Nothing is better knowing you can take care of yourself physically, mentally, and financially. However, some think the physical is just exercise. Being able to protect yourself is not only a boost to self-confidence but it is also a reassurance. Many of you reading this may not know anything about self-defense or hardly anything. Self-defense is an important skill that every woman should that can save your life in some of the most dangerous situations.

1. First and foremost, self-defense is important for not only women, but men as well.

Every two minutes, an American is assaulted in the US. This includes a felonious assault, unlawful or attempted attack, simple assault, physical assault, aggravated assault, and sexual assault. A simple assault is which a weapon is not used, and injuries caused to the victim are minor in nature, which is the opposite of a physical assault where there is grievous bodily harm. Aggravated assault is the use of a weapon and/ or amount of increased force, and sexual assault is force against the will of the victim which results in rape, molestation, sodomy or similar sexual offense.

2. Self- Defense is important in the sense that it can save your life.

Self-defense saves lives in violent situations when there is no opportunity to summon help. And in this case, you are forced to save yourself and face the attacker alone. Using personal resource and knowledge to survive is the key to saving your life. In a college perspective, self-defense has been taught at over 250 universities and colleges across the country. Therefore, self-defense is important for all ages that are able to defend themselves when no one else is around to provide assistance.

3. Learning self-defense provides security and safety.

Not choosing to learn self-defense will not provide necessary skills to defend yourself in potentially dangerous situations. These include the different types of assaults as mentioned before. Self-defense provides security and safety by learning how to react in potentially dangerous situations, how to use the space around you to your advantage, and learning the skills and move that can help save your life.

4. Self-defense builds confidence.

The biggest advantages of learning self-defense is how you feel after learning it. It is a major boost to anyone’s confidence, no matter how old. Many women in today’s society are unconfident. This can be due to what is driven in the news, or what has happened through personal experience. Self-defense ultimately molds you into a better person no matter what.

5. There are several risks of not learning self-defense at some point in your life.

It is always better to be safe than sorry. Yes, it’s a common phrase, but it should be taken seriously. The sentence speaks for itself. The excuses “ I can scream really loud,” and “I have pepper spray,” are not effective methods of self-defense, if some even go as far to call the self-defense methods. These phrases cannot and will not protect you.

All in all, it is clear to see that practicing self-defense provides experience that not only keeps you safe, but provides confidence as well. Learning self-defense versus not learning self-defense will always have a positive influence on your life and is the best way to provide safety and security. In the end, it’s not just about sport; it’s about reality.