Self defense against a grab

 

When I was shown anything, by anybody, I just learned then practiced it.

 

But as time went on I began to realize grab defense was not much of a personal interest to me. The way I say it at 6’1” and solid very few people were going to grab me, and thus there were a lot of things I was teaching and practicing I probably was never going to use.

 

And that might have been true as far as that goes.

 

Then one day I shared that with one of my black belts, who was living in Seattle and visiting. She set me straight.

 

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“You realize that grabs are the reality that I face every day as a woman. Many attacks I am likely to face are from someone pawing or grabbing me.”

 

 

And she has crossed Russia on train, climbed Kilimanjaro, rafted down the Amazon, climbed mountains and biked across the United States multiple times and Alaska too. Her words had the feel of stark reality to them.

That shook me to the core. Especially as I was also teaching youth.

 

It made think that the reality of my studies is not what I needed, but what my students would face. Not everyone was large and solid. Some men are more slight, and the needs of women and children were there too.

 

So grab defenses were far more than skill building exercises. They are a very vital part of the arts I studied.

 

Then looking further into the issue. I began to realize attacks started in different ways. For some places they first began with a grab.

 

The reality of how your art may be used, needs be foremost in your teachings.