Self Defense

Self-Defense

Doing everything possible to avoid or de-escalate the situation of someone who threatens or attacks you, before having to use force.

De-Escalate

To decrease/reduce the intensity of a conflict or situation with another person.

Fight or Flight

Our body's primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from any attack, threat, or harm to our survival.

Force

A push or pull exerted by one object on another, causing a change in motion.

Martial Arts

Any of several arts of combat and self-defense that are widely practiced as sport.

Stance

The distribution, foot orientation and body positions adopted when attacking, defending, advancing or retreating.

Defense

The act or action of defending.

Strike

An attack with any body parts.

Punch

A striking blow with a closed fist.

Kick

A physical strike using any parts of the leg.

Takedown

A technique that involves off-balancing an opponent and bringing them to the ground, typically with the attacker landing on top.

Retreat

Backing off or away from an attacker.

Danger Zone

The range inside which someone can successfully reach you with their legs, arms, or a weapon.

Same Side

The same side arm or leg that faces your opponent when you are opposite of one another

Live Side

When you are facing the front of your opponent and your opponent can both see you and use all their arms and legs against you.

Dead Side

The side places you behind your opponent's near shoulder or facing his back.

Outside Defense

Counters an attack directed at you from the outside of your body to the inside.

Inside Defense

Defends against an inside or straight attack involving thrusting motion.

Underneath Defense

Counters an upward attack, such as an uppercut punch or stab with an edged weapon to the navel.

Over-the-Top Attack

An attack that slams down on your opponent; this type of strike can be used to overcome your opponent's defense.

Breathe

Exhalation/inhalation of air.

Torque

The ability of a force to cause rotation on a lever or joint.

Mass

The measure of body's inertia; the amount of matter in a body.

Leverage

The exertion of force by means of a lever or an object used in the manner of a lever

Center of Gravity

That point at which all the body's mass seems to be concentrated; the center of mass.

Momentum

Strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events.

Sumission

Grappling hold which is applied with the purpose of forcing an opponent to submit out of either extreme pain or fear of injury.

Conflict

A serious disagreement or argument.

Confrontation

A hostile or argumentative meeting or situation between opposing parties.

Resist

To fight against or oppose something or someone.

Submitting

Accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.

Naturalize

To put out of action or make incapable of action.

Retaliatory

Characterized action by a desire for revenge.

Discipline

Training that produces obedience or self-control, often in the form of rules and punishments if these are broken, or the obedience or self-control produced by this training.

Self - Discipline

The ability to make yourself do things when you should, even if you do not want to do them.

Lead (L)

The foot or arm that is on the front side of your body when you are facing an opponent/attacker.

Rear (R)

The foot or arm that is on the back side of your body when you are facing an opponent/attacker.

Elbow Strike

This strike is delivered with the elbow.

Pivot

Rotating around a central point.

Jab Punch

A short quick punch using the lead arm.

Cross Punch

A punch with the rear arm and increased trunk rotation

Uppercut Punch

A powerful punch thrown from the waist upwards aimed at underneath the opponent's chin or the solar plexus area of the body.

Hook Punch

A small and tight round punch with the elbow bent generally never crossing the center line.

Straight Kick

Straight leg lifted from hips and snapping the knee to kick.

Roundhouse Kick

Travels in a circular path from a chambered position of the knee, generally executed in a horizontal plane, impacts with the top of the foot.

Push Kick

Leg lifted from hips, and extends kicking leg out from the hips.

Southpaw

A stance in martial arts where your left side is your rear side, and lead side is your right side.

Regular/Orthodox

A stance in martial arts where your right side is your rear side, and lead side if your left side.