Self-Defense For Regular People: 3 Main Concepts

Hi this is Instructor Frank at Amalgam Martial Academy. Today I’m going to talk to you about self-defense for regular people.

I think that too often the topic of self-defense is presented in a way that is too intimidating, in ways that the average person doesn’t relate to. When we hear the term self-defense, we tend to imagine pro fighters, mma champions, military special forces or law enforcement professionals.

The reality is that self-defense is and should be for everyone! You don’t have to have the body of a greek god, or have black belts in multiple martial arts systems. What I think we do need to consider are three general concepts that I hope you the average everyday person can relate to, that will help you on your path to personal safety.

Those concepts are Personal Responsibility, Health & Condition, and Objective Honesty.

Personal Responsibility is the reality that you alone are responsible for yourself. No one else ultimately bears the responsibility for your safety, health, education and training. I always hear people talk about “just calling the cops.” The truth is no cop will ever arrive in time to protect you from immediate danger. You need to understand and accept the cold hard fact that you are responsible for yourself.

Health & Condition relates to your body and mind. To quote renowned strength coach Mark Rippetoe, “Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.” A physically strong and healthy body is always more resistant to all forms of harm, and is more capable of executing effective techniques. And a healthier mind can handle unexpected stress and make better decisions.

What tempers everything else is a firm grasp and free application of Objective Honesty. This helps us understand the realities of human violence, the truth about our personal health and condition, and the defensive concepts and techniques we choose to train.

Without a healthy dose of Objective Honesty, we can become trapped in a fantasy bubble, imagining ourselves the hero of our own cheesy action movie, with scores of enemies falling unconscious at our slightest touch. It’s a fun thought, but it gets us nowhere.

There’s a lot of information out there, and not all of it is good. But these three concepts of Personal Responsibility, Health & Condition, and Objective Honesty will definitely help guide you.