Most people think that learning a martial art teaches you self-defense. But actually most martial arts don’t teach you self-defense – they only teach you how to deal with self-defense failure. That’s something I realized only after practicing martial arts for nearly 15 years.
The Difference Between Martial Arts & Self-Defense
Here’s an easy way to understand the difference between martial arts and self-defense, and why one doesn’t always equal the other.
Scenario A
It’s 4 in the morning, and you’re going home by yourself after a late night out. You wonder whether to take your usual short-cut through the back-alley. It’s dark and deserted, but you decide to anyway.
Halfway through, a man steps out and threatens you with a knife, demanding you hand over your wallet. You don’t want any trouble so you hand it to him, but he lunges at you after taking it. Your martial arts training helps you sidestep the attack, disarm the man and throw him to the ground, after which you run like hell back home.
You reach home a little shaky, but safe. You realize you should have been more careful about taking the back-alley earlier.
Scenario B
It’s 4 in the morning, and you’re going home by yourself after a late night out. You wonder whether to take your usual short-cut through the back-alley, but it’s dark and deserted, so you decide to walk the well-lit and busier main road. You reach home safely, but a little late, and think you were probably too paranoid earlier.
