What’s the difference between self-defense and fighting? Some fans of self-defense like to say it’s that, “There are no rules in the street!” which to me is just a way of trying to make yourself sound tough. It certainly sounds good, but it misses a much more important distinction between fighting and self-defense: You don’t have to win self-defense In self-defense, any outcome better than what your attacker intended is a win. If you run away, that’s a win. If you lose the fight but hang on long enough for help to come, that’s a win. If they try to kill you and you live, that’s a win. Even if someone robs you at gunpoint, and you give them everything you have: If you were able to stay calm, not escalate the situation, and get out of it knowing you did the right thing, that’s a win. Self-defense isn’t about beating someone, it’s about protecting yourself. To that end, we don’t want to get into a fight at all! Self-defense is not a competition, and we’re not looking for opportunities to go beat someone at it. It’s a desire to stay safe, have the ability to take action when needed, and hope we never have to.
731 W. Hargett St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601
