One of the common things I hear/read about people who are interested in MA is that they want to join an art that will help them defend themselves. Ok, I can understand that, what is the point of learning how to kick, block and punch if you can't use it to protect your life or someone else in danger. But of my years learning about fighting (yes I say fighting because my dad taught how to fight to defend myself) there is one thing I do know, it's about making through the fight, maybe not winning but being able to walk away.
When people ask me if TKD is good for self-defense, I can't give them a straight answer because of my diverse back ground. Yes it is good at my school because we don't base just on the TKD art itself to base counter attacks (I'm not saying that everyone else's is better or worse then mine, I just can't speak on anyone else's school because I've never seen them).
During a self-defense drills, the instructors do warn students that trying to do a cross body lock or bear hug may not be the best stragety unless they are willing to go onto the floor because I do use throws. I've never been told that I can't do them and have been encourge to demonstrate them during the advance classes at times.
Last night we did the four corner, a drill that has a person in the middle and four people line up on the sides, front and back. The middle person looks torwards the front(usually the instructor or assistant) and prepares for attacks. A new black belt came in for a body lock and I just caught in an under/over hook (where two people are chest to chest and on one side and over hook on arm and under hook on the the other) and hip tossed which may have shocked him, he didn't get hurt but he was expecting a palm strick or kick. But I've also used knees similar to what the do in Mauy Tai. If someone is going to attack I'm going to do anything and everything to get away, it's not a glory trip like some people want to believe. I had that ego once but learned my lesson thanks to one judge.
I find it interesting as BJJ and other MMA style arts are the hot flavor(not that there is nothing bad but it seems to be the popular arts now) how people want to know how to fight on the ground. My dad always said going to the ground is a death wish, being a wrestler I never thought that until one fight I got mule kicked with steel-toe boots. A master teaching a self-defense seminar I attended asked how many people say the proper mounting postion/guard postion during a bar fight. No one could raise their hands.
I do have a tendecy to take people down to the ground but I either try to slam them hard enough that they don't get up or create a scramble position were I can try and get away from the person. Most people who are not use to be thrown get disoriented in the air and have trouble regaining them once they land, a natural vertigo.
To me self-defense should be a natural thing, with proper training any movements should come natural to block or counter-attack a person. People try to get too fancy with technique and end up in more comperising positions putting them in more danger then before. A tornado kick may not be pratical in a steet fight (it does look cool) but a neither is chest to chest suplex.
When I think about self-defense I always remember Indiana Jones, where the swordsman puts on an impressive display of technique and Harrison Ford pulls out a gun and shoots him. No self-defense will make you bullet proof.
