When it comes to self defense, nearly every martial arts instructor claims to have the answer. In one way, these instructors are correct, but in another way, most are very wrong.
The way that nearly every instructor is correct in this matter is this: The two most important things in a self defense situation are a cool head and action. Feeling like you know what you are doing will help you keep a clear head and will give you an idea of what you can do, which will cause you to act. If an attacker is not truly dedicated to an attack (and most aren't), any action will likely startle him, allowing you to escape.
However, much of what is out there regarding self defense is based on one fallacy or another. In some cases, self defense training is based on the presence of a weapon that must be concealed in a purse, pocket, or inside a jacket. Such a weapon must be retrieved before it is of any use, and an attack can drive a knife home, strike with a baseball bat, or pull a trigger while you're trying to draw it to use. Others base their self defense information on the idea that every mugger/rapist/murderer fits one profile with regards to psychology, training, and physiology. Still others base their techniques on an art that has become a show art, forgoing effective techniques for flashy ones.
I cannot teach a full self defense class over the internet. Nobody can. Anybody who claims to be able to do so is probably looking to rob you of your money, albeit in a nonviolent way. What I can do is give you ideas to help you learn to apply your art in the most efficient way in a self defense situation. The following are some basic concepts of self defense and how they can be applied to your training and thinking.
Technique
Training for self defense is different from training for tournaments, or for MMA matches, or for maintaining a tradition. Tournament maneuvers are either flashy or aimed at scoring points. An attacker is not going to be concerned with how high you can kick or if you've tapped him in the chest. MMA is geared toward opponents who are trying to knock you out or choke you into unconsciousness, and who have limitations on techniques they may use. An attacker's motives, capabilities, and intentions are so widely varied that this kind of training is nearly useless. Traditional training often has a very wide range of effective maneuvers, but it also includes flash and maneuvers whose true use has been lost to history.
The first thing to consider with regards to technique is that not every attack or defense that you learn is going to be useful in a self defense situation. The faster a maneuver can be executed, the easier it is to recover to a defense if the attacker tries to turn the tables on you. Flashy moves such as high kicks and maneuvers that require turning the body more than 90 degrees take too long, broadcasting the attack and leaving the body open to counterattack.
The best self defense maneuvers are blindingly fast. Power means nothing if it never connects. At the same time, if the opponent is vastly stronger, or is holding a weapon, anything you do must end the threat as quickly as possible. Because of this, short punches and simple blocks are often the best choices.
Examine the techniques in the martial art that you practice. Try to find those that are the fastest as well as those that are the most versatile. These are going to be the maneuvers that are most likely to be successful in a self defense situation.
Practice
Once you know the types of techniques in your given art that are best used, they should be practiced and practiced and practiced. As I said earlier, speed is key. If a maneuver is not practiced thoroughly and in numerous situations, you will have to think about it in order to utilize it. Thought takes time. What you want is to develop your self defense techniques to the level of near-instinct.
Another important aspect to this is practicing following up on a first technique. A sensei once told me that executing a flawless maneuver is pointless if you stand there, pointing and saying "look what I did!" Any maneuver, either offense or defense, must be followed up by another and another and another, until the threat is gone. Don't ignore flight as an applicable response, however. Stunning an opponent with a quick punch to the solar plexus can easily be followed by turning and running.
A Note on Legality and Ethics
A big concern in the martial arts community is the question of liability when martial arts are used as a self defense weapon. Stories abound of needing to register yourself as a deadly weapon, or a martial art being sued over breaking an attacker's arm in self defense. As with most things, there is a mix of truth and fiction in these stories. As far as I am aware, there is no state in the US where a black belt is even capable of registering himself as a deadly weapon, let alone any state where it is required. There are, however, cases where martial artists have been sued over harm done in self defense.
Often, however, these cases are matters of excessive force. If a man at a bar simply pushes you and you break his windpipe, three of his fingers, and his left humerus, you will likely pay for it in a later civil suit. It is important that you match your response to the threat that you face. This is not only a matter of legality, but one of ethics. It simply isn't right to permanently injure someone who means you no true harm, and it's not right to kill someone just because they threatened to hit you if you didn't give them your wallet.
If an attacker has a weapon, a significant amount of force is justified. Breaking a limb is a reasonable response to someone holding a knife on you. Likewise, someone who is far larger than you presents enough danger that severe harm is justified. However, if you are being attacked by an unarmed person far smaller than you and you do more than leave a few bruises, the courts are not likely to look kindly upon you.
Guns (and other weapons)
Why practice martial arts for self defense when you can go out and get yourself a concealed carry permit and a gun? The gun is the great equalizer, giving even a 40 pound kid the ability to kill a 250 pound linebacker. Having a gun puts you on equal footing with armed muggers, and gives you the upper hand in your own home.
The truth is that a gun is a last-ditch defense whose use is limited to very few circumstances. Using the example of a mugger holding a gun on you, having a gun in a waistband holster or worse, your purse, does not put you on even ground with the mugger. The mugger has his gun pointed at you and his finger is on the trigger. You, on the other hand, need to free your gun from its home, disarm the safety, aim, and shoot. During this time, the attacker could pull the trigger several times.
The best defense in this situation is to give the attacker what he wants. If he has a gun on you, there is little that you can do. Only if you are convinced that he is truly going to hurt you should you attempt to do something. If action is warranted, there is no easy answer as to the best course of action. As stated above, drawing a gun gives the attacker ample time to fire. Attempting to redirect fire and disarm the attacker is faster, but is by no means an easy task. Distracting and fleeing the attacker gives you a good chance of being missed, but leaves a lot up to luck. All of these actions risk harm to innocent bystanders (another reason to hand your wallet over), harm which you may be found liable for.
One of the biggest reasons that I don't like the concept of firearms as the standard self defense weapon is the potential for collateral damage. A standard 9mm round is capable of passing through the wall of a house and maintaining killing force at hundreds of feet. This means that a round that misses its intended target (or passes through, a rare, but not unheard of instance) has the potential to hurt or even kill another human being, perhaps even a loved one in another room. Because this is not limited to line-of-sight, you have no idea precisely who you are threatening when you pull the trigger.
Another thing to consider is that an attacker is capable of taking a gun away and turning it on you. This is difficult, as described above, but still a possibility. On the other hand, no attacker can take your martial art and turn it against you.
Many of the problems with guns also apply to other weapons. All weapons need to be in your hand to be used, and may be taken and turned on you. However, few weapons are as lethal as a gun, making other weapons more useful in a wider range of situations, such as those where lethal force is not necessary, or when there are a large number of uninvolved innocents are nearby.
A Final Note
As I said, I cannot teach a full self defense course here. This is just a guide on how to learn self defense. You still must find a source to truly learn from. Still, keep these thoughts in mind as you learn. Some you may find to be truthful, some you may disagree with. That's fine. Nothing works for everyone. Find what works for you and abide by it.
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