Is KDS Practical for Self-defense?
This is a question that sometimes arises from new or prospective students. As with most martial arts there are definite self-defense applications, but that is not the main goal of our classes; there are many additional reasons to practice a martial art than just for self-defense. Among these are health and fitness, personal development, and fun. Wanting to be able to defend ones self is an understandable goal, but a bigger question is: self-defense against what, exactly?
We live in times when people are quite fearful, often irrationally. Self-defense against things like stress and poor lifestyle choices is at least as important than learning to protect ourselves against the possibility of an attack on the street. I have been practicing karate for 40 years and I have yet to be attacked by someone on the street - although I have on occasion let my ego get the better of me and allowed situations to escalate when I could have calmed them down instead. It is always important to differentiate between self-defense and the desire to "kick someone's ass" as some sort of righteous payback.
While it is true that women, older people, etc., have more valid concerns in this regard, for most of us the need to physically protect ourselves against violence is not a part of our daily reality. Most often what people are really asking is whether KDS is "good" for fighting. They are not the same thing, even though there can be some overlap; a good fighter is probably well-equipped to defend himself or herself - BUT are they well-equipped to avoid or de-escalate a confrontation?
This is a question that sometimes arises from new or prospective students. As with most martial arts there are definite self-defense applications, but that is not the main goal of our classes; there are many additional reasons to practice a martial art than just for self-defense. Among these are health and fitness, personal development, and fun. Wanting to be able to defend ones self is an understandable goal, but a bigger question is: self-defense against what, exactly?
We live in times when people are quite fearful, often irrationally. Self-defense against things like stress and poor lifestyle choices is at least as important than learning to protect ourselves against the possibility of an attack on the street. I have been practicing karate for 40 years and I have yet to be attacked by someone on the street - although I have on occasion let my ego get the better of me and allowed situations to escalate when I could have calmed them down instead. It is always important to differentiate between self-defense and the desire to "kick someone's ass" as some sort of righteous payback.
While it is true that women, older people, etc., have more valid concerns in this regard, for most of us the need to physically protect ourselves against violence is not a part of our daily reality. Most often what people are really asking is whether KDS is "good" for fighting. They are not the same thing, even though there can be some overlap; a good fighter is probably well-equipped to defend himself or herself - BUT are they well-equipped to avoid or de-escalate a confrontation?