For Perspective

It's always interesting to decipher peoples thoughts on "martial arts", & self-defense. Most of the people around me who don't train in martial arts or self-defense that I know or work with say, "I can defend myelf"; "man if that guy messed with me, I'd just kick his @$$ and %^$# him up". Unfortunately, the thought process behind this follows only one thing this is UNREALISTIC:

Getting into a fight is NOT always of YOUR choice!

When it IS YOUR CHOICE:

• 
  
  When an opponent squares up to you, and you decide to not walk away
  


• 
  
  When you put yourself in a position both literally, and by going somewhere where you know getting into a fight is likely to happen. Instead of going there, you have a choice of going somewhere where you and your friends can ALL enjoy themselves.

When it IS NOT YOUR CHOICE:



(special thanks to my friend, Adam Chan of Pragmatic Martial Arts in Vancouver, B.C. for putting this together)

What you saw there, is what Martial Arts and Self-defense should be offering you. If you can't solve these problems...then you can't have the attitude that you can defend yourlself so easily. Life is full of choices, and events that you don't get to choose. Allow yourself the ability to deal with both the choices, and the sudden surprises you don't get a choice in partaking in.