Silat: Self Defense Techniques that Work for this Martial Artist

I started studying martial arts when I was around 13 years old. I received a black belt in 1979 in the art of Tae Kwon-do. It took me several years and plenty of money to learn this art. I went on to study several other martial arts over the course of my lifetime. You might say it was a hobby to learn different forms of the art.

It wasn't till the late 1990s that I discovered Silat. For self defense Silat had all the others beat. The basic moves are simple to me and very effective. Sure you can spend long hours training to become an expert but I have found that Silat can be picked up very fast. Although I have plenty of experience in other arts , I have found Silat to be the most effective at stopping an attack by using the least amount of energy. This became important to me as I became older and didn't want to expend lots of energy.

There are several different forms of Silat and many are outlawed in the USA, because Sliat shows no mercy. Many of the forms of this martial art have been modified to conform with the laws in the USA. Its is illegal to cripple or kill someone in self defense in the USA. Therefore you should be careful even in defending yourself because the attackers sometimes have more rights than the victims. I still recommend Silat because even a smaller person can defend themselves easily against a very large person. In fact the larger the attacker is the easier it is to defend yourself against them.

No matter how much martial arts you know, nothing takes the place of common sense. Stay away from areas that pose a danger to you. Do not wear provocative clothing and high heals if you have to frequent a high risk area. Spiked shoes and gold jewelry make you an easy target for thieves. Many of the major cities have schools that teach Silat. Learning the basic stances and move for Silat is fun and pretty easy. Lessons vary in price and some teachers believe that you should learn the traditional ways of Silat as they did. In this society I feel it is a good idea to be able to defend yourself. Many of the people I have seen are helpless and unaware. It takes a few hours a week and a little practice and dedication to have the confidence to neutralize an attacker. I have found that many of the assailants are untrained and unaware of what will happen to them if confronted by a even semi trained Silat practitioner.

Silat is a system that works well for me. Before you commit to a martial arts school that teaches any kind of self defense or martial arts system, do your homework. Research and learn some of the basic moves on line. Check out the philosophy of the art being taught. Ask around about the teacher. Many teachers did not learn the true philosophy of martial arts and don't teach it. This being that the art is only to be used when all other options have failed. Talking you way out of a fight or running seem to be a good first defense.