GUEST COLUMNIST:
EVAN PERPERIS — A U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER & A CHAMPION OBSTACLE COURSE RACER
I’ve been training in various styles of martial arts for several years and spent most of my adult life preparing for and then deploying to combat zones around the world for the U.S. Army.
Despite having significantly more self-defense training than the average person, I recently attended two different spouse/women’s self-defense seminars — one online through Tiga Tactics and one in person offered on a military base by a local martial arts gym.
While you may think it’s not necessary, here’s why I took the time to learn “women’s
self-defense.” As with all things Tiga Tactics, the justification comes in a set of three:
1) They Don’t, So I Do: My sister, wife, and daughter don’t love training in combat or combat sports like I do.
If I tried to teach them all the stuff I learn in the several hours a week I spend in training, not only would it be likely impossible, but they would also lose interest really quickly.
Instead, I wanted to know what others were putting out so I could get the ladies in my family functional as soon as possible.
The same logic not only applies to my wife but other members of my family as well. Whether that be my daughter, my sister, my young son, or my parents. Unless you grew up in a combat-sports family, chances are not everyone you know has the attention span that you do when it comes to fighting.
2) Easy to Learn: In the fitness industry there’s a saying that goes, “The best diet is one that you can stick to and the best workout routine is one that you will regularly do”.
A self-defense program that requires months and years of training to be effective will likely not work for a large percentage of the population.
Instead those looking for self-defense who have a limited attention span need to be taught quickly, at their convenience, and at their own pace.
This is what Tiga Tactics has done with their online programs: allow you to move on your own schedule, at your own pace, as well as let you re-watch programs as many times as needed.
3) Ability to Practice/Re-Train: Even if a style is easy to learn, if your spouse wants to be effective, he or she is still going to need practice or some refresher training.
Training consistently is the best solution and what is most recommended if you want to get better. However, you need to start someplace, and Tiga Tactics gives you an easy way to access information in the comfort of your own home.
Their online course “Fighting Chance Combatives” is something you can view on demand. As digital media, you can re-watch it any time you want as long as you have internet access and a computer or mobile device.
Tiga Tactics has taken their no-nonsense approach to getting functional ASAP and applied it to self-defense specifically for women or those of smaller stature (get “Fighting Chance Combatives” here).
As a male, I may never have to use some of the tactics and tips shared by the instructors at Tiga Tactics (although a lot more are useful than you would think), but I’m glad I know. Before my daughter grows up and starts venturing out on her own, I’ll be sure to give her these tools to survive, too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Evan Perperis is a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran with a cumulative 44 months of combat deployments. He’s currently a brown belt at Shaolin Kempo Karate, has been trained in Modern Army Combatives Program Level I and is currently training in Kali, Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
When not practicing martial arts or working, he’s racing as a professional Obstacle Course Racing athlete with more than 65 podium finishes and helping others as a National Strength & Conditioning Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT). His website is Strength & Speed, and his biography is available in hard copy/digital and audiobook from Amazon.
