Self Defense vs MA

Is there a difference between self-defense and martial arts classes?       Yes!  I like to think of self-defense and the martial arts like chocolate and caramel.  They complement each other very well, but they are not the same thing.    Don’t get me wrong.  I love the martial arts, especially Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  And I intend to continue training as long as I am physically able.   It is good mental and physical exercise and I do pick up techniques that have an application in self defense during my martial arts classes.  Plus, it’s fun!  Self-defense, however, encompasses much more than just technique.  It also includes things like knowing pre-indicators of people who might try to hurt me, being a “hard target,” and being aware of my surroundings.  The day I figured that out was the day I finally started to feel safer (thanks Mr. Kardian). To continue my analogy, Fight Like a Girl (FLAG) is a little like a chocolate covered caramel (one of my favorites).  We discuss topics honestly and frankly that impact our safety like date rape drugs, stalking, being aware of our surroundings, pre-indicators of a predator,  having self confidence and respect, boundaries, and much more.  Then we wrap it up with a few techniques which are easy to remember and perform because they are conceptually based and use gross body movements.  That is why you do NOT need to have had or intend to take a single martial arts class to benefit from the FLAG program.  It is a self-defense program all by itself.  If you have already had some martial arts training, however, some of the technique you will learn will very likely be familiar to you and your training will only be enhanced by it.  These techniques were designed to address the common sexual assault scenarios women are likely to face, something that is not usually covered in a traditional martial arts program.