Self-Defense - Outside the Box

 If you read this blog you are already aware that I have posted on self-defense using many sources such as:

Miller, Rory. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publications. New Hampshire. 2011.

Miller, Rory. Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence. YMAA Publications. 2008

Sutrisno, Tristan, MacYoung, Marc and Gordon, Dianna. "Becoming a Complete Martial Artist: Error Detection in Self Defense and the Martial Arts." Lyons Press. Connecticut. 2005.

MacYoung, Marc. No Nonsense Self Defense: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

MacYoung, Marc and Miller, Rory. Conflict Communications: http://www.conflictcommunications.com/index.htm
Otto, Frandon. Use of Force: http://www.useofforce.us/

MacYoung, Marc. "A Professional's Guide to Ending Violence Quickly: How Bouncers, Bodyguards, and Other Security Professionals Handle Ugly Situations." Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1996.

MacYoung, Marc. "Violence, Blunders, and Fractured Jaws: Advanced Awareness Techniques and Street Etiquette." Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1992.

Chiron Blog by Rory Miller: http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/

So, if asked for a definition of self-defense you will in all probability come out with legal and ethical ramifications of violence, how to avoid-deescalate, etc., and other martial specifics if you have to get into a fight.

So, now I am going to ask you to step outside that box. All this stuff you read here and are, if your a go-getter, studying outside here and your training facility you will now know that it benefits your every day life.

How, here is an example:

Your walking down the street with ear devices inserted and your eyes are on the iPod screen choosing the music you want to hear as you go about your business. You step off the sidewalk but guess what? There is also another person blowing through the intersection with ear devices in his/her ears, eyes on the screen choosing the music and "Blam!"

You just got catapulted about 100 feet down that road. The guy/gal driving feels the impact but is still frozen on what they are doing even tho their eyes are up and trying to determine just went wrong. While the drivers brain is trying to determine what happened then if lucky trying to figure out some action to take the mind may decide but the body remained frozen because there is no past experience in this. So, you get run over before  the driver slams on the brakes.

Now, both you and the driver, are dealing with a log of pain, physical for you and psychological for him/her. If you live you will have a bunch of hospital and rehab bills and other stuff to work with while taking the driver to court to sue, etc. and the driver is taking you to court to sue for mental distress, etc. because they insist if you had been paying attention it could have been avoided, and yadda yadda yadda.

Foreknowledge and training could have prevented all of this and this is still self-defense. What kind you say? Well, consider that self-defense is actually what you do to prevent harm, any harm, all harm, and yes harm goes way beyond the fight and violence as if a predator/criminal attacks you and so on.

Think and act outside the box, self-defense means a whole lot more than merely taking classes to learn techniques to fight. In our inclination to embrace technology to its fullest we may be opening ourselves to harm. It may be obvious and it may not so how would you could you tell? Awareness, mindfulness, and ... ?

Post inspired by Rory Miller's book, Facing Violence!

Bibliography:
Miller, Rory. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publications. New Hampshire. 2011.