Self defense?

Question

I'm 17 and I used to do taekwondo(did it about 3 years) and stopped about 1-2 years ago. It wasn't a mcdojang and we used to spar with contact.

I've lost a lot of flexibility, strength, speed and even forgot lots of technique etc.

If I got attacked would I be completely helpless? Should I start some kind of martial arts again?

Answer 1

I bet the most  basic techniques would come to you in a desperate situation, and knowing martial arts does not always equal being ready for any attack. But if you are worried I encourage you to start martial arts again.

Answer 2

If you remember your techniques and walk down the street with a bit of self-confidence, the predators will look for an easier target.

If you need to use your martial art, just target the knees instead of the solar plexus when you kick. A side kick would be most effective, if you miss the knee, you will probably break their shin.

Remember the sequence:

Walk away,

RUN away,

Call out for assistance,

Find a weapon for yourself,

Resort to your TKD.

Answer 3

Hey the good thing is most people quit after a couple months, its good that you took it for three years. I think that if you got attacked you wouldn't be completely helpless, but you probably wouldn't be as good as you would be if you were still doing it now. Ive been doing tae kwon do 4 years now. And I think it would help if you started back. It helps a lot.

Answer 4

Are you afraid you're going to be attacked? Your average person never has to fear being attacked, statistically speaking it is pretty rare that an individual person ever faces a single act of violence.

Whether or not you are helpless first of all depends on your state of mind, the "fight or flight" factor. You really have to use your head, though - does the situation really threaten your life, or just your property or possession? If you're just losing stuff that you can replace again, be smart and be passive and you'll probably be okay. If you have to fight, though, your mind and body will probably recall some of those defensive mechanisms if you need them.

Answer 5

Forget TKD, find a school in your area that teaches real-life defensive tactics. Or look up Captain Chris at www dot closecombattraining dot com.

Answer 6

It is like ANY sport or thing in life.

You get rusty if you do not practice.  So sure you could join another one or you could work on what you know and get your flexibility and speed and such back too and I am sure things will return to you as you do it.

That is purely up to you.  You learn to adapt and use other ways to protect yourself when you lost these abilities but you have to be trained in them as I am. Had I not learned them I would be worried as you are.

(We thought it was SHEEP??)