As a registered nurse, one of the most striking observations I've made in recent years is how often people struggle to accurately assess risk. Depending on the news source we consume, our greatest fears since 2020 have revolved around death and disability caused by either viruses or violent assaults. While these threats are undeniably real, I urge you to consider another, far more statistically significant danger that often goes overlooked.
The combination of a sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary choices, and substance use poses a far greater risk to our health. In fact, 9 out of the top 10 leading causes of death (arguably all 10) are strongly linked to one or more of these factors. Similarly, the leading causes of disability—including stroke, lung disease, heart failure, and diabetes—also share a strong correlation with these same lifestyle choices. But when people think self defense we immediately think of a tactical vested man in black fatigues teaching dubious at best disarming techniques.
Don't get me wrong, I love martial arts- It's why I am on the journey I am on. I love throwing front kicks, and practicing thumb pectoral index draws and working under hooks and bicep ties; but the point is my training is far less likely to be used to defeat some malevolent ne'er-do-well, and far more likely to protect me from heart disease, cancer, stroke, lung disease... and yes COVID. So the question I pose is what are you doing to protect yourself from those killers? What are you doing to protect your family? What does the family diet look like? How many "beverages" do you have over the weekend?
All the cool guy tactical pens in the world won't lower your A1C or BMI. The slickest holster and red dot system won't make up for a life spent binge watching re-runs. You are far more likely to die of bacon cheeseburgers and Netflix than anything else.
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