Reality-Based Self-Defense: 19 Principles You Must Know for Surviving a Real-World Street Attack

Real-world self-defense is a very serious matter. And while you can have a lot of fun during practice sessions, you must remember that you are not training for a sport or tournament match, where the only thing on the line is a shiny trophy or a new martial art belt.

The following set of principles should be considered and taken to heart. They should be burned into your memory and made a part of your practice and study. And, they should be used as a guide to make sure that the program you're studying and the person you've chosen to teach you how to not die in a real-world situation, is right for the job.

Consider each of these principles very carefully. Because missing even one of them could spell disaster.

1. In a self-defense situation, you WILL get hurt

2. You are your own first-line of self-defense

3. The Police can't protect you - they won't even show up until the attack is over

4. You WILL be the underdog - attackers don't pick targets they think will win

5. It will happen when you LEAST expect it

6. You must stay in the moment - FOCUS!

7. Contrary to what mom and dad taught you, you must be WILLING to hurt another human being

8. If you want to survive, you must be ABLE to hurt another human being

9. The law may NOT be on your side

10. You must be able to control the distance and your assailant's ability to get at you

11. You must be able to control your attacker's perceptions of what is happening

12. Don't focus too much on your technique - he'll know what you're doing

13. Your job is not to "win" or "lose" - It's to go home intact

14. If he can't hit you, he can't hurt you, and...

15. If he can't hurt you, he can't beat you

16. You can't bring a knife to a gunfight and expect to win

17. The assault's not over until your attacker says it is

18. Be willing to do whatever it takes

19. It's not cheating - think of it as "rearranging the odds in your favor!"

Your ultimate survival in a street attack will depend on three very important things. It will depend on what you have done to properly prepare beforehand. It will depend on what you do correctly during the attack. And, it will depend on how well you can deal with the consequences arising out of your decision and chosen actions to protect yourself from danger.

Remember: "You are either what you choose to be or what you have allowed yourself to become."

"Victim" or "Survivor."

The choice is yours.

Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder of Warrior Concepts International, a Pennsylvania-based company specializing in helping private, law enforcement, and corporate clients to develop time-tested and proven self-protection and personal development skills that work in the real-world. He is the author of the highly acclaimed, educational video, Danger Prevention Tactics. His latest book, The Karate-Myth shows the reader why most martial arts and self-defense programs don't work and how to insure your safety in today's violent world. For additonal information about having this internationally-recognized expert as a guest or keynote speaker for your organization's next meeting, or to sponsor a seminar with Mr. Miller, you may contact him through his web site or by calling WCI in the U.S. and Canada, at (570) 988-2228. Subscribe to his free newsletter at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com

Real-World Self-Defense - A Two-Fold Approach For Successful Self-Defense

Most people, including martial arts and self-defense teachers really don't know where to begin when it comes to mastering the ability to protect yourself against a real-world violent attacker. This article takes a look at the two-fold approach that I recommend to anyone who's serious about surviving a real-world attack.

To explore the conventional world of martial arts and self-defense instruction, the conventional approach seems to be to just learn a bunch of tricks and techniques, earn some rank or maybe a certification of some sort, and you're all set. Right?

If that's true, then why are so many trained individuals getting their butts kicked in the real world? Why, if everything works in the dojo ("martial arts school") or self-defense class, are these "unbeatable techniques" failing miserably on the street, when dealing with real-world attacks thrown by brutal, real-world assailants?

There are lots of reasons but I think the primary one is that, for the most part, these classes are a simple case of the blind leading the blind. What that means is that students, who have no experience with dealing with violence, are trying to learn something from instructors who, themselves, have no real world experience at dealing with and surviving real world attack encounters.

So, what is needed to survive a real self-defense situation?

My take on the whole self-defense approach, and what I teach my students, is two-fold.

1) First, be trained in as many options as possible so that you can act in different situations/against different attackers, and...

2) In the moment, when an attack is taking place, the defender must be able to respond to and deal with the violence itself - regardless of where it comes from or what's behind it.

Like a double-edged sword, each side is important if the practitioner is to be truly successful. The first part, your physical training should arm you with not just physical techniques, but an understanding of the critical principles and concepts that are being taught by the technique examples. This way, you won't have to depend on the preset techniques themselves, but instead will be able to operate in the moment, not against a stylized attack but, against whatever your attacker is throwing at you. Some of these foundational concepts include:

1) Cover

2) Strategic angling and positioning

3) Timing and flow

4) Proper distance

5) etc.

The second relates to attitude, or "heart." No matter how tough you are, or feel in class with your friends, peers, and junior students, what matters in a real self-defense encounter is how you act and deal with the raw, animalistic violence being thrown at you by someone who isn't pulling their punches and doesn't care about your well-being at all. Will you focus or fold? The only thing that will matter is what you do when the moment is on you.

Reminds me of the airplane ride I took to the tiny island of Grenada when I was in the Army all those years ago. While I sat there, staring at the far side of the plane and thinking about what I would do when I hit the ground in a real combat zone (assuming we didn't get shot down first), I heard other guys farther back in the aircraft actually crying. Ironically, these were the same guys who, during practice field exercises where we "played" war, ran around like John Wayne and Steven Seagal, acting tough and reminding everyone that they were ready to "kill a commie for mommie" right now. Well, here they were - here was their chance - and they were the least prepared to deal with the shocking reality of the situation.

Your training must make sure that you can deal with both the assailant's physical attacks, whatever they may be, and you must be able to focus and commit yourself to winning by dealing with the rage and raw brutality is a natural part of combat. Two sides to the same coin. Both necessary for success.

So, review what you've learned so far, and make sure that your do so through the eyes of a critic, not a blind believer. Watch the news. Ask some police officers, bouncers, or even combat veterans what it's really like inside a real situation with someone who wants to beat, break, or kill you. Then, all bias aside, fill in the gaps to make sure that you'll come out on top, and not end up flat on your back!

Do you want to learn more about the way I do it? I have just completed my brand new online ecourse to self-defense success, "Foundations of Self-Defense Mastery." Download it free here: Self Defense Course.

What if you could learn in hours, rather than months or years, more than the average karate or self-defense student without all of the filler, formalized kata, or military-like atmosphere? How? By following this simple, proven system for self defense success: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com.

Jeffrey Miller teaches individuals, organizations, and martial arts teachers how to not die or fall victim in a violent situation. Jeff says "If you have a a serious desire to learn what you must know to be a survivor, I can teach you how to master the skills necessary to successfully defend yourself against any attacker, guaranteed."