Home Self defence options for physically weak person

[Tez3]

Just curious why you make that statement. I once saw a Tai Chi practitioner demonstrate very effectively how his style and application of Tai Chi made it an effective martial art. He displayed amazing energy.

I said it because of the clumsy and inadequate way I phrased the sentence which is why I also said I hope they know what I mean. I know very well that Tai Chi is an effective martial art but I wanted to convey to the OP that rather than the generally perceived non martial arts idea it is also an effective combative style. As you see that is an even clumsier description.

 

[oftheherd1]

I said it because of the clumsy and inadequate way I phrased the sentence which is why I also said I hope they know what I mean. I know very well that Tai Chi is an effective martial art but I wanted to convey to the OP that rather than the generally perceived non martial arts idea it is also an effective combative style. As you see that is an even clumsier description.

OK, got it now. I should have been quicker on the uptake.

 

[Steve]

Is tai chi generally a good choice for self defense? I think we need at least some qualifiers that it is not always trained with that in mind.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Is tai chi generally a good choice for self defense? I think we need at least some qualifiers that it is not always trained with that in mind.

Qualifier...hmmm... you mean something like "Also, if you find the right Taijiquan (tai chi chuan) class it will also get into self defense as well."....you may want to reread post #33

You may also want to note that I was not focusing solely on SD.... in post #33

 

[Steve]

Qualifier...hmmm... you mean something like "Also, if you find the right Taijiquan (tai chi chuan) class it will also get into self defense as well."....you may want to reread post #33

You may also want to note that I was not focusing solely on SD.... in post #33

You may want to relax just a little. And you may also want to check your attitude.

I was responding to tez in post #41. I'm sorry I wasn't more explicit, but at the same time, I wonder why you're so damned prickly all the time. Aren't you the one posting about holding onto anger???

 

[aedrasteia]

Hi,
due to my health (epilepsy)

Are you eligible for these helpers?
Seizure Alert Dogs | Support Dogs

"Epilepsy is the most common neurological illness with over 600,000 cases in the UK. 30% of people with epilepsy are unable to control their seizures through medication. Instead they live with the fear of an oncoming seizure which can occur at any time. This fear affects everything they do, limiting their independence and ability to live an active life.

Seizure Alert Dogs are trained to provide a 100% reliable warning up to 50 minutes prior to an oncoming seizure. They give time for their owner to find a place of safety and privacy as they have their seizure."

one of my closest friends developed seizures/epilepsy after a terrible closed-head injury. He was exploring the possibility of a seizure alert dog but Hep C caught him and he died.

This links is for the UK - maybe Tez or others in the UK know more. Seizures are really frightening - I know. I was there for many.

These dogs can do so much. Friends, protectors and early-warning help. Plus they can give love and laughter. I don't know if this is right for you or how to qualify but you sure do deserve the chance.
I'm pulling for you Ice.

w/respect A

 

[Xue Sheng]

You may want to relax just a little. And you may also want to check your attitude.

I was responding to tez in post #41. I'm sorry I wasn't more explicit, but at the same time, I wonder why you're so damned prickly all the time. Aren't you the one posting about holding onto anger???

No attitude, not prickly, not angry, not holding on to anger...but you seem to be...sorry if what I said upset you.

 

[IceStorm]

iv never seen or heard about alert dogs before, i would assume i would not be eligible currently as the meds are working for me, plus my issue is more getting a stable dose of the meds, enough to work not too much for the side effects issues and then i should be fine to continue again, the downside is this takes a long time on the NHS, while i was private i was getting meetings every 2 weeks scans every couple months, constant blood tests and regular small changes in meds up and down accordingly, then i had to go NHS which means meetings are now once a year for about 5 minutes, so now i deal with my gp rather than the specialist changes only happen via gp if i have a change of issues otherwise its wait for a year for the next small change
im not having constant grand mal attacks, im fairly sure iv not had an attack for just over 2 years, i think its just side effects and the odd twitching which wont go away anytime soon, its mainly my awareness and tiredness which is why im restricted to the house currently, tiredness im trying to combat with fitness and hopefully more reductions in meds, awareness im hoping comes either with being more awake or ill just change my life style habits to avoid things which cause those issues

for example my worst location currently is the supermarket, any area with lots of small products, so spices or meds area, just overloads my head a tad makes me feel dizzy and then i start walking into things as i just lose the awareness that they are there, next is by busy fast roads, so cars passing quickly by, anything really that involves a lot of info in a fast period of time

so currently that means deliveries for shopping plus i now live in a quiet area so generally its quiet traffic around here, i do the odd shopping run to see how im doing as i get fitter or after a change of meds
my best description of my day is like i'm a little drunk all the time and very tired, i walk into walls and furniture, my personal favorite was a giant sign outside the supermarket, it was head height about 3ft by 3ft, i cant remember what it said but i used to hit it every time i left the supermarket, i was still working then so i was moving around all the time, i did not know about nearly being run over till a few people i used to work with asked me why i was wondering in the middle of the busy city road on my way to work, after i stopped working i know i was nearly run over a few times when i went out on my own as some people pulled me out of the road
im confident as i learn to live with the issues and avoid certain things i will be fine
i no longer do the strange things, apparently one night i got up cleaned the kitchen for several hours with interesting outcomes, i.e freezer stuff put in the oven, fridge mostly destroyed, another night i got up started cooking got back into bed and set the kitchen on fire, i was not aware of any of this ofc but all thats stopped anyway, now i only cook certain things and its setup with timers so it turns off even if i forget etc, the house is quite well setup for me but some things cant be helped there will always be sharp knives around, they are semi safe all have covers etc

wow i do go on at times
tldr: alert dogs sounds interesting but don't think ill qualify as i'm getting better slowly and i don't suffer too badly, ill keep it in mind if things don't improve tho

 

[Tez3]

UK support dogs qualifications seem to rule you out as you have to have at least 10 major seizures a month, I can't imagine how awful that would be. https://supportdogs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Seizure-Alert-info-pack.pdf

Getting used to meds and finding the right dosages seems to be an issue with many conditions and illnesses, I have a friend who has this problem with diabetes, finding the right dose for her is taking ages, it's trial and error sadly, not the fault of medics but just the way it is.

I have supermarket deliveries because I live a long way from shops and it saves me killing the people who annoy me in the supermarket, I really do NOT like shopping and I have no excuses just hate it. It might be the consequence of very rural living perhaps that crowds are now hard to tolerate.

I do love that you still seem very positive, I hope it continues to keep getting better for you

 

[IceStorm]

i love supermarket shopping, i never buy fresh food but i do love to buy what i fancy at that time, im just not keen online shopping for food
all other shopping however i do online, cant stand shopping for clothes and almost everything else the selection online is just better
iv lived in rural and in cities, i do prefer a large village, big enough so everyone does not know everything about everyone, but small enough to still be quiet

but completely isolated is also quite nice, apart from the internet speeds, constant power cuts, no mains water, no gas and getting stranded by weather
used to love the space to go shooting, walking around the fields and forests
where i am now i have beaches, place is great in winter but in the summer its flooded with tourists

the city i find just too hot and full of pollution and it has all the drunks and druggies, but i do miss the selection of takeaways and the ease of getting to a shop

 

[Tez3]

but in the summer its flooded with tourists

or as they call them in Cornwall...emmets!

Living in a very rural area ( I'm in the North Yorkshire Dales) has it's advantages but also disadvantages, we can recommend all sort of martial arts for you that you'll be able to do and enjoy but finding somewhere to do them is the problem. Looking again at what is near you there is an Aikido class in Newton Abbot, again I don't know if Aikido is something you'd like or is suitable, hopefully someone will know and tell us. Shinjido Aikido Judo Club, Martial Arts Club - Martial Arts Classes in Torquay, Newton Abbot, Devon | Martial Arts Near You There's aikido in Exeter too Classes - Aikido Yoshinkai Exeter

Looking at Exeter again this might be useful as it says they do weapons, it also says the instructor is first aid trained and a fitness coach, worth a chat perhaps, click on the weapons page. Martial Arts & Fitness UK | MARTIAL ARTS, FITNESS, EXERCISE CLASSES IN EXETER

Found this too which I think I will try to visit next time I'm down the south-west, as martial arts gear I do like shopping for lol. They say they can recommend martial arts styles etc to suit. Commando Martial Arts Supply Store - Home Page

 

[mograph]

Regarding Tai Chi for self-defence, look for a class that teaches "martial applications." Within that admittedly small group of classes, look for a good teacher.

But as I wrote, health and a basic level of fitness is necessary, regardless of the art practiced.

 

[IceStorm]

im still liking the idea of Tai Chi currently, there is not many weapons that i would really want to train with, not seen anything for the Sai or nun-chucks, aside from them i would be more likely to get my weapon fix from some other area like archery perhaps or the really silly idea of me trying knife throwing

chances of me ever needing to use a MA for self defence is very low, but its nice to think it can lead onto that side of things as you progress, chances of me going back to work at a real job is gone now, more likely run my own business with my own hours and work when im feeling up to it, so im going to fill my time with new hobbies dump all my old hobbies and start everything fresh, computers aside way to addicted to give that up

but i want any new hobbies to involve a level of fitness since i wont be doing the daily walks that i used to do for work, its all about having fun now while i can, iv decided im having my midlife crisis, iv literally had my entire life change over the last 3 years (again pc aside) things really cant get any worse than they have been so its all roses from here on out, at least for 5 years till my sisters oldest is 14 years old, then i expect i will be desperate to get out of the house or i might enjoy the touch her and die eccentric uncle routine with any potential boyfriends she has lol

right now she beats me up but then so does her 4 your old little sister so... sad to watch a 4 year old little girl (smallest in the school) row faster and for longer than i can, its a strange sight

 

[Xue Sheng]

im still liking the idea of Tai Chi currently, there is not many weapons that i would really want to train with, not seen anything for the Sai or nun-chucks, aside from them i would be more likely to get my weapon fix from some other area like archery perhaps or the really silly idea of me trying knife throwing

chances of me ever needing to use a MA for self defence is very low, but its nice to think it can lead onto that side of things as you progress, chances of me going back to work at a real job is gone now, more likely run my own business with my own hours and work when im feeling up to it, so im going to fill my time with new hobbies dump all my old hobbies and start everything fresh, computers aside way to addicted to give that up

but i want any new hobbies to involve a level of fitness since i wont be doing the daily walks that i used to do for work, its all about having fun now while i can, iv decided im having my midlife crisis, iv literally had my entire life change over the last 3 years (again pc aside) things really cant get any worse than they have been so its all roses from here on out, at least for 5 years till my sisters oldest is 14 years old, then i expect i will be desperate to get out of the house or i might enjoy the touch her and die eccentric uncle routine with any potential boyfriends she has lol

right now she beats me up but then so does her 4 your old little sister so... sad to watch a 4 year old little girl (smallest in the school) row faster and for longer than i can, its a strange sight

For the record, I know an excellent Web Developer who is also an epileptic. Went to college to retrain after diagnosis. Was a farmer prior to the diagnosis.

 

[IceStorm]

im going the other way around, im going from tech support to farmer
well not a real farmer but grass keep and renting out the land for real farmers to use, so more a farm maintenance, hence soon ill have machetes or billhooks to sort out hedges, i don't know enough about it yet to know what kit im going to end up needing as it depends on what i have now and what parts im going to try and do, i expect ill start with a machete so i can actually see the hedges and get around the areas, anything i can do will lower the costs of getting someone else in to do the job

i spend a lot of my time on my pc so iv decided its best to get my work and some hobby time away from the pc, ill still end up spending more time than most in front of a pc anyway

 

[Tez3]

im going the other way around, im going from tech support to farmer
well not a real farmer but grass keep and renting out the land for real farmers to use, so more a farm maintenance, hence soon ill have machetes or billhooks to sort out hedges, i don't know enough about it yet to know what kit im going to end up needing as it depends on what i have now and what parts im going to try and do, i expect ill start with a machete so i can actually see the hedges and get around the areas, anything i can do will lower the costs of getting someone else in to do the job

i spend a lot of my time on my pc so iv decided its best to get my work and some hobby time away from the pc, ill still end up spending more time than most in front of a pc anyway

If those hedges are the normal size for Devon you are going to have a heck of a job!

 

[IceStorm]

Some have already been done, so they look great, but it costs a fortune to get someone to layer the trees correctly, but the land I have now has been left to grow out of control so it needs attacking just to find the hedge, we have cut one back and found a trailer which the hedge grew around, just need to get it back under control a tad then pay someone to create a real hedge, tree style works best, road hedges are the big thick hedges you think of down here all of those are fine it's just our internal side on hedges separating fields, well and some streams, rivers and dykes but I'm not touching those

 

[Tez3]

Some have already been done, so they look great, but it costs a fortune to get someone to layer the trees correctly, but the land I have now has been left to grow out of control so it needs attacking just to find the hedge, we have cut one back and found a trailer which the hedge grew around, just need to get it back under control a tad then pay someone to create a real hedge, tree style works best, road hedges are the big thick hedges you think of down here all of those are fine it's just our internal side on hedges separating fields, well and some streams, rivers and dykes but I'm not touching those

I think that you'll find yourself getting fitter and stronger almost without noticing if you are doing outside work like that. Plus the satisfaction of seeing things sorted!

 

[IceStorm]

I think that you'll find yourself getting fitter and stronger almost without noticing if you are doing outside work like that. Plus the satisfaction of seeing things sorted!

thats the plan, currently its more like spending a day up there getting completed shattered and unable to really move for the next few days and not making a dent, its coming along very very slowly, but im hoping when i start on the actual farm side and get to chop stuff it will be slightly more fun than just picking stuff up and moving it 6 feet to be taken to the dump..

 

[ballen0351]

So a torch is a flashlight......I'm absolutely going to start calling my flashlight a torch