Balance, Structure, Mind — The Big 3
If you’re serious about learning self-defence — real, useful, everyday self-defence — forget
fancy techniques for a second.
Instead, focus on these three things:
BALANCE
STRUCTURE
MIND
These are the Big 3.
The three things you want to own, and the three things you want your attacker to lose.
Let’s break them down.
Balance – The Base of All Control
Balance is more than just not falling over. It’s about control — of your body, your position, your ability to act. If you’re off-balance, you can’t strike, you can’t move efficiently, and your brain starts to panic. Game over.
Most people walk around with no clue where their weight sits. Heels? Balls of the feet? Hips stacked? Head aligned? Not a chance.
In training — whether it’s kickboxing or combatives— we make balance a daily conversation.
Not just how to keep it, but how to steal it.
You want to be the person who:
Knows where their weight is at all times.
Can shift direction without needing to reset.
Can take someone else’s balance before they even realise it.
Because once someone loses their balance — physical or emotional — they’re not thinking about attacking. They’re thinking about surviving.
That’s your opportunity.
Structure – Power Without Muscle
Structure is about efficiency.
It’s about stacking your body in a way that supports movement and power with less effort.
Think of it like scaffolding:
Where are your feet planted?
Is your elbow aligned behind your punch?
Is your chest rising or bracing?
Are you grounded or are you collapsing inward?
Structure is the principle behind the phrase we use a lot in training:
“Structure over strength. Energy over muscle.”
It’s not about brute force. It’s about smart force.
You can be small and powerful if your structure is right.
You can be big and weak if it’s not.
And like with balance — if you know how to break their structure, you take away their strength. Off-line hips. Twisted spine. Bent wrist. Misaligned base. All of these add up to one thing: inefficiency.
You stay strong. They get weak. That’s the edge.
Mind – Accessing the Control Centre
Your brain is a problem-solving machine. But only when you can use it.
If you lose your balance and structure, your brain goes into survival mode. You can’t think tactically. You can’t stay calm. You’re stuck in reaction, not response.
But if your balance and structure hold?
You’ve got options.
You’ve got time.
You’ve got clarity.
In a real confrontation — whether it's physical, emotional, or psychological — whoever thinks better, usually wins.
Our goal in training isn’t just to make you tougher. It’s to help you access your mind under
pressure. The breath slows. The body holds. The brain engages. That’s where resilience lives.
And when you’re the one who keeps thinking while someone else is flailing, you’re in control — not just of the fight, but of yourself.
Balance. Structure. Mind.
These three are your foundation in martial arts, kickboxing, self-defence, and life.
Train them every day.
Protect them in yourself.
Disrupt them in others.
You don’t need a million techniques.
You need control — and the ability to keep or take it in any situation.
Try less, do more.
And make these Big 3 your daily training ground.
