5 reasons why you should NOT learn Martial Arts for Self-Defense

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:

1. Martial Arts doesn't teach you self-defense.
2. It takes 7-14 years to learn the skill. That’s a pretty long time to invest in!
3. 10-15% of the moves you learn aren't realistic, the rest is stylistic. That means the practicality of this skill is quite low.
4. 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.
5. 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.