There have been recent studies that have proved the benefits a self-defense class can provide you will go way beyond learning how to fight off an attacker that threatens you with physical harm. Students of self-defense classes have stated that they have gained life lessons that have greatly benefited them in their personal and professional lives. A reputable self-defense instructor will create a program tailored to provide you with the physical, mental, and emotional training you need to help defeat any obstacle.
Nothing makes a person feel better than the peace of mind of knowing you’re in control. That you are able to take care of your financial, mental, and physical needs. Knowing that you can defend yourself during a physical altercation is a significant confidence booster that benefits more than just your physical well-being. The confidence gained by learning self-defense will affect your mental and emotional well-being as well.
When most people think of being able to defend themselves they think that exercise is the main component. Of course, being in shape is a very important part of being able to defend yourself, but it is only part of it. Focus and discipline are also essential components of the overall self-defense program.
In this article, I will provide some of the most important benefits to learning self-defense that will go beyond the ability to guard against physical altercations and show how it can benefit you in many aspects of your day-to-day life.
Confidence Builder
One of the main advantages of learning self-defense is the confidence you will build. Many people feel unconfident in their ability to protect themselves during a physical attack. This feeling of inadequacy can be caused by many life experiences and not just their physical stature.
This lack of confidence keeps people from being productive in their personal and professional lives. The uncertainty of the world is a significant contributor to this feeling of vulnerability. The constant news about violence just keeps getting more vicious with every event, and in more places than we thought to be safe. All of this has a significant demoralizing effect that chips away at our feeling of safety and confidence.
Low self-confidence doesn’t only affect our physical well-being, but also our mental and emotional health. A beneficial self-defense class can build confidence with every goal you achieve. This confidence will also help you to accomplish all of life’s challenges using the discipline and perseverance you learn.
Self-discipline
Self-discipline will aid you in achieving any obstacle placed in your path during your journey through life. The foundation of a self-defense class is discipline. Without discipline, you won’t succeed in learning how to defend yourself from a physical altercation.
The importance of discipline in all aspects of life can not be overemphasized. Whether it be a professional or personal goal, the only way to achieve it is to be disciplined in your pursuit of that goal. When you develop a plan and never waver from your pursuit of your expected outcome you will never fail.
A reputable self-defense instructor will build a program tailored for you, and most importantly the instructor will teach you the importance of being disciplined enough to work the program until it becomes second nature. This discipline becomes your greatest weapon against any foe and obstacle in your path.
Physical Conditioning
The main focus of a good self-defense program is to prepare you for any situation that may harm you. Physical conditioning is another crucial component of self-defense. In other words, you stand a far better chance of defending yourself against a physical attack if you are able to combat that attack.
Being in good physical shape to fight off an attack is probably the most obvious aspect of a good self-defense program. However, physical conditioning can be misleading. You don’t necessarily need to be built like a boxer to effectively defend yourself. Even a person of a smaller build can effectively defend themselves against a larger build person.
In regards to self-defense, physical conditioning refers to improving your reflexes and your awareness of your surroundings and the imminent attack you are currently faced with. When you are in a fight you need to be focused, both mentally and physically, on the situation you find yourself in.
Physical conditioning can also aid you in life as well. There have been many studies that state you are healthier and more energetic with good physical conditioning. You perform at your peak when you are physically fit, which allows you to achieve any personal or professional goal you are tasked with.
Respect
Another major benefit to a well-structured self-defense class will teach you respect. This is respect for yourself, the art of the self-defense discipline you use, and the respect of others. Respect for yourself builds self-confidence, and the two actually go hand in hand.
Respect for the self-defense discipline will provide you with the skills to learn it and be able to utilize it effectively when necessary. Respect for others, especially your attacker, is very important and can more effectively be defined by the statement “Never underestimate your opponent.”
Respect is a great life skill that can be beneficial when applied to every situation you find yourself in. Respect doesn’t only mean honoring someone, it mainly means not underestimating your opponent’s ability and drive to achieve their goal. It also means that you should have confidence in your abilities but also apply that same ideal to your opponent.
Awareness
Another tool an effective self-defense class will teach you is to always be aware of your surroundings. The best self-defense is avoidance or being able to not put yourself in a dangerous situation if an altercation is unavoidable then you will learn how to quickly size up the threat and how to most effectively apply your knowledge to extradite yourself in the most effective manner.
Always being aware of your surroundings and situation helps you to analyze and develop a plan to meet and overcome an obstacle. Awareness will also ensure that you exit the situation in the best physical, mental, and emotional state possible.
Michael D. Turashoff 