Is self-defence really necessary?

People from neighbouring Cornwall fight with Devonians over whether one puts the cream on first then the jam on top or the other way around (Cream first = Devon, Jam first = Cornwall)
People around here argue if andouille belongs in gumbo or not. 🤣
 
People around here argue if andouille belongs in gumbo or not. 🤣
Gumbo was on the breakfast buffet at a Kyoto hotel at which me and my girlfriend were staying. Being veggies we used ‘Googuru San’ to check it was safe for us to eat and we’re surprised to see it was a Southern US fish dish. In Kyoto? It turned out it was okra In this case so safe indeed.
 
Most people I’ve talked to tell me they use self defense skills to help others in need.

If you’re in a fairly populated place, the wolves will likely be on the prowl for those that look like easy pickings’.

F the wolves.
 
Gumbo was on the breakfast buffet at a Kyoto hotel at which me and my girlfriend were staying. Being veggies we used ‘Googuru San’ to check it was safe for us to eat and we’re surprised to see it was a Southern US fish dish. In Kyoto? It turned out it was okra In this case so safe indeed.
Here, gumbo can have any number of ingredients. The two most common types in the Acadiana is shrimp and sausage, or chicken and sausage.
 
I grew up in a crappy time and place. In my youth I had a number of violent encounters despite my best efforts and while I largely avoided serious injury I knew a number of people who were not so lucky. I moved in my early 20's and have never lived anywhere with similar problems. Some of that is geography, some of that is I got older and spend less time out on the town at night (though that took a while), and a lot of it is societal changes. Violent crime in the US dropped dramatically after the late 80's/early 90's of my youth.

I don't expect to ever need to use martial arts to defend myself again. Still, I generally prefer that any MA I study have at least some self defense value. Some of that is due to the impact experiences of my youth have had on my psyche and some of it is because, philosophically, on some level I feel like a martial art ought to be, you know, martial. If it's just martial arts inspired dance I'd rather spend my time learning Salsa or Tango since they are intended to be dance.
 
Me and my wife have seen more than a couple legal cases involving two senior gentlemen who had had a disagreement and ended up slapping each other. BEWARE THE OLD CODGERS :D
I was on a bus in Denver once and watched two winos going after each other. One with a cane and the other with a walker.
 
When I was a magistrate, we often detained miscreants by electronically tagging them and thus confining them to their abode for long stretches of the day allowing them an hour or whatever at 1pm to go out shopping….whatever we decide. Anyway, we used to laugh that such imposed confinement would have absolutely no effect on us older people! who were tucked away in bed by 9pm with a mug of cocoa 😃
Yes, kind of like "don't you threaten me with a good time!"
 
Most people I’ve talked to tell me they use self defense skills to help others in need.
I have used "reverse head lock" to save a girl from being dragged into a guy's car. Believe it or not, when I did that, the guy screamed, "Please don't kill me!" When the girl ran away, I let go the guy. the guy ran toward the opposite direction (he abandoned his car). Nobody got hurt. Everybody live happy ever after.

 
It's difficult to sight crime statistics without getting into political debate. What isn't debatable is that US crime is generally on a downward trend. But that doesn't always tell the story that is important to self defenders.
First i wouldn't say it's exactly perception that drives the need for self defense but rather anxiety (fear). Some people have a higher threshold for anxiety. People seek out martial arts and other means of self protection to relieve that anxiety.
Second, we really need to define what type of violence the individual is concerned about. By a large margin "fights" are the domain of males ages 15 to 27 and by a larger margin facilitated by alcohol.
What's your risk factor? On a scale of 1 to 10, give your self 5 points if you drink regularly. Give yourself 5 points if you frequent public venues that serve alcohol.
Avoid the two and you will be much better off.
In this forum and most martial art conversations I find people will have this type of bar room fight vision as the driving narrative of what self defense looks like.
But that situation is totally avoidable if you follow my previous risk factor suggestion.
Less discussed is actual violent assault crime. It's not discussed because you would have to admit your MA training would not be as applicable in those situations. If one has read Rory Miller's books you know what I am referring to. Actual criminals don't want to fight you but they will use violence and the threat of violence to achieve their aims (usually to relieve you of your stuff).
They will use weapons , numbers and any other advantage to keep you from the ability to defend yourself. Criminals use real violence. The type that has a much greater result of serious bodily injury and death. It is however, rare to experience that type of malevolence in one's life time.
This is where numbers may not tell the story. The number of violent crimes may have gone down from 1.9 to 1 2 million occurrences but what is the level of violence experienced by the victims? One driving factor in US crime is gangs and drug use. The gangs of today are not the same as they were 20 years ago. They are more organized and typically more violent. They are also more widespread.
We could also talk about increases in active shooters and the possibilities of domestic terrorism. Dare i mention the defund the police movement where individuals may be left feeling vulnerable. Factor all that together and it makes sense that people have a level of anxiety about self protection.
Do you really need to learn self protection? That may not be the right question. What is your tolerance to danger and how much responsibility do you feel to be the defender of yourself and your family? Again this touches on the political, as many people feel self defense is not a human right and should be reserved for government intervention. That being said I'll stop here. Food for thought for sure.
 
Yes of course! It gives my grandchildren bragging rights! They have the badest grandpa of all their friends!
 
In the Toronto area of Canada. The answer is yes. I believe. I normally keep myself out of situations I would need it. However I would like to be able to protect my wife and myself, even to have a hail Mary chance of doing it.
 
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