Kickboxing and self-defense
Reading a book or article on weight lifting will not make your muscles grow. Learning proper exercise mechanics from a personal trainer will not ensure life-long fitness. Sitting through a lecture on chess, understanding it's history, the name of each piece and its' pattern of movement will not make you a competent chess player. Knowledge is inert until you convert it into competence through practice.
There are no superior martial arts, only superior martial artists. Whether you consider yourself a martial artist, a kick boxer, a street-fighter or just someone who wants to "get fit and stay out of trouble. There is no best self-defense package out there. There are no quick fixes, magic techniques or secrets. People can spend a lifetime waiting to find (or blindly following) the "right" self-defense system, the best seminar, or the ultimate book. There isn't one. People often select the system of their favorite martial art celebrity or even action movie star. They are missing the point. They are good not because of what they know but what they have done with that knowledge... they got good by balancing theory with practice.
80% of the benefits of a good book, article or self-defense seminar results from what you DO with that knowledge AFTER exposure to it. Don't get me wrong, feeding your brain with valid, realistic, self-defense knowledge is crucial... essential in fact, but it's what you do with that knowledge that impacts your ability to protect yourself. "Protecting yourself" is not isolated to warding off violent attacks. The benefits of self-defense training include protecting your physical health, your mental health and your emotional well-being.
Don't defer your knowledge, opinions or skills to a guru, instructor, master or coach. YOU are solely responsible for your personal safety. YOUR knowledge and competence is all that matters. YOU must think for yourself, evaluate the merits of new information and decide how to incorporate it into your life. Seek out the best instruction you can find but realize that it's what YOU do that makes the difference
