The Art and Science of Self-Defense

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Is there an art to self-defense? Yes!

Is there a science to self-defense? Yes?

What are they? 

That is the article that follows herein and let it be known that the caveat for this article is that I am not a legal professional; I am not a scientist; I am not a science professional; I AM a professional and knowledgable and experienced self-defense guru through my profession and expertise in martial arts with specificity toward Okinawan Karate, i.e., Isshinryu Karate of Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei.

Yes, to science not specifically sciences science but a science all the same, because self-defense defense is an intellectual and practical activity that requires one use a systematic study of the structure, legalese and behaviors of both the physical and the psychological by and through not just observation but also hands-on training, practice and application as a result of experimentation and creativity using analysis of both training and experience to reach a consensus and concept through the system of synthesis, a group endeavor, that provides concepts, triggers and skills to handle self-defense as defense for using physical self-protection... assuming all avoidance skills are either missed or failed for what ever reasons. 

Yes, to the art of self-defense because the complex and complicated concepts, laws and social requirements along with the characteristics and variables of human beings as individuals and as a group wherein things like:

• Individual character and personality traits of those who would sit in judgement as legal system persons and those drawn into that system to sit in judgement like jurors. 
• Individual character and personality traits of the first responders:
• their personalities;
• their beliefs;
• their mandates from department officials;
• the mandates from the legal system;
• their feelings for that day and that moment;
• their cultural beliefs as humans as well as officials of the legal system;
• witness perceptions as driven by experiences and influences of family, social structure and other variables like social venues of the Internet not to lessen the influence of various social media outlets like gaming, movies and other such things;
• the ability of the compliance and influence disciplines, systems and presentations, etc., that will effect how others perceive events both factual and true and those created through the lens of all the above on each participant regardless; 
• your actions and WORDS before, during and after a conflict with physical damage or even death as perceived by witnesses, the adversaries buddies in the witness arena and others through both statements and cell phone video’s.
• Social media influence as perceived by statements of witnesses on air along with how others perceive the very video’s used as evidence both legal and socially viewed in news, etc.;
• unpredicted variables that affect whether you are arrested, prosecuted or convicted to include:
• personalities of persons making decisions about what you did
• emotions of such persons at the moment decisions are made, 
• societal factors such as recent heinous crimes shocking society,
• societal factors such as hateful attitudes about what and how you were perceived in doing what you did, 
• race, religion, national origins, sexual preference of the defender and/or attacker and/or victim. 
• the very humanity of police, prosecutors, judges and jurors as fallible and easily making of mistakes, etc.,

If you get the wrong first responders, the wrong prosecutor and/or jurors you could be arrested, prosecuted and/or convicted. It is literally a creative art where by one’s training, practice and applicable skills MUST meet or exceed the standards, practices and concepts mandated through these variables that are all pretty much fluid and in a constant change of flux from moment to moment. 

I visualize in my self-protection the principles of yin/yang where both the use of a science approach along with the creativity found in the arts of the self-protection discipline are critically necessary to achieve success in the avoidance and/or defense against the before, during and after(math) of both the self-protection and legal-protection I would need to win in both instances a self-defense defense. 

In short, its complicated in its complexities and that does NOT have to be the end product BECAUSE the blood, sweat and equity of both in your efforts in self-protection will literally make the application of avoidance, self-protection and protection of the aftermath easy in its complex complicated concepts. 

Many in the martial arts, karate, communities who profess to teach realistic self-defense already know that to focus on the physical exclusively and give all else a glossing over type of teachings realized that most of the effort in self-protection is the art and science of not self-defense but to develop and focus on “Avoidance Skills.” Let the other stuff be provided equal and added emphasis after mastering avoidance skills and earn the full monty necessary to protect oneself and one’s family/friends from conflict and avoid the aftermath of the legal system entirely. 

Barry Eisler has a quote just posted on Facebook by the Safety Concepts folks who teach personal safety education for everyone where is wrote, Barry Eisler that is, the following:

“The two most important things to do for self-defense are NOT to take a martial arts class or to GET a GUN, but to think like the opposition and KNOW where you’re most at risk.” (emphasis of caps mine) - Barry Eisler

That tells me just how important our avoidance skills are in areas such as knowing your environments and having environmental intelligence in apply avoidance skill, “situational and environmental awareness.” 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)