Why Self Defence and Situational Awareness Go Hand in Hand
- S3 Team
- Sep 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 12
When most people hear “self-defence,” they picture punches, blocks, or maybe throwing someone across a mat. But the truth is, the most important skill in self-defence isn’t about hitting harder or kicking higher—it’s about awareness.
The Importance of Awareness in Self-Defence
Situational awareness is the ability to notice what’s happening around you, understand what it means, and act before trouble escalates. The best way to sharpen that awareness? Consistent training in self-defence.
Our self-defence training is built around this connection: the practical skills that help you survive, and the awareness that helps you avoid danger in the first place.
Why Situational Awareness Matters
Violence doesn’t come with warning bells. It happens in everyday places—the train station, the car park, the walk home. If you’re distracted, you won’t see it coming.
Self-defence training increases awareness because it conditions your eyes, ears, body, and instincts. Over time, you learn to:
Notice who’s around you and what they’re doing.
Spot early warning signs: clenched fists, raised voices, someone edging closer.
Read the environment: exits, obstacles, escape routes.
Carry yourself with confidence, making you less likely to be chosen as a target.
As Jocko Willink says, “The best fight is the one you avoid.” (Self Defense Tutorials) Or, in Bas Rutten’s unique style: “Don’t be the guy who doesn’t see the beer bottle coming.” (Watch Bas in action)
Why Consistent Training is the Key
Awareness isn’t something you learn once and keep forever—it fades if you don’t practice. Like fitness, it needs regular sharpening.
Repetition builds reflexes: Drills practiced consistently become second nature, freeing your mind to see what’s happening.
Controlled stress teaches calmness: Partner drills simulate pressure so you don’t freeze in real life.
Touch and closeness training: Gradual, consent-based exposure rewires your response to sudden bumps in crowds or on public transport.
Consistency creates confidence: Ongoing training keeps your awareness sharp and your body ready.
Think of it like sharpening a knife: leave it in the drawer, and it dulls. Train often, and it stays razor-sharp.
Practical Self Defence & Weapons Training: Filipino Martial Arts
Our self-defence training also draws on Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), a system built around practicality. Unlike many martial arts that start empty-handed, FMA begins with weapons—sticks, knives, and improvised tools—because that’s often where real danger lies.
Kali stick drills sharpen reflexes, coordination, and timing.
Knife awareness training develops an understanding of how blades are actually used—fast, chaotic, but ultimately patterned.
Weapons-first training improves distance, angles, and timing, which carry over into empty-hand defence.
The Filipino mindset is simple: if danger involves a weapon, learn to deal with the weapon first. This blends seamlessly with the unarmed self-defence principles of Goju Ryu karate, giving a complete toolkit for both awareness and action.
Touch and Closeness Aversion in Neurodiverse People
For many neurodiverse people, being touched or crowded can be overwhelming. That’s not “being fussy”—it’s a real sensory response.
Self-defence training can help by:
Using predictable, consent-based drills—you always know what’s coming.
Offering gradual exposure—start no-contact, build up only if ready.
Teaching boundary-setting—clear ways to say “stop” verbally and physically.
Building confidence so everyday experiences like buses, trains, and crowds become manageable.
Stopping Escalation Before It Starts
Self-defence isn’t about fighting—it’s about choices. Training builds the ability to:
Use verbal de-escalation to calm or deter.
Manage space and positioning to reduce risk.
Break grips and create distance.
Decide under stress: when to walk away, when to shout, and when to fight.
The ultimate goal: to get home safe.
Resources and Further Reading
A Note from Our Head Instructor
I grew up in Dublin in the 80s and 90s, not the biggest or toughest kid in a rough working-class area. Violence was real—flick knives and Ka-Bars, not machetes—and I learned early how dangerous a knife or brick could be.
That is one of many reasons I spent years training in self-defence and Filipino Martial Arts, where weapons training comes first. The Filipinos are practical people (maybe that’s why so many make great nurses), and their stick-fighting filled a gap the Irish once had but lost. The mindset is the same: direct, effective, practical.
From that training and experience, I can say this: knife attacks are fast and messy, but they’re also limited—you can only stab or slash in so many ways. Understanding those patterns builds powerful situational awareness and calm under pressure.
My aim is simple: to give people tools to avoid danger whenever possible, and the skills to have a fighting chance if avoidance fails. Peace and contentment are worth defending.
Train often.
Make your defence reflexive.
That way, when life gets messy, you’ll have the clarity to think, grow, and live free.
Join Us Here
Situational awareness isn’t learned from books—it’s honed through consistent self-defence training. Every session builds not just skills for survival, but the awareness to avoid danger altogether.
Join us here to begin your training. Take the first step toward sharper awareness, calmer confidence, and stronger self-defence.
Train often. Think clearly. Live freely.
Comments