Awareness is the First Step in Self-Defense

I was just recently talking to my stepdaughter, who is now 18, about going out to nightclubs and what she needs to be aware of. The thing I emphasize the most to her is to be aware of the people around you and make sure they know you are aware of them. Look people in the eye, especially if someone is giving you unwanted attention. You have to be able to look them in the eye and let them know that when you say no, you mean it.

So many women make the mistake of telling an overly aggressive male that they are not interested in a passive, almost apologetic, manner. Many men will see that as weakness, or that you really mean yes because you looked away when you said no. This only leads to many men becoming more aggressive as they try to overcome the objection because the woman has not convinced him that they really mean no. Women tend to get to a ‘red light’ situation because they don’t pay attention to the warning signs (yellow light) or they didn’t want to be rude.

Plus, it’s important when you leave a club that you leave in a group or with a friend and as you leave, look around and see if anyone seems to take notice that you are leaving. If someone is following you out and is paying way too much attention to what you are doing, you should go back into the club and tell someone. The challenge is, how many people would ever be that aware or would doubt their gut feeling?

It has always surprised me just how oblivious most people are to their surroundings. Maybe because I’ve done martial arts practically my entire life, I’ve always made sure I was aware of what was going on around me. Plus, being World Kickboxing Champion, I always had to be aware of some young knuckleheads trying to make a name for themselves by taking on a world champion.

Be aware of what is around you. If you go into a convenience store, you should be aware of everyone in that store and follow your gut instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it, get out of there. No matter where you are or what the situation is, listen to your gut feeling, it’s usually right.

But first you must be aware. The bad guy is looking to take advantage of someone who is oblivious to their surroundings. They look for a victim who is focused on trying to find their keys in their purse as they approach the car; not the person who already has their keys in hand and is looking around and seeing what is going on.

Does this mean I don’t recommend you take a self-defense course? Of course not, I do, but you need to find a program that is up to date on what is really happening in the streets.

There are many martial arts programs that are still teaching very old- styled martial arts techniques that might look cool but have lost their effectiveness in the modern arena of Mixed Martial Arts and other fighting styles seen on TV. “The criminal is getting smarter every day”, says Benjamin McBride, a police veteran of 25 years and an instructor of or Elite Martial arts at Jim Garden’s Cardio Karate Center. You have to make sure that what you are learning is proven to be effective today, not something that was taught 200 years ago.

Whether it’s for yourself or your child, find a program that will teach a modern and effective form of self-defense. Another good idea is to make punching and kicking a part of your workout routine. If you started running two or three time a week, in no time you’d become a much better runner. Why not take a UBC kickboxing class two or three times a week, preferably on a heavy bag, so in no time you will be able to kick and punch with authority?

It is important to find a class that is taught by someone who can help you get better. There are many kickboxing classes being taught by instructors who took a weekend course. All my kickboxing Instructors had to finish our 10-week UBC course to be qualified to take our 30-day instructor kickboxing certification course. Plus, most of my instructors are high ranking Elite members that have the skills and knowledge and know how to teach them.

Still, having the basic knowledge to always be aware of your surroundings and listen to your gut instincts will go a long way in being able to avoid a conflict before it ever begins. If you’re really good, you may never need to use your self-defense techniques!