Vulnerable body parts for self-defense

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.

   
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Why most self defense systems will get you killed

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.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-reaction-time/ 

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Not all combat is the same for 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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Why i dislike the Jeet Kune Do community

Despite being a Jeet Kune Do practitioner myself, i don't like associating with most of the Jeet Kune Do community. It's not that they are fans of Bruce Lee as i'm a fan myself. It's the fact that the way Jeet Kune Do is being taught today has strayed so much from what Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto intended. I've seen so many people practicing Jun Fan Gung Fu and i have no problem with that. The problem arises when people try to put Jeet Kune Do in a box and limit it to the material that only Bruce Lee practiced. Some have even gone as far as denouncing what Jeet Kune Do is and what it isn't.

This self limiting and arrogant mindset is preparing a generation of people who are unprepared for self defense.  There are many people who have shifted their focus from the process to the product which Bruce warned about. Jeet Kune Do has become a style, not a philosophy. There's a lack of emphasis on creativity, individuality, and finding your own Jeet Kune Do. There's nothing wrong with learning Jun Fan Gung Fu but you should make sure you understand it and most don't. Jun Fan Gung Fu is Bruce Lee's own personal expression. Jun Fan Gung Fu is an example of how the Jeet Kune Do philosophy is applied. It's the basis for understanding Jeet Kune Do. It does not represent Jeet Kune Do as a whole because Jeet Kune Do is different for each individual. Nevertheless, many JKD practitioners will try to fight the way Bruce did. This is impossible. You'll never be able to fight the way Bruce did because everyone has specific needs and distinct abilities. Very few people could move as fast as Bruce Lee and had the same insights in combat as he did. As Dan Inosanto explains, learning Jun Fan Gung Fu helps in understanding Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do from a historical framework but after that, you should research your own experience. If Jeet Kune Do to you means learning Jun Fan Gung Fu then that's your Jeet Kune Do. If Jeet Kune Do means mixing up a bunch of martial arts together to another person then that's Jeet Kune Do for him or her. Jeet Kune Do is a process of self discovery that each person ought to tread alone as long as the philosophy is being applied.  

Why do i find many Jun Fan Gung Fu practitioners unprepared for self defense? Because they confine themselves to a style namely Bruce's. This goes against his teaching "be like water." Once you become too rigid, your movements become mechanical and predictable. That's not to say you won't win any street fight but you won't be able to deal with every violent situation. MMA is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Do you think you can defend yourself against an MMA fighter? Do you think you can deal with a knife? A gun? Difficult situations? What about advanced weaponry? If you want to defend yourself effectively, you'll have to be fluid because every situation in combat is different. Jeet Kune Do is about evolution and constantly evolving. It doesn't do anyone good to strictly learn a style or system because the essence of Jeet Kune Do is adaptability.

For these reasons, i don't like the Jeet Kune Do community. I don't like the culture that it's brought up. I don't like how Jeet Kune Do is taught. I don't suggest you take a class to learn Jeet Kune Do because nine times out of ten, your instructor will not teach you the essence of Jeet Kune Do. If you want to learn Jeet Kune Do, learn it from Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto themselves. Read their source material and apply the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do in your self defense training. Be independent. Absorb what is useful to you and what isn't. Discover who you are as an individual. Only then will you understand the true meaning of Jeet Kune Do.

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How to apply Krav Maga in self defense training

Krav Maga is a fighting system developed for the Israelidefense forces. Krav Maga is not a traditional martial art as some make it out to be. There's no katas involved for one. Krav Maga is a modern system combining techniques taken from boxing, Aikido, wrestling, Judo, and other martial arts strictly for self defense. This is a self defense guide on how to apply the most fundamental principles of Krav Maga to your training. I don't believe the Krav Maga schools in the U.S accurately represent the essence of Krav Maga so this guide will help you understand what Krav Maga is about.

* The spirit of Krav Maga - The essence of Krav Maga is to never stop fighting. Doesn't matter if you are bleeding profusely, suffered broken bones, a severed limb, the list goes on - never surrender. The fight doesn't end until you survive or your completely dead. When you train, you must train with this mindset in order to capture the spirit of Krav Maga.

* Build your techniques on natural instinct - What makes Krav Maga different from other martial arts training is the reliance on your body's natural movement to form techniques. For example, if my natural reaction to wild punches is to guard my head then i can base my Krav Maga techniques on that natural reaction. It's much easier because it's already in my instincts as opposed to relearning how to walk and fight in other martial arts.

* Ending the threat as quickly as possible - In Krav Maga, we deal with the most immediate threat first as quickly as possible. We don't spend too much time on dealing with one opponent. We end the threat quickly as we look for the next possible threat. Some Krav Maga schools introduce an MMA setting or rules during sparring. This isn't authentic Krav Maga. When your in a sparring session, your goal is to end the end the threat as quickly and efficiently as possible. Moving around and waiting until you see an opening to attack isn't adhering to Krav Maga principles. Krav Maga is focused on aggression and going "all in" at full force until your enemy is on the ground.      

* Efficiency - Krav Maga stresses efficiency in movement and ending the threat as quickly as possible. If it takes you years to perfect one technique then that's not efficiency. If it takes you a tremendous of practice to perfect one attack then that's not efficiency. If you continue attacking an opponent even after he or she is down then that's not efficiency. While your doing that, someone else could sneak up from behind and hit you. Attacks in Krav Maga should be simple, take little energy, and very easy to learn. You should have already learned the basic skills to defend yourself by the end of the first class.

* Simultaneous attack and defense - In Krav Maga much like Wing Chun, you attack and defend at the same time. If someone throws a straight punch at you, your response should be to parry and counter-attack with a punch in one swift motion. Blocking and then throwing a punch of your own takes too much time.

* Retzev or continuous motion - In Krav Maga, you should be in continuous motion when attacking and constantly attack your enemy's unguarded areas. As soon as your opponent guards the upper body with his or her arms, you attack the lower body with kicks and other strikes. When your opponent lowers the arms to defend the lower body, you repeatedly strike the upper body.

* Targeting the body's vital areas - In Krav Maga, you must make every hit count by attacking the body's vital areas. This includes the eyes, groin, knees, shins, feet, throat, neck, eyes, sternum, temples, nose, face, etc. It would take longer for you to end the threat by hitting anywhere other than those areas.

* Realistic fight training - When training, you need to fight against a moving resistant opponent and engage in various intense scenarios. It's important that you learn how to apply techniques in sparring as opposed to demos. with a compliant partner. You might see traditional Krav Maga instructors teaching you that when faced with a gunman, you should grab the barrel or slide and repeatedly punch your attacker. This is unrealistic training because it doesn't address possible resistance. The gunman could move back and redirect the line of fire then shoot you. The gunman might also be quicker than you and move back to avoid your hand grab then shoot you. Krav Maga focuses on fighting in hand-to-hand combat, weapon disarms, hostage situations, multiple attackers, active shooters, distractions such as smoke to simulate fog, ambushes, the list goes on. Since an attack can happen at any time or place, you need to learn how to fight in any position - standing, lying on the ground, or sitting. Stress is also a must. If your not stressed under pressure in Krav Maga training then you won't perform at your best when you are faced with a real street confrontation. Krav Maga training also puts emphasis on intense cardio work outs and pad-work. This video demonstrates how accurate Krav Maga training is more or less conducted.

* Use improvised weapons - In Krav Maga, your aim is to use whatever weapons are at your disposal or the environment to end the threat quickly. It's a waste of time to engage your enemy in hand-to-hand combat when you have a baseball bat in your hand. You need to be aware of your surroundings and use whatever tools are there. When fighting armed attackers and you disarm one, pick up the weapon then start using it on the rest. You must train your mind to see everything as a weapon.

* Use what works - Krav Maga is different from other martial arts in that it uses what works even if it's not in your school's curriculum. If a weapon, technique, or attack is effective then use it.

* Quickly going from the defensive to offensive - In Krav Maga, you must learn how to quickly go from defending yourself to attacking your opponent. The longer you stay in the defensive, the more danger you are in. You need to create an opportunity to aggressively strike back against your enemy.

In conclusion, Krav Maga is about using a few solutions to answer various problems. Keep this in mind rather than look for countless Krav Maga techniques. Practice applying these principles in self defense training. 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.

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Grappling for self defense vs. grappling for UFC

Earlier, i made a post on whether or not you should groundfight in self defense (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/01/should-you-groundfight-in-self-defense.html). In this post, i will address how to make grappling work in self defense. In order for you to understand how to make it work for self defense, you must understand the differences between grappling in sports and grappling in self defense. I will outline the differences here. Before i go further, i will note that some critics of grappling argue that you should never take it to the ground in self defense. This is true but it's easier said than done especially when your opponent is trying to take you off balance or grapple you. It's not as simple as not going to the ground and getting up. If you try to get up, your opponent will seize that opportunity to close the distance and attack you. I won't tell you "you should never ground-fight or grapple". I simply ask you "can you make it work in self defense?" Without further notice, i present the differences between grappling for self defense and grappling in sport.

* Ground-fighting in UFC is for subduing opponents or K.O, ground-fighting for self defense is to recover your original position - The aim of grappling in MMA especially in the sports world is an offensive measure taken to make your opponent submit or knock him or her out. In order to use ground-fighting for self defense, you must only use it as a defensive measure to gain a more dominant position. You don't want to throw a few punches and immediately go for a flying armbar. That makes no sense as grappling is unnecessary not to mention dangerous in that case. You'll want to end the fight in a standing position but if you get taken to the ground, you will want to create an opportunity to get back on your feet. For example, if your attacker is trying to ground and pound you - block and buck. From there, you can get in a position where you can get back to striking your opponent. This video illustrates my point.

* Ground-fighting in UFC has rules, ground-fighting in self defense doesn't - One objection critics bring is "ground-fighting is dangerous for you because your attacker could use a weapon." Well you could use a weapon too. Whether you train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo, you need to free yourself from point systems and the sports mindset. There's nothing stopping you from gouging your attacker's eyes out, biting his/her ears off or throat, biting the calf to escape an armbar, striking the groin, stabbing or shooting him/her from the ground, breaking limbs, bashing his/her head on the concrete, etc. To top if off, you could reposition yourself to control your opponent from reaching for a weapon.

* Ground-fighting in UFC is complex, ground-fighting in self defense is simple and efficient - Because UFC limits many attacks, people who use grappling have to work their way around that in order to make grappling effective. This results in complicated movements that don't do well in self defense. In order to make grappling work in self defense, you must free yourself from the way typical people train in grappling. I find many of Master Wong's teachings on ground-fighting to be efficient and simple. Rather than the standard double leg takedown used in sports grappling that exposes your body and compromises balance, you could use more of a single leg sweep takedown method.

* Ground-fighting in UFC is for engagement, ground-fighting in self defense is for disengagement - As i mentioned in my 1st point, UFC's aim of grappling is to submit your opponent or cause a knock out. The strategy is to "go all in" so to speak and in gain a dominant position on the ground. Grappling namely ground-fighting in self defense should be used to disengage your opponent and create an opportunity to get back on your feet. If for example you get knocked down, you still could keep your opponent at bay with kicks or knock him/her over which gives you the chance to get up quickly. Alternatively, you could carry your opponent with his/her momentum to the ground. If you are attacked by a wrestler or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter, your goal should be to escape the lying position rather than outgrapple him or her on the ground.

As you can see, it all boils down to the training and how skilled you are in using grappling for self defense. If you don't want to go to the ground, what measures will you take to prevent that from happening? Anti-grappling? Sprawls? When using grappling or ground-fighting in self defense, you have to ask yourself "what's the strategy behind your usage of those areas of combat? How will you apply them to self defense as opposed to sport?" 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.

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The differences between MMA and Jeet Kune Do

There seems to be a misconception as to what MMA is and what Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is as taught by Bruce Lee. What Bruce did was NOT mixed martial arts. He developed a fighting philosophy that incorporated certain aspects of martial arts he found useful and scientific. While MMA and Jeet Kune Do share some similarities, they are not one in the same. Hopefully, this guide will help you get a better insight on how to adapt your training and mindset in the self defense setting. Here's a list highlighting the key differences:

MMA is made of styles, JKD is a liberation from them - MMA fighters typically train under traditional martial arts for ring fighting in the areas of striking, kicking, ground-fighting, and grappling. Jeet Kune Do is a non-traditional approach to martial arts or combat sport. Jeet Kune Do is only about taking certain efficient or useful tools or ideas of a martial art and discarding the rest of the style. Your focus is on creating your own fighting system and being proficient with what you skillfully use in combat. Jeet Kune Do focuses primarily on striking, kicking, trapping, grappling, possibly some groundfighting but practitioners don't necessarily have to train extensively in all of these ranges.

MMA is for sport, JKD is for combat - Another difference between MMA and Jeet Kune Do is that MMA typically suited for sport while Jeet Kune Do is for combat. Jeet Kune Do trains full contact no holds barred sparring with equipment and gear for safety. MMA training is typically suited for sports fighting rather than the streets.

MMA has rules, JKD doesn't - According to UFC rules, you are forbidden from doing certain moves and thus will not be trained to do them in an MMA environment. Jeet Kune Do has a no holds barred mentality and fighting dirty is allowed. That means you could headbutt, eye gouge, use weapons, elbow strike, bite, throw low blows, have help, pull hair, hit the eyes, the throat, use the environment to your advantage, brutal moves to vital areas, joint breaks, the list goes on.

MMA and JKD have different strategies - The purpose of MMA is to ultimately lead to submissions or knock out. The cross training in various martial arts is to counter their opponent's strengths. The strategies used in MMA may include sprawl and brawl, clinching, ground and pound, the list goes on. Jeet Kune Do on the other hand has a list of principles that the user can freely use or discard. In Jeet Kune Do, your goal is to simply end the fight through interception or other ways of attack in JKD concepts. There's no wasted movement or much thought involved. Rather than learn the best martial art to counter an opponent's ground-fighting ability for example, you either avoid a takedown or execute a counter-attack in the striking and/or other ranges.

MMA has structure, JKD is fluid - In MMA, you have time to study your opponent before a fight and devise a strategy. For example, you might note that your opponent is a superb striker so you work on your long range attacks and stick to the attack plan. In Jeet Kune Do, you simply adapt to every situation whether you have time to devise a strategy or not. MMA has a set standard for using techniques or principles whether in the ring or outside of the ring. Jeet Kune Do doesn't. In Jeet Kune Do, it's about making your ideas work in combat. For example, conventional wisdom says "you should NEVER fight on the ground in a street fight as your enemy could have a weapon..." Jeet Kune Do's question is "can you make it work in training?" If you can, this saying doesn't apply to you under the right circumstances.

 MMA is about competition, JKD is about evolution - In MMA, you learn mixed martial arts to compete - that's it. While you could indeed apply MMA to self defense, you are limited by what the styles have to offer. Jeet Kune Do is about evolution of the self and the knowledge of the past through improvement. In Jeet Kune Do, you bring new insights into the art of combat and go beyond your limits or the ones placed upon you. One of the reasons why Bruce Lee did not compete in sports fighting was because he could not transcend as a martial artist in that environment. Jeet Kune Do is about constant refinement not just in martial arts, but in daily life.

In conclusion, these are several defining characteristics that ultimately separate Jeet Kune Do and MMA from each other. 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.

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Building character in self defense

Just as it's important to build your skills in self defense, it's also important to build up character. Building integrity, honesty, compassion, humility, responsibility, patience, kindness, honor, and much more qualities. Building character is what's most important in self defense training.

Why is this important? Because sometimes, people misuse the skills they've learned in self defense or hand to hand combat to bully and intimidate others. Other times, self defense instructors have an arrogant approach to self defense and martial arts use in real combat. There are those who believe they are the only ones who are knowledgeable on self defense based on their credentials and if they can't solve a problem then no one can. It's hard to believe that those trained in self defense combat would misuse what they've learned but it does happen regardless. What is the way to combat this mentality? How do we stop people from misusing their skills in combat?

First, recognize that evil men no matter how trained will not be able to overcome a highly skilled fighter with strong character. Why? Bullies tend to target those weaker than them because they feel inadequate in themselves. Those who are truly confident and highly skilled recognize they don't need to prove themselves to anyone else. They don't need to compete against others. They only train to be better than they were in the past. They train to conquer their own demons, fears, and insecurities. Those who misuse their self defense training in arrogance cannot see their own faults and will ultimately stumble over them. A humble warrior recognizes his or her strengths, acknowledges his or her faults, and constantly grows with an open mind. A humble warrior who is truly skilled and knowledgeable accepts new ideas. An arrogant person can learn techniques, attacks, and other skills but cannot grow on the same level because he or she is blinded by the deception that his or her way is the only right one. Someone who is arrogant and believes only his or her approach to self defense is the only supreme one has a self limiting mindset. He or she will go no further into new heights of self awareness against someone with the humility to embrace endless possibilities.

Take a look at this video of an MMA fighter who harasses a girl in a store, not realizing that her associates see him from the outside and are angered by his actions. They get into a fight and it seems that the MMA fighter is winning until they bring weapons. He gets hit in the back of the head and gets hospitalized. What's the lesson here? Someone who is truly a skilled warrior seeks to influence others and build bridges for a better world. He or she makes friends not enemies and that is ultimately, one of the most powerful methods of self defense. Someone who demands respect from those around him/her and makes enemies eventually finds an enemy who defeats him or her. How do we stop people from misusing their own skills in combat? We don't. They will meet their own demise in their blind arrogance and evil actions.

While it's almost impossible to prevent someone with evil intent from misusing his or her training, you choose your own destiny. Will you choose the path to arrogance, impatience, intolerance, hate, anger, lack of integrity, and ultimately meet your own demise? Will you choose the path to humility, open-mindedness, patience, virtue, compassion, and honesty to attain new heights never achieved before? If you choose the path to righteous living, practice these virtues everywhere you go with everyone you meet. Only then will you build strong character in self defense and go beyond your own limits.

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Should you groundfight in self defense?

Since the rise of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA, groundfighting has become increasingly popular especially in the area of self defense. A very important question that people have asked is "should you take a fight to the ground?" Many self defense instructors bring up legitimate reasons why this is a bad idea such as the possibility of weapons, limited vision, vulnerability to attack, and multiple attackers. I can't give you a solid answer. All i can tell you is generally, you should not groundfight in self defense but that does not mean there are no exceptions. Here's some considerations you ought to take into account before you end up groundfighting:

1. Are there weapons involved? If so, don't go to the ground.

2. Are there multiple attackers? If so, don't go to the ground.

3. Are you running out of options in defeating a difficult opponent? Ground fighting may be a measure of last resort.

This does not mean that you can use any techniques or strategies found in BJJ or other grappling arts. Groundfighting in UFC and groundfighting in self defense should have two completely different objectives. If your going to make groundfighting in self defense then you must have certain objectives. For one you should not go for a takedown against an intensely difficult opponent as it exposes your head, neck, and back to attack. Instead wait until your opponent takes you down. Second, your objective should be to immediately seize the opportunity to immobilize your attacker primarily through a chokehold or using armbars for armbreaks. Remember the goal is not to make your opponent submit. It's a desperate measure to cut off the flow of oxygen so he/she can stop attacking you. You don't want to apply an armbar or a leglock for a submission to make your attacker tap out only to risk getting hit after you release the locks. You'll want to break limbs and move into a better position for attack. Forget about point systems and treating groundfighting like a sport. Focus on ending the fight as quickly as possible on the ground with a self defense mindset and then get up.

This is just my opinion. If you've tried striking and kicking with no success then groundfighting may be a measure of last resort but i don't recommend it as your first priority. What do you think? Should groundfighting be apart of self defense? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below.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.

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My way to Jeet Kune Do

As a Wing Chun practitioner, i sought the way i thought that was ideal for me. I believed that Wing Chun would help me become the ideal warrior that is until i realized it's limitations. Traditional Wing Chun footwork is solid and strong no doubt. Wing Chun sifus teach that as long as your footwork is mobile, you don't need to waste too much time on footwork. Simply step back and close the gap. I soon found that if faced with an attacker who has a more free moving footwork like a wrestler, how can you expect to end the threat quickly in a Wing Chun stance? The traditional Wing Chun fighting footwork would not be able to respond to those types of situations. When i stumbled across Master Wong's Wing Chun teachings on youtube explaining that Wing Chun must evolve in order to face those situations, i soon realized one of the flaws in the way Wing Chun was being taught today. Wing Chun sifus might counter this by saying "when confronted with an opponent seeking to compromise your balance, simply maintain it and close the gap.." but it's hard to do when your opponent moves faster than you and will probably knock you over with their powerful attacks. Wing Chun's systematic weakness is groundfighting so if your on the ground, you would have no way to defend yourself against a BJJ fighter! If the only way to respond effectively to the systematic weaknesses of Wing Chun is being more free in movements, what does that say about traditional Wing Chun?

I soon realized that every style has it's own systematic flaws. Even moreso, many martial arts have strayed from realistic self defense training and more into other uses such as sports or health-related fitness training. It was when i stumbled across Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do that i realized this was what i was seeking. Having no way as way and no limitation as limitation. Bruce Lee's guiding thought was absorbing what was useful and discarding what wasn't. Jeet Kune Do's training was rooted in full contact no holds barred sparring to train for combat realism.

Jeet Kune Do is a fighting philosophy not a style but there exists two distinct schools of Jeet Kune Do. The first which seeks to preserve Bruce Lee's fighting style, Jun Fan Gung Fu as a means of teaching Jeet Kune Do. The second school loosely applies Jeet Kune Do concepts to any martial arts and develops the individual fighter. I learned that the term "Jeet Kune Do" is just a name. Some call Jeet Kune Do the original MMA, modified Wing Chun, modified boxing, etc. but in reality, Jeet Kune Do cannot be clearly defined. Bruce Lee intended it to be a personal journey of self discovery. Only when you embark on this journey that you begin to understand the meaning of Jeet Kune Do.

Bruce Lee saw that each style was confined to one particular fighting range (close range, long range, grappling range, trapping range) but no one style had all the answers to each situation. Thus he believed that the ideal martial artist should be proficient in all ranges and borrow from any simple techniques irrespective of style. Jeet Kune Do is about seeing reality from different perspectives and being fluid. The way of the intercepting fist appealed to me because it served as a defense by being a powerful offense unlike Wing Chun sifus training you to deflect with one hand while using the other to attack. What most appealed to me about Jeet Kune Do aside from freedom of expression is it's philosophy of adapting to every situation and evolving as an individual.

It is my personal conviction that the Jeet Kune Do philosophy will help people reach their full potential especially in the field of self defense. As i walk on the path to finding the true meaning of Jeet Kune Do, i hope to discover the essence of my identity and what lies beyond.

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.

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How to beat an MMA fighter in Wing Chun

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.

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