| Many people tend to lump self defense and martial | | | | dealing with your heart you can also begin to employ |
| arts together, thinking they are one in the same. This | | | | your mind. As you assess the situation and how the |
| however, is not true. There is a profound difference in | | | | person is responding to you, look around. Where is the |
| philosophy and goal. Self defense is a subset of martial | | | | nearest escape route? Is the area deserted or |
| arts. The best way to show the difference is by going | | | | crowded with witnesses? Is he alone or does he have |
| to the foundation of self defense. The model of self | | | | friends that might join in? Does he look to be much |
| defense is divided into three parts: Heart, Mind and | | | | bigger or stronger than you? Is getting increasingly |
| Body. | | | | aggressive? Do you need to back away? How far? |
| The heart is concerned with motive. Why do we do | | | | Can you just walk away? So let's say you've done all |
| what we do? This is the core of self defense. The | | | | that and he is getting more aggressive. This is where |
| how and what of our actions flow from the why. In | | | | the third piece of the self defense model is applied. |
| self defense our motive is survival. Our attitude in a | | | | The physical aspect is usually the first part of the |
| confrontation is to avoid a fight. | | | | martial arts equation people think of but as you can |
| This is done by having a proper heart attitude. We | | | | see with self defense it is the last. After you've done |
| must remove ego from the equation. We don't have | | | | all you can do to avoid a physical altercation you can |
| to prove how tough we are. We don't have to show | | | | only control yourself. If he really wants to fight there's |
| off. The other motivating factor is emotions, because | | | | not a lot you can do to avoid it. You can run, |
| the heart is the seat of emotions. If you respond in | | | | remember pocket your ego. If you can't, what can you |
| fear, anger or hatred, you will be tense and ridged. You | | | | do? This depends on how he attacks you. As you |
| will not be able to flow. You may over react, over | | | | blend your heart and mind, your attitudes and the |
| commit. You may over think a situation rather than let | | | | information you have gleaned, solutions will begin to |
| the technique "happen". In self defense we don't look | | | | reveal themselves. As you relax your heart, mind and |
| to destroy an attacker we look to neutralize him. We | | | | now your body begin to flow together. Without thinking |
| look to do the least harm we need to to be safe. | | | | your subconscious begins to put things together. The |
| Let's look at an example. Most confrontations start | | | | attack comes, you almost automatically respond, |
| with a verbal exchange. Let's say you accidentally | | | | blending the heart, mind and body into the appropriate |
| bump into someone. He confronts you. Apologize. Put | | | | technique. You have kept yourself and possibly your |
| your ego in your pocket. What if he's a jerk and he | | | | loved ones safe. |
| doesn't let it go? Think about when you've been a jerk. | | | | This 3 piece approach to self defense is not natural. It |
| Give him some grace. Think," there but by the grace of | | | | actually goes against our nature. We want to attack. |
| God go I ". You're not perfect, don't expect others to | | | | We want to prove we can win. We want to show off |
| be. Stay calm. Remember you are trained; you can | | | | our martial arts skills. Only through realizing our |
| defend yourself if you need to. Now let's look at the | | | | tendencies and disciplining our heart, mind and body |
| second piece of the self defense foundation. | | | | can we be an effective self defense practitioner and |
| The mind is the connection between the heart and the | | | | be safe in an unsafe world. |
| body, the non-physical and the physical. As you are | | | | |