I received this email from a member of the SDC Community about a potentially dangerous and frustrating situation.
It starts:
I just wanted to share with you.
I've spent my life doing the very same thing that you teach. I've worked in nightclubs as a bouncer, I have a PI license and have done a lot of security work.
Even after care surveillance and success. And being rewarded admirably for my works. Then something happened at home.....
My neighbor being in the very next apartment, after first meeting him. Seemed to be a cut above with his law school and former being an LEO [law enforcement officer] in the coastguard.
He showed me his unlabeled bottle of steroids, with needles that he used to "shoot up".
He seemed to have "two personalities". He would want to play fight, and then get serious. After being attacked 10 or more times. With my neighbors and kids watching. I had no choice but to call the Sheriff.
I was asking himself at the time, "Here is my next door neighbor". What kind of liability is going to happen if I use my martial arts training. Am I going to be sued ? And my next door neighbor at that. I could no longer use my street smarts and self defense training that I could have at work. Just what was I to do. Little did I know that this sense of "superiority was very prevalent with steroid users".
And as a Brother, Martial Artist. What to do at home, with the addict ??
Being that you'd never believe he's the same person that you first met.-Henry
END
First of all let's answer your question, martial arts or self defense training does not preclude you from defending yourself. The only time it becomes an issue is if an opposing attorney uses that to paint you as a violent person. Beyond that you have the right to protect yourself based on your local laws.
Contacting the local police was a good move from a legal perspective. It establishes a history of violence and immediately sets you up as the good guy. second, if this man is an attorney and a member of the coast guard who uses drugs and engages in felonious behavior he will be disbarred and tossed out of the Coast Guard. He has a lot to lose. But that doesn't guarantee he will stop his behavior or escalate it.
This is the crappy part. If you are going to continue to live in the same community you need to manage him. Given your experience, I know you already know this, but for the sake of the people reading it, I'll post it.
You can't be alone with this guy, ever. Now that you have drawn you line in the sand and we have established this guy as a loose canon, he can never be alone with you unless you are prepared to do what it takes to survive. He has already demonstrated sociopath type behavior, so it his possible he can go from friend to foe in a blink of an eye.
You are also going to have to be on alert when you come home. Until you are locked in your apartment, you need to stay aware. Hallways, parking lots, tree lines and doorways are good ambush spots. It's unfortunate that you can't relax until you're in your home, but now there is a real threat happening.
your best option is to move. Hey, I know it may sound cowardly, but it is far from the truth. Living your life, waiting to be attacked by an identified threat is not fun. I have dealt with bad neighbors and crappy co-workers an unlike something that happens in the street, you must face it every day. Sure, you would like nothing better than to toss the pain in the ass the beating of his life...but you can't. Unless you are physically threatened, you have to wait and the waiting is really the most painful part.
Years ago I had a neighbor who was literally insane and a passive aggressive son of a bitch. He would get pissed when people parked on the public road, in front of his house. One time I parked my car there and he parked his truck on my bumper and left it out of gear so when I pulled away, his truck would roll behind me. At first I thought he made a mistake and being the good neighbor I took his keys along with a note and put them in his mailbox. As time went on, he said something to my friend's girlfriend and then I put it together. Did I confront him, yes I did. Did I make sure he knew how I felt, absolutely. I even went as far as to try to get him to make an aggressive move towards me, but he didn't bite.
I had to deal with the SOB until the day I moved. Remember, every decision is based on that risk-reward equation. Is that scumbag worth it? The stakes are higher when it's your neighbor and coworker. Hell, its not like no one knows who you are.
At the end of the day, you did the right thing.
Steps to take for dealing with asshole coworkers and insane neighbors.
1. Let them know. Tell them in a polite, matter of fact way that they're behavior is causing and issue. If you want to avoid confrontation, do this when they are not engaging in the behavior. For example, your neighbor uses bad language in front of your kids or drives his car too fast down your street you could say something like "The other day you guys were using some pretty rough language and my kids were outside, can you try to avoid doing that?" Listen, if the guy is a dick he's going to be a dick, if he wants to be a good neighbor he's going to apologize.
2. Call the police. After a two conversations, if he's not going to stop the behavior tell him, "Look, I've asked you a few times and really, it hasn't stopped. So I'm going to file a complaint. I tried to be polite, but now it's out of my hands."
3. Build your case through audio and video recordings. Remember, it's not who's right, it's what you can prove. If you have audio and video of the guy breaking your fence or letting his dog poop on your lawn, it will be pretty compelling evidence when you are defending your actions in court.
You have to make a choice: take crap or not to take crap. You are not required by law to take anyone's bullshit. You are allowed to defend your home, yourself and your loved ones. You are not defenseless. It just takes a little effort on your part.
Neighbors Resolving their Differences
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Showing posts with label the self defense training system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the self defense training system. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Rules of Self Defense (Revisited)
The Rules of Self Defense
The rules define the game. Judo rules, create the sport of Judo, MMA rules create the MMA the sport and martial arts have a style and etiquette all their own, based on their culture of origin. These rules are designed to balance entertainment with participant safety or pay homage to their native land. While technically in self defense there are "no rules ", there does exist a specific set of tactical factors to which you must abide.
The “Rules” of Self Defense
1. Your techniques must be simple, gross motor skills.
When you experience fight or flight stress, millions of years of evolution kick in and prepare you for battle. You will experience dozens of perceptual changes from tunnel vision to loss of hearing, your heart rate increases and your blood will flow from your extremities to your vital organs and major muscle groups. There is no amount of mediation or stress inoculation that will reverse these effects. Your only choice is to train to operate within those conditions. You will only to be able to perform gross movements of the legs and arms. Finite skills that involve subtle movement of the fingers, wrist, small precise movements and tactics that require cognitive planning and strategy will be impossible. You'll only be able to perform a handful (3 to 5) of simple skills. LtCol Grossman’s Book “On Combat” gives an excellent analysis of this physiological and psychological experience.
2. You will be attacked when you are vulnerable.
Injured, tired and older or distracted, criminals, like predators, choose targets of opportunity. If you appear weak, you will be a target. The most effective defensive tactics enable you to perform under any possible physical restriction. This includes the use of weapons. The rule is simple, if you can leave your home, you better be able to protect yourself. Methods that require athleticism and coordination are not recommended. Instead you need techniques that are simple and easy to perform.
3. Your assailant is armed.
Criminals will stack the odds in their favor. Career criminals who know that using a weapon carries a heavier sentence, may try to strong arm you instead of using a weapon during the first contact. After you survive the first attack and offer some resistance, he may then decide to use a weapon. According to the 2005 study by the Bureau of justice http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=70 in approximately 70% of violent crime arrests there was a weapon present. This very real possibility demands that you dispatch of your threat as quickly as possible.
Another scenario is an attack under in low light. In a dark parking lot, how can you tell if that punch isn't a stab? Therefore you must assume every attack is a weapon attack. Methods that require you to first identify the weapon and then shift gears to use a different set of techniques have an extremely low success rate. Hick’s Law proves this as fact. Hick’s Law describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices he or she has. The more choices you have, the slower your reaction time. You need one common denominator reaction for a multitude of assaults.
4. Your attacker is larger and stronger than you.
In the street, intimidation is a big factor. Larger people with bad intent will choose smaller, weaker victims. Nothing has changed since grammar school. Knowing this, methods that require you to overpower your enemy should be avoided. While grappling is a worth while endeavor, it is not a primary form of defense since it requires a great deal of skill, power and endurance to subdue a much larger attacker. Striking is and always will be the preferred and most efficient means of first line, empty hand defense. Weapons of course trump all empty hand defenses.
5. Your assailant will have friends.
Criminals need an edge. It could be a weapon, it could be size or it could be accomplices. Most times you won't even know it's a multiple attacker scenario until it's too late. Smart street fighters will have friends waiting in the background. The idea of having different tactics for single and multiple attackers is ludicrous for two reasons. First, every attack is a multiple attacker scenario regardless of what you see initially. Second, you can only fight what ‘s directly in front of you. Once you engage, your mind will only allow you to focus on one act, one target and one direction. (See Rule number 1) To ensure a high success rate you must train to eliminate the first target as fast as possible and move forward from there. This includes maintaining a forward drive and taking ground. Besides keeping your primary target off balance, moving forward will make you a moving target to the other threats. This is why it is extremely critical that you train in a way that keeps you moving forward. Practicing defensive tactics while you’re standing toe to toe is ill-advised.
6. You must consider every environment.
Attacks happen where you work and live. Through the course of your day and depending on the season, your environment is constantly changing from icy parking lot to carpeted floor. You can’t move 10 feet in any direction without running into a wall, a piece of furniture or a change of elevation. Sliding foot work that looks good in the gym or dojo is impractical under real world conditions. Even your footwork must be “pre-programmed” to handle any terrain.
7. You must use techniques that cause maximum injury to your attacker and minimum injury to you.
This is the name of the game. The person who wins is the one with the least amount of injury. From weapons to empty hand, everything thing you do must cause more damage to your target at a faster rate than you ‘re being injured.
8. Your attacker has intent on killing or injuring you.
Anyone who is willing to threaten you or use force on you has no regard for your safety. In order to maximize your survivability you must assume this to be true and react accordingly. That means doing whatever you need to survive without any regard for your attacker’s safety. Anything less will leave you vulnerable.
What makes a good self defense system?
An effective means of self defense only needs to consider the factors of distance, position, momentum and balance. Distance: where you are in relation to the target. Position: how you are and your target is situated. Momentum: increase yours by injuring him and moving through him. Injuring him more and more with each attack until he can no longer counter attack. Finally, balance, maintain yours, and disrupt his.
The techniques must attack his most vital areas, consist of gross motor movements and cause the maximum damage to your target and minimum damage to yourself.
These criteria for self defense are purely tactical. There’s no mention of style or system. These are common denominator, common sense factors. Along with good fitness, the right system and an "assume the worst and hope for the best" attitude. You will be able to survive and win most any situation.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
The rules define the game. Judo rules, create the sport of Judo, MMA rules create the MMA the sport and martial arts have a style and etiquette all their own, based on their culture of origin. These rules are designed to balance entertainment with participant safety or pay homage to their native land. While technically in self defense there are "no rules ", there does exist a specific set of tactical factors to which you must abide.
The “Rules” of Self Defense
1. Your techniques must be simple, gross motor skills.
When you experience fight or flight stress, millions of years of evolution kick in and prepare you for battle. You will experience dozens of perceptual changes from tunnel vision to loss of hearing, your heart rate increases and your blood will flow from your extremities to your vital organs and major muscle groups. There is no amount of mediation or stress inoculation that will reverse these effects. Your only choice is to train to operate within those conditions. You will only to be able to perform gross movements of the legs and arms. Finite skills that involve subtle movement of the fingers, wrist, small precise movements and tactics that require cognitive planning and strategy will be impossible. You'll only be able to perform a handful (3 to 5) of simple skills. LtCol Grossman’s Book “On Combat” gives an excellent analysis of this physiological and psychological experience.
2. You will be attacked when you are vulnerable.
Injured, tired and older or distracted, criminals, like predators, choose targets of opportunity. If you appear weak, you will be a target. The most effective defensive tactics enable you to perform under any possible physical restriction. This includes the use of weapons. The rule is simple, if you can leave your home, you better be able to protect yourself. Methods that require athleticism and coordination are not recommended. Instead you need techniques that are simple and easy to perform.
3. Your assailant is armed.
Criminals will stack the odds in their favor. Career criminals who know that using a weapon carries a heavier sentence, may try to strong arm you instead of using a weapon during the first contact. After you survive the first attack and offer some resistance, he may then decide to use a weapon. According to the 2005 study by the Bureau of justice http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=70 in approximately 70% of violent crime arrests there was a weapon present. This very real possibility demands that you dispatch of your threat as quickly as possible.
Another scenario is an attack under in low light. In a dark parking lot, how can you tell if that punch isn't a stab? Therefore you must assume every attack is a weapon attack. Methods that require you to first identify the weapon and then shift gears to use a different set of techniques have an extremely low success rate. Hick’s Law proves this as fact. Hick’s Law describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices he or she has. The more choices you have, the slower your reaction time. You need one common denominator reaction for a multitude of assaults.
4. Your attacker is larger and stronger than you.
In the street, intimidation is a big factor. Larger people with bad intent will choose smaller, weaker victims. Nothing has changed since grammar school. Knowing this, methods that require you to overpower your enemy should be avoided. While grappling is a worth while endeavor, it is not a primary form of defense since it requires a great deal of skill, power and endurance to subdue a much larger attacker. Striking is and always will be the preferred and most efficient means of first line, empty hand defense. Weapons of course trump all empty hand defenses.
5. Your assailant will have friends.
Criminals need an edge. It could be a weapon, it could be size or it could be accomplices. Most times you won't even know it's a multiple attacker scenario until it's too late. Smart street fighters will have friends waiting in the background. The idea of having different tactics for single and multiple attackers is ludicrous for two reasons. First, every attack is a multiple attacker scenario regardless of what you see initially. Second, you can only fight what ‘s directly in front of you. Once you engage, your mind will only allow you to focus on one act, one target and one direction. (See Rule number 1) To ensure a high success rate you must train to eliminate the first target as fast as possible and move forward from there. This includes maintaining a forward drive and taking ground. Besides keeping your primary target off balance, moving forward will make you a moving target to the other threats. This is why it is extremely critical that you train in a way that keeps you moving forward. Practicing defensive tactics while you’re standing toe to toe is ill-advised.
6. You must consider every environment.
Attacks happen where you work and live. Through the course of your day and depending on the season, your environment is constantly changing from icy parking lot to carpeted floor. You can’t move 10 feet in any direction without running into a wall, a piece of furniture or a change of elevation. Sliding foot work that looks good in the gym or dojo is impractical under real world conditions. Even your footwork must be “pre-programmed” to handle any terrain.
7. You must use techniques that cause maximum injury to your attacker and minimum injury to you.
This is the name of the game. The person who wins is the one with the least amount of injury. From weapons to empty hand, everything thing you do must cause more damage to your target at a faster rate than you ‘re being injured.
8. Your attacker has intent on killing or injuring you.
Anyone who is willing to threaten you or use force on you has no regard for your safety. In order to maximize your survivability you must assume this to be true and react accordingly. That means doing whatever you need to survive without any regard for your attacker’s safety. Anything less will leave you vulnerable.
What makes a good self defense system?
An effective means of self defense only needs to consider the factors of distance, position, momentum and balance. Distance: where you are in relation to the target. Position: how you are and your target is situated. Momentum: increase yours by injuring him and moving through him. Injuring him more and more with each attack until he can no longer counter attack. Finally, balance, maintain yours, and disrupt his.
The techniques must attack his most vital areas, consist of gross motor movements and cause the maximum damage to your target and minimum damage to yourself.
These criteria for self defense are purely tactical. There’s no mention of style or system. These are common denominator, common sense factors. Along with good fitness, the right system and an "assume the worst and hope for the best" attitude. You will be able to survive and win most any situation.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Truth About Knife Defense Part 2: You Can't Fight Mother Nature
The previous blog we spoke about why knife defenses fail and I demonstrated a Self Defense Training System tactic that was an empty hand defense without using he environment and without using a weapon. It is a given that leaving the scene, using a weapon or items in your environment are your first options. In the Self Defense Training Systemwe step you through how to train to accomplish this. In this instance we're talking about facing a dynamic knife attack when you have nothing at your disposal and no escape.
That being said, this happens without fail, people who agree with me on the self defense subject up until the "controlling the weapon" issue. This tells me that they really don't have a full grasp of the tactics and principles that make the SDTS successful. In module 1 we tell you, you have to assume your attacker is armed, even if you don't see a weapon. Which, according to the Uniformed Police Use of Force report, is true about 75% of the time. We tell you to always attack the man. We tell you you need to injure your target as fast as possible. The same principle holds true in all aspects of self defense.
But yet, the compulsion to go after that weapon is so strong. People still feel the need to want to try to control it. They get all warm and fuzzy knowing that the weapon is tucked away some place safe, not getting into any trouble. Now if you happen to have the advantage and the weapon arm falls in your grip, OK so be it. But the split second you decide to chase the knife in a dynamic situation, you are making a grave mistake. NOTE: This is not a STATIC situation where the knife is being pressed against you or used to threaten you in extreme close range, like in a mugging or threatening situation.
Why is chasing the weapon a bad idea?
You can't fight mother nature.
No matter how much you train and prepare your body and your mind are programmed to act a specific way under stress and there's nothing you can do about it.
Instead of responding with urban legend, martial arts myth, Hollywood movies and dojo speculation, I will let science, real life examples and fact prove my point.
No matter how intense your training, it's not real life. Your training only begins to scratch the surface of what you will experience. The government spends billions on trying to create realistic training stress and they still can't predict if the training was accurate until the situation is live. Unfortunately neither will you.
So instead of training for the training exercise, you must train for what is really going to happen to you and operate within those parameters.
You don't need a behavioral psych degree from Johns Hopkins to understand how the mind works under stress and you don't need to be a combat war vet either. All you need to do is some reading. There are several books you should check out if you haven't already: Grossman's "On Combat" and "On Killing", Applegate's "Kill or Get Killed", Debecker's "Gift of Fear" and Strong's "Strong on Defense".
Grossman really get's into the science of it. In "On Combat" he offers a list of what you will experience when you are fighting for your life:
Perceptual Distortions in Combat
Diminished sound (auditory exclusion)
Intensified sounds
Tunnel vision
Automatic pilot ("scared speechless")
Heightened visual clarity
Slow motion time or Fast motion time
Temporary paralysis
Memory loss for parts of the event
Memory loss for some of the subject's actions
Dissociation (detachment)
Intrusive distracting thoughts
Memory distortions
You may experience some or all of these effects. In addition to the above, you will lose control of your finite motor skills. This means you will only be able to perform gross motor movements and simple, primary thought functions. This is why troops are trained to operate their weapon in a manner that enables them to function under fire. The simple act of acquiring a target, firing, reloading, clearing misfires and maintaining position becomes extremely difficult (and that's with extensive, focused training). Yet martial artists will learn many, many different self defense techniques with far less time and intensity in training and are expected to recall them under stress.
Plus, you never know what you're mind is going to hook into. A popular example is the California Highway Patrol. On range they were told to collect their shells after they emptied their firearms. So every time their gun was empty, officers would bend down and pick up the brass. What happened next was completely unexpected and deadly. When the officers were under fire and their firearm was empty, they would leave safe cover and bend down to collect the brass shells on the ground and put them in their pockets. Without any rhyme or reason, they would leave the safety of their position because they were programed to in their training. While a reasonable person would know not to pick up the shells, the stressed person followed their training.
One thing can be deduced from these observations:
1. Complex locking motions are impossible to perform under stress. The finite movements of performing a wrist or an arm lock will be reinterpreted under stress ad a gross movement. The result is a movement void of any effectiveness.
2. You never know what you are going to hook into. Chances are, you're compulsion to control the weapon will override your priority of injuring your attacker.
This problem is solved by training to hit with power, take ground on your assault, keep your attacker off balance and focus on attacking high percentage targets on the body.
Personal Note: I love the internet and for every 10 positive comments I receive, I always get some misguided chuckle head. This one is from "GS" who commented that in the SDTS defense I should have abandoned the strikes to the back of the attacker's neck to stomping his knee. Why on earth I would abandon a sure knock out strike for a tertiary target like the knee is beyond me. Also, when you are attacking someone, taking ground and your legs are busy doing something like moving and keeping your balance. He also commented that the heel of hand strike was "weak." The only response I have to this comment is: you're a moron.
What has worked since Cane hit Abel with a rock.
The only logical proven solution is to attack the man and cause as much injury as possible as fast as possible. Since you'll only be able to do one simple act, make it a damn good one. You must attack as soon as possible. Every second you wait, increases your chances of failure and incurring more injury.
You can't reason with self defense.
Martial artists like to take a self defense situation and inject it full of reasoning. "Do this because he does that." To you, this seems reasonable and logical. Unfortunately when you're placed in a situation, in fact, most of the decisions you make during your life are not based on reason at all, but are based on coping.
When you view a situation as an observer, you use reason and logic. It's like watching a pro football game or a fight. "Why doesn't he pass it to that guy?" or "why doesn't he just punch him?". When you're an objective observer you can see the field and weigh all of the options. However, when we are placed in that situation we use coping skills instead of reasoning skills. As you may have guessed, coping has little to do with reason and logic.
The study on Coping vs. Reasoning (ENHANCEMENT OF COPING THROUGH BLURRING 1 Manfred KOCHEN The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, U.S.A.
Study is HERE
"What is imprecise about the situations of real life is how they are perceived,
interpreted and evaluated. The situation of the fleeing patron of a burning,
crowded theater could be objectively measured by others with great precision. To
him [the person in the fire], the situation is vaguely threatening: he may not know exactly where the fire is or how serious it is; he may not know exactly how to get to the nearest exit, or the effect of his fleeing behavior upon all the others, or theirs upon him. He is unlikely to resort to reasoning in this situation, partly because he is not certain that reasoning will help him survive. (This is not to say that: he ought not to stay cool and resort to reasoning.) Yet many people can cope with such situations, and not necessarily only those with superior reasoning or precise thinking abilities."
In survival mode you're going to act instinctively not reasonably. You will not react the way you think you will react. While the reasonable mind will logically provide a solution, your coping mechanism will prevent you from performing those actions. All martial arts based self defense systems are based on reasoning skills. "Control the weapon", "De-fang the snake" and "control the chaos" are nice tag lines and good notions, but in the heat of battle you can only fight what;s directly in front of you and you can only perform one action. Don't "de-fang the snake", "kill the snake".
The only plausible solution is to program yourself to react in a way that gives you the highest percentage of success. In order to do this you must resist the temptation in training to let reasoning creep into your solutions. Martial artists and other experts love to provide "reason based solutions" for coping based reality. It sounds good in class and makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Plus they look cool twisting some poor volunteer around in pain.
Don't believe the hype.
Techniques like joint locks and submissions give you a false sense of power and confidence because they feel empowering. When you can cause controllable pain over another human being it gives you a real boost. I'll admit, it's cool getting someone to tap with a finger lock or pass out with a strangle, but in reality those methods are inefficient and improbable. While joint locks are appealing and look bad ass, they are improbable and a handful are only successful after a subject is under control. Submissions do work, there is no doubt about that, but they should be viewed as secondary techniques since they require more time in training and should only be used when striking is not an option. Depending on your position, most strangles can still be replaced with a strike.
The more you know, the worse off you will be.
Ever heard of the Hick-Hymen Law?
The Hick-Hyman Law, named after British psychologist William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman, describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices he or she has. The Hick-Hyman Law assesses cognitive information capacity in choice reaction experiments. The amount of time taken to process a certain amount of bits in the Hick-Hyman Law is known as the rate of gain of information. Given n equally probable choices, the average reaction time T required to choose among them is approximately
T = b \cdot \log_{2}(n + 1)
Translation: the more choices you have the slower you're reaction time. If you have several choices, it will take you that much longer that if you had a single choice.
When you have multiple self defenses to recall for a multitude of situations you will freeze. Single minded, simple solutions will give you the fastest reaction time. In the quick and the dead world of self defense, it's better to be fast than accurate. Any counter attack you provide creates an opportunity for another attack. Chain a few together and you have the momentum. Gain the momentum and you can cause injury. Cause more injury and you will win the day.
Now, while most experts will agree with what I have to say, their actions are contradictory because they still let reasoning and conscience fears creep into a situation that is devoid of reasoning and common sense.
Proven defensive tactics must be:
1. Extremely simple with limited options
2. Based on distance, position, balance and momentum
3. Inflict maximum damage on your target and minimum damage to yourself
Getting cut with a knife will not kill you.
You will get cut, it's a fact. Most martial artists will say that before they teach their twisty-wristy technique. These are the same guys who will comment, "look the knife nicked him in the leg".
In response I would like to offer medical fact and a quote from Grossman's "On Combat" to your keen observations.
"Your resolve to succeed must include the possibility of losing some blood. You can loose a half-gallon of blood and your body will continue to mechanically function. Ceasing to fight before that much blood is lost is due to a lack of will, not lack of hydraulics."
Did you get that boys and girls, you can loose a half gallon of blood before you start to seize up.
So let;s recap the facts as we know them:
1. You can not perform finite motor skills under stress, this includes small circular motions or precision type movements (read: trapping or catching the weapon!!!!)
2. Your mind will hook into one single act. Your best bet is to ensure that act is the most productive act possible. Injuring your attacker trumps chasing the weapon.
3. You will not die instantly from any stab wound, even less from a superficial stab wound.
Some people get it, others don't or aren't ready too. Personally, I've spent years and thousands of hours of training on methods that just didn't work. And before you say "well you weren't training the right way or you weren't good enough." I think 3 black belts, several national championships, being all state in two sports and a division 1 college athlete will qualify me for having the skill, the will, the determination and the hand eye coordination to perform physical acts under stress. Plus my coaching and instruction reads like a who's who list (you can see that list a the bottom of the page HERE).
When I started this in 1989, all I wanted was the truth. It would be very easy for me to offer up what everyone offers, the right dialogue with warmed over martial arts. I'm sure the people offering other solutions really believe what they are saying, but they get caught up in reasoning and let the solutions satisfy the conscience of the people watching, from a distance and far removed from the real life situation, these methods appear to work. But in the crucible of reality they fail miserably.
I didn't let ego and time invested determine what works. I prefer science and fact. Hey, I was one of those guys. I knew tons of self defense techniques, I knew over 30 katas, I competed in everything from point fighting, kick boxing to grappling. But when I reflected my own real life experiences against my training I realized there was a huge disconnect. What I did in my real life was more like MMA. I found myself "fighting" with people. This took a lot of time and energy. There had to be a better way.
The other observation I made was that when I witnessed tough, accomplished martial artists use force in the real world...it looked the same. One strike and grappling. No wrist locks, no fancy breathing and mind control. Just destroy what's in front of you. Any other "hold" was performed when the subject was pinned down by other team members OR when the subject was knocked unconscious.
I also love the story of Gichin Funikoshi in "Karate-Do". In it, he recalled his only real life self defense situation when he was about to get mugged. He didn't even punch the guy, he simply grabbed his testicles and squeezed until the guy fell down. Not only did I find the passage revealing, I found it honest and right on point. For all that training, he just grabbed his nuts.
The problems I found with all methods of self defense was that the situations never happened the way I was trained or told they were going to happen. I found myself looking and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. This almost got me killed. Thank God I wasn't alone.
Which brings us to MARTIAL ART'S FATAL FLAW.
There is one major problem with all technique-based self defense systems. This flaw will get you beaten and left for dead. The flaw is not in what you train, but more in how you train. The flaw is training to wait. Waiting is the biggest mistake you can ever make. When you train you wait for him to grab you, you wait for him to show the weapon, you wait for him to punch, you wait for him to make an aggressive mood towards you. You wait, you're finished.
This training trains you to hesitate. Does he have a weapon, does he have friends? What does he want? Listen, and listen good, once someone attacks you your chance of survival decreases dramatically. Speed beats accuracy.
You need to system that takes all of these possibilities into account with every move you make. This way, it doesn't matter what he does. It doesn't matter if he has a weapon, it doesn't matter if he has friends, none of that will matter. It can't. The only decision you need to make is GO or NO GO.
I used to know hundreds of self defense techniques. Now I know only one and it's based on DISTANCE, POSITION, MOMENTUM and BALANCE.
Some people see the SDTS and get it like I did in 1989. Others will try to cling to their wasted time, money and effort. Martial arts has it's place, it's just not in self defense. Hey, it doesn't matter to me, I know the truth. I've been down that road. It's funny, I know exactly where you are, just by the comments I receive. Some people aren't ready for it. No problem, there are millions who are...I'll talk to them.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
That being said, this happens without fail, people who agree with me on the self defense subject up until the "controlling the weapon" issue. This tells me that they really don't have a full grasp of the tactics and principles that make the SDTS successful. In module 1 we tell you, you have to assume your attacker is armed, even if you don't see a weapon. Which, according to the Uniformed Police Use of Force report, is true about 75% of the time. We tell you to always attack the man. We tell you you need to injure your target as fast as possible. The same principle holds true in all aspects of self defense.
But yet, the compulsion to go after that weapon is so strong. People still feel the need to want to try to control it. They get all warm and fuzzy knowing that the weapon is tucked away some place safe, not getting into any trouble. Now if you happen to have the advantage and the weapon arm falls in your grip, OK so be it. But the split second you decide to chase the knife in a dynamic situation, you are making a grave mistake. NOTE: This is not a STATIC situation where the knife is being pressed against you or used to threaten you in extreme close range, like in a mugging or threatening situation.
Why is chasing the weapon a bad idea?
You can't fight mother nature.
No matter how much you train and prepare your body and your mind are programmed to act a specific way under stress and there's nothing you can do about it.
Instead of responding with urban legend, martial arts myth, Hollywood movies and dojo speculation, I will let science, real life examples and fact prove my point.
No matter how intense your training, it's not real life. Your training only begins to scratch the surface of what you will experience. The government spends billions on trying to create realistic training stress and they still can't predict if the training was accurate until the situation is live. Unfortunately neither will you.
So instead of training for the training exercise, you must train for what is really going to happen to you and operate within those parameters.
You don't need a behavioral psych degree from Johns Hopkins to understand how the mind works under stress and you don't need to be a combat war vet either. All you need to do is some reading. There are several books you should check out if you haven't already: Grossman's "On Combat" and "On Killing", Applegate's "Kill or Get Killed", Debecker's "Gift of Fear" and Strong's "Strong on Defense".
Grossman really get's into the science of it. In "On Combat" he offers a list of what you will experience when you are fighting for your life:
Perceptual Distortions in Combat
Diminished sound (auditory exclusion)
Intensified sounds
Tunnel vision
Automatic pilot ("scared speechless")
Heightened visual clarity
Slow motion time or Fast motion time
Temporary paralysis
Memory loss for parts of the event
Memory loss for some of the subject's actions
Dissociation (detachment)
Intrusive distracting thoughts
Memory distortions
You may experience some or all of these effects. In addition to the above, you will lose control of your finite motor skills. This means you will only be able to perform gross motor movements and simple, primary thought functions. This is why troops are trained to operate their weapon in a manner that enables them to function under fire. The simple act of acquiring a target, firing, reloading, clearing misfires and maintaining position becomes extremely difficult (and that's with extensive, focused training). Yet martial artists will learn many, many different self defense techniques with far less time and intensity in training and are expected to recall them under stress.
Plus, you never know what you're mind is going to hook into. A popular example is the California Highway Patrol. On range they were told to collect their shells after they emptied their firearms. So every time their gun was empty, officers would bend down and pick up the brass. What happened next was completely unexpected and deadly. When the officers were under fire and their firearm was empty, they would leave safe cover and bend down to collect the brass shells on the ground and put them in their pockets. Without any rhyme or reason, they would leave the safety of their position because they were programed to in their training. While a reasonable person would know not to pick up the shells, the stressed person followed their training.
One thing can be deduced from these observations:
1. Complex locking motions are impossible to perform under stress. The finite movements of performing a wrist or an arm lock will be reinterpreted under stress ad a gross movement. The result is a movement void of any effectiveness.
2. You never know what you are going to hook into. Chances are, you're compulsion to control the weapon will override your priority of injuring your attacker.
This problem is solved by training to hit with power, take ground on your assault, keep your attacker off balance and focus on attacking high percentage targets on the body.
Personal Note: I love the internet and for every 10 positive comments I receive, I always get some misguided chuckle head. This one is from "GS" who commented that in the SDTS defense I should have abandoned the strikes to the back of the attacker's neck to stomping his knee. Why on earth I would abandon a sure knock out strike for a tertiary target like the knee is beyond me. Also, when you are attacking someone, taking ground and your legs are busy doing something like moving and keeping your balance. He also commented that the heel of hand strike was "weak." The only response I have to this comment is: you're a moron.
What has worked since Cane hit Abel with a rock.
The only logical proven solution is to attack the man and cause as much injury as possible as fast as possible. Since you'll only be able to do one simple act, make it a damn good one. You must attack as soon as possible. Every second you wait, increases your chances of failure and incurring more injury.
You can't reason with self defense.
Martial artists like to take a self defense situation and inject it full of reasoning. "Do this because he does that." To you, this seems reasonable and logical. Unfortunately when you're placed in a situation, in fact, most of the decisions you make during your life are not based on reason at all, but are based on coping.
When you view a situation as an observer, you use reason and logic. It's like watching a pro football game or a fight. "Why doesn't he pass it to that guy?" or "why doesn't he just punch him?". When you're an objective observer you can see the field and weigh all of the options. However, when we are placed in that situation we use coping skills instead of reasoning skills. As you may have guessed, coping has little to do with reason and logic.
The study on Coping vs. Reasoning (ENHANCEMENT OF COPING THROUGH BLURRING 1 Manfred KOCHEN The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, U.S.A.
Study is HERE
"What is imprecise about the situations of real life is how they are perceived,
interpreted and evaluated. The situation of the fleeing patron of a burning,
crowded theater could be objectively measured by others with great precision. To
him [the person in the fire], the situation is vaguely threatening: he may not know exactly where the fire is or how serious it is; he may not know exactly how to get to the nearest exit, or the effect of his fleeing behavior upon all the others, or theirs upon him. He is unlikely to resort to reasoning in this situation, partly because he is not certain that reasoning will help him survive. (This is not to say that: he ought not to stay cool and resort to reasoning.) Yet many people can cope with such situations, and not necessarily only those with superior reasoning or precise thinking abilities."
In survival mode you're going to act instinctively not reasonably. You will not react the way you think you will react. While the reasonable mind will logically provide a solution, your coping mechanism will prevent you from performing those actions. All martial arts based self defense systems are based on reasoning skills. "Control the weapon", "De-fang the snake" and "control the chaos" are nice tag lines and good notions, but in the heat of battle you can only fight what;s directly in front of you and you can only perform one action. Don't "de-fang the snake", "kill the snake".
The only plausible solution is to program yourself to react in a way that gives you the highest percentage of success. In order to do this you must resist the temptation in training to let reasoning creep into your solutions. Martial artists and other experts love to provide "reason based solutions" for coping based reality. It sounds good in class and makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Plus they look cool twisting some poor volunteer around in pain.
Don't believe the hype.
Techniques like joint locks and submissions give you a false sense of power and confidence because they feel empowering. When you can cause controllable pain over another human being it gives you a real boost. I'll admit, it's cool getting someone to tap with a finger lock or pass out with a strangle, but in reality those methods are inefficient and improbable. While joint locks are appealing and look bad ass, they are improbable and a handful are only successful after a subject is under control. Submissions do work, there is no doubt about that, but they should be viewed as secondary techniques since they require more time in training and should only be used when striking is not an option. Depending on your position, most strangles can still be replaced with a strike.
The more you know, the worse off you will be.
Ever heard of the Hick-Hymen Law?
The Hick-Hyman Law, named after British psychologist William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman, describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices he or she has. The Hick-Hyman Law assesses cognitive information capacity in choice reaction experiments. The amount of time taken to process a certain amount of bits in the Hick-Hyman Law is known as the rate of gain of information. Given n equally probable choices, the average reaction time T required to choose among them is approximately
T = b \cdot \log_{2}(n + 1)
Translation: the more choices you have the slower you're reaction time. If you have several choices, it will take you that much longer that if you had a single choice.
When you have multiple self defenses to recall for a multitude of situations you will freeze. Single minded, simple solutions will give you the fastest reaction time. In the quick and the dead world of self defense, it's better to be fast than accurate. Any counter attack you provide creates an opportunity for another attack. Chain a few together and you have the momentum. Gain the momentum and you can cause injury. Cause more injury and you will win the day.
Now, while most experts will agree with what I have to say, their actions are contradictory because they still let reasoning and conscience fears creep into a situation that is devoid of reasoning and common sense.
Proven defensive tactics must be:
1. Extremely simple with limited options
2. Based on distance, position, balance and momentum
3. Inflict maximum damage on your target and minimum damage to yourself
Getting cut with a knife will not kill you.
You will get cut, it's a fact. Most martial artists will say that before they teach their twisty-wristy technique. These are the same guys who will comment, "look the knife nicked him in the leg".
In response I would like to offer medical fact and a quote from Grossman's "On Combat" to your keen observations.
"Your resolve to succeed must include the possibility of losing some blood. You can loose a half-gallon of blood and your body will continue to mechanically function. Ceasing to fight before that much blood is lost is due to a lack of will, not lack of hydraulics."
Did you get that boys and girls, you can loose a half gallon of blood before you start to seize up.
So let;s recap the facts as we know them:
1. You can not perform finite motor skills under stress, this includes small circular motions or precision type movements (read: trapping or catching the weapon!!!!)
2. Your mind will hook into one single act. Your best bet is to ensure that act is the most productive act possible. Injuring your attacker trumps chasing the weapon.
3. You will not die instantly from any stab wound, even less from a superficial stab wound.
Some people get it, others don't or aren't ready too. Personally, I've spent years and thousands of hours of training on methods that just didn't work. And before you say "well you weren't training the right way or you weren't good enough." I think 3 black belts, several national championships, being all state in two sports and a division 1 college athlete will qualify me for having the skill, the will, the determination and the hand eye coordination to perform physical acts under stress. Plus my coaching and instruction reads like a who's who list (you can see that list a the bottom of the page HERE).
When I started this in 1989, all I wanted was the truth. It would be very easy for me to offer up what everyone offers, the right dialogue with warmed over martial arts. I'm sure the people offering other solutions really believe what they are saying, but they get caught up in reasoning and let the solutions satisfy the conscience of the people watching, from a distance and far removed from the real life situation, these methods appear to work. But in the crucible of reality they fail miserably.
I didn't let ego and time invested determine what works. I prefer science and fact. Hey, I was one of those guys. I knew tons of self defense techniques, I knew over 30 katas, I competed in everything from point fighting, kick boxing to grappling. But when I reflected my own real life experiences against my training I realized there was a huge disconnect. What I did in my real life was more like MMA. I found myself "fighting" with people. This took a lot of time and energy. There had to be a better way.
The other observation I made was that when I witnessed tough, accomplished martial artists use force in the real world...it looked the same. One strike and grappling. No wrist locks, no fancy breathing and mind control. Just destroy what's in front of you. Any other "hold" was performed when the subject was pinned down by other team members OR when the subject was knocked unconscious.
I also love the story of Gichin Funikoshi in "Karate-Do". In it, he recalled his only real life self defense situation when he was about to get mugged. He didn't even punch the guy, he simply grabbed his testicles and squeezed until the guy fell down. Not only did I find the passage revealing, I found it honest and right on point. For all that training, he just grabbed his nuts.
The problems I found with all methods of self defense was that the situations never happened the way I was trained or told they were going to happen. I found myself looking and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. This almost got me killed. Thank God I wasn't alone.
Which brings us to MARTIAL ART'S FATAL FLAW.
There is one major problem with all technique-based self defense systems. This flaw will get you beaten and left for dead. The flaw is not in what you train, but more in how you train. The flaw is training to wait. Waiting is the biggest mistake you can ever make. When you train you wait for him to grab you, you wait for him to show the weapon, you wait for him to punch, you wait for him to make an aggressive mood towards you. You wait, you're finished.
This training trains you to hesitate. Does he have a weapon, does he have friends? What does he want? Listen, and listen good, once someone attacks you your chance of survival decreases dramatically. Speed beats accuracy.
You need to system that takes all of these possibilities into account with every move you make. This way, it doesn't matter what he does. It doesn't matter if he has a weapon, it doesn't matter if he has friends, none of that will matter. It can't. The only decision you need to make is GO or NO GO.
I used to know hundreds of self defense techniques. Now I know only one and it's based on DISTANCE, POSITION, MOMENTUM and BALANCE.
Some people see the SDTS and get it like I did in 1989. Others will try to cling to their wasted time, money and effort. Martial arts has it's place, it's just not in self defense. Hey, it doesn't matter to me, I know the truth. I've been down that road. It's funny, I know exactly where you are, just by the comments I receive. Some people aren't ready for it. No problem, there are millions who are...I'll talk to them.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
VIDEO: The Truth About Knife Defense
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES AND VIDEO
No one wants to get stabbed. The compulsion to avoid being stabbed and shot is completely normal. However, if you find yourself in the most unfortunate position of facing an armed man and you are completely unarmed you can survive and even win, but it's not like you've been lead to believe.
Self defense is like religion. It takes a large group of insecure people and gives them what they need to hear. Self defense and martial arts makes people feel safe and confident. Most people seek out these endeavors because they are scared or think they are insufficient in certain areas. That's OK, we all felt this way at one point or another. Martial arts calms those fears and gives them something tangible to do about it without actually having to do it. Martial arts have been engineered to manage those fears.
Martial arts instructors tell their students "Do this and you won't get hurt." "Do that and you will discourage your attacker without having to hurt him." Now I don't believe they do this with malicious intent, they believe they are telling the truth. It's just that they have been fed misinformation, just like their instructor and their instructor's instructor.
I should know, I used to be one of them.
Look, no one in their right mind wants to get hurt or hurt someone. We want to live our lives and not be bothered. Unfortunately, there are people who don't feel the same way and who don't really care if you live or die if you have something they want. Now you have a choice: hedge your bet and hope nothing ever happens or do something about it.
Because you're even reading this you obviously want to do something about so here goes.
Let's get one thing straight: weapons defense or any self defense for that matter is like going through a wall of flame. You know there will be pain involved, but how much depends on how fast and how hard you go through it. Dancing around the fire will get you burnt to extra crispy. You're best bet is to go through it and charge hard.
The same holds true for self defense. Most people want to avoid the risk of injury and pain of self defense. So they dance around it and provide solutions that make you feel warm and fuzzy. They will show you methods that will appear to work and wrap the attacker up n a neat little package. While this appeals to your natural aversion to pain and violence, it is incredibly and dangerously wrong.
First, it trains you to believe that the self defense scenario will follow a specific pattern. He attacks like this, I do that. He does something else, I do something else. You are trained to think an attack is a finite set of moves when in reality those finite set of moves are infinite. The only thing finite about an assault are the common denominators of any attack: distance, position, momentum and balance. Everything else is secondary. In fact, what the Self Defense Training System tells us is that everything else is almost irrelevant.
Second, there is pain in self defense. Even if you hit him, you're hand will be sore and bones may be broken. Your best bet is to prepare for the inevitable and get ready to endure and inflict pain. Defending against an all out knife assault isn't any different.
If you ask any martial arts instructor about defending against a knife one of the first things he will tell you is "you will get cut." But then he proceeds to show you a technique that has you focusing on controlling the weapon and keeping it away from your body, being very careful not to let the weapon touch you. Like this guy here:
Here is a typical knife defense
A couple of key points you need to take a look at:
1. Expert says that if he get's stabbed in the belly, the fight is probably over.
Ask this guy if the fight was over:
You're body is designed to withstand a lot of punishment. Most knife assault victims, without any training at all, have suffered severe stab wounds and didn't even know they were cut until AFTER the conflict. So the bad news is, you will probably get cut, but the good news is you won't even know it, you won't die instantly and you will still be able to fight. What you need to do is to train aggressively, hit hard, take ground and destroy what ever it is in front of you. In the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) you learn how to hit and cause damage from Module one through Module 12. It is imperative you develop the skill set to do this.
2. The Fancy Wrist Lock.
OK, stop looking at the picture above. I know, it's gross, but the guy actually survived. Anyway, sliding up the elbow and performing a joint lock requires finite motor skills and the HUGE assumption that you're going to be able to identify the attack and react accordingly. t requires your target to remain still and to STOP HIS ATTACK. Hey, if this attacker wanted to gut him from his A-Hole to his appetite, do you think it would look like this?
When you practice with friends in a well lit training facility, these techniques appear to work. The only problem is, you both know what is going to happen. Even if it's a "random" training drill, you still have practiced it enough where your attacker literally knows how to approach you and you know which type of attack is coming next.
In the real world, there's a split second where your mind needs to grasp the reality of the situation (We call this the "OH SHIT!" moment). One second you're thinking about what this guy wants from you and the next "BAM!!!" He's stabbing the crap out of you.
When the attack happens, it's surreal, that's why you need a method of training that puts you on auto-pilot. You need to flip the switch and attack. Methods that teach complicated movements will cause your mind to freeze while systems like the SDTS that teach you a handful of core techniques and train you on how to adapt those methods to different situation work in the crucible of reality.
3. What is this cutesy bullshit of stabbing the guy with his own knife? Are we really taking this seriously. I've seen every one from Bas Ruetten to this guy do this crap. Just knock him the F#$K out!!! That's it. I'm sure, in this particular case, the bad guy isn't going to resist since he was just trying to gut you a split second ago. Especially since the expert HASN'T EVEN HIT HIM YET!!!! I'm sure your attacker is just going to sit there while you fillet his kidneys.
This defense also depends on the presumption that you're going to be attacked with a single thrust. If you think he's going to attack you with a single technique, think again...
This is what a worse case scenario looks like:
So kids, what did we learn from this video?
10" blade and the victim didn't die instantly. Wait, what? He got stabbed and didn't fall down?!?! (Maybe he's a witch).
Seriously, this is as bad as it gets, you're sitting there one minute thinking how many hours you have left on your shift and then BAM you're getting skewered. No harsh words, no posturing, the bad guy just comes up and starts stabbing you. Looks like the security guard was trying to what...grab the knife. His reaction to control the weapon only leads to him being stabbed over and over again. Good luck with that tactic. Look at it this way, at least if you get stabbed in the body, you'll have an open casket.
Next you have stuff like this:
Now this guy says a lot of correct things, he starts off strong except the "if you get stabbed you will probably die instantly". He's correct with the continue striking but of course he knees the guy in the body which is a lot tougher than hitting him in proven knock out spots. And then what does he do? On his initial contact...HE GRABS THE DAMN KNIFE ARM.
Listen, if you happen to wind up with it OK. The problem is that the split second you search for it, you're done. You can't train like that. When the "fit hits the shan" and you start trying to control the stabbing arm you will be locked into completing that task before you start striking him.
This is important to understand and goes over a lot of people's heads. If in some point you are trained to control the weapon "AS A PRIORITY" you will try to control the weapon until you have control of it. This is how we act under stress. If you chase the weapon the attacker will then do to you what you should be doing to him and that is: BEAT YOU TO A PULP. Great you have two hands on the knife, he has one hand free to destroy you with.
Training is all about developing habits. Tactics are a set of techniques based on a specific set of priorities. Your priority is to disable and injure the attacker as fast as possible.
Plus, the bad guy makes it easy with a "looping" type of attack. I teach assailants to ATTACK PISSED OFF. Keep the assault tight and strong.
What works is simple, avoid the initial attack and then destroy the attacker. This defense from Module 8 of the SDTS actually fits with what the krav maga guy was telling you better than the technique he demonstrated.
The only real, proven method for any knife attack is to ATTACK, INJURE AND DISABLE THE ATTACKER AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Take a look at this A-HOLE:
*Just a note. I got some responses to this video saying "why don't you kick the knee or why are you hitting his back." First, I'm only hitting his back because I don't want to kill him He's my friend and I've grown attached to him). My strikes are really going for the back of his neck. Second, why in the world would I bother with his knee (a secondary target at best when I'm knocking him out). Sometimes I forget that the clips go out to non SDTS members.
This is an outtake from Module 8 of The Self Defense Training System "Weapons Defensive Tactics" and yes, the A-Hole is me. Which is another truth. This is an outtake from Module 8 of the SDTS and this goes with the knife defense blog post. I should point out that the strikes are to the back of target's neck. His back gets hit because I've grown attached to him over the past few decades. In realty, this is the only type of proven defense to actually work under real world conditions. Evade or PREEMPT the initial attack and then take the target out as fast as possible. Which means attacking his most vulnerable areas as fast as possible. The head and neck are the most obvious choice for two reasons. First, its a target rich environment offer you many places to knock hm cold. Second, it controls his direction, power and ability to use the weapon.
You don't get points for a partially correct answer. A lot of guys have the correct response with an initial evade/strike. But then they go chasing after the knife. WHY BOTHER?!?!?!
If you don't knock the guy out with the first shot, you still have a fight on your hands and even if you do grab the weapon hand/limb, he still can injure you with strikes as well.
If you knock him a little silly or even get him to pause he won't be stabbing you and you will have an opportunity to inflict more damage on him. The more injury he suffers the less dangerous he becomes. If you get him to pause and then go for the knife, you've just given him the opportunity to recover and realize that he's got a fight on his hands.
If he's knocked out, he's not stabbing anyone.
"But what if one of his friends comes along and picks up the knife and stabs you?"
A: Use some common sense. If he had another friend there intent on killing you, don't you think he would have stepped up while you were beating the crap out of his friend?
Also, are you going to sit there and watch while some guy comes along and picks up the weapon...OR are you going to stop hitting him and take the time to chase the weapon if he happens to drop it?
Let me see, he drops the weapon and you're going to stop attacking him, go get the weapon and give him an opportunity to recover and attack you again. I'll take my chances continuing my counter attack. Besides (all you budding budo-lawyers) wouldn't using his weapon against him be an act of murder?!?!?!?! That's a dig, I really don't care.
A weapon, any weapon is only as dangerous as the maniac wielding it and getting cut while you're pummeling someone to a pulp is a 180 degree different than getting stabbed while someone is killing you.
Finally, it's the rhythm of how you train. Self defense has a rhythm. It is 100% all out in a short burst (like a drag car race). There isn't any posturing, there isn't any time. There is only GO and NO GO. Once you decide to act it must be ruthless and brutal. Methods of self defense that feature sparring are counter productive to methods of self defense. Sparring and sporting based systems teach you to size up your target and look for openings while self defense trains you to attack and take whatever you can get. It is a "ready-fire-aim" formula.
If you spend most of your time sparring and grappling you're doing you're undermining your defensive tactics. Self defense trains you to determine intent and then act ruthlessly and viciously without quarter. This is why you should always avoid conflict unless it's absolutely necessary. Because it's not getting him to tap or say uncle, it's you fighting for your life.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
No one wants to get stabbed. The compulsion to avoid being stabbed and shot is completely normal. However, if you find yourself in the most unfortunate position of facing an armed man and you are completely unarmed you can survive and even win, but it's not like you've been lead to believe.
Self defense is like religion. It takes a large group of insecure people and gives them what they need to hear. Self defense and martial arts makes people feel safe and confident. Most people seek out these endeavors because they are scared or think they are insufficient in certain areas. That's OK, we all felt this way at one point or another. Martial arts calms those fears and gives them something tangible to do about it without actually having to do it. Martial arts have been engineered to manage those fears.
Martial arts instructors tell their students "Do this and you won't get hurt." "Do that and you will discourage your attacker without having to hurt him." Now I don't believe they do this with malicious intent, they believe they are telling the truth. It's just that they have been fed misinformation, just like their instructor and their instructor's instructor.
I should know, I used to be one of them.
Look, no one in their right mind wants to get hurt or hurt someone. We want to live our lives and not be bothered. Unfortunately, there are people who don't feel the same way and who don't really care if you live or die if you have something they want. Now you have a choice: hedge your bet and hope nothing ever happens or do something about it.
Because you're even reading this you obviously want to do something about so here goes.
Let's get one thing straight: weapons defense or any self defense for that matter is like going through a wall of flame. You know there will be pain involved, but how much depends on how fast and how hard you go through it. Dancing around the fire will get you burnt to extra crispy. You're best bet is to go through it and charge hard.
The same holds true for self defense. Most people want to avoid the risk of injury and pain of self defense. So they dance around it and provide solutions that make you feel warm and fuzzy. They will show you methods that will appear to work and wrap the attacker up n a neat little package. While this appeals to your natural aversion to pain and violence, it is incredibly and dangerously wrong.
First, it trains you to believe that the self defense scenario will follow a specific pattern. He attacks like this, I do that. He does something else, I do something else. You are trained to think an attack is a finite set of moves when in reality those finite set of moves are infinite. The only thing finite about an assault are the common denominators of any attack: distance, position, momentum and balance. Everything else is secondary. In fact, what the Self Defense Training System tells us is that everything else is almost irrelevant.
Second, there is pain in self defense. Even if you hit him, you're hand will be sore and bones may be broken. Your best bet is to prepare for the inevitable and get ready to endure and inflict pain. Defending against an all out knife assault isn't any different.
If you ask any martial arts instructor about defending against a knife one of the first things he will tell you is "you will get cut." But then he proceeds to show you a technique that has you focusing on controlling the weapon and keeping it away from your body, being very careful not to let the weapon touch you. Like this guy here:
Here is a typical knife defense
A couple of key points you need to take a look at:
1. Expert says that if he get's stabbed in the belly, the fight is probably over.
Ask this guy if the fight was over:
You're body is designed to withstand a lot of punishment. Most knife assault victims, without any training at all, have suffered severe stab wounds and didn't even know they were cut until AFTER the conflict. So the bad news is, you will probably get cut, but the good news is you won't even know it, you won't die instantly and you will still be able to fight. What you need to do is to train aggressively, hit hard, take ground and destroy what ever it is in front of you. In the Self Defense Training System (SDTS) you learn how to hit and cause damage from Module one through Module 12. It is imperative you develop the skill set to do this.
2. The Fancy Wrist Lock.
OK, stop looking at the picture above. I know, it's gross, but the guy actually survived. Anyway, sliding up the elbow and performing a joint lock requires finite motor skills and the HUGE assumption that you're going to be able to identify the attack and react accordingly. t requires your target to remain still and to STOP HIS ATTACK. Hey, if this attacker wanted to gut him from his A-Hole to his appetite, do you think it would look like this?
When you practice with friends in a well lit training facility, these techniques appear to work. The only problem is, you both know what is going to happen. Even if it's a "random" training drill, you still have practiced it enough where your attacker literally knows how to approach you and you know which type of attack is coming next.
In the real world, there's a split second where your mind needs to grasp the reality of the situation (We call this the "OH SHIT!" moment). One second you're thinking about what this guy wants from you and the next "BAM!!!" He's stabbing the crap out of you.
When the attack happens, it's surreal, that's why you need a method of training that puts you on auto-pilot. You need to flip the switch and attack. Methods that teach complicated movements will cause your mind to freeze while systems like the SDTS that teach you a handful of core techniques and train you on how to adapt those methods to different situation work in the crucible of reality.
3. What is this cutesy bullshit of stabbing the guy with his own knife? Are we really taking this seriously. I've seen every one from Bas Ruetten to this guy do this crap. Just knock him the F#$K out!!! That's it. I'm sure, in this particular case, the bad guy isn't going to resist since he was just trying to gut you a split second ago. Especially since the expert HASN'T EVEN HIT HIM YET!!!! I'm sure your attacker is just going to sit there while you fillet his kidneys.
This defense also depends on the presumption that you're going to be attacked with a single thrust. If you think he's going to attack you with a single technique, think again...
This is what a worse case scenario looks like:
So kids, what did we learn from this video?
10" blade and the victim didn't die instantly. Wait, what? He got stabbed and didn't fall down?!?! (Maybe he's a witch).
Seriously, this is as bad as it gets, you're sitting there one minute thinking how many hours you have left on your shift and then BAM you're getting skewered. No harsh words, no posturing, the bad guy just comes up and starts stabbing you. Looks like the security guard was trying to what...grab the knife. His reaction to control the weapon only leads to him being stabbed over and over again. Good luck with that tactic. Look at it this way, at least if you get stabbed in the body, you'll have an open casket.
Next you have stuff like this:
Now this guy says a lot of correct things, he starts off strong except the "if you get stabbed you will probably die instantly". He's correct with the continue striking but of course he knees the guy in the body which is a lot tougher than hitting him in proven knock out spots. And then what does he do? On his initial contact...HE GRABS THE DAMN KNIFE ARM.
Listen, if you happen to wind up with it OK. The problem is that the split second you search for it, you're done. You can't train like that. When the "fit hits the shan" and you start trying to control the stabbing arm you will be locked into completing that task before you start striking him.
This is important to understand and goes over a lot of people's heads. If in some point you are trained to control the weapon "AS A PRIORITY" you will try to control the weapon until you have control of it. This is how we act under stress. If you chase the weapon the attacker will then do to you what you should be doing to him and that is: BEAT YOU TO A PULP. Great you have two hands on the knife, he has one hand free to destroy you with.
Training is all about developing habits. Tactics are a set of techniques based on a specific set of priorities. Your priority is to disable and injure the attacker as fast as possible.
Plus, the bad guy makes it easy with a "looping" type of attack. I teach assailants to ATTACK PISSED OFF. Keep the assault tight and strong.
What works is simple, avoid the initial attack and then destroy the attacker. This defense from Module 8 of the SDTS actually fits with what the krav maga guy was telling you better than the technique he demonstrated.
The only real, proven method for any knife attack is to ATTACK, INJURE AND DISABLE THE ATTACKER AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Take a look at this A-HOLE:
*Just a note. I got some responses to this video saying "why don't you kick the knee or why are you hitting his back." First, I'm only hitting his back because I don't want to kill him He's my friend and I've grown attached to him). My strikes are really going for the back of his neck. Second, why in the world would I bother with his knee (a secondary target at best when I'm knocking him out). Sometimes I forget that the clips go out to non SDTS members.
This is an outtake from Module 8 of The Self Defense Training System "Weapons Defensive Tactics" and yes, the A-Hole is me. Which is another truth. This is an outtake from Module 8 of the SDTS and this goes with the knife defense blog post. I should point out that the strikes are to the back of target's neck. His back gets hit because I've grown attached to him over the past few decades. In realty, this is the only type of proven defense to actually work under real world conditions. Evade or PREEMPT the initial attack and then take the target out as fast as possible. Which means attacking his most vulnerable areas as fast as possible. The head and neck are the most obvious choice for two reasons. First, its a target rich environment offer you many places to knock hm cold. Second, it controls his direction, power and ability to use the weapon.
You don't get points for a partially correct answer. A lot of guys have the correct response with an initial evade/strike. But then they go chasing after the knife. WHY BOTHER?!?!?!
If you don't knock the guy out with the first shot, you still have a fight on your hands and even if you do grab the weapon hand/limb, he still can injure you with strikes as well.
If you knock him a little silly or even get him to pause he won't be stabbing you and you will have an opportunity to inflict more damage on him. The more injury he suffers the less dangerous he becomes. If you get him to pause and then go for the knife, you've just given him the opportunity to recover and realize that he's got a fight on his hands.
If he's knocked out, he's not stabbing anyone.
"But what if one of his friends comes along and picks up the knife and stabs you?"
A: Use some common sense. If he had another friend there intent on killing you, don't you think he would have stepped up while you were beating the crap out of his friend?
Also, are you going to sit there and watch while some guy comes along and picks up the weapon...OR are you going to stop hitting him and take the time to chase the weapon if he happens to drop it?
Let me see, he drops the weapon and you're going to stop attacking him, go get the weapon and give him an opportunity to recover and attack you again. I'll take my chances continuing my counter attack. Besides (all you budding budo-lawyers) wouldn't using his weapon against him be an act of murder?!?!?!?! That's a dig, I really don't care.
A weapon, any weapon is only as dangerous as the maniac wielding it and getting cut while you're pummeling someone to a pulp is a 180 degree different than getting stabbed while someone is killing you.
Finally, it's the rhythm of how you train. Self defense has a rhythm. It is 100% all out in a short burst (like a drag car race). There isn't any posturing, there isn't any time. There is only GO and NO GO. Once you decide to act it must be ruthless and brutal. Methods of self defense that feature sparring are counter productive to methods of self defense. Sparring and sporting based systems teach you to size up your target and look for openings while self defense trains you to attack and take whatever you can get. It is a "ready-fire-aim" formula.
If you spend most of your time sparring and grappling you're doing you're undermining your defensive tactics. Self defense trains you to determine intent and then act ruthlessly and viciously without quarter. This is why you should always avoid conflict unless it's absolutely necessary. Because it's not getting him to tap or say uncle, it's you fighting for your life.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
VIDEO-Close Combat Footwork with Damian Ross of the Self Defense Company
The boring, basic things are the usually the most important to learn. Everyone wants to learn a fancy, secret movie move, but the truth is: fundamentals will save your ass. In this clip, Damian Ross of the Self Defense Company shows you the real applications of the fundamental footwork from Module 1 of The Self Defense Training System. You never know where you will be attacked, snow, sand, street or your office. So instead of learning to move several different ways, the SDTS shows you one way to move for ANY TERRAIN. This common denominator approach is vital to the SDTS.
The biggest misconception in all of martial arts and combat sports is this: "the more moves you learn, the better you are." Your instinct is to try to cover your bases with tiny, technical details. At one point in my life I tried to practice and master hundreds of techniques, while in reality, I really only ever used 5 and probably needed 3.
All you need is only a handful of primary techniques coupled with sound tactics. Like good, convulsive, ground pounding footwork for example. This is in direct contrast to the sliding type motions taught by most traditional style martial arts. Over the years I've heard a variety of explanations for sliding foot work from the "understandable" to the downright ridiculous. One guy, who shall remain nameless, actually said "you should slide your feet in case you were fighting on the ledge of a building". My response was, "Should I shit myself, then slide my feet or slide my feet while shitting myself?" Seriously, who am I, Bruce Willis? If I'm fighting on a ledge, I've got way bigger problems...like falling to my death.
Yes, martial artists tend to make up a whole host of wild explanations. And I don't think it's malicious. It's just that for years we've been forced to learn superfluous techniques without any reason why. I remembered learning a "Mountain Block" in a Tae Kwon Do form. I tried finding an image but it was extremely difficult, so I'll describe it. You step into a horse stance (feet spread a shoulder and a half width apart, weight distribution is equal on both legs). When you step into the horse stance you bring both arms up at the same time until they are bent at 90 degrees. You end up looking like you're doing a double bicep pose. I was told this was to block two round kicks at your head simultaneously. Even though I was still sipping the Kool-Aide, I knew, in no way, that this was ever going to work in the real world...EVER.
So I digress, your footwork should be stomping and weight bearing. This will not only secure your footing on unfriendly terrain, but every stomp could scrap a shin or an instep.
If you don't have good footwork, you won't be standing very long. If you don't have good foot work, you won't be able to deliver power in your strikes. If you don't have good footwork, you're useless.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
VIDEO: Cold Weather Hand to Hand Combat Training with Damian Ross, The Self Def...
Gi or no gi...bullshit. It's cold, you wear clothes. Unless you get attacked at the beach or in you sleep in the buff and have to fight naked (this did happen to me once and I do not recommend it, that's a long story and even a longer post).
Even a t-shirt is enough to grab and manipulate. You train for where you live, you train in what you wear. This time of year the northeast US it's freezing. There's ice on the ground and we are wearing clothing that not only can be grabbed, but restricts movement as well. Logic dictates that if you're serious about self defense, you need to prepare for the likely event that you will be attacked, outside, in the cold on the ice and snow. This is featured in module 1 of the Self Defense Training System
You need to practice in what you wear and hit something when your hands are cold. during my football days, when the temperature dropped, and you hit someone there was an extra sting to it. A tiny shot of pain over the normal violence of the game. The same holds true for close combat, especially hand to hand. Your hands will sting, your muscles will feel sluggish and you'll feel like your stuck in cement. It is a frustrating, awful feeling so you better get used to it. You better practice, even if it's just a few times, in the cold.
If you can't move your dummy outdoors or in your garage, use a pad or a pillow and duct tape it to something. Set it up where there is snow and ice on the ground. Practice your favorite combinations without any warm up and wearing your everyday clothing. When I wore a suit, I trained consistently in a suit. About once every few months. Not long, about a 1/4 of the time of a normal workout. This was just enough to mind set for the likely event that I would be protecting a client or working my day job.
While were at it, next time you're at work, which I'm sure the vast majority of you already do, imagine a live shooter scenario. Practice calling 9-1-1 and then look at the layout. Notice where the exits are, imagine f you were boxed in and had no where to go except through the shooter or, your just one of those people who would have to go all "Bill Badger" on the SOB. Whatever the case may be, you don't need to actually go through the movements and freak out all of your coworkers. But you can go through the scenario in your mind. It probably won't happen the way you imagine, it hardly ever does, but it sets a foundation for action and action saves lives.
Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Friday, January 14, 2011
The "Quick Fix" for Self Defense
The Self Defense Training System has been called the "quick fix" of martial arts. I'm assuming by traditional martial artists since when you post "anonymously" I really can only assume.
NOT AN SDTS MEMBER (though he probably would be if he knew what he was getting into)
First off, The Self Defense Training System (SDTS) isn't martial arts. It's not a sport or cultural exploration. There are not any forms to learn or uniforms to wear. There isn't a required time period or number of lessons. There aren't any sporting techniques or complicated movements. Quite simply, it's tactics and techniques that can be mastered in the shortest amount of time and recalled under extreme stress. It should go without saying that the methods are designed so that you inflict the most damage to your target while incurring the least amount of injury to yourself.
So, is it a "Quick Fix". I say HELL YES IT IS. It also happens to be the ONLY FIX, the quick fix is the correct fix. The alternative...the long fix is not really a viable self defense alternative at all.
Listen, before I start ruffling feathers, martial arts has it's place. Fitness, character building, community building and self confidence and you can get those benefits from martial arts or any other sport activity under the right coaching. The only thing martial arts provides that sports don't is a chance for the below average and average participant to receive proper instruction since sport coaches tend to focus on the better athletes. Plus, as an adult, there really aren't too many activities other than yoga, pilates and martial arts.
The SDTS isn't pilates and it isn't martial arts. So that begs the question:
Why do martial artists still sipping the kool-aide hate me so much?
It's simple, if I'm right (which I am), then the self defense benefit claimed by martial arts is done like dinner. After MMA they climbed on the self defense band wagon and started saying what we've been saying for years "MMA is a demanding combat sport, not self defense." This is true, but memorizing pre-arranged dance moves and sparring in plastic booties isn't self defense either.
If you're a smart martial artists, you know the difference. But if you're claiming that you teach sport, self defense, grappling, mma and traditional martial arts you're a snake oil salesman (which I have been accused of). The average martial artist trains between 2 and 5 hours per week. Listen, you can't do all that in that limited amount of time. It would be like trying to be a painter, carpenter, engineer and architect. There just aren't enough hours in the day.
To run a successful martial arts school you need students enrolled longer. On the back end you will find testing fees, contracts, private lessons and upsells into other programs. The more complicated it is, the longer you will have to stay. The longer you stay, the more you spend.
Don't get me wrong, if you're enjoying your martial arts experience and you think it's worth it, great- who am I to tell you what you enjoy. But if you think that you have to spend 5 years and thousands of dollars to learn how to protect yourself....you're sadly mistaken.
All you need is the will to survive, something to hit and the proper instruction. Most people training in the SDTS see results in a month. After about a year...you're good to go. Two years to become an instructor. Like I mentioned before, no fancy moves, sport sparring, kata's or forms frees up A LOT OF TIME!
Hell is takes a soldier 6 weeks of basic training to get in shape and learn how to shoot a weapon. Let's say basic training is 12 hours a day (I'm including chow time), That's about 432 hours. If you did 6 hours per week (1 hour a day for 6 days a week) you would see similar results in 18 months. This includes any physical training as well. So in a year and a half you could learn how to kick ass and be in boot camp style shape. But no, your local martial arts guy brags that it takes someone 5 years to know what you're doing. Hell, lawyers take less time (insert lawyer joke here).
Let's roll the clock back a bit on traditional karate. In it's infancy, Okinawan Karate was primarily two techniques (reverse punch and front kick). Sure there are more techniques but your primary focus was on these two techniques. You did a ton of hand conditioning, makiwara training and over all physical fitness. The goal was ikken hitsatsu (one strike, one kill). The purpose was to develop those skills to the point that you destroyed everything you hit. Sparring contests were extremely boring by today's standards where two combatants would stalk each other until the perfect moment to strike. This mind set and method came directly from came from the samurai way of dueling.
Those two techniques could then be adapted to any combat situation. Is the answer to combat that simple? The truth is yes it is. When you're training for combat you only care about one thing: what works. It was later that martial arts became commercialized. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just the way things are. By the time Karate hit the US, it was already WAY OVER HYPED thanks to WWII and the prowess and folklore of the Japanese soldier. Westerners played no small part in perpetuating that hype and in some cases, making it more brutal than it was in previous years. But unfortunately you can't earn a living being brutal. In reality only a small percentage of people are willing to subject themselves to rigorous training. And even those people are prone to injury.
The modern business model for martial arts studios includes a lot of aerobic and kickboxing activity coupled with calisthenics. This is all fine, but very little is focused on self defense or even the building of those skills. Most fighting skills are centered around sparring that has little to do with actual street fighting. MMA is even more convoluted since the time is split between striking, grappling and submissions. The fact is even at 5 hours per week, you will never be able to be seriously proficient at any of those skills for several years. Grappling is by far the hardest to master (ever wonder why the vast majority of MMA studs are elite wrestlers?).
What is called self defense by martial artists is a series of unconnected, choreographed movements that are based on the action = reaction principle. That means, he does this, I do that. If laws of physics teach you anything is that Action s always faster than Reaction. So if you think some guy is going to grab your throat and wait for you to do something...good luck with that.
The SDTS is not a reaction based system of self defense. It's position and distance based, just like firearms. It does not contain a huge quantity of techniques to master. It's funny, years ago I remember receiving a return from a woman who said, this is very repetitive. My answer was simply...No Shit. I know, not very corporate of me, but then again, I ditched the suit and tie a long time ago.
Listen, it's simple, it's quick and it only takes between 8 to 14 months to become awesome. Physical conditioning not withstanding. FACT: the better in shape you are, the better chance you have to survive but if your time is limited would you rather learn to beat the piss out of someone or do 20 minutes on the treadmill?
Quick fix, yes it is, but IT IS A FIX IF NOT THE ONLY FIX. Listen, I could have given you martial arts repackaged with a cool name, but I didn't. Why didn't I just give you karate, FMA, Judo or AIKI JUJUTSU, BJJ, Wrestling, TKD or an MMA style program to cash in on what's already popular. I'm clearly qualified to do so. I could put out anything I want. The reason I didn't is simple, this is what works and it's not that complicated. Anyone who tells you you need to spend several years training to become proficient in self defense (not martial arts or sports) is either trying to get your money or has not idea what they are talking about.
Here's Your Quick Fix CLICK HERE
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
NOT AN SDTS MEMBER (though he probably would be if he knew what he was getting into)First off, The Self Defense Training System (SDTS) isn't martial arts. It's not a sport or cultural exploration. There are not any forms to learn or uniforms to wear. There isn't a required time period or number of lessons. There aren't any sporting techniques or complicated movements. Quite simply, it's tactics and techniques that can be mastered in the shortest amount of time and recalled under extreme stress. It should go without saying that the methods are designed so that you inflict the most damage to your target while incurring the least amount of injury to yourself.
So, is it a "Quick Fix". I say HELL YES IT IS. It also happens to be the ONLY FIX, the quick fix is the correct fix. The alternative...the long fix is not really a viable self defense alternative at all.
Listen, before I start ruffling feathers, martial arts has it's place. Fitness, character building, community building and self confidence and you can get those benefits from martial arts or any other sport activity under the right coaching. The only thing martial arts provides that sports don't is a chance for the below average and average participant to receive proper instruction since sport coaches tend to focus on the better athletes. Plus, as an adult, there really aren't too many activities other than yoga, pilates and martial arts.
The SDTS isn't pilates and it isn't martial arts. So that begs the question:
Why do martial artists still sipping the kool-aide hate me so much?
It's simple, if I'm right (which I am), then the self defense benefit claimed by martial arts is done like dinner. After MMA they climbed on the self defense band wagon and started saying what we've been saying for years "MMA is a demanding combat sport, not self defense." This is true, but memorizing pre-arranged dance moves and sparring in plastic booties isn't self defense either.
If you're a smart martial artists, you know the difference. But if you're claiming that you teach sport, self defense, grappling, mma and traditional martial arts you're a snake oil salesman (which I have been accused of). The average martial artist trains between 2 and 5 hours per week. Listen, you can't do all that in that limited amount of time. It would be like trying to be a painter, carpenter, engineer and architect. There just aren't enough hours in the day.
To run a successful martial arts school you need students enrolled longer. On the back end you will find testing fees, contracts, private lessons and upsells into other programs. The more complicated it is, the longer you will have to stay. The longer you stay, the more you spend.
Don't get me wrong, if you're enjoying your martial arts experience and you think it's worth it, great- who am I to tell you what you enjoy. But if you think that you have to spend 5 years and thousands of dollars to learn how to protect yourself....you're sadly mistaken.
All you need is the will to survive, something to hit and the proper instruction. Most people training in the SDTS see results in a month. After about a year...you're good to go. Two years to become an instructor. Like I mentioned before, no fancy moves, sport sparring, kata's or forms frees up A LOT OF TIME!
Hell is takes a soldier 6 weeks of basic training to get in shape and learn how to shoot a weapon. Let's say basic training is 12 hours a day (I'm including chow time), That's about 432 hours. If you did 6 hours per week (1 hour a day for 6 days a week) you would see similar results in 18 months. This includes any physical training as well. So in a year and a half you could learn how to kick ass and be in boot camp style shape. But no, your local martial arts guy brags that it takes someone 5 years to know what you're doing. Hell, lawyers take less time (insert lawyer joke here).
Let's roll the clock back a bit on traditional karate. In it's infancy, Okinawan Karate was primarily two techniques (reverse punch and front kick). Sure there are more techniques but your primary focus was on these two techniques. You did a ton of hand conditioning, makiwara training and over all physical fitness. The goal was ikken hitsatsu (one strike, one kill). The purpose was to develop those skills to the point that you destroyed everything you hit. Sparring contests were extremely boring by today's standards where two combatants would stalk each other until the perfect moment to strike. This mind set and method came directly from came from the samurai way of dueling.
Those two techniques could then be adapted to any combat situation. Is the answer to combat that simple? The truth is yes it is. When you're training for combat you only care about one thing: what works. It was later that martial arts became commercialized. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just the way things are. By the time Karate hit the US, it was already WAY OVER HYPED thanks to WWII and the prowess and folklore of the Japanese soldier. Westerners played no small part in perpetuating that hype and in some cases, making it more brutal than it was in previous years. But unfortunately you can't earn a living being brutal. In reality only a small percentage of people are willing to subject themselves to rigorous training. And even those people are prone to injury.
The modern business model for martial arts studios includes a lot of aerobic and kickboxing activity coupled with calisthenics. This is all fine, but very little is focused on self defense or even the building of those skills. Most fighting skills are centered around sparring that has little to do with actual street fighting. MMA is even more convoluted since the time is split between striking, grappling and submissions. The fact is even at 5 hours per week, you will never be able to be seriously proficient at any of those skills for several years. Grappling is by far the hardest to master (ever wonder why the vast majority of MMA studs are elite wrestlers?).
What is called self defense by martial artists is a series of unconnected, choreographed movements that are based on the action = reaction principle. That means, he does this, I do that. If laws of physics teach you anything is that Action s always faster than Reaction. So if you think some guy is going to grab your throat and wait for you to do something...good luck with that.
The SDTS is not a reaction based system of self defense. It's position and distance based, just like firearms. It does not contain a huge quantity of techniques to master. It's funny, years ago I remember receiving a return from a woman who said, this is very repetitive. My answer was simply...No Shit. I know, not very corporate of me, but then again, I ditched the suit and tie a long time ago.
Listen, it's simple, it's quick and it only takes between 8 to 14 months to become awesome. Physical conditioning not withstanding. FACT: the better in shape you are, the better chance you have to survive but if your time is limited would you rather learn to beat the piss out of someone or do 20 minutes on the treadmill?
Quick fix, yes it is, but IT IS A FIX IF NOT THE ONLY FIX. Listen, I could have given you martial arts repackaged with a cool name, but I didn't. Why didn't I just give you karate, FMA, Judo or AIKI JUJUTSU, BJJ, Wrestling, TKD or an MMA style program to cash in on what's already popular. I'm clearly qualified to do so. I could put out anything I want. The reason I didn't is simple, this is what works and it's not that complicated. Anyone who tells you you need to spend several years training to become proficient in self defense (not martial arts or sports) is either trying to get your money or has not idea what they are talking about.
Here's Your Quick Fix CLICK HERE
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Win $1000 from the Self Defense Company Contest Submissions!! (So far)
The following are the latest video submissions for the 2010 Where's Your Dojo contest!! The person who submits the winning video will receive $1000 from the Self Defense Company. We're going to crown the winner in January 2011.
For details on how you can get your gnarled hands on $1000 US go to the "Wheres Your Dojo" Contest Page HERE
This submission is from LtCol Darren Poesel of the USMC. He is training servicemen, woman and contractors with The Self Defense Training System in Kabul. At present, Darren in back in the sandbox again. God speed and come home safe Colonel.
This contest submission is from Vince Veloso training in the Self Defense Training System in New Jersey. Vince is a longtime martial artists and SDTS practitioner as well as a kick ass jazz musician.
This is Josef Prochazka from the Czech Republic. He's another longtime Self Defense Training System Practitioner who put together a small training group at his home.
Finally...a teaser from Gunther:
Gunther is a BIG fan of The Self Defense Training System. He lives on a farm in South Africa where he trains and speaks his mind....a lot (just look at his facebook posts on the SDC fan page). He's been with the SDTS for about a year and to tell the truth, between the simplicity and ease of use of the SDTS and the intensity and desire that Gunther trains with, it looks like he's been doing it for years. We should have his "official submission in a few days.
YOU WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER!!!
Voting will go like this, once all of the videos are in (the goal is 50 total or mid to late January) we will make an announcement to go to facebook and like your favorite videos. The one with the most likes at the end of a weeks time wins.
It's that simple.
If you think you can do better than what you see here, grab a camera (or even your phone) and put something together that's 1 to 4 minutes in length that demonstrates how you train and what the Self Defense Training System has done for you.
For Details go to the WHERES YOUR DOJO? Contest page HERE. The link is http://www.selfdefensecompany.com/contests.asp
I look forward to seeing your submission.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
For details on how you can get your gnarled hands on $1000 US go to the "Wheres Your Dojo" Contest Page HERE
This submission is from LtCol Darren Poesel of the USMC. He is training servicemen, woman and contractors with The Self Defense Training System in Kabul. At present, Darren in back in the sandbox again. God speed and come home safe Colonel.
This contest submission is from Vince Veloso training in the Self Defense Training System in New Jersey. Vince is a longtime martial artists and SDTS practitioner as well as a kick ass jazz musician.
This is Josef Prochazka from the Czech Republic. He's another longtime Self Defense Training System Practitioner who put together a small training group at his home.
Finally...a teaser from Gunther:
Gunther is a BIG fan of The Self Defense Training System. He lives on a farm in South Africa where he trains and speaks his mind....a lot (just look at his facebook posts on the SDC fan page). He's been with the SDTS for about a year and to tell the truth, between the simplicity and ease of use of the SDTS and the intensity and desire that Gunther trains with, it looks like he's been doing it for years. We should have his "official submission in a few days.
YOU WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER!!!
Voting will go like this, once all of the videos are in (the goal is 50 total or mid to late January) we will make an announcement to go to facebook and like your favorite videos. The one with the most likes at the end of a weeks time wins.
It's that simple.
If you think you can do better than what you see here, grab a camera (or even your phone) and put something together that's 1 to 4 minutes in length that demonstrates how you train and what the Self Defense Training System has done for you.
For Details go to the WHERES YOUR DOJO? Contest page HERE. The link is http://www.selfdefensecompany.com/contests.asp
I look forward to seeing your submission.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Thursday, November 25, 2010
VIDEO-Improvised Black Jack- Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company
http://www.theselfdefenseco.com/module11.asp
Self Defense Training System, Module 11 "Old School Weapons and Tactics" Preview
This clip was inspired by Module 11 of the Self Defense Training System titled "Old School Weapons and Tactics". In this clip Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company converts a few simple household items into a devastating impact weapon. Using a simple bandanna and a weighted object, in this case some steel nuts or a weight from a balloon display, you can have an incredibly effective impact weapon. We have used used everything from fishing weights, loose change to ball bearings and it all works well.
Sure you can do this many other items like a sock for example. But it's a lot easier to explain why your carrying a bandanna easier than it is a sock. If you're in law enforcement it's a good idea to store this type of thinking in the back of your head.
Most times the best weapons aren't even weapons at all. In Module 8 of the SDTS "Weapons Defense" we show you a plethora (thank you "Three Amigos") of weapons that you can pick up at your local hardware store. It doesn't have to be "combat certified" to do severe damage. Any number of hand tools are extremely lethal if used in the correct manner. This is something to keep in mind when you're thinking of home defense. A lot of people will go through great lengths to secrete various weapons throughout their homes. This s fine, but many times they will pass perfectly good tools to get to the one they've hidden. One exercise you can do is when you walk into a room, look for something that can be used as a weapon. Mark it's location and imagine how that weapon could be implemented. It's real simple and takes only seconds.
There are many states and countries that outlaw certain types of weapons. If you live in a place that outlaws pepper spray, wasp and hornet repellent makes a great substitute. The point is, restricting weapons NEVER stops men from dong evil to one another. For every new law, the criminal has figured out 10 ways around it. Remember the "Club". That device that locked your car's steering wheel into position? It took the car jacking world 5 seconds to figure out that if you cut the car's steering wheel with a hack saw, the club popped right off.
Where there is a will, there is a way. It works for booth good and evil.
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Monday, November 1, 2010
Damian Ross VIDEO: The SDTS Ground and Pound
The REAL combative "ground and pound". The ground and pound in MMA and ground and pound in the real world are a little different. In this clip Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company shows you what to avoid in a real life ground and pound scenario from Module 3 of the Self Defense Training System "Ground fighting for keeps.
The first problem with MMA ground and pound is simple, you have gloves, wraps and a soft mat beneath you. In MMA a straight punch is protected while in the street your unprotected fist can hit bone, ground or the hard concrete shattering knuckles and breaking wrists. To avoid this you want to condition your hands to deliver the strikes, use parts of your hands that can handle abuse like the edge of your hand or the heel and finally delver your strikes in more of an arcing trajectory. The edge of hand and hammer fist do this naturally while the heel of hand and fore fist must be trained a bit.
The other issue with the MMA ground and pound is that in the ring and in practice, you are trained to stop before your opponent is knocked out. This is done for safety reasons (as it should be) but you may literally "punch your self out" or punch yourself tired before your target is no longer a threat. With the combative or Self Defense Training System (SDTS) ground and pound you will train to move your target's cover and expose the real knock out targets before you get too exhausted. Because every one who's been there will tell you, your adrenaline will drain your energy in seconds, not minutes. You need to get your target under control, as fast as possible. Multiple threats and the real chance of your target being armed are your primary concerns. The longer the fight lasts, the worse it is for you.
I should mention that the preferred method for finishing a downed target is with your feet. But due to the realities of what really happens, it is hard to get past the impulse to mount your enemy and finish him the old school yard way.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Damian Ross VIDEO- The Self Defense Company Black Jack Billy Club combination 1
Up until the early 80's the black jack billy club was a favorite among law enforcement and bad guys alike. it's easily carried, concealed and incredibly brutal. The construction is simple, a lead weight welded to a spring and wrapped in leather. You can pick them up for less than $20.00 and is a personal favorite. The Black Jack is featured in Module 11 of the Self Defense Training System titled "Old School Weapons and Tactics". .
Is it effective? It works like magic. No joke, the black jack is like black belt in a bottle. It is scary how much damage it inflicts. Even when you ht non-lethal targets areas like the arms or hands the pain is excruciating. When you need to get someone's attention a quick flick on their wrist will be enough to buckle the average man's knees. So please use extreme caution when working with the black jack.
Years ago when I first started training with the black jack, I took it to my work out area and started using it on the training dummy. As I got warmed up, my workout got a little more intense, so much in fact that the black jack bounced off of the rubbery surface of the training dummy and cracked yours truly in the head. When came to my senses, my head was throbbing. I picked myself up off the floor, dusted off and realized two things. First, the black jack is no joke. Even off a deflected strike t had enough juice to put me down. Second, you must train with your weapon on a target that you can hit, stab or shoot. Imagine if that was in the real world and I clocked myself in the head. I would be as dead as Elvis. Training with live blades, impact weapons and firearms on realistic targets trains you to position your body in a particular way in relation to the weapon. Especially with edged weapons and impact weapons. The trajectory of the stab or strike changes slightly with the prospect of getting any sort of blow back from the weapon. You be come extremely aware of this with knives and other edged weapons.
If you're gong to carry a weapon, any weapon from pepper spray to firearms, it is foolish that you don't at least try it a few times to understand how it works and feels. Don't make the first time you use t when your life is on the line, because, at the risk of sounding corny, it could be your last.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Friday, October 22, 2010
VIDEO-Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company, Yawara Stick Combinations
This yawara stick combination comes from Module 11 of the Self Defense Training System titled "Old School weapons and Tactics". The yawara stick originated in Japanese jujutsu and reached it's peak in modern day popularity in the 1940's when it was used for police work. The stick itself can be made out of a variety of materials and have different end shapes varying from sharp and pointed to smooth and round. The stick is not illegal to carry and when made of wood is easy to transport. It is and EXTREMELY effective tool for focusing the power of your strikes and dramatically increases the penetration of damage into your target. Even strikes to the body, arms and legs are tremendously painful. The stick can also be used n grappling situations to create space and cause extreme pain to your target as seen in Module 11 of The Self Defense Training System.
This types of weapons are incredibly easy to obtain and carry. Even a close ASP baton can be used in this manner. Anything that is hard and a little larger than the width of your hand can be...oh, that didn't sound right. You know what I mean. You don't have to get all tactical to "make" one. They're cheap anyway, this one cost all of $10.00.
The next important point I want to stress is that the body mechanics for use of the weapon remain the same, this is true for all of the weapons used in the Self Defense Training System. This is deliberate by design since it is in efficient, impractical and ineffective to train different body mechanics for different weapons when under stress you can only recall a handful of gross motor skills. The SDTS in this way is modeled after Japanese Jujutsu. Where jujutsu and even judo were based on the sword, the Self Defense Training System is based on Module 1, Essential Self Defense . Once those core moves are mastered, it is easy to move through the program. This is what has been proven to work time and time again. Learning a basic skill set and adapting it to any situation is the method of training that has the highest success rate in the field. It doesn't matter if you're in calculus class or on the football field. It's the person who understands the basics and how to adapt the basics quickly and easily to each situation that wins the day.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Material
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
VIDEO-Close Combat Stick Fighting Drill - Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company
This drill comes from Module 9 of the Self Defense Training System, "Weapons Offensive Tactics". In this clip, Self Defense Company CEO, Damian Ross demonstrates a simple yet devastating opening combination with the short stick or club.
n close combat it is much more effective to use the club with a two handed grip as seen in the video than what's normally taught. In fact, unless you are swinging a bat, axe handle or lead pipe, swinging the club is only advisable in a handful of situations. You don't need to be Rodney King to realize that there is not a lot of knock out power in swinging a night stick. Will it hurt, YES, will it eventually stop you, sure, but is it the most powerful and effective, absolutely not. Add to the equation that modern impact weapons designed for law enforcement lack any significant weight to supply enough knock down power. Weapons like the ASP are more designed for comfort instead of performance. Officers were tired of having to remove and replace their night sticks in their belts every time they entered and exited the cruiser.
Hey, I'm not saying they don't hurt, but when you're faced with a drug induced or emotionally disturbed person you are not gong to be happy.
There is a reason riot squads around the globe still use these types of two handed techniques, they work. Now they have even replaced the club with the riot shield (a little more humane) but the same combative movement and tactics none the less.
The reason two handed techniques work so well is simple, you can put more body weight and power behind the strike and the obvious reason is at close range t s impossible to swing the club at all. In Module 9 of the self defense training system we show you how to use the club in grabs, holds and even round situations. Nothing fancy, just what works.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Materialjavascript:void(0)
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sorry to Burst Your Bubble...
I received a comment on the Double Forearm Shiver video regarding my previous training and experience for the reason why the techniques I execute look as polished as they do. The person who sent the comment was respectful and well meaning so I will treat him with the utmost respect because his assumption is one that most martial artists make.
His comment is as follows:
Sir,
Although I agree that traditional martial arts training does not prepare for real world attacks, they are an important element of it.
Your ability to bring out the best of your close combat techniques are mainly due to talent and skills acquired in your prev martial arts training. Your execution of throws, submissions and heck even the "chop" are all neatly done, and one can tell your training before it.
I started with close combat training and moved on to krav maga and now traditional martial arts. It is just good to explore all areas.
Thiam Yeng
Thiam,
What your seeing has little or nothing to do with my past training and more and everything to do with athleticism and my current training. Many martial artists miss this point and tend to justify what they teach as a reason for my proficiency in The Self Defense Training System. First of all, let's get one thing straight, I developed and founded the Self Defense Training System and if I don't look good doing it, we have a problem. If Tony Bennett can't sing "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" there's a problem. Second I have been training people in this method for over 12 years and counting. You can even see some of them on the SDC Youtube Channel.
The Self Defense Training System is not a martial art. It is a defensive tactics training program. It's purpose is to train anyone to be the best prepared for real world self defense in the shortest amount of time. Anything else in gravy. It is clear you have chosen to make martial arts a hobby and possibly a lifestyle choice. That's great, but it's not essential for self defense.
What will save you in the street is 10% physical, 90% mental (I have an email blast from one of our Instructors, LtCol Darren Poesel USMC going out in a few minutes). The problem martial artists face regarding self defense are a few.
First and foremost, the business model for martial arts demands that customers stay involved as long as possible. In order to do that, more and more techniques are added to extend student involvement. Sport and competition are also used as a means of extending student enrollment but not as much as you think since a very small percentage (in my 9 years of running schools, less than 10% of students ever competed).
The second issue is that the techniques are there, but lost in the volumes of other techniques you are forced to learn. In Tae Kwon Do for example you learn volumes of technique, yet in sparring you may only use 5 or 6. And they are usually the same techniques everybody else is using. What separates the good from the bad are speed, power, timing and instinct...ATHLETICISM combined with good training guidance and GREAT TRAINING PARTNERS. The techniques are the tools, what makes a champion a champion is the aforementioned factors plus....ATTITUDE!!! On the elite levels of sport it's 10% physical 90% mental.
Look Thiam, at the end of the day the reason my chops look so good is because I've done about 10,000 of them in my life time. If you want to be good at something, you train it and practice it. If I want to be good at soccer, I don't practice basketball. If you ant to be good at self defense you train in The Self Defense Training System , not a traditional martial art or anything else. If you want to be proficient in close quarters combat, focus on those skills and spend the other time running and lifting weights. I have literally trained thousands of people in this manner of the last two decades and it's always been the same: Some people have a natural gift, some need to work harder at it. But unlike sports and martial arts, anyone with the desire can learn to protect themselves. It's basic and natural, not convoluted and complex.
Thanks for your comment, and as always Train honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Materialjavascript:void(0)
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
His comment is as follows:
Sir,
Although I agree that traditional martial arts training does not prepare for real world attacks, they are an important element of it.
Your ability to bring out the best of your close combat techniques are mainly due to talent and skills acquired in your prev martial arts training. Your execution of throws, submissions and heck even the "chop" are all neatly done, and one can tell your training before it.
I started with close combat training and moved on to krav maga and now traditional martial arts. It is just good to explore all areas.
Thiam Yeng
Thiam,
What your seeing has little or nothing to do with my past training and more and everything to do with athleticism and my current training. Many martial artists miss this point and tend to justify what they teach as a reason for my proficiency in The Self Defense Training System. First of all, let's get one thing straight, I developed and founded the Self Defense Training System and if I don't look good doing it, we have a problem. If Tony Bennett can't sing "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" there's a problem. Second I have been training people in this method for over 12 years and counting. You can even see some of them on the SDC Youtube Channel.
The Self Defense Training System is not a martial art. It is a defensive tactics training program. It's purpose is to train anyone to be the best prepared for real world self defense in the shortest amount of time. Anything else in gravy. It is clear you have chosen to make martial arts a hobby and possibly a lifestyle choice. That's great, but it's not essential for self defense.
What will save you in the street is 10% physical, 90% mental (I have an email blast from one of our Instructors, LtCol Darren Poesel USMC going out in a few minutes). The problem martial artists face regarding self defense are a few.
First and foremost, the business model for martial arts demands that customers stay involved as long as possible. In order to do that, more and more techniques are added to extend student involvement. Sport and competition are also used as a means of extending student enrollment but not as much as you think since a very small percentage (in my 9 years of running schools, less than 10% of students ever competed).
The second issue is that the techniques are there, but lost in the volumes of other techniques you are forced to learn. In Tae Kwon Do for example you learn volumes of technique, yet in sparring you may only use 5 or 6. And they are usually the same techniques everybody else is using. What separates the good from the bad are speed, power, timing and instinct...ATHLETICISM combined with good training guidance and GREAT TRAINING PARTNERS. The techniques are the tools, what makes a champion a champion is the aforementioned factors plus....ATTITUDE!!! On the elite levels of sport it's 10% physical 90% mental.
Look Thiam, at the end of the day the reason my chops look so good is because I've done about 10,000 of them in my life time. If you want to be good at something, you train it and practice it. If I want to be good at soccer, I don't practice basketball. If you ant to be good at self defense you train in The Self Defense Training System , not a traditional martial art or anything else. If you want to be proficient in close quarters combat, focus on those skills and spend the other time running and lifting weights. I have literally trained thousands of people in this manner of the last two decades and it's always been the same: Some people have a natural gift, some need to work harder at it. But unlike sports and martial arts, anyone with the desire can learn to protect themselves. It's basic and natural, not convoluted and complex.
Thanks for your comment, and as always Train honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Materialjavascript:void(0)
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Thursday, October 14, 2010
VIDEO- Double Forearm Shiver Stops Him Dead in His Tracks- Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company
Waiting to be touched by a felon. Martial arts and self defense systems train you to wait. When you're training grabs and holds in the dojo it always looks like this: Partners get next to each other, attacker grabs defender, defender does prescribed attack. Then you get in a circle and one by one you get attacked by people who know two things: what you're going to do and how they are going to react. Everything works and you look like a kung fu rock star.
In the real world...attacker grabs defender and proceeds to punch, kick, stab and bludgeon the snot out of defender immediately. You think you will have time to react, but this is the cold hard truth you must come to grips with. As soon as your grabbed, it's almost over. The bad guy has a plan, you don't. By the time (seconds) you figure out what type of attack it is, they will be outlining your body with chalk. Your mind does not work the way you think it will work when you are stressed. Think about the times you are extremely tired in training, where all you can is basic strikes...that's more like the real world when you're under a real attack.
Point of note: the initial attack only PREEMPTS THE REAL ASSAULT. That grab of the collar or the sleeve is only meant to distract you or pin you down for the follow up. The fact of the matter is, that initial grab is inconsequential. But it's the initial grab that "experts" focus on, we say, forget the initial attack and always "Always Attack the Man!"
This technique in this video comes from Module 4 of The Self Defense Training System titled "Defense vs. Mugs and Holds". In this video, Damian Ross of the Self Defense Company demonstrates the double forearm shiver, designed to stop and shock your attacker when he gets too close. The problem with other systems is that they train you to wait to be attacked and then they train you to focus on the initial attack.The Real issue is that the initial grab is what preempts the actual attack. In most cases the initial grab is only meant as a distraction or a way to pin you down and set up up for the real, follow up attack. This double forearm shiver is one of many tactics from Module 4 that enable you to react in an extreme close range before it's too late.
Train your instinct. When someone gets to close you have to be sensitive to this and react immediately by either moving or attacking. If you tell them to move and they don't, now you have no choice but to act. By act I mean blast them into the stone age.
I can't tell you how many specific defenses I was forced to learn earning my black belts. I literally have sat in the middle of a group of attackers literally hundreds of times. They would come in and in true dojo-Hollywood fashion I would dispatch them one by one. Hell, I even won trophies doing it. But when I reflected my current training against my real world experiences they didn't match up. The real world was fast and frustrating. It was surreal in nature and over before I knew it. That's why when I discovered the Self Defense Training System, I knew it would work and I have a secret for you...(it really does).
I discovered that 90% of what I learned for self defense through my previous training could be shit-canned. I simply chalked my time up to experience. I made a lot of great friends (even met my wife)and discovered the training that would lead to The Self Defense Training System through my martial arts training, so I definitely got my money's worth. Sometimes you have to go through a whole lot of BS until you can identify the truth.
Until next time, Train Honestly,
Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
www.selfdefensecompany.com Corporate Center
www.theselfdefenseco.com World's Most Lethal Self Defense
www.legaluseofforce.com Police Combatives Training
www.familysafeprogram.com Keep Your Family Safe
www.teachselfdefense.com Turn Your Passion into Profits
www.60minuteselfdefense.com Self Defense for Everyone
www.myselfdefenseresource.com Free Resource Materialjavascript:void(0)
FREE Training Forum http://theselfdefenseco.madmooseforum.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
