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.
Boxing is a popular combat sport that has existed for centuries. In this post, i'll give you tips on how to apply boxing for self-defense.
* Disregard the rules - The first step in using boxing for self-defense is ditching the rules. Forget about scoring points, sports strategy, fighting, and any rules in combat sports. They will only hinder your ability to effectively defend yourself.
* Keep it simple - Don't learn fast and unrealistic combos. The longer your combos. are, the more opportunities your attacker has of interrupting them. You'll also waste time and energy. Your aim should be to simply knock out your attacker by hitting vital targets such as the head. See my post "vulnerable body parts for self-defense." for more.
* Train with proper physical conditioning - Remember that in the streets, you won't have padded protection. Therefore you'll need to condition your body to fight without gloves. Iron body training is a great way to condition your hands to deliver powerful blows without breaking your fists. You can read more about it in my post "how to apply iron body training in self-defense."
* Learn what's useful - There's many methods that are practical for combat such as shadow-boxing, sparring, slipping, ducking, bobbing and weaving, rolling with punches, list goes on. You should only train for what you will likely encounter in the street.
* Modify boxing for self-defense - Boxing alone is not enough for self-defense. Remember that you'll be facing weapons, multiple attackers, etc. In order to use boxing effectively for self-defense, you must develop other essential skills. You might want to speed up the timing of your strikes or modify them to make them more economical. You might also want to incorporate dirty fight tactics, trapping, kicking, grappling, improvised weapons, and other useful skills for combat.
Train with these tips in mind. If you want to learn more on how to make boxing work for self-defense, subscribe 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.
Iron body training is common among martial artists in Karate and Shaolin kung fu. Many practitioners break bricks, concrete blocks, boards, and other hard surfaces. The idea is that by hardening bone and muscles, you're able to withstand powerful blows while delivering them. Before we delve into Iron body training, let's examine the science of it. I'll only give a brief summary of the facts and leave extensive research to you.
According to Wolff's law, the bones of a healthy person will adapt to the loading placed on them. If the loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will become stronger over time by remodeling itself.
When martial art practitioners strike hard surfaces, microfractures occur in certain body parts. Osteoclasts remove damaged bone while Osteoblasts deposit minerals for bone remodeling. Osteoblasts will cover it with a honeycomb structure and the bone will become denser than before. The effects of bone structure depend on the length, level, and rate of the work load. It's been found that cyclic loading leads to bone formation. In other words, bone remodeling occurs overtime. There must be periods of rest for healing or Osteoblasts won't be able to repair damaged bones (1).
Iron body training can also harden muscle tissue. After an intense work-out, you may notice that your muscles hurt. This is because there's small micro tears in your muscle tissues. They heal over time as your body creates new muscle fibers. Your muscles become stronger and bigger as a result (2).
As we can see, Iron body training is scientifically verifiable and effective especially in combat. There are exceptions where it doesn't work. It would depend entirely on your genes and body to determine whether this type of training is suitable for you.
Why train in Iron body? For the following reasons:
* You can withstand powerful attacks - You'll be able to absorb powerful attacks in many areas of the body namely from melee weapons. Your attacker's limbs might end up injured or broken. This is because your attacker isn't accustomed to the sudden overwhelming force on the bones and muscles. Your attacker will have very limited targets available to him or her.
* You can deliver punishing blows - With proper technique and Iron body training, your attacks will be very devastating. The force in a punch could for example break bones and cause them to impale internal organs, killing the attacker.
* You prevent injuries in combat - Many martial artists like to wear gloves during training. This works in sport but not for self-defense. The average person's hands are fragile and break easily. Iron body training conditions your fists to prevent them from breaking easily. You can also target hard bones in other parts of the body without injuring your fists.
How can you practice Iron shirt training? Here's several tips.
1. Find proper materials - Depending on what body part you want to work on, you'll need to find proper materials. You don't want to use dangerous items that could potentially damage your body. Find materials for beginners and materials for more advanced stages. you could use your hands to start off light or purchase materials for iron body training. if you don't have a large budget then you need to improvise. You could use a wall, tree, or partner. You could also put a bunch of textbooks in a book bag. Soft material can be used for your fists to cushion them for knuckle push ups. Chinese medicine such as Dit Da Jow before and after training. This helps improve circulation, reduce swelling, pain, and heals injuries or wounds.
2. Start off light - Strike a body area such as your albs with open hand slaps 100 times.You must do it lightly but not too light to where you feel no force whatsoever. If it's with your fist, start by tensing it against a wall. Gradually push your bodyweight on it. Do this for a period of time until your hands or body area become tougher.
3. Gradually increase the work load - Once you notice considerable changes, replace the training equipment with more advanced tools. Gradually increase the force you exert on your body. You could start punching the wall harder as you progress. You could hit your albs with more force and items such as bricks. You could have a partner strike you to look for "soft spots."
4. Make a routine - NEVER try to go beyond your limits in Iron body training. You could injure yourself. Allow yourself time to heal for a day or however long it takes to recover. Develop a training regimen and stick to it.
5. Practice combat skills without protection - If you are to test and hone your Iron body conditioning for self-defense, you'll have to ditch protective gear eventually. This means for example punching heavy bags without gloves. This could also mean engaging in full-contact sparring without any gear.
Remember that it's your responsibility to take care of your own body. Practice these tips safely. 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.
Targeting vulnerable body parts in self-defense is critical to ending the threat as quickly as possible. In order to end the threat efficiently, you need to understand the body and it's weak spots. If you don't, you'll attack blindly. You'll waste time and energy fighting your attacker. You can end a fight by targeting vulnerable body parts in one or two moves but don't think you can do it automatically. Training hand-to-hand combat is a must. I'll explain the science of each vulnerable body part, the effects it has on a person when struck, and advantages/drawbacks in striking those areas. I divide them into two groups - Primary targets and secondary targets. I define primary targets as vulnerable body parts (ex. the head) that incapacitate an attacker instantly. Secondary targets are vulnerable areas that cause extreme pain and/or loss of bodily function but don't necessarily take an attacker out of the fight.
* The neck - A blow to the carotid artery, namely the carotid sinus, in the neck is perhaps the most effective move in rendering an attacker unconscious. Why? The carotid artery is divided into two branches - internal and external. The internal artery is located under the skull. It brings blood to vital areas such as the brain, eyes, and larynx. The external branch is made of even thinner branches. It supports areas such as facial and neck muscles. The carotid sinus lies in between those two branches. The carotid sinus contains baroreceptors which control the blood flow into your carotid arteries and send information to the brain. When you strike this area, the baroceptors signal to the brain that there's too much blood pressure and it needs to be lowered. The brain signals to the heart to lower the blood pressure which results in bradycardia or heart rate that's below normal. This can result in fainting, a heart attack, and maybe even death.
You can use a knife-hand chop to the neck and affect the carotid sinus to knock your opponent out. Targeting the neck reduces the risk of breaking your fists from punching solid bone such as the jaw. This demonstration shows what happens when someone takes a hit to the neck.
* The jaw - A powerful blow to the jaw can cause the head to rotate suddenly, causing a concussion and loss of consciousness. While striking the jaw usually works, there's times when it doesn't. It's going to be harder to do against someone who absorbs punches to the head. By stopping the rotation of the head through say rolling with the punches, it's not going to do much damage. That's why the element of surprise is important. A straight or hook punch to the jaw should cause a knock out.
* The eyes - Striking the eyes can lead to temporary or permanent blindness and quite painful as shown in these MMA fights. A quick finger jab to them or eye gouge should take away your opponent's vision. The downside to targeting the eyes is they won't always take out your attacker. Some people will continue to fight even with gouged eyes. The other downside is your opponent can reflexively close their eyes before any damage can be done. Targeting the eyes (in my opinion) should be used as a set up for another attack such as a knife-hand chop to the neck.
* The temple - Hitting the temples (ex. punches) can result in shock, brain compression, hemorrhage, a concussion, and death.
* The top of head - A powerful strike to the top of the head can cause a concussion, hemorrhage, unconsciousness, and possibly death. An elbow strike would probably be suitable for this area.
* Under the chin - An uppercut from under the chin can cause the head to violently rotate and create a brain concussion.
* The armpits - The armpits have a large bundle of nerves. If you land a powerful blow to them, it can cause a knock out or kill your attacker. This video explains in detail the science behind why it works.
Now we move onto secondary targets:
* Nerve strikes - Striking the radial, ulnar, femoral, or any major nerves will cause temporary loss of sensation in the limbs. Generally any strike should get the job with perfect timing, speed, and precision.
* The groin - The groin is a very vulnerable area with many sensitive nerve endings. If hit, it can cause vomiting, a loss of breath, black out, dizziness, etc. You can see it's effects in some UFC fights below. In extreme cases, it can cause one or both testicles to rupture and maybe death. The downside to striking the groin is your attacker can avoid it by moving back or blocking. Even if you land a hit, it may have little effect on an attacker who is either intoxicated or in an adrenaline rush. That's why it should be used as a set up for another attack such as a punch to the jaw.
* The solar plexus - There's a bundle of nerves in this area. When struck, the diaphragm spasms and often leads to someone getting the wind knocked out of him or her. It's worse if the person is very muscular as there's no fat protecting that area.
* The sternum - A direct hit to the sternum could lead to a heart contusion, internal injuries, loss of breath, fatigue, and other incapacitating effects.
* The ribs - A hit to the ribs can cause shortness of breath, painful breathing, and damage internal organs.
* The collar bones - The collar bones are thin bones connecting the breastbone to the shoulder blades. Break your attacker's collar bones and it will be difficult for him/her to move the arms.
* The base of the spine - If you hit this area hard enough, you can either briefly or permanently paralyze an attacker.
Practice safely with a partner or a punching dummy and work on accuracy. 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.
Learning situational awareness is one of the most fundamental skills you can learn in self-defense. As children, we were very aware of our environment. Unfortunately as we grew older, we lost these skills due to many factors such as social media. Why is situational awareness important? If you don't have full awareness of your environment, you won't be able to respond to a threat quickly enough. Thus, you will be unprepared for an attack and possibly die as a result. How do you hone your skills in situational awareness safety? The tips below will be based on a certain degree of scientific understanding:
* Practice keeping a safe distance - In order to react quickly enough to an attack, you need to maintain a safe distance between you and a potential threat. How? Stay a few feet away from strangers or potentially dangerous people. Practice verbal assertiveness and establishing healthy boundaries. Use "I" messages. If you don't keep your distance, your vision will be limited. You won't respond quickly enough or if you do respond, it's too late.
* Learn to read body language - One of the fundamental ways of reading an attacker's intent is body language. It's very difficult for people to mask body language. By reading non-verbal cues, you'll raise your alertness levels and act accordingly. What are some signs that someone is about to attack? Dilated pupils, sweat, a clenched jaw, fist, stiff neck, legs in a fighting stance, etc. If you want to learn more, read my blog post "7 warning signs of an impending attack."
* Study your environment - Whenever you plan a trip to a certain area, take the time to research the crime rates. The higher the crime rates, the higher your alertness needs to be. Familiarize yourself well with your environment. Learn where the nearest exits are, where to find cover and concealment, where potential weapons are, where potential allies are, etc.
* Observe your relationships - Sometimes the people you keep in contact with be it associates, friends, parents, lovers, etc. can be potential threats. This can be due to various underlying factors such as unresolved conflicts, negative emotions, violent behavior, physical or emotional neglect, abuse, etc. When you notice changes in your relationships that could potentially lead to violence, you need to act.
* Eliminate distractions - In order to respond quickly enough, you need to get rid of all distractions. If you're driving, turn off your cell phone. If you try to do too may things at once, you may get caught by surprise if an attack were to occur.
* Know where to direct your focus - You don't have eyes at the back of your head. It's impossible to have a complete 360 degree view of the world around you. Therefore the only solution is to figure out where your attention needs to be. You don't have to constantly keep looking over your shoulder for a potential threat but you shouldn't completely let your guard down either. You should divide your focus in order to keep from getting caught off guard.
There was a study done where volunteers were asked to count how many times 3 basketball players in white passed a ball. A woman in a gorilla costume came in and walked away. Half of the viewers missed her. Why? This phenomenon is called inattentional blindness. It's when our attention has become so focused on one particular thing that we lose sight of other things. See the link below for more details.
* Establish a secure parameter - We know that you can't always have your guard up. That's why it's important to designate a safe area and take precautions to secure it. To increase your situational awareness, you must take advantage of the resources already available. This could be in the form of security cameras, alarm systems, and other smart security systems.
In conclusion, these are a few key tips to increase situational awareness safety. Above all, you need to accept that there's a small chance that you'll be caught off guard and unprepared for an attack. Situational awarness safety doesn't make you completely invincible but it will help you in most cases. Practice these skills in your daily life.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, product recommendations, 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.
Just as it's important to learn hand-to-hand combat skills, it's also important to learn the potential warning signs of an attack. Why? You'll have the ability to asses the situation and prevent conflict all together. How can you determine whether or not someone is a potential threat? One method is by reading body language. Most of our communication is through body language. Below are a list of seven warning signs of a potential attack with a helpful resource.
* The pupils - When someone is in a flight-or-fight mode, adrenaline will rush into the bloodstream which causes the pupils to dilate. If you're approached by a potential threat, watch the pupils.
* The pulse - When someone's about to become violent or aggressive, blood flow and blood pressure increases. You should notice a pounding pulse in the neck or temple areas. You don't need to worry about them concealing it as it's very difficult for most people to control.
* The hands - Another huge indicator of a potentially violent person is the hands. When someone is violent, he or she will usually ball the fists. Pointing or making threatening gestures are also other signs. If he or she is armed, he or she will usually hide the hands. Pay close attention to the hands.
* The mouth - If someone is about to attack, breathing will be heavy and he or she will likely gasp for air. Sometimes the lips will be parsed.
* The shoulders - If someone is about to attack, the shoulders will give it away. Tight and raised shoulders indicate a potential threat. The person might lean forward a bit.
* The legs - If someone is a threat, there will usually be a dominant foot forward shoulder-width apart. If the person is armed, he or she may shield the weapon from view.
* Body tension - If a person is violent; there will usually be tension in several areas such as the neck, jaw, arms, shoulders, etc. Pay close attention to the person's posture.
Practice reading these key body signals. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, product recommendations, 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.
As a student of self defense, i understand the importance of combat. I understand the importance of training hard to memorize your techniques. I understand the importance of effective sparring.
Nevertheless, i kept having this nagging feeling that there was more to self defense than meets the eye. I had to take a long pause and reflect on the meaning of self defense as opposed to just fighting. I realized that while everything most self defense instructors were teaching had noble intent, the aim was in the wrong direction. I realized fighting was only half the equation. The other half of self defense and probably the most important is avoiding the threat. Unfortunately too much emphasis is put on the combat aspect of self defense and not enough on skills that matter most in the long run - defusing the threat, conflict resolution, situational awareness, etc. Without these essential skills, all that is being taught in self-defense schools is just street-fighting.
That being said, my question to anyone teaching or learning self defense is this - is your school teaching self defense or just violence? Self-defense isn't just putting on a pair of gloves and practicing your punches. It's about developing the proper mindset, skills, and character to prevent or minimize conflict to preserve your life. It's this realization that caused me to rethink what i know and motivated me to search for essential skills to prevent conflict before it starts.
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.
We all should know the importance of sparring gear especially when it comes to self defense. Without it, serious injury can occur. If you're looking for a certain product or products and wonder "what's the best martial arts sparring gear for 2017?" I'll give you my recommendations with helpful resources.
I highly recommend purchasing products from Macho martial arts. The first is the Macho 8 piece martial arts sparring gear set. The pieces are made of 3/4 inch impact dispersing foam with double padding. The set consist of gloves, shin guards, head gear, face mask, and kicks. They come in various sizes including small, medium, large, and extra large. They are suitable for children and young adults. Available in white, blue, red, and black.
How does the Macho 8 piece martial arts sparring gear differ from others? The gloves don't just have durable padding for striking. They also have a finger grip design for open and closed techniques with a tighter grip. Your forearms have padded protection as opposed to just your hands. The head gear has many unique features such as maximum vision and open face design. It has many air holes to prevent overheating and ruptured ear drums from powerful hits. The headgear also ensures a safe fall. The shin guards and kicks are very easy to put on.
The second product i recommend is the Macho Dyna chest protector. The Macho Dyna chest protector is lightweight with superb mobility that differentiates it from other products. It's cut above the hip to reduce shifting during sparring. Vital areas are covered with a shock resistant, high density, 1 inch thermoformed padding. The durable material is made of polyethylene. The only downside is that the backside is exposed with criss cross strapping. The video below demonstrates what it looks like when worn.
If you want to purchase these amazing products, click on the links below. In conclusion, these are the best martial arts sparring gear for self defense in 2017.
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.
In my blog post "how to use knife-fighting for self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-use-knife-fighting-in-self.html), i explain some of the fundamentals of knife fighting. In this blog post i'll explain the more technical details of knife fighting for self defense. Before you can train in knife-fighting, you need to learn some of the fundamentals for training using a knife. This guide also comes with helpful resources.
* Have a proper knife grip - There are many ways to hold a knife each with their own advantages. For the sake of this post, you'll learn the fist grip. Start by holding a knife with an open hand. Slowly wrap your fingers around the knife like you're making a fist then tuck your thumb on your index finger. This picture should illustrate what it should look like.
* Practice efficient deployment - When carrying a concealed knife, make sure that you place it in an area where you can quickly draw it in combat. Usually you should store it anywhere in the upper body. If you don't put thought into this and just put it wherever, you won't have time to deploy it when you need it. Some knives come with handles and others are strapped. Find one that suits you.
* Learn the angles of attack - The angles of attack using a knife are very simple. You slash/stab upwards, downwards, side to side, and diagonally as the black lines indicate. The red arrow indicates where you should thrust. Once you understand the angles of attack, you'll need to make sure that you avoid or redirect your assailant's line of attacks while delivering your own.
* Practice controlling distance - Distance is very fundamental to any form of combat. How much distance is needed for a knife to reach you? Have someone extend his or her arm and hold either a fake knife or a pen until it touches you. That's how much distance is needed for someone to do damage. While there's no set "safe" distance, you generally should only stay within a few inches to centimeters away from the attacker's knife. If your too close, you'll get hit. If your too far, you won't be able to attack when necessary.
* Practice keeping your balance - If you don't know how to keep yourself balanced in knife-fighting with proper footwork and efficiency then you'll fall over. Make sure that you're in a comfortable fighting stance. Don't over-lean to any direction or take huge steps that compromise your balance.
1. Practice knife drills - If you want to be efficient in knife fighting, you'll only need a basic set of motor skills that can easily be applied to any striking melee weapon. Incorporate any slashing and stabbing movements from any martial art such as Kali. You should be direct and non-telegraphic in every knife attack. Slash or thrust just enough to reach the intended target and retract.
Why is this important? For several reasons. If you do a wild full swing with your arm, you waste time and energy. Your attacker can see the attack coming and thus defend against it. If you attack but don't retract your knife, your attacker can injure your arm in the process.
2. Get the proper training equipment - In order for you to get the best results out of knife fighting, you need to train under intense pressure and realism. I recommend getting a shock knife (link to product below.) They are non-lethal but still scary and realistic enough to keep you motivated enough to perform under stress. Keep in mind that they aren't available for civilians in some states so you'll have to resort to other products. The Spring Assist practice fighting folding metal knife folder is a realistic training knife. It has the look and feel of a real knife. Another one i recommend is the Bokken plus Jim Wagner training knife. This type of knife is useful as you can coat it with lipstick or chalk to mark the areas you or your sparring partner have been slashed or stabbed.
I don't recommend getting full body armor and face masks. You'll want to make knife-fighting as realistic as possible. Only use safety equipment that you'll know you'll need such as eye-protection to prevent serious injury. Use other gear and equipment such as shin guards to protect areas you intend on striking.
3. Practice accuracy - In order for you to defend yourself effectively, you need to incapacitate your attacker as soon as possible. Targeting major arteries and organs will cause blood loss but they won't stop an attacker quickly enough. The same applies to bodily areas that induce pain as your attacker may probably have high pain tolerance.
What are your primary targets? If you sever the radial nerve, this will cause weakness and loss of coordination in the fingers. Your attacker will also have problems straightening the arm or holding the hand. If you slash the the flexor tendons in the hand, the attacker will lose movement in the fingers. Cut the ulnar nerve and the attacker will lose grip strength. Cut thetrapezius muscle and it will cause the arm to go weak. Striking any of these areas aren't fatal but will almost certainly cause the attacker to drop the weapon.
The targets i consider secondary are the triceps, the biceps, the kidneys, forehead,and the subclavian artery.
4. Begin with a scenario of attack - Alot of schools do drills, techniques, and sparring but neglect one of the most important aspects of knife fighting - knife deployment. You'll need to construct a scenario where you need to hone your skills in situational awareness, creating distance, and deploying your knife quickly. It's not as simple as just pulling out your knife in the face of danger. Doesn't matter how good you are at knife sparring. If you haven't trained to recognize a threat, you won't be able to draw your weapon fast enough against an unexpected attack in combat.
Make a scenario with a partner where he/she'll try to surprise attack you with a lethal weapon be it through a conversation or walking past you on the street. If you don't have a partner, visualize one. If you want to learn more on how to do that, check my blog post "how to train for combat realism" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/train-combat-realism.html). Start by learning how to read violent and aggressive body language. Signs of an attack may include dilated pupils, open mouths, tight and raised shoulders, a tense body, heavy breathing, placement of feet, nervousness, etc. Where are your potential threat's hands placed? Usually people planning an ambush with a concealed weapon will place their hands in their pockets before they strike. Make sure that you keep a safe distance away from the potential threat and you raise your level of alertness based on hostile body language.
5. Transition to knife sparring - When knife sparring, you need to have two different sparring sessions. One is for the untrained attackers and the other is for trained attackers. For the one involving an untrained attacker, either you or your partner need to mimic his or her movements. When someone is playing the role of an attacker, have him or her engage in various reckless attacks at different speeds. Could be a sewing machine fast stabbing or slashing. Have him or her rush in towards you. Be creative and use different types of attacks.
For the trained knife fighter, now you have to be more tactical. Remember that in knife sparring for self defense, you ought to have no rules. Use whatever is necessary to survive. When faced a trained knife attacker, you'll need to create an opportunity to put him or her at a disadvantage. You can do this through improvised weapons, feints, the environment, distractions such as kicks to the legs, and "slicing the pie" or "fighting on the blind side." This involves using your footwork to get into a superior position where your closer to the body and farther away from the knife. From there, slash and stab at vital areas then quickly retreat.
6. Keep practicing - All that's left is that you consistently practice maintaining proper balance, footwork, timing, speed, redirecting and avoiding the line of your opponent's attack, the list goes on. With consistent training, you'll be a skilled knife fighter in no time!
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Ninjutsu is a Japanese system historically used in Feudal Japan involving espionage, unconventional warfare, hit and run tactics, and much more. Ninjutsu has been historically shrouded in mystery and often glamorized in Hollywood. In this guide, i'll give you some insights and resources on how to apply ninjutsu to your self defense training.
* Discard what's useless and simplify your skills - While you may expect to learn a wide range of ninjutsu skills, the reality is much of it is useless in today's world. You realistically won't be running around in ninja attire infiltrating buildings and using all sorts of weapons in combat. There's no point in training with weapons that you won't carry or legally be able to use in combat. If you are to efficiently practice ninjutsu, you'll only need a limited set of essential skills for self defense.
* Be evasive - Evading a threat in Ninjutsu is one skill set that will prove useful today. If you are to be successful in self defense, you must evade a potentially violent threat before it even emerges. This can be done by remaining anonymous on the web for example. If an armed attacker barges in a public place, you can use stealth techniques from Intonjutsu to silently make an escape or conceal yourself. If you are aware of a potentially threatening person following you, it's wise to divert him or her into a false path. You could also put your potential threat in a position where he or she cannot pursue you without revealing themselves in the process. You can use a distraction to blind your attacker in combat such as powder before escaping.
* Use deception - The essence of ninjutsu is deception. Deception is not dressing in a black ninja suit and performing flashy magic tricks as Hollywood depicts. There's various tactics that are useful in deceiving your attacker such as feints, psychological manipulation, propaganda, persuasion, and so on. Appear strong when weak and weak when strong. One of the ultimate skills of ninjutsu is manipulating your target's perception rather than engaging in combat.
* Blend in with the environment - Part of ninjutsu is using the environment to your advantage to avoid detection. It's critical to have an in-depth understanding of the environment in order to use your ninjutsu skills effectively. You can use camouflage and stealth techniques to evade or engage the enemy when necessary as depicted below.
Certain skills such as Hensojutsu are essential to survival namely in hostage situations. Hensojutsu is the art of disguise and impersonation. Hensojutsu is not just putting on a costume, it involves a deep understanding of sociology. You must have knowledge of the particular social role you want to impersonate. Attackers from criminal organizations may kill or torture you if they suspect you are a potential threat. Applying Hensojutsu such as pretending to be a compliant citizen may save your life. Below is an excellent example of Hensojutsu from a documentary applied to the modern world.
The essence of becoming invisible is not disturbing the course of nature but flowing with it. Blending in with your environment isn't just moving in silence. It's also leaving absolutely no trace behind.
* PracticeEspionage - Another set of essential skills in Ninjutsu is intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence. In certain scenarios such as terrorist hijackings, espionage is a valuable skill set to have. You'll need to engage all of your senses and gather as much intelligence on your enemy as possible. You may also need to leak that intelligence to police officials for example. Counter-intelligence serves to sabotage a potential threat's attempt to spy on you such as an assassin.
In conclusion, these are just some Ninjutsu skills that you can apply in self defense. 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.
Let me guess, you've been training for long exhausting periods of time. You've been practicing every technique that your self defense instructor taught. You've been doing everything you can do to defend yourself and yet, your still afraid.
Your afraid that in the face of a cruel and frightening attacker, you will wet your pants. You will forget about everything you've spent your hard earned time and effort training for. You are afraid that if a real attack were to happen, you would freeze as if you learned nothing at all.
Even after everything you've learned, you still feel that your not good enough. You are still afraid that despite everything, you will get hurt. Worse, you are terrified that you might get killed.
What's the solution? How do you defend yourself against an untrained attacker with confidence?
Understand your enemy:
Knowing your enemy is good but understanding your enemy? That's taking your self defense training to heights never before reached. Why? Because you your understanding enables you to effectively give the proper response.
For example, let's say that I work as a cashier. I come across an angry and potentially violent customer. If I understand his or her thought process on a psychological level, this allows me to end the conflict peacefully via. de-escalation.
How do you understand your enemy? You become your enemy. Put yourself in your attacker's shoes. Imitate his or her walk, talk, speech, tone of voice, actions, etc.
Feel everything that your attacker is feeling. Be a predator preying on the weak. Realize that your motives for doing so are based on your own fears of being weak.
Watch this compilation of fights and pay close attention to the patterns of attack. Once you understand your enemy, it's difficult to be afraid because ignorance leads to fear. What to do with that understanding?
Spar like your enemy:
Why do so many self defense systems fail? They don't teach practitioners to spar like untrained attackers. Do you realistically expect the average attacker to come at you with some kung fu moves or boxing jabs?
If you continue to train with trained attackers then you'll only learn how to deal with the trained, not the untrained. How do you spar like the untrained attacker? Adopt his or her mindset.
Make sure that your sparring partner understands the importance of understanding your enemy. When you are ready, take turns roleplaying between an untrained attacker and trained defender.
Start with a scenario to simulate the initial moment before the violent confrontation (ex. threatening the defender) then go into sparring. Do whatever it is any untrained attacker would do whether it's throwing "windmill punches", tackles, grapples, ground and pound, you name it. Do it at full force and high speed until you or your sparring partner loses then repeat the process.
I recommend purchasing Macho Dyna 8-piece sparring set and chest protector for training. The head gear absorbs the impact whether standing or falling as well as the shin guards and the chest protector. Remember that you'll want to keep it as realistic as possible so don't rely too much on the gear. You might need to omit some equipment eventually once you feel confident enough to train under pressure.
Adapt to your enemy:
When it's your turn to play the role of the defender, you will have a better understanding on how to deal with the untrained attacker. You will begin to notice seemingly chaotic but predictable patterns. Be fluid and respond accordingly.
When you understand fundamental principles of combat (ex. Keeping your distance, controlling your opponent, timing, speed, accuracy, a strong defense, etc. then it becomes easier to respond. Don't worry too much about applying techniques. Instead, go with the flow.
If your sparring partner is swinging too fast and hard at striking range, you could attack from kicking range. You could take your attacker down via. grappling. You could also intercept your opponent's attack by a powerful strike of your own. It all depends on you and what you feel is instinctively right.
Remember to use the environment to your advantage. If you have something to block your partner's vision, use it. If you can use a car as a barrier then use it to escape. There's very little rules in self defense so you must use whatever works under intense sparring sessions.
With consistent training and understanding, you'll be better equipped with overcoming your fears under intense combat. Through hard work, you can essentially deal with any attacker and be one step ahead in self defense. Train smart and train with intensity to get the results you deserve!
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 get more out of this blog post, i recommend to get a FREE chapter of my e-book. Click on the link below to share a post via. social media and 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.
I'm going to lay down the brutally honest truth that most people teaching self defense are unaware of or simply don't want you to know. Most self defense systems will get you killed on the streets. There i said it. I'm not going to sugar coat it. I'm not going to try and persuade you why what i teach is better. I'm simply going to give reason why most self defense systems do not and will not work in a real world setting. You can choose to ignore the facts or embrace them. The reasons are as follows:
* No training in situational awareness - When was the last time you heard your self defense instructor talk about situational awareness? There's alot of schools teaching self defense who focus on combat but very few who actually talk about situational awareness. What is situational awareness about? The ability to observe your surroundings and comprehend their meaning. It's about finding which observations are critical to your survival (ex. body language, odd behavior, etc.) and which are just distractions. Many martial arts instructors and people teaching "reality-based" self defense ignore it. What do you think the average reaction time is? According to science, it's around 150-300 milliseconds. During that period of time, your brain has to see the threat coming and process the information in order to respond. That's not alot of time to act. Even if you see the threat coming, there's a chance you still won't be able to respond in time to defend yourself due to factors such as distance. You can test it out for yourself and find out (see link below).
It doesn't matter how good you are in sparring. You will always get caught off guard by the first hit on the street if you don't understand how to be situationally aware. One hit is all it takes to end your life be it from a gunshot, a knife, a KO punch, or any other deadly weapon. Many people teaching self defense ignore that and think that you can defend yourself effectively from any surprise attack.
* No training in de-escalating or defusing violent situations - Alot of people emphasize combat but almost no time is spent on resolving conflict before it starts. People think that a simple apology will suffice when it won't in all situations. You won't learn about the psychology of human behavior and the dynamics of human relationships in a dojo or a "reality based" self defense school. It's this lack of training that leads people to treat self defense as street fighting rather than an actual process of ending conflict peacefully. If you want more, read my post "the most fatal mistakes you can make in self defense." Just look at what happens when you fail to defuse a potentially violent situation properly. (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-most-fatal-mistakes-you-can-make-in.html)
* A sports mindset - When alot of people hear self defense, they automatically picture two guys sparring in a ring or mat with protective gear and gloves on. They might also jump on the MMA bandwagon and believe that martial arts alone will save them in any violent situation. In reality, the sports mentality limits and often hinders your ability to defend yourself. On the street, anything goes. In sport, there are rules and rules are limitations (ex. no dirty fighting, no weapons, no multiple attackers, etc.) Do you realistically expect to survive EVERY violent situation that comes your way by training in a sports environment? If you want to learn more, read my post "Not all combat is the same for self defense!" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/04/not-all-combat-is-same-for-self-defense.html)
* Unrealistic static and flashy combat - I've seen countless martial artists and "reality based" self defense systems show a fancy or "cool" demonstration of techniques. What's the problem? They don't tell you under what conditions the techniques work and when they won't. When a technique or a sequence of attacks are being demonstrated, you'll have a student comply by offering little to no resistance such as shown here. The reality is combat is unpredictable. You don't know how your attacker will respond and that's the scary truth - you don't know. Why don't self defense instructors tell you that? Because it doesn't sell! Let's face it - no one wants to pay for a self defense system that admits it isn't 100% effective. Nevertheless, people want to learn techniques as a "quick fix" for all their problems. Techniques are eye -catching but they are not what will save you in self defense. If there was a set of techniques that worked for every situation, i wouldn't be writing this post but there isn't.
It's easy for a self defense instructor to put on camo pants and act like a tough marine who knows what he's doing. It's easy to apply a wrist lock under a calm controlled environment with a compliant student after a bit of practice. It's easy to get out of a bearhug by delivering a kick to another student's shin in a dojo. That is until your attacker throws you on the ground, beats you up, and renders your technique useless. Until you realize it's all impractical in the streets and you start to blame your instructor or he/she says "you did it wrong.." Assuming you live to tell the story.
* Ignoring physiology, psychology, anatomy, and other factors - A huge part of why most self defense training systems fail is the lack of knowledge on the effects of stress and adrenaline on the body. I've seen alot of Krav Maga practitioners attack by clinching an opponent and knee striking the groin. This might work but that's assuming your attacker isn't under adrenaline. The effects of adrenaline on the body can cause people to perform amazing feats and tolerate huge amounts of pain. If your attacker is determined to kill you and is undergoing an adrenaline rush, inflicting pain isn't going to end the threat. What it will probably do is make him or her angrier and more determined to kill you. There's also demonstrations where your instructed to attack the body. The problem? Most instructors aren't telling you where to hit and that greatly reduces your chances of surviving. If you hit solid bone and your hand breaks, that hand is now useless in combat. The only reason why it works in a school is because of gloves, light contact, or no contact at all in hard target areas. There's also the psychology of conflict that plays a role in your survival. Do you realistically expect an emotionally sensitive soccer mom to have the will to gouge out her attacker's eyes under high levels of stress and tunnel vision?
Unfortunately, many professing to teach self defense ignore all that and assume that what they teach works in every situation.
* Neglecting the laws of self defense - Perhaps a huge neglect in self defense circles is the legal system. Alot of people just assume that they can attack in any manner and claim self defense in court. How you handle a situation is going to determine whether or not you legally acted in self defense. If the police find that you used excessive deadly force on an attacker, it's going to make YOU look bad. Unfortunately, alot of self defense schools neglect incorporating the law and ignorance of the law is what will get you locked up.
* Unrealistic view of combat - Alot of martial artists and "reality-based" self defense systems paint a beautiful picture of combat. The reality is combat is anything but beautiful. It's hideous. It's bloody. It's vile. It's grotesque. The notion that your going to walk out of an intense violent battle without any flesh wound is an illusion. When people get punched multiple times, there is bleeding on an internal level that people often aren't aware of. You will likely be left with "battle scars" be it psychological or physical. Whether you survive or not is irrelevant. You have to accept that you might be left with irreversible damage no matter what happens. Could be the loss of an organ, blindness, a limb, or any other permanent reminders. That's the price you pay for getting into violent situations.
In conclusion, these are just some of the reasons why most self defense systems fail. The choice is yours. You can choose to continue living in a fantasy world where the facts don't apply. You can choose to continue searching for "the best martial art for self defense." You can choose to invest in courses teaching you static techniques on how to deal with situations than face the reality of combat. You can also choose to acknowledge the facts and base your training around them. After all, it's your life. I hope that you make the right choice because it means the difference between life and death.
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.
Boxing is a popular combat sport that has existed for centuries. In this post, i'll give you tips on how to apply boxing for self-defense.
* Train with proper physical conditioning - Remember that in the streets, you won't have padded protection. Therefore you'll need to condition your body to fight without gloves. Iron body training is a great way to condition your hands to deliver powerful blows without breaking your fists. You can read more about it in my post "how to apply iron body training in self-defense."
Train with these tips in mind. If you want to learn more on how to make boxing work for self-defense, subscribe 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.
