Three Martial Arts Self Defense Secrets

Lots of street fighters will tell you that when it comes to martial arts, self defense techniques are irrelevant -- and vice versa. The claim is based on the notion that martial arts aren't 'practical' like MCMAP or Sambo..and it's ridiculous.

Every martial art in the world developed in response to a need for a population to defend itself, and while it's true that Tae Kwon Do's flying kicks (designed to knock invading Japanese warriors off of their horses) aren't as useful in the alleys of New York as they were in the streets of Seoul a century ago, there are hundreds of martial arts moves that are just as potent today as they were when they were developed.

Here are three martial arts self defense secrets that no amount of Krav Maga or RBF training will teach you.

Martial Arts Self Defense Secret #1:Shortening the Stick

Distance is a constantly-changing and unpredictable element of any combat situation, and the only way to respond when a change in distance comes unexpectedly is to know how to shorten the stick instinctively and effectively.

Shortening the stick is a phrase that essentially means 'attacking with a different (and smaller) striking surface'. So if you were preparing one of those beautiful Tae Kwon Do flying kicks and your opponent suddenly closes with you as you leave the ground, you have two choices: Jump into him and land in a messy heap, or shorten the stick. Probably, that means translating the flying kick into one of the martial arts moves of Muay Thai, like a leaping knee strike or a flying elbow to the crown.

Martial Arts Self Defense Secret #2: Disrupting the Process

Everyone involved in a fight has some idea of what their goals is and how to accomplish it.  Everyone that's moderately skilled and in a fight also has some ideas about what their opponent's goals are and how to prevent them from being achieved.

Disrupting the process refers to that latter skill: discerning your opponent's intention and ending it before it can get off the ground.  If an attacker grabs your lapel, he expects you to attack his arm.  He will have braced his arm to ward off any such attack.  Disrupting the process means giving him something else to think about so that he forgets about bracing his arm.  Some nasty martial arts moves like an attempted eye gouge or kick to the side of the knee will generally work just fine.  Then you can attack his arm successfully.

Martial Arts Self Defense Secret #3: Relaxation as a Weapon

Combat when your life is on the line is a naturally stressful experience.  An attacker is almost always going to be tense, and they're naturally going to expect you to be tense as well.  For that reason, relaxing can open up a huge variety of martial arts moves for you to dispose of your opponent with.

For example, if your opponent has grabbed your hand and is jerking you around, relax and step up to him, folding your arm against your body.  You've just negated any defenses he had up and opened him up to a headbutt, knee, elbow, or even bite attack, and you have pretty much free reign to deliver it if you do so quickly.

So the next time that someone tells you that martial arts self defense techniques are outmoded or irrelevant, just laugh; laugh and know better.