“Hey Coach, when is it okay for me to fight?”
As a Coach, my answer would be “EVERY DAY”. Every day of your life should be a fight, in one form or another. Learning how to deal with personal struggles, fighting back, fighting for something you believe in, fighting for somebody you love or who loves you, dealing with the pain of defeat or the rush of success / Accepting responsibility for your actions, as well as overcome obstacles / Realizing that anything worth having is worth fighting for / Every day of our lives should be a struggle in some capacity.
But the previous question is not a figurative one. It is regarding a physical fight and protecting oneself. The answer should not come from the coach, it should come from home.
Here is the contradiction. Some are teaching their children how to protect themselves, but I have often heard “You should not use your skills at school or at home. You should only use it at the academy.” It was also said to me growing up, and it always confused me. Why? Why am I not allowed to use my skills outside of the academy? If I cannot use these skills then why am I training?
This is where the role of the coach ends, and the role of the parents should take the lead. Each household has their own guidelines of behavior and definitions of what is acceptable. Because of this, each parent needs to clearly define when it is acceptable to use physical force in order to protect oneself.
Communicating this message is very important for both the students and parents. Make sure your students and parents have this talk to ensure we all have the knowledge to protect ourselves.
Endurance Training Center is the premier Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and self-defense academy for adults and children serving the greater Indianapolis area, Zionsville, and Lebanon.
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