5 reasons why you should NOT learn Martial Arts for Self-Defense
Apr 23, 2022
Whenever we talk about self-defense, the first thing that comes to our mind is our ability to put up a fight. Well, self-defense is A LOT more than that! It’s about being able to:
- think proactively.
- stay out of situations that could lead to possible conflicts.
- de-escalate in times of conflict.
- say NO when terms are unfavourable.
- physically protect yourself from violent people.
People generally confuse learning self-defense with learning Martial Arts. Martial Arts will teach you how to be combative. However, to improvise your self-worth, self-confidence, and to feel empowered and fulfilled you MUST join a training program that works on the aforementioned concepts.
On the other hand, you should not learn Martial Arts for the following reasons:
- Martial Arts doesn't teach you self-defense.
- It takes 7-14 years to learn the skill. That’s a pretty long time to invest in!
- 10-15% of the moves you learn aren't realistic, the rest is stylistic. That means the practicality of this skill is quite low.
- Martial arts moves are too complicated. It takes less than 3 seconds for someone to attack. Hence, the reaction time is next to nothing, to recall the complicated moves.
- It doesn't teach you the non-combative skills necessary to resolve a conflict.
Martial arts requires one to follow a set of rules and instructions; thus making them conventional or traditional thinkers which is a BIG hindrance in adopting new things, and making a progress. To be able to learn proactive approaches for self-defense, one should be flexible and adaptive.
So next time when you think of self-defense, remember it’s not ALWAYS about being combative. Your mental well-being should be the first and last step of an effective self-defense training program.