Self Defense: Empowering yourself with Confidence and Safety

In today’s world, personal safety can often be taken for granted. The modern world has enjoyed advancements in public safety and technology that has contributed to a safer environment, both globally and locally. Generally, for everyone, the odds are in our favor: we are more likely to avoid and stay away from physical altercations now than ever before.

The semblance of safety is reassuring, but if you follow the news, you start to see the outliers: the reality of it is that various forms of violence and conflict still exist in the world and have existed for as long as humans have been around. Fortunately, the odds that you, a specific individual will experience this are low; but, powers that be forbid, what if you were to be faced with signs of an emergent situation that requires you to navigate seeing yourself and others to safety? Would you have the skills and confidence to take action, and have an idea of some productive and practical things you might do to see yourself out?

If the answer is no, you’re not alone. Due to the relative safety of most places in the world, skills of self-preservation and self-defense are mostly optional skills to develop: mostly as a side effect of martial arts classes that are targeted towards youths. The chances that any individual would need these skills are very low; but those who pay attention to world events recognize that safety is not necessarily the reality for everyone.

In times of stress, it’s the nature of the body to go into either the “fight or flight” and the “freeze” response. This response is a normal human reaction; and even trained fighters exhibit this response, the difference being they are more likely to go into “fight or flight” and not “freeze” upon being confronted with the situation. For those who aren’t prepared, it is very easy to go into a “freeze” response instead, the worst thing you could do when the task at hand requires you to make split-second decisions towards safety.

It takes a long time to really learn and hone skills to navigate a fight or combat situation, but a high level of these skills is not entirely necessary to see yourself out of a potentially uncomfortable situation. There is no winning or losing in self-defense, there is only the struggle for safety; for yourself, and for your loved ones around you.

At Roper Physical Therapy, we are offering a special self-defense class to teach a basic skillset to help you navigate potential uncomfortable encounters. Self-defense offers more than just the ability to protect yourself physically; learning these skills can help increase confidence, improve self-esteem, build better awareness, improve physical fitness, and cultivate more peace of mind. This class is taught by Alex Japit, a physical therapist who holds black belts in Chinese Kung Fu and Tai Chi, along with additional training in martial arts styles such as Wing Chun, boxing, and historic European martial arts.

Register today to learn about the 3 key targets to navigate your way out of an uncomfortable physical encounter, and more! The class will be held Thursday, April 17, 2025 from 12 PM to 1 PM.