People have always been fascinated with the martial arts. Hollywood has done a great job of twisting the art of self defense way out of proportion. From Bruce Lee movies to the Power Rangers, people have a very skewed take on what martial arts are really about. If you’re considering self defense classes, it helps to know a few things so you can make the best choice.
What Do You Hope to Take Away from Self Defense Classes?
Before you sign up for any type of martial arts course, you need to know what your motives for learning are. Different styles and schools have varying benefits. You should honestly ask yourself why you want to study martial arts. The most common reasons are:
- Physical Fitness or as a social activity or hobby
- To learn “mystical” secrets of fighting
- To learn real self defense tactics to protect yourself.
You need to choose the right kind of program for your needs. Nearly all martial arts systems will help you to improve your fitness level. When you’re moving around, punching and kicking, you get good exercise.
If you want to pursue karate or other fighting styles as a social activity. There are plenty of clubs and studios in most areas that offer classes that you can sign up for. Some will charge a monthly fee others will ask you to sign a contract. It’s best to avoid contracts and large down payments. Too many karate schools go out of business and leave you standing with a worthless contract and without receiving the lessons you paid for.
The Mystical Martial Arts Myth
You are an intelligent reader and probably realize that self defense systems have nothing to do with magic or mysticism. If someone is looking for this kind of training, there are some unethical studios that are more than happy to take the money and teach you the supposed “secrets” that will give you great powers. Just know that there is nothing otherworldly about real self defense training.
Practical Self Defense Training
There are several systems that teach decent self defense techniques. Kenpo, Krav Maga and MMA studios teach practical self defense that you can use. There are also online courses that have stripped away all the unnecessary frills of fancy self defense systems and give you just the meat – the kinds of techniques that can keep you from being a victim of violence.
You can learn some good self defense from a Kenpo or Krav Maga school, but you will have to pay quite a bit for these better self defense courses – typically $50 to $100 a month. Online self defense programs that instruct you in the most effective fighting skills are much more affordable than studios or schools. With the better online self defense programs you get the best instruction on the most realistic defense techniques for less than the cost of one month of studio lessons.
Steve Hines