What you need to know about personal self-defense

From the inception of this website, I have stressed the need for preppers to be able to defend themselves in a dangerous situation. I have talked extensively about firearms, firearms training, firearms equipment, etc. I talk about incorporating firearms into your EDC, and always having your EDC on you.

Well, what happens if you need to go somewhere and you cannot carry your firearm? Or a knife? Or some other type of self defense tool? What if your situation is potentially dangerous, but may not require the use of deadly force? A drunk and belligerent jerk at the gas station could pose a threat to you. But if he is unarmed, shooting him could cause you legal problems. In some states, even brandishing your weapon could present some legal issues for you.

My friend Graywolf has an amazing article on 5 discreet weapons you can carry almost anywhere. If you have not read it, I encourage you to check it out.

Now I do not want to rehash that article here. Instead, I want to expand upon it. Having those discreet weapons can be a life saver, if you know what you are doing. Much like a firearm or knife, having that survival pen won’t do you much good if you have never been trained with it.

Ok James, where do I get training for a survival pen? you might ask.

Well, you don’t specifically for that. Instead, I would encourage you to being taking up a combat sport(s). I began Brazilian Jui Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai about 6 months ago. The results for me have been staggering. It has changed my life tremendously, and I now regret not taking it up sooner.

Self defense and MMA/Combat sports are not synonymous. Self-defense is inclined towards teaching individuals to fend off common dangers, while Mixed Martial Arts is a competitive sport. (IE combat sport). That being said, you can use MMA in many different self defense situations. Hence I absolutely recommend learning one or more combat sports as a way to improve your self defense capabilities.

I know most folks out there are busy, with their schedules crammed full of every day events. Work/school, kids ball practice, cooking and cleaning, etc. Trust me, I get it. But I promise you, the benefits of taking up a mixed martial art and sticking to it are well worth your time and money.

The benefits you will reap from it are many, and will help you in so many different aspects of your life.

Benefits

For starters, you will learn better ways to defend yourself. With over 20 years of law enforcement experience, I thought I knew a thing or two about self defense and fighting. Boy was I wrong. I quickly learned that I had a lot to learn when it comes to self defense.

The truth is, the vast majority of people out there do not know how to fight. And while I had a lot to learn, fortunately, I started learning quickly. Within 2 months was told that I was already improving. Now 6 months in, I am using the skills and techniques I’m learning on the mat, and I can tell that the hard work is paying off.

The last thing I want to do is go out to a public setting and pick a fight. In reality, it’s the exact opposite. When I first started BJJ, I “rolled” (a form of “sparring” and a way for students to test their skills and abilities against their teammates) with a female half my size but with many years of experience. Although I was much stronger than her, she was eventually able to get me into a “submission” and I tapped out.

This made me realize that I have no idea what my potential opponent/attacker on the street may know. In addition to humility, it made me cognizant that I cannot overlook or just assume anything about someone else.

I have talked about prepper physical fitness before, and am a regular (4 to 5 times a week) at my local gym. I consider myself to be in good shape, and could go out an run a 5k, although it would really suck. But after each BJJ class, I am covered in sweat. In my gym, I was doing Aerobic cardio, ie hitting the treadmill. But in the dojo, I have been doing more of a Anaerobic cardio. In the past few months, I have dropped another 10 lbs. And I’m working muscles (and my core) in ways I never did by lifting weights. I honestly feel like I am in some of the best shape of my life.

In BJJ, many times you must wait for your opponent to make a move or attempt something before you can act. This teaches patience and discipline. It also helps to build on your problem solving skills as you must maneuver your way to or out of a potential submission. And you do this in real time, under stress. This is great for learning how to make decisions under pressure.

And finally, the self confidence you will build will help you in so many other aspects of you life. Because MMA/Combat sports forces you to think under duress, and you are increasing your physical fitness, over time you will feel better about yourself and your ability to deal with potentially dangerous situations.

I remember for the first 2 months, I was “rolling” against guys who were not as strong as I was, but were able to submit me because they had the skill and ability. After about 2 months, a brand new guy joined, and I was the first guy he “rolled” with. I penned him three times in about 5 minutes.

I was so ecstatic!!! Not because I could pin a beginner. But because I was able to apply what I had learned so far. The “lightbulb went on” in my head, and I knew that I was making progress.

Styles

When it comes to MMA/Combat sports, you can break down the fighting styles into 3 different categories:

• Stand-up: Fighting that occurs while both opponents are standing on their feet and trade strikes with hands, feet, elbows and knees. Disciplines such as karate and boxing tend to focus on this style
• Clinch: Although both fighters are still standing, the clinch differs from stand-up training in that the fighters are body-to-body, holding one another fighting for position and leverage rather than delivering strikes necessarily. Muay Thai is an example of a discipline using this style
• Ground: As you can assume, this refers to all fighting occurring on the ground. Wrestling and Jui Jitsu use this technique.

Many disciplines will incorporate more than one of these styles. I personally recommend learning more than one discipline. That way you can become familiar with all 3 styles.

Tips and Hints

If you do decide to take up a combat sport, let me give you some tips to make your first few classes easy. While I have a BJJ focus, these tips will apply to any mixed martial art discipline that you pick.

For starters, try to pick a discipline that aligns with your talents and abilities. For example, because I have been an avid weight lifter for years, I felt like a grappling sport would allow me to focus on my strength (literally). I also realized that with my added bulk, I am no longer as flexible as I used to be. So no spinning wheel kicks for me. (See video below….no that is not me.)

If you aren’t sure about all the different MMA disciplines out there, here is a great place to start. Once you find one or two disciplines that you think suits you, I’d encourage you to watch some online videos on them. The internet is full of beginner videos on the style you wish to pursue.

Once you know which disciplines you are interested in, find some local schools and check them out. Almost all of them will let you watch a class in session. You can get a feel for the instructor and potential classmates.

Once you have selected your school/dojo, here are a few more tips to keep in mind:

• This is going to push you physically. You want to improve, but pace yourself. While I absolutely love attending my classes, I listen to my body, and give myself time to heal.
• If you are not physically active, I would recommend becoming so before pursuing a combat sport.
• Check your ego at the door. When it comes to sparring, you want to focus on learning as opposed to winning. To this day I still get submitted by people smaller than me. But I view it as a way to learn and improve.
• Ask questions. You are there to learn, so feel free to ask. I ask my instructors and my classmates questions all the time, and they are more than happy to answer and show me.
• Be patient and don’t give up. This is something that takes months to start learning, and years to master. It may take you a while to see results. But as long as you stick to it, I promise the hard work will pay off. It took me 2 months to get my first submission, and that was against an absolute beginner.
• Pay close attention to your personal hygiene. You are about to be up close and personal with other classmates. Body odor and bad breath can make the experience very unpleasant for them. So make sure you aren’t smelling funky when you head into class.
• Keep fingernails and toenails trimmed. All that grappling and striking will occasionally lead to accidental pokes, strikes, etc. Long nails can cause unintended wounds. So keep them cut short.

I cannot stress how big of a positive impact taking up BJJ and Muay Thai has made on my life. I’ll be 50 next year, yet I am probably in the best shape of my life. I am stronger, quicker, and more self confident than I have ever been. My regret is that I did not start this sooner!

What is your experience with MMA/Combat Sports and/or self defense? Let us know in the comments below.

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