Avoid Flashy Kicks For Self Defense
Many martial arts styles incorporate flashy kicks that require the individual to jump or spin when delivering the blow. While these may look really cool and are effective in sport fighting situations in real life they can actually be more dangerous to do and backfire when used as self defense. For that reason it is better to stick with styles and techniques that use simple solid stances that will not throw off your balance to deliver kicks and punches to an attacker. This will prevent them from being able to easily get you on the ground while you are in the middle of a move.
Blend Martial Arts Style For Self Defense
While martial arts can teach some useful fighting techniques as a complete package none of the styles alone is the perfect self defense package. The best way to utilize these forms of fighting for a form of self defense is to mix and match the martial arts moves from each that are effective in street type scenarios. Learning the moves from each form that are more street fighting and less sport fighting will make this a more effective form of self defense. The best way to do this is to find an instructor who has studied several different styles with the purpose of defending yourself in public.
Weapon Use In Martial Arts
The many styles of martial arts can be divided up into groups depending on what types of moves are used when confronting an opponent. Some forms are based more on standing with the use of punches and kicks while others focus on throwing moves that will take a opponent off their feet. Still other martial arts styles focus primarily on grappling and ground fighting or even those which specialize in weapons. Weapons can be effective for self defense but those who choose these forms need to remember that without these weapons on them at all times their skills may not work out for them very good on the street.
Know What Your Techniques Will Do To An Attacker
There is more to self defense than just hitting your attacker once in many cases. Having a good idea of how an attack will be played out will go a long way to helping you use the right moves you learned from a martial arts DVD. It may sound next to impossible to know what your attacker will do after being struck by you but a good instructional video will teach you the resulting movement of a person after that move is done on them. Knowing if they will be staggering or lying on the ground will help you decide what move to perform next in order to keep them from retaliating against you.
It Does Not Take Long To Be Good At Self Defense
Unlike many of the martial arts moves that are seen on television and in the movies that take years of study to learn and master, self defense is actually very easy to learn. Many students are surprised with just how quickly they can learn the basic moves that make it possible for them to fight off an attacker. Self defense is specifically designed to use simple, easy moves that do not require a lot of thought so they can be done in times of stress. Many of these techniques are almost instinctual making the learning curve for self defense a very easy one for everybody.
Using Your Hands For Self Defense
When martial arts come to mind most people often think of showy kicks with big leaps to land kicks to the head of an attacker. While there are martial arts styles that use such kicks, for those wanting to learn martial arts moves for self defense their hands will be their biggest weapons.
Kicks may be effective but for someone protecting themselves from an attack a kick actually opens up a new vulnerability which can backfire on them in their attempts to protect themselves. Kicks place you off balance and can make it easy for an attacker to take someone off their feet where many cannot adequately defend themselves.
For someone needing to protect themselves from an attack their hands are actually their best weapons. Whether used in the form of a classic punch or more advanced techniques such as the spear hand or using the finger middle joint as a weapon your hands can be very effective in thwarting an attack. Also unlike a kick using punches does not throw off your balance since you still get to stand firmly on your feet.
Punches can be effectively on several parts of the body of an attacker to thrown them off and put an end to their attempts to commit the crime against you. Weak points to aim punches at include the throat with the windpipe, the diaphragm, as well as the eyes. By hitting them in key areas to breathing and seeing the attacker will turn their focus onto themselves and these basic needs of life giving you time to get away from the situation to save yourself and report the incident to the police who will hopefully apprehend this criminal place them behind bars where they belong.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Martial Art Form
There are plenty of martial arts styles available to learn for use both as fitness and as a form of self defense, but choosing which one is best for you can be tough. One thing to consider when looking is your age and just what types of injury you are vulnerable to. Some martial arts moves are not easy to do once you get older or for those who have past injuries restricting their movements. A punch or kick will not be effective if you cannot do it or if you get injured in the process of using it.