Is Self Defense a Myth?

[Lucas]

that person is obviously mentally handicapped

[Blacktiger]

people come in for a "self defense class" and don't want to get sweaty, they don't want to get hit, they don't want someone on top of them on teh ground grabbing at them... and all that is exactly what will happen in "da real fight"

I like to walk up to people in self defense seminars and just SCREAM AT THEM AS LOUD AS I CAN.... I haven't even touched them and most have their heart pounding and jump

This is right on the money!!!

[bawang]

They can be nice guys, but they tend to have another side and be very driven. People with a powerful drive tend to offend people without one.

theyre not nice inside. when you see people as pieces of meat, you learn to say what they want to hear. that's why theres ferocious fighters that come off as a "nice guy".

[pazman]

Training for self defense is waste of time.

Do you have a bully problem? A year of weight lifting and boxing lessons will fix that right up.

Live in a bad neighborhood? Move. Too poor to move? Learn how to program, make mad money, then move.

[RenDaHai]

I think there is maybe a cultural element here.

If you only train for the most extreme situation then I can see how this is largely pointless, because for one this will probably never happen to you and two, if it does it will probably be nothing like your training.

But confrontation and petty violence occurs all the time, every day. Every day there a little things where your training comes in useful. The fact some of you say self defence is a myth is really confusing to me..... That implies you have never experienced it. But that is hard to believe, every one gets in a fight now and again and the training is always useful. Most of the time it is something small and if you overreact to it you will make the situation much more dangerous. The way you deal with confrontation and violence has a huge impact on your character and so your whole life.

But then I think maybe it is a cultural thing. Maybe because of Guns in North America the stakes are higher and people do avoid confrontation more so when it does happen it is more extreme..... I don't know.

[Alex Córdoba]

Guys aren't you misleading people comparing terms such as self defense and war.

Apples and oranges Sheldon...

[Blacktiger]

Just watch this and save your cash...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbpV5xCkpTU

[bawang]

self defence is all about the obsession with giant black men waiting to ambush you. fear the bbc.

[Kellen Bassette]

Guys aren't you misleading people comparing terms such as self defense and war.

Apples and oranges Sheldon...

No. People who say the martial arts were developed for self defense are misleading people.

[Kellen Bassette]

The fact some of you say self defence is a myth is really confusing to me..... That implies you have never experienced it.

The point wasn't that nobody really ever defends themselves, the point was MA were not originally about what we think of as self defense.

Also, that what is taught as self defense really may not be....

[YouKnowWho]

If you only train for the most extreme situation then I can see how this is largely pointless, ...

Let me ask a simple question. In self defense, do you punch at your opponent's face?

If the answer is

- yes, will you punch differently in self defense than in fighting?
- no, what other techniques do you use to take care your self defense problem?

[RenDaHai]

The point wasn't that nobody really ever defends themselves, the point was MA were not originally about what we think of as self defense.

Also, that what is taught as self defense really may not be....

But what do you mean by that? I have defended myself, I am sure most people on this forum have. Lots of people do it and all the time. Mostly it is in small ways. I think you are just thinking of very extreme situations.

'MA were not originally....' This is a foolish statement. Of course many martial arts were about self defence, and many created specifically for that purpose. I don't know where this idea comes from.

China for example has thousands of different folk cultures that include fighting exercises. We classify them all as MA, but that is just a label to make things easier, it does not change what they are. They are many many different folk cultures that happen to include some similar themes. They all include their own unique things too. Amongst those we classify as WuShu there are 3 major types; Soldier, Civilian, Spiritual. This is long before the stupid 'internal, external' classification, and this is in China. Civilian MA are only about self defence. Soldier are only about military application and spiritual are MA like Shaolin and Wudang who's primary purpose is cultivation.

No. People who say the martial arts were developed for self defense are misleading people.

But how do you not see this is Moronic. IF Wushu was only War Arts then what was passed down would have been only military strategies like the spear wall that bawang posted. Group formations and training methods. Sure there is this. But the fact most of Wushu that is passed down is 1 on 1 empty hand technique implies heavily that it is intended for self defence.

[YouKnowWho]

But the fact most of Wushu that is passed down is 1 on 1 empty hand technique implies heavily that it is intended for self defence.

When you swing your Guan Dao, do you have "intention" to cut your opponent's body in half? If you do that, is it self defense?

This look like "killing" to me.

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjkxMjkwNzY=.html

[RenDaHai]

When you swing your Guan Dao, do you have "intention" to cut your opponent's body in half? If you do that, is it self defense?

Yeah, if you are in ancient China transporting a cart full of silver taels and have just been ambushed by bandits, then that is self defence. For most of us these days thankfully it is less extreme.

You don't fight against a real person like its the ring, you take every opportunity to let the fight end. Even in war Sun tzu says to always allow the enemy an exit.

[Drake]

Military strategy is about overwhelming power. You typically want a 3:1 ratio against any defending element.

Typical rule is, if you are in a fair fight, you are doing something wrong.