Задание

Fill in the gaps with the phrases below. There is one phrase that you do not need to use

rather than violently trying to harm your attacker

never have to use self-defence techniques in their lifetimes

this can cause fatal injuries

and that is when a martial arts technique can save you from harm

to defend yourself from an attack

taking all the points discussed above into account

martial arts teach you ways to protect yourself when in danger

The Art of Self-Defence

Martial arts are studied for a number of reasons. People take up martial arts classes for spiritual reasons, as a form of exercise or maybe because they want to fight in martial arts competitions. Mostly, however, . But how do martial arts help you improve your self-defence? Firstly, it must be noted that you should use martial arts techniques only when it is necessary. For example, if a mugger snatches your bag, don't put up a fight. Indeed, many people say that the best martial arts experts . The most important self-defence skills are being aware of your surroundings, as well as the ability to run away from a threatening situation. Having that said, even the most careful person can be physically attacked, . Obviously the best martial arts techniques to learn are defensive rather than attacking techniques. You should concentrate on defending yourself and giving yourself enough time to run away . You should also note that you usually have a very short period of time . Therefore, you should try to learn hand-to-hand combat techniques rather than kicking techniques (like the ones used in Taekwondo or Savate). The hands are far quicker than the legs and attackers usually grasp the upper body. It is also best to try to learn techniques that do not need a lot of strength. Most martial arts include defensive techniques but, , the best martial arts to take up are the Korean martial art Hapkido and the Japanese martial art Aikido. Both these martial arts concentrate on defensive hand-to-hand techniques that twist your opponent's joints. Whatever martial art you decide on, keep working on it continually. Attacks can happen swiftly, so you need to have 'muscle memory' to instantly trigger your techniques into action. But always remember: your common sense and intuition to avoid risks are your most important skills of all.