The Importance Of Power In Self Defense!

MARCH 1, 2022 BY MASTER MULHOLLEN

Below we focus on what the term POWER really means and how it goes beyond just the physical side of your training.

1. POWER in your technique – Applying every ounce of force you’re able to muster, increases your ability to create injury thus shutting the opponent down. This is especially important when you are facing multiple threats where you may only get one shot at your current threat before having to face another coming at you! It’s one main reason at Dynamic Self Defense that we train to attack “through” our target rather than “at” our target.

2. POWER in the effort you apply in what you’re learning – You may have heard the term ” Knowledge Is Power!” I disagree. Knowledge isn’t power. It’s WHAT YOU DO with the knowledge you’ve learned that gives you the power. Ever read a manual for an item, or a fantasy book and once finished, set it down, never to have been picked up again? Do you remember the troubleshooting options the manual suggested to fix the error you’re receiving in why the item in question isn’t working? What about the fantasy book? Do you recall all the major characters and their roles? What was the main back story or plot of the story itself? While you gained knowledge of the manual or fantasy book at the time you read it, that knowledge is gone due to that knowledge not being maintained.
   
   Same thing happens in Self Defense. We learn many important and crucial mental and physical defensive tactics but risk losing said knowledge due to not having a powerful mindset to push ourselves to train and maintain what we’ve been taught. Good news is the power of our effort does improve with a class like environment! Because we are able to lean on our fellow classmates for not only pushing us beyond what we think we can do but it also provide us the encouragement we need to continue pushing forward beyond our limitations. Our effort to want to be better then grows more powerful instead of the negative mentality of just wanting to quit!

3. POWER of your presence! – You would be amazed to see that by standing your ground, not showing signs of being mentally swayed by intimidation or fear, most potential physical conflicts can be diffused. While being articulate about your position is important (stating your case without being belligerent), a powerful presence shows the potential threat that you may be more of a difficult target they want to deal with.

Examine your own training methods and mindset towards your commitment to improving your skill. Find the errors and speak with an Instructor on where you feel you are lacking. Together, a solution can be found to improve whether it’s creating a rigid workout routine or simply daily encouragement. Grab that power you have within and lets get to work!

Victory! -MM