Red Flags in a Self-Defense Class
Self-defense instruction is one of those Wild West kind of industries. There’s really no regulation on certifications, curricula, training methods, or technique validity. I’m constantly seeing things around the internet being passed off as self-defense that leave me in a state of disbelief. In some cases, this is due to lack of training or serious testing of methods. In others, it’s ignorance of the key differences between self-defense and sport. With so many vastly differing approaches to self-defense, how can one possibly know who or what to trust? In this article, I’m going to give you some important things to consider so that you can more confidently choose the class that could potentially save your life one day.
The school regularly competes
This isn’t inherently a bad thing, as sparring is of extreme importance, but should raise a red flag if you are looking specifically for self-defense training. Despite the common perception, self-defense and martial arts are not synonymous. Self-defense training incorporates various martial arts techniques, but not all martial arts techniques are suited for self-defense. Let’s take Jiu-Jitsu, for example. You can absolutely defend yourself with many of the techniques in Jiu-Jitsu. I know this because I teach them. The problem, however, is that most all Jiu-Jitsu schools are in the competition circuit and include those non-self-defense techniques as a standard part of training —something you would likely not be made aware of if you were considering joining. I’m not suggesting the instructor would intentionally mislead you to get you to join his or her Jiu-Jitsu class, but I doubt you would be turned away if you said your primary reason for training was self-defense. I’ve trained with many Jiu-Jitsu players over the years and they’ve all had dangerous holes in their strategies. (A defensive position is not a good one if I can easily draw a weapon or stomp your groin into next Tuesday.) If you are thinking of joining any school or gym that regularly competes, it may be best to look elsewhere for self-defense training. It’s very difficult to train for both sport and self-defense in the same class. Developing bad habits is counterproductive to your goals, and worse, potentially dangerous.
There is no resistance training
What if I claimed I was skilled at lifting weights and teaching others to lift weights, but I’ve never actually lifted weights? I think you probably see where this is going. Resistance training is an area where students of Jiu-Jitsu and MMA are at the top of the game. They are constantly sparring and training against resistance. You really have no way of knowing if your techniques work unless you have someone either trying to prevent you from applying them or attempting to dominate you with their own agenda. I don’t believe you have to take things full-contact UFC-style, but you have to at the very least do some isolated contact and resistance drills to test what you know. This is why you fire your gun before carrying it —you want to know that it works should you need it. If you are wanting to join a martial arts class for fun, fitness, or some other reason, you don’t need resistance training. If you are looking for a martial arts class for self-defense, resistance training must be a regular part of the routine. If it isn’t, find a class that will allow you to test and refine your skills. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is.
Punching and kicking are the primary defenses
I’ve written extensively on why this is bad strategy in another article. Even if you are an elite striker with knockout power, I still wouldn’t recommend punches and kicks as your go-to strategy. Aside from the risk of injury to your hands, rolling the dice by getting into a kickboxing match with someone just isn’t a good idea, as everyone has a “puncher’s chance.” Common scenario: you get attacked, get drawn into a boxing match, misread a punch, get knocked out, fall and slam your head on the concrete, and appear on death’s doorstep. Of course, that scenario assumes you actually have the ability to stop the aggressor with a punch. What if you are a small female fighting off a large male? You almost certainly will not be able to knock him out, while he can very easily put you unconscious. There are times and places to strike safely, but if you are considering a self-defense class where punching and kicking is emphasized, I strongly suggest you move on. Especially if it is a women’s self-defense class.
Weapons are not integrated with the training
This one is of paramount importance. Regardless of whatever unarmed training you have, there is still no better equalizer than a weapon. Any self-defense class worth its salt should be integrating weapons training, including both lethal and non-lethal. There’s a simple reason humans are the dominant species on the planet, and it’s not because we are physically the biggest or strongest —it’s because we are the smartest. We know that we are too outmatched physically to fight a grizzly bear unarmed, so we use a weapon. Intelligent people manage their ego and apply this principle to other humans. Like unarmed techniques, weapons also require training and a strategy. That pepper spray keychain you have isn’t going to do you much good in an adrenalized situation if you’ve never practiced with it. If a self-defense class is not teaching weapons tactics, then it is time to keep looking. Also, when dealing with weapons, it’s a little more than a good idea to understand the laws surrounding them. Which leads us to…
Self-defense laws are not referenced
Last, but certainly not least, if a self-defense class isn’t teaching you the proper context in which to use your training, then you are receiving a dangerous disservice. Self-defense is extremely tricky legally with a lot of gray area and often open to interpretation. Check almost any news story about a violent incident and you will find people arguing over whether it was self-defense or murder. These same people will be your jurors. This is why it’s all that much more important to know the laws to the best of your ability, both so you can use them to your advantage and also to avoid getting into trouble. Many self-defense classes shockingly neglect legality, and it is virtually absent altogether in sport-focused MMA and Jiu-Jitsu. If you are not getting some sense of your legal rights and responsibilities mixed in with your self-defense training, you should find something else.
This isn’t a definitive list by any stretch, but a good self-defense class will correctly and effectively address the things above. I often suggest it may be better to have no training than to train incorrectly. Ignoring your natural fears and developing a false sense of confidence can get you hurt or worse, and not knowing the laws behind what you’re doing can get you locked up or sued. Train correctly, and don’t be a victim —to others, or yourself.
