Self Defense Tips From Krav Maga Expert Jarrett Arthur

Self-Defense Apps: Good or Bad?

Maybe you don’t have room in your schedule right now to join a class, but you want to do something. Will that self-defense app you just downloaded keep you safe? Here’s the good and the bad with those apps, according to Arthur.

Pros

Awareness: There is rarely, if ever, a downside to increasing personal and environmental awareness, awareness of the possibility that crime can and does happen, and awareness of the need for individuals to take responsibility for practicing commonsense safety strategies.

Alerting, Notifying, Tracking: There are undeniable perks to being able to quickly alert law enforcement to both your location and your need for help, tracking your kids as they walk home from school, and notifying trusted friends as you set off alone on a hike or walk across campus.

Cons

Response Time: While this “con” isn’t the fault of personal safety apps, it is important that users take into consideration the fact that although they can call for help in a fraction of a second, it will take considerably longer before anyone will actually arrive to help. These apps in no way replace the absolutely essential need for physical self-defense skills.

Over-Reliance: If you’ve had bad reception or had a call drop in the last few months you’ve been reminded that technology is not a fail-proof invention. Personal safety apps depend on the technology to work flawlessly, something that can not be guaranteed. Users should have a back-up plan in place, and be proactive about acquiring even basic self-defense skills.

Thank you, Jarrett, for sharing so much fantastic information. I feel ready to kick some butt already! Have you ever taken a class or course in self-defense, or are you planning to do so? Why or why not? —Kristen