Before we look at any physical elements of self-protection training, we need to acknowledge three key factors. Firstly, a physical response should only be employed as a last resort, if escape is not available or your non-physical options have failed to resolve the issue, leading you to believe that a risk of assault to you is imminent. A lot of factors can influence the decision-making process here and sometimes certain options may not be afforded to you, however, from the moral and ethical perspective of a good civilian you should be striving to avoid, omit and de-escalate as a priority before employing a physical response.

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Secondly, unless you have some form of pre-contact intel, i.e. There is dialogue first, you see an attack coming or you anticipate being attacked for example, then any of your tactics, skills and training can be rendered redundant pretty quickly, as an attack in the form of an ambush can be extremely quick and effective if carried out efficiently. In that scenario there isn’t a physical retaliation option available as it is most likely over before it begins. Of course, if the ambush is unsuccessful, then potentially some form of reactive measures could be employed, but what allows you to pre-empt or counter violence proactively is intel. Intel can present itself in many ways and depending on your personality profile, knowledge, training, experience, current mental state, location and relationship to your would-be assailant the dynamic can change dramatically.

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The last factor to acknowledge is that it doesn’t matter what style, system, martial method or combative format you practice for the purpose of physically defending yourself, if it is not supported by the correct emotional and psychologically preparation to allow you to ‘do it’ when you really need to. This is often referred to as cultivating the necessary ‘mindset’. Some have this naturally; others develop it through education and training, and for some it sits dormant, unbeknown to them and then arrives at the just right time when they face a certain stimulus. Either way, it is one of the most important elements of your self-protection armoury to develop, as your mindset is your overriding belief system of your right not to be violated by anyone. Meaning, if you face violation, it forms your mental preparation to do whatever it takes to go home safe to those you hold dear, which is the epitome of what true self-protection should be.

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It is important that we fully understand this, as the majority of what is offered to the self-protection or self-defence market does not factor this into their teachings.  For the most part, the prospect of experiencing some form of violation can be a very troubling concern and then contemplating actually having to physically fight back can be very difficult to comprehend, especially if we have had no previous experience or training. Conversely, it’s worth acknowledging that a previous experience can also prove a debilitating factor should you find yourself in another situation in the future, although it can also be the fuel for the fire.

 

The majority of us want only for a quiet life without risk of harm coming to us and our loved ones. Whilst that is a more than reasonable expectation from life, it isn’t always realistic, and some form of preparation should be taken in order to reduce chances or increase your options should a problem arise. Many of us walk around thinking ‘it will ever happen to me’ and sadly this mentality that can become our downfall. As humans we take many precautions in life or have insurance policies or guarantees in place to protect certain materialistic things, but for whatever reason, we do not afford the same level of preparation to the ‘protection’ of ourselves, the one thing that’s truly irreplaceable!

 

Violence, or violation can manifest anywhere, at any time and to anyone, but there are many variables that can influence the probability of where it happens and who it happens to. Where you reside in the world will hugely influence the type and frequency of violence you make fall victim to.  So, not to stereotype anywhere or anyone, but think a third world country versus a first world country, a city versus a village or a council estate versus a farming community. Again, violence and its many forms can happen anywhere but there are behavioural patterns and statistics we can observe to suggest the more likely hotspots of these scenarios. Your employment or job type could prove a factor. So Police Officers, Bodyguards or Security Personnel, statistically are more likely to experience violence than let’s say, an ice cream man or landscape gardener.

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Your age and social behaviour will play a part. So, for example, in the west, if we look at the broad age range of 18-30 years old, statistics will show us that, when looking at those most likely to experience social violence, it would be this demographic. The primary reason being that overall, this is the most likely age group to frequent the social settings of clubs, pubs and parties. For this age group their regular exposure to the type of environment where alcohol is served and recreational drugs are available, combined with futile triggers, emotional immaturity and a need to establish some form of ego-based hierarchy sees all the ingredients available for violence to occur on a regular basis.

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Types of relationships, exposure to trauma, mental health, addiction, economic instability, urban poverty, gang culture, terrorism, war etc…. These are more examples of many variables we consider when talking probability, but there are no guarantees. Anyone can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, make a poor decision, mis-judge a situation, get caught in the crossfire or just be plain unlucky.