“C’mon… can you REALLY learn self-defense skills without going to a martial arts school?”
I hear this all the time from people who wonder if it’s possible to train solo and still actually learn enough valuable skills to protect themselves in a real street fight.
Well, I can tell you that you absolutely CAN train by yourself and still be ready to take on an attacker… and I was recently chatting with former cop and legendary martial arts expert Loren Christensen he shared with me…
The 3 Best Pieces Of “Self-Defense Training Equipment” To Survive A Real Street Fight
Without a doubt, getting in-person training in the martial arts is the best way to learn to protect yourself.
However, not everyone has those opportunities.
Maybe you don’t have the time… maybe you don’t have the money… or maybe there’s some other reason you can’t go to your local martial arts school to train each week.
In many cases, the training that you have in your area may not even be something that’s practical enough to save your life in a violent attack.
This leads more and more people to turn to quality DVD instruction in the combat arts, and to take advantage of whatever else they can to train.
Often, this means solo self-defense training drills.
But how can you improve your self-defense skills on your own, through solo training drills, to make yourself a better fighter?
There are three critical pieces of equipment that can make your solo training drills more effective, even on a tight budget…
1. The Heavy Bag Or B.O.B. Training Dummy
The heavy bag is really a very versatile tool for solo training drills – and if you want to make your self-defense training more realistic, I suggest getting a “Body Opponent Bag” or BOB training dummy that looks like a real person.
You can get both of these from most local sporting goods stores, or from online retailers or online classifieds (where exercise and fitness equipment is often available very cheaply when it is previously owned).
Using a heavy bag or BOB, you can work power and you can work speed.
You can practice both punches and kicks.
You can make it move and strike it as you pass it or as it passes you.
You can take it off its hook and use it on the ground to simulate a groundfighting scenario.
You can also use it on the ground to facilitate training low-line kicking.
2. The Mirror
A mirror makes your solo training more effective because it gives you vital feedback.
If you do a technique wrong, it will show you.
If you do that technique right, it will show you that, too.
If you want to do a combination, and you don’t have an instructor, you can use a training DVD or a qualified online instructor and them replicate what you see in the mirror.
3. Your Imagination
The most important tool you can use for training alone, for basically”teaching yourself to fight,” is your imagination.
This one is the most important when training by yourself.
You need to be able to picture that assailant in front of you, in the air, on the bag, on the ground, or wherever you happen to be.
- See his attacks.
- See him blocking you.
- See his reaction.
- Picture every part of a fight unfolding.
It will take you a little while to get there, but once your imagination is developed, it will be well worth it — and it will enhance your solo training immensely.
