There’s no question, most people are eager to learn self-defense. They will read self-defense blogs, watch a few YouTube videos, and perhaps take some training. However, all too often the planning stops there. What you need to do is adapt your self-defense skill set to your personal life and circumstances. As long as there is a disconnect between your training and your circumstances, you will not get the maximum benefit from your training.
Here are five main areas that you need to analyze in order to develop an effective self-defense plan.
- Physical Ability: Your fitness is one of the key components of your self-defense. The ability to run and move quickly is essential. Make your fitness a priority. If you’re not going to commit to your fitness, don’t spend time trying to learn physical techniques that aren’t realistic for you. Your time is better spent learning situational awareness, avoidance, and weapons.
- Mindset: Are you fully committed to the defense of yourself and your loved ones? Are you willing to be inconvenienced in order to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Do you understand that it takes just one time of letting your guard down for someone to capitalize on it? Are you willing to make self-defense your lifestyle? Make self-defense an integral part of your thinking. Train yourself to always exercise good situational awareness and make your safety a top priority.
- Transitional Spaces: Analyze your daily routine and identify the transitional spaces you enter. Understand the norms of each of these spaces so you can easily identify and act upon anomalies. The key is to anticipate problems you may encounter and have a plan in advance to deal with them. Test your plans and modify them as environments change.
- Harden Your Home: We spend a large majority of our time in our homes with our guards down. Have you made your home security a serious part of your self-defense? Do you have a plan for all the occupants of your home in the event of an intruder or other problem? Do you have a security system with a visible sign in the front of your home? What about lighting? Motion activated lights are one of the best deterrents you can have on your home.
- Weapon Skills & Availability: All weapons require two things, training and availability. Do you train regularly with any weapons you have integrated into your self-defense? Are you committed to always have them with you and accessible? Have you trained with your weapons with the added complexities of having family members with you? Can you easily maneuver with your weapons in your home and vehicle? Do you carry a light with you at all times to identify threats in the dark? Are your weapons stored securely and out of the reach of children and thieves?
Learning self-defense is one thing, integrating it into your circumstances is another. Take the time to review your lifestyle and develop a self-defense plan tailored to you and your family.
