The 4 Levels of Defence

In the Aegis system we strive to connect the physical martial arts, which is why most people join us, to the mental martial arts, which is why people stay with us so long. A key part of our system is how we categorise defensive tactics into four levels and how these levels work not only in combat but in our daily life. The lowest level of defence we categorise as level 4 which is avoidance.

Let us take an example of competitive martial arts. In competition the wise fighter, if he has no knowledge of his opponent will first of all avoid him. circling him; throwing tentative shots and moving away (avoiding) anything that looks dangerous or he can't recognise. Avoidance in a trained martial artist is a tactic but it is born of a biological instinct of 'fight or flight'. Avoidance is flight and in life it is a safety mechanism which has helped us to survive for millions of years. However, avoidance is to help us survive and surviving is not the same as thriving. Thriving is what has put us on the top of the heap as a species and whether you think that a good thing or bad in the long run it is born of a desire to do much more than survive.

Avoidance in self defence is much the same as in competition except that competition is a mutual combat and self defence generally isn't. In self defence we can avoid confrontation by avoiding where trouble may lie or avoiding people who look like trouble or by simply running away from trouble. Avoiding works but it is a tactic that doesn't work every time and needs a back up plan. Also, avoiding a problem doesn't make it go away, it doesn't solves the problem it only defers it to a possible later time, admittedly a time that may not come but then again it might and will avoiding the problem work as it did before?

In our daily life we can use the tactic of avoidance just as in combat and, as in combat it can work, but it is a flawed solution. For instance, if you don't pay your mortgage the mortgage company will send you letters and perhaps also telephone you about your non. payment. Avoiding the phone calls and not opening the letters will work for a while but will not solve the problem so the tactic of avoidance works but not forever.

So this is why we in the Aegis system categorise this tactic as a form of self defence but as you now understand it is the lowest level. Thanks for reading today, tomorrow we look at level 3 defence and how it works in combat as in life.

To find out more about the Aegis system click on this link http://www.nat-mac.co.uk/www.nat-mac.co.uk/info.php?p=9

Best wishes

Tony Higo
Chief Instructor
National Martial Arts College
0800 092 0948
www.nat-mac.co.uk