| I've never made any bones about the fact that I | | | | They want to move fast and surprise their enemy. |
| support learning self defense at home, over paying | | | | Well in practice you don't have an enemy, you have |
| money for time consuming lessons. It's how I learned | | | | a partner and the quickest way to hurt your partner |
| and eventually how I designed my own self defense | | | | is to go too fast. Remember that you're still learning |
| course. But there is one problem with learning self | | | | these moves and techniques so go slowly and |
| defense at home - how do you practice? | | | | practice getting the technique right before you worry |
| It's impossible to read about self defense in a book | | | | about how cool you look doing it. The point of |
| and expect to perform perfectly without practice, | | | | practice isn't to practice kicking the crap out of each |
| but practicing at home with a partner is a good way | | | | other. It's to ingrain the movements into your body |
| to hurt each other or break things or both. With just | | | | and get your muscles familiar with the repetitive |
| those obstacles in mind, here are three methods for | | | | motions. Just practice the moves without worrying |
| practicing your moves at home safely. | | | | about effectiveness and never practice at full speed. |
| | | | Go at half speed and never actually hit one another. I |
| 1. Find the Proper Space - just like mom always told | | | | know I shouldn't have to say this, but you'd be |
| you not to play ball in the house, she probably | | | | surprised . . . |
| wouldn't want you to beat each other up in the | | | | 3. Get Some Pillows - no one said you have to |
| house either. Just because you're at home, doesn't | | | | practice with a person. A few strategically arranged |
| necessarily mean you need to be indoors. Go out in | | | | pillows will work pretty well too. They won't hurt or |
| the yard and practice or maybe to the local park. If | | | | get hurt when you hit them and that will definitely |
| you do have to practice indoors, make sure you give | | | | cut down on collateral damage. And again, the point |
| yourself enough space. You shouldn't be kicking wildly | | | | here isn't accuracy. It doesn't matter if the pillows are |
| at each other or throwing each other into the walls | | | | human shaped because all we're concerned with is |
| (if you have a good self defense course, that is) so | | | | that you understand the moves and they become |
| you won't need a huge space, but make sure the | | | | second nature to you. Once they are ingrained in |
| breakables are well out of reach. | | | | your muscle memory you'll be able to perform them |
| 2. Go Slowly - the biggest mistake people make is | | | | on any attacker, be they pillow or human, without |
| that they try to fight like they see in the movies. | | | | thinking twice. |