The government is out of commission, there are no emergency service personnel responding, and some are behaving worse than animals. That was the situation back in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina slammed into Louisiana and reeked havoc with the southern half of the state. From top to bottom the government failed its people and the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas paid a heavy price. While there is plenty of blame to go around few people have looked at the situation from a self defense prospective and asked is your martial arts training up to the challenge? Sure your style might work great inside of your martial arts school, but will it work when all hell is breaking lose? If you don't think your neighborhood can't become a battlefield you'd be sorrowfully mistaken.

Now being prepared to defend your self is just like preparing yourself to deal with a potential disaster. You should always have a good supply of food and water as well as medical supplies and you should always prepare for the worst case scenario. You might think help will arrive quickly, but it could take days or even weeks before you and your loved ones are safe. What are you going to do in the mean time? In New Orleans many people searched the city for food, but others were out murdering, raping, and looting. Until help arrives your on your own, and keep in mind it takes FEMA at least three days from when they're called by the local government to organize and send out rescuers. Crisis brings out the best in some and the worst in others, so be ready to survive.

Perhaps you don't think you need any more self defense training because you have spent years practicing a traditional martial art from a great teacher. Maybe you're training in the latest martial arts fitness style and you've lost weight and know you can kick ass if things get dangerous. Well don't assume anything until you put your style to the test, because if it won't help you in a realistic scenario it isn't self defense. For your style to work in hand to hand combat you must be able to take on a larger and stronger opponent. Also you need techniques that will work in adverse conditions like flooded streets, cramped buildings, and all manner of dangerous environments. Techniques need to be simple and effective otherwise you won't be able to perform them when you need them most.

What happen in Hurricane Katrina should never be allowed to happen again, but while lessons were learned it is doubtful things will improve enough that you won't have to worry about the next disaster. You have to be prepared to rely on yourself and those closest to you in order to survive, and that means being ready to fight to keep what's yours. Do research, gather supplies, and educate those around you on what to do if things start going badly. You might never need to put your plans in effect, but if you do your odds of survival will only increase.