One of the many things that can stop someone with a heartfelt desire to study authentic martial arts under a qualified teacher is...

...the teacher or program is nowhere near where they live.

I can certainly relate to the distance that one must travel to get the training you want. I, for one, have always made it a point that, if I wanted something of value, I was willing to do whatever it took to get THAT thing.

Imagine, if you will...

A woman walking across a dark parking lot late at night - perhaps on her way to meet her date. The lot, apparently occupied only by the vehicles parked there and the occasional cat hunting for an evening snack.

Then, as if from out of nowhere, she feels the hard, meaty arm slam into her throat from the front.

Real-world self-defense is a very serious matter. And while you can have a lot of fun during practice sessions, you must remember that you are not training for a sport or tournament match, where the only thing on the line is a shiny trophy or a new martial art belt.

The following set of principles should be considered and taken to heart. They should be burned into your memory and made a part of your practice and study.

When discussing self-defense training, we really need to be discussing more than just learning some tricks and techniques for dodging punches or escaping locks and holds. Why then, are most instructors content with stopping at, and most students satisfied with learning, self-defense in a vaccuum?

Well, I have my own beliefs, mostly involving the fact that most have never been in a real-world self-preservation situation with an assailant out to do maximum damage with any technique or weapon they choose.

Workplace violence has become one of the biggest concerns for managers, corporate executives and Human Resource Departments in the past several years. In fact, the shear number of incidents of workplace violence is staggering.

A report issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after an extensive study, showed that "homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States.

Women's self defense issues are constantly in the news and a 'hot' topic for conversations. In fact, the number one concern from women, especially single women in the dating world, is rape.

It seems that everyone from police officers to karate instructors has his or her own philosophy and theories about the how's and why's of self defense for women and girls.

Everyday, hundreds and perhaps thousands of men and women think about taking martial arts lessons. I know because I hear from them constantly, either by way of email, phone, or in letters mailed to the academy.

The vast majority are, more-often-than not, trapped in this "thinking about it" stage and will never take that next, most important step to making it happen.

One of the greatest threats facing both employees and the companies they work for, is workplace violence. It has become the leading cause of death for women and the second leading for men, following closely behind motor vehicle accidents. In fact, the best estimates now being reported show that 1-in-4 employees will be the victim of workplace violence this year alone.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a big difference between a fight and a self-defense situation. While both may look the same on a physical, combative level, the reason that each participant is there is very different.

As a general rule, a fight is a contest involving two or more willing participants, all trying to "win" or prove that they are "right.

This story is being offered in response to a request made by my teacher, Soke (Grand Master) Masaaki Hatsumi, during a recent training visit to Japan. During one of the training sessions, Soke was suggesting that everyone, regardless of rank, should make it a point to talk to those with actual combat experience and to learn from these people. The point was, if you do not know what a real fight is like, you will not be able to train properly for an authentic situation.