People often ask me what is the best Self Defense move I know.
"RUN"
O.K. let me put it another way, two guys out in the woods are confronted by a big grizzly bear, one guy removes his ruck sack from his back and pulls out a pair of Nike trainers and quickly put them on, the other guy takes note on what he just did and says, you have to me kidding me, you think you can out run that bear because your wearing them, the guy in the Nike trainer replys no, I don't need to out run the bear, I just need to out run you.
Running has always played a big part in Martial Arts training, it's hard to remember a session that started without a bit of running on the spot or jogging several laps of the Dojo to warm up.
In my youth I would think nothing much doing a 10 mile run (16.1KM) up to Newstead Abbey with my training partners at Mansfield Karate Club, but as the years went by you get to believe that 30 minutes on the treadmill a couple of times a week will do it. I have since found out that running on a treadmill has more to do with balance than anything else, and there are plenty of stories knocking around about people who regularly run 10K on a treadmill but can't run anywhere near that on the road.
(TIP) If your running on a treadmill at least set the incline to +1.
A few years ago I was out playing with my kids and we got into running around, playing tag, playing soccer and just having some fun when I found myself a little out of breath, how could this be? I was teaching several martial arts classes a week and doing gym as well (treadmill)
So after dropping the kids off at school one morning I set off to do a couple of laps of Safa Park (two laps equals just under 7 KM)
I could not even do one lap, I got about half way around the first lap and I just simply had to stop, I walked the rest of the way back to my car while thinking to my self, it's a good job you have been taught how to fight, because you sure coulden't run away from anyone or anything right now.
So I set my target to become a better runner, twice a week I would go to Safa Park, my goal was simply to make Measurable Progress in Reasonable Time.
In January 2010 I took part in the 3Km Fun Run, In January 2011 I did the 10 Road Race, and last Friday 27th January 2012 I completed the Dubai Marathon.
How ... it's called Measurable Progress in Reasonable Time.
The same formula can be used with the Self Defense Training System, you will be suprised just how good you can get training a couple of times a week.
Right now, I have more that one option, I can run and put a safe distance between myself and my attacker, or can employ the techniques from the Self Defense Training System.
