Self-Defense Practical Techniques: Read More, Run More, No Need to Train Martial Arts
“I’ve been working out and training for three years to lose weight and build willpower. I’ve gradually developed from running to more advanced exercises, and now I’d say I’ve made some progress, it’s pretty relaxed at a 200-mile half marathon, and I can do 25 sets of 6 reps with pull-ups and 50 sets of 6 reps with barbell arm curls. Considering my physical condition, it’s definitely above average compared to ordinary people. Recently, because of my fitness, I got mixed up with a group of martial arts ‘knights’. Perhaps I still had a ‘kung fu dream’, so I joined in to learn some martial arts, basically just practicing with a punching bag. Throughout this process, I’ve gained a lot. It’s really beneficial to learn martial arts. Whether it’s traditional martial arts or modern combat sports, they all have their uses, but some of their uses have been exaggerated by commercialization.
“Starting with the ‘one-move enemy defeat defense’ technique, of course, there are many promotional descriptions like this. For example, ‘defeat an enemy with one hand’, ‘secret techniques of the world’, ‘four pounds defeat thousands of pounds’ etc. The meaning is very clear, that is, these martial arts techniques are very powerful, and if you learn them, they can be used at critical moments to defend yourself and save your life! There is also an important underlying assumption: everyone can learn it easily, and once you learn it, you can use it! I may have been misled by these film promotions, and until now, I’ve realized that it’s a more accurate understanding. These techniques described in one-move defense techniques are now seen as promotional descriptions, and they are not necessarily real in reality. Do they exist? Yes! Are they useful? Yes! The problem is that these techniques seem easy to learn, but they are actually not easy to learn! Even if you learn them, you may not be able to use them! If you don’t have basic skills, ordinary people shouldn’t expect to learn them easily! Don’t even think about being able to use them effectively!
“My practical experience tells me that all of these secret techniques are just empty words. If the technique doesn’t work, the most important thing is your basic ability and proficiency. Don’t think about learning one-move defense techniques without putting in the effort. Martial arts teachers and combat sports coaches all have years of basic skills and diligent study and practice to achieve. Sometimes, they need to be coordinated with others to be used.
“Some martial arts teachers always emphasize that their fist techniques are practical and effective, and they’ve been practicing for many years. If they cooperate when cutting, it might work; if they don’t cooperate, and I don’t have a good physical condition, relying solely on brute force and instinct, it’s unlikely to succeed. Even good techniques, if you don’t have basic skills, don’t grasp the key points, and don’t practice regularly, relying solely on on-the-spot performance is like a soldier pulling a shotgun and going on to kill enemies—it’s usually just a waste of resources.
“During my practice, I deeply felt that any high-level techniques were just simple techniques like any punch in the basic straight hook punch. If you don’t practice thousands of times, you can’t feel the essence of it. Even if you understand the key points, you must continue to practice! Even if you’re already well-trained, you can’t guarantee that you can perform normally in a tense and fearful situation. How to maintain emotional stability and normal performance requires continuous combat training! This is far beyond the scope of ‘easy to learn’—it requires hard work and dedication. You can’t have ‘one-move defense’ techniques without putting in the effort.
“All of these secret techniques are for people who are interested in martial arts and combat sports and are willing to put in the effort. For ordinary people, if they’re not interested in martial arts and combat sports and don’t want to endure hardship, they’d want to learn secret techniques to have in case of self-defense—that’s wishful thinking! If you really want to defend yourself, the simplest way is to poke your eyes and rip a hole in the crotch—you don’t need to learn it specifically, you can practice it regularly. It’s only a last resort when the situation is critical, and there’s no other way. You encounter a little bad guy, you can make him lame, which may be undesirable. Of course, if you don’t practice diligently and have insufficient strength, the killing effect is generally ineffective.
“The most practical self-defense techniques are better than reading and thinking, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Reading and thinking can help you stay vigilant, and running can improve your physique and physical fitness. Even if you can’t fight back, you can still make a little bit of strength and use ‘secret techniques’!
