 Kenpo Karate instructor sifu Gilbert Claes discusses the fine line between using your martial art for defensive purposes and for use in protecting both your personal self and your property. How far is too far?
|
Self-protection is a state of mind, in which perceptual awareness becomes a major item, where self-defence is more considered as a physical action at the moment of an endangered situation.
I.E. You would rather protect your house or your car with (visible) alarm systems, (which gives you protection, and will avoid burglars or carjackers to choose your house or car), rather than you will have to defend your properties (if not protected) at the moment itself.
Self Defence can be a way of thinking, but is more an action of the moment one is attacked.
The dictionary mentions for self defence:
-
Defence of oneself when physically attacked: took a course in self-defence.
-
Defence of what belongs to oneself, as one's works or reputation.
-
Law The right to protect oneself against violence or threatened violence with whatever force or means are reasonably necessary.
|
In fact, every person (or animal) will defend him/it self once physically attacked, and will (re-) act in a natural instinctive way.
Whether he/she/it will survive, win or loose is depending of several factors:
So you can state, that in most cases, using self defence will always come too late, as you are in a unavoidable position where attacked, and the result will depend on above mentioned factors.
Self Protection in contrary, can, might or will, the use of self defence superfluous.
In wildlife, over the centuries, many animals have adapted to their environment, by using self protective evolutions, by using:
As a human being, we can protect ourselves by:
-
Learning self defence martial arts (to increase knowledge, skills, awareness...)
-
Using the correct and proper attitude in daily life (be humble, friendly, polite, gentle, but walk  and stand firm)
-
Proper outfits (people will be more frequently attacked wearing gold, expensive watches, or driving expensive cars)
-
Protect our properties (see above)
-
Being aware and foreseeing
Let’s presume you are alone, and attacked in a dark alley, where a fight is unavoidable. Will you wait being hit or kicked, so you might/could use your self-defence skills, or will you immediately protect yourself by hitting or kicking your attacker down?
Conclusion
In our art, as a habit over the years, we consider and talk about Kenpo as a self defence system, which in fact limits our (or the students) abilities and ways of thinking. Using the term Self Protection opens our minds and enlarges/creates more factors outside the school and the training floor.
Article reproduced with kind permission from The International Kenpo Karate Association.
|
|
|
Philosophy and Opinion 
(0 vote)
