Your stance, believe it or not can play a major
factor in Self Defense for several reasons:

#1 - Look Small and weak so that your strikes are not expected

You may have heard that you need to look bold and confident to avoid becoming a victim. That is a true fact, however, if your avoidance strategies have slipped for whatever reason and you are now standing face to face with your attacker. Adopting "The Defensive Stance" not only helps protect you but makes you look submissive. When you look submissive, the attacker is not expecting a fight. When you do strike from this position, unexpected blows carry more weight and are therefore more effective.


#2 - Set up your Strikes

A good stance will put you in a position which it is easy to strike from. Strikes that have little distance to travel, carry the perception of speed and are much more likely to reach their intended target, than say a carelessly thrown haymaker from any stance. Simple strikes with open hands and fingers to sensitive targets on the face can suddenly become very effective.


#3 - To be a firm foundation from which to strike effectively

A Defensive Stance will provide a firm foundation from which to strike. The feet correctly placed will allow you to use your body in striking and therefore allow you to strike with more effect


#4 - A body position that will allow you to defend yourself

A Defensive Stance will give you the chance to protect yourself more readily by having your hands and feet so positioned to protect your vital areas or have very little distance to travel in order to protect yourself.


#5 - A position from which you can move quickly to strike, defend or escape.

You must be able to move into or away from your attacker quickly to defend yourself. The Defensive stance ensures that this is possible.

Over the next few articles, I will be covering many of these areas. The first article will cover the need to have the belief in yourself that you can be effective in Self Defense regardless of your size and strength.

By Malcolm Bale - 2nd Degree Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu

Fightwize Self Defense, run classes and courses for Men, Women and Children. Learn Escape Techniques, Targeting and Striking, Ground Defense, Keychain Defense, Take Downs and Hold Downs.

Effective Stances are covered in detail in our downloadable Courses

www.fightwize-self-defense.com

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