Top 5 Reasons To Learn Self-Defense

Nothing is more important than being able to take care of yourself and your family – mentally, financially, and physically. Learning self-defense is vital for everyone, not only women and children. Being able to physically protect yourself is an integral part of being a responsible prepper. Having self-defense abilities helps prepare you for the unexpected and develop the confidence that you can protect yourself in any given situation.

Self-defense requires practice. Whether you take a series of self-defense classes, or train in karate, boxing, jiu jitsu, or krav maga, keeping your skills sharp is of the utmost importance.  

There are 5 key reasons why learning self-defense techniques and practicing martial arts is beneficial to everyone:

1. Builds Confidence. With self-defense training comes a stronger sense of safety. You will feel far more confident knowing that you can defend yourself at any time, against any attacker – not only with brute force, but with skill. You will have the knowledge and abilities required to free yourself from a surprise attack or attempted kidnapping. It is the same feeling of confidence that you get from having food and supplies stored to survive a SHTF situation. Ask anyone who has taken a basic self-defense class! 
2. Develops Self-Discipline. In order to truly be prepared in the art of self-defense, you need to practice consistently. This means going to classes regularly. As we are all busy in our everyday lives, you will likely be sacrificing something in order to maintain your self-defense skills. This sacrifice allows you to develop self-discipline, which is an important character trait to possess as a prepper. It is also teaches children discipline at a young age, which is beneficial to their overall development.
3. Improves Physical Conditioning. Self-defense is as much about physical fitness as it is about specific skills. Unfortunately, self-defense preparation requires more than weekly trips to the gym. Mentally, you must learn how to deal with the adrenalin dump that occurs when someone attacks you. It only lasts seconds, so it is vital that you understand how to react without expending necessary energy too quickly. Physical conditioning will increase your confidence in your ability to take on an attacker as well as sharpen your reflexes and lessen reaction times.
4. Increases Situational Awareness. You are never prepared to be attacked, which automatically puts you at the disadvantage. Self-defense training teaches you to be aware at all times and to notice warning signs in your environment. Situational awareness alone can be a self-defense technique, as the most likely targets are people who are not paying attention to their surroundings.
5. Develops a Fight Response. Self-defense classes prepare you for battle. If you are attacked, you never want to be moved to a secondary location – hence the rule to never get in a vehicle with an attacker. Self-defense develops your fighter’s reflex. Your fighter’s reflex is what allows you to move quickly in a fight, rather than freezing in fear. Self-defense prepares you to fight in order to survive in dangerous situations.

Self-defense is a life-saving skill that everyone should practice. It not only helps improve your self confidence and physical fitness, but it can increase your situational awareness, discipline, and fighter’s reflex. You never know what kind of situation you will be facing when SHTF and any serious prepper should do everything possible to make sure he and his family are prepared to defend themselves. Sign up for self-defense classes or martial arts classes in your area, see for yourself, and stay safe.

See our other articles about surviving a hostage or kidnapping situation and escaping zip ties. Remember that knowledge is power in a survival situation!