Awareness for the Street

One of the main reasons people start martial arts is so they are able to defend themselves on the street. Maybe they have been badly beaten up, bullied at school or have felt sometimes fearful of certain people, they train martial arts with the hope of one day being able to defend themselves if every caught up in a scuffle.

In order to do this they train the bodies to become more powerful, faster and maybe to be able to take blows better. They also train specific techniques from there chosen martial art, learning the basic principles of them and then trying to apply them through sparring.

One thing that many people seem to forget however, is that they are able to defend themselves in the most effective way possible by not getting into one of these bad situations in the first place.

One of the most vital weapons a martial artist can have, is not his hands, knees or superior grappling, but his/her awareness. Being aware of things can make all the difference and should be your number one weapon regarding self defence.

It is something that is practised by nearly all martial artists and they don’t even know it. The kata Naifanchi begins with a look towards the left then right. This is an awareness drill. When you spar in your class, you keep in mind who is around you so as to not bump into them whilst still concentrating on your opponent. This is an awareness drill. Again when sparring, you try to become aware which techniques your opponent prefers to use and counter accordingly. This is an awareness drill. When sparring against two or more opponents. When focusing on the new student in a class. When your teacher is walking towards you to see if you’re practising a technique correctly. Awareness training is practised always.

Awareness is something that can also be practised in your daily activities. When walking down the street and a suspicious looking person is walking in your direction, keep your distance, keep him/her in the corner of your eye and be prepared for anything. When driving always be aware of what is around you, (a car pulling out of a corner road, a young child playing next to the road) and be prepared to slam on you brakes if necessary.

It may seem more than obvious but is something that I know I forget a lot of times and I bet others forget also. By constantly trying to being aware of things around you eventually it will become a habit and part of your daily life. Hopefully it may help you when needed.

Marks

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