Self Defense vs Martial Arts (What's the Difference?

Karate, Tang Soo Do, Kung Fu, and Boxing are just a few of the training backgrounds my students often mention when they come in, believing they already know how to defend themselves. While these disciplines are fantastic to learn, they are sports! They involve belt rankings, pads, uniforms, rules, and time limits. True self-defense doesn’t work like that. Most criminals don’t have formal training, nor do they follow rules. They may carry weapons like guns, knives, batons, or any object they can use. True self-defense training is about doing whatever it takes to stop the threat. This is where Defensive Strikes Reality-Based Scenario Training comes in. We teach strikes, escapes, verbal de-escalation skills, using everyday objects as weapons, role-playing, and many other life-saving strategies to prepare our students for the real world.