Whether it’s a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Cousin,
Aunt or close friend we all have women in our lives that we care about
deeply. Therefore, it is absolutely
crucial that we do anything in our power to make sure they are safe. One important aspect of keeping our loved
ones safe from harm is making sure they have at least a basic understanding of
how to defend themselves if someone tries to harm them. However frightening, it could be the
difference between the life and death of those we hold dear.
As a life-long “untraditional” Mixed Martial Artist I
have had the privilege of training and training under some of the best Martial
Artists in the world. I started a
successful wrestling career at a young age under a Pan American Gold Medalist
and United States Olympian. After
wrestling I started studying the submission grappling art Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
and ultimately earning my Black Belt (which many people believe is the hardest
and most time consuming of all Martial Arts to receive). I have since become a practitioner of Muay
Thai (a striking art that utilizes punches, kicks, knees, elbows and the
clinch) and have had the privilege of studying Muay Thai directly at its source
in the county of its origin Thailand. I
am also a coach and trainer at my own gym Long Island MMA and Fitness Center
located in Lindenhurst, New York where I train people from all walks of life, from
professional fighters at the highest level of MMA to housewives looking for an
exciting alternative to regular gym workouts.
In my own personal experience with Martial Arts I have
found most practitioners to be somewhat closed minded. This close-minded approach to training
transcends most traditional Martial Artists (Karate, Kung-Fu, Taekwondo, etc…)
as well as most practitioners of Mixed Martial Arts (Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu, Muay Thai etc…). Most
practitioners are blinded by the “effectiveness” of their respective Martial
Arts and unable to see the true beauty of combining the very best of each art
form. That being said, when we are faced
with the safety of our loved ones, the typical closed minded approach to
studying Martial Arts should be set aside.
At my gym Long Island MMA and Fitness Center we take
the most effective techniques both proven in competition as well as from traditional
arts regardless of origin. We set aside
the ego, due to the fact that our most important goal is saving lives…period. Myself and the other instructors at Long
Island MMA and Fitness Center have put together a curriculum that works
regardless of size, strength and speed.
The most important technique that we teach to women
looking to defend themselves isn’t a “secret” kick, punch, choke, or arm-bar,
it is avoiding the altercation all together.
Being aware of your surroundings and keeping a keen eye out for
dangerous situations is the most crucial skill of all.
A false sense of security can be one of the most
dangerous aspects when teaching women (and men) self defense. If an instructor is teaching techniques that
will not work in a real life situation to their students he is doing them a
huge disservice. However, if an
instructor is teaching his students techniques that are ineffective and has
them genuinely convinced that these self defense techniques will save their
lives then they are in even greater risk of injury or even death. For example, if you have a gun you may be
more likely to put yourself in a position to get into a gun fight. However, if you weren’t aware that the gun
was unloaded and then went into that gunfight, essentially unarmed, you would
likely be killed.
The bottom line is that we
all have loved ones that will at some point in their lives be faced with a
situation that puts them in danger. If
you genuinely care about that persons well being (or your own for that matter)
get them the proper training that they may need to save their lives. Make sure you pre qualify they training
center that you or your loved ones join.
There are many trainers out there not qualified to teach self defense,
make sure you choose the right one…it could be a matter of life or death.
