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ARTICLES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following article is written by Senshido instructor Tarek Kazak What is a victim? Is it a person who has been attacked and hasn't survived? Is it also a person who has been attacked or abused several times? Is it a person who hangs their head low while walking down the street in a fear stricken and submissive state in anticipation of violence and abuse? Is it a person who looks a certain way, lives a certain way, talks a certain way? Is it a certain personality type, psychological or social profile, or is it a mindset, a perception of oneself? It's hard to say really, if you ask most people a victim is everybody else but themselves. Why am I on about this? Well, most of the time when I approach a person about taking personal protection classes, or more specifically a woman friend about one of our rape prevention seminars I always get the: "I don't need cause it'll never happen to me." array of speeches. Whether they are referring to their lifestyle, hairstyle or who they know it seems that most women are impervious to the depravity of others. Lucky aren't they? I also get, when speaking to more learned or spiritual people, the: "I don't act like a victim, have that mindset or project that image.", speech. Incredible the number of self-actualized people on the face of this earth. Please do not take my cynicism the wrong way. If I'm being sharp with my words it's because I care, and because I understand the importance of safety for ourselves and our loved-ones. So what is a victim? I believe it's is a person, for one reason or another takes no responsibility for their actions or the actions of others that directly affect them. In essence it is the person that blames everyone else and has willingly given up their personal power and made themselves helpless to the world around them. Sound familiar yet? How about the person that says it's not my fault, it's because she said this and he said that. Or the person who believes that can't do anything to change anything in their day or life because he or she controls this or that and therefore makes it impossible for me to do anything. It is that person that we hear whining incessantly about what this or that person has done to them, and how it's not fair, life isn't fair and if only things were different. Wait a minute, isn't this all of us? Maybe not all the time but at some point or another in maybe our day, week, month, year or life we have each sounded like this. So are we in danger? You tell me. The only time we can be sure of what we feel, what we know and what we project is in the here and now. There is no way for any manner of person to know what their state of mind will be every minute of every day for the rest of their lives, and even more so where they happen to be at those minutes. What if you are walking down a deserted street, late at night, with your worst nightmare waiting around the corner when it so happens that you're carrying yourself like a victim. Can you tell me beyond all certainty that this will never happen. Because if you know with certainty the things will and will not happen to you from this moment until you pass on, by all means please call me and tell when and if I'm winning the lottery, cause I could really use a new boat. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that when people get attacked for any reason that they have done anything wrong, or made some mistake. On the contrary, they were being what we all are and can never escape, human. So all those that are not human at this time may stop reading this piece and please refer to my extensive works of extra-terrestrial assaults and what not. Moving right along, when anyone decides to violate you in any way, never should you say you had it coming, or you deserved it, for it is their mistake, and just think what a mistake it will be if you have a plan of action. But what of the attacker? Why attack you, what propels any human being to want to defile another, destroy another in some measure. Surely, you think I'm referring to a sociopath or run of the mill nut job rapist. But I'm not; I'm still talking about the same people who are victims now and again. Haven't we all done or said hurtful things to others and especially loved ones. Haven't we all screamed, yelled and berated the odd stranger, friend or sibling. Haven't some of us raised our hands against these same people? I know I have, I've said things to people I love I wish I could have taken back seconds later or traded blows with a friend over something stupid, or picked on my little brother because he was just that, little. Am I a monster, were they all victims? Who knows? But not to stray too far from the point let's get back to why, I or any of you might behave this way. A very famous buzz word in the psychoanalysis and psychotherapy vernacular comes to mind, projection. By that I mean to take whatever feelings or perceptions we have about ourselves (good or bad) and projecting them onto another person, in effect holding them responsible for whatever our state of mind may be (funny where it seems this is going). There is also transference, where we superimpose certain dynamics of a relationship we may have with a certain person, onto another relationship because of similarities between each of these people. If light bulbs aren't going off yet, let me coax your higher reasoning with an example: think of a person you don't really know that well, that you hate, I mean that you can't stand, that really irritates you, that you would like to see take a nasty fall only to double over laughing at this sight. Whether it's your boss, a friend of a friend etc... Don't be shy, now why does this person annoy you? Do they talk too loud, are they arrogant, do they never give you a straight answer or are they too brutally honest? Anything will do, I'm sure you can all think of at least one person, or at least a person you do like or love that gets on your nerves in one way or another. Now tell me why it makes you nuts that they are one way or another? In the case of the person you don't know that well, how can you pass judgment on them, you know nothing about what makes them the way they are. What if you did? Would you be so hard on the person you may find arrogant if you knew that his parents had verbally abused him/her or their whole life, taking every opportunity to make them feel like nothing, convincing them they would amount to nothing. Now it's understandable isn't it, it's acceptable, they are human too and have a right to be how they are (you moral consciousness might be telling you). So why did they get under your skin in the first place, it wasn't personal, and they didn't act like this just to piss you off did they? Could it be that whatever made you angry is within you, that you either saw within them an unresolved issue with a closer relationship, or an aspect of yourself you're not comfortable with or in complete denial about? Maybe. Let's move away from my pontificating and use myself as an example. I have always disliked, or had trouble with emotional people. By that I mean people who can't help but communicate every single feeling they have in a one minute time span, and who seem to, in that one minute experience a ridiculous variety of emotions. Yes, I may be exaggerating but just to make my point and I will freely admit that I am getting annoyed just thinking about it. I mean these people; every little thing is an event: they cry, the laugh, they scream a million times per day. JEEEEEEEESUS!!!! So why does it piss me off, because growing up, I wasn't allowed to express what I felt, I was stifled, and as I grew I was told that as a man I had to be stoic and bottle everything I felt, never sharing or finding relief. If not, I would have failed those who had painted this image for me and this was most unbearable. As a result I thought that those that lived a 24hour drama were weak, selfish and I looked down on them. But as I grew older, and read enough books, spoke to enough people, I came to understand all this psychobabble I'm going on about, on different levels. But still, they piss me off. Because now, though I understood why they may be the way they are and me the way I am, I began to envy what they had that I couldn't seem to achieve, the simple expressing of one's emotions. So in reality, I was never angry with them, but with myself, I did only hurt them with my words or actions but myself as well. I watched Fahrenheit 9/11 the other day and a U.S. soldier, years younger than I, had understood this and said something I found remarkable; that every time we take life we kill a part of ourselves. Well isn't it the same when we lash out at others? So back to my initial point as to why a person may attack us, provoke us etc... Barring certain exceptions (only because I believe that all rules or statement of fact especially when opinionated has at least one exception). It could be that this person looks at you and on some level sees what they hate in themselves, and so they chose you, they project onto you: Maybe it's because your tall, or you look like you have money, or simply your of a certain gender or race, and your attacker is going to take all the dissatisfaction they feel in their life at that moment and make you pay for it convinced you deserve it somehow. Sounds like a victim trying to make victims doesn't it. When you think of a person antagonizing you, trying to escalate a situation like this they can become violent, on some level its like they want you to feel what they feel, like this they can take a good look at themselves in you eyes and then tear what they see apart. Richard once said in one of his articles that you have to take everything into consideration when approached in a hostile manner: where is this person coming from? Does that imply compassion on some level for all manner of aggressor's? Maybe. But remember that compassion for others can never come before self-love and by that I mean the appreciation for your existence and the subsequent will to preserve your life there from. Should we feel some measure of compassion for even the sickest, nastiest of criminals? I think so, especially after we hear how they got that way. Does that mean that it is up to us to save them and therefore allow our compassion not override the necessity to commit violence in order to protect ourselves? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Do you think that by allowing any kind of attacker or abuser, get the better of you on any level, does them any favors, or encourages them to change their ways now that you have so freely given them your power, now that they have seen the wrong they've done? If that were the case, criminals worldwide would be handing themselves in to the police or seeking therapy en masse. Besides if most of us can hardly figure out what's best for ourselves how can we possibly be qualified to know what's best for others. It seems to me, in any event, that you show more compassion to them and yourself, defending yourself (whether by diffusing or if you have no choice, fighting) than by giving in to them; because you send that message to them and to yourself that it's not okay for anyone to strip away your humanity so they don't have to face themselves. Anything less, is self-hating at best. I just want to conclude by saying that though I didn't directly quote anyone other than one thing Rich said, I can't take sole credit for the structuring of my opinions, many of the things I've said (if not all) have been said before. So let me say that this was inspired by the writings of people like Dostoyevsky, Carl Jung, Dan Millman, Thich Nhat Hanh and a host of others. But my true inspiration comes from the people in my everyday life who in many cases are wise and learned. So I thank my family, the people at Senshido, and my close personal friends (you know who you are). ________________ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DELIVERY SYSTEMS There’s much talk about delivery systems. A proper delivery system is critical and in order to develop a proper one, it is integral to train with resistance and energy. This we all know. However, there are 2 distinct delivery systems. One is physical while the other and most often neglected and misunderstood, is behavioral. In a sporting type situation like a MMA fight and sparring, the predominant delivery system is physical. One absolutely needs a striking arsenal, a clinching arsenal as well as a grappling arsenal, no 2 ways about that. The sporting event also has 3 elements a real violent confrontation doesn’t: Awareness, consent and preparation. These 3 elements eliminate several things such as fear (for ones life that is and not a fear of losing or looking bad), emotional inertia, the fight or flight response, the triggering of adrenal stress (although a NHB fight will trigger adrenaline, the context in which the mind perceives the threat is very different) and the rage in which the attack is delivered. In a sporting event, your opponent although trying to knock you out or submit you, isn’t trying to maim, cripple or kill you; this alone creates a completely different state of mind than a complete stranger hell bent on finishing you off. The very fact that you can tap out whenever you feel you’ve had too much or that the ref can stop the fight or your corner can throw in the towel also creates a different state of mind not congruous to that of a real violent confrontation. The real threats are the rapists, the muggers, gang bangers, the random bullies and ego jocks, the road rage incidents, the potential murderers, spousal & parental abuse etc. There is a certain certainty that comes with sports training that doesn’t exist outside of that avenue and that is the unknown. It’s been said ad-nauseam, but weapons, multiples, environment, people accompanying you etc. ads the stress of the unknown. It changes things and dictates different strategic implementations, tactical responses, etc. The arena is different therefore the tools need to differ and so does the delivery system. What is reality? Go to your nearest 'hard reputed' club, pub or bar on a Friday or Saturday night and simply observe the behavior, the initiation, the escalation and the treacherous development of a few fights. See if any of the participants "spar", stand at 4 or 5 feet away from each other first and square off. Check it out and compare it to the training that you do. With that in mind, a real attack on your person primarily deals with an attack on the mind which triggers a very different physiological response. Let’s examine this very hypothetical scenario for a moment: A top NHB fighter goes bad and decides to rape a woman. How will he approach her? Will he be gloved up, wearing a mouthpiece after warming up for the last 20 minutes or will he most probably be dressed in his every day clothes and approach her with dialogue as a set up? Is he in any way, shape or form expecting her to fight back, and if so, how easily does he believe he can submit her and keep her under control and have his way with her? Is his guard up or down? Is his ego up or down? Will his primary attack be a jab/cross combo followed by a clinch to take down, a mount and a ground and pound or will he most likely grab her by her hair threatening her anticipating and receiving a victim’s response of passive/submissive behavior? Does she not have the element of surprise as an advantage if she decided to fight back? And if she did fight back, would her primary attack be a clinch followed by an HKE combo or would she not attack vitals first considering the position and mind set of both predator and prey in such a situation? When Mike Tyson allegedly raped Desiree Washington, did it look anything like his match against Donovan Roddock that same year? Did he knock her out with a hook prior to forcing himself on her? Out of every successful rape escape incident we’ve all heard about in the last 20 years on the news where a woman successfully defended herself against a violent rapist and criminal, never, not once did the report ever mention her using a rear naked choke, a clinch, a boxing combination or any other sort of ‘martial arts techniques’. As a matter of fact, every time it was mentioned that a woman had some form of martial training, the result ended in rape. In
the next example, when a woman attempted a martial arts technique,
her attacker threatened to kill her, she only survived when she
went primal and instinctively fought back. For example: For example: Fri May 7, 8:47 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo! JOHANNESBURG
(Reuters) - A woman bit off the lower lip of a fugitive man she
said attacked her outside her house in the South African town of
Tzaneen, police said on Friday. They said the man -- who was already
wanted on charges of burglary and rape -- waited outside the woman's
house for her to return from an errand and then tried to drag her
inside. Another example: “A
rapist was left speechless when his intended victim bit off his
tongue as he tried to force it into her mouth. The 30-year-old woman
from Harry squatter camp in Wadeville on the East Rand then ran
off, tongue in mouth, to the nearest police station a kilometer
away. Police were shocked when she produced the bitten-off tongue.
Moments later, the suspect also arrived in agony, with blood pouring
from his mouth, hoping to get medical help. He was immediately arrested." “My
friend Lynn was walking in the park one afternoon and saw a woman
in the initial stages of an assault. Lynn (maybe 5'5") went
into rampage mode and attacked the assailant. The two women were
able to drive the attacker away while drawing attention to the situation
by yelling the whole time. Lynn's action was selfless and unrestrained.
The intended victim later told police that Lynn's direct and physical
intervention broke the assailant's concentration and his resolve
to do her harm.
So stating that root skills in a sporting delivery system is an absolute necessity and that without it you are doomed is a fallacy. Although these skills can do nothing but improve and enhance your survivability and health for that matter, they are not necessarily the end all and be all for far more people have successfully defended themselves against certain odds with absolutely no training whatsoever then there have been martial artists who have used what they learned to successfully defend themselves. A behavioral delivery system is critical, much more so than a physical one in terms of personal protection. This is what loads the dice in the favor of the intended victim because seldom will an attacker pick someone whom he thinks or believes will hurt or maim them as a victim. The attacker will predominantly and primarily make an attack on the mind prior to an attack on the body, hence posturing, instigation through intimidation, cursing, threats, explicit anger, etc. The range will also be close quarter but the aggression will not be sport related at all, it will be very different such as lapel grabs, strangulations, weapon deployments, tackles, shoves, hair pulls, and sucker punches from natural / non sport combative stances, incorporating aggressive dialogue, threats, etc. If the attacker doesn’t suspect a violent retaliation targeting vitals such as eyes, throat and facial features (not using the standard punching or JKD finger jabs either), his reaction will be very different than if he was squaring off with an opponent who was trying to do the same… in one instant, it is seemingly out of nowhere, in the other, there was awareness, consent and preparation. It is the state of mind and behavioral delivery system that makes such attacks successful not the ‘technique’ or tool itself. The problem is in fixating on the tool (the eye gouge for instance) and claiming “anyone can do that”, yes, it is true; anyone can do that, however, how many real fights that you've seen or heard of ended with one of the opponent's having their eyes gouged out? Point being, although anyone can do it, most people don’t and don’t even consider it or train for it for that matter. So yes, anyone 'can' do it, but rarely does anyone 'do' do it. Just because you played badminton all your life doesn’t automatically make you a good tennis player. This of course doesn’t mean you don’t need a good physical delivery system. We’ve always and continue to advocate the necessity of both a behavioral and physical delivery system. If anything, we highly recommend actively training in an alive combative discipline. However, some people unfortunately don’t have the time, energy, or desire for that matter to train 3 or 4 times per week to enhance their combative skills. Does this mean they cannot learn to effectively defend themselves? Does this mean that they don’t have the right to defend themselves? Absolutely not. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be alive as a species today since people have been effectively defending themselves since the dawn of man and before MMA arts or NHB ever existed. So how did they do it? How does a woman defeat a crazed rapist without any prior training at all? Luck? I think not. There’s much to be said about attitude, mind set and belief systems. The behavioral and psychological arsenals fine tunes our already existing survival instinct. The key is in getting people back in touch with it, we already posses the tools and instinct, we just need to re-awaken them and stay true to the physiological rules that govern our minds and body. _________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHY WE DO… "Everybody
today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments
and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little
time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other,
and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world. Work
without love is slavery." The dichotomy of my work is that I teach people, if necessary to protect themselves, to hurt others in doing so. It is truly unfortunate that the need for the line of work I am in exists. I wish that it could only be for leisure, health, fun and sport but alas, the world we live in has dictated otherwise. I wish that I could stick to the other elements of my work but something inside of me burns and I have chosen the enhancement of survivability as my primary path. At the risk of opening myself up to criticism, ridicule and mockery, I honestly do what I do because I care. Are we driven by money? No, but money helps us continue our work. Without it, we couldn't provide the information, the instruction, the materials we provide. Is money the primary concern? No, if it was, I would be doing something else that was much more financially rewarding or I would have succumbed to the demands of franchises and easy certifications. Are we driven by ego? No. Although this industry promotes gurus and masters, cult mentalities and hierarchies, I believe that we are but guides. What we do isn't anymore special than the work a garbage man does, your math teacher did/does, the firemen do or any other endeavor. There is honor in all work as long as the work is honest and done well. Without the garbage collectors, we'd be swimming in our own filth. Did your math teacher convince you that his math was the best? Are we driven by fame? No. Fame is a non issue. Fame doesn't bring happiness or feed our children or put a roof over our heads. The quality of our work does. Do we care to have a good reputation, yes, but that again is based on the quality we provide and the personal attention we give to those who seek us out. The essence of the martial arts had much to do with peace, harmony and spirituality. Courtesy was the cornerstone of all virtues. It is this virtue that is required of any human being in order for them to maintain a peaceful co-existence with the world. Justice is also one of the martial codes that have lost its meaning. People embarked on their martial journeys to improve themselves and enhance their survivability both through the practice of self protection and the health benefits provided through the training and healthy living. Why do you do what you do? Don't answer this question too quickly. Reflect upon it well and answer it truthfully, not with a political agenda or the expected time honored response, but with the truth. Answer it for yourself and not for anyone else to hear. Why do you do what you do? I am reminded of Mother Theresa's words engraved on the wall of her home in Calcutta: "People
are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; If
you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
If
you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true
enemies; If
you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; What
you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; If
you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; The
good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Give
the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; You
see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; Religious connotations not withstanding as your beliefs are yours and mine are mine, the true essence of the martial arts is in the improvement of the self and in the aid of improving others. Therefore the existence of the system or style in question must promote their truths as truths and your reasoning behind seeking them out should be clear, concise and honest regardless of the reason whether it is for health, sport, competition, art, discipline, self defense or a combination of all. Passion is more important than the financial reward for the true reward is to be found in the help you provided through your guidance that improved and/or possibly saved someone's life. There is nothing wrong with making a good living out of it either as long as it isn't at the expense of integrity, honesty and quality. So
if what you do truthfully and honestly works for you, who is to
say it is wrong? Keeping an open mind in this field is a difficult
task because it is easy to shut something out that we've never even
experienced as a defensive reaction to another's attack on our ways
or their nay sayings. One should have the strength and courage to
think for themselves but unfortunately, the martial arts industry
rarely caters to such openness. Trust in oneself is important, trust
in another is earned. So regardless of who says what and what guru,
master, coach or teacher said about something, (myself included),
and regardless of the arguments they presented for the pros and/or
cons of it (logic preceding of course) seek it out for yourself
and form your own opinion on it, regardless of the outcome. You'll
be glad you looked for yourself because the knowledge will now be
yours and not another individual's who simply imparted his filtered
opinion to you. _________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THERE
ARE NO ABSOLUTES It is critical to understand that there are no absolutes. There is no black and white in combat or defense, there is no 'always' or 'never', there is nothing but an infinite amount of shades of grey, speculations, maybe's and IT DEPENDS! How long does a street fight last? 10 sec.? 25 sec.? A minute? A minute an a half? Honestly...? Who fucking cares? It will last as long as it will last... the question is, will you? How conditioned are you? Do you understand the effects of emotional and psychological stress and how it affects your performance? What are you prepared to do? I train my students overkill. They are prepared to go 5 minutes straight if they have to, 10 minutes or half an hour of that is what it takes. So they don't care if the average is 10 seconds or 3 minutes. That is a concern they don't have to even think about because they are prepared to go on and on until they are safe, whatever it takes. I am often asked why our workouts in our classes are so grueling, why I allow the fights to go on for 20 minutes non stop sometimes, why the overkill if a street fight only lasts X amount of seconds... because you never know. Prepare for the Terminator so everyone and everything else will pale in comparison. "When you throw a kick (or punch or strike or whatever you wish to insert here) where do you land after?" It depends. What was your opponents reaction? Did your strike have the desired effect? What was the result of your choice? "When someone throws a straight punch, I was told to always move to the out-side and never to the in-side, is this correct?" It depends. Does your opponent have a friend standing on his out-side? Are you leaning against a wall which is 'his out-side'? Is the hand or arm you are 'supposes to' block, parry, jam whatever with functional that day (I.e., is it in a sling, broken wrist maybe, sprained, tendanitis in the shoulder?) "When defending against a knife ALWAYS stabilize the weapon hand before attacking." - When defending against the knife, NEVER stabilize the weapon hand just attack, attack, attack!" It depends. Where's the knife? Close, far, stabbing you? What is your opponent doing? Is it a static attack? Is it dynamic? Is he leadng with the knife or coming at you Folsom prison style? Does he have a friend? Is his friend aremed? Do you see what I am getting at here? There are no absolutes! "DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WHEN IT IS CALLED UPON." - Senshido Adage - This philosophy will help create clarity in the moment. Fixation on this or that may get you killed. There are no black and white answers. Train your defenses in various scenarios to find out what you will do. Meaning: You want to work on defense against a static knife attack at the throat? Good. First work the principles and concepts, then the physical defenses until you are comfortable with them. Next. Take that situation, the static knife attack, and do it under the following cnditions; 1.
You're alone. The list can go and on and on... see ifyour "technique" remains the same throught out. See if the results are the same everytime... There are no absolutes. This is why we do not teach techniques but conceptual guidelines, tool and target development, strategies and tactics... _________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEYOND
TECHNIQUES Techniques
as described by Webster's II New College Dictionary goes as follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Imposing our failures onto others. Martial artists in general seem to think that just because they can or can't do something, then the same goes for everyone else. That's not only narcissistic, but self-centred as well. The main difference between reality based systems and mixed martial arts (besides the hundreds of apparently not so obvious ones) is that reality based systems are geared more towards general population and Joe/Jane average, whereas mixed martial arts are geared more towards athletic men (more so than women). Majority of sport oriented martial artists don't seem to grasp that not everyone concerned about their personal safety is interested in winning the next UFC. How many times have we heard "If he's so deadly then why doesn't he enter the UFC?" The answer is simple… for one, it's not a matter of being 'so deadly' and because people who train in reality-based systems would use tools and tactics that are forbidden in the UFC. This includes the will to do whatever it takes to survive and go home as intact as possible. If you took these tools and tactics away, you would be left with a mixed martial art. Therein lies the difference. When the UFC first started, it was much more realistic it terms of a 'street fight' then it is today. Back in the early 90's, there were no weight divisions, there were no time limits and there were 2 rules and 2 rules only: No eye gouges, no throat strikes. Today is much different. Today there are weight classes, time limits, several holds have been barred (which makes me wonder why it is still referred to as "No Holds Barred"???) and due to this, the training of these athletes have had to have been modified to fit the environment they are competing in. So imagine training in a martial art that automatically restricts several tactics and holds. How beneficial is that in reality? For example: One of my students, Dave, came to see me for private lessons in grappling, as he was about to enter 2 separate grappling tournaments. I began to train him and as we were going along, he stated that in his division, there were certain submissions that were not permitted. He also stated that there was a time limit and that one could win on points. Well these 2 particular 'rules' changed the dynamics of his training. No longer could he train certain holds and finishers but we also had to train him to win on points by establishing certain positions in case he got tired or was facing a better grappler. This type of training is extremely counter productive to surviving a real fight. After a few weeks of strictly training in grappling, my student began to develop bad habits in the group classes. In our PHASE 2 classes, all the students conceal a training knife on them and are instructed to attack anyone at anytime during the class from the moment they walk into the school to the moment they exit the school. So during the warm up session of one of our classes, another student jumped Dave from behind and pulled his blade out. Dave reflexively went for clinch and a takedown but was stabbed multiple times in the process, he got up and realized it afterwards and was very disappointed in himself. (Now in contrast to this, so those of you who like to cut and paste my articles on other forums in order to criticize them and whine about how impossible it is to defend against a knife and this type of training proves nothing), every other student who was also jumped by surprise and had a knife pulled on them did fine. Not to say none of the fights ever hit the ground, not true, some did, and the student's grappling skills were imperative in aiding them in surviving such an attack but the point is, they didn't solely rely on grappling or mixed martial arts tactics. Their training was 'limitless' and not bound by any rules or codes of conduct or sportsmanship. They did whatever it took. This is not a bash grappling or mixed martial article. If I were to write the piece in reverse, I would give you the same amount of reasons why a reality based fighter wouldn't fare as well as a mixed martial artist in a UFC style bout. Two different arenas, two separate set of tools, tactics and strategies. Don't get me wrong though, I would put my money on Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture or Frank Shamrock any day of the week in a street fight but how many Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture or Frank Shamrock's do you know? Regardless of how hard your mother trains, she will never acquire the skills, strength or stamina that any of these pros have, even if she quit her job, quit being a housewife, quit being your mom and trained 6 days a week for 5 hours a day, she would never acquire such level of proficiency. So wouldn't you prefer your mother arm herself with psychological warfare and some down and dirty true no holds barred tactics that will allow her to stun and run a potential rapist rather than attempt to get him in a mounted position and ground and pound? Please… before you go off thinking there's no way a 40 or 50 or even 60-year-old mother could defend herself against a rapist, keep in mind that women have been doing so since the dawn of man and without any training whatsoever. Tony Blauer always said that there are far more people who have successfully defended themselves in the history of mankind with no prior training whatsoever then there are martial artists who have used what they've learned to defend themselves. This because of their will, beliefs and mental arsenal. A woman and her 12 year old daughter in British Columbia (sometime around 1991, or 1992) caught a burglar in their apartment by surprise, he was over 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed over 220 pounds as described by the news. Not wanting to get caught he grabbed a fire poker and began beating the mother with it, he cracked he skull open, broke her arm and wrist. Her daughter jumped on the man and he grabbed her off his back and smashed her face into a wall knocking her flat out. The mother saw this and freaked. She attacked the man with an intense ferocity that caused him to panic and take off. How could this be though? But she wasn't a BJJ black belt? She never competed in the UFC?!?! How odd! Gees, if she's so deadly, why doesn't she compete in the UFC? I mean, this woman just took out a man twice her size and with a split skull, a broken arm, and wrist none the less! It wasn't her technique that saved her and her daughter's life. It wasn't her arm bar, her chokehold, her ground and pound or how adept she was in her footwork or clinch work. It was her mindset. It was her sheer will to survive. The idea behind reality based training, is in helping regular folk get back in touch with their 'killer instinct' if you will, to give them the necessary tools to be able to avoid a potentially violent confrontation through environmental awareness and profiling skills (both people and locations). To provide them with the necessary skills to defuse and de-escalate a potentially violent confrontation through choice speech and the understanding of behavioural aspects in relation to violence. To provide them with the necessary physical tools that won't get them into a 3 to 10 minute brawl with a potentially armed attacker, but instead arm them with the proper tools to stun and run if possible or debilitate someone long enough to flee. This compiled with mixed martial arts training provides the average citizen with an enhanced chance at surviving violence. There are certain reality based trainers out there however who only advocate eye gouging and groin strikes and they think that this will stop a decent grappler, obviously, they have never fought a grappler. Statements like these make those of us who teach a holistic curriculum look bad and group us together. Mixed
martial arts and reality-based training are intertwined; you cannot
take away the mixed martial arts aspect from reality-based training
but you can take away the reality based training from mixed martial
arts, hence the difference between sport and street. Train
diligently and intelligently. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Shred or not to Shred… Since the term Shredder was coined, it has raised many eyebrows. The most common mistake made regarding this concept is that it is a technique or a set pattern of sequential moves that can be trained like a boxing combo. It isn't. Let me clarify a few misconceptions regarding the Shredder. For one, although I have been accused of doing so… I have never stated that it is the end all or be all of personal protection training, not at all actually. I would like to state however, that every single individual who has 'experienced' the Shredder first hand both on an offensive and defensive level, have made it their choice conceptual tool. If I, or anyone swears by it, then it is our choice and our prerogative. Nowhere do I force it upon anyone; you want it, we'll teach it to you, you don't, no worries, it's all good. When I speak of 'experiencing' the Shredder first hand, I don't mean reading about it on a forum, a magazine, an article, or even viewing it on a tape for that matter. Very simply stated, if you like the Shredder and it works for you, then by all means, use it. If you've experienced it and it didn't work for you, then by all means, don't use it. Let me tell what you the Shredder is not: It is not a technique. It is not a pattern of sequential moves or a combination of any sorts. It is not a tool you decide to use at anytime of your choosing. It is not this millennium's new 'Straightblast'. The Shredder's forte is not in it's technical retaliatory properties, it isn't about how it breaks a nose, gouges out an eye or breaks a jaw. The Shredder's forte is in its psychological traumatic abilities. It is designed to completely disorientate and unbalance (both on a physical and psychological level) an opponent. Once in motion, each improvised tool based on your opponent's reactionary movements will find their mark rapidly and savagely. Your opponent will literally have no time whatsoever to react except reflexively by attempting to do whatever is in his power to just not be there. This is largely due to the fact that the timing between each choice retaliatory tool is based on less than a half beat. Each choice tool is delivered in a fluid (flow like manner) on a quarter beat. Imagine for a moment, sticking your face in the propeller of a helicopter in full motion… this is akin to being Shredded (metaphorically speaking of course). The beauty of the Shredder is that it can also be applied with minimal force and cause little or no injury and still be effective at subduing your opponent as it will maintain its disorienting and unbalancing features. Once in motion, the Shredder cannot be stopped or countered or intercepted by the said opponent. I have personally done the following demo, live, dozens of times (matter of fact, it can be seen in our Get R.E.A.L. video series) where I give a participant a real blade and tell him to put it in his pocket and pull it out at anytime to stab me with it as soon as we enter the clinch zone. As the Shred begins, it is impossible for the opponent to do anything else except try and get away. Why? Because the Shredder bypasses all cognitive processing and causes instant panic and havoc. It bypasses your opponent's reflexive response and flinch mechanism due to the repetitive onslaught. The Shredder uses tools from a spontaneous barrage of gross motor skills where the targets are manifested by your attacker's panicked attempt at defensive disengagement. It gives you a 'ghosting' (A term I borrowed from Sammy Franco) type of effect because while Shredding, you completely and totally overwhelm the individual while at the same time shifting out of his power-box leaving you virtually risk free of being struck. The Shredder can shift you from close quarter combat to grappling with ease if you so desire. It is a perfect companion to a grappler's tool box especially when using the said range in a real fight as in coincides with any and all close quarter application type combat I.e. grappling, ground fighting, close quarter combat, and even in close boxing. What tools are utilized in a Shred? Any and every tool at your disposal during a high stress situation. (I mention 'high stress' because all fine motor skills during a perceived threat and imminent danger are unusable due to the bypassing of the cognitive brain by the mid brain). Gross motor tools include: spitting, biting, hair pulling, clawing, raking, elbowing, kneeing, head butting, palm striking, neck cranking, rear naked chokes, etc. etc. How do you practice the Shredder? With a training partner. The only inanimate object remotely useful to train solely the physical portion of the Shredder on is the BOB Dummy. Heavy bags, focus mitts, etc. don't do it. Since tactile sensitivity is a primary principle of the Shredder and you grossly rely on reactions, solo training the Shredder becomes for the most part… obsolete. You can however shadow Shred if you're visual enough a person to do so, this will however focus more on biomechanical application. So… is the Shredder 'the best' thing you can do? Is it 'unbeatable'? Is there anything better out there? It depends on whom you ask. For many, including myself, it is a concept that has yet to fail. I have personally used it in almost every violent confrontation I have encountered that turned physical and it worked exactly the way I described it. So for me, I have yet to find something that suits me as well. It may not be for everyone as everyone is different; it's all a matter of personal preference I believe. Just do yourself and me a favour though, don't pass judgement on it (good or bad) until you've experienced it yourself with someone who's trained directly with me or one of my crew. I hope this shed some light as to what the Shredder is. Please understand that the written word is left to interpretation through filtered perception, it is but 10% of communication… we do not have access to tone or body language. Note:
The Shedder is explained in detail in both the Get RE.A.L tapes
and the Strategic Stick Fighting tape available through our shop
section. Thank you. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREEDOM
FROM THE LIMITATIONS OF 'STYLES & SYSTEMS' "Once
the combative mind frees itself of the obstructions from necessity
(primarily caused by the fixation with technique), it will evolve
to its highest state of absorption and enhance its moment to moment
capabilities with refined accuracy. The 'fight' from its earliest
point, to its state of incompleteness is so vast that any attempts
at locking onto specifics deludes our chances of survival from the
minimal... to the extreme." This
was part of a reply I gave someone on my forum a while back. I got
several emails telling me how profound and enlightening these words
were to some and others asked me to explain the quote to them.
Probable Worst Case Scenarios Here's an ugly scenario; you are out with friends, you are assaulted, and out of your group of three, you are the only one versed in self-protection… Ouch! This is a very likely scenario. Here's another one just as ugly; 3 of you, separated when the proverbial poop hits the oscillating turbine, you are taking care of business, the problem is: your bud is not, and is about to get shanked from behind. He is stunned and you need him to turn around. You want more? I knew it! You can escape, so can your bro… the problem is, bro # 3 is down… you have to think up and implement a strategy in a matter of seconds to execute a "combat rescue" so you can get him help. More? You are trying to get home from the middle of a riot or a massive rumble. Your friends and you get separated… Yada yada yada… On the battlefield, communication is paramount. Infantries, artilleries, air support cannot operate without it. The street is a micro version of this. It is inevitable, if more than one guy gets jumped, communication between the 2 or more, can play a large factor in your survivability. Imagine if the others are untrained, you are baby sitting, trying to get them out alive…. Wow… what are the chances without the proper training? This is part of the challenges of surviving a street set up. Shit… one more thing to learn, to program… you are right! It never stops. The people you socialize with are all upstanding citizens (I hope) and, despite that fact, they might or might not share your ideas, beliefs and values regarding self-preservation. Maybe for some, self-preservation is a karate class at the local YMCA while for others; SD training is futile since it "does not happen to people like them". Bottom line is: You will have to assume leadership instantly. Ruffling feathers is not a concern. Being sensitive and apologetic will waste valuable time… you owe no explanation to anyone; the situation dictates that you take charge immediately. After asserting yourself as the instantaneous leader, just like putting the mask on yourself before your child in an airplane, you need to tactically position yourself so you can act and do the job of saving your butt and your friend's DESPITE him/herself. Tangles at this point are your worst nightmare, grappling; any position forcing you to "tunnel" in on your opponent is to be avoided. You need, at this point, the ability to deal with your immediate threat, while diffusing your detection systems (sight, auditory) onto the scene of the altercation. As
a "general" at this point, there is no grey… It is
black or white. You can't afford to guess / assume / hope / wish
etc… If you have to direct people, it is an order and vocalized
as such. The "order" has to be acted upon instantaneously.
Be forceful. Hesitation on your part will breed hesitation on theirs.
Do not waste time on justifications, explanations and such. Man do these scenario ever suck. After securing your group, keep them together, survey… is anyone hurt? Nobody leaves the group without checking with you. The last thing you need is to have to go fetch "John" who went back to teach them a "lesson". The choice to wait for law enforcement is yours. Do not wait if the scene is not secure. Wow, all this is overwhelming… imagine if firearms are deployed? Or just toss a few weapons like bats, chains, bottles etc… "That's fine muthafako, but how the hell will I train for that?" Easy… scenario replication training! Scenario replication training is a great way to test your tactical confidence. It permits you to pressure test your skills on an emotional / psychological and physical level. Your training should prepare you for worst-case scenario. It's imperative to not 'act' but to instead 'be' yourself in the moment you created without anticipation, without prior thought except to the ones natural for the moment created. Where does your mind naturally wander and what does your body want to do naturally in that moment, then bind your combative strategies to that moment. Your workouts must always duplicate a combative situation even when weight training, you must weight train for functional strength as opposed to simply building 'mirror muscle'. Consider the work out's association on a psychological and emotional level to your goals. Everything you do has to have a philosophical reason behind it or else you are strictly 'working out' the body. In order for the training to be efficient on all levels, it needs to take into consideration all variables. Sparring in separate ranges such as grappling, boxing, kickboxing and even mixed martial arts sparring are but physical tool developers and are definitely a necessity, however, they are but a means to an end. Scenario replication is the totality which allows you to explore the emotional, psychological and physical links together. Train
intelligently and diligently -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mythology,
Mysticism and Martial Arts It's
amazing what people are willing to believe without seeing, willing
to believe what they hear and willing to believe it all without
experiencing. You cannot build a reputation on what you are going
to do. Theoretical fighters are just that. Foundations built on
words. |