BAD GUYS DON’T STAND STILL.
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When you first learn self-defense techniques, it’s natural to stand still to perform them. Static training give you and your partner time to understand what an attack feels like and allow you to coordinate your response.
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However! That IS just the FIRST step.
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If you believe the attacker is going to stand still and hold his arm out for you, or remain in one place for you to apply a myriad of techniques on him, you are very wrong.
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You will have his momentum and mass to deal with, his aggression moving forward towards you, the type of attack he is using; a push, punch, grab, perhaps a hidden weapon.
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Do you think you will have the time to respond with your neatly performed response that you practiced on a stationary object or person, or moving slowly up and down the dojo?
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Once you have an understanding of a technique, the next step is to add some speed, and pressure test it to see if you can still perform it with the attacker acting more realistically, and aggressively resisting you.
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Additionally, your response should rely on gross motors skills (so its application is not impacted by the effects of adrenaline), and leverage (so it can be used against bigger opponents), and is not overly complicated so that students can learn it reasonably quickly.
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Remember that if YOU are able to perform a technique upon your attacker, he may now respond to you in a completely different way to his initial attack.
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Therefore EXPECT further aggressive retaliation.
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Also if you are relying on punches and strikes alone, don’t believe that you maybe able to knock them out. It is very difficult to knock someone out when they are completely adrenalized and riled up. They probably won’t even feel the hit and they will carry on attacking like nothing has happened.
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So keep adding higher speed and stronger resistance to your training, don’t stand still, and you’ll be far less likely to make would could be a fatal self-defense mistake. ??
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With thanks to Ando Mierzwa