A Committed Strike
Self-Defense begins with “Self-Offense.”
Assess the situation. If peaceful dialogue and reasoning are no longer an option, and when violence is imminent, be sure to be the first to attack. The person willing to go further than the opponent always wins the fight. Things like fear, conscience, hesitation, and denial assure a defeat. Things like confidence, quick movement, and the proper execution of strikes assure a victory.
If you truly do not believe you can defeat the person, you are already defeated. If you express internal or external doubt, you have already sealed your loss. Many people that have completed the timely and essential first step, and conclude that violence is necessary, do not throw a committed punch.
They hesitate and simply “push” the person. This is called “the first push.” You see it many times. Before a fight breaks out, pushing turns to shoving, and then the punches start rolling.
My ultimate point is that you mustn’t push at all, but rather strike hard, fast, and with equally synergized repeats. If you pull this off first thing, you are at an advantage because you are willing to go further than most people who gradually steam up with “push comes to shove.”
DO NOT gradually steam up. Boil from the get-go. Strike first, with multiple repeats, and you will quickly throw off your opponent. Use your gross motor skills at a higher level of energy than your opponent, and you will most likely win. You have undoubtedly heard about martial arts or MA schools teaching that you must use defense first, always. They teach you blocks then strikes. Well, I teach blocks also, but ONLY as a last resort. Only if they are able to attack before you are. If they do, and unless you are extremely experienced, they will hit you or make some unpleasant contact, irrespective of their initial aim. In the very least, they have a greater chance at making contact with you in your time of hesitation. If they are able to strike before you are, they are likely to hit you before you can block them.
If you are a peaceful person, you may have a difficult time with this concept, especially with assault and battery laws flooding your conscience. Don't get me wrong, we all need to be very aware of the legal consequences of violence!
Let me acknowledge that there is a time and a place for defensive combat, but only when you are at an obvious advantage. For example, if you are a male and weigh 235 lbs and a little 125 lb unarmed hothead picks a fight with you, it is obvious that you should not be the first to throw a punch. If you have a weapon, and your opponent does not, then you need to use defensive combat, if any at all. HOWEVER, if you are a woman fighting against a man, use offensive combat as taught in this article. In short, use offensive combat when you are confronted with a bigger, stronger, and seemingly more competent person. I’m assuming you are not stupid and are able to discern how and when to employ both offensive and defensive combat.
Patrick Asay