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Category:
Published: July 2006
As a child, I would always look forward to the ear piercing shriek of the school fire bell-an event I would later learn was required by the state to occur several times a year. As an adult, I look back and am amazed at the importance society places on practice for a fire evacuation while the likelihood of getting burned in a fire is much less than getting bullied, attacked, raped, mugged or even murdered. Why then do so few people get involved in some form of martial arts training?
There are approximately 10 million Americans that participate in some form of martial arts training each year, and over 300 million Americans. The positive side is that the numbers are on the rise, but it is also staggering since it represents only 3% of our population! Many of these students are not involved strictly for the self-defense aspect, but also for the stress relief, the expression of the human mind and body, self-control, discipline, exercise and the list goes on.
The necessity for self-defense training stems from the roots of our survival instincts (Fight or Flight) similar to many of our other innate phobias such as fear of heights, spiders, snakes, etc. The problem is that most of our modern families hear the stories on the evening news about homicide, rape, abuse, and abduction and think, "That is terrible, but it isn't going to happen to me or my family." For me, that is not a gamble that I am willing to take.
What it all boils down to is self-confidence. Children should be able to go to school and have a positive, "Yes I Can" attitude that does not entice bullies to pick on them. Women should feel confident that they can pump gas at night if they need to. Men should feel confident that they could defend themselves against another man who may be attempting to mug them and take their money. The psychological aspects of self-defense can be just as important as the physical. In some aspects, the psychological aspects can be even more important because they can be preventative versus reactive.
At Cutting Edge Tae Kwon Do, we teach one of the most realistic, practical and effective self-defense systems available today. Combat Hapkido combines techniques from Hap Ki Do, Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kune Do and others. Combat Hapkido is a modern approach to self-defense that utilizes joint locks, strikes, kicks and restraints. Combat Hapkido can save a life in a real world situation. We offer classes on Wednesday nights from 7:45 pm to 8:45 pm and throughout the summer from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. We also teach basic concepts and techniques through Seminars and Clinics. You can get more information about this program and many of our other great programs at .
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