Expert: Marc MacYoung - 10/14/2009

Question
Although I know that physical self defense methods are the last resort after avoidance, de-escalation and escape fails, I was wondering if it would be worth upkeeping some simple physical defense techniques such as striking or getting out of a choke etc. I often read to practice these physical techniques "often". I was thinking once a month, do you think this is sufficient? I have previous experience in a striking martial art (Taekwondo >.< Don't worry, I won't be practising my high kicks!) I plan on practising palm strikes and punches to the chin and temple, a few body strikes, and escaping from some common holds. My emphasis will be one strike hit and run

Answer
If I might suggest, forget once-a-month practicing striking.

First off, a better self-defense strategy is to strike AS you are dodging and blocking, then turn it into getting out of the circumstances that are to your attacker's advantage. For example, you never run from danger, you run towards safety. Usually an attacker has chosen a spot that is best for him. By doing something like heading for the lights and the noise (where there are people)often an attacker will change his mind about continuing the event.

This strategy can be better ingrained by dancing around your living room as often as you remember to do it. As such, you don't need to go out and do all your training all at once. You consistently are training several times a week for maybe 30 seconds at a time.  Simply raising two hands in a circular motion AS you are stepping to the diagonal, give you all the gross movements for a simultaneous move, block and strike. During your 'dance practice' you work on refining timing, skeletal alignment and moving your weight to put it behind your motions.

This may not seem like much, but it's pretty much an idea from tai chi. While everyone thinks tai chi is for sissies and old people, the simple fact is, it is the martial arts with the horns taken off. I married into a ranching family so I figured out this analogy. People see the horns of a bull and think "Ooooh that's what makes it dangerous." but what they don't realize it isn't the horns, but the 2,000 pounds of future hamburger that is going to crush you like a bug. The 'horns' of martial arts are the punches and kicks, how you move your body is the 2,000 pounds that will squish someone. If you don't ingrain how to put your moving body weight behind what you are doing, then your punches are going to be like a Chihuahua with long horns strapped onto its head.

Routinely moving fluidly while focusing on making sure your body structure and alignment is there, will ingrain this more effectively than once-a-month binges. However, you can still do those once a month training sessions to double check that your timing and structure are correct. What I do with my students is I hold a heavy bag and have them stand where it will hit them. Then I let it go. They dodge out of the way and with one hand deflect and with the other hand strike the bag.