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Self Defense Resources (Protective Offense) |
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About Teja Van Wicklen Sign up for the Devi On This ABOUT Page: How is Devi Different? More Links: Protective Offense Recommended Reading |
Helpful Links
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Recommended Reading
HOW IS DEVI PROTECTIVE OFFENSE DIFFERENT
THAN TRADITIONAL SELF-DEFENSE?
Devi was created by and for Women and Mothers - Founder and veteran martial artist Teja Van Wicklen is also the mom of a toddler. Devi Protective Offense was created specifically for Women and Mom's as a direct result of the lack of correct information available for these very specific populations.
The point of view is utterly different from traditional sport-based self-defense systems and takes into account a number of practical daily issues specific to women and mothers, such as:
- size and weight differential between you and your attacker or
.attackers
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- women's clothing and the lack of usable pockets
...
- the things we carry and don't carry
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- the way men attack women
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- the issues involved with protecting yourself while carrying a baby
...or pushing a stroller.
Devi Protective Offense always assumes your attacker has a weapon. Teja's background in Edged Weapon's systems profoundly influences Devi from the ground up. The concept is that you are not training in self-defense or teaching it for that matter if you don't take into account that an attacker would be nuts not to carry a weapon. Wouldn't you carry one if you were planning on attacking someone?
Devi Protective Offense knows that working mom's don't have time to dedicate to regular classes and that daycare can be sparse and expensive. That is why much of the training will be by DVD, and eventually, internet courses, teleconferencing, books and other easier access methods - whatever way we can find to empower women intelligently and help them protect and educate their children.
Devi Protective Offense stands on a philosophy of personal responsibility, problem solving, common sense and preparation. We see the martial arts as a tool to teach us how to think, attack problems, face our fears, make intelligent choices and solve problems rather than being about kicking, punching and violence.
The ultimate goal of Devi Protective Offense is better, more conscious, more intelligent, less stressful living for women, and their families. (See the Devi Mission to the right)
ABOUT DEVI PROTECTIVE OFFENSE
Devi Protective Offense was created by 25 year veteran martial artist Teja Van Wicklen as an answer to real-world, scenario-based mental and physical self-defense for the populations that need it most: women, parents, seniors and the physically impaired.
Currently, the first Devi DVD covers only the women's aspect of the system. Future DVD's will cover other aspects and the website will grow to accommodate special information and updates particular to all of these populations.
The Devi System will be taught by DVD and Seminar in order to make the training easily accessible. Seminars will be available in the near future. Please be patient and feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions.
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WHY DEVI PROTECTIVE OFFENSE?
A woman with children or a small baby is essentially impaired, though many of us don't like to think of it that way. Children require most of our attention and that means we are distracted and often unprepared for sudden events. This makes pregnant women and women with children similar to seniors and the physically impaired in that other physically present issues are a distraction that make them vulnerable to predators.
Women, parents, seniors and the physically impaired are least likely to receive self-defense training though they are logically most at risk. Those who are restricted in their movements - that is to say many people during normal daily life who have screaming or sick children with them, who are loaded down with groceries, or who are on crutches, are most likely to be targeted by predators seeking people who are distracted or who might be unable to fend off an attack. Training at a facility takes time and the ability to travel. Parents often suffer from a lack of free time or childcare, seniors and physically impaired people may have difficulty traveling to a location due to transportation issues or lack of wheelchair accessibility.
In general, self-defense tends to be taught from the point of view of healthy people in good condition, who are less likely to ever have to face an attack. Though many instructors have the best intentions, they may not be teaching with the specific needs of someone with a physical impairment in mind. For instance, most martial arts use barroom brawl-type attack scenarios 90% of the time in training. Yet women are more likely to be grabbed from behind, pushed to the ground or coerced into a confined space. Often self-defense for women advocates using their larger and stronger leg muscles to kick. But women's legs are only stronger in comparison to their arms, not to a man's whole body. The concept behind Devi is practical protective and survival training for these ignored populations, with their specific issues and needs in mind.
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DEVI IS A MINDSET AND SCENARIO-BASED SYSTEM...
culled from a variety of different martial arts and self-defense disciplines. Since no technique works one hundred percent of the time, Devi is primarily a system of thought - a way to look at situations, evaluate them quickly and make the best choices. Devi provides you with mental tools like analytical criteria you can use to scrutinize various emergency scenarios. You then use your new mindset and the scenarios which pertain most to your life to hone techniques you can draw on in a number of different circumstances.
Devi is based on a number of different styles, but more than any other it is dependent on a Filipino tribal art headed by Tuhon Christopher C. Sayoc. The Sayoc System is constantly evolving and considers a martial art to include everything necessary to a safe and happy life. By Christopher Sayoc's standards, driving, swimming and diplomacy are as much martial arts as kicking. This is a central principle to both the Sayoc and Devi Systems.
Aerobic Martial Arts may get you in shape, but a real, evolving martial art moves with you and comes to fit like your favorite shoes. A martial art should train your mind as much as your body.
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THE DEVI PHILOSOPHY
We live in a litigious society where people will sue an office supply company for a paper cut. The Devi mindset dictates that everything that happens to us is mostly our own responsibility. There is no dignity in being a victim, whereas being socially responsible, self-educating and confident in a crisis are things to be proud of. Living with a sense of security creates a calm, self-possessed mental state which can only be a benefit to you, your health, your family and the world around you. Secure people don’t tend to panic, they don’t verbally or physically abuse others out of fear. They take a deep breath and solve the problem. And when there is no time for a deep breath they are able to problem solve on the fly because the noise around them isn't as loud as it is for other people.
Devi Protective Offense hereby challenges you to become self-teachers and explorers; to take responsibility for yourselves, be aware of, seek and absorb knowledge that will make your life better. There is a vast world of information out there; from becoming an aircraft pilot, to a carpenter, to a historian any number of things make you better at providing for your family, protecting them and enjoying life.
No matter what your physique or situation your mind is your best tool. Propel your minds to a place of power - where anything is possible.
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The Devi Mission
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What the Heck is
Protective Offense Anyway?
(Beyond Self-Defense)
Simply put, Protective Offense is offense for the purpose of self-defense. It is the future of self defense. A more active term for a more active plan. And in life, we all know that making educated decisions is better than letting the fight come to us.
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At work, how do you get a raise? Do you do your job quietly and wait? Or do you go above and beyond and then ask? Do you let the world happen to you? Or do you take it by storm?
This is not a direct analogy with self-defense. Rather it is the feeling we are after. The feeling of waiting vs planning.
Question? How do you "defend" yourself against a knife? How long? Until the attacker decides to stop? It sounds harsh, but in terms of a life-threatening attack, defense Is a victim’s word.
There are several reasons for this.
In a boxing match there are two attackers, but in a street encounter there is at least one attacker and one defender at any given moment. The attacker is always attacking and the defender is always defending.
As the controller of an event, you ACT and therefore you have more choices. As the defender, you REACT and therefore have fewer choices. The person most often in control, or acting, is most likely to survive.
This is why an Offensive mindset (that’s Offense as in football or chess not as in committing one!), is a necessary ingredient to surviving an attack.
Devi is a system of "Protective Offense", which implies offense for the purpose of self-defense.
How Can Self-Defense
Make My Life Better!
(No were not kidding!)
To which we respond, how can it not!
If you feel secure you are less stressed. If you are less stressed, you are happier. Simple but true.
Extended low level stress is bad. Anything that relieves that bad stress allows us more brain power to dedicate to other endeavors.
Ultimately martial arts is not about kicking and punching but about how to think. How to attack problems. How to face your fears.
How to make intelligent choices and solve problems.