The Myth of the Short-Course Fix: Why Real Self-Defence Takes Time
We’ve all seen the adverts: “Six-week self-defence course — make your child safer from bullies, knife crime, and street attacks.” It sounds appealing. Who wouldn’t want a quick solution to one of the biggest worries a parent can face?
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: no child is meaningfully safer after six weeks of classes.
What Six Weeks
Can
Do
A short course can introduce basic ideas:
- Spotting danger early.
- Building awareness of surroundings.
- Practising a few simple moves.
It can be a useful starting point — planting the seed that self-defence is about thinking smart and staying safe.
What Six Weeks
Cannot
Do
It cannot prepare a child to:
- Stay calm when adrenaline floods their system.
- React automatically under real pressure.
- Build the conditioning, reflexes, and resilience needed to survive a violent encounter.
These are skills forged over time, with consistent training.
The False Sense of Security
Here’s the risk: parents and kids may leave a short course believing they’re now “safe.” That confidence can lead to riskier decisions, hesitation in danger, and a false sense of security that’s more dangerous than being unprepared.
What Actually Works
Real safety comes from:
✅ Regular training that builds habits.
✅ Learning under controlled pressure, so the body knows how to react.
✅ An environment that balances toughness with support.
✅ Developing confidence that’s rooted in practice, not promises.
Self-defence isn’t a quick fix. It’s a process.
Final Thought
If you want your child to be genuinely safer, the best gift you can give them is time in training. Six weeks is a teaser. Six months builds foundations. Six years? That changes their life.
Quick fixes don’t work. Commitment does.
