The week dragged slowly for me, it was the first time anyone had told me they were going to assault me. In fact they were going to “smash” my face in, kick my head in and leave me bleeding on the floor. This is what they told me, and what’s more they said it would be later this week. The worry would be prolonged.
I struggled to sleep, I thought about what I would do if it happened, I worried and I ate less.I was experiencing the slow adrenaline dump. However I wouldn’t fight him, I didn’t want to and I knew I would lose, I knew I could get hurt.
I walked home alone later that week, then I heard the shouts that to this day still haunt me. They were the shouts of a crowd, baying for blood. Perhaps the women accused of witchcraft in Salem felt this way. However as the group approached I realised it was him.
He had come to hurt me, he had come to smash my face in just as he promised.
I refused to fight him, I wanted no part of violence, I was not a fighter. He wanted a fight and without one the crowd got restless. So he threw a couple of punches at me that landed and hurt. I still said no. I didn’t want to fight. Without the fight he wanted he started to give up, even though the crowd told him to just beat me up he still said no. There seemed no point when I just didn’t want to fight
I thought I had survived this incident. That was until a member of the crowd wanting some fun stepped in and said “if you won’t do it, I will!” At that point I was brutally assaulted, punched and head butted until I was on the floor. Only by virtue I had managed to get right outside my home did it end. I had a split lip, a nose bleed and bruises all over. This was the moment that changed my life, I was just 11.
Since this day I have dedicated my life to self defence. This was my sole motivation in training in numerous martial arts and systems over the years. I never wanted to feel like that again.
This blog has seen massive success over the last 3 months and today I have had over 1000 views this month alone. It has been viewed so many times because I am passionate about self defence. My guest bloggers are also passionate and have shared their stories to motivate and encourage us all. A few people have criticised the blog and me,even when my name is not mentioned I know they refer to my writing. These people are few and far between.
The support I have received so far has shown me that this blog has a future, that self defence has a future. I believe the study of self defence can go from small groups in church halls to become a legitimate study which people want and ask for. I want parents to say that are taking their child to “self defence training”. I want the media to refer to us as self defence and self protection experts. I want a person to stand proud and say they are studying self defence.
We are not limited to one system, we can borrow from them all, selecting the best techniques for the individual student. We use what works, studying real violence for answers and using martial arts where appropriate. We are the future of self defence and self protection.
We are warriors of reality, and some people will not like our harsh viewpoint of combat. But as I like to say, “A bruised ego heals a lot quicker than a broken jaw”.
Thank you for all the support and positive comments. If you are reading this then I believe you too are proud to be a self defence specialist and student. You might not fight in the cage, you might not have a black belt, it matters not. We prepare for the most savage of opponents, those who would see us in hospital. Those who would see us away from our loved ones. Those who would laugh about causing us serious harm.
We are self defence students and I am proud to be a self defence specialist, I am always learning and always studying and I will share what I learn.
Keep reading this blog because the best is yet to come. Thank you for all the support.
Keep safe and be proud.