By: Saifnasr Bello
“It is better to be a warrior in a garden than to be a gardener in a war”._Miyamoto Musashi
Throughout human history, conflict has been a constant, with the powerful often seeking excuses to dominate the less powerful. This pattern is deeply rooted in his nature. In a world filled with risks and uncertainty, someone needs to possess the knowledge and skills necessary for survival
and that’s why self-defense is very crucial in the existence of man.
Self-defense is the process of defending oneself from assault or physical attack, practically it means learning how to fight to be able to defend yourself from assault.
Quoting ancient Romans, “si vis pacem para bellum” meaning —if you want peace you must prepare for war” From the above self-defense is an art and arts that can be approached from many doors, ranging from; taekwondo, boxing, and karate, etc.
However, every martial art is different and unique, but they uphold the following principles; discipline, commitment, self-control, etc.
Self-defense empowers you with the skills necessary to gain confidence and maintain a calm comportment even in the face of danger.
Self-defense offers enjoyable and effective methods to condition the body, burn calories, and enhance physical fitness and well-being. Additionally, regular exercise can uplift the mood of individuals dealing with depression and insomnia alike.
Also, self-defense will enhance your awareness of your surroundings, as no one plans to be attacked, a self-defense practitioner stands a better chance at surviving an attack.
Self-defense is both a mental and physical exercise. So, as you improve physically, you also improve mentally through overcoming obstacles and learning new things.
Sharing from my personal experience, not quite long that I achieved high rank in taekwondo, I traveled to Lagos. On a cool Monday morning, my neighbor and I went to the mosque for morning prayer. On our way back home, just a short distance of 20 meters away, we were attacked by three armed men on a motorcycle armed with cutlasses.
I was still feeling dizzy, practically sleep-walking, sadly they got to my neighbor first. One of the attackers approached me and I did a sweeping kick that completely threw him off balance then they ran away.
They got my neighbor’s phone and it pained me that I could not do anything about it. At least I was able to defend myself and hopefully, as I progress in the sports, I’ll be able to do better.