This blog covers everything related to self defense including but not limited to training, techniques, principles, martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, weapons, various scenarios, tips, sparring, psychology of combat, the list goes on. It is not restricted to just one fighting art but welcomes every reader regardless of experience to gain knowledge on self defense.
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about self defense is assuming all or some forms of combat are the same. Instructors in traditional martial arts, MMA, police and military training, combat sports, etc. seem to lump one or all together in one category and call it self defense. This is not the reality. Not all forms of combat are equally much less best suited for self defense. Each form of combat was made for a specific purpose so the mindset and training will be built upon a specific goal. They are similar but not the same. I will go through several forms of combat and explain how they are different from self defense with educational videos.
* Traditional Martial arts - As I mentioned before in my blog post "why martial arts does not mean self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-martial-arts-does-not-mean-self.html), martial arts' styles were created to suit the needs of a particular generation in time for many reasons (health and fitness, self defense, war, dance, etc.) Ninjutsu for example was designed to help ninjas complete their missions involving espionage and evasion of the enemy. They would use weapons such as katanas to engage their attackers. Other martial arts like Kendo aren't even used for self defense or any fighting. They are used more for building moral character via. Bushido. You will train in katas or "forms ", ancient techniques, weapons, hand to hand combat, etc. in the martial arts world. You might have to invest years in training to perfect your skills.
How is this different from more practical self defense? In the 21st century, alot has changed since the time of its creation. Alot of things that worked back then are now obsolete in the modern world. If you tried to use a katana on an unarmed attacker now, you will run into alot of problems with the law. Modern self defense addresses modern problems. No one will attack you with bo staffs, butterfly knives, katanas, and other ancient weapons that traditional martial arts train you in. No one is going to realistically throw everything in one punch as seen in martial arts demonstrations. Your not going to be able to magically know when you will be attacked. Your attackers will use modern weapons with modern day approaches. Much of the combat shown in traditional martial arts are done for the sake of the art or it's original purpose, not to defend yourself in the modern world.
* Combat sports - Some martial arts like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai were designed for sport. Modern martial arts in the form of MMA train it's practitioners in multiple traditional martial arts within striking, kicking, and grappling ranges. The goal is to either cause an opponent to tap out or get knocked out. There are weight divisions, verbal taunts, rules, sportsmanship, alot of time to prepare, championships, alot of room to fight in the ring, judges, the list goes on.
The problem? The sports mindset is different from the world of self defense. In the real world, you risk breaking your fists in a street fight if you punch incorrectly or solid bone thus reducing your chances of effectively dealing with the next threat. That's why you see MMA fighters and sport based martial artists spar with gloves. The other issue is that you are training to fight someone on a similar skill level when it comes to sport. There's no weapons, no multiple attackers, no dirty fighting, no disadvantages in size, and no one trying to kill you in the ring. On the streets, there are no rules. Effective self defense should prepare you to respond to any situation. There's no "fighting fair" when your defending yourself. In fact, there shouldn't be any fighting at all. Your not going to survive every situation if you treat each one as a fist fight.Your goal should be to end the threat as quickly as possible by putting your attacker at a disadvantage usually through two ways 1) Incapacitation 2) Taking away mobility with or without the use of weapons. For example, if i'm faced with an attacker throwing punches and i have a sweater in one hand then i'm going to throw it in his face. This will provide a distraction for me to land a kick to the groin and another kick to knock him or off balance then run away. If i don't fight dirty then it's skill against skill and if my attacker is more skilled than me, i'm probably going to get hurt or killed. Even if schools in combat sports claim to teach self defense, they most likely won't teach you how to fight dirty or how to use weapons to end the threat quickly.
* Street-fighting - This is like sport except it's a consensual agreement for both parties to fight although there's no assurance that it will be fair. If your attacker hates the fact that you won a fist fight, he or she can shoot you dead in anger and humiliation as shown in this video example. Once you agree to meet someone for a street fight, you are no longer acting in self defense. In self defense, you should attempt to defuse your aggressor or avoid these situations all together for your safety.
* Combat in law enforcement - Military officials will train in hand-to-hand combat (such as martial arts) and weapons to kill or capture the enemy as quickly as possible. The police's main goal is to use weapons and hand-to-hand combat to subdue criminals. They are armed with an arsenal of weapons (handcuffs, guns, tasers, batons, pepper spray, the list goes on.) They are allowed to kill someone if that person has proven to be too great of a threat. Their greatest strength is teamwork and spend alot of time honing their skills together.
How is this different from self defense? You don't have the same advantages and authority as law enforcement does in self defense. Furthermore, your aim isn't to kill unless there is no other way to stop an attacker intending on killing you and you can justify it in court.
In conclusion, you have to know what your purpose is in self defense and abide by a process. You have to know how to make combat systems effective for you in self defense. I'm not confident that many people learning self defense understand the dynamics of real world violence because they are confused. The best thing you can do is understand the different types of combat to avoid confusion and learn how to defend yourself better.
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There are some people who seem to believe that military hand-to-hand combat systems make the best self defense. The reasoning lies in the assumption that people in the military are highly trained in warfare and that it's at a higher level than civilian self defense. Do military combatives make better self defense than civilian self defense?
The answer is generally no and here's why. The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program was eventually designed for self defense during peacekeeping operations (see link below.) The curriculum takes influence from martial arts such as boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Savate, Krav Maga, Sambo, kickboxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Karate, Muay Thai, kung fu, the list goes on as shown in the videos posted. The mindset is to abide by simplicity and efficiency in order to end the threats quickly in combat. There's varying degrees of lethal force being used, some of which is intended to kill. Training exercises include stress inoculation and realistic scenarios. Training tools include shock knives and other methods. During wartime, hand-to-hand combat is essentially useless. Why? Because the main focus is on killing the enemy via. guns and long range weapons which are your primary line of attack. If you have to resort to hand-to-hand combat, you've done something terribly wrong. Either you've been captured, ran out of ammo which should never happen, and have no weapons to defend yourself with. On top of that, a marine's greatest strength is in numbers. A lone marine is very vulnerable to getting killed in the battlefield as opposed to a platoon.
That being said, how effective is military combatives compared to civilian self defense? Military members and civilians both train in martial arts. While military members do use simple and efficient techniques from martial arts, it is not exclusive to the military. You can find this in martial arts such as Krav Maga and Bruce Lee's philosophy Jeet Kune Do. Civilian hand-to-hand combat systems in self defense abides by civilian law while military hand-to-hand combat relies on military standards. If you tried to use unjustified lethal force on an attacker in the street, you'd probably go to jail. If you are in the military then your aim should be to kill the enemy by any means necessary. Therefore, civilian self defense is in no way inferior to military combatives. Civilian hand-to-hand combat and military hand-to-hand combat are simply used for different purposes.
In conclusion, learning military combatives for self defense makes you no more equipped in defending yourself than a civilian who undergoes similar training in hand-to-hand combat. What's the key? The mindset. By applying the principles of neutralizing the threat, keeping techniques simple and efficient, realistic stressful training, etc. - essentially the same results are achieved between civilian and military self defense. This notion that members of the military are somehow superhuman is false. They are no different than a civilian. What distinguishes them from civilians is the ability to work as a team. Training in military combatives will not make you better at self defense and anyone who tries to convince you otherwise to sell you a product is probably ripping you off.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
If you are interested in learning martial arts for the purpose of self defense but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. This guide will teach you a general step by step how to learn martial arts online and give you some helpful tips in the process.
1) Research a martial arts you like - If you have no idea what martial arts or hand to hand combat system you want to train in, do some research. What are you good at? What are you comfortable with doing? What are your strengths? Weaknesses? For example, i don't like executing Muay Thai kicks and the training methods some martial arts require. I've found Wing Chun to fit my personal preference. It's time to find yours.
2) Find a quality online school - Now that you know which martial arts you want to train in, you can find a school that trains in that particular martial art. Make sure that the online school is meeting all of your needs and wants for self defense. You will want to find an instructor who is about quality. For example, i find Master Wong a very credible instructor for self defense and Wing Chun. He has free online courses, DVD's, videos, helpful products, live seminars, and other helpful resources to learn martial arts (see link below).
3) Build your own training area - In order for you to get high quality training, you'll need to make space for you to practice. A large open room is preferable. Make sure that there's no objects or obstacles that could cause injury or get in the way of your training. You might need to invest some money in training equipment such as dummies, punching bags, wall punching pads, punching gloves, list goes on. If you don't have money, you might need to improvise and use everyday objects in the meantime. For example, i use a wall to practice timing my kicks at a certain range. I also use them to condition my knuckles and practice good form.
4) Practice the basics first - Before you learn anything about a martial art, you must first understand the basics. Spend time practicing footwork, proper body alignment, drills, guard, list goes on. Without understanding the basics, you won't be able to understand much less do the art well. Once you've grasped the basics then you can move onto the more advanced material.
5) Learn from videos and practice techniques - Doesn't matter how many videos you've watched, you won't be able to use the techniques and moves shown unless you spend alot of time practicing them at home. Make sure that you observe the instructor and pay attention to crucial details. Rewind the video and play it as many times as you need or ask questions. Keep practicing until you finally get the proper technique or movement done correctly. Integrate them in your muscle memory and they will be second nature when you need them. This is how one student of Jiu Jitsu learned online.
6) Practice solo sparring or with a partner - If you don't have a partner then spar by yourself (see "http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-to-do-effective-solo-sparring.html") and imagine an opponent. If you do have a partner (a trusted friend) then spar with him or her in a large open area such as a backyard or a park. Make sure that you use sparring gear and equipment for safety. Focus on recalling what you've learned from the martial art you are practicing. You could also practice drills with your partner.
7) Gain feedback - If you are confused then you need to ask questions and gain feedback on your performance. Join and interact in online communities or ask your online instructor for guidance. You may need to film yourself sparring and post the video on forums or other social platforms so you can gain effective feedback. Practicing in front of a mirror also works in understanding where you need to improve.
And my last final words on the matter is simply keep practicing. There's no secrets or shortcuts other than quality practice. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2 masterwongacademy.com/
Whether you are struggling or excelling in Wing Chun, there's always room for improvement. This guide will give you several tips on how to improve as a Wing Chun practitioner for self defense by applying Wing Chun principles.
* Strike first - A big mistake Wing Chun practitioners make is waiting for an attack to happen. If you wait for an attack to happen, you might not have time to respond and it puts you on the defensive. By striking first, you control the flow and pace of the fight as your opponent is on the defensive. Make the first hit count especially if you plan on using Wing Chun for self defense.
* Apply forward pressure - Another big mistake people make is not closing the gap and applying forward pressure. I've made this mistake myself where my sparring partner was throwing uppercuts, crosses, jabs, and realized Wing Chun's power comes from driving your body forward as you attack or defend. If you simply stand there deflecting and attacking your opponent without stepping forward, all your opponent has to do is either move forward to grapple you or back to avoid getting hit. Once you have the opportunity to attack, you keep stepping forward until your opponent is overwhelmed with attacks or falls over.
In this example (ignore the rest), notice how the Wing Chun chain punches the Muay Thai fighter while stepping forward to drive the fighter back into a mirror. This is the concept of applying forward pressure.
* Take your opponent off balance - Another common mistake is not taking your opponent off balance. As long as your opponent is still standing, you have not eliminated the threat effectively. Removing your opponent's balance is one of the principles in Wing Chun. If your opponent tries to do a kick, step forward to intercept it and cause your opponent to lose balance then deliver powerful blows to knock him or her over. If your opponent tries to do a high kick, tan sao or trap the leg and deliver a stomp kick to the side of the knee in the rear leg. The quicker you can take your opponent off balance, the quicker the fight will end.
* Keep your balance - The proper way to keep balancing is knowing how much pressure to apply to which foot. Improper application of energy leads to loss of balance. For example you should not put all of your weight in the rear foot and no power in your kicking foot. A solid structured alignment, footwork, and proper use of pressure are all essential in keeping your balance.
* Steal your opponent's balance - One effective method of keeping your balance is by taking your opponent's. For example, when you are about to fall over and your opponent throws a straight punch - you could trap the hand while delivering a front kick of your own.
* Don't mirror your opponent's centerline - If you mirror your opponent's centerline, you will have to face all of his or her limbs than if you fought on the outside. By moving to the outside or blindside, you will only have to deal with one arm and leg as you are in a better position to strike. If your opponent rushes in for a kick or punch for example, move in to the side and deliver a kick to the rear leg or trap the arm before you attack.
* Don't retreat - A mistake Wing Chun practitioners make is falling back from an attack. You might create distance but this doesn't give you an advantageous position. Rather than move back, step to the side in order for you to get a superior position to attack while avoiding the line of your opponent's attack. For example, i'd step to the side and deliver a counter-attack to a charging opponent rather than move back then face the possibility of falling over. You retreat only when necessary to create space and even if you do, you don't lose contact. If say an opponent advances to seize an opportunity to attack me, i move back but deliver a straight punch in the process to create distance before i apply forward pressure.
* Control your opponent - There are many Wing Chun practitioners who allow their opponents to control them rather than the other way around. They lose structure, balance, and technique before it turns into a grappling contest. Controlling your opponent is one of the most fundamental principles in Wing Chun. If you are within range for example, use fook sao to bring your opponent's head forward while delivering a strike to the face. Grab your opponent by the hair or clothing for leverage. Control the elbows to nullify your opponent's striking ability then throw him or her to the ground. Control your opponent, don't let your opponent control you.
* Go with the flow - Another fatal mistake Wing Chun practitioners make is fighting force with force. Wing Chun is about absorbing strength and using it against your opponent. If your opponent grabs your arm and pulls you forward, that's fine because he/she is bringing you into your attacking range quickly. If your opponent tries to pull back from your lap sao, help him or her fall over by letting go and delivering a kick to the groin.
* Watch your opponent's elbow and control it - The elbow moves slower than the fist. Therefore, keep your eyes on the elbow and you will predict what your opponent will do.
* Proper elbow alignment - Your hands should defend your upper body while your elbows should be aligned to defend your lower body. If your opponent tries to uppercut, you elbow strike the fists and cause them to break.
Practice these principles in your training and sparring sessions. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
Jeet Kune Do is a fighting philosophy developed by Bruce Lee. It emphasizes freedom from rigid martial arts styles and using practicality over traditional techniques with no real world application. If you are interested in becoming more proficient in self defense and want to learn Jeet Kune Do, this is the guide for you.
* Understand the root of Jeet Kune Do - Bruce Lee took ideas primarily from fencing, Wing Chun, and boxing as the basis for his Jeet Kune Do. By learning about the principles and concepts from these fighting arts, you will understand Jeet Kune Do more clearly.
* Liberate yourself from styles - Many martial arts tend to follow traditional patterns of movements and beliefs. While they serve you well in health and fitness along with learning the art for it's own sake or sport, many are ineffective in real combat. Even if they are effective, many styles tend to abide by set movements. Jeet Kune Do is about the freedom of expression. There is no "right" or "wrong" way of doing Jeet Kune Do. It's simply about what works best for you and keeping an open mind. You are free to take techniques from any style and art regardless of origin as you utilize it in your own personal system. Some people like to teach the original Jun Fan Gung Fu (Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do) in order to teach Jeet Kune Do principles and concepts to others. If training in Jun Fan Gung Fu helps you understand the concepts and principles of Jeet Kune Do then by all means do so but there is no set standard for understanding Jeet Kune Do. Understand the root and from there, you can start to apply Jeet Kune Do to your training.
* Abide by the economy of motion - The economy of motion is derived from Wing Chun. It's the principle that the simplest things work best with only the necessary movement. I'll break it down into several parts:
Efficiency - An attack which reaches it's target in the least amount of time. A straight line is generally the shortest distance between two points. Therefore, it's much more efficient to strike in a straight line rather than from a curved angle as it takes less time and little wasted movement. This is why Wing Chun practitioners attack from the centerline, an imaginary line running down the center of the body. Directness - Doing what comes naturally in a disciplined manner. There's no "fixed" way of attacking or defending in Jeet Kune Do. Simply do what feels right in a given situation.
* Understand the centerline theory - Control the centerline and you control the fight. Your centerline is the most important in a fight so you must always protect it. Exploit your opponent's centerline. Think of his/her attacking or defending limbs as obstacles that you must get past in order to reach your primary target - the centerline.
Now onto the principles of attacking and defending:
* Absorb what is useful, discard what isn't, add what is uniquely your own - In Jeet Kune Do, there are four ranges you should be proficient in. 1) Close range 2) long range 3) Trapping range 4) grappling range. In order to build your own Jeet Kune Do system, you must absorb practical techniques and attacks from different styles. They ought to be efficient and simple in order for you to effectively use them in combat. Don't just pick techniques for techniques sake, integrate them into a system using all of the ranges. Think of yourself as a sculptor chipping away at unessentials to create a sculpture. Here's a list of examples of how this could work.
1) Close range - Choose styles that emphasize striking such as Wing Chun, Krav Maga, boxing, praying mantis kung fu,etc.
2) Long range - Wing Chun, Savate, Karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, etc.
3) Trapping - A concept in Wing Chun where you briefly grab one or both of your opponent's limbs as you make an attack.
4) Grappling - Wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, Judo, etc.
By being proficient in all ranges, you are able to freely use more than if you confined yourself to one style.
* Embrace your freedom of expression - Once you understand the ranges and freedom found in Jeet Kune Do philosophy, embrace the freedom to attack in any way you see fit. If someone tries to kick, i can counter with a Wing Chun or Savate kick and do all sorts of rapid strikes to vital areas of the body then grapple my opponent's elbows as i deliver a headbutt followed by a slam to the ground. I could also kick, get in close range and trap one of my opponent's arms before i do an armlock then an armbreak or a Judo throw. There's endless possibilities to what you can do in a fight.
* Learn the art of interception - In swordfighting, i learned that there are different angles of attack from which i could intercept or attack my opponent. If my opponent lunged in to thrust me in a straight line, i could intercept him/her by giving a counter-thrust to redirect the line of attack away from my body as my attack reaches my opponent. If my opponent strikes high, i counter-attack by striking my opponent in the chest. The same ideas used in swordfighting and fencing are simply transferred to Jeet Kune Do via. hand to hand combat. In the art of interception, the best defense is an offense. Master the art of interception by merging your attacks with your deflections in one movement. There are three kinds of interceptions:
Attacking the centerline - This kind of interception seeks to strike at your opponent's centerline (center of mass, chest, and other vital areas.) If someone tries to do a straight punch, i intercept my opponent's attack by delivering a punch of my own while deflecting his or hers and hitting my target (ex. the head.)
Limb destruction - This method of interception involves attacking and/or destroying the limbs. For example if someone throws an uppercut punch, i could counter-attack by delivering a downward elbow strike to the fist which would break the hand. If my opponent does a high kick, i could trap it and deliver a powerful stomp kick to the side of my opponent's rear leg's knee which would cause it to break. Limb destructions are useful because they render an opponent's ability to attack and defend useless.
* Practice the difference kinds of attacks - In Jeet Kune Do, there are five ways of attacks and other attacking concepts. They are as follows:
Stop hits - When an opponent is closing the distance, you deliver a stop hit or kick to intercept his or her movements. For example if an opponent were to charge at me, i would intercept him or her by delivering a stop kick to the knee before i get in close range and delivering my own attacks.
Simultaneous attack and defense - This is one of the basic principles in Wing Chun. Blocking an attack before you deliver an attack would take too much time and energy. It's much more efficient to simply redirect an attack as you deliver one of your own at once. For example, if someone were to throw a punch - i would counter with lap sao followed by a straight punch. If someone tries to elbow strike me, i could easily use pak sao or lap sao as i deliver a punch to the solar plexus. In Wing Chun, there is no committed attacks or parries. A finger jab could instantly change to a straight punch or a hammerfist at any given moment. A punch could change to a lap sao or elbow strike. Spend time practicing deflecting attacks as you deliver attacks of your own.
1. Single Direct Attack - This kind of attack is delivered in a straight line. An example would be a straight punch to the chest.
2. Attack By Combination - This is a sequence of attacks delivered either to the upper body, midsection, or lower body. An example would be the boxing jab, hook, cross. Another example would be a kick to the knee, a straight punch, elbow strike, finger jab to the throat or eyes, a chop to the neck, and palm strike to the chest. Practice delivering a combination of attacks.
3. Progressive Indirect Attack - This is delivered by feigning an attack before quickly changing the direction of your original attack to another area of the body or using another attack instead. For example, i may choose to do a finger jab to the eyes and cause my opponent to get a flinch response. As soon as my opponent flinches, i follow up with an uppercut to the ribs. Practice delivering a mix of fake attacks to distract your opponent from defending against certain vital areas as you deliver real attacks.
4. Hand Immobilization Attack - This kind of attack is executed by trapping or subduing an area of your opponent's body. For example, if my opponent moves back while i'm attacking - i can deliver a stomp to the foot and keep my opponent from retreating while i finish him or her with devastating blows. I could also grab ahold of hair or clothing as i strike.
5. Attack By Drawing - This could be done several ways but the aim is to draw your opponent into a trap you've made. For example, you could purposefully leave an area of your body unguarded to make your opponent think that's your weakness only to deliver several attacks of your own when he or she moves in. Practice leaving an area of your body exposed as you try to get a reaction out of your opponent while you plan your attacks. Low kicks - Generally, Jeet Kune Do follows the same principle as Wing Chun when it comes to kicks. A kick should be delivered no higher than the waist except in Jeet Kune Do, this isn't set in stone. Low kicks are harder to stop as they take less time and energy to reach the intended targets than high kicks. They also don't compromise the fighter's balance.
Non-telegraphed hits - Bruce Lee believed that you shouldn't telegraph your attacks because it gives them away. As soon as you wind up for a punch, your opponent can counter-attack before you finish it. Thus, you must practice not giving away your moves via. body language. Observe yourself in the mirror and make sure that you strike without warning.
In conclusion, i leave you some more additional tips for training using Jeet Kune Do concepts.
* Use your freedom wisely - Just because you have the freedom to perform countless techniques, does not mean that you should. The real skill is how you use the few techniques that you've learned to resolve many different situations as well as the fighting ranges. Exploit your opponent's weaknesses and avoid his or her strengths. If your opponent is a superior striker at close range, you attack him or her at other ranges.
* Blend the ranges - In other fighting arts, you focus only on getting to a particular range. In Jeet Kune Do, your focus is on attacking your opponent from any range. Let's say you went up against a striker at close range and counter-attacked his strikes with of your own. If your opponent retreats but is still within your long range attacks, you kick. If your opponent grapples you, throw your opponent to the ground or use anti-grappling techniques to get back into close range striking.
* Adapt to every situation - The idea behind Bruce Lee's inspirational saying "be like water" is adapting to the circumstances. If you cannot adapt, you most likely will not survive. For example, using attack by combination will not work against say a Wing Chun fighter who intercepts your attacking combination and attacks at close range. It's therefore crucial that you change your strategy of attack appropriately. Your fighting art especially in self defense must be fluid and subject to change. Adaptability is one of the most important fundamentals of Jeet Kune Do.
* Fight dirty - In Jeet Kune Do, there are no rules. Be brutal and ruthless. If someone tries to do armbar, you could bite their legs then elbow the groin repeatedly. If someone's ontop of you, pull him or her closer and bite his or her ear off or throat. You could bodyslam someone to the concrete and cause a concussion. You could grapple an opponent, do a chokehold followed by breaking his or her neck. Use weapons, blind your opponents, slam an opponent into a wall as you bash his or her against it before you end the fight with devastating blows. The idea is to not fight fairly. Jeet Kune Do for self defense is about survival, not about winning or losing.
* Always evolve - Be humble enough to change your beliefs and challenge them in sparring against a non-compliant partner. If your ideas on a technique's effectiveness in combat are wrong, accept it but refine your skills on what you have learned. If you've made a good move in sparring, look for a better one. Always strive for improvement in all aspects of your life.
* Engage in full contact sparring - Bruce Lee advocated for full-contact sparring to improve your skills. If you want a set of sparring gear to get started, i recommend these products. The Macho Sports/ Martial Arts Chest Protector is lightweight and allows for quick mobility. It absorbs alot of impact very well. The Macho Dyna 8 piece sparring gear comes with a face mask, head gear, shin guards, and gloves. This set comes in sizes range from small to X-large and various colors. They are also shock-absorbent to impact. Be sure to practice safely with your sparring partner and memorize Jeet Kune Do principles.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
Unfortunately there are some MMA fighters who go around bullying those weaker than them out of self-centered entitlement. If you find yourself with an MMA fighter who is a bully, handle the situation without provoking him to fight. Report him to the police if need be and defend those around you. If things spiral out of control and you have no choice but to fight him, here are several tips on beating an MMA fighter.
There's no telling which styles an MMA fighter uses but generally, they train to be pro-efficient in these set of skills 1) Striking 2) Grappling 3) Ground-fighting. By being familiar with each one, you can devise the proper strategy to counter them all.
* Counter-attack the takedown - The takedown is one of the most crucial moves in ending the fight. If you get caught in the takedown, it's over. The MMA fighter can do what he/she wants once you are on the ground. To avoid it, simply widen your stance, lean your body forward, and stop the fighter with an attack to their upper body. You could palm strike the fighter in the neck as you hold it in place and grab the arm or elbow strike to the back of the head. From there, you could do all sorts of strikes. Ideally, you'd want to push the fighter to the ground and control his movements. If the fighter tries to grab your legs, you could trap his/her arms by bending your legs and lowering your stance. Once trapped, the MMA fighter is completely defenseless.
* Control the distance - The MMA fighter will usually have grappling skills in their arsenal of moves. Be cautious not to get grappled as he/she could easily go for an armbar or other submission hold. Use long ranged attacks and anti-grappling as you keep the distance.
* Counter-attack the Muay Thai clinch - Another attack that the MMA fighter may use is the Muay Thai clinch which would also be crucial in ending the fight. One knee to the ribs and it will result in a broken bone possibly organ damage. You could counter by chain punches to the centerline or preferably, sweep the fighter off balance as you attack him/her down to the ground then make your escape.
* Counter-attack high kicks - Another crucial attack in ending the fight are high kicks. If your opponent delivers a head kick, you could block or use tan sao to catch the leg as you kick the other leg (side of the knee) to get your opponent off balance. If the fighter's leg breaks, the fight is over.
* Counter-attack the running knee kick - Yet another attack that could potentially knock you off balance and end the fight is the running knee kick. When you see your opponent running towards you, it's likely he/she is setting up the kick. Move to the side and take advantage of the situation by kicking your opponent off balance or waiting until he/she lands before closing the gap to attack.
* Use your elbows - If you've read my other post "how to beat a boxer in Wing Chun" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-to-beat-boxer-in-wing-chun.html) then you know the use of your elbows to block and counter-attack would come in handy when facing an MMA fighter. If the MMA fighter uses elbow strikes on you, that's an ideal opportunity to quickly take control of fighter's elbows and end the fight by disrupting his/her balance.
* Counter-attack ground-fighting - Whatever you do, NEVER end up on the ground. Once you end up on the ground, you are put in a very dangerous position. If you ever find yourself on the ground due to a mistake, DO NOT let your guard down. Some Wing Chun teachers instruct that if your on the ground, you should simply get up quickly. This is bad advice especially when facing an MMA fighter. Soon as you try to get up, the MMA fighter will seize that opportunity and attack. Often overlooked, Wing Chun ground-fighting would increase your chances of recovering after being knocked down. You should learn some ground-fighting and how to counter-attack certain holds. What makes Wing Chun ground-fighting different from say Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? There's little to no grappling. You essentially apply the same principles and techniques as if you were standing up. If someone were to ground and pound you for instance, you still could simultaneously attack + defend. You also could knock your opponent off balance as well before quickly getting up and ending the fight.
* Fight dirty - The MMA fighter will likely see a street fight from a ring fighting sport mentality. In the UFC, there are several moves that are illegal in the Octagon but legal outside of it. This gives you an advantage. You could break his/her limbs, bite, hit the groin, use weapons, etc.
I hope this guide was helpful. Be sure to practice these techniques with a partner. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
If you question what your self defense instructor is teaching, it does not make you a bad student. On the contrary, it makes you an excellent student because you are thinking critically. It's true that having no techniques in self defense can get you killed but having the wrong set of techniques can also get you killed. Self defense instructors can be misguided. Even the content i write could also be misguided. How would you figure it out?
There are consequences of accepting everything your self defense instructor says on the basis that he/she is a certified teacher. I was reading on Reddit a story of a Muay Thai student who was assaulted by two men and did a clinch on one of them. Too late did he realize that the attacker had a knife and stabbed him twice. Outraged, he went to his teacher and blamed him for not warning him that the clinch was impractical in a street fight. His teacher told him he wasn't supposed to until after the fact it happened. As a result, the Muay Thai student lost one of his lungs and could never practice martial arts or any self defense again.
Self defense is a science. It involves testing and principles. Credentials don't mean much especially when the instructor has been teaching impractical techniques that don't simulate real life combat. Regardless of what martial art or combat system you practice whether it's Krav Maga, Mauy Thai, Karate, Wing Chun, or Silat; you should ultimately ask yourself - Is what i'm learning realistic and effective? What are the pitfalls? How can i properly test the techniques on a sparring partner whos not cooperative and get the same results? Is there a more effective way to get the job done? By thinking critically and gaining wisdom, you won't be able to fooled so easily. In conclusion, i hope that you take the time to search for the truth and remember...don't take everything i write at face value because you never know if i'm mistaken.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
You've probably heard many talks of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Wing Chun, and other martial arts of being the best for self defense. What's the best martial arts for self defense? The answer is simple and straightforward - there is none.
There's no martial art that triumphs over all. Each martial art has its own pros and cons. No style is superior or inferior over another. There are however times when certain techniques and principles only apply in competition rather than in self defense. It all depends on the skill of the user.
Bruce Lee, one of the most inspirational martial artists, once said "man, the individual, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system." The best advice I can give you is to embrace all martial arts and take lessons from each one. Practice a martial art that suits you and your physical wellbeing. As long as certain techniques are practical in certain situations, apply them. Learn to see martial arts as a set of tools to aid you instead of fighting styles to use at your disposal. Master using martial arts effectively rather than search for the most effective martial art.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
How is this different from more practical self defense? In the 21st century, alot has changed since the time of its creation. Alot of things that worked back then are now obsolete in the modern world. If you tried to use a katana on an unarmed attacker now, you will run into alot of problems with the law. Modern self defense addresses modern problems. No one will attack you with bo staffs, butterfly knives, katanas, and other ancient weapons that traditional martial arts train you in. No one is going to realistically throw everything in one punch as seen in martial arts demonstrations. Your not going to be able to magically know when you will be attacked. Your attackers will use modern weapons with modern day approaches. Much of the combat shown in traditional martial arts are done for the sake of the art or it's original purpose, not to defend yourself in the modern world. 
The problem? The sports mindset is different from the world of self defense. In the real world, you risk breaking your fists in a street fight if you punch incorrectly or solid bone thus reducing your chances of effectively dealing with the next threat. That's why you see MMA fighters and sport based martial artists spar with gloves. The other issue is that you are training to fight someone on a similar skill level when it comes to sport. There's no weapons, no multiple attackers, no dirty fighting, no disadvantages in size, and no one trying to kill you in the ring. On the streets, there are no rules. Effective self defense should prepare you to respond to any situation. There's no "fighting fair" when your defending yourself. In fact, there shouldn't be any fighting at all. Your not going to survive every situation if you treat each one as a fist fight.Your goal should be to end the threat as quickly as possible by putting your attacker at a disadvantage usually through two ways 1) Incapacitation 2) Taking away mobility with or without the use of weapons. For example, if i'm faced with an attacker throwing punches and i have a sweater in one hand then i'm going to throw it in his face. This will provide a distraction for me to land a kick to the groin and another kick to knock him or off balance then run away. If i don't fight dirty then it's skill against skill and if my attacker is more skilled than me, i'm probably going to get hurt or killed. Even if schools in combat sports claim to teach self defense, they most likely won't teach you how to fight dirty or how to use weapons to end the threat quickly.
* Combat in law enforcement - Military officials will train in hand-to-hand combat (such as martial arts) and weapons to kill or capture the enemy as quickly as possible. The police's main goal is to use weapons and hand-to-hand combat to subdue criminals. They are armed with an arsenal of weapons (handcuffs, guns, tasers, batons, pepper spray, the list goes on.) They are allowed to kill someone if that person has proven to be too great of a threat. Their greatest strength is teamwork and spend alot of time honing their skills together.
