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Always Use Protection
By Alex Iglecia
Reprinted from The Back Bay Currant, Boston, March 03

"What is defense? It is a countermeasure to aggression, an act of
protection from danger". -Robert Anthony Bussey

Self defense is a myth. I know. I’ve been studying and it for years. The false sense of security my sister might buy in the store or from some “expert” outright scares me. What would really work if she was threatened? Attacked? Worse?

“Violent crime is everywhere, happening every minute. It's random, and it can happen to you.” from Taking Precautions by Robert Bussey at www.busseystyle.com

Should she take a self defense course? Buy mace? Nice shoes won’t make me dance and I wouldn’t take an introductory gymnastics class and then go for the gold. What should I tell my sister to do? Learn about Personal Protection.

People ask what they should do specific situations? I tell them to get a foundation in movement and learn how to react, either one being more important than learning particular techniques. Learning about how attacks happen, how to react and how to move is more practical and valuable than learning the twist to pull out of a wrist grab or a shoulder grab.

What do I mean? Memorize 10 phrases to visit a foreign country. You can order a plate of food, ask for the bathroom, and call cabs all day long. That’s self defense. You’re not prepared to adapt to new situations. Instead, you could have a basic understanding of how the language works and you can perform, pronounce the words, hear the locals, and react to situations you’ve never been in before. You feel better, and can go more, go farther, and live better. That’s Personal Protection.

“Of course, we all know that there are no guarantees that violence won't occur; therefore, protective tools must be in place. These tools need to be effective, direct, and immediately useful or the victim runs the risk of making things worse by trying to defend herself with techniques that won't hold up.” – Robert Bussey

Personal protection isn’t just mental. It is not just physical. It’s both. And it can be relatively simple, safe, and fun, to learn. That’s something I feel good about telling my sister.

Alex Iglecia is a Combat Advisor, Club Sanctioned for www.busseystyle.com and teaches Genuine Bussey Style to the Back Bay community at Body Evolver and to companies and organizations throughout New England.