The moment I became aware of my worth, I was stunned at how little I had valued my existence. I was in my third private lesson with a Krav Maga (a fighting style martial art) instructor, who understood I was there to learn an important principle about self-care I was otherwise lacking, not necessarily Krav Maga. At one point, he said “We have to protect what God gave us while here on this earth.”
Up till then I didn’t see the point of self-protection, mostly because of my past and the messages I received as a child. I cared little for myself; I barely loved myself enough to care. But, those words went straight to my heart, the center of my being, and created a new paradigm in my mind: I am worth protecting.
It is good to have significant others in our lives looking out for us. I have my husband (my main protector), close friends, and family. We watch each other’s backs and help keep each one safe. However, one question burns my mind: is having others look out for me enough? According to the words above, the answer is “No.”
Each of us is not always in the presence of a loved one. We are often out, alone, living life, running errands, working. Our spouse or significant other can’t watch out for us 24/7. We need to be vigilant on our own behalf. This world is a dangerous place, and danger lurks everywhere. It is our duty to watch for ourselves, to protect what God gave us. We only get one life to live and it is worth keeping safe.
Up until the point of discovering my own value, and that I was worth protecting, I didn’t really think much, or care that much, about my own safety. This world is not a safe place but I wasn’t in tune with that reality. I had already started martial arts training in a local school when I took the private lessons with the Krav Maga instructor, but hadn’t yet learned my intrinsic value. The moment he said I need to protect what God gave me, I realized my life, and body, were mine to protect.
It is my duty to learn what is essential to my safety.
Perhaps you agree with my statements but are unsure how to apply this principle in your life. I have a solution I firmly believe in: self-defense training. Self-defense training teaches so many valuable things physically, and emotionally and is totally worth it, even for the safest lifestyles. At this point you might be asking, What does she mean when she says “self-defense training?” I’m so glad you asked!
In the simplest terms, self-defense training is learning techniques that keep you safe all of the time. This includes scanning your environment for danger, hiding, when to do (or not to do) something, proper punching and kicking techniques, how to fall correctly, grappling, and other movements that reduce harm and allow escape from an attacker. But this kind of training does so much more than teach physical skills. There are emotional turning points and cross roads we reach in the midst of the physical aspects, like learning one’s worth and value.
We are all precious jewels. We are worth our weight in gold. We are worth fighting for and keeping safe from the probable menaces in life. Finding strength to push past objections and fears and entering into a safe environment to learn self-defense is one of the best ways you can take a hold of your value.