VIDEO: Extreme Close Range Training with Damian Ross and The Self Defense Training System

DON'T TRAIN TO WAIT!!!
This drill comes from Module 4 of the Self Defense Training System: Defense Vs. Mugs and Holds. Where the vast majority of martial arts and self defense system teach you to wait for the grab and focus on the specific attack, The Self Defense Training System trains you to react instinctively based on distance and position NOT specific attack. The most common mistakes that will get you killed are training to wait and focusing on the specific attack.

Take the wrist grab for example. This particular attack makes me laugh, it's the first defense people teach and yet I've never seen or heard of anyone being taken out by a wrist grab. Anyway, typically you stand in front of your training partner and let the other person grab your wrist. The deadly mistake you're making is waiting for the attack when you're enemy is so close to you. You really only have two choices: attack balls out or escape...balls out. DON'T WAIT!!! What if it's not a wrist grab, what it it's a stab or a punch? Which brings us to problem number 2. Specific defenses.

How do you know if it's a wrist grab or a punch. In the dojo with a willing partner, being able to determine the attack may seem to work, but in a parking lot at 3 am with low light conditions you will not be able to recall the correct response for specific attacks. This has everything to do with physiology NOT how wonderful and talented you are. You SNS (Sympathetic nervous System) does not allow this to happen. Only gross motor movements and primary skill recall. Plus, the initial grab preempts the REAL attack. That shirt grab s followed by a headbutt or a punch. No sense wasting your time with the initial attack unless it disrupts your balance.

You only and best option is to train in instinctive and convulsive skill sets that allow you to engage your target based on position and distance and not specific, individual attacks. This is what has been proved to work period. The above drill is an assault from the rear. You sense the threat and you react to the threat. It doesn't matter if he's about to bear hug you, stab you, grab your hair...who cares, you're not waiting. Listen, you have the right to protect yourself if you feel you assailant has intent and means (check your local laws). That doesn't mean wait until he starts beatng the snot out of you.

NOTE: As a general rule of self defense you should exhaust all options before engaging in use of force. While people feel the uniformed compulsion to make the "why don't you run away" statement after every video post (God bless the internet) I must respond with there are situations where you have no other option or you job forces you to deal with violence. I have too much respect for time by wasting it on an assumption that most intelligent people make. When you make these statements it reveals you as a neophyte in the self defense world. Moving forward, just assume you haven't any other options and move forward from there.

Until Next Time, Train Honestly,

Damian Ross

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