The ability to defend oneself is everyone’s right. The problem is that not all of us are born with the same abilities or strengths. Luckily for us, information is the great equalizer. jiu jitsu is an excellent tool to utilize for self-defense because it’s as much science as it is an art.
There are thousands of self-defense styles, and I’m sure many of them are effective and useful in their own right. However, jiu jitsu answers the questions of “What if I’m smaller than my attacker?” or “What if I get knocked to the ground?" and "what do I do if the attacker gets on top of me?” These are the worst case scenarios that have been tested through jiu jitsu and have the track record to honor its merit.
With jiu jitsu, skill and proper technique will always defeat size and strength. If you’re a fan of martial arts, you saw this happen in the early days of cage fighting, where martial artists were matched against each other stylistically.
A few key elements stick out when I think about why everyone needs self-defense:
- Safety! You and everyone around you will be much safer. When I teach a self-defense class, much of the information is based on situational awareness. Knowing where you are and being able to recognize a potential threat is the first step in staying safe.
- Confidence. Having the ability to protect yourself gives you the confidence to do the things you want to do. Also, having confidence changes your posture and demeanor, and helps when it’s necessary to de-escalate a situation. Looking confident and capable may dissuade someone who just wants an easy target.
- Application. Learning jiu jitsu is hands-on; you will know how the technique works and what to do if it doesn’t. These are lifesaving skills that YOU will have tested on your training partners. Jiu jitsu is the only martial art that can be practiced at 100% resistance and still be totally safe for both practitioners.
- Security. When you practice a move enough times, you have the confidence that it will work because you understand that the human body functions the same no matter who is in front of you. You know that if you apply a choke properly, that person is going to go to sleep. There are no death touches in jiu jitsu, no energy balls of fire being released when your Chi is focused on your enemy. All the techniques are based off of the anatomy of the human body.
Self-defense is possible for anyone through the right platform and under a credible instructor. Jiu jitsu’s techniques are based on the human anatomy, so unless you find yourself fighting aliens, jiu jitsu training will keep you safe when you need it most. So find a jiu jitsu academy, train as though your life depends on it, and get on the mats!
Also, take a minute to read this guest blog post from one of my female students on her reasons women should learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu