I dont often open new threads but I feel this may be the best place to ask this.
In your opinions, what would you list as the fundamental skills of self protection, as seen in the martial arts? I don't want to give examples just yet for fear of influencing the answers but, I'm looking at this in terms of trainable skillsets more than say techniques or "punching and kicking fast".
I have been reviewing my own syllabus lately and making edits and kind of wanted to pull back and look at the big picture again. I think it may help to hear some ideas from practical karateka outside of my little group. Anything you can add is appreciated.
Planning
Threat perception
Threat avoidance and awareness
Verbal commnication skills
Impacting
Fitness
other fighting skills
I should have been more specific about this earlier. I am mainly looking at the physical skills seen in the martial arts. Such as things observed in the katas. I agree that the awareness, avoidance and de-escalation are important protection skills and I have sort of assumed these already. Good points though. Thanks for the reply.
Impacting is the most common and efficient skill, the rest are of equal importance.
Teach Martial Arts for the Streets not for Trophies
All my Bunkai/Ohyo is from realistic attacks, not the typical "karate" attacks,
Have different levels
Look at 1 kata 3 years of Study, There's various different levels of applying Kata, even in ground working, a body shift stood-up can also be a "Shrimping" technique on the floor
Ok, assuming that we are putting the soft skills aside for now (Presumably because there is already a comprehensive and detailed syllabus for those in place first!) I would say that learning to react under the pressure of an all-out attack is one of the main skills needed. The next one probably creating distance to escape.
Tactile sensitivity strikes me as an important attribute to develop. You might not consider it a physical skill because it isn't exactly technical, but it is developed through physical training. In the blindingly explosive combat enviroment, in which eyes are often useless, the ability to perceive the situation through touch is extremely important.
Thanks everyone for the help. Some good points to consider.