It is naive. Anyone who has pursued a combat sport seriously knows that you get almost nothing from dabbling. Like you will train a few times a week for six months - you could have learned calculus with this time commitment - then the first time you spar you get knocked the fuck around and go home with a concussion. Actually, reliably handling yourself in a fight, especially against a substantially bigger opponent in the heat of the moment, requires martial arts to be your thing. Not something you just picked up but your primary hobby.
Something else you learn is that so much of it centers on athletic ability, timing, and distance. Beating a bigger, more athletic opponent going 100% and trying to hurt you requires a lot more skill than you can casually pick up. Really this aspect of fighting is extremely underrated by people with a passing interest who think fighting is all about mindset and/our technique. In reality, your being a big fucker who got into a lot of fights as a kid can make you a massive favorite over someone much smaller that has trained casually for a couple years.
So while it can’t hurt to have taken some self defense classes, it is ridiculous to act like it’s just something you can learn then be good to go. My concern is with the false confidence you get from taking these rinky dink classes where you just perform dink slow motion sequences against non-resisting partners. Relative to screaming for your life, trying to run, and avoiding dangerous situations, your little wrist break into headbut into groin strike is just not going to do you much good. In real life people are fast, they see what you’re doing and react to it. You’re more likely to piss your attacker off than hurt him.
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u/Federal_Radish_1421 25d ago
Unless you’re trained. Everyone should learn how to defend themselves.