Self Defense: A Way to Possess the Anti-Victim Mentality

OccamzRazer

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In today's increasingly violent and cold world, self-defense has never been more important.

- Women should learn self-defense to protect themselves from evil, predatory individuals.

- Men should learn self-defense to protect others - and so they can confidently stand for something with more than just their words.

Regardless of gender, self-defense radically boosts confidence and reduces learned helplessness.

Good self-defense requires the ability to transition from being completely relaxed to completely contracted...as quickly as possible.

To do this, one must be free of fascial constrictions throughout any given strike's entire range of motion. This can be obtained through stretching and dynamic movements. Keeping baseline cortisol levels low also helps.

One must also have a high level of strength relative to their bodyweight. This can be built through calisthenics and throwing heavy objects. Keeping youth-associated hormones high also helps.

Cultivating high-level self-defense requires very repetitive practice to engrain all of the proper motions.

Here are some ideas for those new to self-defense concepts:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjQpLfwTP5U


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGe1rHgEvco


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxTg6f_fYT0


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcAs5TG8fMM


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XURKjN81o5U



If you're healthy enough, I'd encourage you to try mastering self-defense! You might just find the process empowering - and fun.
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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Oh and just to be clear, the true & traditional goal of self-defense is exactly what its name implies:

The ability to defend oneself and others from 'bad' people.

Self-defense skills should never be used to antagonize or escalate situations.

They should only be used as a last resort, once violent acts have already begun.
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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Traditional self-defense also focuses on the internal development of life force energy, or qi.

Large amounts of qi are needed to explode out of the relaxed state and into powerful striking.

Interestingly enough, I believe 'Peaty' diets increase qi.

Combine Peating with qi cultivation and you might have a recipe for powerful self-defense!
 

Hugh Johnson

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This is fighting, not self defence, and it's not useful. Fighting needs lots of practice to work.

Self defence is about avoiding fighting. Being aware of your surroundings, diffusing conflicts, maintaining safe position and peaceful demeanor.
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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This is fighting, not self defence, and it's not useful. Fighting needs lots of practice to work.

Self defence is about avoiding fighting. Being aware of your surroundings, diffusing conflicts, maintaining safe position and peaceful demeanor.
Of course avoiding fighting comes first, and with it, all the things you mentioned!

But if and when push comes to shove...have you tried self-defense in a combat situation without making a single strike?

Seems like that would be very difficult, if not impossible, unless you're supremely adept at redirecting punches a la 'real' Tai Chi.

Boxers tend to be the best at striking - or among the best - which is why it's very useful to learn such things from them.
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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This is fighting, not self defence, and it's not useful. Fighting needs lots of practice to work.

Self defence is about avoiding fighting. Being aware of your surroundings, diffusing conflicts, maintaining safe position and peaceful demeanor.
GSP explains the distinction between passive and active self-defense well here:


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufc/comments/p8w816/bas_rutten_self_defence_vs_gsp/


He says he's avoided many confrontations by giving compliments and buying beers lol.

But he also has the 'active' component down, of course.

Being capable of active self-defense - and refraining from it as much as possible - is definitely the ideal.
 

Hugh Johnson

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This may be helpful to anyone who wants to learn one of the most peaceful, non-striking forms of self-defense:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQnuWY13ac

No one who does not have the violence inside gets into regular fights. Putting in thousands of hours in order to win fight you are unlikely to get into, and where losing is probably not a big deal. And Taichi 100% does not work, and the fact that you do not know that implies you know nothing about violence.
 

BrianF

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Nothing will ensure your safe passage more than walking with the confidence of carrying a concealed weapon (provided you are convinced you can and will use it) or the confidence assured by knowing you are pretty much a weapon in your own right. Predators look for victims and they identify them by the way they walk as much as anything else.
 

Milk Consumer

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If someone wants to learn self defense, I think they should start with wrestling or judo. Striking works better when you know enough stand up wrestling to not get manhandled as soon as someone grabs unto you
 

Hugh Johnson

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If someone wants to learn self defense, I think they should start with wrestling or judo. Striking works better when you know enough stand up wrestling to not get manhandled as soon as someone grabs unto you
No. Self-defense is not about fighting. Also, you need to strike, because in actual fights you typically deal with groups of people and you need to be fast and run. There was a Judo champion here that took some punk down, and then that guys 20 friends came and beat him into a coma.
 

Milk Consumer

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No. Self-defense is not about fighting. Also, you need to strike, because in actual fights you typically deal with groups of people and you need to be fast and run. There was a Judo champion here that took some punk down, and then that guys 20 friends came and beat him into a coma.
My point is not to only learn one, my point is to learn stand up wrestling first and build striking on top of it. If multiple people come at you, you are done if you lose balance as soon as someone grabs you. Only someone with grappling experience will be able to keep a fight on the feet and use the striking. I'm also just talking about the fighting aspect, non fighting aspects of self defense is something people should learn on their own
 

Hugh Johnson

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My point is not to only learn one, my point is to learn stand up wrestling first and build striking on top of it. If multiple people come at you, you are done if you lose balance as soon as someone grabs you. Only someone with grappling experience will be able to keep a fight on the feet and use the striking. I'm also just talking about the fighting aspect, non fighting aspects of self defense is something people should learn on their own
How many thousands of hours should a person spend preparing for an eventuality that is highly unlikely to happen, and where preparation is probably meaningless? Ten thousand so you know multiple styles?
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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No one who does not have the violence inside gets into regular fights. Putting in thousands of hours in order to win fight you are unlikely to get into, and where losing is probably not a big deal. And Taichi 100% does not work, and the fact that you do not know that implies you know nothing about violence.
If I'd known you were such an all-knowing expert I would've never started this thread! Sorry to inconvenience you.
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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If someone wants to learn self defense, I think they should start with wrestling or judo. Striking works better when you know enough stand up wrestling to not get manhandled as soon as someone grabs unto you
Good point...judo is great for balance, footwork, and so much other foundational stuff!
 

Hugh Johnson

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If I'd known you were such an all-knowing expert I would've never started this thread! Sorry to inconvenience you.
It hardly takes an expert to know wing chun , tai chi and wushu do not work, or to understand the realities of actual violent confrontation. IMHO you are giving people harmful advice. I practice a martial art, Russian Systema, and I have no illusions that I could go around engaging in actual violence, nor do I expect to be in a fight in my life. I am not a kid, fights among adults are rare.

People should not practice these things for self protection, it makes them more vulnerable. There are good reasons to practice martial arts, but not self defense for regular people.
 
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OccamzRazer

OccamzRazer

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I practice a martial art, Russian Systema, and I have no illusions that I could go around engaging in actual violence, nor do I expect to be in a fight in my life. I am not a kid, fights among adults are rare.

People should not practice these things for self protection, it makes them more vulnerable. There are good reasons to practice martial arts, but not self defense for regular people.
Very interesting, I should've mentioned systema in the original post.

Why do you practice it, tho, if it's not valuable for self-protection?

Or are you saying that systema is superior to other methods?
 

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