Self-defense techniques and recommended behavior under the threat of violence is systematically taught in self-defense classes. Commercial self-defense education is part of the martial arts industry in the wider sense, and many martial arts instructors also give self-defense classes. While all martial arts training can be argued to have some self- defense applications, self-defense courses are marketed explicitly as being oriented towards effectiveness and optimized to situations as they occur in the real world. Some styles train primarily for self-defense, while other martial or combat sports can be effectively applied for self-defense. Some martial arts train how to escape from a knife or gun situation, or how to break away from a punch, while others train how to attack. To provide more practical self-defense, many modern day martial arts now use a combination of martial arts styles and techniques, and will often customize self-defense training to suit the participants' lifestyles, occupations, age groups and gender, and physical and mental capabilities.

The challenge in Self Defence training is that practicing techniques against a friendly opponent who only pretends to attack, does very little to prepare you for situations when someone is actively trying to hurt you, perhaps kill you. No practice will prepare you for the real thing, since you can’t simulate life-or-death scenarios during practice and achieve “suspension of disbelief”. At some point, it has to get real, and only then you’ll find out how you perform under such conditions, however having the knowledge will give you a advantage . Not only the knowledge to physically defend but the ability to 'read and act' appropriately to the situation.

Psychological theory and research show that people decide whether or not to act depending on whether they think they can execute a skill effectively and if doing so will cause them to be successful. You need to develop confidence that you can respond in a particular way and a belief that it will work. This is part of what you hope to accomplish through repetition and practice in training.

Does it feel natural for you?

Can you see yourself responding in this way under an actual attack?

Know these rules?

Avoid dangerous places.
Be a bad target.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Watch out for warning signs and pre-attack indicators.
Maintain a safe distance from potential threats and places they may wait.
Create layers of security for your home.
Escape to safety when you feel threatened.
Evade a threat when you can’t completely escape.
Use the “Stop Back off!” command to dominate the situation if a threat gets close.
Be noisy, make noise, a lot of noise.
Comply: Give in to an argument or give up your money if it will prevent physical violence.
Never go anywhere with a potential. Never give him privacy and time with you or your family.
If a threat is closing in, pre-position for your attack. Become the potential, and the potential becomes the victim.

The Mind of self-defense is the ability to get into the proper mindset for executing a physical self-defense technique. Many martial arts schools and self-defense classes focus primarily on the physical nature of self-defense and often neglect the mental aspect. If you are skilled in the physical aspects of a defensive technique, but lack the mental toughness and tenacity to execute it, you will not be able to perform - especially under duress. Controlled environments cannot mimic the stress and adrenaline dump which occurs during an attack. There is a very real need to be able to enter the proper "mindset" if one is to have a realistic chance of surviving a potentially deadly encounter. This mindset is the ability to focus purely on the successful outcome of a situation without becoming concerned with the consequences, even if they prove fatal in the dedicated pursuit of your desired outcome. The ability to go over, under, around or through any obstacle is the essence of this mindset. Self-preservation is a very powerful motivator and it is essential for ensuring that one has the mental toughness and proper mindset to emerge the victor in an encounter with one or more attackers/aggressors.

Being aware of and avoiding potentially dangerous situations is a technique of self-defense. Attackers will typically select victims they feel they have an advantage against, such as greater physical size, numerical superiority or sobriety versus intoxication. Any ambush situation inherently puts the defender at a large initiative disadvantage. These factors make fighting to defeat an attacker unlikely to succeed. When avoidance is impossible, one often has a better chance at fighting to escape, such methods have been referred to as 'break away' techniques.

Understanding the 'mindset' of a potential attacker is essential if we are to avoid or escape a potentially life-threatening situation.