ART on Self-Defence

In today's world full of violence and ill-will, you should be prepared to meet any surprise attack from an unexpected aggressor. What would you do in case somebody harass or attack you? Would you freeze with fear, back down and cry, or get up and fight? I would choose to fight. Not that I am entirely a war-freak person, but I could not just keep anybody bully me for any reason. But that is easier said than done. So, for those of you who are interested on how can you defend yourselves against some malicious person, here are some facts and tips about the art of self-defence.

Q: What are some simple weapons a woman can use for self-defence purposes?

Ans: A purse, the edge of a book, keys, a pencil or a pen, the edge of a credit card, or a hat pin. Nearly everything within reach  or at her disposal can be transformed into an immediate self-defence item.

Q: If a woman is attacked by a man whose intention is to rape her, what are the best defences?

Ans: First, she should scream the word "fire!" because more people will respond. Then she should try to hit him as hard as possible in an area which will disable him, such as the groin, the eyes, the knees, or the throat. At the first opportunity, she should run as fast as possible to a safe place.

Q: What is a woman's best self-defence weapon if attacked on the street?

Ans: Her voice. An ear-piercing scream has deterred many attacker.

Q: What is the difference between art and sport?

Ans: Art, as the word applies to the martial arts, is the specific application of skill in perfect traditional form. Sport, which has come to be considered the antithesis of art, is the specific application of skill to obtain effective results. The practice of one of the martial arts as a sport is not primarily concerned with perfect execution.

Q: How did martial arts evolved?

Ans: The ancient Bodhidharma, who is also known as Dot Mor, Tamo, Duruma and Duruma Taishi, was the founder of Zen Buddhism in the sixth century A.D. It is claimed that he traveled from India to China by way of the Himalayas to introduce what is believed to be the first martial art ever practiced in China. It is claimed he taught his martial art in the form of breathing exercises to the monks of the Shaolin Temple. The Shaolin Temple thus became known as the birthplace of the Chinese martial arts.

Q: What are the martial arts?

Ans: The martial arts, meaning military, warlike, or fighting arts, include all systems of combat, particularly those stemming from the Asian countries. A martial art, ideally, means any fighting discipline, either with or without the use of weaponry. Each nation has its own specific martial art, or several of them. China's martial art is wu shu, better known to Westerners as kung-fu. The Okinawan martial art is known as karate and is subdivided, much like kung-fu, into dozens of branches. Arts like judo, jujutsu, which come before karate, are two of the national martial arts of Japan. Western boxing and wrestling could rightly be called the martial arts of the United States. Another popular tactic is the Korean martial art known as tae kwon do which has a worldwide following. Others such as aikido, kickboxing (or muai thai) were popularized by actors Steven Seagal and Jeanne Claude Van Damme, respectively.

Q: What is the most deadly style of martial arts?

Ans: There exists no single style which is considered the deadliest. If there were, presumably everyone would study that particular style, and thus there would be no need for any others. Each particular style has its own inherent advantages and disadvantages. But style only molds a practitioner's basic ability. Once he progresses to a higher level of proficiency it is his individual ability which may or may not make him deadly, not the style he has studied.

Q: What are some of the major reasons why people study the martial arts?

Ans: People take up instruction in the martial arts for many individual reasons. Some of the principal reasons are self-defence, physical fitness, the relief of stress and achievement of mental calmness, philosophy, and the pursuit of a tournament career in sport. Also, in today's crime-ridden society, more and more women are studying martial arts due to a growing number of rape assaults and sexual harassments.

Q: What are the benefits of knowing how to defend oneself from learning martial arts?

Ans: Self-confidence, agility, instinctive reaction to ward off danger (one that comes out naturally without much thinking), discipline, humility, honor and other important virtues can be developed in one's study of martial arts.

Q: What are some of the weaker parts of the body, which a woman can strike when attacked?

Ans: As Bruce Lee once advised, strike the groin, poke at the eyes, and kick to the shin, groin, or knee. Other areas more susceptible to counterattack are the tip of the nose when the palm is thrusted upward; the collarbone, which require very little pressure to break; the ears, clapped with both hands; and the instep, stamped with enough force and accuracy so that in an attack, a woman can more readily adapt to the situation.