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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Understanding the psychology of insults

We've probably been insulted at least once or countless times in our lives but few understand why people insult us. It's important to understand your enemy in order to defend yourself properly. I will give scientific evidence to help you do just that.

In psychology (see link below), there are several theories as to why people insult you. They are as follows:

1) Social Identity Theory - This is the idea that humans have a need for being unique. When there are outsiders, people tend to feel threatened and have the need to attack them to preserve self esteem. That's why you'll find white supremacists attack people of color because they feel threatened and vulnerable.

2) Social Comparison Theory - This theory argues that people tend to compare themselves to others as a measure of success or failure. When verbal abusers feel insecure or insulted on a particular flaw of ours (lack of confidence, intelligence, etc.), they tend to put others down. In a study done, volunteers were told they were unattractive compared to being attractive. They were more likely to rate others as unattractive, less intelligent, and less kind in an attempt to regain self esteem. If someone insults your intellect, chances are it's because your offender is feeling less intelligent than you are.

3) Projection - Sigmund Freud argued that people insult others because they have a negative view of themselves. They'd rather see other people having certain flaws than acknowledge their own. In a study done, people who were told their anger was high were more likely to rate someone else's anger higher than their own thus making them have less angry feelings. If you come across someone accusing you of selfish behavior when he or she is clearly being self-centered, it's probably because he or she refuses to acknowledge his or her own selfishness.

4) Ego threat - Another theory suggests that it doesn't matter whether people feel good about themselves or not. What matters is whether or not they are feeling worse about themselves in the present moment. A study done on people who are insulted show that they were more likely to force others to listen to obnoxious noises. If someone is insulting you, it could be because he or she is feeling miserable at the present moment.

What's the conclusion? People tend to store certain unwanted characteristics within their subconscious mind and rather than deal with it, they project them on others. The next time someone insults you, don't take it personally. It's because of an insecurity he or she has. That's why it's important in verbal self defense to not retaliate but rather defuse the verbal abuse. You may not get your verbal abuser to acknowledge his or her flaws but at least you can steer the insults into a more productive way of communication. Next time someone insults you, provide a healthier mean of understanding and expression for your offender.   

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-big-questions/201306/why-are-people-mean-part-1

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How to defuse a fight before it starts in self defense

Defusing a violent person is one of the most important skills you can have. If you don't know how to prevent a situation from getting worse, you will have many problems defending yourself. Understanding how to defuse a potentially violent encounter can prevent violence from happening. The methods of de-escalation vary depending on your occupation but generally, there are fundamental principles you ought to follow along with some helpful videos.

* Remain calm - If someone gets in your face and starts verbally attacking you, taunting you, insulting you, threatening you, etc. then remain calm. Take deep breaths and make sure that your body language is non-threatening. Don't make any sudden movements or talk too fast. Use a soft and relaxed tone of voice. If your not calm, you run the risk of going into fight-or-flight mode and escalate the situation into violence. Release any tension that you have inside.

* Keep your distance - Take a few steps back away from your aggressor. If your too close, you are in danger of getting attacked and you won't have enough time to respond. If your aggressor steps in, calmly step back. Make sure that you are assertive and politely ask your aggressor to keep at a distance if necessary.

* Know what NOT to do - Learning how to defuse a potentially violent situation becomes easier when you understand what not to do. Don't get defensive. Don't try to justify yourself. Don't get angry. Don't get violent. Don't panic. Don't retaliate with aggression. Don't respond in the same manner that your aggressor is. Don't argue. Don't be disrespectful. Don't act like a victim. Don't try to reason with your aggressor. Don't try to control your aggressor. Don't talk over him or her and be rude. Don't mock him or her and take the situation as a joke. Don't be judgmental. Don't use adjectives to describe what the person is doing. Don't walk away when your aggressor is talking to you unless he or she asks you to. When you do all of these things, you make the situation worse.

* Understand what triggered your aggressor's response - One of the most powerful defenses in psychology is understanding what you did to trigger a response in your aggressor (see link below.) This is not to say that it's your fault for causing your aggressor to respond in such a manner. You should simply understand the deeper meaning behind your aggressor's response to your own actions. Maybe your aggressor didn't like your tone of voice. Maybe your aggressor didn't like the way you treated him or her. Maybe your aggressor didn't like something you said or did. Whatever it is, think "what did i do to trigger such a response?" and go from there.

* Do NOT engage in a power struggle - Under no circumstances should you try to control the other person. Never try to tell how your aggressor should or should not feel. Never give commands. It doesn't do anyone any good to just put your aggressor in a headlock. If you respond with violence, you can expect violence to occur again in the future. If you respond with genuine empathy and an open mind, you will get a completely different more peaceful response.

* Apply the golden rule - One of the most fundamental and important principles of effective de-escalation is treating others the way you want to be treated. Don't like being disrespected? Don't disrespect others. Don't like being mocked? Don't mock others. Don't like being yelled at? Don't yell at others. Don't like being insulted? Don't insult others. Don't like being hit? Don't hit others. Want to be listened to? Listen to others. Treat everyone with the same level of respect and dignity.

* Use non-complementary behavior - Generally, we tend to mimic each other's responses with our behavior. People generally expect a negative reaction to a negative action and a positive reaction to a positive response. When someone insults us, our natural reaction is to insult back. When someone pushes us, we push back. What is non-complementary behavior? Basically, giving a positive response to a negative action or vice versa. It's not yet completely understood scientifically why it works but it works. How to use it in self defense? You need to understand exactly what a person expects to accomplish and how the aggressor expects you to respond.

This is a perfect example of non-complementary behavior in action. Guy in blue pushes guy in white back in an attempt to provoke him to violence. The guy in blue seems to expect the guy in white to either A) Fight back B) Get defensive. The guy in white does something completely different. Instead, he chooses to engage in a bizarre dance that completely confuses his aggressor before running away. The guy in blue doesn't even bother chasing after him but shakes his head instead.

* Show genuine empathy and listening skills - Ask for your aggressor's name and then use it in your speech. This helps personalize the relationship between you two and demonstrates empathy. Show your aggressor that you genuinely care about his or her well-being. Validate his or her feelings by saying something like "I understand that you feel X and you have every right to feel that way..." Let your aggressor vent his or her feelings. Remember that validating your aggressor's feelings does not mean that you agree with his or her behavior. Restate what your aggressor said to make sure you understand what was being spoken. You could start by saying something like "so you are saying that..." Make sure that you asked open-ended questions to get your aggressor to respond. Know when to agree with your aggressor. It's harder to get upset with someone when you are in agreement with him or her.

* Get your aggressor to think logically - When your aggressor is angry, the right side of the brain responsible for emotions is activated while the left side for reason isn't. That's why you cannot reason with your aggressor. You will need to get your aggressor to somehow use the logical part of his or her brain in order to successfully defuse the situation. You might want to use numbers in your speech such as "so number one, we are having an issue with....number two, we are dealing with..." so on.

* Redirect negativity into positivity - In martial arts namely Wing Chun, there's a principle of redirecting your opponent's force and using it against him or her. The same principles apply to verbal communication. When someone aggressively vents his or her anger at you, redirect it to a more productive conversation. Use this as an opportunity to find solutions that are a win-win situation. Diverting your aggressor's attention from the initial motive for anger onto another subject or an observation in your environment is also good for relieving tension in your aggressor. Offering to move to a more private place to talk is also helpful. You could say "what do you say i buy you a drink and we can discuss this more?" Apologize when appropriate for any wrongdoings you may have done to offend your aggressor.

* Use "I" messages - Don't make accusatory statements like "YOU did X..." Don't use vague generalizing and offensive statements like "what you did was bad..." Be specific as to how your aggressor's behavior made you feel in a phrase such as "I feel X when you yell at me..."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/201209/feel-attacked-the-most-powerful-defense-youll-ever-have

Sometimes, there's going to be attack no matter what you do so you need to be ready to defend yourself physically if a situation spirals out of control. In conclusion, these are just the basics of how to defuse a situation from getting violent. 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 most fatal mistakes you can make in self defense

When it comes to self defense, you must be aware of training methods or lack of understanding that could cost you your life. These are very common mistakes that I have seen many people make. By taking them into consideration, you will learn what to do and what not to do in order to effectively defend yourself. The mistakes are as follows:

 * Failure to defuse or de-escalate - The most common and biggest mistake many self defense instructors and students make is failure to prevent a situation from getting violent. Even if they do, it's rarely discussed. You cannot provoke someone or allow the situation to get worse and then claim self defense. You cannot just attack someone because you "feared for your safety" or you wanted to "teach someone a lesson."

This video is an example of such a case. The aggressor in the train starts taunting and acting aggressively towards others before someone trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu applies a chokehold. What's wrong with this situation? He didn't try to de-escalate or defuse the aggressor first.

Nothing justifies you initiating the first attack. The level of response must be proportional to the level of danger. As long as your potential attacker is talking, there's time to defuse the situation. If you fail to de-escalate a situation from getting violent and have to attack, it's too late.

* "Walk away from a fight " - You've probably been told that if your up against someone who is angry with you, walk away. What's wrong with this advice? You didn't defuse your aggressor. If your aggressor is angry with you, walking away sends the message "you aren't worth my time and you don't matter.. " Your aggressor will feel mocked and even more angered then possibly attack you from behind. This seems like a humble approach but very unwise in practice.

* Assuming you know your enemy - Alot of self defense instructors assume that you will be attacked by a stranger. They then base their training on situations they imagine would happen. In reality, most attackers are people who you know. Cases where a complete stranger is going to jump out of nowhere and grab you from behind is very rare. Your enemy is most likely going to be your friend, a family member, or spouse first. Once you establish a relationship with said person say a spouse, you will eventually let your guard down and lose the will to fight. By the time you realize the danger, it will too late. That's why many serial killers were successful in their crimes because they were very social and established a relationship with their victims. The life of Ted Bundy is one infamous example. You need to be very careful who you let in your life to prevent violence in the future. To learn more, check my blog post out "know your enemy in self defense" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/02/know-your-enemy-in-self-defense.html)

* Assuming that you are invincible - Doesn't matter how much self defense you know, you will make mistakes no matter how small and they will cost you. Even if you survive a violent situation, you might still have to live with irreversible damage. Could be an amputated limb, loss of an eye, scars, malfunctioning body parts, PTSD, the list goes on. You are not invincible. Your body is very fragile which is why you need to pick your battles wisely.

* Failure to resolve conflict - One of your most powerful tools to self defense is conflict resolution. If you don't resolve conflict, you allow the situation to escalate and unresolved conflict can lead to violence. Around half of the homicides involve domestic violence and abusive relationships. If you receive a text message from a friend or acquaintance threatening to attack you, that's when you act. Don't wait until you are under attack to respond. You should already be trying to resolve conflict peacefully to prevent violence. Once you resolve conflict, you give people less reason to take out their negative emotions out on you.

* Neglecting your environment - Many self defense schools train in a nice open area on a mat clear of weapons indoors. In the real world, that kind of environment doesn't exist. When your in a violent situation, you will either be in public or in your house. There will be many barriers and improvised weapons your attacker can use. There might be glass on the floor or confined areas making it difficult to defend yourself properly. The environment and how well you can use it will determine how likely you are to survive an attack.

* Neglecting laws on self defense - Many people practicing self defense seem to forget everything about the legal system. They think "well the law in my land says that i am permitted to do X..." That may be true but there'll still be an investigation to determine if you were acting in self defense or not. If you have a weak case, you might end up serving time in prison. That's why you need to be mindful with how you defend yourself physically in order to not look like the aggressor.

* Assuming self defense is only physical - Self defense is more than just physical. There's verbal and legal self defense that are just as important. Many self defense schools make the mistake of only focusing on hand-to-hand combat for example but there's no emotions being incorporated in the training. In reality, your attacker may start off intimidating you, taunting you, screaming at you, or insulting you to reduce your confidence. He or she might be enraged or frustrated before the fight starts. You might freeze under those situations or lose confidence and get hit in the face before you know it. You will also need to defend yourself under the court of law or you might get charged as the aggressor than vice versa. Psychology, emotions, and so many other variables affect how likely you are to survive a violent struggle.

* Failure to recognize danger - The ability to recognize danger is a very important skill in self defense. Let's suppose someone with suspicious behavior walks past you and pulls out a knife then slits your throat from behind. You won't have enough time to react if you do not foresee danger and by the time you do, it will be too late. This video stresses the importance of foreseeing danger. A knifeman walks in a store, slits one guy's throat, and continues attacking.

*"You have to know what it's like to get hit " - This is a ridiculous belief circulating in some self defense circles. Why not train to avoid hits and delivering them instead? Taking a hit is counter-productive. Training to take hits defeats the purpose of self defense. If you train to take attacks, this picture sums up what will eventually happen to you.

* Failure to keep your distance - Keeping your distance is very important because it allows for reaction time and safety measures. The closer you are to someone, the harder it is to respond effectively. Suppose you were talking to someone face to face in public and suddenly, the person stabs you multiple times. You wouldn't be able to respond in time because your eyes would be too focused on the person's face to see the knifeman reach for the knife in his or her pockets. Keeping your distance prevents that from happening. This video gives an example of what happens when you don't keep your distance.

* Failure to get to safety - When you neutralized the threat, you must run as fast as you can out of danger. If you defeated your attacker in hand-to-hand combat and he or she is still conscious, he or she can pull out a gun then shoot you. There's also the risk of multiple attackers coming in to help your attacker.

* Failure to adapt - There's only so much you can only train for in self defense. There will probably be some scenarios that you did not train for. Your attacker might open fire on you or others from a distance or a bomb might go off followed by an attack and you might get taken by surprise. When this happens, you will need to assess the situation in order to determine the best of course of action. For example, if i was approached by someone wielding a knife demanding my valuables then i would keep my distance but also comply. My eyes would be on the knife as i hand over my valuables. If the knifeman still wants to attack me, that's when i attack and attempt to disarm him or her. Adapting to every situation is crucial to making the choice that will ultimately save your life in the end.

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 sparring IS NOT self defense

Many people believe that sparring helps them to develop hand-to-hand combat skills for use in the real world. They believe that the more you spar, the better you will be at defending yourself. I'm here to tell you that sparring alone will not make you better at self defense. Don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying that you won't learn any skills that could be used for self defense. I'm simply giving you many variables and considerations to take into account. Here are my list of reasons why the way most teach sparring is ineffective for self defense:

* Sparring doesn't prepare you for the unexpected - Think about it. You have two people on the mat with head gear and a bunch of other safety equipment on. Both know that they are about to fight and consent to it. In the real world, you don't know 100% that you'll be attacked. Your attacker won't tell you if he or she is going to attack and how. I've tested this myself with a sparring partner on multiple occasions. Coincidentally, he hit me without letting me know we were sparring. If that happened on the streets, i probably would've been knocked out. Sparring does not teach you how to deal with those situations.

* Sparring teaches street fighting - Once you put on your headgear and other safety equipment for sparring then prepare yourself for hand-to-hand combat, you are training for street-fighting. Why is it street fighting and not self defense? For one, sparring doesn't teach you how to avoid a potentially violent situation or diffuse it. Another reason you have to consider is that your attacker may not do those Karate kicks or Judo throws that your partner used in class. If you expect your attacker to just exchange punches only to find out you've been hit from behind by one of his buddies or attacked with a lethal weapon, all of your sparring lessons were just rendered useless. The last reason is that you aren't learning to neutralize the threat quickly enough. The longer the fight goes on, the more danger you put yourself in. Unfortunately, you will find many people claiming "self defense" be it on youtube or in person when they were street fights in reality because they gave their consent.

* Sparring has rules - Many forms of sparring include no hits to vulnerable areas. Sparring conditions you to only strike anywhere but those areas. That's a great hindrance to you and an advantage for your attacker who intends on seriously injuring or killing you. Another common practice is instilling "point systems." This is where you execute certain attacks or techniques to score points. When you have enough points, your opponent is considered defeated. This type of training is instilling false confidence be it with your fists or weapons because it completely ignores adrenaline rushes and pain tolerance. You might be surprised to find that no matter how many times you hit your attacker in the real world, he or she still won't go down. As a result, your confidence will start to break and chances are, you will give up or get hit. Some sparring sessions include making an opponent tap out. In reality, your attacker will do everything in his or her power to attack you. Once you let go of your submission hold, there's nothing preventing your attacker from landing a fatal blow. This video depicts one example where a man was being assaulted before others followed.

* Sparring neglects everything else in violence - Combat is much more complex than what sparring classes teach. There are adrenaline rushes, fight or flight response, weapons, multiple attackers, drugs, alcohol, stress, morals, psychology, the list goes on. If you are being bullied to the brink of insanity and your self esteem is being drained, do you really think you will be able to use what you learned in sparring against the bully? No. The bully already has a psychological advantage against you. If you freeze because of insecurity, the bully will take advantage of that and beat you up. If you aren't mentally prepared to hurt or kill your attacker then you will get hurt or killed. Thee aftermath of a violent confrontation (injuries, PTSD, prison, etc.) is also something to think about.

* Sparring gives false security - It's easy to fight when your wearing headgear, gloves, and other safety gear along with knowing that your partner isn't trying to kill you. In real life, you won't have this luxury. Your attacker will try to hurt and kill you. Your fist might break the moment you make contact with your attacker's jaw or cheekbone. Will sparring teach you how to handle an attacker trying to intimidate you? Will sparring condition you to cause real injury to another human being? Will sparring teach you how to execute eye gouges and other dirty fighting tactics properly? No. This is why sparring gives false confidence.

In conclusion, nothing you learn in self defense schools is guaranteed to save your life and this includes what i teach. You'll have a percentage of people who've misused hand-to-hand combat intended for self defense to street fight. You'll have a percentage of instructors who teach hand-to-hand combat but never had to use all of them in self defense. You'll have those who used them but the results were far different than expected. There's too many variables that you cannot account for all of them in self defense training. What's the best advice i can give you? Don't get into a violent situation. Focus more on avoiding or diffusing 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.

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The freedom of creativity in Jeet Kune Do

What makes the Jeet Kune Do philosophy so unique compared to other martial arts' philosophies is the emphasis on expression of freedom and creativity. Jeet Kune Do has no set form or pattern way of thinking. There are no belt systems or forms. Instead, Jeet Kune Do helps it's practitioners see only the beauty in movements rather than styles. The techniques and principles of combat are bent to the will of the practitioners, not the other way around.

When Bruce Lee was alive, he would study each individual movement and find flaws. He'd almost always wanted to know "why? Why do we do things a certain way?" He'd discard the traditional methods of using a particular type of attack or technique in favor of what worked for him. According to William Cheung, Bruce Lee criticized modified footwork and asked "look, why is it like that? Why do i have to do this?" (see link below.) That's when Bruce Lee realized the truth in combat existed in each individual, not a particular style or system. What works for one person may not work for another person. In this video, Dan Inosanto lists the differences between Jeet Kune Do and Wing Chun.

The freedom that is found in the JKD philosophy is the ability to fight in your own way. There's almost no rules in Jeet Kune Do. You do what works best for you. For example, conventional wisdom says "don't take the fight to the ground because of the possibility of weapons and multiple attackers.." Jeet Kune Do's answer is "can you make it work? How can you beat someone on the ground quickly addressing weapons and multiple attackers? What exceptions exist? What are the proper conditions for taking the fight to the ground?" Another saying people bring up in combat is to not kick high because you could lose your balance. Jeet Kune Do's answer is once again "can you make it work?" Perhaps you could steal your opponent's balance through trapping the hand as land a high kick to the head. When does kicking high work and when is it not applicable?

Jeet Kune Do isn't just about the freedom from principles or styles, it's also about making your ideas work. For example, i like to apply a bit of psychology and psychological warfare in combat because i find them useful in certain situations. I take inspiration from Sun Tzu, accounts of warfare from the Bible, and other sources. As long as what you use works in combat, the JKD philosophy is - use it. Can't find a useful technique for a particular situation? Invent your own.

That's the beauty of Jeet Kune Do and apart of being fluid. It's about not confining yourself to a predictable pattern or way of fighting. You are your own best master. 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.cheungswingchun.com/g/10410/bruce-lee-william-cheung---the-early-years.html

Use of psychology in self defense

The use of human psychology is rarely discussed in self defense when it can prove very useful in any situation. We can apply tons of self defense techniques in Martial Arts, use of guns and other deadly weapons but few are aware that the human mind itself is a vulnerability as much as the human body is. The use of human psychology especially criminal psychology can greatly even the odds of survival.


What are the essential questions in order to effectively use psychology?

1) Motivation - It would be alot easier to use psychology against someone you know than a complete stranger. What are the motives of your attacker? Demanding on how they interact with you such as demanding for money with a gun pointed at your head, you can then assess the situation and create a plan.

2) Understanding triggers and flaws - Knowing your enemy is very important when applying psychology. What causes your enemy to cower? What makes him or her tick? Is your enemy under pressure? How can you avoid them? What vulnerabilities does he or she have?

3) Manipulation - How can you use what you already know about your enemy's psyche to get the reaction that you want? This can range from creating a distraction or causing an enemy to overreact and thus over or under commit to attacking/defending. There's many ways that you can manipulate people by an in-depth understanding of human behavior.

It is important to understand that while your life is in danger, not every attacker will harm you if he or she will not benefit. For example, threats are psychologically effective when they are credible and when they are conditional. If the victim knows he or she will be killed then the threat is ineffective. It is also dangerous for the person sending the threat as the victim will have nothing to lose and will likely physically retaliate as a means to survive on their own terms. A prudent robber keeps this in mind when he or she holds everyone hostage in a store or bank. This mentality can aid you especially when you have a strong willpower and understanding of how to break thinking patterns of the common criminal.

This is a very insightful video that will illustrate my point of view. The mindset is essential first and foremost when it comes to any violent encounter.

In conclusion, psychology can help you survive unscathed when you understand fundamental principles and how to use them to your advantage. 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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