Martial Arts vs Violence

After reading a recent post by Tony Blauer, I thought it was a good time to comment a bit on the topic.

Martial arts are not the same as real violence, and if we look at Iain Abernethy’s Martial Map, we can clearly understand that. Self-defense and martial arts are not synonymous. However, there is something important to consider.

One of the many factors that affect a victim in a self-defense situation is the element of the unknown. If a kidnapper grabs the victim’s hand to take them away, beyond the shock of the aggression itself, what can also paralyze them is the fact that they are not used to being touched in that way.

In that sense, martial arts can be helpful. Even though the people we train with are not trying to provoke that level of violence, one gradually becomes accustomed to physical contact with a “stranger.”

That familiarity with contact could help a victim recover more quickly from the shock of the attack and move from a state of “being afraid” to one of “fighting to survive.”