Experts share simple self-defense tips that go a long way

The warmer and lighter nights of spring are practically here. Imagine being out and about, enjoying a night on the town, but then something goes wrong. Someone gets a little too drunk, or you meet trouble outside in the form of a mugger, and someone gets hurt. It’s important to know how to avoid and get out of a potentially violent situation.

Many martial arts have been adapted from ancient cultural arts to be applicable to handle street violence. Martial art instructors have been acting as both preservers of ancient art and self-defense instructors for decades.

Philip Nearing, a master of the martial art Wing Chun has been teaching for more than 20 years in Greek Town. He teaches his students how to defend themselves in a real self-defense situation. Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art that is uses quick strikes in close quarter situations, but Nearing often discusses how to avoid getting in to a fight first.

“Most fights can be avoided by simply just avoiding the conflict,” said Nearing. “You can do this by crossing the street, or hailing a cab, or just walking into a public place like a bar or restaurant.”

Nearing also added that one should always be actively aware of their environment. While it seems obvious, many martial art teachers thoroughly keep enforcing this concept over and over again.

Once in a situation that has escalated to violence, attack and commit to it. “When you’re in a self-defense situation aggression is key,” Nearing said in class to his students. “If you hit once, you have to keep hitting and keep going.”

Jiu-jitsu master Adem Redzovic has been teaching the martial art for more than a decade at the Gracie Jiu-jitsu School on Belmont, and he said it’s best to steer clear of a fight at all costs. “A lot of people think that martial arts is all about fighting, but I also teach you how to circumvent a conflict,” Redzovic said.

Redzovic, as well as other martial artists say, when being confronted it’s best to dissolve the conflict quickly without violence. It’s better to talk your way out of a situation rather than to start swinging fists. The best tips to end a potentially dangerous conflict involve willing to give away your wallet, telling a joke, going toward a larger group of people and going into public places with security.

However, it’s hard to predict what exactly will happen on the street and how to react; Redzovic stated that one should be rational under a dangerous situation. “If somebody just wants your wallet, just give them your wallet,” said Redzovic. “But if they want to escalate the conflict to another level of violence, then you have to be willing to go to that level too.”

Redzovic teaches the Japanese art Jiu-jitsu, which is a complex art that studies the anatomy of human joints and chokeholds. It has been made famous through its popularity in Ultimate Fighting Champion as a favorite among fighters. The idea is that any opponent, no matter how big the size can be taken down through these joint locks. These moves are not just useful in the ring, Redzovic teaches a lot of practical usage of these martial arts that can be applied to the street.

Nathan Anderson has been a student of Redzovic’s Jiu- Jitsu school for more than three years now, and he knows how affective his training is. During an altercation at a bar he was able to take down an assaulter with a chokehold. Anderson walked out unscathed and the man who attacked him was escorted out by security.

“After it happened, I remembered thinking; wow, this stuff really does work,” said Anderson when describing the event. “It’s a good skill to have, but it’s a better skill to talk your way out of a situation.”