Being afraid is normal. In fact, fear is a base survival instinct that too many times we tend to ignore. When the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, you should pay attention. Something deep down wants you to be ready for whatever is coming.

The question then is

Every time I speak about what I do, close-quarter combatives for self-defense, I always get one person in the crowd who comes up to me afterwards and says

Self-defense is not a ring match.  There are no rules. There is no referee. It is only you and your attacker(s). That's it!!

Your only goal is to …

Where is your line? How far will you allow someone to have access to you? In other words, where are your boundaries???

For active self-defense you need to be…

Lately I have been meeting a number of women who have started boxing. This is...

What's the best self-defense?

Self-defense training is not a magic tool that allows you to be successful during an attack. It involves work. It requires emotional willingness to face your fears. It's not an easy task.

So what can you do?

The what???

The 'kubotan'. You know, those self-defense keychains that look like a spike...
Still have no idea what I'm talking about? 

Are you aware of the view around you? From your desk at work? In your seat on the train or bus? How about at your table where you eat lunch each day? Are you aware of the view? Of what's happening around you? Of who is coming and going?

com·pro·mise - unable to function optimally

Being compromised. What does this mean? I like the above definition: "unable to function optimally." If I am compromised I may not be able to fully defend myself if need be. It implies