In our time, self-defense is one of the most valuable rights. In 2021, there were 74,403 aggravated assaults in the US. Consequently, having a right to defend yourself is crucial. Yet, there are many cons to learning the art of protecting yourself.
As a general rule, the pros of self-defense are that it’s an international right. Thus you can use it worldwide. In addition, you can carry various weapons to assist you in protecting yourself and your surroundings. However, learning how to defend yourself properly may be a lengthy process.
As much as I love self-defense, I know it has many disadvantages. Hence many people may avoid their journey with self-defense and using it. That leads to fewer people having the proper training to respond to life-threatening situations.
If you’re unfamiliar with my experience in the field, I was a special forces operator for a long time. Consequently, I’ve gone through many self-defense and other martial arts classes. Thus I know that I’m capable enough to share my knowledge with you.
Self-defense has plenty of benefits. Consequently, before we start using it, we need to acknowledge them. In doing so, we’ll ensure we know what we can and can’t do in imminent-danger situations.
Self-defense is legal internationally.
Because self-defense involves using physical force against an attacker, some may be hesitant to use it. They may not want to come out guilty over a stupid argument. Consequently, they won’t use self-defense.
Self-defense is legal internationally. Hence people who decide on using it in a foreign country or state will come out innocent if they used the right appropriately. Because of that, understanding international law regarding self-defense is crucial.
I have an entire post on the topic of international self-defense laws. I encourage you to read this post if you want to understand when and where you can use the right to self-defense to protect yourself.
Additionally, most regulated countries grant the right to self-defense. Yet, some unregulated countries or cities don’t mention when to use it. Therefore, before vising any foreign country, I advise you to read its local laws regarding self-defense.
Protecting others
First, self-defense is around defending yourself. However, it’s a right that allows you to protect others who require urgent help. You can disable a hostile if you’re sure that one is in the process of hurting another individual.
As a whole, you can use physical force to protect others that require urgent help. Furthermore, you may use intimidation using yourself or a weapon to force the hostile to flee. Yet, crossing the limit is rather effortless. For that, once the attacker stops using physical force, you must cease.
With the ability to use physical force, responsibility must come as well. There were many instances where individuals claimed to have used the right to self-defense. However, there was no proof or justification to use such right.
Because of that, before using self-defense, you must interpret the situation and decide whether it’s a situation that you can use it. How do you do that? Go through the laws of self-defense in your country or state. That way, you’ll ensure you never get caught with your pants down.
Using weapons to your advantage
Martial art vastly involves using body parts for physical force. Overall, it’s not as effective as most weapons. Not only the damage you can cause is lower when you use your body as a weapon, but you’ll cause self-injuries.
Today, many people carry a self-defense weapon on them. Thus the damage they inflict upon hit increases. Consequently, the chances they have to disable an attacker rises. Additionally, having a firearm will cause intimidation to the hostile, hopefully forcing him to flee.
For that reason, arming yourself is a fantastic idea. Today, the rate of people who buy knives is rising. Hence we can interpret that some understand the importance of using a lethal/nonlethal weapon to protect yourself and your surroundings.
Before buying a self-defense weapon, understanding the different types and products is crucial. For that reason, I encourage you to check out an article of mine on the topic of what self-defense weapon you should buy? There, I dive into great details on firearms and nonlethal, legal weapons.
Eventually, I can say that carrying a pistol is best for me. Yet, find the most suitable weapon, lethal or nonlethal, for your likings. For that reason, I can’t force you to purchase a particular firearm. Instead, I recommend appropriate options.
Increases confidence
Most individuals aren’t aware of the benefits of self-defense. Consequently, they have no clue how to defend themselves if anything turns south. Now, imagine you can protect yourself and others. That’s a massive increase in confidence and self-assuredness.
Generally, being knowledgeable and capable of self-defense is a massive increase in self-confidence. Not only will you ensure nobody can harm you, but others will also respect you on a greater level. Hence learning self-defense increases self-confidence.
If you’ve heard the sentence “Fake it till you make it.’ It’s not applicable in our context. You can’t just use self-defense out of the blue and expect to disable an attacker. However, you can fake self-confidence and pray that the attacker will flee.
Now, we’re not like that. We’re responsible for our actions and doings. Hence learning self-defense will solely assist us in life.
Self-Defense improves physical condition.
As a living human being, keeping your body fit is crucial. With technology taking over our lives, maintaining a healthy physical condition will provide plenty of benefits.
As a whole, maintaining a healthy physical condition is vital. Not only do people who maintain a healthy physical condition live longer, but they can also perform various actions that are impossible for others with physical condition-related health issues.
Why do you think 99% of special forces operators are healthy and fit? That’s because they need to perform many actions somewhat demanding for a normal human being. For that reason, they’re remarkably fit.
Additionally, practicing self-defense, mainly participating in self-defense classes, will be somewhat challenging for your body. Consequently, your physical condition will increase.
Your mental state will improve.
Today, many people don’t have self-discipline. They may be watching Netflix or doing any other time-consuming activity. Therefore, as time progresses, fewer people participate in challenging activities. Working out, for instance, is a demanding activity that yields results.
Practicing self-defense will instantly improve your mental state. Having the ability to protect yourself and your surroundings will assist you in staying stress-free. Additionally, it’ll force you to work out, eventually causing you to improve your physical condition and mental state.
The benefits of working on your mental state are massive. Reducing stress is a typical example of a result of that. However, there are plenty of other benefits such activities can cause.
In addition, having a healthy mental state is correlated with achieving long-term goals. Thus you’ll be able to complete many challenging activities.
Self-defense has plenty of pros. However, practicing it may cause some trouble. Yet, despite the cons, I encourage you to practice it.
It’s a lengthy process.
Although practicing self-defense will grant you the ability to protect yourself and others, it’s quite a long journey getting there. For that reason, many people quit in the middle of the process.
Self-defense is a lengthy process. Consequently, many people quit while being in the process. Therefore, they won’t reach the point where they improve their mental state ad physical condition. Hence to achieve that point, understand that it’s a prolonged process.
However, as much as it’s a con of self-defense, it’s also a pro. Understand that people like you and me are constantly looking for a challenge. Therefore, practicing self-defense will keep us progressing and completing goals.
Because of that, before getting into self-defense, I encourage you to consider wisely the consequences. If you’re unwilling to change and put effort into a lifestyle, don’t begin with self-defense.
You may not reach your goal.
Taking the ability to defend yourself for granted is one of the biggest mistakes. That said, many people who start their self-defense journey never finish it. Therefore, working hard to reach your goals is required.
Because self-defense is a vast topic, you may not reach your goal. Ultimately, the destination is to have the ability to defend yourself and others around you. Consequently, because it’s a demanding subject, you may never have the capability of doing so.
That said, with determination and hard work, you’ll be able to reach any goal you’ll set. However, with practicing self-defense, you’ll not only increase your confidence, but you’ll also build up a tough. This mental state you’re going to have will allow you to reach any goal you have in life.
Because of that, to reach your self-defense goal, you must work hard.
It can give a false sense of security.
Self-defense is no magic. Even confident individuals in their skills may still be vulnerable to attackers. Therefore, staying alert at all times is essential to keep you secured.
Practicing self-defense may grant a false sense of security. Consequently, avoiding such circumstances is crucial in keeping yourself safe. Another way of countering false security is to be on alert constantly. That way, you’ll be able to respond to any threatening situation.
Additionally, preparing yourself for a dire scenario is fundamental in responding. How do you do that? You ensure you know how to use your weapon or body to disable a hostile
Furthermore, you want to imagine a scenario where you need self-defense to protect yourself or others. That way, you won’t be thoroughly surprised and frightened when it happens.
You may get into legal trouble.
Everywhere you go, checking the local laws regarding self-defense and the possession of weapons is helpful. Because of that, when I travel, I constantly check the local knife legislation, and I always carry a legal firearm. That way, I’m able to protect myself if I need to.
Although self-defense is an international right, some are hesitant to use it for legal reasons. They may consider that they might come out guilty. Consequently, they won’t respond to a threatening situation. Instead, they’ll flee and take no responsibility.
Worldwide, the use of self-defense means is legal. Consequently, we know that if we use physical force to disable a hostile, we’re in the clear.
However, there may be consequences of the use of violence. In some unregulated countries, getting into legal trouble is not a dream. It may happen.
Consequently, when we’re traveling, we want to be checking the local self-defense laws. Additionally, follow the basic principles of the law. Stopping the use of violence once the attacker is disabled, for instance, is vital to keep yourself free from charges.
I encourage you to check out an article I wrote about self-defense laws.
Conclusion
As much as I’m a big fan of self-defense, there are many cons to consider. Because many people are hesitant to start practicing it, I wrote the entirety of the pros and cons.
That way, you’ll be able to decide for yourself if you’re willing to begin your journey. If you do, I encourage you to follow my website, blinklift.com, to keep yourself updated and nurtured.
Practicing self-defense assist you in building yourself. It increases your self-confidence, mental health, and physical condition. All of these are particularly essential to continue growing as a person.
On the other hand, self-defense is lengthy and demanding progress, may cause legal trouble, and be challenging. Therefore, it won’t be a good fit for many people.
However, if you want to build yourself and progress in life, practicing self-defense is a fantastic way to begin doing so. In addition, having the ability to protect yourself is vital. Lastly, you’ll be able to defend people close to you, such as friends and family. Therefore, they’ll respect you more, and your confidence will increase.
Lastly, ask yourself the following question. Are you willing to risk the safety of yourself and others close to you? If you’re not, what are you keen to do to ensure they stay safe?