Expanding and Refining the Notion of Self-defense by Stanley
Pranin  “Martial artists discover that their discipline and
effort has paid off handsomely and, in the bargain, provided
benefits which spill over into other areas of their lives.”
stanley-pranin-encyAikido Journal #103 (1995)  Self-defense can
be defined as the protection of one’s life and/or property
against an attack. In cases where people take active steps to
safeguard themselves and their possessions, fear is often the
strongest motivating factor. Take the example of a young man who
decides to join a martial arts school or self-defense course.
Most likely he is driven by apprehension due to some perceived
vulnerability such as small physical size or weakness. Perhaps
he has recently been the victim of an attack at the hands of a
bully that has left him injured and humiliated in the eyes of
his friends. As a teenager, I personally witnessed one such
violent incident. Even though I was not the victim, the fear I
felt at seeing the perpetration o