s consider that the aggressor removes his arm, it is still necessary to know if it is his armed wing or not!
If it is not his armed wing, the knife is still hanging over your throat. Did he release his arm to tighten his grip, or was it to wave to someone else? In the first case, attempting a disarmament may be fatal. In the second case the opportunity may be appropriate since he is focusing on something else.
If he releases the pressure for a second and pulls his knife back a few centimeters, it’s the right moment for you to act!
It’s the key concept of self defense, to know how to use the “right technique” at the “right moment”.
- The right technique will allow you to escape from a dangerous situation in the shortest possible time while taking minimum risk and being as efficient as possible.
- The right moment is the time that is favorable enough to let you execute the “right technique” without losing your life.
