VIDEO: Cold Weather Hand to Hand Combat Training with Damian Ross, The Self Def...

Gi or no gi...bullshit. It's cold, you wear clothes. Unless you get attacked at the beach or in you sleep in the buff and have to fight naked (this did happen to me once and I do not recommend it, that's a long story and even a longer post).

Even a t-shirt is enough to grab and manipulate. You train for where you live, you train in what you wear. This time of year the northeast US it's freezing. There's ice on the ground and we are wearing clothing that not only can be grabbed, but restricts movement as well. Logic dictates that if you're serious about self defense, you need to prepare for the likely event that you will be attacked, outside, in the cold on the ice and snow. This is featured in module 1 of the Self Defense Training System

You need to practice in what you wear and hit something when your hands are cold. during my football days, when the temperature dropped, and you hit someone there was an extra sting to it. A tiny shot of pain over the normal violence of the game. The same holds true for close combat, especially hand to hand. Your hands will sting, your muscles will feel sluggish and you'll feel like your stuck in cement. It is a frustrating, awful feeling so you better get used to it. You better practice, even if it's just a few times, in the cold.

If you can't move your dummy outdoors or in your garage, use a pad or a pillow and duct tape it to something. Set it up where there is snow and ice on the ground. Practice your favorite combinations without any warm up and wearing your everyday clothing. When I wore a suit, I trained consistently in a suit. About once every few months. Not long, about a 1/4 of the time of a normal workout. This was just enough to mind set for the likely event that I would be protecting a client or working my day job.

While were at it, next time you're at work, which I'm sure the vast majority of you already do, imagine a live shooter scenario. Practice calling 9-1-1 and then look at the layout. Notice where the exits are, imagine f you were boxed in and had no where to go except through the shooter or, your just one of those people who would have to go all "Bill Badger" on the SOB. Whatever the case may be, you don't need to actually go through the movements and freak out all of your coworkers. But you can go through the scenario in your mind. It probably won't happen the way you imagine, it hardly ever does, but it sets a foundation for action and action saves lives.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

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