Self-Defense: A Necessity, Not a Luxury

Defense is a very essential topic we should discuss and act upon, especially in this time and season, where we've seen lots of irregularities play out in different sectors and how they can jeopardize our safety. We've heard and seen kidnapping, banditry, and bullying all play out in recent times, and we know all of these would, in one way or another, instill fear in our hearts, as we're unsure of who would be the victim tomorrow. So that's where the need for self-defense lessons becomes important, and to be honest, everyone needs it, both young and old. In this write-up today I'll be sharing my experience as well as my take on self-defense.

I recently came across a video on the internet that shows how a body was being brutally bullied by another student. It was so disgusting to watch, and after which I decided to read through the comments, and I must say that I was surprised by some of the comments I saw, not that they're entirely bad, but by how they approach the situation from another dimension. Apparently, while some people were angry and disgusted about the bully, some were of the opinion that the victim's parents should be blamed for not teaching their child any form of self-defense. Which, in my opinion, is a good addition, but I don't think it should water down the need for the bully to be taught a lesson.

So with that being said, it's worth knowing that bullying doesn't happen physically; bullies could use other measures such as verbal abuse to pick on others. What kind of defense can we practice to overcome this type of bullying? Take for instance during my secondary school days. I remember how I used to get bullied and verbally abused by one of my classmates. It got to a point where I couldn't take it anymore, and in my bid to make him stop, I punched him in the face. Surprisingly, I was the one who got more hurt, and I'm assuming that's because I don't know how to punch and have no knowledge about fighting or self-defense.

So while I really don't think it'll be ideal to teach self-defense in school, I think it'll indeed be great for parents to teach their children different self-defense hacks that can come in handy during difficult times. Teaching our kids self-defense doesn't mean we like trouble; it only means we're protecting them against future unexpected circumstances. Take for instance when you teach someone about self-defense; they can use that trick to get themselves out of the den of bullies. Self-defense can also be used to avoid troubles, because you'll be more cautious and know the videos you're about to enter have suspicious people inside, and several other tricks can help you buy time and get help during such instances.

To be honest, I really don't have any self-defense skills at the moment, but I agree it's important to know them, and I'm open to learning and also teaching my kids for their own safety.

All photos are mine.