Mastering self defense techniques gives you power. Not power over others in some malicious or negative or hypnotic way but a power and mastery over yourself and your fears that others can detect.

Can you imagine walking freely through the world unafraid of whom or what may be thrown in your path?

This is the true goal of the martial artist and the self defense practitioner.

With Martial arts training, mastery of technique takes longer as you progress through the grades and develop experience. This is valuable in itself as it develops great willpower, discipline and focus. With self defense the goal of effective self protection can be achieved in a shorter time.

Self defense training is different though because the aim is more practical. We come looking for effective techniques that will get us out of trouble and keep us safe. When we take up a self defense discipline either in a class or on our own, we are not seeking forms and rituals, cultural lessons or certificates. We simply want something that works on the street.

If we put a lot of effort into our training, learning these skills develops within us a level of confidence and a feeling of personal capability. It has to, because we are taking action to counter our fears. We are making real world choices to protect ourselves and you can’t help but move towards a personality that carries more self assurance.

The thing about confidence is that how you feel inside can be felt by everyone. It’s called instinct. All wildlife operates this way. It’s animal instinct and of course it’s operating in our world too. If you feel afraid and full of fear about being attacked when you go out, this attitude will be reflected in your body language, movement and demeanour no matter how much you try to hide it. It’s at work at a level lower than your conscious thinking. This isn’t easy to change but it can be done. Our conscious attitudes and feelings often have subconscious motivators and triggers.

As you start training in self defense you will begin to change these attitudes, if you have them, and you will soon begin to project, more confidence to the outside world. You have to do more than play at it though. It takes effort and enthusiasm but this should be easy to find when you realise how much you can improve! With time, an effective course of self defense will give you the kind of assurance you have always wanted.