The Self Defense Company's Combatives Blog

What is Combatives?

2012-01-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

What is Combatives? A Brief Study of Hand to Hand Combat, Self Defense, Mixed Martial Arts and Beyond

The root word COMBAT - "to fight in direct contact," "active fighting between enemies," "any fight or struggle".

There are no specific country origins or techniques to define Close Combat, Self Defense, and Hand to Hand maneuvers. Based on historical fact and my 30 plus years experience in training, teaching, and understanding self defense, I present the following.

"The Roots of Close Combat, Self Defense, and Mixed Martial Arts"

There are comprehensive surveys and presentations of armed and unarmed combat. You will find a vast array of skills that deploy a diverse mix of "techniques." One truth remains; where people exist, there is a need for defense against aggression. Every culture has its own form of close combat, both traditional and unconventional, yet all have striking similarities.

In Ancient Greece, Pankration was a combined system of "all powers" combat, the equivalent of what is globally known today as Mixed Martial Arts.

The Samurai original fighting systems, Koryu Bujutsu, included a comprehensive catalog of both armed and unarmed skills. The unarmed combatives of the Japanese Bushi (elite warriors) also didn't limit scope or method. This "all in" system of fighting advocated grappling, striking, joint-locking, kicking, biting and any other means necessary to gain tactical superiority over your adversary.

Before the use of London Prize Ring rules and the Marquis of Queensbury (predecessor of modern day boxing rules) "pugilists" (the premiere boxers) used and relied on a great number of different grappling, striking, kicking, and gouging methods.

The Chinese have always maintained fully robust systems of "all-in" methods of combat. Shaolin monks employed such techniques to protect the communities that surrounded them.

Even original Okinawan Te (pronounced "Ti") a system of karate, included percussion methods as well as "tegumi" (grappling) and "tuite" (joint lock) systems. The idea being "Punch his lungs out if that did the job best, or grapple into a spine lock and use a neck break if you had to, just get the job done."

In the 19th century the West saw many methods of "combined" self defense systems begin to develop (Read: Mixed Martial Arts). The French combined elements of Chausson/Savate (French Foot Fighting) with Boxe Anglaise (Boxing), Parisian Lutte (stick fighting) and even the "newly discovered" Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. The British did the same. The "Bartitsu" of Barton-Wright (famous self defense writer) is a classic example. In the United States a number of self defense methods became available to the public that combined methods from Boxing and Wrestling. Even before any organized mixed martial arts systems were presented, men who fought even for sport used virtually any method they could to insure victory. Just read Elliot J. Gorn.

The Twentieth century saw even more "mixed" martial art combat systems. Any and all manner of grappling, throttling, kicking, kneeing, butting, biting, punching, gouging, stomping, and whatever other methods of mayhem could be employed were all "FAIR" when "fair" meant the difference between life or death, and it certainly didn't just end at "unarmed" fighting!

Only in the arena of sporting combat did this division of method, pitting one against another, become a somewhat popular past time. Matching wrestlers against boxers, either of the two against jiu-jitsu men or Savate Fighters against boxers was common place in any fairground or public spectacle.

In Japan, the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano's nephew got involved in promoting these types of matches between western boxers and native Japanese Judoka. They were called "JU-KENTO," as in Judo, Jujutsu and "Kento" (fist-fighting). During this period, judo players interested in these JU-KENTO bouts sought out specific instruction in just how to make Judo work against boxing. An entire book on this subject was published in Japan in the early 30's. Remember that all of these bouts had strict rules and regulations of engagement. Few if any of these mandates would have had much bearing on what one could do in a real back alley brawl. As an example: Judoka (Judo practitioners) were almost always forbidden to use any methods of atemi waza (striking, punching, kicking, butting, and smashing). However, Judo experts of the time have advocated that striking would be the most preferable method of attack and defense in a serious engagement.

Karate legend Choki Motobu, when asked if his Kempo-Karate was "superior" to boxing after his Knock Out of a western style pugilist, said that in order for his method to be used against a boxer specialized training specific for that type of match would have to be undertaken. These "mixed matches" were done under a constantly varying set of rules, so that it became virtually impossible to ever really determine what method or martial art was superior. Even then, as some sportswriters of the time pointed out, "What did any of this have to do with real fighting when no rules applied?"

The foregoing should satisfy and fulfill anyone's definition of mixed martial arts tactics and techniques (even though Muay Thai or more accurately Siamese boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were not included). But to be fair, there are English language books circa the late 1920's and 30's that detail Siamese boxing quite well. One manual details the favorite attacks of Siamese style boxers as being directed at the liver with brutal kicks and at the throat while grasping the hair with one hand and smashing the throat with the other fist (gloves were not worn at this time). One should note: the liver attack was lethal in many cases because of the widespread epidemic of malaria which left the liver swollen and distended. Deaths occurred frequently in these matches and were considered just a routine hazard of the "trade".

The bottom line is this: for use in a real violent assault no one, but an utter fool, would suggest an attitude or method approaching less than that of an all-in doctrine. In regards to deciding which martial art is best: nothing was ever, or could ever be, conclusively proven to be superior to anything else. At one time or another any of these various "methods" had both big and impressive wins and equally impressive failures.

The question is: What is the best Self Defense system? No matter what culture or style, when it comes to real fighting, the best system whatever got the job at hand accomplished in the fastest, most efficient way possible. The purpose comes first, the training came second!

You run into problems when you start to try and "fit" your style to any situation. This is where martial arts run into problems. In an effort to promote their systems to the masses, they are constantly trying to adapt sporting systems to non-sporting applications. Judo was the first to do this with "Goshin-jutsu". This is a series of techniques developed to demonstrate how judo would be applied to self defense situations. Most in fact all other methods followed suit and adapted this same model to "self defense". The problem with this is obvious, when you limit your scope of tactics to a particular style, you eliminate all of the other possibilities. Like the old saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Self Defense to the Present Day
The advent of World War I brought warfare into a new and foreboding era of man to man killing and slaughter. Air power, mechanized warfare, chemical warfare, and the general widespread use of machine guns changed the face of battle almost completely. The static and stagnant lines created by entrenched warfare demanded new and innovative tactics and strategies. Among these was the advent of "raiding" parties: small groups of lightly armed men venturing behind enemy lines for the purpose of recon, probing, intelligence, prisoner grabs, and psychological demoralization missions. The nature of fighting under these conditions became popularized as trench warfare. This was close-in, knife to belly, hand to hand combat. For this manner of fighting, expedient methods of killing ones enemy, improvised close-combat weaponry were developed and deployed.

While technological advances were being made in all other forms of warfare, this particularly nasty and vicious man to man fighting reverted to the most barbaric, primitive, and bloody "methods" imaginable. Despite the changes in technology, one solitary fact remained, in the end it was still man against man in a desperate, brutal, and deadly struggle for survival. As a result unarmed hand to hand methods were drawn from every source of man-to-man combat. Boxing, wrestling, savate, jiujitsu, and any number of rough and tumble, gouge and kick back alley tactics were employed. Those charged with the task of developing such training programs were well aware of the fact that no one single approach to combat was sufficient in kill or be killed battle!

Punching, kicking, striking, butting, stomping, biting, gouging, throwing, tripping, choking, strangling, bone breaking, and the use of any and all weapons of close combat expediency were stressed. Fostered by this fact, most military forces researched, developed, and implemented comprehensive and rigorous training methods specific to close-combat and trench fighting. The bayonet, the knife (especially the trench knife), and hand to hand combat became prime training doctrines along with advancements in general physical conditioning and battle preparation. William E. Fairbairn is one of the credited pioneers of this study during his tenure as head of the Shanghai Municipal Police.

The years after WWI saw an increase in self defense "systems" designed for and marketed to the average citizen. Law enforcement organizations began to pay more attention to this area of training. This was part of a movement to increase the professionalism of law enforcement personnel in general. Virtually all of these systems advocated a well-balanced approach to personal combat.

Elements of boxing, wrestling, foot-fighting, and jiu-jitsu were put together in a toolbox of personal self defense tactics. The mixing of different martial art styles became quite popular. Even methods that relied primarily on western boxing and wrestling maneuvers acknowledged that a well rounded combatant must be able to both strike effectively as well as grapple.

Other methods of self defense touted "jiu-jitsu" as the singular answer to personal attack and defense. The reason for this is because most Japanese methods for self defense already included a comprehensive system of blows, strikes, kicks, and grappling methods. You should also note that it's difficult to pin down a particular style of jiu-jitsu because during this period any method of Japanese self defense was given this moniker. Combine this with an influx of Japanese immigrants and emissaries promoting judo, their culture and the individual's personal training and experience, it is impossible to determine a specific style or "ryu." Add to that the Japanese effort to promote Judo above all of these methods that most of the older systems became outdated or lost. The result is from the early 1900's forward most English manuals and books refer to any Japanese system of self defense as "jiu-jitsu", "jujutsu", or "judo".

There was virtually no "authority" or "expert" in the self defense field at this time who did not advocate the "all-in" doctrine of striking, kicking, joint locking, grappling, biting and gouging to survive hand to hand combat.

Allied Forces "Industrialize" Self Defense: The Evolution of the Modern Training System

The Battle of Britain began in early July, 1940. England was isolated in a war against the axis of evil. The miracle retreat from Dunkirk and the German "Blitzkrieg" across Europe, including the crushing tactical defeat of the famed French "Maginot Line" proved the Third Reich war machine to be virtually unstoppable. Hitler's plan for the invasion of England, named "Operation Sea Lion" was a daily focal point of danger and concern for the British.

Dunkirk had decimated the British forces and moral was at an all time low. Two recently returned veterans of British colonial rule in Shanghai, China approached the War Office and offered their services at this desperate time. William Ewart Fairbairn, retired as a ranking officer of the Shanghai Municipal Police and his partner Eric Anthony Sykes, a private arms dealer who served as a volunteer in the Shanghai Municipal Police and headed the sniper unit of the famed Shanghai Riot Squad, promised the War Office that their training and methods could in short order, make "any one man the equal of ten."

After the debacle at Dunkirk this was a most important and dramatic statement. Initially dismissed, these two men went on to prove the veracity of their words and convinced the brass as to the absolute effectiveness of their methods. Even if that meant that an over middle aged W.E. Fairbairn had to place several young bucks in the hospital to prove his point in an impromptu, but extremely realistic "demonstration", so be it. Those who "tested" Sykes fared no better. So the methods that these men had developed during decades of very dangerous work in Shanghai now became the standard of training for all British forces and Special Operations personnel.

In the United States, the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, coupled with the Imperial Japanese military's coordinated assault on all American and British forces across the Pacific Rim pulled the United States firmly in this world wide conflict. The United States was now fully at war with the Axis of Evil forces. Fairbairn, who was now in Canada, assigned to the infamous "Camp X", along with "unarmed combat" expert George de Relwyskow, a Brazilian Judo/Jujutsu expert, and Colonel Carl Eifler who was already undergoing training here, were ordered to assist the U.S. government agency known as "The Office of the Coordinator of Intelligence", the precursor of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).

Eric Anthony Sykes remained in England and found the need for his services in great demand. He also found himself working under the auspice of the British covert force known as the Special Operations Executive.

The legend of Fairbairn and Sykes from the early days of Shanghai, up to and through the war years is an entire story unto itself and beyond the scope of this article. However it must be clearly understood that the contribution of these men had a profound effect and influence on all close-combat methods, tactics, and techniques for decades after the war (despite the often heard "argument" that we have somehow "evolved" beyond these methods). However, they were certainly not the only experts involved in this field. One of many examples would be A.J. Drexel-Biddle who studied and trained extensively in boxing, savate, jiu-jitsu, swordplay, knife-fighting and various bayonet methods.

As the United States geared up for war, a major factor began to be publicized both here and in Australia. The press made a great deal about the superiority of the Japanese fighting man. Part of this was, to be sure, rooted in fact. The Battle of Port Arthur, the turning point in the Russo-Japanese war, several decades earlier, had shown the world the tenacity and ferocity of the Japanese soldier, particularly in the area of close-in, man-to-man combat. Much was made of the large Russian soldier finding abject defeat at the hands of his smaller Japanese adversary when engaged in hand to hand combat (hence a very obvious need for the creation of Sambo). It was here that Japanese Jiu-jitsu was given world-wide attention and notoriety in this regard. The Japanese conduct and performance of the war in China also demonstrated to the world a seemingly invincible and unstoppable force. Japan was a force that was brutal and deadly in the extreme.

As a result, much attention was given over to the training of United States and Allied Forces in methods of personal self defense that would enable the average soldier to meet the Japanese fighting man on a somewhat equal footing. Every branch of the Armed Services began an intensive physical training program designed to meet these needs. Much of the expert instruction needed, particularly in the arena of close-quarters man to man combat, came from the civilian quarter as it still does today.

Men with tremendous and varied life-long experience in all forms of martial arts and self defense were tapped to create training programs that would give the Allied soldier sufficient means by which to engage their enemies at close-quarters. The Axis of Evil did the same of course. Japan being the obvious factor in this regard, but even Adolf Hitler proclaimed the absolute need for boxing and jiu-jitsu in German military training as it imparted courage and daring the average soldier to close the distance with his enemy. There were even manuals published and courses taught to "defend" against the methods developed by the Allied Forces.

In the United States there were a plethora of varied methods and training systems. Any attempt to narrowly define the methods from this era demonstrates complete ignorance and foolishness. Though the contribution of Lt. Colonel Fairbairn is great, as is the influence of Colonel Rex Applegate, there were dozens upon dozens of different close-quarters battle systems developed. From wrestling, boxing, savate, judo, jiu-jitsu, Chinese boxing, and even football and rugby methods were not only drawn upon, but entire self defense systems were advocated based on these individual methods. It may come as a surprise to many, but here in the Unites States, even Japanese Karate was used and found to be effective.

The problem they faced with creating a universal form of defense is that the experts often tasked with their development typically relied on their expertise too much. This made many unarmed combat courses too complex and technical. Wrestlers tended to rely on that method, Judo and Brazilian Jujitsu men on that system, Boxers on their expertise and so on and so on. You should note that each method can claim stunning success in actual combat. "After Action" reports showed that all of these methods had merit and could be used effectively in the rigors and stress of real battle. However, as the war progressed two major factors began to influence and change these training protocols. One was the fact that more and more men from all sorts of varied backgrounds were drafted into military service. The other was that as demands for more and more replacement troops began to rise, the amount of training time became reduced.

The approach that seemed most feasible and useful was one that combined the best or the most effective, efficient and quickly learned methods. These methods as it so happens, were the easiest to retain. The rudiment basics of boxing and wrestling were made part of an overall general physical conditioning program and unarmed combat became a specialized block of instruction. These courses in unarmed combat, hand to hand combat, combat judo and so forth again sought to combine the most advantageous holds, throws, trips, locks, strangles, blows, strikes and kicks from all the varied methods available. The only truly limiting factor here was the time element.

Other considerations were also important. The O'Neill (another Shanghai veteran and ranking Judo Black Belt) method is a classic example of a system specifically tailored for both the training environment available, as well as the nature of the combat engagement expected. There were even attempts made to instruct the military in actual Koryu (old school) Jujutsu systems here in the United States, however the most effective systems still sought to mix all the varied martial arts and focus on the most efficient and effect methods.

As the war progressed, more and more "After Action" intelligence gathered from the reality of battle helped shape and determine training priorities. Many methods of close-combat began to be trimmed down to only those fundamentals that proved most effective overall and most applicable to all trainees across a wide and varied spectrum of physical attributes and skill.

American Col. Rex Applegate was perhaps the most vocal of these advocates owing to his exposure in the INFANTRY JOURNAL and the publishing of the book "KILL or GET KILLED" was not without his critics from other martial arts experts, as was Fairbairn, due to the simplicity of the methods and tactics they advocated.

In fact, some courses were so short in duration that they involved only several hours of instruction, while others were quite involved and very complete in their syllabus content. Many are familiar with the Navy V-5 programs and the training at Fort Benning, but lesser known is the very extensive training at places like Fort Meade and at the Hawaii Jungle Warfare Complex. These locations conducted a very complete and mixed program of martial arts. From the CIC training center in Chicago to the Army training camps in Colorado, from Parris Island to the Ranger/Commando schools in the Hawaiian Islands, from the training bases in England prior to D-Day to the "Killing" school in Palestine, the methods taught ran the full gamut of man-to-man, tooth and nail close quarters combat. From the complex to the "instinctive kill" (a method designed to take full advantage of so-called natural "animal" killing instinct), these methods fall under the definition of combatives, self defense, close combat, etc.

Even the OSS personnel training at Area B were shown the methods of Siamese boxing (read Muay Thai), western boxing, wrestling/grappling, French "foot-fighting"(including Assaut Vite savate), Indian Varma-adi/Varmannie, Chinese boxing, "Roman" boxing, Japanese Judo/Jujutsu and Karate, Siamese boxing, Burmese boxing-Bando, western fencing, Filipino edged weapons and any and all systems (including almost every weapon known to man) deemed effective in dispatching one's enemies to the hereafter were studied, researched, implemented and trained. One WWII era United States hand to hand combat manual even makes reference to Indonesian methods.

So from a historical perspective, "What is combatives?" Combatives is a purpose driven method of defeating one's enemy by whatever means necessary. It focuses on the fastest and most efficient means to accomplish the task at hand and includes all manner of weaponry. It is void of ethics, culture and country, it is a tool for man on man conflict.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company

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Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

You Only Have 2 hours

2012-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

Two hours a week that's it. That's the average amount of time most adults have to dedicate to any type of activity outside of work and family.

Running a martial arts school we knew this. We knew that most people can come twice a week for about an hour at a time. The "quit times" are 3 weeks, 3 months and 12 months. Anything past 12 months is considered a long time. Anything past a few years is a lifetime. That's why most martial arts programs have promotions and incentives around each of these time increments.

Everyone wants to train forever when they start and I know you have the best intentions. I know you will train forever and practice 3 hours a day to become an awesome wrecking machine. But you won't. Something will pop up, your work, your health, your family, something will change your routine to throw you off your game. It's life and there's nothing you can do about it. But that's OK.

Chances are you will only have a few hours a week and be able to train for (let's be generous here) eight to twelve weeks. Along the line you're going to have to stop for one reason or another after the first three months.

Knowing that, ask yourself, what do you want out of your training? If it is self defense, how often do you think you're going train in actual self defense?

On the other hand, as an instructor, how much real useable self defense are you giving your students? Let's take a look at it.

A typical martial arts curriculum consist of warm up, calisthenics, form or kata practice (you can put striking the air in here), pad work, sparring or "randori" and what is classified as self defense practice.

Now before I continue I'm looking at this from a strictly self defense point of view and not a spiritual, sporting or cultural perspective.

From a useable self defense perspective there are only two aspects of your training that actually directly benefit real self defense: calisthenics and pad work.

Calisthenics promote over all fitness. The more fit you are the more punishment you can take and more important, the more punishment you can dish out.

Pad work promotes hitting with power and it conditions your weapons for actual contact. It teaches you to dehumanize and hit your target with force which is what matters in the street. Power is King so "Hail to the King, Baby"- a little shout out to Bruce Campbell.

Katas or striking the air has about the same tactical benefit of a cardio kickboxing class. You're basically doing the same thing, following a set pattern and performing moves in the air. The only difference is the music and the clothing.

Sparring presents its own set of issues. While it gives you some benefit of the stress of fighting another human being, it's really a detriment when it comes to combatives. Sparring forces you to wait and look for openings. It trains you to be patient and operate within the rules. You wouldn't be very successful if in each match you attacked your opponent with reckless-abandon as you tried to rip his head off. But in the street, this is exactly what you need to do. You need to end each fight as fast as possible by whatever means. The longer you wait the greater chance for him to use a weapon, have some friends join in or watch you simply slip and fall on the concrete. In combatives, you don't wait for an opening, you create and take them.

Self Defense practice in the martial arts class consists of two people standing in front of one another practicing prescribed defenses against predetermined attacks. This format has been the same since Judo, Aikido, Wushu and all the Aiki Jujutsu started doing it in the late 1800's. This same format has been adopted by Tae Kwon Do, Gracie Jujitsu, Krav Maga and any other martial art that has added self defense to their sign.

This self defense practice looks like this: bad guy attacks with one technique, then defender reacts with a specific counter to the attack. Attacker attempts another technique and defender executes another new and separate counter. Now when this drill is expanded to multiple attacker situations it appears like the defender in the middle is seriously kicking ass, but all that's happening is a well choreographed fight scene. The attackers don't attack with the intent of injuring the defender. They attack to allow the defender to succeed. In the street, attitude and intent go a long way. What you're watching is far from random let alone real.

The negative effects of this type of training are many. First it teaches you to let someone into your space and wait for them to attack you. Just by simply allowing someone to hold your wrist, puts you at a severe disadvantage. In the real world that initial grab is always followed by repeated punches or a stabs. Too close it too late.

Second it makes you believe that you'll be attacked by a single technique. You are NEVER attacked by a single technique. Not by anyone worth worrying about. A good street fighter will set you up, lull you into thinking it's all good and then attack you repeatedly. Thinking that collar grab was all he's going to do is your second mistake (your first was letting him get close to you!). He's going to grab you by the collar and repeatedly bash your face with his forehead and then he'll go to work on you.

This type of self defense practice leads you to believe there are a finite amount of ways you can be attacked. This notion is ludicrous. Consider all the factors: single, or multiple attackers, edge or impact weapons, firearms, empty hand, collar grabs, wrist grabs, head locks, body locks, in the parking lot, on stairs, in your car..the list goes on and on. Between where you could be assaulted, who or how many will be assaulting you and with a weapon or not, the possibilities can number well into the tens of thousands.

In the dojo, against people who have been trained to attack and fail, you can pull this off. But trying to do this while you're locating your car, after a long day and someone approaches you asking for the time or directions and then in the blink of an eye, it's on. You will not be able to recall anything.

Being in security for a number of years I've seen quite a few instances where martial artists were successful in the street. But they always threw an overhand right (reverse punch)and then used a hockey grab to drag to get them down to the ground. It was only after the guy was subdued was anyone able to even attempt any sort of joint lock, but at that point the guy would give up and you could pretty much do anything to him, especially when three guys have their shins bearing down on his back, neck and legs. It's funny, at the time, even the martial artists didn't realize what they did. But no matter, I sure as hell was paying attention.

Here's the thing, you need a self defense common denominator. Once you know it, every situation can be broken down to a few simple scenarios. Those common denominators are position, distance, momentum and balance. The techniques are almost secondary.
If I locked you in a room and had you reverse punch a makiwara (striking board) for 2 hours a week for 3 weeks and told you that if anyone who threatened you got in your way, you just reverse punch them the first chance you get and don't stop until the threat is gone you will win the overwhelming majority of your fights.

Damn, where did that wind up?!?!? Oh yeah, two hours a week. If you have two hours a week and you are looking for the benefit of self defense, martial arts are not the answer. In an hour class you're after warm ups (10 minutes), forms (15 minutes), punching air (10 minutes), pads (10 minutes), sparring or their version of self defense (10 minutes)...you get the point, in fact you were better off from a self defense point of view BEFORE you even stepped into the dojo. At least before you would freak out and do whatever it would take to survive, now you're just civilized.

Listen, if you're in it for the cultural, spiritual and community aspect, please, by all means, enjoy. But if you think for a second that your art is actually giving you self defense skills beyond a punch (which works great) you will be disappointed.

When we started what would become the Self Defense Training System teaching publicly in 1998 we did it knowing that most people would train with us for 6 months. We felts it was our obligation as instructors to give them something with in the first few minutes that they could use. Technically, after the first 6 to 8 months they would really have all they needed for self defense. At that point our ethical obligation was fulfilled. After that if they wanted to learn more about cultural martial arts and combat sports, we would teach them.

The purpose of the SDTS is self Defense. Every Self Defense Company instructor has their marching orders, give you the skills that you can use now. Listen, if you can't understand it in a few seconds and learn it in a few hours, you will NEVER REALLY LEARN IT. If you can't explain it in a few seconds and teach it in a few minutes, it will never be learned.

What you want is to know how to defend yourself and not have to dedicate your life to trying to do it. Martial arts starting getting complicated when people started making money at it. Don't let the samurai fool you either. During the Edo period there was peace. A paid army that doesn't fight finds itself having to justify it's own existence (hence all the haiku, painting, flower arranging, sword polishing, and tea ceremonies). This is why I find the art of Iaido so amusing (That's an inside joke to myself).

You will not train forever. Everything runs it's course. You can however learn skills that will last you a lifetime. Core movements don't leave. You can still kick a ball and ride a bike and you will still be able to throw an edge of hand and chin jab.

Case and Point...
Just a few years ago, a 70-year-old man exemplified the motto of the Marine Corp League, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine."

When three thugs boarded a tourist bus in the Costa Rican city of Limon armed with a gun and knives they must have thought the twelve senior citizens on board were easy prey. They were wrong.

After witnessing a young, muscle bound terrorist put a gun to a female passenger's head, Allen Clady, a former Marine made his move. The Semper Fi senior grabbed a hold of the thug and strangled the much younger thug with such force that he broke his collarbone and killed the man. This prompted the other senior citizens on
the bus to begin fighting back and force the other two assailants run off the bus.

So, how could a 70-year-old man could take on, and kill, a much younger armed opponent? The answer lies in his old-school Marine Corp training.

The Marines recently introduced a new system for close quarters combat called the Marine Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). This new "nicer" system is supposedly for peacekeeping operations in urban areas and theoretically allows for a wide variety of situations where a Marine needs to use non-lethal force. This is a HUGE MISTAKE and another fine example of politicians dictating tactics.

Prior to the development of this new crap, the Marines used more lethal techniques originally developed by Major Anthony Biddle. His techniques standardized close combat techniques for the Marines and were based on proven concepts found in bare-knuckle boxing, wrestling and fencing. In addition, Captains W.M. Greene and Samuel B. Griffith shared what they learned about martial arts from William Fairbairn while stationed in China.

And we all know where all that Fairbairn Stuff Wound Up >>>> its Here.

Time is precious, spend it wisely.

Self Defense is not a "Perk"

2012-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

You gotta love the web, people who would normally run from you in the street all of the sudden grow a pair of cojones and give their two cents. Lately I got into with someone on Facebook about my statement the "Martial Arts Rip Off" on the SDTS Page.

It's obvious I have a love-hate relationship with martial arts. Hell, I have 3 black belts so there has to be something there. The problem that I have is when martial arts put "self defense" as an added benefit to their bullet point sales pitch. Truth is, my martial arts training almost got me killed. Until I stated training in the SDTS methods, I depended on my combat sports training in wrestling to save my ass. All of the self defense techniques I studied in Tae Kwon Do, Aiki Jujutsu, Bando hindered my ability to survive. Point sparring made me pull my punches and I never got attacked they way we practiced in the dojo. No one ever grabbed my wrist or came lunging at my throat with both arms extended. In fact, if it wasn't for my instinct and aggressiveness, I would have been crushed.

Getting back to our keyboard expert on Facebook, I asked him why he studied Aikido? He said it was because he wanted to get in shape, be a part of a group and it had the added "perk" of self defense.

The perk comment pissed me off.

But before I jumped to conclusions, I wanted to see if he had any other experience in any other martial art, tactical training or with real life confrontations? I was looking for anything that would have put him in a position to identify an effective method of self defense. He tried to deflect, but the answer was a big fat "NO". Other than what his Aikido Sensei told him, he had no idea what he was talking about.

Now the "perk" comment REALLY pissed me off.

The self defense "perk" has been listed as a benefit from Tae Bo to P90X. It seems like every time someone starts throwing kicks and punches, they are learning to defend themselves. When two middle-aged white guys practice wrist locks, they're learning self defense. Anytime you do something that resembles fighting, you're doing self defense. Self Defense has become the punchline of the martial arts world and THAT'S where you're getting ripped off.

What's typical about my Facebook friend (and I know a lot more about him than I'm letting on) is that he's a somewhat typical guy and he is exactly what is wrong with the martial arts.

He is smart, I would say an elevated IQ. He has never done a sport or much of really any other physical activity. He has never been in a real fight and would prefer to acquiesce before fighting. In fact he would probably NEVER be pushed to a point of fighting. He is middle aged and reached a point in his life of exploration. He has seen movies and documentaries about martial arts and chose Aikido because the thought of not having to hurt or get hurt appeals to his sheltered life of non-violence. In fact, the thought of him having to defend himself is an impossibility.

Yet in spite of his lack of experience, his intelligence and his inflated ego won't stop him from trying to justify his investment. He can't help it. So he posts of facebook and forums and makes statements he has no basis of reality to make. He does this because he is scared and deep down he knows the truth...he's a pussy and he will crap himself if he was ever faced with any sort of physical violence.

But this doesn't stop him. He continues to train and perpetuate the myth that what he's doing will work. With out any personal experience or historical fact he continues to make claims based on rhetoric and urban legend. Just as his instructor did and all the instructors that came before him. It is a culture based on bullshit designed to exploit your willingness to avoid conflict, pain, injury and any legal ramifications. It lies to you and banks on the fact that you are middle aged, middle class white guy who will always back down from a fight at whatever the cost. Knowing full well that the chances of you ever getting a life or death struggle are slim and none, but if you do the last thing on your mind will be blaming your style, you will be sucking lunch through a tube, or dead.

This is the martial arts rip off. In the end you're much better off training in a system that requires you to fight a 100% restive partner. BJJ, wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Muay Thai, Olympic Tae Kwon Do, Kyokushin Karate, MMA, or anything else that requires you to fight an opponent on equal ground is light years better for self defense than Aikido or any other cultural fighting art. The only reason cultural fighting arts still make any money is because of they perpetuate the self defense "perk".

Self defense is not a perk, it's a purpose. And if that's what you are looking for than that's what you need to focus on. It's not 15 minutes at the end of class or random moves thrown together. It's a tactical response to violence that requires a certain mindset and specific skill sets. It needs to be treated as a separate entity and NOT squeezed in between sparring and forms. It's the most important segment of your training and deserves a certain amount of respect.

FYI: Aikido defense vs. Two handed Grab From the Front

SDTS vs. Two handed Grab From the Front

Any questions?

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company

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Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr. Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

The 15 Second Legacy

2012-01-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

Having children changes everything. When my wife gave me a daughter, I was happy. Daddy's little girl. At least now I know someone will be taking care of me in my old age. And when my wife gave me a son, I held him like Simba on Pride Rock. He is my son and he will be GREATER THAN I EVER WAS!!!

The one thing every parent wants for their kids is to do better, have a better life than you have. One of the ways you measure this is in sports. My wife and I both being athletic lived under the assumption that we would spawn children that would make the furor jealous. As we get on in age we look to pass the torch to our children so they may travel forth, swifter, higher, stronger!

One of the sports I've competed in was wrestling. I was fortunate enough to experience competition on all levels in High School and Division 1 College. I knew the competition was getting serious when the guy I was wrestling didn't speak English. So imagine my pride when he told me he wanted to wrestle. I began coaching in the program and love going to practice with him. I never push him. In fact, I was calculating this perfectly. If I tell him "No" he will want to do it. I am the master of reverse psychology and I'm going to create a champion!!!

Now I need to be honest here. If you ask any serious wrestler if they like wrestling, it's a love-hate relationship. When I was a kid I was working out at Bucky Rehain's camp when one of his star wrestlers came to help coach, his name was Tom Husted. Husted was a NJ state champ and all-american for Lehigh. When he told me he didn't wrestle live anymore I was perplexed. Ironic as it seems, I wrestled for Lehigh and it only took one season to understand exactly what Tom was talking about.

Wrestling on the Division 1 college level is a grind. There is no easy practice partner. The easiest guy in practice is your region final match. So there is a part of me that would rather see my son want to do something...like golf. But no, he wants to wrestle and I'm not going to stop him. After all, he's Simba.

But that being said, there is no better builder of character than the sport of wrestling. It teaches you about sacrifice, self reliance and is really like life. We are born alone, we die alone and we wrestle alone.

It's also the "fairest" sport in the world. Few sports will match you against someone of the same size and age. In America, it's the only high school sport that does that. You don't need to be fast, tremendously strong, hit a ball, shoot a basket or throw a touchdown. Plus, it's the only activity that will guarantee you will win EVERY school yard fight.

I don;t want to push my son. My plan is to let him practice and not compete until he's practically begging me. And this year was the year. This year he "told me" that he wanted to wrestle in matches. I first told him "No", but he begged me and I acquiesced. My master plan was unfolding according to plan. From that point forward I had him practicing moves on me, on his mom, on his sister, the dog. Friends and neighbors marveled at his skill. He practiced single and double legs. He threw the half with reckless abandon. In practice, no one could hold him down...he was an animal.

Come match day he was good to go, I mean really chomping at the bit. he couldn't wait to get out there and tear his opponent limb from limb! His opponent had no idea of what fate lay in store. I felt sorry for the kid; facing my son's pedigree and training, it wasn't really fair.

They called his name and he checked in and took his place on the mat. His got into his stance and looked mean. Now it's time for my boy, my son, to take his place at the table. The whistle blew and he shot a single leg, picked it up in the air and as he was going to trip his opponent and seal his fate, he put his arm across my son's neck. Upon feeling that my son was reduced to tears and began yelling that he was choked. The ref immediately stopped the match, but the damage was done. My son was inconsolable and could no longer continue.

My son is 6.

It's that moment I realize what every parent realizes, it's OK. No matter what you do it's OK. Do I wish he toughed it out, sure...I wish he kicked the kid's ass, but he didn't and that's OK. Because as much as your kid wants to please you, we want to love them.

Will he wrestle next week? Probably, but I already told him no and that he has to wait and he's begging me to do it because now he swears the choke will not bother him because he knows the defense. Which apparently is MY fault for not teaching him, of course.

Will he be the next great athlete? Who the hell knows, when it's all said and done, I just want him happy.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Damian Ross Kicking Ass with Dr. 90210

2012-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just finished and interview on skype with Dr. 90210 (Robert Rey) and his co-host Natalie Day. They host a health and wellness program that primarily deals with nutrition, exercise, fitness and other longevity and looking good issues.

So how did a guy like me get hooked into a show like that? Well since January is "Self Defense" month. Yep, I forget it is every year (and I'm in the business) and it seems Natalie and the good Dr. are the only ones really doing anything about it. They elected to open their show and "let me in."

I have to say, it went well and I enjoyed the interview because they presented two perspectives, Natalie is a professional woman with no real self defense training other than what she has been exposed to by mainstream media and Dr. Rey who is an avid martial artist. When he had his Dr. 90210 show on CBS, he was a yellow belt in TKD, now several years later, he's a Black Belt in BJJ. Needless to say he has more martial arts experience than a lot of the general population.

The fantastic part of the interview was that they asked specific questions and really didn't let me off with a standard answer, they has real concerns. But both of them had the same misconceptions of people with their respective experiences in the world.

As an average citizen with a realization that there's a need for self defense training but doesn't have the time, or patience to go about it because she feels there is a long term commitment associated with it and then there's Dr. Rey who looks at each situation as if it were a sparring match. Both had some misconceptions fostered by the information they have been given over the course of a lifetime. Information that will cost them serious harm or worse.

Misconception 1: You have to defend yourself unarmed.
Most people feel that they will be facing an enemy unarmed, while their enemy has a knife, gun, club, etc. While we train for worst case scenarios, most martial arts programs spend little time on offensive weapons training. The problem this creates is that people don't think to arm themselves before an attack. Listen, you never bring a knife to a gun fight and you never go out of the house with an ace up your sleeve. Like we show you in the SDTS, that "ace" could be anything from a screw driver to a roll of quarters. But you should have and edge, the bad guy will. Even bad-asses like myself carry pepper spray. Don't you think that if I'm out with my family and some idiot tries to jack me, I'm not going to juice him and get the hell out of dodge? seriously, it's about winning and surviving at all costs, not style.

Misconception 2: You have to stick around.
Dr. Rey talked about going to a crappy part of town to fill up his car late at night. Well, if you know you do this and it puts you in danger, why do it? Change your habit and go someplace else. Some people feel that they have to "stand their ground" when in reality you want to pick your own battles and avoid exposure if you can help it. Why create a situation when it can be avoided. If you know that there will be trouble some place, change your routine and lower your risk.

Misconception 3: If I stand close to him, he can't punch or kick me.
Yes, but he can stab the shit out of you. Martial artists tend to put everything on their terms that's because they are trained to think one way, in terms of all they know. If you wrestled everyday, you would want to break everything down to a wrestling match.

Listen, in the SDTS we assume that every one is armed, had friends and is capable of injuring you. To that point, letting someone get close to you is a HUGE mistake. It doesn't matter how many belts you have, at that distance all the bad guy can just start stabbing you or one of his buddies can cold cock you. Even if it is just mano y mano, the first punch isn't a concern a good street fighter will attack first with a barrage of punches.

You should do the same.

In the SDTS we establish distance. The distance is far enough away so he has to shift his weight in order to attack me. This way you can react on the shift of his weight and then shift the momentum in your favor.

We all have a notion of FAIR PLAY. Martial arts helps perpetuate this notion. It's not an intentional fault of the martial artist since martial arts were designed to foster good sportsmanship and community. They're not designed to with a "WIN AT ALL COSTS, FAIR OR FOUL" mentality.

That's where we come in. "Hit with hate, hit to hurt". Look, the bad guys don't care, if you have something they want, they'll take it. There are only three things bad guys care about: getting caught, getting identified and getting hurt. It's up to you to create the largest opportunity of all three.

To listen to the show today at 5pm Eastern time go to:
http://www.voiceamerica.com/channel/246/voiceamerica-variety

To listen to the recording go to:
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/58684/resolve-to-protect-yourself-against-attack-with-damian-ross-most-lethal-self-defense-in-the-world

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Stop the Fisting!!!

2012-01-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

In any military based system, the use of a fist is impractical and dangerous. Any system that advocates using a fist and is taught as self defense or in a military context should be re-examined as to it's authenticity in real world situations.

The reason that ko-ryu (old school) systems that were used to train samurai in hand to hand combat never used a fist and relied heavily on grappling and joint locks combined with limited edge of hand and heel of hand strikes when it came to hand to hand combat was because the person they were fighting was most likely wearing armor and the risk of injuring your fist to the point where gripping a weapon was impossible was a risk they did not take. Modern warriors both civilian and professional, should do the same.

Even the Okinawa fighting arts known for their development of the fore fist in the use of the reverse punch, avoided striking the head. Even though they advocated heavy fist conditioning, punching to hard areas of the body were ill-advised due to risk of severe injury or worse, infection. Before antibiotics and decent dental hygiene a cut on your hand from shattering someone's teeth may wind up turning septic and killing you. Even to this, traditional knock down karate restricts punching directly into the face. I realize that the modern reasoning for not punching the face has more to do with safety and sport, traditionally punching above the neck was avoided due to the a fore mentioned reasons.

Even western culture bare knuckle boxers from the Greeks and Romans forward would not only condition there fists by punching gravel and sand, but would go as far as to brine them to toughen the skin. The results were still not spectacular and the development of hand protection began to emerge to extend the careers of both the guy getting hit and the guy doing the hitting. After all, what good was a soldier who couldn't hold a spear if he broke his hand in training?

Once the glove came about, the physics of the punch changed completely. As glove technology evolved along with the use of wraps, punching became safer and became the number one mode of self defense in western worlds due to it's prevalence in modern sport. We live in a sporting society. Boxing, kick boxing and MMA all drink from the same fountain and to be honest, in the ring, with gloves, punching is the superior method. But in the street or in combat, it's a completely different story.

A soldier who is taught to punch in hand to hand combat is being lead down a slippery slope because the target you will be punching will be wearing some form of military gear, from a rifle sling to a helmet. I assure you that mashing your fist against either one of these is going to leave a mark and busting your knuckles in a fight renders your hand useless. Even a mild fracture will limit the use of your fingers and losing the use of even just your forefinger is a huge problem.

When you punch you focus on making contact with the first two knuckles of your hand, the index and ring fingers. When you break the knuckles of those two fingers (I know, I've done it three times) you can't grip anything with those fingers. That means you can't operate a firearm, hold a knife or a club. that hand is useless.
but it's not just the first two fingers that are exposed.

Your thumb can be easily dislocated as well. Anyone who has ever sparred with little foam gloves will complain about their thumbs being sore or injured. Make a fist and look at it from the front as if you were being punched with it. You'll see the top of the thumb is on the same plane as the punching surface of the fist. while you go through great lengths to make sure your knuckles make contact first, the thumb will almost always catch an arm, an elbow, the side of a cheek, anything other surface will take power away from your strike and place it on the back of your thumb, dislocating it.

Now imagine trying to rack a hand gun or even pull the trigger when even your index finger is broken. It doesn't matter which hand you break either since you still have to pull the rack to put a round in the chamber.

The edge of hand the obvious and time proven method for empty hand striking in real combat. There is still a chance you will dislocate a pinky or even the pinky and the ring finger, but even with that injury you still will be able to operate a firearm or hold a weapon because the forefinger and the middle finger are protected by being on the other side of the contact point of your hand. Whenever you engage in physical contact you run the risk of injury. The trick is to limit your exposure through methods that offer the lowest chance of injury to you and the most injury to your target. The samurai knew this and now you do too.

The heel of hand is another great method of striking. Here's a little test, go to a brick wall with a fist, start lightly (I mean really lightly) strike the surface with your knuckles. Increase intensity until you feel pain. Now do the same with the heel of your hand. You just answered your own question. Add to that the position of your fingers, pulled back and out of the way in a position that will allow the fingers to move and adapt to any change in surface level.

Sure, you will always run the risk of injury and yes, you can definitely punch somebody in the head and walk away, but it's the percentages that make a difference. The choice is yours, train in a way that runs a greater risk of injury, or begin to train practically and tactically in a manner that puts the odds in your favor. The truth is, most every self defense system from Krav Maga, Target Focus Training or "experts" like Jim Wagner and Kelly McCann advocate punching to the military personnel they train...I can't explain this.

The reason the SDTS was created was for one purpose only, self defense. If a fist was the most efficient and practical way of striking with the hand, we would be teaching it.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Tekken Ryu Jujutsu- Old School Philosophy, New School Tactics

2012-01-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Tekkenryu Jujutsu didn’t descend from heaven on a mountain top, nor was it unearthed with the Dead Sea scrolls. Unlike most martial arts, it wasn’t designed to boost national pride or to promote competition sport. Like its ancient Japanese ancestors, the style originated out of necessity. The necessity to train people in real world self defense and to encompass the life’s work of a passing legend.

Damian Ross, David Ellis, Yoshisada Yonezuka and Carl Cestari at Damian Ross's Black Belt Judo Promotion 2002

In the Edo or Tokugawa period (1603 to 1868) and years prior in Japan, jujutsu was for training Samurai who acted as the army and police force. Jujutsu schools were broken out by families or clans and usually had their specialty. Typically you would study or learn different weaponry and skill sets from different clans. All of these were extremely pragmatic until the end of the Edo period when there was peace in Japan as the country became unified and feudal lords stopped their civil wars.
Today a few of those jujutsu schools still exist, but they all focus on outdated and antiquated weaponry. The old school or Koryu systems are more for cultural exploration than self defense. In fact today most martial arts are not tailored for self defense at all.

Martial arts today can be broken into three categories: self defense, sport and cultural fighting art. Most arts today are either a sport or a cultural. If you look at the origins of most modern forms of martial arts you’ll find that they were developed to promote fitness, national pride, sports entertainment or a combination of all three. On the contrary, the purpose of Tekkenryu was more in line with traditional Japanese jujutsu systems where the application was strictly civilian and police self defense. This was what the founders, Carl Cestari and Damian Ross, had in mind when they put pen to paper and began the seven year development of Tekkenryu.

The main purpose behind creating the system was training. In all of their combined 62 years and 5 Black Belts in the martial arts, there was nothing that closely resembled what they wanted to focus on and teach. This was because there was nothing that was specifically self defense oriented. If you look at the creation of all martial arts they are either a cultural exploration or a combat fighting art. Many claimed a self defense component but when examined all were attempts to apply sporting or cultural arts to self defense. They took the opposite approach and began with self defense and then selected sport and culture methods that would only enhance that self defense aspect.

Tekkenryu Jujutsu was founded in 2001 by Cestari and Ross. Tekken means “Iron Fist”, “Ryu” means “system” so it is literally the “Iron Fist System”. The feeling was that through your training you forge your mind and body into iron. Both Cestari and Ross were large proponents of Makiwara training. This is the process of gradually conditioning your hands, feet and other body parts by striking a wooden plank (and other hard objects) over an extended period of time. They felt that if you were willing to do this, you were willing to go through anything. The “Iron Fist” also refers to Carl’s legendary knuckles that have been conditioned to pulverize anything they hit. The Japanese name is to pay homage to the primarily Japanese martial arts experience of both Ross and Cestari.
What they developed was a combination of World War II era military combatives and street fighting, Pre-World War II Judo, Knockdown Karate and traditional Akijujutsu.

The goal is to give the student the tools for self defense as fast as possible and then if they wanted to learn more about the martial arts and combat sport they could. The feeling was most people train for six months to a year and then stop. As instructors Damian and Carl felt that their obligation would be complete because anyone who studied in the system for even a brief period of time would at least know how to defend themselves since it doesn’t take a lot of training for someone to learn how to protect themselves and not everyone wants to devote their life to martial arts training.

The military combatives segment of training was selected because World War II was the height of hand to hand combat. This was before technology like night vision, precision firearms, smart bombs and superior intelligence gathering tools like predator drones and satellites. This is when the US and British were not technically superior to the enemy and hand to hand combat was a reality and not an exercise in teamwork and confidence building like it is today. It was a time of “attack and die” trench warfare and espionage when a soldier’s life depended on close quarters combat. It is without question that these methods by far are the most brutal, the easiest to learn, and the most effective when compared to all other methods. Carl drew on his study of military combatives in the mid-eighties when he received an Instructor certification from self defense legend Charles Nelson. He also interviewed dozens of people who both created and trained in these methods to ensure that what they were doing was correct.

Tekken Ryu BLack Belt Peter Barry demonstrates a chin jab, post with a follow through on fellow Black Belt Roger Jones

Judo was chosen as the sport component above all other grappling arts because its primary principles relate directly to self defense. Judo trains you to stay on your feet, gain a dominant position on the ground and end the fight as soon as possible. It demands that you “go for the knock out” as soon as you get the chance. The Pre-World War II Judo syllabus from M. Kawaishi’s “My Method of Judo” was chosen because it has all the neck dislocations, leg locks and other nasty techniques that are illegal in today’s sport competition. Judo also has in it an inherent sense of urgency to end the fight as quickly as possible which is crucial in self defense. In addition, Judo is a system with strong international roots and enables students to continue to participate at any age. You don’t see old boxer’s still boxing, but you see old Judoka still getting on the mat (when their joints don’t bother them too much!) Both Damian (second degree) and Carl (first degree) received Black Belts in Judo from Judo Master Yoshisada Yonezuka.

Damian Ross throws Roger Jones while filming "Combat Jujutsu in 2003

The Karate element was derived from Carl’s experience in Kimura’s Shukokai Karate (first degree Black Belt) and Damian’s Tae Kwon Do training (second degree Black Belt). The focus is a traditional Karate style consisting of as little kicks and punches as possible. The goal is to generate as much power as possible to promote “Ikken Hitatsu” or the “One Strike – One Kill” philosophy. To do this there was a lot of makiwara training along with occasional Bogu (complete body armor) sparring. Instead of training for points, students are demanded to hit as hard, as fast and as often as possible. Once a student gains the advantage he or she is encouraged to continue the attack until there is full submission. In order to do this and maintain safety, the sparring would consist of 15 to 30 second bursts to simulate the intensity, the violence and urgency of a real fight. Make no mistake you can’t do this every week. Only about once every four to six weeks.

The bow in before a typical "Bogu Sparring Session in the Pompton Lakes, NJ Dojo

Frank Scott delivers a knee to training partner Pete Barry in a live sparring session

Finally there is the Aikijujutsu component. Even though Carl did have a black belt in Daitoryu jujutsu, he chose the Danzanryu syllabus because he felt it was better organized. The purpose of studying Aikijujutsu is mostly academic and cultural. It gives students a deeper understanding of biomechanics, pain management and connects them with the Japanese heritage of the system. Even though it’s in the advanced belt ranks of the system it’s the least important.

Tekkenryu is a 10 kyu (10 level system). The first 3 kyus are the combatives portion of the training and usually takes eight months to a year of training one to two times a week for an hour to complete. The next 4 kyus consisted of knockdown karate, judo and basic Aikijujutsu. The last three kyus involved close quarters weapons offense, more complex judo and Akijujutsu skills. The advanced kyus were not “better” or more effective than the first 3 kyus. They’re simply a further study of more traditional martial arts.

Tekkenryu jujutsu, though extensive was not enough. The system had to be taught and field tested. Drills had to be developed to ensure that students were learning as fast as possible. The goal was to shorten time in training as much as possible. Most systems have class or time requirements. Tekkenryu did not. The only requirement is that you know the material. Development of the system happened from 2000 until 2007 when Damian taught hundreds of people from a variety of ages and backgrounds in three locations. Over the years the curriculum was simplified and drills were developed to get the desired effect. He discovered that the more complicated methods were indeed the least effective.

Over time only the most effective techniques for self defense along with the most effective training methods were retained. Later all of the culture and sport would be eliminated from Tekkenryu, leaving only the most brutal and effective methods, It was re-named to the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) and can be found here www.theselfdefenseco.com.

Carl Cestari died in August 2007 leaving behind a fragmented legacy that is so common among the martial arts world. Tekkenryu jujutsu is the only system of self defense Carl has ever founded. Damian Ross is the founder of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the only living legacy of Tekkenryu jujutsu which is carried on through The Self Defense Company and its global network of instructors and legion training members.

This article was published by SDC Instructor Steve Drake in physique magazine, you can see the published article on the SDTS facebook page HERE

There was a Time...

2011-12-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

I knew Joe, but I really didn't know him. Joe was one of those guys who you didn't mind talking to. For me there aren't too many people like that. In fact I normally avoid most acquaintances since I'm not one to waste time on the bullshit and I'm sure most people feel the same way.

Like I said, I knew Joe but we weren't friends, of which I have about 6. After all, he was 30 years older than me and when we first met he was my gym teacher. I would later reconnect with him in a little role reversal when I was his karate instructor. There I was a kid in my early 20's and him in his 50's fighting the years of wear and tear on his hips and knees trying to pick his leg up to kick. At the time all I saw was him at face value, a nice man with bad hips and knees. What I didn't see was the 90mhp collegiate fast ball pitcher, the Vietnam Vet, the Marathon Runner, Triathlete, Cyclist, Soccer Coach and father of three.

One of the sign of maturity is when you don't just see someone at face value, but you see them for what they are, the sum of their parts. You consider the experiences that make that person who they are. After all there was a time where that old woman was on the cover of vogue and there was a time when that old man could run a 4 minute mile. With this wisdom you also realize that there will come a time that all things wither and die. You finally understand that nothing is permanent.

You also learn that life is about the experience and life is happening NOW. You understand that TIME is the ONLY REAL COMMODITY and anything that causes you to waste it better be damn important. You can't get time back and it doesn't matter how much bank you have, we all have the same amount of time to spend. That's why it's crucial you don't waste a second of it.

The only way not to waste time is to follow your instinct. When you follow your instinct everything fits and make sense. When I was young, I thought I knew what I wanted. I had to go to a good college, get a good job, put on a suit and go to work like the rest of the successful people in the world. Unfortunately my instinct told me differently. I hated every second of it and it wasn't until my mid 20's that I started to abandon perception and follow my passion. Which lead me to where I am today and believe me when I tell you, I have a great life.

New Years is a time of celebration and resolutions, but for me, it's just the opposite. It's the only day I reflect on the past. It's kind of like a thanksgiving only without the overeating. I don't make resolutions on New Years, I save making resolutions to every day. Every day is about resolutions, planning and doing. Yes, 99% of the things I do never work out the way I planned them, but all of them have lead to something better.

Listen, if you don't like your job, the way you look you either accept it or change it NOW. But you need to take care of this right away or it will never get done. You will never have enough money or be stable enough because there is always some other distraction ready to absorb your resources. You need to make the change now and figure out the details on the way. Don't spend a minute doing something you regret and don't be afraid to fail.

Joe lived a life on his terms. He basically had four full careers while he was on this earth but most important, he did the things he enjoyed.

Life has a way of pointing the way.

When I was a kid I might have had an opportunity to play professional football or even wrestle in the Olympics, but a knee injury side tracked me. At the time I though it was the worst tragedy in the world (yep, I was 17 what the hell did I know). As I grew a little older I discovered that being a pro athlete might not be the best career choice. Most of them are only a few years long and you don't make a enough money to sustain a lifetime. Chances are you will retire before your 30 and then have to figure out how to parlay that into a career in either coaching, broadcasting, or some other sport related endeavor. In other words, you still have a whole life to live. Oh and you are probably so banged up that you will have problems sleeping and walking for the next 60 years.

My good friend (one of the 6) almost made it in the rock and roll business, is beginning medical at the age of 39. What are you doing next month? It's never over until you're in the box my friend. You're never too old, too poor, too fat to start anything, you're just too lazy.

Like Red said in Shawshank Redemption, "Time to Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying".

New Years resolutions are for failures, make a resolution to yourself every day. Don't take any crap and please don't live a life you hate that grinds you to a pulp and makes you old before your time. You might think it's easy for me and I say yes it is, it's a lot easier than you think.

The SEALS say, "the only easy day was yesterday". Well the only good year was last year, and next year could be worse, if you don't make the best out of right now. If you make the best out of right now, those moments add up and who knows, you may even put a life together.

Live Honestly and Happy New Year,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

I Lift Weights

2011-12-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

I lift weights. I also run and hit things. At 43 I'm just as active now as I ever was. "Active", what an old person term. In your teens, 20's and 30's you worked out, in your 40's you're fucking active. Be careful, when people start calling you "vibrant" or telling you how good you look you're going to take a dirt nap soon. Anyway, there's no reason to slow down. The way I figure, the Spartans were in the active military from 20 to age 60 (sometimes 65) so I'm not slowing down until then. Plus given medical technology today as compared to 1500 years ago, there's no reason why in your 70's you still can't be going strong.

I'm going to ask you to be honest with yourself. Given your overall return on investment, is your time better spent learning katas (forms) or lifting weights? Would you get more benefit practicing esoteric methods of harmonizing your chi or dead-lifting?

Years ago in Tae Kwon Do, the instructor was drilling us while we were practicing blocks in the air. He said "if you don't get the technique right, you might as well go lift weights and try to bench press 500 pounds." The notion was that if you could do this technique, it's like being able to bench press 500 pounds.

No it wasn't.

As martial artists we're told lifting weights is counter productive. It restricts movement and slows you down. In truth there does come a point where you're too big and your muscles and girth require too much oxygen and fuel to sustain long periods of stress. Power lifters and body builders tend to have this problem. But I don't consider a 6'5, 285 pound defensive end who runs a 4.4 forty yard dash slow. For the most part lifting weights builds muscle. Muscle and resistance training has been proved to strengthen bones, ligaments and dramatically increase metabolism. Muscle = metabolism. Oh, it also helps you hit stuff REALLY HARD.

No matter what activity you do, as long as you continue to do the activity your muscles will transfer the power correctly. Whether it's baseball or wrestling, resistance training will only do one thing, get you stronger.

Body weight exercises are good, but in order to come close to the benefits of weight training you need to spend exponential time doing your body weight exercises. Herschel Walker, Heisman trophy winner, pro football player and recent MMA fighter claims does a lot of body weight exercises. But he does 2000 push ups and 3000 sit ups, 1000 dips and 1500 pull ups per day. Regardless of this insanity, he STILL has resistance training in his program. Personally I don't have all day to dedicate to endless sets of calisthenics. I've got other shit to do.

If all of the kettle bells, yoga, pilates, kung fu and chi was all it was cracked up to be, wouldn't every professional football and soccer team be doing these things EXCLUSIVELY. It's true they do use some of these methods to supplement training, but their core programs consist of basic weigh training movements and appropriate running and cardio programs.

Did you ever notice that the majority of people who prescribe to methods like Aikido, Kung Fu and other forms of martial arts that attribute success to higher powers are largely out of shape or anemic looking? The thought of being able to effortlessly dispatch much larger and stronger opponents appeals to one person only...the lazy one.

People are inherently lazy. The reason Judo, BJJ, Kyokushin Karate, MMA, Wrestling, Boxing, Muy Thai and other combat sports continue to produce tough people is because they have a sport aspect that requires them to prove themselves against other skilled opponents.

On the other hand, there are arts like Aikido that profess being able to toss attackers aside with little or no effort. Aikido is an exercise in theory, not a tactical response to violence. Now you may not have known that I do have a fond appreciation for some of the founders of Aikido. Like Kenji Tomiki. Tomiki was one of Kano's (founder of Judo)top students. After Ueshiba (the founder of Aikido) met with Kano and showed him what he was doing, Tomiki went to go study with Ueshiba. Rumor has it that in his younger days Ueshiba was an animal in training. Only as he got older, he slowed down a bit. Even Tomiki during an interview and demonstration about Aikido was taken to task by a reporter. It was then Tomiki took the guy to the mat and tossed him around using Judo and Wrestling NOT Aikido.

Aikido was to demonstrate a theory of being able to harmonize with your opponent, the idea being that you could simply move with your target and use his force against him. This is a theory, just like communism. But even the founders knew when it came down to it, you still needed a little muscle to back it up. You should also note that Tomiki considered founders of Japan Wrestling association and other Judo greats as close friends and mentors. Tomiki was a bad ass.

Hey, if there was a quick and easy way around hard work, we would have found it. At the end of the day, you still have to be strong, have endurance and hit hard.

Oh, and owning a firearm is not enough. You still need to access your firearm and even if you unload your magazine in him, he may still keep coming. Like this lovely video. Here the cop shoots bad guy and the bad guy takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Whether you believe in CHI or COLT there's no way you're getting out of an assault. attempted rape or homicide without experiencing some pain and discomfort. It's highly unlikely that you're going to face a determined and capable attacker without getting hit, bumped, bruised or worse. Even if you knock him out with one shot, your hand may be a little sore afterward.

In the street you need to hit hard, hit fast and recover quickly. Give me someone who lifts weights and does cardio on a regular basis, and I will turn him or her into an animal in a handful of weeks. NO BULLSHIT.

You can't get out of putting some time in. A typical week for me is:
Day 1, lift Chest and Back, Abs/Core
Day 2 Cardio and SDTS
Day 3 Legs and shoulders, Abs/Core
Day 4 Cardio and SDTS (Sometimes Judo at night)
Day 5 Arms
Day 6 ACTIVE REST or HEAVY LIFT
Day 7 Cardio long and slow

Each week I slightly vary the exercises and there is a four week rotation on the reps for weights. Week one will be a heavy set of 10 reps followed by supersets of 20,15,12 and 10. Week two will be sets of 20, 15, 12 and 10. Week three is four sets of 20 and week four is four sets of 10. Then it rotates.

Cardio looks like Day 2 and Day 4 are interval running for 32 minutes. Day 7 is a long run for about an hour. I may substitute bike or elliptical depending on how banged up I am. All in I spend about an hour to an hour and a half training. I don't have all day like Herschel Walker.

I'm no longer a serious competitor or am putting myself in harms way for people who will pay me, but I still work out hard, if not harder than when I was younger. Spartans didn't retire until they were 60 years old, so I have some time left before I think about slowing down.

Anything is better than nothing. Can do 60 to 90 minutes? Do half that. Can't get 45 minutes a day for yourself, 3 to 5 days a week...something is wrong with your life my friend. Everyone has excuses, the person who finds a way to make it work
is the successful one. There are two types of people in the world, the one with excuses and successful ones. If you have the desire, make it work if you don't have the desire, why are you even reading this?

The better in shape you are, the better your chances of survival. The more punishment you can take, the more you can dish out. In addition, people are less likely to mess with you if you look fit than if you don't. A cop who gets out of the car belly first is a lot more likely to run into a problem than if he looks like he can handle his business. In New Jersey, the local cops don't have an annual fitness test, but the State Cops do. When you see a NJ State Trooper get out of his car, he or she at least look impressive.

People always seek the path of least resistance. We're inherently lazy and are inclined to believe things that we want to hear. "Take this pill", "eat whatever you want and lose weight", "Work out for 10 minutes and get ripped". All you need to do is stay up past midnight, turn on the TV and get submerged in infomercial hell.

The martial arts have been no different. They're just as bad as infomercials with the defeat all attackers without hurting yourself or your attacker pitch line, use his power against him and make him helpless, no strength needed, lifting weights will only constrict your movement. All you have to do is get your Black Belt and you too will be able to defeat any attacker. Call now while supplies last!

The problem is you want to believe these things. You don't want to hurt anybody, and the idea of being able to do something to someone who is trying to do you harm plays into your good nature. You also don't want to work too hard either and will do anything to avoid it. It's not your fault it's human nature.

The confusion comes from the fact that some of these statements are only partially true. Technique and knowledge will always make up for lack of strength, stamina and youth but you still need to possess some level of fitness in order to survive. The more fit you are the better off you'll be.

Make no mistake, there are better and more efficient ways of doing things but there is some sweat equity in your future. There's no such thing as "get rich quick" (Unless you inherit it), there,s no loose weight fast and there's definitely no way around getting hit, bumped and bruised or worse when you have to fight.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

The Problem with Martial Arts...

2011-12-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

Is that it is too damn complicated.

When I was a kid and I started wrestling, it was all about the moves. I needed to learn more moves. I needed that secret move that no one else knew.

As I got older, more advanced and moved into high school and college competition I realized I didn't need a lot of moves, I needed the right moves. More important than that, I needed the right TRAINING METHODS.

Bruce Lee said it best, "In the beginning it was a punch, then I broke it down and learned all the nuances that made it a punch until I practiced it so much that over time it became just a punch."

The reason martial arts are too complicated is because they are sports oriented and are based on a model where martial arts business owners benefit more the longer you stay.

Sparring and competition in controlled environments with a specific set of rules and safety precautions will enable you to concentrate on specific situations and counter techniques. This allows you to dissect certain situations and develop a training strategy around them and your opponents. Even with it's plethora of moves and counter moves, it's an illusion. Martial artists try to apply this notion of "attack and counter" to self defense.Other than counters of position, timing, physical condition, individual counters to techniques RARELY WORK. In fact they only work when the person executing the initial move does so INCORRECTLY. Let's put it this way, if a person who knows how to perform a triangle choke really well gets you in one it's lights out. Remember sports evolve because of rule changes and training methods. The only thing that changes in self defense is technology. Take that away the rules from man on man combat have always been the same since the dawn of man: get him before he gets you by whatever means fair or foul. There is no attack counter formula only POSITION, DISTANCE, MOMENTUM and BALANCE.

Martial arts are designed to keep you training longer. The longer you train, the more money you invest. I owned and operated in martial arts schools for over 15 years. I've attended seminars and been a part of mastermind groups. There are three things a school needs to survive: enrollment, retention and renewal. Get new students, keep new students and keep those new students coming back. We knew a few things about you. If you stayed for 3 months, you stayed for a year. If you stayed for a year, you would stay for three. We also knew that the average income per lifetime of a student was around $1,200.00. So in order to maximize profits we needed to keep the people who were interested involved and investing in training for as long as possible. This meant new techniques, new programs and creative ways of upselling you into investing more money. The fact is, even if you have the BEST of intentions, a martial arts instructor just lie any other human being, acts in his own best interest. Most times they don't even know they're doing it because it's so inherent in the system.

Add to the fact that there's a certain prowess that comes from time in training. Saying I trained in something for 20 years sounds a lot more impressive than training for 2 years. But if you had 20 years worth of shit training compared to 2 years of good training it's not so impressive. To be honest, if you can't learn something in a few hundred hours, there's something wrong with you, your instructor or the system.

Make no mistake, I'm a life long martial artist and martial arts have their place. If you want to mentally and physically challenge yourself and become part of a community, then by all means have at it. But contrary to martial arts, self defense is a skill not an endeavor. My biggest problem is that martial arts have brainwashed you into thinking you need to spend decades trying to learn something. But deep down, they know it's not true. Take Judo for example. Up to third degree black belt your considered a competitor. Fourth degree and up are more for teaching and being active in the Judo community. The notion that a Sixth degree black belt can beat a third degree black belt is as preposterous as thinking the head coach of the Jets, Rex Ryan out block and tackle the members of his team.

Part of the reason the Self Defense Company has been successful is that we treat self defense as the life skill it is and not a life style. I'd like to take full credit for this, but every fighting force has been doing this for centuries. It's about instilling the correct skill sets.

We see the same problems in other self defense systems. They usually have a good idea but then they surround it with a bunch of other crap. The Marine Martial Arts Program (MCAP) is a perfect example of this. Sure the SDTS techniques are in there. Hell, they're in most every martial art in the world. The difference is which ones to use, why and when to use them and finally how to train them so they can be adapted to every situation. These programs make the mistake of treating self defense like a martial art because they're conditioned to do so. Somewhere you were lead to believe that more technique you know, the better off you are while in reality all you need to do is one thing really well. Personally I want to simply the SDTS EVEN MORE!!!!

Hey, I realize I piss a lot of people off because I threaten the very foundation of how they put food on their table. They tell you you need to train for years, I say it will only take months. They say you need to spend thousands, I and SDC Instructors give it to you for a fraction of the cost in a fraction of the time.

Like I said, I enjoy martial arts for what they are and will continue to do so until I'm too pooped to pop. But you don't need a black belt to defend yourself. You just need the correct set of skills.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Pervert Released

2011-12-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

The last several weeks in the affluent area of Bergen County, N.J. were not as festive as they have been in recent years. Reports of a middle aged man in a black SUV soliciting young, middle school age girls for sexual favors in exchange for money swept the area. There were 5 incidents in as many towns over the course of a few weeks.
The police reports were as follows:

■ On October 16th, Montvale, NJ a white male in his mid 40's approached a middle school aged girl and propositioned her with a unintelligible sentence, but the girl immediately responded, “NO!” and ran to her house up the road. The vehicle left the area. The victim further described him as having a very dark beard with parts having more “stubble” than thick hair, and that he was wearing dark sunglasses. She described the vehicle as being a black, freshly washed, new looking Infinity with a yellow license plate.

■ On October 25, 2011, at approximately 3:25 p.m., Allendale Police Department had a similar Child Luring incident on Dale Avenue, near West Orchard Street. The driver was described as a white male, 30 yrs. old with dark, short hair and driving a black SUV.

■ On November 7, 2011 at approximately 3:25 p.m., an 11 year old female was walking home from school in the area of Akers Avenue and Highland Rd. in Montvale N.J., when she was approached by a black, newer model SUV. It was operated by a white male, in his 40's thin build, scruffy beard and wearing sun glasses. The driver offered the female $1,000 for sexual favors. She screamed and ran home. Suspect vehicle fled south on Akers Ave. toward West Grand Avenue. The suspect and the mention of $1000 for a sexual favor were in common with the incident in Montvale.
Any law enforcement agencies in the Bergen County, and Rockland County, NY areas that have similar unsolved Child Luring incidents, are urged to contact Detective XXXXXX XXXXXX of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 201-XXX-XXXX.

Fortunately, on December 7th, the man suspected of luring in all five instances was picked up. 26 year old Shahan Achian a local man, was picked up at the home of his parents house in Upper Saddle River, N.J.

Pedophile piece of shit, Shahan Achian

After the arrest the area breathed a collective sigh of relief and turned their attention back to Christmas Shopping. But wait there's more....

It's not the movies and the bad guy doesn't always get his comeuppance. Shortly after the arrest, Daddy posted bail (he's out) and he will probably only get probation, some therapy and a life time Meagan's Law registration.

In reality, he only "attempted" to lure the girls into his car and never even tried to abduct or physically touch them. This means he's back out on the street with another opportunity to do it smarter and better. Seriously, do you think he's going to stop? Now he knows he just can't go out and solicit girls at random from his car. He will either get more cunning or more brazen. His sickness is only going to get worse and if he's not smart, he will use brute force.

Bottom line is you need to take care of yourself, period. The police can't be everywhere and at some point your kid is going to be on their own. If there are two things to learn from this by looking over the police reports is that all the kids survived because they ran away before he got too close and second is that all of the kids make poor witnesses. Now if you had to make a choice between getting a good description and getting away...teach your kids to just escape. In the Family Safe Program kids learn one thing- no adult should ever ask you for anything, especially in the 11 to 14 year old range when kids can be asked for directions or offered money to load packages into a vehicle.

Your kids need to be educated and told what to do and you can do this without scaring the crap out of them. Just be a matter of fact about it. In the Family Safe Program we use specific language that gets the seriousness of the subject matter across, without traumatizing them. Listen, you taught them to swim and they understand the concept of drowning, so you can teach them to operate in the world, with understanding the responsibilities and dangers that exist.

The threat of older predators has always existed. The two major differences between then and now is that we get information so quickly. In the past we would have never known about a guy hitting several towns over the course of a few weeks but thanks to the web and facebook we can communicate information (both good and bad) at an alarming rate. The other change is the down side. Sick perverts can now connect with other sick perverts to help justify their behavior. They also exchange photos, videos and stories. And of course they become more educated about how to satisfy their needs without getting caught. As screwed up as it is, just as there are self defense forums and forums about pottery, there are chat groups for just about every sick and twisted mind out there. As the government shuts one down another pops up.

The conclusion is a cold and obvious one, it's up to you to take care of the ones you care about. The truth is there will always be scumbags like this and there will always people who will ignore the fact that violence and danger exists. They will choose not to do something about it and hang on hope, play the odds and pray that no harm comes to them.

In a perfect world we would all train, prepare and leave no outlet for the sick, twisted and perverted. A perfect world where we would all stay in shape, be healthy and live to a ripe old age where upon the first day we crap ourselves, we fall over and die. Until that day, there will always be criminals and victims for them to target. At least now you can make a choice to be part of the solution or fodder for the demented.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

My Big, Fat, Greek Tragedy: Mom Risks Freedom in Fight for Kids

2011-12-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

You never really know when you will be called upon to protect the ones you care about. Usually we picture a deserted parking lot, late at night, but we all know that life is fragile and the world can turn upside down in a moments notice and danger can come from where you least expect it. One second your trying to get your own children who are U.S. citizens out of a foreign country, and the next thing you know you're in a cell with a dirt floor surrounded by criminals. This is exactly what happened to Marla Theocharides a student of Dan Neddo our Instructor In South Bend, Indiana.

Marla married a Greek citizen and moved to Greece. After a long and violent separation she was granted a divorce. However, while she was granted custody in the United States, her ex-husband was granted custody in Cypress, Greece. Her only option to get her children back was to go to Greece and fight for them. Armed with a local attorney and a video camera she began to document her case. There is even footage of her defending herself against her ex-husband (which will be released at a later date) to which she credits her safety to Dan in a later article.

You never know when or why you will be forced to deal with violence. Most people find themselves in situations where they are at risk of losing someone you care about. That overwhelming feeling to protect is incredible. But what's more devastating is the impotence to be powerless while you watch your loved ones get ripped away from you. I know that sounds brutal, but it's the truth. at least Marla has the character and the iron will to stand and fight for what she believes in and while she still has not gained custody and with no end in sight to the ongoing litigation, Marla can still put her head on the pillow knowing that she is doing all she can.

Can you? I'm sure when Marla was wed to her husband, having to physically fight him was the last thing on her mind. Being put in a foreign prison and having to fight to survive was even farther from her thoughts. But it happens and you're only saving grace is that you try everything you can at the time to prevent it. Imagine the worst possible scenario and ask yourself one question, "Am I ready?"

I can't answer that for you, I can only offer you part of the solution. You provide the other part. It's an honor for me to have Instructors like Dan Neddo in South Bend who take treat their calling with the highest level of integrity and I'm glad that the SDC is able to play some small part in helping Marla stand up for her children.

At present, the case drags on and the state depart offers little help even though the children were born in the US and have dual citizenship. (State Department statement here)

Here's the link to Part 1 of the Article >>> CLICK HERE

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Keepin it Real- The Two Handed Strangle, Damian Ross The Self Defense Company

2011-12-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

This is just one example of the many useless attacks that are practiced in every self defense class around the world. Training against these types of unrealistic attacks is part of the reason the vast majority of self defense systems have rendered themselves obsolete. If attacks were kept with in the realm of reality, a lot of what you see as self defense simply wouldn't exist.

Unless you're getting attacked by the Mummy or Frankenstein's Monster, no one in the world is going to choke you with their arms fully extended. The only time they will be fully extended is when they are in the middle of bashing your skull off of something or you've managed to stick a finger in their eye. Other than that their arms will be bent and locked tight.

This particular attack is meant to intimidate, disorientate and kill. When someone's trying to strangle you in this manner they're either setting you up for a head butt and or knee to the nuts, pulverizing your skull off of the ground, wall, van or car, trying to crush your wind pipe or a combination of all three. We can also assume that since they chose this type of attack they are larger, stronger and feel that they can inflict serious damage.

What they will NOT be is arms extended, waiting for you to make your move.

Like this:

or this:

Great defense against a front "massage", this guy could at least put his hands on her throat. Wait that's not REAL Krav Maga!!!- Ninja Please, sorry inside joke from another post.

In the real attack he will be constricting and shaking your head VIOLENTLY. Granted, when you start learning and training with a partner, you need to begin slowly, but your position and intent still needs to be correct. You still can apply a little pressure and movement. But only after a FEW TIMES you should be able to run through the scenario with some decent speed and power. If it takes you longer than a few minutes to feel comfortable with a defense, the DEFENSE IS INEFFECTIVE!. Skills that are meant to be performed immediately and without warning must be able to be learned in a matter of minutes. Otherwise they are far too complicated or just will not work.

Most of what is practiced today is against unrealistic attacks. In order to "keep it real" put yourself in the attackers frame of mind, if you were really going to try and strangle someone like this you would be really pissed off and not be gentle on your approach and execution. Attack with the mindset of success NOT failure. Only lessen the intensity of your assault when your partner has done something that warrants your slowing down. Taking it easy on your training partner is not helping them in the slightest. Obviously, use some common sense and slowly build up the intensity of your attack. If the defense is effective, you should be going balls to the wall in a matter of minutes.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

"Ninja Please"

2011-12-06T04:09:00.000-08:00

After the SDTS isn't Krav Maga post I got a few emails telling me either that I didn't know what I talking about and the examples I used weren't REAL or TRUE Krav Maga.

I responded to them in the comments on the post, but that wasn't enough. Their reactions echoed negative comments on youtube or some of the self defense forums. My feeling on negative comments is that they're awesome. Not everyone is going to love us. Martial arts and self defense is filled with crack pots and wing nuts and if they love me, I have a problem. In fact the MORE pissed off people are, the better we're doing. I'll explain and I've said this before that you're never going to please everyone. So if you're not getting negative responses either you or your subject don't matter. I love the haters so much, I even have a little spot in my heart for them on the training forum.

The negative posts can be put into three categories, "The Experts" are the people who tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about or I will get me or someone else killed. "The lawyers" tell me we will kill someone, be sued or something to that effect and finally "The Cult". These are the ones who know the guy, who knows the guy who teaches the REAL form of whatever art I'm bashing..I mean discussing.

"The Experts" love to post their resume and tell you how long they have been doing art "XYZ". They will tell you how wrong I am or that the technique is too simple or I'm doing it wrong or it's called something else. Basically they're the guys who come to the meeting complaining about everything and offering nothing. They will tell you what's wrong and then provide no solution. They love the sound of their own keyboard tapping and are probably the most annoying person at the party.

"Ninja Please!"
Don't tell me, show me! Post a video showing your solution. I know we would love to see your awesome technique. Hell it will take you literally 5 minutes to put something together and throw it on youtube. I understand that this would require getting off your ass and doing something physical, but I'm sure you could muster the energy to show us your awesome skill, we're all waiting.

Oh, and filming yourself talking about it is the same as writing about it. You need to demonstrate an actual technique. If not, have a seat and let the men talk. A mentor of mine who was extremely successful in business told me as a young lad, don't say something negative unless you have a solution in mind. Other than that your not part of the solution, you're either part of the problem or part of the scenery.

"The Legal Eagles" spout on about liability, being sued and put in jail. All of the sudden they know the law for every state and the situation behind every self defense. They're also the people who look at movie fights and believe them. They are the same people who sit on a jury and tell the cop he could have shot him in the leg or the arm instead of emptying his magazine in his chest like he's supposed to do.

"Ninja Please!"
First of all it doesn't matter WHAT self defense you use, any method is actionable under the law and if the prosecution knows that you train in any type of martial art, self defense, or have had any military or police training it will come under scrutiny. Anytime you choose to use force you run the risk of injuring or killing the target or yourself. The fantasy of going up against someone who is capable and willing to inflict severe harm or injury on you or your loved ones with anything less than extreme prejudice is ludicrous. Look you can hang your hat on verbal judo and joint locks, we're going to knock him out as fast as possible and learn how to write a report and make a statement.

"The Cult"
The cult has existed as long as I can remember and it exists around every martial art. No matter what style you choose, the popular one is the "watered down version" and their exists a "Pure" or "True" version out there. These people know the truth, the world is all wrong and they are right. They laugh at the general population. Yet you can never see this true method because the expert they know is either dead or completely inaccessible. You would have to take two planes, a camel and get a Sherpa to go and spend 10 minutes with the guy who knows the truth. They know the truth and yet, when they demonstrate their method it still looks the same (or worse) than what is commonly taught.

"Ninja Please!"
Show me. Post a link, a video, draw a picture SOMETHING!!! With the millions of websites and videos out there I'm certain something must exist that shows even a glimpse of your true art form in action. Like I said before, it can take you all of 15 minutes and not cost you a penny to post a video. Every computer made in the last five years has a video camera, my kid's games have cameras, your cell phone has a camera. It doesn't have to be a Spielberg production, just shoot the thing "Blair-Witch" style and throw it on youtube.

Let's not waste each others' time, if you think you have something better, post it, if not "Ninja Please!"

If you think I suck, great- show me why, don't tell me.
If you think you have a better way that will WORK and keep me out of jail, show me how not to, don't tell me.
If you think you know the TRUE art, show me that method, don't tell me.

It's really simple, if I'm so wrong it should be extremely easy to prove your point. But you won't and you can't for one simple reason, I know what works and what has been proved to work. This isn't my first rodeo peaches and if Krav Maga or any other system was what it's supposed to be I would be training in that system and teaching that curriculum. Hell, it would have made my life a lot easier trading on an existing brand name. Every one and their mother has "XYZ" Krav Maga. I could have come up with American Krav Maga or Lethal Krav Maga or something goofy like that.

Anyway, don't tell me, show me...

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

How to Defeat Larger Attackers

2011-11-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

I received a few questions after the "SDTS is not Krav Maga" post regarding how to defeat larger attackers. For starters in the SDTS we naturally assume everyone who chooses to mess with us is bigger. After all, when sizing someone up, it's the first thing you evaluate (um..that's why it's called it "sizing up").

We don't just assume he's bigger. We also assume he has friends, is armed, has intent on harming us and is willing to do so. We also make some more assumptions...like we may be fighting on ice, in the parking lot, or even in the sand or in the woods. We also think that we're probably going to be attacked when we're sick, tired, injured, older or otherwise distracted. Yes we make a lot of ASSumptions at the SDC, but they're not in our favor.

That being said, the question on the table is: How do you defeat larger attackers?
We address this from Module 1 of the SDTS and we continue this line of thinking throughout. The first and most obvious way is close quarters weapons. Impact weapons like black jacks, yawara sticks, sap gloves, steel toe boots and shoes, fist packs, clubs, axe handles, chains, hammers and a wide array of nasty little tools can help you even the score quick, fast and in a hurry. ( Reference SDTS Modules 9 and 11)
Let's also not forget about edged weapons, t-handles, boot knives, push daggers and anything else you can conceal and carry. (SDTS Modules 9 and 11)

Oh and there's also "non-lethal" methods like pepper spray, pepper foam and stun guns. Yes I've even heard real guns will do the trick too. So before you go running off to take on the world with nothing in your hand but your pecker and good looks, you might just want to consider the obvious. Methods that consider themselves military or even just self defense methods that don't have a systematic approach to offensive weapons training are suspect and can not be considered REAL self defense.
Krav maga for example only teaches weapons DEFENSE and has no real systematic approach to edged, impact or even firearms. Hmm...the Israeli Special forces don't use any of these?!?!

The Self Defense Training System, self defense in general for that matter is about one thing and one thing only...winning the fight by whatever means necessary. If that means using a weapon, then so be it. You may be morally opposed to using any form of weapon on another human being (but I'm sure that if some piece of shit was raping your wife or daughter you may make a concession). At the end of the day it's my job to give you the tools and it's your job to decide whether or not you're going to use them. I can't tell you, but I also can't sleep at night without giving you the option.

I once heard some puss- I mean some one say that "weapons teach you to be a violent person". This is the most inane, misguided and self indulgent notion I've ever heard. Weapons are a tool, they have been since Cain hit Abel with a rock. In the end it's about winning, no points for style peaches.

Not what you expected so far? We're the SDC, I'm not going to blow smoke up your dress and lead off with the LEAST effective form of self defense...empty hands.

Regarding empty hand techniques, this is what you don't want to do: grapple. Getting on the ground with someone who outweighs you by over 50 to 100 pounds is insane. Have you seen a lot of great heavyweight grapplers? Me neither that's because when you're on the ground you need to create space between you and your opponent and trust me, when you weigh 160 and the guy on top of you is 260 there "ain't no space." In all my years I've know maybe 3 guys on the planet who could submit very large people on the ground. They are all world class athletes and weighed at least 180 to 200 pounds, you're not them so please don't bother.

Striking the body, huge waste of time as well; especially with a larger attacker. Add to that clothing and jackets and your strikes will be muted. Your best bet ALWAYS is to attack his extremities: neck and head, knees and shins. The testicles are obviously a great target but are a little tricky to get to, you might want to start with some chit-chat and a few drinks...sorry, I couldn't resist.

The genitals are placed where they are on the body because they need to be protected and you will have to be at a close range to attack them. If you do attack with a kick, like a saddle kick or a point of boot kick you should distract him either verbally with a question or physically with something fast to his face like a finger dart. This will eliminate the flinch reaction that every man on the planet does when anything goes near that region that was not invited.

As detailed in SDTS module 1, knock out areas exist on the neck and mouth line as well as the sides and base of the skull. The only secret to exploiting these areas is that you need to hit them with enough force to cause a disruption in the nervous system and blood flow. How much force varies from person to person, but I assure you it's not as much as you think.

Tips to defeating larger attackers (or any attacker for that matter)
Use Weapons: Weapons were invented for a reason, they make the job easier.
Hit Hard: You must train to hit with power. The more power and the faster you can hit your target the faster you will win the fight
Hit First: You can easily discover someone's intentions well BEFORE they throw the first punch. If you're facing a good street fighter you don't need to worry about the first punch, you need to worry about the second, third, forth, fifth and sixth punch.
Attack the Extremities: lower legs, neck, head
Attack soft targets: eyes, base of the nose, genitals

Every fight comes down to Distance, Momentum and Balance. Close the distance, gain the momentum and keep him off balance. Always train as if nothing will work. In training, keep hitting and trying to destroy your target with every blow- it's not sparring and there's no such thing as "over kill".

All things being equal, the fight will always go to the bigger and stronger. Being smaller means you have to make up the difference with technique, technology, tactics and training. The only secret is to attack, attack, attack. Sure, there's some work ahead of you, SIMPLE does not mean EASY. If you want magic, go some place else, if you want the truth, stick around.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

SDTS is NOT Krav Maga

2011-11-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

Don't believe the hype. Sure Krav Maga "says" a lot of things similar to the SDTS but you can't judge a system by its marketing. Even though there are some good techniques in Krav Maga, a few good techniques or concepts does not mean it's effective.

In order to evaluate a system you need to look at it from a complete learning perspective. Most people will go through a curriculum technique by technique and judge each individual reaction to a situation as a good or bad, this is the wrong approach. In order to look at any system as a whole you need to look at it from the training experience perspective.

Take mathematics for instance. You learn basic principles and then you discover how to apply those basic principles to more complex equations. The same holds true for self defense. You need to see the same, viable concepts running through every situation. A viable concept must work under the conditions it's intended to work.

The problem with martial arts and most self defense systems is that they are based on the same formula: block, catch or grab the initial attack, strike, then finish with a wrist lock, take down or another controlling technique. They require a set of motor skills and reasoning that are not available under fight or flight circumstances.

Martial arts also attempt to provide different reactions to each individual type of attack. They look at each assault as an isolated incident from the attacker's perspective instead of looking at it from the defenders point of view. Meaning, here's the attack and if I were to disable this guy I would do X.Y.Z. the defender's point of view its about development of muscle memory and your ability to recall those actions under stress when you least expect it. Martial arts focus on your attacker while The SDTS focuses on what you will be able to do when you're attacked.

For illustration we took three attacks, a double collar grab, a collar grab with a knife to the throat and a collar grab with a gun to your head and compared the Krav Maga defense to the SDTS defense. Now we couldn't find any Krav Maga defenses for a knife with a collar grab or a gun with a collar grab either. Maybe they don't grab the shirt a lot in Israel, who knows, but we did manage to find a few to illustrate our point.

At first glance the the primary difference between the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) and Krav Maga are:

Krav Maga uses both gross and finite motor skills
The SDTS uses only gross motor skills
Krav Maga requires you to learn different, unrelated skill sets for each individual scenario
The SDTS gives you only one skill set for hundreds of possible scenarios
Krav Maga requires you to shift focus from weapon to attacker than back to weapon again
The SDTS has no real shift focus, after you clear the weapon it's attack, attack attack
Krav Maga assumes that you're only going to need to strike your attacker once (with the exception in Scenario 2 b)
The SDTS knows that not all strikes hit there mark and trains you to continue your counter attack until the threat is gone

Considerations
We know that under extreme stress you can not use fine [finite] motor skills. Fine motor skills are the coordination of small muscle movements which occur e.g., in the fingers, usually in coordination with the eyes. In application to motor skills of hands (and fingers) the term dexterity is commonly used. When applied to the theory of human aptitude this is called manual dexterity. Twisting the wrist, catching or grabbing an opponents hand, small movements and manipulations are all fine motor skills. On the contrary, gross motor skills involve large muscle groups and body motion.

Under stress you will only be able to focus on a single purpose. We know that once you decide to act you will continue to do that act until it's complete. If you decide to train a wrist lock, under stress you will continue to attempt that lock until you succeed. People fleeing a burning theater will burn to death trying the same locked door over and over again and will never look for another way out. Since you can only successfully focus on one purpose it must be to disable your attacker as fast as possible. Anything less will cause you to focus on something less critical, like a disarm. Look, if you hit him until he's unconscious, you won't need the disarm but if you try to wrestle the weapon away from someone who's has fight left in them you're leaving yourself vulnerable.

Scenario 1 Krav Maga defense against a double lapel grab you see a wrist lock (finite motor skills), and elbow strike and a cross stomp (finite motor skills). Shifting focus from hand strikes to kicks at close range is a little dicey. Why bother when you can just crack him in the head continually.

Notice the "stiff arm attack". When someone does grab you in this manner they do it to intimidate. That means they will jack you up and get eye to eye. Now the instructors does mention this type of attack but refers to a completely different set of skills to defend it! Adding another defense you have to remember.

Scenario 2 A Krav Maga defense against a knife to your throat clears the weapon (good), kicks him in the nuts (good), does a wrist twist (shitty). Here we see only one strike and then a useless wrist twist take down. Also, why does this technique differ so much from scenario 1? You could easily clear the weapon and elbow strike him.

Also note that this is another stiff arm attack. Look, if someone is mugging you in the street they are going to get in your face in intimidate you. They're also not going to want to draw attention to themselves. That means they're going to be as discreet as possible. Coming in close not only is more intimidating, it conceals the weapon from the rest of the world.

Scenario 2 B Krav Maga defense against a knife to your throat requires you to clear the weapon (good), punch him in the face (good), then go to the elbow hook and start stabbing him with his own knife (ridiculous). Again, this starts off great but then get's ridiculous. However, it's good that he repeatedly bashes his attacker in the face, but then he goes for the cutesy, make him stab himself bullshit. Again, more stiff arm attacks from the bad guy.

Krav Maga Scenario 3 starts off great, clears the weapon (good), cracks the guy in the face (great) and then goes to some ridiculous disarm. You have the guy on the ropes, the gun pointing away from you, why not continue to bash his head in?!?!?

The beginning of this defense is similar to scenario 2 defense. What they really should do is use the repeated face punch for ALL scenarios. Heck, guy jacks you up, punch him in the face, the guy sticks a knife to your throat or a gun in your face, clear the weapon and punch him in the face repeatedly. That would be splendid. But they don't, they chose to get fancy and do the same martial arts BS.

A final note on Krav Maga defense 3. Punching your opponent in the head runs the risk of breaking your knuckles on his jaw or skull. Try grabbing anything with a shattered hand and squeezing, let alone performing a wrist lock-disarm, securing the weapon, taking aim and squeezing the trigger. This defense assume two major "what ifs" 1. That you can hit him hard enough once to enable you to disarm him and 2. That you didn't break your knuckles on his skull.

Krav Maga uses the typical martial arts formula is this, grab or block the initial attack, strike and then finish with a fancy wrist lock, take down or controlling technique. You know what the problem is with teaching fancy moves, when you teach them, that's all anyone wants to practice. They gloss over the strike and focus on the harder tasks, the block, grab and fancy finish. It's only natural that you do this, you can't help it. The obvious problem is this: you pay no attention to the most important part, the strikes that will disable your enemy. The result when your stressed is that you will focus on the thing you spent the most time on...the fancy shit that your body has no physiological chance of pulling off (remember the finite motor skill issue?). The result will be some gross motor skill interpretation of what you practiced and it will be neither effective or fancy.

Another glaring problem is that only 1 defense (2b) showed any sort of repeated striking. All of the other defenses assume you're going to knock your target silly with one strike!!!! Those of you who have been there know one thing's for certain, in the street you miss...a lot.

That being said, here's the SDTS reaction to ALL of these scenarios:

That's it, one technique for 3 different scenarios. Sure it's not completely sexy, but it's brutal and it works. It trains you to use one set of techniques. Do you realize what happens when you train similar techniques over and over again? They become awesome. No one got into the hall of fame for knowing a lot of moves, they got there from doing a few things really well. Bruce Lee said it himself, I don't fear the man who's done 1000 kicks one time, I fear the man who's done one kick a thousand times.

Conditioning for combat requires you program a behavior that you will do subconsciously. SAYING that you will remember to hit him repeatedly is not the same as practicing to hit him repeatedly. Once you start to injure him you need to continue it until he's no longer a threat. You can disarm him when he's unconscious. This business of taking a firearm away from a man who's will to point it at you is stupid, movie, Hollywood bullshit.

At the end of the day Krav Maga is like any other martial art. It teaches you separate techniques for each individual situation. It follows the "block or grab initial attack, strike and fancy finish" formula of martial arts. Let's call that the B.G.S.F.F. formula (look another fucking acronym is born!). It also assumes that every strike you do hits it's target with devastating power. The only difference is between Krav Maga and other martial arts is the lack of sparring!

A final note: training to hit and destroy requires that you actually hit something repeatedly. Hitting the air, pulling your punches or striking soft cushy pads doesn't do the trick. We suggest you train to hit things as hard or harder that all the surfaces of the human body have to offer...oh and don't forget about belt buckles, helmets and anything else kids are wearing these days.

I lied...I have yet another final note.

There's another reason why the SDTS doesn't punch and why I highly doubt that Krav Maga was ever anything but a commercial attempt to market the Israeli culture. In a military application, punching is useless. Punching with a closed fist will run you the risk of shattering your hand. When you break the knuckles of your forefinger you can not use that finger. Try squeezing the trigger of your UZI when your hand is smashed to bits. Try gripping a knife or anything for that matter when the for knuckles of your hand are crushed. In the SDTS you learn to use the heel of your hand or the edge of your hand as your primary strikes. You may dislocate a finger or two with the edge of hand, but your primary gripping fingers will not receive any damage. This will still enable you to grip a firearm or edged weapon. Any military system that uses a closed fist is highly suspect. Considering that most of your targets will have helmets, firearms and other gear that will turn your fist into oatmeal.

At the end of the day Krav Maga is really no different than any other martial art. It's just marketed better.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

It's About Kicking Ass- Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-11-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

When you get down to it, there is only one real reason anyone gets into martial arts, to know how to kick someone's ass. Yep, I said it and I'll say it again, I don't care if you're a Shaolin Monk or Thelonious Monk, you got into martial arts because you wanted to know how to kick someone's ass. It's like the only real reason to go to a dance club is to hook up (don't trust anyone, gay or straight who says it's to dance, or the music). There's a reason why you stop going when you're attached, it's because you don't have to.

I know you probably give explanations for choosing your martial arts path to friends and family. I'm sure the reasons range from fitness to spiritual. Unfortunately that reasoning is pure and complete bullshit since there are dozens of other hobbies from yoga to triathlons, that will give you either or both of those benefits. Side note: Anyone uses the term "path" or "spiritual" in a sentence needs a swift boot to nuts.

The only reason ANYONE EVER signs up for a martial arts class is learn how to fight. Think about it, why "martial arts"? The only possible explanation is that you want to know how to physically impose your will over another human being. This doesn't make you a bad person, it just makes you human and aware that sometimes people misbehave and are in dire need of a smack down.

Don't give me that "reluctant warrior" crap, the "I don't like violence but if pushed I will..." save that speech for the dojo moms. I don't care who you are, when you put a bully in his place or fight to survive and win, there's a certain satisfaction that comes from that. I've been around all levels of martial artists, soldiers, cops and defensive tactics instructors and when you're among your peers you can't help but crack a smile when telling those stories. It's not a sadistic smile, it's more of a "glad I was the one who walked away" smile that's a combination of satisfaction and relief.

Then there's the people who have actually faced REAL assaults and attempted rapes. Do you think they want to spend time learning "alternative and peaceful solutions" for the next time? Guess again. Most of them- at least the ones that The Self Defense Company train, just want to know how to win the fight as fast as possible by whatever means necessary. I realize we hit a certain demographic and the "peaceful alternative" types don't exactly contact us, hmmmm. I wonder why that is?

Let's call a spade a spade (don't be racist), It doesn't matter if it's Muay Thai or Tae Bo, you get into martial arts to kick ass and take names. If you wanted to get fit and be spiritual you would go take pilates, yoga or some other activity that will get you in touch with your feminine side. If just wanted to get fit you could do a whole host of things to torture yourself on your time off. All of these endeavors come with the social element you claim from martial arts.

In the end, just spare me the rhetoric. There are very few things that are better than standing up for yourself and providing a good old "foot to ass" solution. I've competed in sports all my life from judo, jujitsu, football, baseball, tae kwon do, wrestling and the list goes on. When it came to martial arts, it was just another sport. It wasn't until I started training in the methods that lead to the SDTS that a light went off and I realized that THIS IS WHAT I GOT INTO MARTIAL ARTS FOR!!! No bullshit, just demolish that guy in front of you as quickly as possible. No forms, no stances, no bowing, no rules!!

This is the world we live in and when it comes to dealing with violence there is only one response that ALWAYS WORKS, it is swift, brutal and unforgiving. Live your life ethically, show forgiveness and compassion before and after you need to use violence. The people who say violence isn't the answer are scared, rightfully so. On the other hand it's the people who use violence as a means to ensure that those people can spout their non-violent, pacifistic theories. In the words of the late Richard Jenni "Violence may not solve anything, but it sure stops a lot of shit."

Example? How about World War II? I'm sure the people of Poland, France and all of the Jews, Gypsies and Homosexuals put in death camps might have a different opinion. I'm sure the good people of Afghanistan loved the Russian occupation or the Taliban rule. Sure, the jury is still out what's going on over there but one things for sure, nothing has blown up in the US since 9-11 and that was over a decade ago, say what you will but I know there are nations of people who would enjoy seeing scores of US and British citizens dead. And believe me, they are trying everyday. So (knock on wood) something IS WORKING!

It doesn't matter if it's global conflict or close combat, a good offense in the ONLY defense! Attack, attack, attack until they can't attack you. The only way to do that is to inflict more injury than your target can inflict on you. It's a simple, little equation.

I got into martial arts to know how to systematically kick someone's ass. There was a while there, yes, I may have sipped the kool-aide and believed my own bullshit. OK, maybe I didn't sip it, I got drunk and took a shower int it, but even I eventually woke up and smelled the pepper spray.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Sacrifice or Regret - Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-11-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

Take your pick. Every choice you make comes with this price tag. Do you sacrifice something of lesser value for something of greater value or do you let the opportunity pass you by. Every time you say NO to something you're saying YES to something else. NO to studying means YES to failing. NO to working out means YES to being a fat shit. NO to training means YES to being vulnerable.

When I was a kid and I had to leave my friends to go to practice my dad would say, you're true friends would always be there. He was right. Later as friends were joined by girls, it was a little tougher but after practice, after the sacrifice the world looked a little brighter, things tasted a little sweeter, heck even the air was a little crisper. My sacrifice made me appreciate the things around me that I normally took for granted. (Girls like me more too!)

After the sacrifice came the rewards of success: admiration from peers, family and a good education. Later when my efforts turned towards martial arts and self defense, I had success in the it was the knowledge of knowing that I could protect myself and the people around me. Knowing that whatever task I was given, I would be able to accomplish that task. Oh and yes, girls liked it too and my family and friends were equally impressed...did I mention the girls?

Later I would discover how to adapt those sacrifice skills to my professional life and family life. It was easy and the rewards have been many. I would like to say I'm lucky, but luck is where preparation meets opportunity. Preparation comes from sacrifice.

Hey, not taking action is easy and it's easy to make excuses...they FEEL REALLY GOOD!!! The easy way always does. Like the saying goes "Hard work pays off in the future but laziness pays off NOW!" . But the payoff of hard work is infinitely better and more profound than laziness could ever dare to be.

It's never the perfect time. It's never the perfect time to change jobs, never the perfect time to get married, buy a house, have kids or go back to school. Any major decision comes with this feeling of the time has to be perfect. It's never going to be perfect. The perfect time is an illusion, it doesn't exist. To make change you have to take one bold step to start the wheels turning and the momentum moving. Like Newton says, a body at rest tends to stay at rest, but a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Once you start making decisions and taking action, things begin to happen.

The most successful businesses, the most successful training regiments, hell the most successful anything didn't start on a Monday at 9:00am and it sure as hell didn't start on January 1. It begins the second you decide it's time and the moment you get off your ass and do something. There will always be something pulling at you, it's life and you have to kick life in the ass and put it in it's place. Unless someone is sick or dying, it can be managed.

Short term loss vs. Long term gain.

What are you REALLY sacrificing? Lest take SDTS Training for example. A handful of hours per week for 8 to 12 months? How much of that time is spent watching TV, on the computer or eating and drinking things you probably shouldn't? If you look at your life, there is always going to be a roadblock. If you truly don't have any time for yourself each week...you really need to change your life.

If you work at a rate that doesn't allow you time for anything else, you need to check your life.

If your family obligations are so over bearing that you don't have anytime for yourself, you need to check your life.

We all get busy from time to time but you need to make the time and create the habit. Great things don't happen because it was a convenient time. Great things happen when someone stands up and takes action.

On the other hand, Regret is bitter. Regret doesn't require any action. All you need to do is sit and watch opportunity pass you by. Regret is what makes people miserable. Regret reminds you how old you are. It tells you how fat and out of shape you've gotten. Regret is a douche bag. He's that nagging voice that tell you times are passed and you had your chance. Fuck Regret, make him your bitch.

Tomorrow always comes again and again until one day you're at an age that, well...you're just too damn old.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Haters Gonna Hate- Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-11-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

I love the show Kitchen Nightmares. It's not Ramsay's over the top persona, or how he rips into people (if you get a chance to watch some of his earlier shows from the BBC he's a lot more mellow and tolerable) it's the combative attitude of the people trapped in a failing business.

He comes in, a successful, Michelin Star chef and Restauranteur and tells them exactly what they need to know and every time, without fail, they fight him every step of the way until eventually they break down and give in. When I watch the show with my kids we call it "When Adults Cry" and point out every time it happens. What else am I going to do? They're a little too young to play the drinking game...

The same holds true for the show Bar Rescue, Salon Take Over or most any other business make over show. The excuse for failure is ALWAYS something external: the economy, the competition, the neighborhood, etc. It's never something that the business owner does. Yet, upon further inspection it's always the product, service and atmosphere that are all lacking one way or another.

The process is always the same: expert comes in and tells them the truth, their product is awful, their place is filthy and how service is dreadful. The business owner goes through anger, denial, acceptance and finally follow through. Note that the ones that fail are usually too far gone or don't follow through. But the formula for success is always the same.

There's no place better to see this type of angered resistance than in the self defense world. People will fight me to the end, until one day they realize, I'm right because, like Chef Ramsay, I know the truth about self defense. I know what works. You can tell me that I don't own a black car all you want, but I know I drove up in one and it's parked outside. To me you sound like all those failed business owners on Kitchen Nightmares holding on to something that simply doesn't exist. I've been where you're standing and have the black belts to prove it. Eventually you will come around or quit or remain stubborn and cling to a method that really was not intended for life or death situations.

There's a reason that the majority of people who enroll in the SDTS are former or lifelong martial artists who have had real life, adult street fights. They understand the reality of what happens and have had enough insight to reflect on their training and identify the obvious problems.

The biggest issue with most systems is that they're only PART right. They have a few solid ideas and concepts and then fill it in with what ever they can think of to make it larger and more complicated than it needs to be. People get pissed when I tell them you don't need to spend all that time practicing and learning technique upon technique. It's like martial arts hoarding. They feel secure in the fact that they "know" a lot of stuff. But more is not better, it's just more and knowing a lot of things is A LOT worse than knowing a few things well.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10000 times." ~ Bruce Lee

In fact, instead of training in those complex moves, why don't you lift some weights and do some real cardio? After all, the over all tactical benefit of being physically fit will greatly out weigh the cool parlor trick you're trying to pawn off as self defense.

The road to self defense is simple...but not easy. How many black belts do I need to have to tell you that I know the f'ing difference? Sure, your style is different and your instructor knows the truth. I can't speak for every instructor on the planet, but after 30 plus years of this stuff I know that the vast majority of systems out there are WAY OFF! It only takes me about one lesson to determine whether there's anything worth while. To be honest, I can probably do it in 5 minutes, but I'm just being polite.

People hate me because I will tell you that all of the time and money you invested is pretty much wasted (unless you got yourself in shape and made some friends, than it's not completely useless). From a self defense perspective I can pretty much guarantee that what you're doing is useless. Sure a punch is a punch and a choke is a choke but do you really need to train 8 hours a week just to punch someone in the jaw?!?!? NO YOU DON'T and I don't care what your sensei says (I have more black belts than him, so there).

The funny thing about martial arts, self defense, yoga, pilates or any other subculture you can get your hands on is the people. More often than not, people seek these activities to fill a void in their lives. That explains why people loose their shit when you tell them they're wrong. They come back with the witty retort:
"1 billion Chinese people can't be wrong" my answer to that is, "Shit yes they can, explain communism?"

The truth is, most people are wrong (or right a small percentage of the time). You have to love Jack Nicholson's line in The Bucket List: “If life has taught me anything it’s that 95% of the people are always wrong.” Do you know who's right? The successful, happy people. Heck, they crucified Jesus so I guess I'm doing OK. (Did he just make a Jesus reference? Yes I did).

If you make a stand and no one reacts than either you don't matter or your stand doesn't matter. Hate me if you will, but for every one of you there's a free thinking. ass-kicking person right behind you who's done sipping the Kool-Aide and just wants to know the truth about self defense which can be summed up in a few words:

1. Inflict the maximum amount of damage to your target in the shortest amount of time possible.
2. Cause more injury than you receive.
3. Stay in good physical condition
4. Use whatever tools you have at your disposal to expedite points 1 and 2.

That's it. Hell, I don't care if you train in the SDTS or not. OK, that's a lie, I want you to train in it, that's kind of my point of this post. But, if you adopted that 4 point attitude you would quickly eliminate a lot of crap from your training.

Always seek to simplify and develop the skills you already have. Sure you can punch, but can you shatter a mans jaw in six places? OK, how about 8?

There's no such thing as overkill because you "can't over win"!
Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Bullying 2011

2011-11-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

This is the story of 13 year old, Philadelphia boy, Nadin Khoury who was routinely bullied by a seven, 17 year old boys. The abuse got so bad that he would come home from school missing shoes, money and showing signs of fighting. This continued for some time until one day it escalated to a horrific level. Fortunately one of the sadistic perpetrators took video and posted it on youtube. You can see the brutality of that video
HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iaYCNKLkVw)

This goes far beyond name calling, knocking your books over, stealing your lunch money or playing keep away with your hat. The abuse didn't start at this level. All bullying starts out small and escalates. Unfortunately the current wave of anti-bullying policy is increasing awareness but is falling short in effectiveness.

If you have kids in school you know there's a huge anti-bullying policy. Schools have adopted a zero tolerance position and in fact, here in the republic of New Jersey, students can opt to bypass the school administration all together and go straight to the police. This does lead to some false accusations, but all in all, it brings the issue of bullying to the forefront, which at the end of the day is a good thing.

With all awareness and access in place, why did Nadin refuse to seek help? Even after this video was posted on youtube, he was still reluctant to point fingers and name names. His for this was reason was simple, "I didn't want to look like a punk". Say what you will as an adult, but this is the reality of teenage life. Your image in front of your peers is everything. Getting a kid to "tell" above the age of 11 is almost a miracle. Even if they anonymously report a bullying incident, at some point they are going to have to own up to that accusation publicly.

Right now the only solution anti-bullying policy provides is "Report It." This seems to work on the grammar school level, but once they hit middle school it becomes less reasonable and kids will look to avoid the situation all together instead of looking like a "rat". Most kids will try to suck it up and we see the results of that in teen suicide and substance abuse.

Furthermore, a lot of instances of bullying happen off school grounds and after school hours. The "Report It" policy is all well and good, but what about when there's no one around and you're cornered. Just because he's a bully that doesn't mean he's stupid. He's going to wait until he won't get caught. This leaves you with the very real problem of escape and survival and the proverbial "Now What?!?!"

With the exception of California, schools offer no tactical solution and discourage kids from using any sort of physical force to escape. The reason why they don't teach defensive tactics: liability. Teaching kids to fight back and stand up for themselves puts them in an actionable position. But the truth is, kids need another option. Kids need to be empowered and know that there may come a time where running away is not an option.

Now, make no mistake, Nadin beating up 7 attackers who were significantly larger and more mature was not a possibility. But if the kid knew how to fight and escape he may have avoided this all together. If he knew how to stand up for himself, maybe those kids would have just moved on to someone else or stopped all together. One things for certain, he received a beating anyway and sometimes even if you're going down, take one or two of them with you (Life Lesson 107).

In the Family Safe Program (a little plug, but not too shameless) we teach kids how to identify the threat (which is easy) and escape (which is simple). We use methods from SDTS Module 5, modified for kids on much larger targets. The methods are designed to make the attacker pause just long enough for you to make your escape. If the kid can't run, at least he can do something and then make a break for it.

The stigma with teaching kids to fight is that we're teaching them to be violent. This thinking is naive and ignorant. Here's a news flash, people are already violent, it's part of human nature. The thing these putz's don't get is that people are good and people are bad. Bad people use violence to inflict their will on others, good people use violence to save themselves and others from being victimized by bad people. Learning to fight doesn't turn a person bad. If the person is truly bad they will figure out all sorts of ways to do bad things.

Standing up to bullies is a right of passage. We all have bullies in our lives. Some of us have stood up to them time and time again, while others have not had the courage to do so. The day you finally stand up for yourself is one of the greatest days of your life. I was in 4th grade and one of my friends was getting picked on by the local tough (who was a year older than us). I stood up for my buddy and did a little school yard ground and pound. Needless to say, he cried and went home and I felt like a rock star.

The safest way to learn to deal with bullies is as a child when the stakes are low and the risk of injury is minimal. When kids get older and stronger, the violence becomes more severe.

Another point to keep in mind is that both the victim and the bully learn their lesson. When a bully gets his nose bloodied he learns that people fight back and what he's doing is wrong. Current policy, depending on the severity of the harassment or assault may have the bully talked to or transferred. Which might not be such a great deterrent and cause the bully to become smarter about who and how he does it. While the bully knows he will get in trouble, he also knows that his target won't fight back. Bullies stop when they get resistance. A true bully picks on the weak because he knows there won't be a fight. Now that there's a fight, it changes everything.

The spirit of the anti-bullying laws are in the right place but like most laws, are only there to protect you after the fact. There will come a time when your child is off school grounds and faced with a potentially dangerous situation. Kids need the tools to stand up mentally and physically and grammar school is the time to do it. Like lion cubs, this age is meant for sparring and understanding all aspects of human nature. Children need to learn that it's not right to bully and be bullied and sometimes violence or more appropriately, use of force is necessary to stop unwanted action. As parents we want to protect our children, but in doing so we only prolong the inevitable.

I know people want to eradicate violence from the face of the earth. While this is a noble cause it's impossible. Instead you must arm the righteous with the tools to survive against the tyranny of others. The attempt to isolate our youth from the reality of physical violence is only creating a generation that is not equipped to handle those situations and in turn will become victimized mentally and physically. If kids can't learn how to deal with these issues at an early age they will no doubt have to face them when they are older and the stakes are much greater.

Side Note: In Nadin's case I have one question, Where was his mom?!?! Her kid's coming home missing shoes, bruises and finally when she sees the video on youtube she "urged him to go to the police." I don't know about you, but where I'm from no self respecting black woman is going to let her child take a beating like that. The women that I know would go down to that school and whoop some 17 year old ass! Needless to say, parents need to play an active role and assume some responsibility.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Garter Snakes and Cobras

2011-10-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

(Title Courtesy of SDC Instructor Tom Powers)

If I asked you to pick up a garter snake, unless you had a fear of snakes, you would most likely walk up to it and simply pick it up. You know the snake is harmless and even though it may bite, it won't do any real damage. But then I asked you to pick up a king cobra, you would probably look at me like I'm out of my mind.

The same holds true for defensive tactics. Most methods of martial arts and self defense work is because the world is mostly filled with garter snakes. They're somewhat harmless to mildly dangerous people who may look scary to someone who doesn't know the difference between a copperhead and a corn snake but at the end of the day, would rather back off than withstand any physical pain. They're the local bully at the bar, the gym tough guy or the junkie trying to get over on you. They chest bump you on line or take your parking spot. They're the person who gets a little froggy, but will back down if properly threatened or receive a little pain. The garter snake can be handled easily. Against a garter snake, a lot of martial arts, verbal judo and self defense methods will work. This is why martial arts still survive. Most people simply don't want to fight if they think they're going to endure injury, embarrassment or legal ramifications. While most people talk about fighting, they'll avoid it when push comes to punch. And give the old "He's not worth it" line.

Martial arts train you for garter snakes and against a garter snake a lot of what you're doing will work. Personally, I don't give a shit about garter snakes, I train for king cobras.

A king cobra is that 1% of society that doesn't give a damn about me, my life or my family. He doesn't care about the consequences of his actions. He's experienced in using violence to get what he wants. He's an apex predator and will use whatever means necessary. He's cunning, knows all the angles and will have you boxed in as soon as you as you give him the chance. You can feel his presence when he walks into the room. He cannot be ignored.

I train for that guy and that guy alone because I know if I focus on the king cobra, I can handle the garter snakes with ease. Compared to a cobra, the garter snake is a rubber stick. Most people would just as soon avoid the king cobra all together. Wise move, but what if you can't? What if the cobra stands between you and survival?

If you're not training to deal with cobras you're already admitting defeat and submission. You are saying that you will eventually roll over at the first sign of a 100% certified bad ass. And if you're willing to accept that defeat, than good luck to you, I will continue to talk to the people who prepare for the worst.

If you haven't been pitted against a true sociopath predator...it's one of those, if I have to explain you wouldn't understand. I have dealt with cobras and am better for it. It's funny, I've come in contact with them more through my personal life than my professional. When I had my bike shop we did some dealings with some outlaw bikers and attended their functions. Needless to say, most went without incident while a few did not. God bless my wife for dealing with me...

There's nothing better than standing up for what you believe in and being able to protect the people you love. It's like the day you stood up to the bully (only multiplied by 10!). Remember how you felt inside? Like all was right in the world and you could do know wrong. Standing up for yourself against true danger is a feeling every man, woman and child should know. It's a feeling of real self worth and there is nothing like it in the world.

Chances are you'll go through life and only play with garter snakes. I truly wish that for everyone. Unfortunately, the king cobras are out there and you don't know if you have a king cobra or a garter snake until it's too late.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

The Start of Something Fantastic

2011-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

This past summer the Self Defense Company's Intensive Training Summit marked the start of something incredible. It served as the blueprint for next year's event as well as the years to come. After only 3 years I have been fortunate enough to have shared time with some fantastic people and I have been honored that they have chosen to represent the Self Defense Company and the Self Defense Training System over all others. If you attend next year's summit, you'll have the opportunity to meet these people.

This week we released the first Training Summit Video. I have to credit SDC Instructor Tom Powers for suggesting I put it on video and make it available. Normally I would rather put more of a produced piece together instead of the "run and gun" format of a typical seminar video. But I'm glad I did. It enables people to reap the benefits of the summit and makes it more accessible. I you didn't have the time and opportunity to attend the live event, now you can at least be included.

The Training Summit Video managed to capture the spirit of the event. The comradery, the intensity and the diversity of the group set the benchmark high for years to come. We were lucky enough to have SDC Instructor from Virgina Beach, Dennis Daroczy a former SEAL, Chopper Pilot and firearms expert give his presentation on Handguns. We also had SDC Instructors Ruben Bean and Joe Landry demonstrate training methods they developed for the SDTS. I was able to implement new partner and group training drills and saw success with both new an experienced SDTS practitioners.

Next year along with myself and Micheal Archangel, we'll have formal presentations from Level 4 Instructors Darren Poesel, Reuben Bean, Joe Landry, Dennis Daroczy as well as life long friend and training partner Pete Barry (Pete's the primary guy in the videos and the one who kicks my butt on the iFightback app).

For now, you can have the 4 set DVD package for $87.00 on the www.sdctraining.com site. We only made 1,000 and I think we're already down to 700 and something. The running time on the video set is almost 8 hours long and to tell you the truth, it could have been 20 hours but the editor and the producer told me I would be nuts to try to release it. However, they did a great job in capturing the core material of the Training Summit.

Next year we're working with a local college to provide housing and meals. The goal is to lower the cost of the overall experience dramatically. Instead of paying a couple of hundred per night in a hotel, plus meals, we'll cut that cost in half for you. As soon as I have the details, I will let you know. In the meantime, please enjoy the Training Summit DVD Set and I hope to meet you next year.

Oh and by the way, if you do get the DVD set and wish to attend next year, there's a coupon code on the DVD Box you can use to get the full $87 off of your registration for 2012.

Enjoy your Halloween and until next time...
Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

What's the Best Stance for a Street Fight? - Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-10-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Schoolyard fights start in fighting stances, real fights are over before you know it.

When I started Tae Kwon Do as a teenager, I would get into my fighting stance ready to kick ass and take names. Later I would work jobs based on my martial arts training. This started with crappy gigs in places most people would normally avoid. The violence I witnessed during this time barely resembled anything I prepared for in training.

The problem was my martial arts training consisted of sparring and self defense. Sparring had me face my opponent on an equal, controlled playing field. Self defense taught me to wait to be attacked and then defend myself. Both of these behaviors have no place in the real world. Nothing ever happened like the way I was told it was going to happen. People can be ruthless, unforgiving and do or say whatever it takes to impose their will on you. One minute you think a situation is over, the next a bottle is getting smashed over your head.

The few fights where guys took a fighting stance out in the parking lot or when they just started pushing each other usually didn't end up with any serious injury. The worst assaults happened when two guys (or girls) had a beef, until one of them assured the other he didn't have a problem any longer. After you thought it was over, the one who backed off would just turn around and knock the other one out. Or they waited until they left and ambushed them in the parking lot. These are the people who concern me. The ones you didn't see coming. They're the most violent and have no apparent regard for human life.

I observed that good street fighters actually don't "fight" at all. They convince you that everything is OK and then attack you when you're relaxed. It could be at that moment or hours later. They could use their hands, a weapon or their friends, depending on how tough they think you are and how much they needed to impose their will on you. These little details were left out of my martial arts training.

In class we either sparred out of a fighting stance in sparring or we practiced self defense. Self defense training was when you're given a series of attacks that you and your partner practice on each other. You stood there waiting to be attacked, when your partner attacked, you did the prescribed self defense. Even when we ramped it up and practiced against multiple attackers it worked. The problem was in the real world it never happened that way. You were never just attacked with a single technique and given time to react. The bad guy always came with a series of attacks and in ways never imagined. In life, the guy who attacked first won. That never happened that way in class. It was always the "never throw the first punch" mentality. While this may work in elementary school, it's an extremely naive way to deal with adult violence.

It quickly dawned on me that what I was learning in class was fun, but not exactly what worked and outside the dojo. It wasn't until I started training in the SDTS that I actually learned how to start attacking from a non-threatening position. I discovered how to take advantage of position, distance, balance and momentum. I trained for proactive and reactive self defense. I knew how to react with non-specific gross motor techniques.

The funny thing is I was kind of doing these things already, but I didn't realize it until I discovered the SDTS and reflected on my experience. I realized how my martial arts and training for self defense in the SDTS were as different as NASCAR racing is to NHRA drag racing.

Sure they're both cars and they both will get you down the track, but I wouldn't want to race a NASCAR on a drag strip and I sure as heck wouldn't want to race a dragster on the NASCAR circuit. Yet, that's what I was doing with my martial arts.
Martial arts is like NASCAR where cars are meant to meet on equal ground where the skill of the driver is tested over longer periods of time. Self defense is like a drag race: do whatever you can as fast as you can to finish first. Start first, finish first. Sparring in the street might get you a few wins, until you come up against a dragster.

Assuming a fighting stance does more harm than good. First it lets the guy your fighting know that you have some knowledge and you're willing to fight. This is going to cause him to do one or all of three things. Get you to relax, tell you there's not a problem and then when your guard is down, sucker punch you. He could get a weapon or even some friends to give him a hand. Listen, a street fighter isn't looking for a fair fight, he's just looking for a win and he will do anything he can to get the job done. If you want to compete with that you better start playing his game.

Another thing a stance does is let every witness around you know you're willing to fight. Heck, months later at trial, it can be turned around to make it seem like you started the fight. There are a lot of issues surrounding defending yourself, one of them is legal. You might as well train in a way that will put you in the best light legally and tactically.

Smoke him out.
We have a rule in the SDTS, keep him far enough away so that if he tries to hit you, he has to shift his weight. A bad guy is going to want to close the distance on you. Once you establish the distance and he crosses it, you know his true intentions. Now is the time you escape or attack, the choice is yours.

Take a "Non-Fighting" Stance
Learn to fight out of a talking position or what we call in the SDTS the "Interview Stance". There are 4 versions of this depending on your distance to target. They're meant to present a non-threatening posture to your target. This will set your target at ease and show the world you're not looking for a fight. Listen, I'm not in the "talk tough" game. If a guy isn't a real dangerous person you're probably going to walk away without incident, so there's no sense in giving him something to defend his ego over. I'm concerned with the 1% of the world who's not going to react to sabre rattling. That's the guy I need to take by surprise and end it before it starts. No need to let him know I have a clue about fighting.

If you're going to go, go, if you're not going to go, don't go.
Once you make the decision to attack it's an all or nothing proposition. Practice explosive gross motor combinations to non-specific, target rich areas. This will enable you to get the drop on him and take advantage of your body's natural fight or flight response. Always train in multiple combination of 3 to 6 or more. Train the techniques as fast and as hard as you can. Remember to take ground, stomp your feet and move forward. Stop when there is no longer a threat.

Street fights are not sparring matches where two guys are pitted against each other until one gives up or is even knocked out. Real fights are assaults, rapes and attempted homicides. Watching an actual assault will get you sick to your stomach (which is a natural reaction of sane people). Just be prepared for what's out there. There are people who will do anything to impose their will on you. You may live a life and never run into one, but all it takes is one wrong turn, one bad break and you're in a tough situation.

Martial arts, wrestling and other sports instilled in me a great work ethic, sense of fair play and honor. This is how I live my life, but not how I defend it.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

How to Defeat Multiple Attackers- Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-10-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

How do you defeat multiple attackers? One at a time.

There's a new series on the National Geographic Channel called Brain Games and anyone who is into defensive tactics needs to watch this. Especially the episode that focuses on attention and multitasking. In one segment they put a chronic multitasker through a series of tests like driving a car through an obstacle course while talking on a hands free cell phone. The results were less than spectacular. It was impossible for the subject to talk and drive a car at the same time. What they proved was when talking on the phone, you focus on the conversation NOT you're driving. You may be looking at the road, but you're not processing that information, your just staring at it. It's funny, how many times have you turned down the radio when you're trying to find an address? That's because in order to concentrate you need devote complete attention to the task at hand. The truth is we're not multitaskers at all it's impossible to focus on two things at once. What we really are is serial processors. We can process things one at a time in rapid succession. The best we can hope for is to shift our attention from one thing to another very quickly. It may appear like we're doing multiple things at the same but we're only going back and forth between tasks. It's like the guy spinning plates, you just dart from one to the other trying to keep them all in the air.

How this relates to self defense is that when you're under stress, this inability to multitask becomes intensified to the point that you are only able to do one thing at a time. Your ability to shift attention drops as does your ability to perform multiple movements.

Take a multiple attacker scenario as seen in many martial arts demonstrations. This is where you see the defender standing in the middle of a group of attackers. While he's still fighting the one in front of him he will engage another attacker. While in practice, in the safety of the training hall this looks like it would work, it's misleading. If you pay close attention, he really can only handle one attack at a time. The problem is that he is trained to stand in the middle and wait to be attacked. This is what's going to get him killed (aside from what he's trying to do). You are lead to believe based on the structure of this drill that you will be able to stand there and take on all comers.

The problem is obvious, if everyone decided to attack at once you would be bum-rushed and crushed.

You can only take care of what's right in front of you. The thought of shifting your attention in mid technique to another attacker, while maintaining the same level of effectiveness over two attackers is just not going to happen. Your best bet is to eliminate the threat right in front of you as fast as possible and keep moving in a direction of escape. Squaring off against multiple threats is ill advised and foolish. When everything else is equal and the threat is 1 1/2 times your forces you will most likely lose.

Years ago we practiced keeping one person in front and using that person as a shield to fend off the others. The best you could do in this situation is grab the person closest to you and watch the others behind him using the person in your grasp and keep them in between you and the next threat. In the dojo, it looked like it worked (when there were only two attackers) and no one was really trying to beat me senseless. But as soon as the attackers turned up the juice, you were forced to eliminate them one at a time as fast as possible. The other tactic of shielding only wasted time and burned a lot of valuable energy. Which brings us to our point.

The way you defeat multiple attackers is the same way you defeat a single attacker: as fast as you can. Repeat the process as needed.

You need to assume that every situation is a multiple attacker scenario. You can't see who's with your primary threat, he may have friends blending into the crowd or hiding near by. Plus, you'll be completely focused on the person standing in front of you to even scan the area. The only way to account for multiple threats is through distance and movement. Engage the initial threat, keep moving forward and continue to steam roll over whatever pops up in front of you. Drive, attack and move. By moving you'll create distance between you and what you don't see. You don't know where they are, but you can control where you are. The only way to make sure you will do this under stress is to incorporate that movement in your training.

Can you train to engage multiple attackers like they do in the movies? The Brain Geeks say it's impossible. Yet people continue to force feed themselves something that goes against their body's natural programming. The obvious problem is that you're only going to find out if your training works when you're actually attacked. If you want to risk your neck on someone's best guess, have at it. I'll stick with science and nature.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Ridiculous Attacks- Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-10-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

People spend countless hours training for scenarios that will never, or could ever happen. Yet masters all over the globe teach them without any thought to what they are actually to the content or context of the attack itself. It's mindlessly regurgitated techniques in "because I said so" fashion. Well it's time to seriously take a look at what you are doing and ask your self "Am I being ridiculous?"

There are three factors that make an attack ridiculous, the way it's practiced, the attack itself and the circumstances around the attack. The video gives an example of each of these with the wrist grab, the "stiff arm knife" and the POW execution.

The wrist grab is an ever popular attack and if you walk into any self defense seminar or martial arts school you will most likely be placed in this deadly hold.

Why do we practice it?
You practice this attack because like most other attacks, it's left over from Judo's Goshinjutsu. In the 1900's Judo developed a series of self defense techniques and called it Goshinjutsu. Yes JUDO (doesn't sound so sexy anymore does it?) No other martial art prior to this used this term, no matter what your sensei says. After the introduction of Goshijutsu, every style of martial art from Tae Kwon Do to Brazilian Jiujitsu, took liberally from it and of course put their own twist on it. To be honest, the original Goshinjustsu left a lot to be desired. It was based on outdated Japanese Jujutsu techniques. Seen here:

Part 2 is here:

Look familiar? I want to go on record and say that its not all rubbish, there's some good stuff in there if you know what to look for and I could probably spend hours talking about it. Truth be told, I love this for what it is but it's confusing and misleading for direct translation to self defense. More to the point of this post, you have probably seen a lot of these techniques or variations of them in your local school. Even the formula of strike, joint lock and control is taken from Judo's Goshinjutsu.

Would a wrist grab even happen?
Sure, if you were going to be pulled and dragged or even just pinned and distracted while you were assaulted. You even have the drunk brother in law situation. In any case, the actual grab on the wrist is not life threatening and in reality, you shouldn't even pay attention to it. Your brother-in-law can be pushed, yelled at and you can pull your arm away, all others need to be hit repeatedly and very hard I might add.

Attacks like the "stiff arm knife", the "stiff arm Frankenstein front and rear chokes" and collar grab series are all pretty useless.

Why do you practice these attacks?
Because anything works against someone when their arms are extended. All joint locks, grabs, holds and releases work. Unfortunately, you do not get attacked like this, EVER.

Would this attack happen?
Yes, but not like it's practiced in most systems. During mugs like these your attacker will pull you close to intimidate you. He will also want to conceal what's happening from the rest of the world. In the case of a knife mug from the rear, its obvious that he's trying to get something from you and doesn't want to kill you yet. So he's going to keep you close and talk to you to keep you calm and under control. In order to do this he needs you to feel his breath and make it seem like there's no one else in the world.

Now before you start handing him your wallet, keep in mind, he may want to move you and in that case you're most likely going to die, be rapped or worse. The reason a criminal wants to move you is because they want to do something to you that they can't do there. Believe it or not, some people are just sick and twisted and not just interested in money.

The POW- Gangsta assassination defense. A favorite among white suburbanite self defense enthusiasts. This is the one where the defender is on his knees and the bad guy puts the gun to the back of his head and right when he's about to blow his brains out, the good guy spins into action and takes the bad guy out without even harming him.

Why do people practice it?
I guess the reason why people practice this is for self confidence. You think of the worst case scenario and you put yourself there. The thinking is if I can get out of this, I can get out of anything.

Would this situation really happen?
Sure, anything can happen. Maybe your drug deal went bad or you couldn't pay the vig. Perhaps you're Jason Bourne, you have a flash drive with the launch codes inserted in your rectum and you need to get it to the embassy, heck even the more realistic scenario of a home invasion gone bad is still a stretch. Let's just say a lot has to happen before you get to this point. Hopefully you would have done something along the way, but in case you didn't and you're kneeling with your hands behind your head confidently waiting for your moment to pounce, there are a few things you should know.

First, if he's going to pull the trigger on you, he's not going to press it against your head (unless it's a revolver), the slide on a semi-auto needs to, well a...slide, no slide = no bang, bang. All it takes is 8 pounds of pressure to lock a gun up. In other words, he can't fire when it's pressed up against your skull.

Second, there's a little matter, brain matter that is. When your melon is pierced with the bullet it will spray and splatter. No self respecting criminal is going to get your gray stuff all over his Dolce and Gabannas. Chances are he'll be a foot or more away when he actually puts a "cap in your ass", is that how the kids say it?

Finally there's the matter of mobility. How long have you been kneeling? Try getting in that position for five minutes and "jumping" into action. I assure you, it will not be pretty.

In short, if you are going to train for this situation make sure your attacker is a foot away and try to defend yourself after sitting there for 5 minutes. Yep, that's what I thought. Like my Judo instructor said about being choked, "best defense is not to be there."

Time is valuable. I don't know about you but I seem to have less and less of it. It's hard enough to get in proper training let alone wasting time with situations that will never happen. If you only have so much time, wouldn't it be better to focus your efforts on what will most likely impact your life? Its more likely you will be approached while getting into your car or apartment than be executed gangland style. Its probably more likely you will have to hit someone than apply a rear naked choke. If you only have a handful of hours to train, prioritize your training, don't glamorize it.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

It's Just a Flesh Wound - Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company

2011-10-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

How difficult is it to stab someone? More to the point, how difficult is it to injure or kill someone with an edged weapon. In the grand scheme of things I would much rather be the one holding the weapon and I'm not real excited about the prospect of being cut or stabbed. I do know that getting cut is not nearly as deadly as your self defense has lead you to believe.

Who wants to get cut? The idea of a knife digging into my side is not a pleasant one. It's no wonder that most knife defenses involve controlling the knife. But how "dangerous" is the knife. Is it as dangerous as we have been lead to believe?

As a youth I remember putting on the goggles and attacking my training partner with a felt magic marker and playing tag in the dojo, declaring my opponent dead with every black mark on his white shirt. Later we graduated to chalked knives and finally, the coup de gras, the shock knife.

In all honesty, these are good tools to work with if used properly. But the trap we fall into is we put too much focus on getting touched by the knife. The result is a game of tag that resembles something out of West Side Story (I realize this reference is getting old, so you're going to have to youtube it).

Playing tag instills bad habits. I mean, horrible habits that will get you killed. The first of which is stalking your knife wielding attacker or waiting for him to attack. Dancing around looking for an opening will only work to your assailants advantage. When ever possible you must take the advantage of attacking first.

Wait, we have to pause for the obvious comments: Yes, escape, pepper spray, other weapons (improvised or otherwise) and firearms are excellent (and first) options. Now back to our regularly scheduled post.

There are a few questions that need to be asked before we continue.
1. Do slashes cause more damage than stabs?
2. How easy is it to be stabbed. Meaning, how much force do we have to use and how many times can we be stabbed before we are incapacitated or killed?
3. How does getting touched with the knife in practice translate into getting touched with a real knife?
4. How many times can I get cut or stabbed?
5. What will I be able to do when we are faced with the reality of a knife attack?

For illustration purposes I offer the video below.

Let's answer our questions.

1. Stabs cause more damage than slashes. Generally our main arteries are tucked away inside our legs, arms and up towards the front of our neck. Being inside puts them in a defensible places as opposed to on the outside our arms, legs and our backs.

. While the renal arteries are located on the back you need a penetrating stab to sever them. In fact, the majority of the arteries require a stab or a deep slash to cut. The point is superficial slashes are far less dangerous than deep gouging slashes.

2. You can tell from the video that in order to penetrate your target with a stab you will need a decent amount of force. To do that you need to have a good grip on the weapon, your feet planted and a forceful thrust or slash.

3. Getting touched with a training knife doesn't mean you will get cut with a live knife. It takes more force to break skin with a knife than it does to make a mark with ink and chalk or get shocked with the shock blade. Make no mistake, these are great training tools, you just need to train through the cut, go harder and disregard the damage.

4. It depends where you get cut or stabbed. If a major artery is cut you can bleed out in minutes. But in order for your attacker to do that they will have to penetrate deep enough. In order to do penetrate, they need to cut with significant force.

5. What will you really be able to do when you are fighting for your life? Combat studies show that under stress seasoned warriors can only perform one or two gross motor functions with a single purpose in mind. (LtCol Grossmans'"On Combat" and "On Killing"). For example, soldiers under attack can only point and fire their weapon (over 80% of the time, some soldiers don't fire a shot at all). The soldier has repeated this action hundreds of times. The more advanced the soldiers training, the more rounds he's fired. The amount of rounds Special Ops guys fire can number well into the millions over the course of a career.

The point is, your actions must be simple and with single purpose. The only way to make sure those actions will bear fruit is by practicing the same motor skill set over and over again and then applying that same skill set to any situation. Think about firing a weapon. The environment and target may change, but the act of firing your weapon remains constant.

What you need to do with your training is to create the same "firearm" model. One skill set that you can adapt to any target and any environment. Trying to deliver a different solution for each individual situation in impossible. Trying to perform those different and complex moves under stress is ridiculous.

The popular thinking here is that the more deadly the weapon, the more complicated the response. Typical self defense programs will show simple reactions to empty hand assaults and then complex techniques for weapon attacks. This line of thinking is counter to what your engineered to do. When faced with a weapon you will be more stressed and more scared, the result is that you will think less clearly and your motor movements will become even MORE fundamental. To think that you can train this out of your DNA is egotistical, irresponsible and reckless. To think that everyday people who work regular jobs and never encounter violence on a regular basis are made to believe they can do this is a crime.

No one can say for sure exactly what's going to happen when you're under the gun, but experience tells us that you will do what the emphasis of your training has told you to do. If you spend more time manipulating and trying to control the weapon arm then that's what you'll do. Add to that your loss of finite motor skills and who knows if you'll react at all!

The obvious choice between trying to control the weapon and the the man holding the weapon is to knock the man holding the weapon out as fast as possible.

Let me put you in the attacker's shoes. What would you do if someone smacked you in the face and grabbed your arm holding the weapon? You would probably retract your weapon arm and fight back by hitting him in the head as hard as you could.

Now what's the typical martial arts' response? Hit him again! OK, great, all I'm saying is: let's forgo the BS and just keep hitting him. Never give him a chance to react, don't give him a second to breathe. Attack and keep attacking.

This is what we know:

We know that in order to do maximum damage with the knife he needs to have his feet planted, grip it and stab you over and over again.

We know that you will only be able act with one simple purpose under stress.

We know that you will only to be able to perform gross motor skills under stress.

Be warned: most experts will tell you will get cut defending against a knife but then they teach you a technique that trains you to do everything to not get cut! It's counter intuitive. Train to get cut. Like SDC Instructor Dennis Daroczy said before he and his Seal Team went on a mission "Today is a good day to die".
Facing a weapon is a nasty proposition and anything I do from this point forward is an improvement because I'm standing in a "dead man's shoes".

It's hard to resist the urge to focus on the weapon, after all, it's what's stressing you out. You must train to shift your focus from the weapon to the guy trying to stab you. To take care of him it will take everything you have. Anything less than your 100% effort to disable the man is that much of an opportunity you are giving him to do you in.

Let's put it this way, how well will you be able to stab someone if that someone was, let's say, hitting you in the face repeatedly? Knocking you unconscious or driving you backwards until you tripped and fell over the curb? Not too well I'd imagine.

In the Self Defense Training System you train to create openings and attack the man. You create an opening by asking a question, when he starts to speak you hit him as hard and as fast as you can, as often as you can while you take ground and drive him over what ever objects are in the way. You train to use your environment and try to get him to trip up. You use objects like table and chairs. The last thing you want to do is face a man with a knife with your bare hands.

Getting cut by an errant stab is 180 degrees different than getting stabbed by someone who is attacking you. Training just to attack will enable you to fight through being cut. In the majority of knife attacks, victims didn't even realized they were stabbed until after the assault.

These are the facts:
1. The vast majority of knife attacks don't end in fatality.
2. People have received multiple stab wounds, still fought and survived
3. People who survived either ran away or attacked their attacker.
4. Getting touched or even sliced with a knife is not nearly a fatality.
5. In order to cause damage with a knife you need to grip it and thrust it into the
target with power.
6. You will be only able to perform simple, gross motor movements under stress.
Complicated joint moments and footwork are impossible.
7. The faster you disable the man, the better your chances to survive.
8. In the future, don't forget to bring a gun to the knife fight.

You can waste your time practicing things that will never ever work or you can spend your time doing things you know will work. Listen, if you can't hit someone hard enough to knock them silly, how on earth are you going to have the physical ability to twist their joints and control them?

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

There is no Santa

2011-10-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

This story was told to me by the late Carl Cestari who had asked our Judo instructor Yonezuka sensei to "perform" at a celebration of martial arts on Long Island, New York. It was called something like "1000 years of jujitsu". Yonezuka or "Yone" at the time was well into his 50's and still training hard (you should note that in his 70's he's still going strong). You should also know that Yone's skills in Judo, Karate and Sumo are incredible and his exploits are well known in the fight game in the 70's and 80's.

After some convincing, Carl takes Yonezuka to this demonstration in a high school gymnasium. The place is packed with people and as you would guess there's Aikido and Aikijujutsu demonstrations. People were getting tossed about by their finger tips and wincing in pain as they were being manipulated by their black belt instructors. It looks like a Steven Segal convention. While the scene is unfolding, Carl is watching Yonezuka grow a little agitated and impatient, as if he was thinking "you dragged me all the way out here for this?!?!"

Finally it's Yone's turn to speak. He get's on the microphone and in front of a packed auditorium he says "Martial arts is hard work, no magic! If anyone wants to come down and fight me, come on the mat." Yep, he basically challenged every one in the audience to a fight. There was some murmuring then finally, out of the audience of masters six people emerged to try their luck with the crazy Japanese guy. After the sixth one was tossed on his head, Yonezuka proceeded to do some instruction as promised.

Which brings me to my point, I've received comments from some well meaning people who have dedicated a large portion of their spare time to methods like Aikijujutsu, Aikido, kung fu and other endeavors we call "cultural fighting arts". These methods usually involve some or all of the following: complicated maneuvers, outdated weaponry, stances, joint locks, unrealistic throws and esoteric explanations. I can't really name specific arts simply because there are too many to list. Before I continue, let me point out that if you want to pursue these endeavors, great, but I would classify them as I would yoga, pilates, and other physical activities that include a cultural, spiritual and or social component. The one thing they definitely are not is self defense, nor do they ever lead to self defense.

There is not a point somewhere in the foreseeable future where you will be proficient enough at a cultural fighting art to perform it consistently in the real world against a determined and capable attacker. If you really want to use martial arts in a real fight you're far better off doing MMA, BBJ, Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, Kyokoshin Karate, Olympic Tae Kwon Do, Muy Thai or any other combat sport that requires you to use your skill against another person who's trying to do the same in a knock out, tap out environment (sorry, point fighting doesn't count, you need the potential of getting injured, I call this the "punched in the face, choked, twisted or slammed" factor).

Listen, I have a huge amount of respect for the Kendoka who practices thousands of cuts a day or the Aikidoka who subjects himself to thousands of break-falls. Anyone who sacrifices and subjects themselves to that type of torture is going to be a tough individual regardless. I also respect the marathon runner, power lifter and triathlete. Sure their expertise is not combative in nature, but it still requires an iron will of sorts. You can never discount the person who is willing to sacrifice comfort for pain.

But if self defense is your focus than cultural fighting arts are about as applicable as preparing for a civil war reenactment. From a defensive tactics perspective they're completely inefficient and a huge waste of time and you will never, ever acquire the skill you imagine you will.

Instead, you're best bet training in a self defense specific method, and focus on increasing your strength and endurance. Because in the end, there is no Santa, there will not come a day where you will be able to twirl around attackers like you do your dojo mates. Unless of course you're fighting the elderly or school children.

Make no mistake, I don't condemn or attack people seeking personal improvement, cultural exploration and a sense of community through cultural fighting arts. I have enjoyed my study of those arts and I know they have their benefits. The issue is with people who think that those practices are or will eventually lead to effective self defense.

I don't expect people who have spent years training in these types of arts to open their eyes, throw on an Self Defense Company shirt and start chin jabbing. Not yet anyway...but eventually you will. Because there are two types of people at the SDC: Those who just want self defense and those who have been through the martial arts experience and know the difference between martial arts and self defense.

When I started training in martial arts at 16 I had read the comic books and watch Kung Fu on TV. I wanted to be able to have superhuman strength, speed and power. Years later I discovered those people do exist, they're in the NFL.

In the end, it doesn't matter who's right, only who's left.
Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Is it a System or a Collection of Techniques?

2011-10-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

In the video above we take you through four different scenarios with The Self Defense Training System: an imminent threat in your face, a two handed grab, a knife to the throat and a gun to your head. We illustrate how the SDTS solves these four different scenarios with one set of skills where other methods require you to learn four completely different sets of techniques.

An effective system not only looks at solving the problem at hand, but it also takes into consideration the effort and circumstances it takes a person to perform the solution. Most curriculum being taught as self defense techniques only look at the situation and have no regard for the person performing the technique. Your only consideration is that you are expected to memorize dozens if not hundreds of reactions in stressful and demanding situations. Unfortunately with little continuity between the reactions there is no way you will be able to do this in real world conditions.

In fact most self defense reactions taught are rooted in finite motor skill sets that are not available in hormone induced scenarios where the fight are flight mechanism is activated. Even though you can try to replicate some of these effects with exhaustion, you can not duplicate genuine fear. Thinking you can simply train to over come this fear in practice is ridiculous because your DNA will prove you wrong 10 out of 10 times. The only way to overcome this fear is to inoculate yourself through real life experiences or train to operate in the parameters of "fight or flight." In fact when you focus on using gross motor skills you will take advantage of the fight or flight reaction.

A system needs a building block of continuity. The concept and bio mechanics taught on day one must hold true throughout your training. Most systems, in fact all other systems we have encountered aren't really systems at all, but a sampling of random techniques used to provide solutions for specific, individual situations. A workable system must be adaptable based on a core set of principles not a random selection of "best" answers.

What has happened with self defense is this: martial arts expert gets a situation. Martial artist looks at the situation and gives his best answer. With the next situation presented, the process repeats itself with little or no regard to the last answer. The result from our expert is a series of responses based on the individual scenario.

The problem with this is that it only focuses on the situation without regard for the people expected to practice and execute these techniques. You are just expected to learn them and perform then under stress. Any failure is a failure on your part, not the part of the system. Well the "system" is wrong. That would be like a soccer coach teaching you to prepare for every possible attack from every angle and every location on the field and then putting you in a game expecting you to be ready for every possible angle of attack. You can imagine the infinite number of scenarios you would have to train for to be ludicrous, yet you are expected to do that with your self defense training.

Like a good soccer coach you need to learn basic skills, foot work, ball handling and then move on to strategy and learn how to apply those in the game. Self defense is the same. You get your core set of skills, understand the tactics and then move through how to apply them. This is how a system works. The skills are the tools that enable you to adapt.

Consider this as well, learning motor skills require repetitions. That number you have to practice to become proficient can be anywhere from the hundreds to the thousands. The actual number required depends on two things, the individual and the complexity of the skill. One things for certain, the larger the number of techniques and the more complex the techniques the longer it takes to learn them and the shorter you will retain them. It takes longer to learn how to play the piano than kick a ball. Further more your piano playing will deteriorate faster than your ability to kick a ball. Simple techniques = faster to learn, more powerful, longer retention. Complex techniques = longer to learn, less power, shorter retention.

A proper system of self defense must be simple, repeatable and adaptable. To really evaluate if a system is really effective goes beyond an individual response to a particular situation. You must be able to look at a wide variety if techniques and look for continuity across the board. In broad terms, the first thing you learn should have something in common with the last thing you learn. Your training should directly reflect your purpose.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

"I'm a Fighter not a Doctor"

2011-09-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

As the voice of Star Trek's Bones McCoy echoes in my brain, I read another post about how important it is for you to know the specific medical effects and terminology of what happens to a guy when you hit him in the spleen. Seriously, did Mike Tyson know that when blasted a guy in the jaw he disrupted the trigeminal nerve and caused concussive force to the brain-pan? Is George St. Pierre more effective knowing that he's cutting off blood supply to the carotid artery when he's choking the snot out of someone?

Maybe? The point is, some people feel that if you know the specific medical jargon you will be better off (or sound like you know what you're talking about). While understanding what happens to a target when you hit it in a particular way is important, some of these guys get all CSI and quite honestly, I don't have the time to go to med school and my Latin is REALLY rusty. I'm not going to expect you know what a "Mental Foramen" is, as long as you know where the side of the jaw is located.

Instead of going to med school, I can save you the time and effort of purchasing a Grey's Anatomy and give you the layman's description of knock out blows.

A "knockout" is one that renders the receiver unable to face his opponent for no less than 10 seconds. It is a blow landed to some vulnerable spot on the anatomy.

MENTAL FORAMEN OR JAW STRIKE SDTS Module 1

The most common knockout blow, and the best known, is the "hook to the jaw" strike. Few clean knockout blows reach the extreme tip of the chin, as it is a hard blow to land, because of the natural protection of the hands and arms, and the keeping of the chin well down on the chest.

The left hooking type strike to the side of the jaw is the most common knockout blow. It is usually delivered at close range, being out of the line of the vision, and making it harder to guard off.

The line of drive is made so as to force the upper end of the jawbone, ball, and socket up into the brain area, near where it is fastened to the upper skull.
It agitates the nerve of the brain area, causing a concussion, or shock, and senselessness. It also affects the nerves, so that they act deadened completely, making it impossible to feel pain. The victim knows nothing until he begins to recover. When he wakes up, he usually hears a low, buzzing, and steaming noise, and faint ambient sounds.

This knockout blow also sometimes disturbs the fluid in the semi-circular canals of the ear, where the sense of equilibrium is located, causing a loss of balance as well. Sometimes old-time fighters habitually walk with a wobble, or sense of unbalance, caused by being beaten over the ear so as to partially destroy the sense of the balance fluid.

The most deadly effect is obtained when the blow is delivered and the jaw is not tense, especially when the fighter is tired or when the mouth is partially open. This is why fighters wear mouth pieces, or mouth-guards, so that the teeth may be clenched, and thereby take away any shock. A tightening of the jaw makes the blow much less effective.

CARATOID ARTERY, OR NECK BLOW SDTS Module 1

The caratoid artery, or neck blow, is the most sensational and least painful of blows. The strike lands on the upper side of the neck under the ear and just below the jaw, where the main external artery divides — one part supplying the brain, the eyes, and ears, and the other part supply the face, tongue, and internal parts.

This blow is reflectory, and sometimes induces a sympathetic action of the vagus nerve, causing a temporary inaction of the heart and breathing organs, thus bringing about senselessness. It is also very effective when the neck muscles are relaxed.

EAR, OR MASTOID, BLOW SDTS Module 2

The mastoid is located directly behind the ear, encasing the ear bones, and is the hardest bone in the body. The blow is landed directly behind or over the back part of the ear. It does not always produce a knock-out, but shocks the brain and causes the victim to stagger and wobble for a few seconds. Many boxers shows its effect by "cauliflower" or clipped ears.

TEMPLE BLOW SDTS Module 1 and Module 2

The temple is located directly in front of the ear, and just above the upper jawbone. It is the thinnest part of the skull. The temple blow is the most dangerous of all, and may have a fatal effect.

"Atlas C1 Vertebrae/ Mastoid Process or where the top of your spine meets your skull" SDTS Module 1 and Module 2

Strikes here in boxing are called "rabbit punches". These are blows delivered directly at the base of the skull or back of the head. It is usually delivered when you are behind your target or when he's in a bent-over position. Strikes here shock the brain and sometimes produce partial paralysis of the breathing functions. Concussions or shock are common. This strike is so devastating that
it's regarded as a foul in practically all parts of the world.

NOSE BLOW SDTS Module 1, Module 2 and Module 4

The nose often becomes hardened, or immune to blows, but many pugilists develop a case of soft nose, caused by a splitting or shattering of the bridge of the nose. The chief danger of a "nose sock" is that the blood flow interferes with the breathing and cutting off of the air supply. The notion of driving the nose into the brain is a wives tale.

TESTICLES SDTS Module 2, Module 3 and Module 4

The celiac plexus provides the autonomic nervous supply to the testis as well as to the liver, pancreas, duodenum, gallbladder, and colon. Therefore, testicular pain may result in gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, through reflex stimulation of the celiac ganglion." In other words, some pain impulses race up to your brain to inform you that you've absorbed a jolt to the vitals, while others branch off to the gut and make you feel sick and possibly vomit, in case there was any lingering doubt.

Three main types of actions can cause severe trauma: blunt force, which is what it sounds like; penetrating trauma (gunshots and such); and degloving (tearing) injury, which may occur when the scrotum is caught in machinery and about which I'll say no more.

Severe impact can result in a condition called testicular torsion — a twisting of one or more of the testes and spermatic cord — which may be accompanied (once again) by intense pain, nausea, and vomiting. Another relatively unusual one is dislocated testes, in which a testicle gets knocked out of the scrotum altogether, potentially winding up anywhere from up by your hips to partway down your thigh. Motorcycle accidents are good for this type of injury too, collision with the gas tank or handlebars commonly being the culprit.

There have been rumored cases where a person squeezed an attacker's testicles until he went into shock. I can't speak 100% on this but I will say owning a pair myself and despite their being forged from carbon steel, getting hit or squeezed with sufficient force will be enough to take me out.

EYES SDTS Module 3 and Module 4

Attacking the eyes will cause anything from excessive tearing and temporary blindness to shock and nausea. Shock is the main component that causes death due to eye removal.

Shock is basically the body shutting down and not delivering blood to organs. Most defensive tactics use shock to incapacitate a target. After all, there are only so many ways people die other than old age, hypothermia, starvation and disease. Shock, loss of blood, loss of air, internal bleeding our swelling, disruption of the hypothalamus (The part of the brain that lies below the thalamus, forming the major portion of the ventral region of the diencephalon, and that regulates bodily temperature, certain metabolic processes, and other autonomic activities.)

Where is the hypothalamus located?

Incidentally, look how far you need to travel into the brain to pus someone's lights out.

Train Honestly,

Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Field Testing the Ugly Red Dummy

2011-09-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

At the Self Defense Company Intensive Training Summit this past summer we took the opportunity to break out the Ugly Red Dummy prototype so the team could have a go at it. As you will see in the video, they had a blast kicking, stomping, strangling and basically being ill mannered to out hideous, crimson friend. Featured in the video are SDC Instructors Reuben Bean, Joe Landry, Damian Ross, Kevin Winters and SDTS Legion Member Lauren Mendenhall

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Position of Advantage

2011-09-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Title and inspiration courtesy of Ed, my longtime friend, local detective and SDC Guardian Instructor.
Every few weeks Ed sends me a video with a question "What do you think?" or something to that effect. There's something you should know about Ed, he's a seasoned cop, very intelligent and obsessed with training and educating himself. He literally spends hours and hours watching video of police in use of force scenarios. Ed is the defensive tactics instructor for his department and the county as well. Ed gave me the "Position of Advantage" title.

This is the video Ed sent me this week, with the ever popular "What do you think?"

Whenever I look at something I look at it with the thought of "what I'm seeing will be useful to me and it must have some value." After all, the people taking the time to do it must feel there is something here. By assuming that mindset it allows me to go in with an open mind, which is damn near impossible.

Most people look at things technically, like how a technique is performed or what it's called. There are dozens of names for the same techniques, to argue over what something is called is ridiculous. To evaluate something you need to look at it TACTICALLY not technically.

Technical refers to the specific moves or techniques. Tactics refer to the bigger picture, the situation that surrounds the particular event you are watching.
In this case we are looking at a solution to a potential problem. The problem is this, "What if you tell a subject to take his hands out of his pockets and he pulls a weapon, in this case, a handgun?" This is an obvious problem, he draws a weapon and you're left there with your hands on your "wedding tackle." You're up shit's creek without a paddle or even a canoe.

Note: in this scenario this is not a subject you are arresting, this is a person of interest. Maybe you're responding to a call about people loitering, maybe you're breaking up a fight. The main point is, you don't know if the subject is dangerous or not or if the subject is the reason for the complaint. All you are doing is talking to the subject.

This problem is an obvious and real issue. Though it doesn't happen with every contact with the public, the video suggests that it may happen in one in one thousand, who knows if that's accurate, but lets work with that number. So 1 time you will be correct in assuming that the subject is armed and 999 times the person is unarmed.

The expert offers a seemingly viable solution that completely solves the problem. The person is controlled and brought to the ground and the good guys win the day. Now this works if the person is armed. So 1 out of 1000 times you will be completely justified in using force on the subject and tossing said subject to the ground.

What about the other 999 times?

You are using physical force on an unarmed subject. Now I don't know about you but I carry my car keys, wallet and cell phone in those pockets. You might think a gun and a cell phone are very different, but under stress when you put your hand on something that might feel like a weapon you're going to act first and ask questions later. Try explaining why you just dumped unarmed John Q. Citizen on his head...999 times.

Now consider this, if the subject had murderous intent, do you think he would let you assume a position behind him? I'm sure if it was "kill a cop" day, he would give some sort of resistance.

Ed brings up the point of "Position of Advantage". You should always stay behind cover when ever possible. Sitting behind your car door and telling the subject to take his hands out of his pockets is a hell of a lot easier (and safer) than coming up behind him and playing grab-ass. As Ed says "if you're approaching a guy and his hands are hidden, stay behind cover until he removes them. If he takes them out and puts them back in suddenly while you approach, that gives a pretty big hint to his intentions."

From a liability stand point, when you start putting your hands on John Q. Public for no apparent reason, he's going to get pissed off. Sure he shouldn't have hesitated but when you tell your average citizen to take his hands out of his pockets, they will probably freeze because they're scared. Once you start becoming physical with them for no apparent reason, even the most law abiding citizen is going to be upset. But if you keep your distance, draw your weapon, demand a show of hands and they shit themselves, they'll have a funny story to tell their friends and less likely to sue the cop who bullied them because they were frightened.

When you deal with use of force, it's an all or nothing proposition. You're either arresting him, or you're not. You either completely dominate your subject or you don't engage. There is no need to "create" an unnecessary use off force situation, it's reckless at best. Use the tools that have been issued to you.

To learn more about the Guardian Program Visit www.legaluseofforce.com

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

I Train with Mother Nature

2011-09-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

I just received a blog update(yes I do subscribe to a number of mail lists) titled "Israeli Gun Disarm Secrets" That is the title the post has all the trappings a catchy headline needs. "ISRAELI" has been a buzz word ever since the Mossad emerged as a force to be reckoned with after the 1972 Olympics. They wrote the book on counter terrorism and protection tactics. I have had the opportunity to meet some of these people in seminars in the early 90's and they were most impressive. Unfortunately counter terrorism has nothing to do with personal self defense. It has everything to do with gathering intelligence, technology, weaponry and tactical planning. If you are using your hand to hand combat in a counter terrorist situation a lot has gone wrong. There are only 24 hours in the day. Most of your training is intelligence gathering, small arms and other technical devices. Hand to hand is a part of it, but a very small part of it. The Israeli moniker is a marketing buzz word. Because underneath, it's just the same old martial arts myths and misconceptions.

I just use this article as a jump off point, the same can be said for the vast majority of self defense, not just what is being promoted as Israeli Elite Commando. Let's put it this way, I have seen a lot of things. I know, I'm only one man and one life. I have only met a handful of people on the right track. A lot of them "talk" the same language, but their actions turn into the same old stuff. They may execute it harder, or faster, but it's still based on the wrong principles.

The mistake lies in the way we think. We all have a tendency to Monday Morning Quarter Back our lives. It's easy to watch a professional fight and yell at the screen "Why isn't he just punching him." But unless you're in there, you don't know what's going on inside his head. Martial arts look at self defense and project REASONING into it. You look at a situation "logically" and come up with a solution. This may work in practice, but under real world conditions, reasoning is non-existent.

Fighting and pain evoke emotional reactions, not intellectual responses. When you take yourself outside the emotion and you THINK about a self defense situation you will come up with response based on reason. This is natural, this is how we all think. Heck, we all can give the best advice in the world, but when it comes to our own lives, that's a different story. That's because you act on emotion and feel, not reason.

Your body is engineered to react emotionally to danger and physical stress. This is actually a good thing when you learn how to channel the adrenalin rush. Training to make your body REASON and go against instinct is an exercise in futility. You can't go fight mother nature. You must accept the fact that you will react a certain way and prepare for that reality.

This is what happens to you when you are under stress.

From the book "On Combat" by Grossman

"An understanding of the stress of close combat begins with an understanding of the physiological response to close-range interpersonal aggression. The traditional view of combat stress is most often associated with combat fatigue and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which are actually manifestations that occur after, and as a result of, combat stress. Bruce Siddle has defined combat stress as the perception of an imminent threat of serious personal injury or death, or the stress of being tasked with the responsibility to protect another party from imminent serious injury or death, under conditions where response time is minimal.

The debilitating effects of combat stress have been recognized for centuries. Phenomenon such as tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, the loss of fine and complex motor control, irrational behavior, and the inability to think clearly have all been observed as byproducts of combat stress. Even though these phenomena have been observed and documented for hundreds of years, very little research has been conducted to understand why combat stress deteriorates performance.

The key characteristic which distinguishes combat stress is the activation of the SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System). The SNS is activated when the brain perceives a threat to survival, resulting in a immediate discharge of stress hormones. This "mass discharge" is designed to prepare the body for fight-or-flight. The response is characterized by increasing arterial pressure and blood flow to large muscle mass (resulting in increased strength capabilities and enhanced gross motor skills--such as running from or charging into an opponent), vasoconstriction of minor blood vessels at the end of appendages (which serves to reduce bleeding from wounds), pupil dilation, cessation of digestive processes, and muscle tremors. Figure 2(below) presents a schematic representation of the effects of hormone induced heart rate increase resulting from SNS activation. "

That being said, let's review what will happen to you with the "Fit hits the shan."

1. Tunnel Vision
2. Auditory Exclusion
3. Loss of fine and complex motor control
4. Irrational behavior
5. The inability to think clearly

You will however have increased strength and the capability to run away or charge your target.

Now marinate with that for a few moments. Think of all the gun disarm techniques, all the "weapon control" techniques. All the complicated trapping and subtle movements you've been training for decades. I'm not going to tell you they are a waste of time (BUT THEY ARE). Physically, it will be impossible to execute them. Being tired is different than being stressed under combat. This effect happens when hormones hit your blood stream and that only happens when you feel your life is truly in danger.

I'm sure somebody has heard of someone doing something at some point in time that resembled a complicated disarm. Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day. I'm not going to hang my life on something I heard some guy did somewhere. I'm going to depend on what I know is fact. You can convince yourself into thinking (reasoning) that you will be able to remove millions of years of evolution in a few short years of practice OR you can embrace what the good lord gave you and train in a manner that takes advantage of what your body is designed to do.

Things like "gun disarms" are a fantasy. All of the "disarms" I have ever seen involve two things 1. diverting your attention away from your attacker towards the weapon for an extended period of time (more than a second) and 2. Complex motor skill movements that will be beyond your capability when your SNS takes over. You know what happens to complex movements when you try to process them when your SNS takes over. They turn into gross motor movements and look like twitched and convulsions. You may just manage to put your hand on the weapon and then you will stop. The best disarm is when the guy pointing his gun at you is knocked the f#ck out. Then you can bend down and pick up the gun.

Why is it that the more dangerous the situation, the more complicated the technique?
This is funny, or tragic, that martial arts and self defense experts teach more complex techniques for weapons defense and less complex techniques for unarmed defense. Sure the SDTS teaches you THE SAME TECHNIQUES for both and I know, it's too easy (Sorry for not wasting your time). The right answers MUST be complicated and difficult (being sarcastic here).

The first thing you learn in the SDTS is that if your faced with a gun or any other weapon at a distance is to escape. Even with firearms, the FBI and the Department of justice show that in situations where a firearm was present less than 20% of the victims were shot at. Less than 2% of those people were actually hit and 0% were seriously injured or killed. That's right, there is a 100% chance you will live when you run .

NOTE: Pepper spray or a "substitute" can work wonders against a knife or club attack from a distance! On the other hand, pointing pepper spray at someone who has a gun trained on you might be a big mistake.

But, when walking away is not an option, you will need to do a two things:

1. React in a manner you that you are capable. SIMPLE, GROSS MOTOR MOVEMENTS
2. Get out of immediate danger and inflict as much damage to your target in the shortest amount of time.

Gun disarm, sure when you gingerly pluck it out of his unconscious hand. Complex movements and Hollywood disarms look cool and are fun, but in reality you are NOT going to pull them off, your engineering simply won't let you.

NEVER die in training.
You will be surprised on what your body can endure. Google "knife wound" or "gunshot survivor." Gruesome, I know, but the people survived. Hey, I'm the first person who doesn't want to get shot or stabbed and my doctor has recommended I avoid this as much as possible. But you have to understand that people with out any training at all who attacked their assailant first sustained minimal damage.

Using paint guns, markers, chalk knives and shock knives are good but you must train with them correctly. Getting touch with a shock knife might mean you've been cut, but it doesn't mean you're dead. What ever you do, train to fight HARDER after that happens and DON'T STOP! It's not a game of tag, train to fight through the pain. Train know that these things will happen. DON'T assume you will be able to walk away without a scratch, that's just plain silly.

Work within the parameters of your engineering and stop trying to fight mother nature. Instead, use what she has given you to your advantage, embrace her, take her out, she's quite the MILF.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Miyagi vs. Kreese Who Wins in the Street?

2011-09-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's been 24 years since these two squared off on screen in Karate Kid II where Cobra Kai Instructor John Kreese was left with bloody knuckles and broken dreams. On screen the ill-mannered Kreese was toyed with by the fly-catching, chopstick wielding Kesuke Miyagi. But if these two characters were to face off in the street, who would really win?

For our answer, let's go to the Tale of the Tape:

Age: John Kreese is 35, Miyagi is 52, the Edge goes to Kreese.

Occupation: Kreese is a karate instructor who trains bullies and future date rapists, Miyagi fixes toilets, bikes and trims little trees. Edge goes to Kreese.

Military Background: Kreese was Special forces in Vietnam, Miyagi was infantry in Vietnam. Edge goes to Kreese.

Real world experience: Kreese flushed rat holes in Vietnam, VC ear necklaces and kicks puppies in his pare time. Miyagi killed many Germans and kicked fisherman ass. Edge goes to Kreese.

Style: Kreese teaches American Karate, Miyagi Gojo-ryu Karate. Edge, Miyagi.

Training: Kreese was trained by some ill mannered karate instructors and the US Government. Miyagi, his dad. Edge, Kreese.

It's a cruel, cruel summer for Miyagi-san with a 5 to 1 ass whopping loss to the evil dojo master! In the real world, John Kreese would have swept the leg and beat his drum technique to death. In the end, the aging Miyagi was no much to the Spec Ops sociopath. Sorry Daniel-san, you're really going to need that body bag.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Fighting Naked Sucks

2011-09-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Gi(uniform) vs No Gi debate regarding self defense is ridiculous. Yet some people seem to think that training without a gi is some how more realistic than training in a uniform. Here's a news flash, training without a gi is not more realistic, its just easier.

The reason why they don't wear gi's in MMA is because the uniform adds a whole new level of techniques that take years to master. A uniform opens the door to a multitude of submissions and take downs, that number well into the thousands.

On the other hand In a no gi vs gi fight, the clear advantage goes to the man without the gi since the uniform provides handles and levers that enable you to manipulate your opponent a lot easier. It's like going into a fight with a noose dangling from your neck. It was only a mater of time since the fighters in the UFC ditched the uniform, it just made sense. On a personal note, I always thought Royce Gracie had brass balls going into the ring wearing a uniform against no gi opponents.

The notion that no gi is more real is ludicrous. The vast number of confrontations occur where you spend the majority of your time: where you live an work. Unless you live in a nudist colony or have an extremely liberal employer, you're clothed and wearing shoes the majority of the time. It makes sense that this is how your should spend the majority of your self training.

Now I know some chucklehead will say "What happens if you get into a fight at the beach?" I know there's a slim chance that I might get caught in my birthday suit, (Let's not get into the details, but fighting naked isn't fun or funny, it's awkward at best(I have no idea how the Greeks did it - OK, maybe I do...) and how I know this is a whole other subject on a completely different blog.

Moving forward, if you do get into a no gi situation and you will be able to adapt a lot easier if your primary method of self defense is not grappling and does not depend exclusively on the uniform. In other words, striking translates beautifully to no gi. It doesn't matter what he's wearing, he'll get knocked the F#$% out just the same. Remember, grappling skills are secondary or back up forms of self defense. They're terribly inefficient when compared to striking. They take more skill and more physical conditioning to become proficient. Let's face it, it takes a lot less time to knock someone out with a punch than it does with a strangle.

If you do train in a uniform, its a lot easier to transition from gi to no gi than from no gi to gi. In fact a lot of fighters who've never trained in a uniform tend to avoid starting because it's a very different game and against an opponent who has gi experience they'll have their hands full.

At the end of the day, you prepare for your purpose. If you're training MMA, by all means, train no gi, if you're preparing for Judo, BJJ or Sambo the opposite is true and if you're training for self defense, prepare for the most likely scenario. Don't fall for the no gi is more realistic line. It's not more real, it's just easier.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Karate for Defense Only

2011-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

"Karate for defense only" I can still hear Mr. Miyagi delivering that age old piece of advice to Daniel-san. Those meaningful words resonated in my head still to this day. This notion of "karate for defense" and then martial arts for defense only has transcended time. Even the term "self defense" conjures up this image of "never throwing the first punch."

And there it is, the almighty "NEVER THROW THE FIRST PUNCH". This is what fathers have been telling their kids for centuries. "Never throw the first punch, son." In the right context, this is good advice. When my son (or daughter) has a problem in school with one of their classmates and it gets physical, I tell them if they push you, push back. If they hit you, hit back until they stop. This works among friends and classmates. But it does not work in the real world against older people who aren't your friends or people that you have to deal with on a daily basis. It sure as hell doesn't work as an adult, especially when that adult is someone you don't know.

Given our mantra of "never throw the first punch" and karate's "for defense only" it is easy to see how the idea of waiting for the other person to throw the first punch in self defense situations has evolved and how it has continued to hang around in every dojo across the country.

So what's with the notion of "Karate for defense only"?

Karate or any form of self defense should be for defense only. The issue is where self defense starts. The general idea that self defense starts when it manifests itself in a physical act is wrong. Self defense begins in your mind. The moment you perceive a threat, that's when it starts. By the time the contact turns physical, it's tactically too late to launch a plan. If you do manage to counter attack an initial assault, consider yourself lucky because the the overwhelming people who win* a fight are the ones who escalates it the fastest.

Miyamoto Musashi is the sword saint of Japan. As a preteen he was already winning duals. Most people make the same assumption about sword fights that they did with showdowns at high noon. Two fighters meet at a predetermined time and place to face each other with honor. As we now know, this happened only a handful of times in the old west and the same is true for feudal Japan, it just didn't happen. Musashi was notorious for ambushing his opponents, or making them wait and completely pissing them off. His quote "It's most regrettable to die with your sword still in your sheath" tells a lot about his view of fighting for your life. As soon as the decision to attack is made you attack. The longer you wait, the less your chances of success. The longer you wait, the more you give the other guy a chance to attack.

A great quote from the Unforgiven (Paul credit)
Little Bill Daggett: You just shot an unarmed man.
Bill Munny: He should have armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.

"Karate for self defense" is about a mind set, not a tactic. You should not actively seek to start fights or attack people who are innocent. It means you should live a good and moral life. Be the good guy. Be the guy (I can't include "girl every time I write "guy" so just go with it)who saves the day NOT the guy that causes trouble. Use your knowledge and skill to make the world a safer place, not a more dangerous one. That's what "Karate for self defense only" is all about.

**WIN I can hear you now "there are no winners in a street fight". While this may be true from a social perspective, to me there are CLEAR winners and LOSERS in a fight. The loser is the one one the ground. The winner is the one with the sore hand.

Just like that perception of never waiting to throw the first punch, things are not always what they seem. Mr. Miyagi was an actor playing a role written by some guy who wanted to create a story. This is the reality of Mr. Miyagi, who looks like a lot more fun than the karate instructor.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Keep it Simple: Innovation Through Method not Technique

2011-08-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.” - Henry David Thoreau

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” - Leonardo daVinci

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” - Albert Einstein

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein

“The simplest things are often the truest.” Richard Bach

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” Frederick Chopin

Every great martial artist, defensive tactics instructor or coach I have ever known were masters at simplification. Yet martial artists and people in general always seek to complicate things. They over analyze and extrapolate dozens, if not hundreds of possibilities for any specific situation. Now it seems that I tend to "beat up" martial artists, but the same holds true for any form of education because it's human nature to do this, it's just that martial arts fall into the realm of what I do.

There is a need to over teach, over explain and a need to ADD technique instead of subtracting. With instruction people get bored. They feel that if they can remember the technique in class and repeat it that they actually KNOW IT. This is bullshit.
I have thrown tens of thousands of edge of hand, chin jabs, reverse punches, single leg take downs, double leg take downs and the list goes on and on. While technically the techniques have changed, they have all evolved over time. My edge of hand 20 years ago may resemble the one that I do know, but the velocity and brutality in which I deliver it has changed. The single leg take down I learned in first grade was not the one I did in college.

Any good instructor feels they need to keep the class engaged and stimulated. Adding new technique is the easiest way to keep students interested. The learning curve is reset and they are not bored. But adding new technique is like giving your kids cookies when they're hungry. Sure it shuts them up and you know they will eat it, but in the end it's not good for them. What you need to do is feed them their meat and vegetables. The only way to get them to eat what's good for them is to present it in a different manner. You need to do the same thing for your students.

Techniques and tactics of hand to hand combat WILL NEVER CHANGE. The only thing that changes is technology. We know what techniques work and there is nothing new under the sun. Since Cane crushed Abel with a rock, man on man combat will always be just that. REAL innovation is in HOW you train, not WHAT you train.

Good instructors, excuse me, GREAT instructors will innovate in the drills that they use to educate their students. When you force students to adapt their skills to new and different situations those skills become ingrained and instinctive. This is what you need to accomplish: give people a proven set of skills that they can apply to any situation. The less skills the better. In the SDTS we have a lot of technique. I personally use only about six. But my six might be different than your six so in a universal program you need to allow students to explore and grow. But the six techniques always consist of three that everybody does and three that are unique to them based on past experience and aptitude.

Innovate your training. I watched SDC Instructors Reuben Bean and Joe Landry do SDTS entry drills that I never even thought of! They broke a combination down even FURTHER! It was awesome.

It's easy to give techniques. There are millions of them out there and most of them are inefficient or completely impossible to perform in a life and death situation. But they are abundant and there are thousands upon thousands of videos to purchase and its easy to collect technique and impress a great deal of people. But that's doing them a disservice.

Imagine a football coach who showed up every week with a new set of plays and completely new offense and defense. How well do you think that team is going to perform, not very good. A good coach prepares his team by adapting what they already do to their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. They train to adapt, just as you should do, just as you NEED to do.

Don't add, subtract. Always seek to simplify. Innovate in the way you train and don't be afraid to experiment. I have had a massive amount of failures to create one thing that works. But even in the innovation process there is learning.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Get your "Bug Out Bag"

2011-08-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the Northeast is going to get hit with the worst storm in 50 years. The good sense in me tells me that the emergency response people will do an outstanding job and no matter what happens, things will return to normal. But the survivalist in me won't let me go without some type of preparation.

People panic. Yesterday on Long Beach Island, NJ I watch people ransack the grocery stores, gas stations and banks. While all of this is good, it was the panic and manner in which they did this. Understand that our determination to survive turns us into extremely selfish people. Desperate people will stop at nothing, no matter who gets hurt. In a pinch if you have something that they think will enable them to survive, they will take it with little or no regard for you and your family. I wish it were different, but that's just the way it is.

Your house should be stocked and prepared accordingly, but it's good to have something prepared in case you need to exit your home in a hurry. Now in this case I'm not thinking about Armageddon. I'm really more concerned with power outage for 2 to 5 days in the New York City area. I'm going to be concerned with food, water, shelter and transportation to an area that has power if need be. I'm also very concerned about looters and home invasion. Areas without power have no way to contact the police. Plus the police and national guard will have their hands full. In my "Bug Out Bag" I have a few things that are broken down into a few categories:

Protection
Intelligence/Communication
Utility
Sustenance
Currency
Clothing
Transportation

Prepare for the mission.

I know I'm not going to be in the arctic or away for several weeks, so it's good to be realistic about the situation. There is no need to pack a tent when I can drive a few hours to a place that has power, water and a four star hotel.

Protection:
Everything must be concealable. no sense to alarm anyone in this case since this is not the end of the world. I want to be able to move about without drawing attention to myself.
Concealable firearm
Concealable edged weapons
Assorted small impact weapons
Assorted concealable weapons
Heavy Duty door stop*
*The door stop is extremely important and I take one were ever I go. It is the best way to make sure a door stays shut. Wedge one of those suckers into the base of a door and it is going to be very difficult to open without a battering ram. This way if someone even had the key to your hotel room, they're not getting it.

Intelligence/Communication
Computer and back up hard drives with solar recharger
Cellular antenna
Radio or Radio App on phone
Solar charger for phone
NOTE: They do have multimedia solar chargers
Identification/passport

Utility
Lighters
Hammer
Flashlight/lanterns
Tooth Brush/toiletries
First Aide Kit

Sustenance
Power bars/ granola bars
No need to go crazy here since we can get out of the affected area relatively quickly.

Currency
Credit Cards
Cash (small bills- some people might not be able to make change)
Jewelry (if you don't have a safe deposit box, better take the stuff someone may want to take)

Remember, if you're forced to leave your home, leave little for the looters. All hard drives and valuable should go with you.

Clothing

When you dress like a commando people either think you're nuts or won't take you seriously. You want to dress comfortably and tactically in clothes that enable you to conceal, move and blend. Try to dress a little younger, but in nondescript clothes. Khaki pants will enable you to move, sweat and conceal while BDU's will be a call out. Combat boots are ok, but running shoes are better. You will be able to move and stay on your feet a long time but not draw attention to yourself. Black sweatshirt hoodie is great because it can provide concealment. Try to resist putting on the Ed Hardy...just because you shouldn't...ever.

Transportation

Gassed up and packed. You should own a 4X4. You should have this thing in good running order and you should have a few extra gallons of gas. Besides milk, bread, water, batteries and eggs, gas is the number one item to run out. So give yourself a every advantage by getting topped of and having a little extra just in case.

I'm a realist and if a little extra effort gives me a little bit of sanity, so be it. Plus, when you put these things together and prepare, your mind becomes prepared and you have a plan.

Do I think the masses will come down my street looking to steal my canned goods, NO. But do I think we may be out of power for several days YES. Do I think people may take advantage of the power outage...HELL YES. Do I think I may be in a situation where I will need to operate at a different location? YES. Do I feel that in my absence my house will get burglarized by people who know my home is without an alarm and unoccupied? Definitely.

I know there are a whole host of generators and crank radios that I can be talking about here, but we don't need to do that for this situation. Believe me, the first sign of Armageddon I will be bolting a 50 cal to the back of my jeep and me, my family and my "BIG Bug out bag" will be heading for the hills.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Humbled and Honored

2011-08-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

In a word the 2011 summit was amazing. The most incredible part, the aspect I remember most wasn’t the training or even the evening events, it was the people. I never thought I would miss the 15 hour days, but as I sit here and reflect on this past week, I find myself missing the people who attended.
Those four days allowed me to reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones. We trained hard during the day and laughed the entire time doing it. At night we got out of our defensive tactics mindset and let our hair down…well some of us. We crammed into Go Karts, shot each other with lasers, shot little clay pigeons and climbed the walls. It was a blast and I was fortunate to spend time with some fantastic people and I am honored they took the time out of their busy lives to spend time with me and The Self Defense Company.
Needless to say we learned a lot about each other during those intense 60 hours. Some of those little gems of wisdom are listed below.

The 21 things we learned at the 2011 Self Defense Company Training Summit:
1. If your eye is still connected when it pops out, you will immediately
throw up due to the change in perspective
2. When mugging, chose a revolver
3. When being mugged hope for a semi-auto
4. Ex-wives are expensive
5. The desert sucks
6. It’s better to fold than to scrunch
7. Smell your fingers before you lick them
8. Stay at the resort
9. Never write a list of 70 questions at 3:30am
10. All it takes is a little tequila to transition from paleontologist to chef
11. Best advice I ever gave myself : “Never sacrifice integrity”
12. Favorite sound: Silence
13. A belly flop off a 15 foot high dive will give you a welt and bragging rights for life
14. How not to pay taxes…ever
15. Have your papers in Panama
16. A pickup truck is not a car
17. There is a shortage of stop signs in the greater Kitchner, Ontario area
18. Being mauled by a bear is far better than being attacked by bees
19. There’s nothing like Wallmart after 2:00am
20. You don’t need a license to rent a shot gun in New Jersey…but you do need it to drive a Go Kart
21. Sylvester Stallone is a thespian genius
One group, united
Everybody trained together. I mean this literally. I only had to instruct the group to change partners once during the entire four days. After that, everyone just worked with everyone else. I’ve never seen anything like it. Usually you get a few groups working together and they stay with each other from beginning to end. Not this group. Every time I turned I saw new people wanting to work together. It got to the point that people were seeking people they haven’t worked with before. It was truly incredible. This spirit elevated the attitude in the room and sent the energy level through the roof. It was like when you walked in, you just got in a better mood, even though the subject matter was brutal.

It’s just that simple!

Even though the group came from every walk of life from IT professionals, retired Navy Seals to Oil Rig Workers, they all had one thing in common…they understand the concept behind the SDTS (Self Defense Training System). They see the beauty in its simplicity, they understand the tactics of this principle driven system. Every time we went to a new technique I could just hear Dennis “It’s just that simple!” They all GOT it and it that alone made it all worthwhile to me. I don’t ever want someone indebted to me or any other SDC Instructor. I want them empowered. I want them to be able to perform better than me in a shorter amount of time.

I see the future and it looks fantastic

I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen six months, a year, five years from now. The next generation of SDC Experts is driven, skilled and intelligent. They will bring the SDC to new heights and I can’t wait. A legacy is being created and it’s exceeding my expectations.

Angela- Thank you for putting all of the events, transportation, meals, photo and video together, you are the reason I am able to function in the world. We have been through so much and the years of sacrifice are beginning to show returns. Great things come to those who deserve it (and do something about it).
Michael- Thank you my friend, it’s been 5 years already and we are now seeing the fruits of our labor. You are indispensible; you pick up where I leave off. Your ability to organize and articulate continues to amaze me.
Darren- Thank you for choosing to stick your flag in the SDC, your wisdom guidance and vision are truly an asset. More great things to come.
Joe- You’re like the younger brother I never had. It’s been seven years since we first met. Your drive, dedication and skill continue to amaze me. I’ve watch you start as a reserved quiet person and grow into a reserved, quite person who know what they are talking about! Thank you for staying with me.
Reuben- I think of you and I smile. My heart fills with pride and joy when I’m in your presence. Your skill is only exceeded by your heart and compassion. I love what you do with the SDTS. In your hands it turns into a buzz saw. Yes, I am getting to your island this year.
Pete- What can I say, you were the one who sparked the start of this some thirteen years ago. Thank you for everything.
Lauren- Thank you for saying “WTF” and taking some much needed days off and spend time with us. I hope this is the first of many times training and hanging out together. The only thing that exceeds your whit and ego is your work ethic. I don’t recall you ever resting. Reminds me of someone else I know…
Scott- When you look up the term “Good Old Boy” there’s your picture. I know you are going to continue to grow in the coming months and I am excited to see what happens down in NOLA. Plus I’m coming to see you, just give me an excuse. Rocky, huh, whoda thunkit?
Dawn- Thanks for letting Scott come. 
Jenna- We’ll our girl is growing up! You went from newbie to ass kicker in 4 days! Enjoy the bruises; I hope to see more from training (hopefully more on Scott and less on you). I can’t tell you how critical it is that women receive this training. Next year bring more friends. “Man Camp” needs more women!
Charles- Thank you sir for sharing your time with us, you were insightful and a great pleasure to train with. When I see people like you coming to the SDC I know we’re doing something right.
Chris- Thanks for making the trip from the great white north. Keep practicing (on your skeet) for next year. Damn shame we stopped when we did, you were just hitting your stride.
Maanab- You arrived late but within a few hours you fit in with the group like you were there the whole time. I look forward to your further involvement with the SDC.
George- OK, your memory is a little scary. During certs you managed to repeat my phrasing word for word. Vertigo or phobia, I was damn impressed that you climbed that wall…twice.
Dwayne- I still can’t believe you were on the mail list since 2003! That’s incredible. Well, it’s a good thing since we finally had the chance to meet. Thanks for understanding and having the vision to see where martial arts and self defense CAN coexist.
Ken- Great to meet you. You were another person who trained with intensity and I don’t think you took a break…ever! I’m just glad you got your tire fixed. Who knows, I may be in Lincoln Park before you know it.
Dave- If we continue to attract people such as you with the experience, professionalism and expertise you possess, we are limitless. It was a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to spending more time together in the near future.
Dennis- what can I say, you’re a rock star and it is an honor and a privilege to have you on board.
Lawrence- Who knew that you wanted to meet Gandhi to ask him how on earth he could turn the other cheek? I didn’t hear much from you, but you sure made yourself known in training. Thank you for coming and I look forward to next year.
Larry- It was awesome to see you again. Sorry we had to cut it short. Next year we will have a rematch on the Go Karts. Thank you for making the long drive.
Emanuel- I know it’s tough to keep Darren in line, but I have faith in you. Thank you for taking time from your business and detective work to train with us. Given your work ethic and attitude I can’t wait to see what you’re like next year.
Jason- Anyone who takes the belly flop dare “just cause” has that certain something that we look for. I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship with the SDC. Thank you for taking vacation time to come train with us.
Kevin- Hey ZeroCool, you are the next gen of SDC Instructor. If we continue to attract people like you (which are clearly few and far between), then there is nothing we can do. After 5 minutes I realized you are an asset. Thank you for making the SDC a part of your life.

We are already crafting an even more amazing 2012 so stay tuned.

Thank you all for making my year.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Day 1 Training Summit 2011 is in the books- Damian Ross

2011-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

The first day of the 2011 training summit is in the books and I have to say, it's been truly amazing. Sure we put in a 10 hour day of training, certification and education and there was no shortage of sweat and hard work. It was just bigger than that.

The in the few short years of it's existence, the Self Defense Company is starting to mature. The next generation of instructors is now starting to emerge. People like Kevin Winters who is one such instructor who embodies the new wave of SDC Instructor who is humble, intelligent, tough and extremely motivated. He trained side by side with our "old school" SDC Instructors Darren Poesel, Joe Landry and Reuben Bean. In a nutshell, I like where the SDC has been and I like where it's going even better! When we attract people like former Navy Seal Dennis Doroczy I know we're on the right path.

Now for the top 10 things I learned about our members I didn't expect...

1. I fell 45 feet off an oil rig onto land and didn't get hurt

2. I trained over 500 attack dogs

3. I opened my chute too late

4. I became a detective when my daughter turned 15

5. I have no musical talent or ability whatsoever

6. I almost killed my wife in a triathlon

7. I appeared in a Steak and Shake commercial

8. I was kicked out of one of the best schools in the country
9. I have been bitten by the only two deadly spiders in North America
10. I put 3 siblings through college by "questionable" means

This was a great day, now off to Laser Tag and Go Carts

PS. To see the pics on live go see the album on our Facebook Page

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

I Can't Wait for Wednesday

2011-08-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday is when the 2011 Intensive Training Camp for The Self Defense Company begins. I get to spend four days and nights with SDC Instructors and SDTS Legion Training Members from all over the world. I can't tell you how stoked I am to see some old friends and make some new ones. As the company expands and our corp instructor staff grows it's still amazing to see people still involved and instructing from over 5 years ago.

I really enjoy the seminars because they enable me to do what I like best, teach, train and interact with others on a technical and tactical level. Since the business took off, I haven't been able to instruct on a regular basis. It's unfortunate, but it's the nature of the beast. The idea of teaching on a daily basis is a huge misconception of every instructor and business owner.

You start teaching martial arts and self defense because you want to do something you love. You think that you will be able to teach and the business end will "be taken care of". Unfortunately if you want to grow your business, you need to focus on just that. There's a saying, work on your business, not in your business.
Your business is like a huge ocean liner, the teaching day to day is the engine that drives the business. While instruction is essential for your business to run, someone has got to steer the ship. If you're a business owner, you're the captain. It's you and only you, you cannot afford to have anyone else in charge.

From the beginning we teach our instructors to think like this. Hey, I'm sure you want to be teaching all of your classes and your clients want you to teach them all the time because YOU are their favorite. But what happens when you're sick, injured or heck, just want to go on vacation? Believe me, if your clientele had an adequate substitute, they would be just as happy.

Your business is more important than you. If you are going to survive and truly build something spectacular, than you must understand this.

I think this is the most important lesson that we teach to our instructors. In the beginning, you will be teaching the classes yourself and you can do that and be successful for the short term. You will have your exclusive list of clients and you work with that group on a weekly to monthly basis. You can do great at this. My sister is a pilates instructor for the last 20 years (google "kathi ross-nash pilates" if you think I'm a big deal in self defense, wait till you get a load of her!)

But to really become wealthy and successful you need to "replicate" yourself.

That means training and qualifying others to do your job, hopefully better than you do. In order to do that you need a few things, first and fore most are instructors.
In order to develop the right instructor you need the right systems to train and certify your instructors in a timely manner. Second you need to compensate them which means giving up a piece of the pie in order to do that. Finally you need to check your ego at the door. If you are going to have quality instructors that instill confidence in the people they teach, they are going to have STRONG personalities. Which is a tough pill for a lot of martial arts instructors to swallow. Martial artists tend to get sucked into that whole "I made you, you owe me" mentality. This attitude is like a cancer that has literally crippled the martial arts industry. If you are a good instructor and more important a good businessman or woman you will need to have an organization that develops and recognizes talent.

One of the biggest fears business owners and martial artists have is that a good instructor may go open another studio some place else. Well, nothing will guarantee that from happening in ANY business. You can have all of the non-compete contracts you want, but if you don't have the tens of thousands to enforce that contract, it's no better than the paper it's printed on. But, if you have a brand name with a set of systems in place along with support, you are more protected than you think. Your business isn't just the instruction or the end product, it's everything that goes into making that product. It's like restaurants and great chefs. The chef will move, but if the restauranteur knows what he's doing, it will be business as usual.

Anyway, this week is when I get to see the new talent. The people coming to the training summit are the "feet on the street" and the true advocates of the Self Defense Training System and I can't wait to spend time with them.

Every year we will "one up" ourselves over the previous year. This year we added evening activities and Instructor Certifications. Already for next year we're looking at a local university for lodging and meals so it can be the absolute easiest and most cost effective for everyone involved.

Now, I'm just waiting for Mike Archangel to arrive, no doubt he will have a list of last minute "ideas" conjured up during his drive from Pittsburgh.

If you're not coming to the summit, we are filming it for an October release!

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

The Most Important Close Combat Lesson You Will Ever Learn

2011-08-09T04:04:00.000-07:00

Once engaged with the enemy, close the distance. Don't spar, don't feint, don't fake, JUST GO!!!!

As you close the distance you take what's given to you. You start with strikes. Strikes are the fastest and most efficient way to end the contact (fight). You can knock someone out a hell of a lot faster with a strike than a submission. If you don't sufficiently injure or incapacitate your target with strike you immediately go to gouges, tears and hooks. Use these to create openings in order to either end the fight or create an opening to strike. Grappling and submission techniques are literally last on the list because they require skill, finite motor skills and take longer to get into position and apply. You may find (as in SDTS Module 3) that you can use a combination of gouges, strikes and submissions if trained in the right manner with the correct intent. But, it's always better to strike first...and ask questions later.

Always take ground. This is extremely important. You need to be where the enemy is standing the entire time. Always move forward and into your target. This is imperative for two reasons. One, moving directly into your target while you're delivering a barrage of attacks is the most efficient, most effective way to deliver the most amount of damage on target. It will ensure that all of your body weight and power are behind your technique. The second reason is that it keeps your target off balance. A retreating, off balance target can not mount a good offensive. Sure, there are last ditch efforts in some spinning techniques, but if you are attacking correctly as seen in Module 1 of the SDTS your target will not have a chance. This holds true in one on one combat as in warfare between armies. Armies suffer the most casualties when they retreat.

Now I'm sure there are some people who will talk about "small circles" and "redirection of power". While there is some truth to this, it has little place in close quarters combat and does not play a significant role in strategy and tactics. In the heat of battle you will only be able to advance or retreat, not DANCE. In a nutshell, most movements that you do are already circular, it's the nature of body mechanics. Even a straight punch travels an elliptical path. I will say the overwhelming majority of martial arts instructors complicate the explanation of simple movement for reasons ranging from self importance to filling time, either way, the best coaches and instructors I have known sought to simply what they taught. In fact, you should only "correct" one or two mistakes per session. When learning a physical activity you should perform it until you are exhausted. This way your body has a chance to figure out the most efficient way to complete a task. You will auto-correct yourself. This is why in the SDTS we hit targets and training dummies A LOT>

The Common Denominators of Close Combat

All situations can be broken down to distance, position, momentum and balance. This is the crux of the SDTS. Distance: how far he is from you. Position: where you are in relation to your target. Momentum: always be moving and taking ground. Balance: break his, maintain yours. Combine that with techniques that will cause maximum damage to your target and minimum damage to you. This is the truth of combat.

Listen, there's a way we want things to be and the way they actually are. We WANT them to be pretty and neat. We WANT to be able to wrap our attacker up in a nice little package, twist him up with joint locks and wave to our buddies, but that's not reality. Reality is there is a man in front of you who doesn't care about your hopes and dreams. He's pissed off and doesn't think like you do. You have something he wants and he's going to take it. Reality is you have so much adrenaline going through your veins that you can hardly speak let alone think.

And he's going to keep taking until he decides it's enough. In order to survive you are going to have to go through him. You are going to have to do the unthinkable and the unmentionable. Hey, I wish it wasn't like this, but it is. Some times good people have to do bad things.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

How To Remove Your Personal Information From Background Check Websites

2011-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

After our social media background check, are you afraid of what a future employer may find out about you? Rest easy as we have some tips to help you remove your personal information from more than a dozen online background check websites.

How Do These Sites Get My Information?
There are hundreds of online background check websites that gather information on people. In the US, these online databases are populated with information from public records like real estate transactions, arrest records, court cases, marriages, divorces, etc.

Before the Internet, investigators would have to go to the local town hall or the state records office and request this public information in person. Now with databases a dime a dozen, most of this information is readily accessible if you know where to look.
A background check website will both mine these public databases and obtain demographic information from marketing companies. If you're young, you're paper trail is likely small, but if you're older, the amount of publicly available information can be staggering.

What They Know About You?
Most of this information is not as salacious as those party pics from the Bahamas, but you may not want your future boss finding out you recently went through a messy divorce. Before you start the removal process, you'll need to find out what information these companies have, if any. We used Social Intelligence for our background check, but there's a dozen or more big players that focus primarily on public information and not your social networks. It's these public databases that we'll look at here.
You'll need to go to the following sites and search for your name, address, and age.
• Intelius.com
• Acxiom.com
• MyLife.com
• ZabaSearch.com
• Spoke.com
• BeenVerified.com
• PeekYou.com
• USSearch.com
• PeopleFinders.com
• PeopleLookup.com
• PeopleSmart.com
• PrivateEye.com
• WhitePages.com
• USA-People-Search.com
• Spokeo.com
• PublicRecordsNow.com
• DOBSearch.com
• Radaris.com

Compiled by pibbman, these sites are considered the major players and have information that is scraped by smaller sites. Once you confirm a site has your information, mark it off and prepare to move onto the next step which is the removal process.

How Do I Purge My Information From These Sites?
Here's the hard part. Removing your information won't be easy as there's no one place that'll remove everything for you. Each site has different contact information and different procedures for removal. Some require you to fill out an Internet form, others require you to call and some even ask you to fax your driver's license to confirm your identity. If you send in your driver's license, make sure you black out all information except your name, address and DOB. Only give these companies the bare minimum they need to identify you and nothing more.
This contact list compiled by LawyerCT will help you get started. Be prepared to spend a lot of time pouring through these websites, compiling the information they need and sending it to them. They don't make it easy and you'll be irritated by emails that bounce and fax numbers that don't answer. Relax and drink a cold beer while you do this, it'll help.

If you can't stand this process, there are record removal companies that'll do this on your behalf for a fee. These companies may not be 100% effective, though, as some background check websites won't honor a removal request from a third-party. You and only you can ask for your information to be removed.

I Did It, It's Done, Now What?
Breathe easier knowing you have erased some, if not all, of your public information from these aggregators. This is only the beginning, though. You'll need to keep checking back to make sure new information does not appear. Try to keep yourself out of their radar. Don't get arrested or fight a legal battle. And if you get married, be ready to start this process all over again.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

Behind The Most Awesome Martial Arts and Self Defense App in the World

2011-07-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

Apps at AppStoreHQ

The iFightBack app from the Self Defense Company is finally out for itunes, putting a the lethal knowledge of the SDTS in the hands of a whole new generation. This is our first app and it wasn't without it's bugs. Now I understand why you get so many updates for apps. There are so many moving parts with software development, that when you change one thing, it throws something else out of whack.

Well it's finally here and it kicks ass.

The concept was simple: showcase the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) in real scenarios and compare it to what is typically taught as self defense. Then provide the instruction to illustrate how the SDTS trains you to prepare for real world conditions.

We didn't even officially launch the app and it was reviewed by GIZMODO. and they liked it, they really liked it. Of course there are some knuckleheads who thought the intention was to watch the app while you're being attacked...seriously, I don't know how these people manage to walk and talk at the same time. But the reviewer gave an honest assessment and understood what we were doing.

All roads lead to training. The app is first of all great entertainment and it includes instruction but it is just a small snippet of what it really takes to be prepared for those situations. That's what the SDTS is for.

It should be noted that it is rated R. It is violent and we use some pretty rough language. There are some scenes that make Good Fellas look like a Disney flick. So DO NOT play for the kiddies. We have a 17 and older warning on there and for good reason. The scenes are brutal and the language is rough.

Making the app was a blast. I first have to thank my wife for allowing me to stab and rape her. Pete for letting me stab, choke, punch and drive his head into a wall. No, I didn't get to rape Pete, but I know by the look in his eyes, he wanted me to. Finally Matt and his team from Mosiac Interactive. Matt is my partner on this joint venture and provided the technical and creative expertise to make my vision a reality.

Please enjoy the app for what it is, a glimpse into the real world tactics of The Self Defense Training System. I hope that you never have to use these methods, but if you do, I want you to be ready, really ready.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.

The Freakonomics of Martial Arts

2011-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

The book "Freakonomics" by Steve Levitt and Steve Dubner has set the way we view why things happen on it's ear. Morality is how we want to act, economics is how we really act and freakonomics is the study of why we act that way. The premise of the book is that ALL human beings act in self interest based on personal gain and how we are viewed by our peers.

The book argues and proves that people will always seek to maximize their benefit and how a small percentage will even cheat. One of the examples used is real estate. The perception is that you seek out the expert because she has knowledge about getting the best price for your house. She is the expert and knows your neighborhood. She will be able to list your house and might even have a prospective buyer. For her efforts she will get 6% of the sale of your home your home. You think that since she's getting a percentage of the sale price, it's in her best interest to sell it for as much as she can. Unfortunately the opposite is true. It's actually in her best interest to sell your house as fast as possible.

Let's say she lists your house for $300,000. Her commission on that house is 6% or $18,000. But in reality that's not the case, her commission is only $4500. Because she will have to split the commission with her agency and if the buyer comes from another agent, which they almost always do, she will have to split that commission with them as well. In the end she only makes 1.5% of the total sale price.

Now let's say she get's a low ball offer of $250,000. Her commission on that sale is still $3750.00 (only $750 off of her original commission). If she wants to stick to stick it out for a higher offer she is going to have possibly spend weeks showing your house, spending money on ads and entertaining offers. The more time and effort she puts into marketing your home for an extra $750 isn't worth it for her. Plainly put, while you're out $50,000, she's out only $750. This being the case it is impossible for both of you to be on the same page. In the time it would take to be trying to get top dollar for your home, she could be promoting other houses and getting new listings. Her goal is to churn out as many sales as possible, not to get the top dollar. In the time it takes to get top dollar for your house she could have sold another house and made another $3750!

The problem with this is that you and your expert's goals are not aligned. the same holds true for you and the martial arts school owner. You want to get in shape and learn self defense as quickly as possible. The martial arts studio owner however wants to keep you involved as long as possible. According to Steve Oliver of NAPMA (National Association of Martial Arts Professionals) the average time someone spends in martial arts is 6 months. The goal of a martial arts studio owner is to keep the person enrolled for 3 to 5 years.

This is why most black belt contracts are exactly that, three to five years long. The studio owner makes most of his money off of monthly tuition and promotion exams. This doesn't include summer camps and tournaments. The more months you're enrolled, the more money he makes. The more interested you are, meaning the more you advance, the more expensive the exam fee becomes. So while you're trying to reach your goal as fast as possible, the school owner is trying to slow your progress. The longer he can string you along, the more money he makes. It is not in his best interest to give you what you need in the shortest amount of time possible. It is not in the best interest of the school owner to make you proficient and self reliant. It is in his best interest to make you dependent and indentured which are the exact opposite of your goals.

The primary way he does this is INFORMATION. He gives you a lot of it, a lot more than you need. Techniques, forms, weapons, self defense, sparring, the possibilities are limitless and never ending. In fact part of the function of an organization like NAPMA is to give school owners more information and curriculum ideas in the spirit of keeping the students engaged and enrolled. The purpose of a martial arts studio, according to NAPMA, is to enroll, retain and renew students. they accomplish this by convincing you that you need a black belt.

From the minute you walk into the dojo you're told about the black belt and how it holds all the answers to all your questions. Everything you see reminds you about the ultimate goal, the black belt. For the martial arts school owner, his goal is not you getting your black belt. From a business stand point it doesn't matter. His goal is to keep you enrolled for four years, anything that is gravy.

Now I know there are good and bad martial arts experiences. I have had both. But what we are talking about are the forces at work that are beyond both your and the school owner's control. When you and the person contracted to do a job have different goals it is only a coincidence that it works out at all.

Let's say for example, you're an excellent student and you can absorb anything thrown at you. I mean you're like the Natural.If you were in the conventional sports world and you could play baseball no one would care how long you played, only that you could hit, throw, catch and understood the game. The same does not hold true in the martial arts world. No matter how good you are, there is still a minimum number of classes or time you must attend in order to get promoted. Or there are a set number of promotion events through out the year. You're ability to
understand and demonstrate the material has no bearing on the time requirement. In reality you should be able to test for as many ranks as you wish all the way up to black belt if the goal of the school owner's goal was aligned with yours.

"Thank you sir may I have another!"

Another way to slow your progress or "keep you engaged" is the addition of new curriculum. This is when the school owner adds new requirements or different techniques. The owner will say that the school is "evolving" and growing. While this may be true, you were probably told when you signed up that the school was the "best of the best". Well if the school had all the answers when you signed up, what happened? If that statement was true at the time or you wither weren't telling the truth or you really didn't know what you were talking about.

Look at MMA and Brazilian Jujitsu. Before UFC, everyone was the best, after UFC every started teaching BJJ and MMA. Now, BJJ, MMA, wrestling, judo, vale tudo, pride, catch wrestling and hooking have been going on for decades. One would conclude that the reality that the "best of the best" statement was based on was limited at well...best. One could also surmise that any future statements should be subject to closer scrutiny as well.

Keeping you involved longer falls in line with the notion that "the longer you train the better you will become". This idea permeates the martial arts world. Whenever martial artists talk they always lead with "I've been training in (name martial art) for X amount of years!". There is no doubt that experience matters, but it's the correct and applicable amount of experience that matters. When it comes to knowledge and experience it's quality NOT quantity that matters.

You could spend 30 years of your life learning something completely useless (which happens so much more than is frighteningly imaginable). How much of an "expert" are you? One minute of accurate information and experience beats a lifetime of the wrong information and experience. For example: I may have been taught that I had to kick the tires in order to change the oil in my car, and I've been doing that for 30 years...what do you mean I don't know how to change my own oil?

The sad fact is that most people spend untold amounts of time and money learning something completely useless. It's a horrible truth. Personally, I don't expect them to wake up and realize what has happened because it forces them to acknowledged that they wasted all that time and time is a commodity not to be wasted. You can always make money, but you can't make time.

The next question to ask is which skills are appropriate for what I want to want learn. If I want to learn about rugby, do I need to play football? If I want to learn how to box do I need to learn karate? The obvious and correct answer is no. Yet many martial arts instructors insist that learning "traditional" style techniques helps with self defense or sparing. Looking at the way MMA fighters train, I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of them don't practice forms, katas, weapons or any other non-specific sport technique when they are training for a fight. If you're training specifically for self defense, the same holds true. Why would you practice traditional forms and sport techniques when they haven't any tactical value? You wouldn't, yet people all over the world are told that they need to "cross train" to make their self defense better.

This is idea of practicing esoteric skills in order to make other specific skills better is FALSE. Especially when you have only so many hours in the week to dedicate to your goal. I'm not going to practice ping pong to get better at tennis.
To get the most "bang" for your buck you need to focus on mission specific techniques and tactics.

The latest "wisdom" suggests it take 10,000 hours to master a skill. That means if you want to be the next Bruce Lee and you can practice 6 hours a week and never miss a day it will take you 32 years to become Bruce Lee. So maybe you don't need to be Bruce, but just want to become pretty good or good enough to be able to handle yourself. All other factors aside (factors like attitude, size, strength and fitness), I pulled up and article that had some "times" I agree with.

Let's also define a skill as being a single skill set. Grappling (wrestling with submissions), boxing, kick boxing and self defense are all separate skills and require the same amount of time EACH to become proficient. Cross training in these not only extends your time, but also diminishes your return because in the early learning stages it's necessary to immerse yourself in each skill in order to build a proper foundation. If you were a complete newbie into MMA it would be far better for you to spend your time learning 100% of one skill and then moving on to the next one instead of learning a little bit of each at a time. You're recall and retention will be much faster.

Most people, on average, between work, family and friends can work out 2 to 3 times per week. Let's call it 6 hours per week at a skill. So how long does it take to become proficient in the martial arts based on 6 hours of practice per week?

Level 1: Novice (1,000 hours)or 3.2 years
Level 2: Apprentice (3,000 hours)9.6 years
Level 3: Journeyman (6,000 hours)19.2
Level 4: Adept (8,000 hours)25.6 years
Level 5: Master (10,000 hours)32 years

The problem I have with this calculation is it doesn't take into account the individual and the complexity of the skill set. While Judo, MMA or Golf for that matter require a lot of subtleties and nuances, self defense does not, as does firearms training or even sprinting or running. It's been my experience training thousands of people in the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) that it takes 1/10 of the time to become proficient when compared to what is projected here. This is because the simplicity of the technical skills. The more simple the skill the faster it is learned and the longer it is retained.

For example: you may not be able to play an entire soccer match, but you can still kick a ball, you may not be able to go 12 rounds but you can still through a punch and you may not be able to win the Tour d France but you can still ride a bike. Primary skills that require the least amount of coordination are recalled the fastest and retained the longest.

Becoming proficient in the SDTS looks something like this:

Level 1: Novice (100 hours)or 3.8 months
Level 2: Apprentice (300 hours)11.5 months
Level 3: Journeyman (600 hours)1.9 years
Level 4: Adept (800 hours)2.5 years
Level 5: Master (1000 hours) 3.2 years

This data comes from 9 years of testing and instruction over 1,000 students.

Finally, how does a specific skill set change over time when your mental and physical skills diminish and change due to age and injury? The methods of fighting that require extreme endurance and athletic skill will not do you any good when you're injured, older or out of shape. You may have earned your black belt and been able to do amazing feats of athleticism and endurance but what happens when you suffer an injury like a torn hamstring or a dislocated shoulder? Your skill is only useful when you have the capacity to perform it.

Furthermore, what happens when you simply stop training? If you ask a martial arts school owner he will tell you that you NEVER STOP training. (This still doesn't explain the reason why a lot of martial arts school owners are out of shape). Even professional athletes stop training some time. You're not going to be able to maintain a high level of athleticism and fitness forever. Contrary to what I believe, we ain't getting any younger.

At the end of the day your job is to acquire accurate knowledge and skill as fast as possible, retain those skills as long as possible and finally you want to be able to adapt those skills to meet your current needs based on your current physical and mental condition. Most martial arts are so complex and require so much physical conditioning to perform that even at their best they are only as good as the moment you perform them. The more complex, the more physical ability it takes to perform a task, the faster it will deteriorate.

Look this isn't meant to be a martial arts, dojo bashing. In fact quite a few of our SDC Instructors are martial arts school owners! They offer the SDC Programs in conjunction with their martial arts curriculum. The purpose is to shed some light onto how a business works. The purpose of a martial arts business, the way it makes it's money is to keep you enrolled longer. It's not their fault, it's just they way they were trained and made to believe. It's the nature of the beast.

When you go to your attorney and he bills you by the hour. Is it in his best interest to find you a quick resolution or is it in his best interest to get as many hours as he can? Even if he's working on a percentage, he knows how many hours he is willing to invest if he can get a fast settlement and churn out a bunch of clients for money now rather than hope to get a huge payday years down the road, he's going to take the money now.

Doctors run tests, mechanics tell you you need new rotors when you go in for brake pads, that free 100 point check up turns into thousands for them. It is in your best interest to seek the path that maximizes your goals and it's not going to change. Most of the time you do it and you have no idea that you're doing it because you've been taught to do it a certain way. chances are the martial arts school owner doesn't even realize he does this. At the end of the day you make the call whether or not what you're paying for is worth it.

Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company

Damian Ross is CEO of the Self Defense Company and developer of The Self Defense Training System, the most lethal and effective self defense system in the world, The Guardian Defensive Tactics Police Combatives Program, 60 minute Self Defense and the Family Safe Program. Mr. Ross also founded the Self Defense Instructor Program that helps people develop their self defense careers from the ground up. Mr. Ross is originally from Ridgewood, NJ where he was a High School Hall of Fame Athlete in football and wrestling as well as a varsity wrestling coach. He then went on to Lehigh University where he was a varsity wrestler and football player. Mr. Ross has 3 black belts, 4th Degree in Tekkenryu Jujutsu, 2nd Degree in Judo, 2nd Degree in Tae Kwon Do. In addition to his martial arts experience, Mr; Ross spent 8 years in the professional security and personal protection business. He is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities in reality based self defense.