🥊✈️ What’s the “Best” Self-Defense Move?

Hey Warrior,

What’s the best technique for self-defense?

I get asked this question a lot. Usually by beginners.

The answer?

The one that works.

Could I be more vague?

Let’s discuss further what I mean.

Violence Doesn’t Care

There’s a reason martial arts classes are packed with drills, combos, and “if he does this, you do that” scenarios.

We all want to feel prepared.

But real violence?

It doesn’t read your lesson plan.

You can train for every possible attack—punches, grabs, knife threats, or the weird dude swinging a hockey stick in the Walmart parking lot—but reality always finds a way to surprise you.

When that happens, the best technique is the one you actually use with total conviction, not the one you read about or practiced twice in the dojo.

Improvisation Beats Perfection

Some of the most effective self-defense moments I’ve seen were pure improvisation.

A desperate shove.

A knee to the groin.

Someone launching a backpack and sprinting the other way.

Did it look cool? Nope.

Did it work? Absolutely.

You’re not graded on style points in a real fight.

If you find yourself in a bad situation, do something.

Do it fast and with enough aggression to scramble the bad guy’s OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act).

Keep him stuck in “what just happened?” and you buy yourself precious time.

Survival Over Style

If you can run, run.

There’s no shame in getting home in one piece.

But if you can’t?

Don’t freeze searching for the “perfect” move.

Go with what you’ve got—and go hard.

That’s what wins in the real world, not memorizing every move in the handbook.

So, what’s the best self-defense technique?

The one that works.

The one you actually commit to.

The one that lets you walk away.

Funny how the simplest answer is sometimes the best one, right?

What’s the most unexpected move you (or someone you know) used that actually worked?

Ever shocked yourself with your own reaction?

Hit reply or join the conversation in the Fight or Flight Facebook group.

Your story might be the “best technique” someone else remembers when it matters most.

Stay unpredictable,
Paul

P.S. Just like every situation, every newsletter comes with its own twist. Keep asking questions because you never know what the answer will be.