(Approx 2 minute read)

The comments on my articles are often fascinating. Sometimes they’re insightful, sometimes frustrating – but every now and then, they give me something else to write about.
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Here we go with this gem: “If you need self-defense in your neighborhood, perhaps it’s time you switched neighborhoods.”
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It sounds clever – until you actually think about it. The comment assumes violence only happens in so-called “bad areas”, and that if you’re worried about it, you should simply move somewhere else. As if life were that simple.
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But violence doesn’t care where you live. It doesn’t check your post-code before it strikes. It happens in shopping centers, in offices, on holidays, in well-lit car parks, and sometimes in your own home.
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It affects people from all walks of life, in every kind of place. It’s not about your street – it’s about recognizing that the world isn’t always safe, and that trouble often comes when you least expect it.
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Lucky you if you never need self-defense. Honestly, I hope you never do. Most of us train with the hope that we’ll never have to use what we know. But hoping and pretending are two very different things.
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Self-defense isn’t about paranoia – it’s about preparation. It’s about having options when things go wrong. And for many people, it’s not some distant hypothetical. It’s about walking home late from work, working a night shift, or just existing in a world that doesn’t always play fair.
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You don’t train for a fight because you’re looking for one. You train because you understand that the choice to avoid it isn’t always yours.
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And as for “just moving”? That speaks from a place of comfort and privilege. Not everyone has the freedom – or finances – to simply pack up and leave. I live in an area where violence is sadly not uncommon. There have been shootings, carjackings, home invasions – even murder. Would I move if I could? Of course. But is it possible right now? No. Not on my income.
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A while ago, a few mothers of my students came to speak to me. They were concerned about racist attacks. The interesting thing? They lived in a very affluent area. Did they feel safer because of that? Apparently not.
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Sometimes, I’m genuinely surprised at how naïve or dismissive some opinions are within the martial arts. Maybe it’s just people trying to get a reaction, but I wonder if keeping an open forum for that kind of thinking is really worth it.
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Maybe it’s time to shut down the comments and let those voices drift into the ether.
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Violence doesn’t ask where you live. It just turns up. So maybe instead of offering smug advice from a safe distance, try understanding why people want self-defense in the first place.

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Because if your solution to danger is “just move”, then you’ve probably never been in any.
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Written by Adam Carter