WHEN YOU DON'T FOLLOW YOUR PERSONAL DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR

Alexandre Breck

How many situations of violence or danger have you experienced in your life? Aggression, robbery, home invasion, street fights, shootouts, etc.
I hope you haven't experienced any. If you've been through one, it's within the norm; two or more, your habits should be reconsidered. Personal defense instructors should have also experienced one or two situations of violence. However, these personal defense instructors study through the theory of personal defense, practice, and analyze violent situations to be prepared in case one occurs or to teach their students how to act if they find themselves in a violent situation. To react in the best possible way.
It is evident that these personal defense instructors will have more theoretical experience than practical. Therefore, the student has the responsibility to analyze each teaching of these instructors instead of blindly accepting everything the instructor teaches, without questioning whether a certain technique works or not in an armed or unarmed violent environment. This student should not blindly follow their personal defense instructor.
Personal defense training serves to provide security to the practitioner in a violent situation. For this, it is necessary to learn some safety protocols, analyze violent situations that have occurred to others, and analyze the instructor's perspective regarding the practitioner. This includes analyzing how the student dresses, where they reside, who their friends are, and the places the student frequents, as well as if the student has a family, etc. All of this should be considered in preparing a personal defense teaching plan for the student.
It's not enough to have taken a security course, worked in the police, or hold a black belt in a super self-defense method. None of these cover all the violent situations that may occur to an individual. And without an active, dedicated, and interested participant, it's pointless.
There are principles in personal defense that must be observed, such as perimeter analysis, attention, and reaction to a violent situation, whether armed or not. However, a personal defense method that is not realistic can be useless for your safety and your reality.
For example, personal defense techniques created for the armed forces of a country will not be suitable for the reality of street violence. They work in a war environment. You can't compare your reality with that of a soldier who is physically and mentally prepared for an extreme violent situation.
In war, a soldier is authorized to kill their aggressor. The soldier will be armed, with comrades on both sides. The soldier has a clear objective that must be followed. Let's not be naive. Of course, a soldier will fare better in a street situation. However, this is due to their life experience and conditioning rather than the training of a personal defense focused on the military.
Another issue is learning a personal defense that relies solely on weapons. The question for this is: Are you going to carry a weapon?
Another aspect that must be considered is whether you know how a weapon works or how to use one. So, should we learn how to use weapons? The answer depends on your urgency.
Remember that you don't have to fight crime, you don't have permission from your country to kill people, and you don't belong to a gang engaged in knife fights, etc.
We need to be realistic about the environment we live in. Each individual experiences a different reality. So, analyze and react according to your reality.
All personal defense methods have something to teach you. However, the effectiveness of these techniques will vary in terms of your security. The method should cover and meet the needs of your reality.
There are many personal defense techniques that can be applied to your reality, while others may not be used or fit into your reality. A technique to avoid a violent situation or not react to it may not be very appealing with the teaching of elaborate techniques. However, we should not teach techniques that do not fit the reality of that individual, such as sword fighting, war techniques, disarming rifles, etc.
Remember that the training for a civilian cannot be the same as that for a soldier.
Another question is the focus of the training. You cannot train personal defense using three-minute rounds, as violent situations usually last about sixteen seconds.
What is your mindset when it comes to reacting to a violent situation or trying to avoid it? This is crucial.
Training in knife fighting is important, but the focus should be on defense and intimidating the aggressor by showing the weapon, rather than simply trying to stab the attacker. You don't want to engage in a knife duel. Trust me on that.
And what if it's a situation involving firearms? Whether it happens at home or on the street, and if it involves other people, do you have permission to use firearms?
Consider the places you usually go, whether you consume alcohol, how quickly the police can arrive in your area, whether you travel on foot or by car, alone or in a group, etc. These factors should be taken into account when developing your defensive strategy and reaction.
Training in a realistic personal defense method helps. However, don't blindly follow everything taught in that particular method of personal defense. When teaching a personal defense technique, observe what is being taught. Pay close attention to the context in which that technique will be used, its objective, motivation, context, etc.
There are various personal defense methods, but can you compare a situation in a foreign country to the reality of your own country? What is the application environment of that method? Urban, forest, desert, icy conditions, etc.
If I strictly adhere to a personal defense method, it may be unrealistic for my reality. It may make sense in the reality of the country where that personal defense method was created, but it may be unrealistic for my reality.
Participants should think and analyze their own needs and realities. Reflect on the technique being taught and learn from it.
You may learn in a gym, but it's not in that gym where you will put into practice what you have learned. It will be against someone who doesn't care about your life or the lives of those with you. They won't care about the color of your belt or the gym you train at.
When violence occurs, it's just you and your aggressor.
And remember: it will never be easy, painless, or honorable.