Learning Self Defense and Knowing How to Fight Are Not The Same Thing

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charles_Garnett]Charles Garnett
For those who are interested in learning how to defend themselves and their loved ones against a violent physical assault, there is one all important fact that you must keep in mind. The real truth is that "Learning self defense and knowing how to fight are two different things."
The truth is that a lot of what is being taught in martial arts and self defense classes have very little practical application in the real world. Many of the techniques and moves will not work for you in a real life-or-death situation. Let me repeat, "Much of what is being taught will not work if you find yourself or your loved ones facing a violent physical assault."
The reason behind this is because in traditional martial arts and self defense classes you will learn certain techniques to apply to certain situations. For instance, if your attacker does a certain thing or comes at you in a certain way, you would apply a certain technique. And you practice these techniques over and over until they become ingrained in your subconscious. When you are attacked, these are the techniques you would try to apply. But what if your attacker does something that you have no technique for, something that you have not trained for? What if he doesn't follow the rules?
The above example is an over-simplification of the issue but it is still true. Most self defense schools and courses can teach you how to defend yourself to a certain degree. But sometimes, that degree is not enough.
In the real world, violent criminals do not follow the rules. They do not play by the rules and they don't care how much martial arts or self defense training you have had. They are not afraid of it because they know how ineffective most of it is in the real world. Real criminals have a distinct advantage over you because they know what really works and that's what they do to you.
Now this is not to say that all martial arts or self defense training is no good or that you won't learn something that might save your life or help you defend yourself or loved ones. The point I'm trying to make is that some training is more effective for real world combat situations than others.
Learning self defense and learning how to fight are two different things. We have all heard the stories about how a black belt, who had been involved in the martial arts for many years, either was beaten up or killed in a real life attack on the street. Now this does not apply to all martial artists. But it does happen sometimes. I have personally known many martial artists of high degree who I believe could handle themselves in any situation. But I have also known many regular people who haven't studied martial arts who I believe could handle themselves also in any situation. These people just know how to fight. They know what works in a real fight even though they have not had any formal training.
So make sure when looking for self defense training that you find someone who can teach you real world fighting skills and will take the time to show you how and why it works. Just learning hundreds of different techniques won't do you much good when facing the thug that does something totally different than what you expect.
Want to know more about how to defend yourself and loved ones against a violent physical assault? Go to [http://ultimateselfdefensetraining.blogspot.com]Ultimate Self Defense Training.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Learning-Self-Defense-and-Knowing-How-to-Fight-Are-Not-The-Same-Thing&id=6594880] Learning Self Defense and Knowing How to Fight Are Not The Same Thing