Can You Learn Self-Defense from A Book or Video?

The absolute best way to learn self-defense is from personalized reality-based training with a qualified instructor.  What if one does not have the time or money to engage in  that type of training? Is it possible to learn effective self-defense from books and videos? Contrary to what you probably think, the answer is a definite yes! Before I provide a detailed explanation, I want to to dispel a common misconception.

 Most people associate self-defense with the portrayal of combat in Hollywood movies or demonstrations of classical Asian martial arts. They are accustomed to seeing martial art practitioners execute seemingly super human feats of strength, flexibility and athleticism. Such physical prowess is very impressive to behold and requires many years of dedicated training to develop but it is not necessary for practical self-defense on the street and sometimes its deceptively unrealistic.

In actuality, successful self-defense can be accomplished with very simple movements that are very easy to learn. A well executed simple strike to the eyes, nose, throat or some other sensitive area can thwart and attacker and does not require years physical conditioning and formal training.

Furthermore, psychology is a major aspect of close combat and self-defense. No matter how well trained one may be in the mechanics of self-defense, without proper control over emotions, particularly fear, the benefit of physical training will be minimized if not completely negated. Books and videos authored by expert instructors are highly effective tools for learning about both the physical and mental aspects of combat and self-defense such as situational awareness, emotional control and discipline.

After World World II and the cold war that followed, many lessons were learned about the realities of modern combat. Governments saw the need for effective  hand-to-hand combat systems to enable military and intelligence personnel to gain practical combative ability in the shortest amount of time possible. So they studied martial art systems from around the world and extracted the best combative techniques and created close combat instructional methodologies that don’t require complex movements, above average strength or athleticism and can be learned in a matter of weeks. Due to the emphasis on simplicity these methodologies can be also be learned by reading illustrated guides or studying instructional videos created by expert practitioners.

At the link below you can find what I personally believe to be among the best self-defense training videos available online featuring instructors renown for training  police and military special forces around the world.  Check it out if you are ready to become dangerous to anyone who would dare to attack you!