I hope you have never been in a physical fight. And if you have, I hope you never are again. They can be fun to watch in the movies. And some people like to say what they would do to so-and-so if they fight them, but the reality is, if you have never been in a fight, you really don't know what you are in for.
Unfortunately I can tell you about this topic from experience. And this is only because I was paid to be in these situations as a police officer. I certainly do not roam the streets looking for a fight. In fact, I'm happy to report that I have not been in a fight since I stopped police work and I plan on keeping it that way!
First, let me define a fight. We Spar in class. This is done with protective equipment. There are rules set before we start. And it is amongst friends. Yes, we get bumps and bruises, but nobody is trying to hurt anyone. If someone does get hurt a little bit we all stop and tend to that. It's a very controlled and friendly environment even though we are kicking and punching at one another.
A fight is when there are NO rules. The other person IS trying to hurt you. And, if they do hurt you, there is NO guarantee that they will stop. It's scary, and despite what it might look like in the movies, it is NOT fun.
Some things to know: when someone hits you it hurts. If you hit them back, it still hurts you. If you block a punch or a kick guess what? That's right, that hurts too. And if you land on the ground, that really hurts. And if all someone wants to do is hit you, you are going to get hit to some degree.
Another thing you will notice real soon, especially if you have never been in a fight before: you are going to lose your breathe really fast, even if you are in good shape. This is the adrenaline pumping through you. Ten seconds will start to feel like ten minutes. You will lose your fine motor skills. Some people even find their hearing and/or vision is effected during the fight. And ask them right after the fight what happened (once they have caught their breath)? They probably can't give you a clear answer right away. It was a blur.
Why do I tell you all this? Because this is reality. If you are training in martial arts to have effective self defense skills then you need to know this. And, replicating these realities should be part of your training so, should you find yourself in that unfortunate situation, you can get out safely.
I can help you learn from my experiences by training you with these realities in mind. Not everything we do is to prepare for some unforeseen battle, but it is certainly part of what we do. It would be a shame to train in martial arts for years and it turns out that you can't even defend yourself. This will happen if your instructor does not understand these realities.
If this is something you would like help learning please get in touch with me. Private classes or group classes would be a perfect way to start towards your personal safety!
