Why Should Fitness Professionals Become Personal Safety/Self Defense Trainers?
Fitness professionals/Personal trainers have a solid understanding of biomechanics. While physical self-defense should always be the very last choice of action, it is still a major component of self-defense training. Once a person makes the decision to perform physical self-defense, it is very important that the specific self-defense movement (evasion, re-direction, strikes, loosening techniques, escape techniques, control techniques, etc) is performed in the most proficient way (shortest possible reaction time and greatest possible power, speed, focus, repetitively, with no delay between techniques or movements). Teaching this requires understanding of biomechanics/ kinesiology and the ability to observe and evaluate performance. Personal trainers possess that knowledge and ability. Now, all they need to do is learn (and practice) the proper form for executing self defense-specific movements.
For example, a self defense instructor must be able to teach a smaller female client how to maximize her ability to generate power, reduce reaction time, strike with the greatest possible accuracy to the “right” target, under conditions of extremely high duress and adrenaline rush. Here are examples to consider:
- An elbow strike is much more powerful if the client learns to execute the strike utilizing the full body by pivoting on the feet and rotating the trunk instead of just using the arm.
- Certain joint positions and movement patterns are stronger than others. This is important when training a person to be able to maximize technique execution.
Article #3 of this series will provide an in-depth explanation for the 4th bullet point (reference Article #1).
Remember, “ONE BODY, ONE LIFE, ONE CHOICE – BE ‘SAFE & STRONG!’
