Learn it.
While this is something personal for me…I didn’t think to share it with my network of friends, family, and fellow writers till now. I should have. Bad, Sybir. (Oh get over it….and read LOL)
Do you know how to defend yourself?
Really? Do you?
If someone sneaks up behind you and grabs you in a bear hug and they are NOT your friend (or spouse) playing games, do you know what to do? Do you know how to keep from being dragged into a van? What do you do with a toddler behind you? And what if they’ve got a weapon?
I’m going to bet you don’t.
Most women, and I say WOMEN, because most (not ALL) of my blog readers/followers are women, think to go for the groin with their fist, if they’re thinking at all. Screaming doesn’t work, at least, not in the Washington DC area – we’re a cynical lot. We’re likely to ignore you and keep going because we don’t want to get caught in the middle of a domestic dispute. And when I say most women, I don’t mean ME. Nick gets upset with me because I routinely will step into the middle of something and ask quite calmly, “Is there a problem here?” I have yet to have any man snap back at me. I have no idea why, but Nick says I’ve got an aura that instills respect and fear. LOL. I’ll take it. Hell, they don’t even walk up to talk to me in bars. I take that as a sign.
But reality and fiction don’t always mix. We can defy laws and realms in our fiction, so long as we can MAKE IT BELIEVABLE. But how do you make it real if you’ve never been in a fight before? Never had to defend yourself.
I am all about reality in my fiction. I’m not about high wires, high action, unless I can explain it. I leave that to the movies. They have GREAT special effects without explanation. If my characters are wall jumping it is because tehy have the strength, training and aptitude to wall jump…and I’ve reviewed a LOT of YouTube videos on the subject so I can write to it. By the way, NOT going to try it even if I do abuse my body on a regular basis in the gym and with my training. No WAY. And yes, I’m pretty hard on myself, so that should tell you a LOT.
What am I asking of you? Well, check out this site: http://everythingselfdefense.ning.com/- these are REAL marital arts experts working on making more information available to everyone. It’s FREE. I’m already a member and volunteering on a Self Defense Book Author Project. You will find an open environment to ask you questions, learn more about fighting for your characters and YOURSELF, learn about resources and be able to connect with real people who can and know how to defend themselves and others.
I’m sure you’ll see me blogging about this in the future as it is near and dear to my heart. Our son knows how to defend himself, and he knows exactly where he needs to be if I need to defend us. I hate thinking that the Real World holds that kind of possibility, but on the flip side, I’d rather be prepared!
Go check it out! And by the way, what do resources do you use when writing your fighting scenes?
Just amazing and spot on… both for the realism in writing and being safe in your own person. Thanks for being the person you are on the planet…
Aww, you’re going to make me cry
And, I think realism keeps your readers coming back.
Hi Sybir! *wave*
I’m checking out your site from the Pro Bootcamp.
And excellent question. I’ve found attitude is the key to trouble prevention. Or as my son says, the “mommy growly voice” heads off most problems.
Susan,
And yes, it can be all about attitude. Aww, that’s precious…all our son is “you’re being mean mom”—usually, when he’s not getting his way.
Hi back and welcome! Always glad to make new friends on the PRO loop
I think you’re absolutely right, and it’s about attitude. You’re so much less likely to be attacked if you look like you can defend yourself–which isn’t necessarily about muscle, it’s about confidence. Believe you’re the scariest thing on the street, and others might believe it too!
Cat, I completely agree. I swear it is the main reason I don’t get harassed in bars or clubs. I might be tiny, but I apparently have an attitude
Thanks for sharing. I’ve bookmarked this page. It’ll be a lot of help.
I do read about self-defense moves. I’ve watched both fictional and real fights in TVs and movies. I’ve had friends show me moves. I even acted out fight scenes from my stories to make sure it would really work. Mike is very good at calling bull on my fight scenes.
JT, aren’t husbands the best for that? Nick does the same with me. i have a harder time with the reverse since he writes cyberpunk…with all that tech, sometimes they can get some amazing moves in.
Good topic, Sybir. I use my own martial arts background when thinking about fight scenes, and in the past I asked my instructor to help with a few ideas.
Of course, if my heroine is untrained, then the fight won’t last long.
Gwen, good to know more female MA’s out there! They’re so rare in our dojo I was starting to think I was one of the few. I’m finding more and more writers also practice. (Shiloh, Jackie to name a few
)
Now here’s a blog worth reading! Thank you !
Tom Callos
Tom, thank YOU for stopping by! With this post, I’ve learned there are a LOT of other romance writers/martial artist out there than I thought!