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.
As i've discussed in my older blog posts, you may come across martial artists who intend on hurting you. It's important that you learn how to defend yourself against martial art bullies. This self defense guide will give you some essential tips on evading or defeating a martial artist in a street fight. It's important to note that you should have some basic hand-to-hand combat skills. Otherwise, it will be much more difficult to take down a martial artist. With that in mind, here are several tips on defense against martial artists.
* Fight with uttermost aggression - If you come across having to defend yourself by fighting a martial artist, you need to be as aggressive as possible. Attack at full force and speed. Chances are, most martial artists do not know how to deal with an aggressive and outright violent attacker. This is because they typically train in a calm and controlled environment against other compliant martial artists. If you can attack a martial artist with overwhelming force, you will eventually land a few hits and probably stress him or her out.
* Fight dirty - Many martial artists train with rules such as point systems or forbidden moves during sparring. Nine times out of ten, they won't know how to defend against dirty fighting tactics. In fact, they might even be taught to avoid them and that's their weakness. Be as brutal and as ruthless as you can be. Headbutt, eye gouge, bite, use improvised weapons, the environment, etc. If a martial artist puts you in an armbar, bite down on the calf muscles as hard as you can. Use dirt, sand, glass, and other means of blinding the martial artist as you attack. Do as much damage as you can.
* Learn how to deal with high kicks - One of the key factors in determining whether or not you survive an attack by a martial artist is taking advantage of high kicks. Kicking high takes alot of time and compromises an attacker's balance. When a martial artist kicks high, close the gap between you and your attacker then knock him or her balance. You could trap the leg and land a stomp kick to the rear leg. You could also evade the kick and counter-attack with a kick to the rear leg. There's several ways of dealing with high kicks. This video gives insights on dealing with high kicks.
* Take the martial artist off balance - The key in defeating a martial artist or any fighter is taking away balance. When faced with a Wing Chun fighter for example, he or she is vulnerable to takedowns and grappling. Once the martial artist is on the ground, his or her striking power is almost useless.
Practice these principles with a sparring 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.
You've probably heard martial artists or self defense instructors say "size doesn't matter..don't use brute force in a street fight.." This isn't true. Size and strength absolutely do matter! The strategy for dealing with a much larger and stronger attacker is different from dealing with someone who is your own size. If you are a large and built person but don't know what to make of your physical abilities in self defense, this guide is for you.
1) Know yourself - In order for you to put your strength and size to good use, you must understand who you are. What are you good at? Lifting weights? Taking a hit to give a hit? Packing a powerful punch? Grappling? What do your work outs consist of? What about nutrition? The more information you can glean from your body, the more you can put it in a self defense situation.
2) Understand the source of power - Many people have the misconception that strength equals power. Why is it that stronger and larger attackers lose to much smaller people? They don't know where their source of power comes from. In this example, a Jiu Jitsu black belt easily overpowered a body builder who was much stronger and larger than him. What's the catch? Redirecting the flow of energy. If you don't know where your source of power comes from and how to use strength to your advantage, you will lose a fight involving dangerous opponents. Where does your source of power come from? The ground, the core (center of mass around the torso area), and momentum. Simply lifting weights and building outer muscles won't make you fit to fight. To be a good striker for example, you must learn how body mechanics work and how to develop your inner muscles responsible for powerful hits (see helpful link below). All the muscles in the world will not help you in a street fight. Only when you understand your source of power do your muscles serve you well.
3) Develop your own fighting abilities - Some people like to think speed and skill is superior to strength. This isn't necessarily true. Two can play at that game including you. How do you develop your own fighting prowess for combat? Recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Are you fast? Slow? Do you have longer reach? Tire too easily? Some ideas i've come up with are training to time your accurate punches and pack alot of power in each one. If your size and strength makes you tire more, learn how to invest your energy wisely. You may want to use momentum, gravity, balance, and strength in your attack strategy. Learning wrestling or some striking art like boxing may be useful to you. It's also beneficial to understand your attacking range and your opponent's. Doesn't matter how fast or agile your attackers are, they will eventually have to get close to you and that gives you an opportunity to strike. You also have to be mindful of how your investing your energy. If you face a faster opponent, all you have to do is move just a little bit to where you won't get hit instead of trying to dodge every attack. One powerful punch combined with superior strength timed correctly can bring devastating consequences (broken bones, damaged organs, possibly death). You could also slam your attackers to the ground and nullify their attacking ability using momentum which also would cause damage. If someone tries to knock or throw you over, lower your center of gravity then attack. This video of a wrestler taking on multiple opponents is an inspiring example of how strength could be applied in combat.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2 http://www.expertboxing.com/boxing-training/boxing-workouts/why-lifting-weights-wont-increase-punching-power
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is assume that because your trained in combat, you can easily deal with an aggressive and violent attacker. You should be more concerned with an aggressive and violent attacker than a trained one. Why? A violent and aggressive opponent is more committed to hurting you than the average person. The more violent and aggressive, the more dangerous. The problem with many self defense and martial arts schools is they train you to deal in a controlled environment. If your training to box with someone who is also disciplined in boxing then of course you will have time to respond both physically and mentally. Against an aggressive and violent person is a completely different story because his/her mentality and method of fighting is different. You don't know what he/she is capable of or just how brutal and violent he/she is. Against ferocious attacks at high speed, weapons, both physical and psychological pressure - you might find yourself knocked out or worse in spite of your training. This guide will help you deal with these types of attackers.
1) Defend yourself psychologically - If there's a build up of aggression and intimidation on behalf of your potential attacker, don't panic or get defensive. Remain calm and keep in mind that your potential attacker is acting out of fear or pain. Your attacker is just as human as you are. Focus on your breathing.
2) Learn how to defend against a barrage of attacks - One of the most common types of attacks is a flurry of punches and kicks in the streets. You must learn how to block effectively to shield yourself. You've probably seen martial arts films where the untrained fighter gets angry and starts delivering a barrage of attacks as the skilled martial artist calmly deflects or dodges each one. In real life, this would not work. As soon as you try to block one punch, you will get hit in the face or the ribs by another one. What's the best way to deal with these types of attacks? A good defensive measure. I personally like to use the pensador guard because it offers protection but also allows use your elbows to break your attacker's fists.
3) Intercept your attacker - If you move back, that gives your attacker a psychological advantage and you will likely get hit eventually. Ideally, you'll want to intercept your attacker and close the gap. If your attacker kicks, you deliver a stop kick and apply forward pressure (step in) as you knock him/her off balance. As you drive forward with the pensador guard, you control (grab) the elbows to stop your attacker from attacking and take him/her out (headbutts or other means of attack). You could also kick a charging attacker and move out of the line of attack (the direction of punches) before you attack from the side or other angles. The goal is to intercept the barrage of attacks and prevent your attacker from attacking period.
As i mentioned earlier, it's a bad idea to come unprepared against an aggressive and violent attacker with improper training. I'm not saying it's wrong to train with someone who's a skilled sparring partner. This training is good to learn how to attack and defend properly but you'll need diversity in your sparring partners. You'll need to learn how to handle the stress and pressure of various kinds of attacks via. wild ferocious aggressive quick strikes. Practice with a sparring partner who spars dirty (groin strikes, headbutts, bites, improvised weapons, etc.) and breaks away from the typical disciplined manner of attacking. Get into the mind of an aggressive and violent attacker then you will understand his or her method of attack.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
Weapons are a great equalizer against any trained martial artist. They have the potential to seriously injure or kill in one attack if you are not careful then you could seriously end up hospitalized or dead.
While there are self defense guides teaching you a complex step by step guide on how to defend against someone armed with a knife, the reality of the situation may not allow you to perform those techniques. A frenzied attacker would ideally charge at you with a series of stabs and cuts as opposed to just one fatal stab. You won't have time to react quickly enough against a very mobile attacker. Therefore, it is best to resort to simplicity. There are some fundamental principles that will ensure a successful disarm against someone attacking you with a knife within a short amount of time. The basic principles are as follows:
* Control
* Close the gap
* Takedown
* Disarm
1) Know the signs - Be aware of the people around you. Don't get too close to a complete stranger. In many cases, knifemen ambush you with a flurry of attacks. Have a plan in motion. Are you in a reasonable distance to escape via running? Are you in a confined area? Are there cars? People? Police nearby? Cameras? How will you respond against a knife attack? Be aware of your surroundings and a potential attacker. This video shows you different types of knife attacks.
2) Determine the attacker's intent - Is your attacker trying to kill you or rob you? If your attacker gives you a chance to save your life then take it by all means. If however your attacker is bent on killing or kidnapping you then it's time to respond.
3) Accept the likelihood of pain - If unarmed, your likely to get stabbed or cut. Regardless, many have survived knife attacks through willpower. The more mentally prepared you are for pain, the more chances you have of surviving. Don't give up even if you have been struck once. Keep fighting until you can no longer fight.
4) Use a weapon - What weapons are at your disposal? Sticks? Pipes? A sword? Chairs? A gun? Use them as an equalizer to a knifeman. Remember anything can be used as a weapon - sweaters, shirts, glass, sand, a wall, a door, a tree, etc. By using weapons, you increase your chances of survival than if you were unarmed.
5) Know which techniques are practical - There are many martial arts and self defense instructors that teach impractical disarming techniques in complex steps. As i mentioned before, your not going to have time to perform them. It doesn't take much for a knifeman to move back and move his knife with his wrist then stab you from another angle. Keep things simple and follow the basic principles mentioned above to guide you to proper disarming techniques. I've found an excellent video by Martial Arts Tutorials and Fight tips explaining how easy it is for a knife attack to occur. It also explains how to deal with a knifeman using the fundamental principles of situational awareness, closing the gap, timing, speed, controlling and isolating the weapon, and so forth.
6) Move around the direction of attack - When a knifeman strikes at you, he/she will likely move in to strike. When that happens, move to the side or behind the attacker where he/she is at a vulnerable position. The more distance you create by moving back, the more likely you are to get struck.
7) Control the offending limb - Once you've gotten in a position to disarm the knifeman, control the knifeman's arm by grabbing the wrist and elbow quickly. Controlling the elbow and wrist with both hands is vital to disarming an attacker. If you only grab hold of either the knifemans's wrist or elbow, it's very easy for the knifeman to pull away or rotate their arm to strike you and attack you with the other free hand.
8) Takedown the knifeman - Kicking the knees or behind them or sweeping his or her legs off balance as you drive your bodyweight with your knees on your attacker's back will ideally make disarming easier. It's more efficient to deal with one limb for a disarm than to deal with a knifeman's kicks, headbutts, and other hand if he/she were standing up. The faster you can disarm a knifeman, the better.
8) Immobilize a knifeman - Some self defense videos suggest attacking a knifeman and struggling for the weapon. While you may be forced to strike back in some cases, it will not work in others as the knifeman may be drugged to resist pain. You should focus on immobilizing an attacker by breaking or momentarily stunning the arm holding the knife, making a knife disarm easier. Doesn't matter how tolerant to pain a knifeman is, he/she cannot attack you effectively with a broken or stunned limb.
9) Retrieve the knife - Once the knife is in your hand, toss it into an area where your attacker will not be able to reach such as an ocean, a rooftop, etc. Land a few blows if your attacker is still bent on attacking you then run away to safety.
Key points to keep in mind:
* Focus - Your focus should not be on the knife. Your focus should be on the person controlling it. Control and attack the knifeman in order to eliminate the threat.
* Timing - Perfect timing is critical in disarming a knifeman. You must respond quickly. By timing your hands to grab hold of your attacker's offending arm and controlling, you are better able to disarm him or her.
* Control the distance - Always control the distance between you and an attacker. Never allow him or her to get too close or too far away. If you have difficulty controlling the offending arm then keep your distance with kicks to the groin or knees and strikes to the head. Don't kick above the waist as it leaves your legs exposed to the knife. Even keeping a few centimeters away from a knife can mean the difference between life and death.
* Use your environment - Don't get so caught up in disarming your attacker that you forget about your surroundings. Use the environment to your advantage. Pushing the knifeman off a bridge or an ocean could be your opportunity to survive an attack. Just pushing a knifeman into a brick wall could cause him/her to suffer a concussion or momentarily knock him/her off balance, allowing you the perfect opportunity to close the gap for a disarm. Using a barrier between you and a knifeman may also help. There's many ways you could use the environment to potentially disarm or even escape from a knifeman.
* Vision - A knifeman's vision is important. Blinded or distracted by other objects will serve to your advantage. Gouge and strike at your attacker's eyes. Do whatever you can to get him/her's focus away from the weapon.
* Various knife attacks - There are different kinds of knife attacks from behind, front, side, in different forms such as stabbing or slashing at high speeds. The knifeman may openly or stealthily attack you. Be prepared to adapt to each one.
* Angle of attacks - Being cautious of the angles and trajectories of a knife attack allows you to evade or move to a safer position where you can either control or attack your opponent.
* Distractions - Whether your attacker is an armed robber or a murderer, distractions are key in creating an opportunity in attack. Communicating with your attacker is also a means of creating a brief distraction before you commit to an attack or disarm.
Spend some time practicing disarming techniques and principles with a partner in various scenarios with a rubber knife. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
