Any martial at is really only putting the odds more in your favour.
No martial art should lull you into some sort of false sense of security.
Perhaps just the opposite. Training shows you just how difficult it is to defend yourself - on command.
What most people don't ever appreciate, certainly not to any effective extent, is an attack is not clinical. Its messy, violent and dynamic.
To coldly respond to ANY attack, is something I hope I MIGHT be lucky enough to do, and survive relatively unscathed.
An attack is 90% plus, emotional.
And damned if thats one area that few people have a good grip of, let alone train /control.
One of the instructors that had a influences upon me, related this story.
Back in the 60's or early 70's, in London, he was set upon by a group of Teddy boys (these were really nasty pieces of work back then)
He was on his own and knew quite well that he was about to get the living shit kicked out of him.
He was able to defend himself to the point that he had one of the attackers in an arm lock. He threatened the others, that if they didn't back off, he'd break their mates arm.
Well, they didn't back off, its not in their nature. Well Ron broke the guys arm, horrible.
Its seems that the others were somewhat impressed with this, and their mates screaming, kind of dried up their resolve to carry on the fight.
Not very aiki, I hear some say!!!
No, very aiki.
And exactly what I'd would like to see myself doing in the same situation.
A little inflicted discomfort for one (ok, alot of discomfort
), rather than a whole lot of hurt inflicted upon myself.
Its self defense after all. Not some after dinner game. It can get messy.