by K. Kip marsh
There may come a time in every persons life when they consider learning martial arts or training in self-defense. It may be that they have been the victim of violence, bullying or some other crime. It may be that they have watched YouTube videos or the daily news and decided that there is violence in the world and they need to be prepared to deal with it.
Whatever the reason, most people do not act on the idea of taking up training. Most are simply waiting for the “Right Time”. So when is the right time to start training to protect yourself.
As A Child?
Many people, especially parents, feel that their children should train in martial arts for various reasons. Many parents are interested in attributes that are not directly related to self-defense such as discipline, focus, respect, fitness and confidence. These are valuable traits to develop and the martial arts do lead to the development of them. However, more and more parents are seeing the need for self-defense against bullying. Some programs are excellent in training kids to avoid, defuse or defend in a bullying situation. Other programs are not so good at it. To train a child in self defense or martial arts giving them the idea that they can defend themselves against an adult or significantly larger minor, is a disservice. I call it the “Short Round” myth from the Indiana Jones movie Temple of Doom. It portrays a diminutive Asian kid kicking the butts of many large henchmen. Hollywood fantasy.
So training kids in self defense and martial arts is great for the many attributes that help in a child’s development but it should be made clear that situational awareness and a realistic approach to avoidance is important for the safety of the child.
As An Adult?
Adults, men and women, start training in martial arts or self-defense for many reasons as well. Self-protection, fitness, confidence, increased mental or physical health, and weight loss are among some of the reasons. All are worthwhile, but I tell many adults who ask me why they should train that they should “Weaponize your fitness.” I explain that you can go to a gym and do a boat load of cardio, and that is great, but self-defense and/or martial arts can give you the same cardio if trained correctly. Plus, you will be developing the skills necessary to handle a violent situation should the need arise.
As A Senior?
As a senior myself (67) I am acutely aware of the changes that occur as you age, especially where martial arts/self-defense training is concerned. However, with some modifications I believe that a person can continue to train well into their 7th and 8th decades. Some may ask why a senior would need to train, I ask why wouldn’t they. Because of my continued training in martial arts and self-defense, I have been able to maintain my flexibility and strength more than many in my age group. I am also sure that the discipline that I gained in regards to dietary and exercise habits has been instrumental in protecting me from the diseases of advanced age such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and loss of balance. Also, if you watch the news on any given day, you can see that there are predators out there that are targeting the senior population as they see them as ‘easy prey.”
So to sum up…When should you start training? NOW is the answer. There is no perfect time to start and there really is no reason to wait. That makes NOW the perfect time for any age man, woman, boy or girl!
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