Industry Magazine Source Security Spring 2016 | Page 30

THE TRIPLE A OF SELF-DEFNSE

Al Bargen

Al Bargen has achieved black belts in
several styles of martial arts and has
been involved in the security industry
since 199 8. For more information on Al
Bargen, or self-defense in general, visit
ModernSamuraiSociety.com

EXERCISE AND STRATEGY
AS a former self-defense instructor, having been involved in
martial arts in one form or another since the mid-80s, I am
frequently asked the all too common question “So what do I do to
defend myself on the street? “
I wonder if these people imagine that a few moments of an
instructorstime can enlighten them to the point where they “get the
edge?” Perhaps they hope to glean that one kernel of knowledge
that will somehow inoculate themselves from the high stress that
exists when you are forced to defend yourself on the street; when
there are no rules, when there may be no immediate help available.
I never fault anyone for asking questions, but the idea of learning
to protect, or defend yourself should be addressed with a few
different considerations. You may have heard that knowledge is
power, but this is only half true. Knowledge is key… But knowledge
by itself is meaningless... Applied knowledge is what gives us
the power to act appropriately when we need to. When we take
the lessons that we have learned, and apply them in as close to
real word world situations as possible; this is where the real magic
of self-defense starts to show itself. You try a self-defense move
in response to an ‘attack’ in the training hall and learn from the
results of those simulated attacks.
SPRING 2016

“...YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT KNOWLEDGE
IS POWER, BUT THIS IS ONLY HALF TRUE.
KNOWLEDGE IS KEY… BUT KNOWLEDGE BY
ITSELF IS MEANINGLESS..”
It can be frustrating to see self-defense instructors offering a
‘weekend self-defense course for women’ for instance. The idea
that you could learn to defend yourself over a weekend is misguided,
and potentially dangerous to the student. Thinking that after a
weekend of training you would be able to apply a defensive
technique against a motivated attacker in a real life situation could
cause more harm than good... an inflated sense of ability.
The fact is this: when discussing empty handed self-defense,
(we aren’t relying on pepper spray, tasers or other self-defense
gadgets) it takestime. There, I said it. It requires a time commitment
in order toreact more often than not in a manner that has you going
home safely and avoiding becoming a victim when attacked by
the mugger on the street. You cannot expect to respond to that
mugger’s sucker punch with any degree of efficacy unless your
muscles and body have gone through the motions tens, hundreds,
maybe even thousands of times.

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