Reaction Capability in Self-Defense

When it comes to self-defense, every fraction of a second counts, and sometimes it can mean the difference between being a victim and getting out of a dangerous situation safely. We therefore want to react as quickly as possible, once we have understood that we are in danger.

Reaction Speed

Reaction speed is a quality that can be trained. However, we can only improve it up to a point, and in most situations we are talking about a few hundredths or tenths of a second. And we will only be able to make use of it after we have made the decision to react.

Fewer Decisions

We can gain a substantial advantage through a different approach, by which we try to make the decision-making process simpler and therefore faster. Many options and a complicated decision-making process mean — regardless of the field we are talking about — a slow decision / reaction.

When the focus is on self-defense techniques, the decision we need to make is “which technique should I use given the way I am being attacked”. But we are already being attacked, and that is the first thing we need to become aware of, before we can react in any way. The most unfavorable scenario is the one where we are taken completely by surprise. Therefore, a state of alertness and a mindset that continuously processes possible threats can give us a great advantage — see the article on Jeff Cooper’s color code.

Prevention in All Situations

One step further is where we try to classify situations as early (and as clearly) as possible and thus have as much time as possible for analysing and planning those that are truly dangerous. We can do this by seeking as little ambiguity as possible in as many day-to-day situations as we can. This means avoiding dangerous places and tense situations as much as possible.

A road-rage conflict, sparked for instance by competition over a parking spot, can escalate into a full-blown fight. So throughout the entire “confrontation” you need to be on alert and analyse whether the situation is getting out of control. The other driver’s aggression is somewhat expected, but we stay alert in case it goes beyond the verbal duel and attempted intimidation. There is even the possibility that the other person feels threatened and considers they need to defend themselves. If, on the other hand, we did not allow ourselves to be drawn into such scenarios and did not escalate any traffic incident, any situation in which another driver becomes aggressive — even verbally — could be much more easily labelled as an assault; we would more easily identify the situation as an “abnormal” one requiring an appropriate response, and we would have more time to weigh our options and make a basic plan. By the time we actually reach the point of self-defense, we are fully aware and (more) prepared!

”Ego is the Enemy”

This is the title of a successful book by Ryan Holiday, and it is 100% true! The biggest obstacle to this approach is ourselves and our personal ego. The idea that “it can’t happen to me” or that “I’m definitely right so the other person must give way” are traps we fall into extremely often. But decisions made by ego / pride / vanity are most often the exact opposite of what would be a good tactical decision!

Self-defense training can help us recognise dangers more quickly, analyse and decide what to do in a shorter time, and at the same time provide us with “tools” for dealing with violent situations. But the better the tactical decisions we make and the less we expose ourselves unnecessarily, the easier it will be to stay safe!

Featured Image by Saffu / Article Image by Goutham Ganesh Sivanandam on Unsplash