Reading Time: 5 minutes

Defender Ring vs. Self-Defense Classes

Taking a self-defense class is one of the best ways to learn how to protect and defend yourself in a violent attack.  Self-defense classes comprise various disciplines such as mixed martial arts, Karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Kung Fu, Judo, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Taekwando, Kickboxing, Wing Chun, Capoeira and many other styles from various cultures and countries around the world.

While most martial arts were originated from a necessity to fight and defend, they also include comprehensive studies such as forms, meditation, dancing, balance, breathing, and conditioning.  Due to the nature of our comparison, we'll mainly discuss the fighting and self-defense applications of martial arts even though all aspects are closely intertwined.

Self-Defense Class Advantages

We encourage all individuals to inquire about taking a self-defense class.  It's best to take a trial class before committing to a monthly membership and many schools offer a special beginning class.

There are countless advantages to taking a self-defense class.  They include building your physical body, regular fighting practice, muscle memory, using weapons or objects in your possession, instilling confidence, and meeting great people that share a similar mindset.

Fighting Skills

Most people sign up for self-defense classes to learn how to fight and defend themselves.  The foundation for this is fighting skills where instructors teach you how to strike, where to strike, how to position your body, and the intent behind your moves.

Various fighting skills include punches, strikes, kicks, grapples, throws, takedowns, locks, holds, jumping moves, ground moves, submission moves, and more.  These fighting moves are the raw physical foundation of martial arts and self-defense. 

These skills can come in handy if you're ever attacked by an aggressor.  Simply knowing where to kick him so you can flee, or how to strike him in the eyes to temporarily (or permanently) disable him will give you a great advantage in a self-defense situation.

Once you've learned the mechanics and technique behind the moves, you begin to practice them during class with other students and instructors.  This repeated practice builds up muscle memory, which allows you to perform the skill quickly, naturally, and reflexively.  Performing the same strike over and over builds up your speed and power in that strike, and you'll be able to unleash it not only instinctively, but with great force and speed.

Physical Exercise

Self-defense classes are an excellent way to stay in shape and develop your body.  You'll become stronger and more powerful by performing basic exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, minor weight lifting and some strength training. 

You'll elevate your endurance by consistently engaging in cardio-rich exercises like jumping jacks, sprints, stairs, jogging, or best of all sparring.  You'll become more flexible so that you'll be nimble on your feet in a fight and won't pull a muscle if attacked. 

You'll learn to expand and control your breathing which will allow you to last longer in a fight.  Finally you'll condition your body to be able to receive a hit and not be injured or knocked out.  Conditioning includes regular sparring, but also exercises where you take hits to develop strength and resilience in those specific areas.

Defensive Mindsets

We went into depth about the best defensive mindsets in this article here: 3 Mindsets to Stay Safe.

Self-defense and personal safety are more than just vicious punches and cool gadgets.  It's about being smart, aware, and proactive throughout your day and especially in potentially dangerous situations.  You'll learn how to be vigilant in your surroundings, use your environment and accessible objects to your advantage, and avoid a dangerous situation before entering one.

Networking and Friendships

Enrolling in a self-defense class has a social aspect as well.  You'll meet and train with people who are also interested in protecting themselves.  This common bond will help instill confidence that you're not alone in this common journey for self-protection, and it will motivate you to consistently attend classes and get better.

Self-Defense Class Disadvantages

There are a couple big disadvantages to learning a martial art or self-defense skill.  At the end of the day your body and mind can be your greatest assets and it's important to develop them into powerful self-defense weapons.  However this comes with a large commitment both in terms of money and time.

Cost

One of the biggest disadvantages of taking a self-defense class are the costs associated with it.  Newer self-defense gyms and studios can range anywhere from $150 to $350+ per month in large cities, and that's the same as leasing a car!  Older institutions or facilities in smaller cities may run $100 - $200 per month.

Most people are living paycheck to paycheck and this can be a big hit on someone's monthly income.  While most self-defense products are one time costs with minor ongoing costs, self-defense classes are large ongoing monthly costs.  Additionally, you'll have to pay for things like uniforms, footwear, and other equipment necessary to train.

Time

The second big disadvantage of taking a self-defense class is the amount of time it will take to master the art well enough to use it properly in a self-defense situation.  This varies depending on your baseline ability, how quickly you learn, the instructor's teaching ability, curriculum, and speed, and the actual practical nature of the self-defense class. 

Generally you should expect to take classes weekly for at least several months before reaching the point where you could potentially use some of the skills to defend yourself and it will make a difference.  We're not saying training weekly for several months will allow you to defend yourself - instead this is the minimum to potentially use some of the skills or strategies.

For the vast majority of people it will take at least one year, and in most cases several years, before they can feel confident using the skills to effectively defend themselves in an attack.

Unfortunately we live in a fast-paced society where devoting several years to something is a very large commitment.  Most people realize the benefits of taking a self-defense class and learning an important skill, but are deterred by the long process.

Conclusion

Self-defense classes are one of the best resources someone can use to protect herself in everyday life.  While the main focus for you and for the school is to teach you fighting skills, most offer a comprehensive curriculum that encompass several areas of physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural disciplines.  

It should be noted though that even the most highly-skilled self-defense practitioners in the world can be attacked and killed on any given day.  A 30-year Karate master can be defeated by a teenager who happens to have a knife with him.  Never overestimate your skills or underestimate your opponent.

The best self-defense plan is always multi-fold.  Use your mind to detect, avoid, and deter dangerous situations.  Properly train and equip your body to become a self-defense fighting instrument.  And of course arm yourself with the proper self-defense weapons including the Defender Ring™ so that you have an extra advantage in any self-defense situation.

Once you learn the techniques and skills of self-defense and martial arts, you'll realize that incorporating Defender Ring™ into those moves can really give you a substantial added advantage to any self-defense situation.  What was once just a block, can now be a block + counter slice.  What might have been just a body shot, is now a body shot + stab into the attacker's shoulder or arm.  Adding a sharp blade to your fist really does give you a powerful added advantage.