As a parent, it is my duty to raise my child the right way. Yes, this means that I am raising a small human to be kind, creative, responsible and trustworthy, but it also means that I need to raise him to be strong, brave, with a knowledge on how to protect himself and his future family. 2017 is a scary place since crime is increasing and we never know what might be thrown our way, so it is essential to be prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best. Because of this mindset, I believe that it is extremely important for families to know how to protect themselves in the worst case scenario. In my opinion, self defense is important for families to learn because…
Learning how to protect yourself is essential
Like I mentioned above, the last few years have been unlike any other in the past. Lately, we have had to deal with hundreds and thousands of scary scenarios in this crazy world. If we have learned anything from watching the news and hearing the crazy stories, it is that everyone is susceptible to getting caught up in a bad situation. Because of this, learning to protect yourself is essential in the case that you do get caught in a scary situation.
The skills you use can be put to use throughout your life
Self defense skills do not stop being useful at a specific age – your skills are of use your entire life and on top of that, they are not just useful to yourself. They are useful to anyone and everyone around you. When learning self defense as a child, you will carry that set of skills around you for the rest of your life, which will enhance your future families lives, as well.
You are getting exercise
It is a known fact that Americans commonly suffer from obesity and I will go out of my way to teach my son to take care of his body in order to stay healthy and fit. A perk of taking self defense classes is getting the exercise that a lot of Americans are missing out on.
You can make it a family activity
We are busy with work and social lives, but family activities are also extremely important, as well. Taking self defense classes as a family can be a useful and fun way to bond as a family! Another great thing about going in as a family is that you will meet other families going in for the same reason. You can improve your family bond, improve your self awareness and also make friends and improve your social skills, as well!
You improve your quality of life
Going through life being scared of what could happen is no way to live. We need to teach our children to be brave and strong and fearless, and I believe that we can do this by giving them the skills of learning to protect themselves in a scary situation. If you are confident that you can protect yourself, you will not be scared of anything that comes your way. Being confident is not only helpful when you want to protect you, but it boosts your overall mood each day.
Now that you know a few reasons why you should learn how to protect yourselves as a family, here are some ideas for actually putting that idea into action:
Look into self defense classes in your area
Almost every single city has some type of self defense class in your area. All you have to do is Google “self defense classes” and your zip code or city and I am sure something will come up. If for some reason you do not have a class in your area, check online for simple videos.
Find a weapon that suits you
There are many weapons out there that can help you protect yourself, when your own body skills won’t do the trick. One great weapon that you can look into is getting a knife or sword from Swords of Northshire. They sell functional swords, historical weapons, and also accessories. Their goal “is to exceed your expectations, and in turn, create a new standard for the sword industry.” Because customer service is their highest priority, they make it easy to contact them via email, phone number, chat, or through a fill out form. If you check out their reviews and ratings on their website, you will hear about the great customer service and the quality work. Swords of Northshire offers blades that are hand forged by craftsman who have passed the art down from the ancestors of the Japanese Samurai, so you know that you will always get a product that not only meets your expectations, but exceeds them, like their goal states.
Photo Credit: Swords of Northshire
Learn to use that weapon properly
No matter what weapon you choose to wield, you always need to learn how to properly use it to make sure both yourself and others are safe. This will give you practice (more information on this in a minute) to sharpen your skills!
Practice, practice, practice
The more you practice, the better you will get at your skill set in self defense. This is important because if you do get stuck in a bad situation, you need to make sure you are practiced and prepared.
Learning self defense with your family is important in order to prepare ourselves. Although you are preparing for dangerous situations, make sure you do not scare your children with your talk. Instead, tell them that you are taking self defense classes to get stronger and learn how to protect themselves. This will forever benefit their lives!
Styling Sunshine 
