Everyday, we hear different cases of mugging, robbery, theft, harassment, and even rape on the news. Walking on the streets at night is not really safe, especially for women. There are even some criminal cases that happen in the morning.
Though we may not control the violent environment around us, we can avoid being victims of these criminal cases. This is the reason why lots of women are now getting trainings on self-defense.
What is self-defense?
Self-defense is a way of protecting oneself from any other source of harm. It can be done both physically and mentally. Mental self-defense is important in making sure that you will be able to perform a physical defense properly.
Presence of mind is very important during any emergency situation. Many people usually panic when confronted with danger. Their fear usually results to more harm. It is important to stay calm and control your fears in dealing with these situations. Remember that criminals usually smell fear.
There are two ways to physically protect you from harm: Armed and Unarmed self-defense. Armed defense usually involve the use of pepper sprays, pocket knives, stun guns, tasers, batons, and umbrellas. You can also use everyday items like flashlights, newspapers, keys, and eating utensils for defense. Some people opt to openly carry arms in order to avoid being victimized.
On the other hand, unharmed physical defense obviously do not include the use of any material or instrument. Rather, this defense usually involves different martial arts style that can be used to disarm or paralyze your attacker.
What are the best martial arts styles for self-defense?
There are different styles of martial arts and only some of them can be performed by women in order to defend themselves from an attacker. Here is a list of the top 5 martial arts style for self-defense:
- Karate – This is perhaps one of the most famous martial arts style due to its features in different movies. This style is focused on deflecting the attack. Most knives and punches are aimed directly towards you, so you can use this technique by attacking his sensitive parts. Karate attacks are usually hard to defend.
- Jujutsu – Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are derivatives of the Japanese martial art Jujutsu. This style was developed by ancient samurais. When they have been disarmed, these samurais found another way to fight and defend themselves from enemies. The main principle of this style is when someone attacks you, he will have vulnerable parts. The key is in identifying and those parts. Its common moves are joint locks and throws. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu concentrates more on the ground fighting, using leverage and technique to defeat one’s opponent. It is widely adopted by MMA fighters in recent years due to its effectiveness in real life combat situations. The application of technique rather than strength allows even a smaller person to defend himself from someone bigger and stronger.
- Kickboxing – This style is usually focused on punches, knees, and kicks. You need to make fast-paced moves that can distract the attacker. These moves should be aimed to his open parts.
- Western Boxing – One punch, that is all a boxer needs. Right timing, aiming, and force is important in this style. If you think you can exert a really strong force that can knock out the attacker in just one punch, then boxing might be for you.
- Kray Maga – This is Israel’s national martial arts. It is a combination of Western boxing pinches, Karate kicks, and Jiu Jutsu throws. Like other styles on this list, it focuses on the attackers vulnerable parts like eyes, throat and groins.
In choosing the right martial arts style for you, you should consider your physical strength and abilities. If you are strong enough, you can choose boxing or Jujutsu. On the other hand, if you think you are not so strong, you can choose fast paced styles like Karate and Kickboxing.
If you want to learn these different styles, you can go to fitness clubs and gyms that offer them. For example, UFC gym or CKO Kickboxing is offering Kickboxing classes. They also have self-defense classes that are exclusively for women. With these classes, you can stay fit while you are learning how to be safe.