04/10/2026
SELF-DEFENCE – MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU
I want to raise an important concern about self-defence.
Recently, we are seeing countless martial arts and self-defence advertisements on social media. It is completely normal for schools, dojos, clubs, instructors, and coaches to advertise their services in order to attract new students. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
A major concern is how self-defence is being advertised and, more importantly, who is teaching it.
Martial arts are divided into sport and self-defence. Training for competition is very different from preparing someone for real-world self-defence. Self-Defence requires specific knowledge, experience and an understanding that every student's needs are different. Each student bring different experiences therefore a "one size fits all" approach does not work.
Competitive rules do not apply when using self-defence;
1) the opponent will not match your weight
2) the opponent is completely unknown to you
3) there is no referee to stop the fight should you injure yourself or your opponent
The only rule in self-defence is to get out ALIVE and SURVIVE.
This brings an important question, who is actually qualified/experienced to teach self-defence and does the martial arts they are teaching offer you enough protection?
This is where I believe the real problem lies, and it is something that should concern everyone looking to learn self-defence. Choosing the wrong instructor and martial art could potentially put you in more danger rather than helping to protect you.
Before joining a club that advertises self-defence, take the time to research and ask questions:
1) What is the background and experience of the instructor in self-defence?
2) Who trained them in self-defence?
3) How long have they been teaching self-defence specifically?
4) What qualifications, certifications or experience do they possess?
5) Does the martial art cater for ALL of the situations or is it limited to one type of defence?
Be especially careful of any instructors who claim that they can teach you to reliably defend yourself against weapons. Situations against weapons are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Developing the experience, judgement and awareness to deal with such situations takes years of dedicated training and even then, there is no guarantee that you will have a positive outcome.
So, to anyone looking to learn self-defence: do your research, ask questions, verify qualifications, understand your instructor's background, and choose your school wisely.
Think carefully. Ask questions. Choose wisely. Your safety matter.
Master - Sifu Joseph DeBono
Chief Instructor AWTA- Malta
