Six Main Principles of Self-Defense Training

There are many styles claiming to be reality based systems of self-defense. You can do a quick search on YouTube or the web to see plenty of examples of various disciplines claiming to be the best at preparing you to defend yourself and love ones against violent attacks. The question is how do you tell which style is best suited for self-defense and what makes one style better than the next? To answer these questions we have to address the main principles of any true self-defense training. If your training addresses these six main principles then the style you are learning will do well to prepare you to confront violence in the real world.

1. Ease of execution
   • Fancy moves and complicated motions have no place in any self-defense training. The more complex the action, the more likely it is to fall apart when faced with the stress of a real self-defense altercation. Rather, training should focus on simple and basic movements that take little time to execute and are less prone to “operator errors”. So if you are being taught flying arm bars and spinning jumping back kicks as a major staple of your self-defense training, you probably should reconsider your training.
   • On a side note, ease of execution doesn’t mean that the student should expect to invest little time into his or her training.   Even the simple things take time to perfect and require practice to reinforce and hone in the skills. So constant practice is still required.
2. Faster is better
   • This principle relates to the previous point. Simpler actions should take less time to execute then intricate motions. In a self-defense scenario the mindset should be to defend and immediately attack the attacker. The faster we hurt them, the less they hurt us. Fractions of a second matter in a life or death struggle, so complex submissions that require longer to execute should be encouraged less in training then straightforward punches, kicks, knees, elbows, hammer fists, and other strikes to vulnerable targets that immediately inflict damage to the aggressor.
3. Prepare for the unknown
   • The ultimate goal is to expect the unexpected. Or better yet, the training should account for the unexpected. Given that we cannot account for all uncertainties, there are a few essential stipulations the training should take into consideration to best prepare students to deal with the unknown.
     • Given that an attack may happen when you least expect it, students should be taught to operate from any position: sitting, lying, standing, in confined spaces, etc.
     • Students should always be taught to scan for other dangers at the end of any technique to avoid being ambushed by another attacker.
     • Reliance on strength alone should be discouraged when training to defend yourself. The assumption needs to be made that the attacker can be stronger or bigger then you, and trying to aggressively muscle your way to safety can cause more harm than good. Therefore students should be taught to create angles when defending, otherwise known as clearing the channel, to be least exposed to subsequent attacks, hidden weapons and other possible dangers.
     • Training should discourage students from taking the fight unnecessarily to the ground. Movement on the ground is quite limited, which greatly diminishes any chances of successfully escaping, plus it makes you an easier target for multiple attackers and makes you more exposed to attacks with various weapons.
     • Training should include defending against multiple attackers. Although the chances of successfully fighting off multiple opponents is generally lower then fighting a single person, the training needs to include these scenarios to improve the odds of success.

4. Systematic training is better than a collection of vast amount of disjointed techniques
   • Techniques are a starting point to learning self-defense. But a true self-defense discipline should be a system interconnected and interdependent principles and movements that if taught correctly build upon each other. This systematic training of self-defense allows students the ability to better understand and internalize the techniques and the nuances behind them, rather than simply relying on rote memorization which can fall apart under conditions of severe stress.
5. Stress training and sparring is a must
   • Nothing in a real struggle ever goes as smoothly as planned. Therefore training should include elements of dealing with and overcoming struggle, fatigue, fear and other obstacles that hinder the student’s ability to successfully perform a technique.
   • Students should be reminded that proper execution of technique is not the ultimate goal in any self-defense training, rather it is successful escape from harm. The technique is simply a gateway to reaching that goal. If the initial technique was unsuccessful or a mistake was made in its execution, students must be taught to avoid freezing or stopping, and continue fighting until they have successfully defended themselves and escaped as needed.
   • Because fighting is crucial to overcoming obstacles, striking and sparring must be a regular component of any self-defense training in order to get students accustomed to contact and fighting.
6. Avoid the fight when possible
   • This principle is often overlooked in training. But often the best way to avoid injury is to avoid the conflict in the first place. Of course not always is it possible to simply run away or walk away from a confrontation, but deescalating measures must be taught to students and students should be encouraged to use their best judgement as to when to fight and when to not. As an example, defenses against weapon threats should be taught in conjunction with compliance with the attacker’s demands, whenever the attacker is demanding things of monetary value and can be easily parted with without suffering bodily harm in the process.