Again let me start off by saying that I think that Marc "Animal" MacYoung has probably explained this better than I have in his "Four focuses of Martial Arts" ...now "Five focuses", and I would highly recommend you read it for further insight into the subject.
And now for my two cents worth:
MARTIAL ARTS- (From Marriam-Webster Online) Function: noun: any of several arts of combat and self defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport.
(From my head) Historically, methods of collecting, organizing, and disseminating tactics and strategies of combat learned in times of warfare and personal combat. Through time they have attracted other attributes such as spiritual, intellectual, and, physical development. Because many of these traditions are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old, they have, almost universally, collected over time a wealth of wisdom and knowledge that are invaluable to the modern understanding of "interpersonal physical conflict".
The strengths of Martial Arts are almost too innumerable to list. They include, as listed above, spiritual, intellectual, and physical development, which together can help instill in a person self discipline, self confidence, focus, historical and cultural understanding, and a sense of serenity, wonder, and awe. Although many of these attributes can be universally understood, much of what you get from studying Martial Arts will be deeply personal and different from person to person. Practicing a Martial Art can enrich and deepen your understanding of life and introduce you to concepts and ways of thinking that could never be understood in a single lifetime.
The weaknesses of traditional Martial Arts stem partially from the source of it's strengths; the length of time that they have been around and developing. Over time many traditional Martial Arts have, understandably, developed techniques, strategies, and training methodologies that have become very complicated and would take an inordinate amount of time to learn and apply in a self defense situation.
SELF DEFENSE- (From Marriam-Webster Online) Function: noun1 : a plea of justification for the use of force or for homicide2 : the act of defending oneself, one's property, or a close relative.
(From my head) The practice and training of practical, common sense and no nonsense, techniques and strategies of avoidance, de-escalation, and physical skills that can be readily taught, learned and applied in a short period of time, and are directly applicable to contemporary threats and environments. The physical techniques taught tend to be simple, straightforward, gross motor skill in nature, and often rely on the bodies natural flinch mechanism, and so are devoid of complicated and flashy movements. The techniques taught in Self Defense will also very between men and women. Men often need to learn techniques more oriented toward the stand up fight, while Women can benefit from more ground fighting oriented skills.
The training methodologies used tend towards those that can help accomplish the above, such as adrenal stress conditioning and reality based scenario training (also referred to as "conflict rehearsal", or more commonly "role playing").
Self Defense programs very often also cover topics that you would not traditionally find in Martial Arts such as tactical awareness (including how bad guys think, and how to identify and avoid conflict and threats), application of the use of force continuum, the legal ramifications of acting in self defense, how to navigate through the legal system if you do have to defend yourself, reading body language, and verbal de-escalation skills.
PERSONAL SAFETY (I could not find a dictionary definition of the term)- those things that you do on a daily basis to keep yourself safe from harm, such as parking under street lamps, locking your doors and windows at night, and being and staying aware of your environment and people around you. It is not so much an avoidance of danger, but rather the application of common sense and learned safety strategies. Harm reduction can also be considered to fall under the definition of personal safety. As an example, engaging in survival sex (which is surprisingly common, and yes, even sex workers have the right to self defense) can be a dangerous activity, but taking active steps to keep yourself as safe as possible, such as knowing your HIV status, lowering your number of sexual partners, increasing your condom use, and keeping your medical appointments can minimize and mitigate your general risks.
PROFESSIONAL USE OF FORCE (again, I could not find a dictionary definition of the term)- the application of force by people employed in occupations that require them to go into harms way. Although Self Defense and Personal Safety play a large role in Professional use of Force, the techniques and strategies used are more often geared towards battlefield fighting (as in the case of military combatives) and arresting techniques (as in the case of police defensive tactics), and are designed to allow their users to, as safely as possible, engage in, rather than avoid, conflict.
Common catagories of Professional use of Force are combatives (hand to hand and contact weapon fighting) and defensive tactics (officer survival, arresting techniques). Although the use of combatives is fairly limited to military personnel (and now, more and more often, "civilian contractors"), defensive tactics are used not only by police officers, but also by those working in many civilian security professions such as loss prevention officers, bouncers, body guards, and bail enforcement officers (bounty hunters). Some people not in security specific occupations such as those working in hospitals and mental health facilities may also train in and use some form of Professional use of Force.
Please let me know if this post was helpful to you or not.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The difference between Martial Arts and Self Defense
First off, for your benefit, I must tell you that this subject is covered much better, more thoroughly, and with more research and experience behind it, by Marc "Animal" MacYoung on his website, and reading what he has to say on the issue will be more than worth your time.
And now without further ado...
Although there can be very many similarities, and they can cover many of the same subjects, there are some very real and definite differences between Martial Arts and Self Defense.
To delineate the two more clearly, they can be described as "Self Perfection" (Martial Arts), and "Self Preservation" (Self Defense), which I think immediately clarifies how the two are different.
In Martial Arts the purpose of practice has become to cultivate and develop ones mind, body, and spirit. It is meant to help make you a better person and help you help make the world a better place because you are in it. There can be a definite spiritual element to Martial Arts.
Very often I have heard that a martial art is "not very effective" or, "It takes SO long to to become good at it". This is because so much time is spent on the development of the person as a whole, rather than on developing the effectiveness of the techniques or principals taught. It really is not true that there are ineffective martial arts. All Martial Arts will teach you to defend yourself (remember Bruce Lee's quote of "there are no superior Martial Arts, only superior Martial Artists). The issue is more one of how long it takes you to learn self defense from a Martial Art. Two Martial arts that are an example of this are Aikido and Tai Chi. Contrary to popular belief, these are both VERY effective and powerful Martial Arts. Watch a class of either one and you sill see them literally throwing each other across the room. The problem is it may take you 25 or more years of practice to be at a level where you would be able do this to a person who experienced and knows what he/ she is doing.
There was however a very good reason, traditionally, to make students study for a long time before they learned "the good stuff". It was meant as a safety protocol to keep a dishonest or thoughtless student from abusing what they were taught. If a person had to study for ten or more years before they learned anything that could actually hurt someone, they were probably committed to the program and could be trusted.
In Self Defense on the other hand, the purpose of practice is to develop ones ability in a short amount of time in order to apply the techniques and principals taught in a class as immediately as possible. This is why we have seen the development of Self Defense oriented Martial Arts such as Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga (along with it's variations), and Self Defense programs such as FAST Defense and Model Mugging, and R.A.D. People have noticed the deficiency in the amount of time it takes to learn Self Defense from Martial Arts and attempted to remedy the problem.
Another difference between Self Defense and Martial Arts is the scenarios one is taught to deal with. In a traditional Martial Arts, the scenarios you are most likely to be trained in will not be terribly varied and be of a "flash attack" nature against a stranger. In a good self defense program (at least those for civilians) the scenarios that you train should be those you will be most likely to encounter in real life, namely those dealing with violence perpetrated against you by someone you know and are familiar with (i.e. domestic violence or "intimate partner abuse").
There have been some Martial Arts that have effectively combined the two elements of the disciplines such as the above mentioned Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga. The genius and beauty of what Bruce Lee developed in JKD is that there is definitely two, yet interdependent, sides to it: you can learn, in a very condensed period of time, how to effectively defend yourself against a physical threat using the principles of interception, destruction, and footwork drawn from Fencing, Filipino Martial Arts, and Boxing, or you can spend a lifetime practicing and developing the principals of timing, distance, and tactile and spacial awareness drawn from, Wing Chung, Tai chi, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, and Kali.
Although Krav Maga, from the outside, looks like a purely "practical" system, it has a very deep and rich spiritual tradition drawn from it's Jewish and Kabbalist roots that can keep one interested and active in the art for life. In fact learning and practicing the principals of from these traditions is required at the higher level of the art.
Please let me know if this post was helpfull to you or not.
And now without further ado...
Although there can be very many similarities, and they can cover many of the same subjects, there are some very real and definite differences between Martial Arts and Self Defense.
To delineate the two more clearly, they can be described as "Self Perfection" (Martial Arts), and "Self Preservation" (Self Defense), which I think immediately clarifies how the two are different.
In Martial Arts the purpose of practice has become to cultivate and develop ones mind, body, and spirit. It is meant to help make you a better person and help you help make the world a better place because you are in it. There can be a definite spiritual element to Martial Arts.
Very often I have heard that a martial art is "not very effective" or, "It takes SO long to to become good at it". This is because so much time is spent on the development of the person as a whole, rather than on developing the effectiveness of the techniques or principals taught. It really is not true that there are ineffective martial arts. All Martial Arts will teach you to defend yourself (remember Bruce Lee's quote of "there are no superior Martial Arts, only superior Martial Artists). The issue is more one of how long it takes you to learn self defense from a Martial Art. Two Martial arts that are an example of this are Aikido and Tai Chi. Contrary to popular belief, these are both VERY effective and powerful Martial Arts. Watch a class of either one and you sill see them literally throwing each other across the room. The problem is it may take you 25 or more years of practice to be at a level where you would be able do this to a person who experienced and knows what he/ she is doing.
There was however a very good reason, traditionally, to make students study for a long time before they learned "the good stuff". It was meant as a safety protocol to keep a dishonest or thoughtless student from abusing what they were taught. If a person had to study for ten or more years before they learned anything that could actually hurt someone, they were probably committed to the program and could be trusted.
In Self Defense on the other hand, the purpose of practice is to develop ones ability in a short amount of time in order to apply the techniques and principals taught in a class as immediately as possible. This is why we have seen the development of Self Defense oriented Martial Arts such as Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga (along with it's variations), and Self Defense programs such as FAST Defense and Model Mugging, and R.A.D. People have noticed the deficiency in the amount of time it takes to learn Self Defense from Martial Arts and attempted to remedy the problem.
Another difference between Self Defense and Martial Arts is the scenarios one is taught to deal with. In a traditional Martial Arts, the scenarios you are most likely to be trained in will not be terribly varied and be of a "flash attack" nature against a stranger. In a good self defense program (at least those for civilians) the scenarios that you train should be those you will be most likely to encounter in real life, namely those dealing with violence perpetrated against you by someone you know and are familiar with (i.e. domestic violence or "intimate partner abuse").
There have been some Martial Arts that have effectively combined the two elements of the disciplines such as the above mentioned Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga. The genius and beauty of what Bruce Lee developed in JKD is that there is definitely two, yet interdependent, sides to it: you can learn, in a very condensed period of time, how to effectively defend yourself against a physical threat using the principles of interception, destruction, and footwork drawn from Fencing, Filipino Martial Arts, and Boxing, or you can spend a lifetime practicing and developing the principals of timing, distance, and tactile and spacial awareness drawn from, Wing Chung, Tai chi, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, and Kali.
Although Krav Maga, from the outside, looks like a purely "practical" system, it has a very deep and rich spiritual tradition drawn from it's Jewish and Kabbalist roots that can keep one interested and active in the art for life. In fact learning and practicing the principals of from these traditions is required at the higher level of the art.
Please let me know if this post was helpfull to you or not.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Thoughts on Awareness.
I believe that there are a number of levels of awareness. On the outside ranges there is what is refered to as "Zanshin" in many traditional Asian martial arts and spiritual traditions and ESP in the West. This is intuitive awareness; what you know and understand but do not know how or why you know and understand it. Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, was famous for this, and there are numerous stories regarding his demonstration of it. Many other spiritual and martial arts masters, both from the east and the west, have also demonstrated this amazing intuitive ability. In the West we often get glimpses of it in the experience of "being in the zone", or having the hair on the back of your neck stand on end and having the feeling that "somebody is watching you". However Zanshin has the added benefit of being, once acquired, always present. It is, I believe, the highest level of awareness. Although it can be cultivated through the practice of various spiritual traditions, and some martial practices, weather they be from the east or west, I do not believe that it can be intellectually learned. In short, it is a gift.
Next is what is often referred to as "tactical awareness", "situational awareness", or just plain "street smarts". It's what you learn by simply "being there and doing that". I have had great success in developing this through my work as a Loss Prevention Officer and it translates well to being a Bouncer. Although it can often translate to different situations, its effectiveness is largely dependent on being familiar with your environment. It may fail you if you find yourself in an unfamiliar environment or culture. If you are not fortunate enough to be involved in a "Warrior Occupation" (a job that requires you to read body language effectively in order to keep yourself and/ or others safe, and one that requires you to engage in conflict rather than avoid it), I think that you can develop this awareness by taking away the things that come between you and your environment. The fact of the matter is that there is no substitute for experience. Try driving your car less and walk, bike, and take the bus instead. The bus is always interesting because it puts you into close contact with people and behaviors that you may not regularly be aware of or come in contact with. In general, just get out there and engage with different people and environments. Just be careful as this can be dangerous, but remember that danger increases the learning curve. There is a good reason why Nietzsche coined the adage, "that which does not kill you makes you stronger".
Below this is what is often referred to as "tactile" or "spacial" awareness. This is about being aware of how and where a body moves in time and space when you are engaged with it, i.e. fighting or making an arrest of a non-compliant subject. It is "feeling the energy" of an opponent. This can only be developed through experience, weather it be regular access to hands on live conflict, or force on force training and sparring. This is how a boxer learns to see holes in a opponents defense and how a wrestler can feel where an opponent is moving. Because of it's close and experiential nature, it will also feel as though it has elements of Zanshin to it.
Each of these types of awareness can work in accord with each other and very often your conscious awareness of them is blurred together. Working on developing them will greatly enhance your personal safety and aid in your ability to sleep in your own bed (or at least a bed of your choosing ;-) at night.
Please let me know if this was helpful to you or not.
Next is what is often referred to as "tactical awareness", "situational awareness", or just plain "street smarts". It's what you learn by simply "being there and doing that". I have had great success in developing this through my work as a Loss Prevention Officer and it translates well to being a Bouncer. Although it can often translate to different situations, its effectiveness is largely dependent on being familiar with your environment. It may fail you if you find yourself in an unfamiliar environment or culture. If you are not fortunate enough to be involved in a "Warrior Occupation" (a job that requires you to read body language effectively in order to keep yourself and/ or others safe, and one that requires you to engage in conflict rather than avoid it), I think that you can develop this awareness by taking away the things that come between you and your environment. The fact of the matter is that there is no substitute for experience. Try driving your car less and walk, bike, and take the bus instead. The bus is always interesting because it puts you into close contact with people and behaviors that you may not regularly be aware of or come in contact with. In general, just get out there and engage with different people and environments. Just be careful as this can be dangerous, but remember that danger increases the learning curve. There is a good reason why Nietzsche coined the adage, "that which does not kill you makes you stronger".
Below this is what is often referred to as "tactile" or "spacial" awareness. This is about being aware of how and where a body moves in time and space when you are engaged with it, i.e. fighting or making an arrest of a non-compliant subject. It is "feeling the energy" of an opponent. This can only be developed through experience, weather it be regular access to hands on live conflict, or force on force training and sparring. This is how a boxer learns to see holes in a opponents defense and how a wrestler can feel where an opponent is moving. Because of it's close and experiential nature, it will also feel as though it has elements of Zanshin to it.
Each of these types of awareness can work in accord with each other and very often your conscious awareness of them is blurred together. Working on developing them will greatly enhance your personal safety and aid in your ability to sleep in your own bed (or at least a bed of your choosing ;-) at night.
Please let me know if this was helpful to you or not.
Self Defense tools (a.k.a Gadgets I carry for self defense)
I happen to be a gadget guy. Even if I don't need a gadget, and cannot realistically foresee using the thing, I will probably end up buying it anyway. Thankfully this, as a rule, applies only to gadgets that are meant for self defense. A few of the gadgets I own I have found useful and actually use on a somewhat regular basis. I thought that I would share with you those that I can recommend for purchasing and not be a waste of money (i.e., learn from my reckless spending).
First off, I think that a cell phone is invaluable fore everyday use and especially in emergency situations. I'll leave it up to as to which one you get. I carry mine in my left font pocket so that I can access it if my right hand is engaged with a weapon.
Next up is a flashlight. If you haven't thought about buying a new flashlight since Mag-lights came out, boy are you in for a big surprise. Now they are called "tactical flashlights" (when used for self defense and professional use of force) and Surefire is the industry standard, although there are a lot a good up and comers including Blackhawk!'s Night-Ops brand. Along with a flashlight I would highly recommend a "Tactical Impact Device" such as those pioneered by GG&G. I own two and have them on my Surefire e2e' s. Buy at least one set and spend some time thinking about and training how to use them. I wear mine at my mid-line clipped in my front left pocket so that I can have access to it if my right hand is engaged with a weapon.
A Kubotan is also a good idea and it is very practical, if for no other reason than to hold on to your keys. This is a self defense tool developed by Tak Kubota as a variation on Yawara stick, and the koppo stick, and from his experience of using a Cross pen in self defense. I started off with an inexpensive (about $5) black aluminum one (which should be more than effective and sufficient for most people), and then progressed to a way too expensive ($100) Rick Hinderer modular titanium version, which is cool as heck but probably only worth getting if your a gadget guy like me. There are a number of inexpensive variations on the Kubotan that I can recommend and they can almost all be purchased at kubotans.com. I can also recommend those made by Alpha Inovations.
Incidentally, the great Mas Ayoob became a fan of the kubotan after becoming one of Mr. Kubota's first certified trainers and has worked diligently to get them into common use among police departments and the general public. I wear mine at my mid-line in my waistband between my front pocket and my zipper flap.
I have also recently discovered the concept of the "defensive stylus". I decided to buy one after I showed up to the local courthouse to testify for a Grand Jury and they wouldn't let me in with my kubotan (apparently it is considered a "martial arts weapon" and is not allowed) but they completely overlooked my Parker pen which I could do just as much damage with.
I have looked at many different variation including the Berry Jones version and those made by JSP Bladerigger , but I finally settled on one produced by Mil-Tac that has the added benefit of actually being a working pen. I haven't yet had the opportunity to use it yet in real life, but woe to the poor bastered who ends up on the receiving end of this fine instrument. I wear mine at my high-line clipped either in my shirt pocket or in my shirt placket, depending on the shirt I'm wearing. It can be seen poking out of my shirt pocket in the picture of me to the right.
Last but not least I would recommend a good folding knife of the tactical variety. This would be a knife that can be opened with one hand via a thumb hole, stud, disk, or a assisted opening or switchblade mechanism. Because the state I live in allows it, I carry an automatic knife (a.k.a. switchblade). For many years I carried a Benchmade Auto Stryker and it is a very fine knife and would recommend it to anyone. I have however recently purchased a Blackhawk! M.O.D. CQD Mk I. With the exception of not having a training drone available for it, I beleive this is nearly the most perfect self defese knife (see my "how to choose a self defense knife" post). As a rule I wear the knife I'm carrying at my mid-line clipped in my front right pocket, but if I'm dressing up I will wear it clipped in my waistband between my right front pocket and my zipper with the clip between the outside of my pants and the inside of my belt, as to look less conspicuous.
Please let me know if this was helpful to you or not.
First off, I think that a cell phone is invaluable fore everyday use and especially in emergency situations. I'll leave it up to as to which one you get. I carry mine in my left font pocket so that I can access it if my right hand is engaged with a weapon.
Next up is a flashlight. If you haven't thought about buying a new flashlight since Mag-lights came out, boy are you in for a big surprise. Now they are called "tactical flashlights" (when used for self defense and professional use of force) and Surefire is the industry standard, although there are a lot a good up and comers including Blackhawk!'s Night-Ops brand. Along with a flashlight I would highly recommend a "Tactical Impact Device" such as those pioneered by GG&G. I own two and have them on my Surefire e2e' s. Buy at least one set and spend some time thinking about and training how to use them. I wear mine at my mid-line clipped in my front left pocket so that I can have access to it if my right hand is engaged with a weapon.
A Kubotan is also a good idea and it is very practical, if for no other reason than to hold on to your keys. This is a self defense tool developed by Tak Kubota as a variation on Yawara stick, and the koppo stick, and from his experience of using a Cross pen in self defense. I started off with an inexpensive (about $5) black aluminum one (which should be more than effective and sufficient for most people), and then progressed to a way too expensive ($100) Rick Hinderer modular titanium version, which is cool as heck but probably only worth getting if your a gadget guy like me. There are a number of inexpensive variations on the Kubotan that I can recommend and they can almost all be purchased at kubotans.com. I can also recommend those made by Alpha Inovations.
Incidentally, the great Mas Ayoob became a fan of the kubotan after becoming one of Mr. Kubota's first certified trainers and has worked diligently to get them into common use among police departments and the general public. I wear mine at my mid-line in my waistband between my front pocket and my zipper flap.
I have also recently discovered the concept of the "defensive stylus". I decided to buy one after I showed up to the local courthouse to testify for a Grand Jury and they wouldn't let me in with my kubotan (apparently it is considered a "martial arts weapon" and is not allowed) but they completely overlooked my Parker pen which I could do just as much damage with.
I have looked at many different variation including the Berry Jones version and those made by JSP Bladerigger , but I finally settled on one produced by Mil-Tac that has the added benefit of actually being a working pen. I haven't yet had the opportunity to use it yet in real life, but woe to the poor bastered who ends up on the receiving end of this fine instrument. I wear mine at my high-line clipped either in my shirt pocket or in my shirt placket, depending on the shirt I'm wearing. It can be seen poking out of my shirt pocket in the picture of me to the right.
Last but not least I would recommend a good folding knife of the tactical variety. This would be a knife that can be opened with one hand via a thumb hole, stud, disk, or a assisted opening or switchblade mechanism. Because the state I live in allows it, I carry an automatic knife (a.k.a. switchblade). For many years I carried a Benchmade Auto Stryker and it is a very fine knife and would recommend it to anyone. I have however recently purchased a Blackhawk! M.O.D. CQD Mk I. With the exception of not having a training drone available for it, I beleive this is nearly the most perfect self defese knife (see my "how to choose a self defense knife" post). As a rule I wear the knife I'm carrying at my mid-line clipped in my front right pocket, but if I'm dressing up I will wear it clipped in my waistband between my right front pocket and my zipper with the clip between the outside of my pants and the inside of my belt, as to look less conspicuous.
Please let me know if this was helpful to you or not.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Choosing a martial art for self defense and professional use of force.
First off I'll say that if you are just looking for a martial art for something to do, or if you avoid conflict like the plague like I do (outside of work at least), just about anywhere is a good place to start. There are many good instructors and styles out there and you're just going to have to do the research and see what works for you. I would suggest that you avoid contracts though as they can be expensive if you don't stick with it.
With that being said, I do have an opinion on things to look for in a martial art in relation to self defense and professional use of force. I'm going to have to cover this in two parts as I think that, as no single martial art has all the answers, no single martial art can adequately cover both subjects. This is why, in both cases, I recommend first finding a base art that will give you a good technical and conceptual understanding of the type of physical conflict you think you will most likely encounter, and secondly finding an instructor that you are comfortable learning from and with. The second is definitely the hardest to do and may take you a number of years and schools to find. You are going to have to do this on your own because so much of it is about personal experience and chemistry.
For the purposes of self defense, being a man or a woman will influence the technical syllabus of what you will want to look for, as the self defense situations that men and women find themselves in can be very different. Men, as a rule, will want to find an art that trains about a 70/30 split between stand up fighting (70%) and ground fighting (30%), while women will want to look for just the opposite (unless you can find a school that covers them both equally).
Stand up arts are those which will include good foot work (the ability to move effectively, or "stick and move"), strong striking ability (effective hand, foot/shin, knee, elbow, and headbutt techniques), and has a training methodology that allows you to get in "flight time" (realistic sparring).
In my mind there are only a couple of arts that do any this adequately. In no particular order they are: western Boxing, Muy Thai, Savat, Filipino arts (Kali [especially Inosanto Kali], Eskrima, Arnis, etc.) and Jeet Kune Do. Of these, I like Jeet Kune Do the best as it tends to combine elements of each of the others along with the superior theory and training methodology that Bruce Lee developed. I also like Filipino arts (I practice Kali along with my JKD) as it teaches how to use weapons and, as the saying goes, " you 're not an ape- use a tool" (yes, I know that in light of recent scientific research and observation this is not entirely accurate, but you get the point). Kali is also a good place to start because it is (relatively) low impact and tends to develop some crazy ass coordination which leads to a superior understanding of distance and timing. This, as any instructor worth his salt will tell you, is the basis for winning a fight (and, incidentally, most activities in life). After a Kali class, my brain tends to hurt more than my body because my brain has to fire an all cylinders to keep up.
For women looking for a martial art to train self defense, I think that Brazilian Ju-jitsu is where it's at because most of the self defense issues for a woman will face center around rape. In Brazilian Ju-Jitsu the two strongest position you can fight from are what are called the "mount" position (being on top of a person while straddling their torso), and the "guard" position (being on the ground, on your back, with your legs wrapped around the other person). Although the guard position can feel like a very awkward place to learn to fight from, this is where a potential rapist will probably be wanting to get a woman. Being comfortable with knowing how to move and fight effectively from this position can be critical.
Judo can also teach many, but not all, of the same skills that BJJ teaches, so if you cannot find a BJJ school in your area, Judo can be a more commonly found alternative.
If none of the above mentioned arts are available in your area, again, you can start anywhere. The important thing is to get you thinking in the right direction. As Bruce Lee said, "there is no superior martial art, only superior martial artists". The man knew what he was talking about.
For the purposes of this post specifically, and this blog in general, when I refer to "Professional use of Force" I will be talking about those skills used by Law enforcement and Private Security to apprehend criminals (often called "Defensive Tactics" or simply "arresting techniques"), as compared to those skills used by soldiers (generally referred to as military combatives) used in the battlefield arena.
With this in mind, finding a good grappling system is key because applying force professionally often, if not usually, means restricting someones freedom of movement and putting them into handcuffs. I like Judo, Brazilian Ju-jitsu, and western wrestling for this purpose. If you are young, still in high school, and think that you may want to go into a law enforcement or security oriented job, take advantage of your high school wrestling program. Generally it's free and you don't have to be good, you just have to have heart and want to learn. It will be invaluable experience. Otherwise look up Judo (kodokan) and BJJ. Either will serve you well. If neither is available in your area, consider a form of kung fu (look for the key words "chin na" and "shuai-chiao"), traditional Japanese Ju-jitsu, Aikido (although it may take a while to be able to apply what you learn in class to situations at work, I have had success with the a modified "Iriminage" technique and a number of wrist locks, but generally only after I have had people otherwise subdued), and one of my heroes, Marc "Animal" MacYoung, swears by Silat and Kuntao, although I have no experience with it personally.
The reason that I say that you should be looking for a base art is that, as I said before, no single art has all the answers and you will want to cross train. Also, most of the arts that I mentioned are at least somewhat competitive in nature and can miss the point in regard to the realities of self defense and professional use of force. In any case it will be important to develop a scenario training regiment to figure out what works and would be useful in real life, and what wouldn't work, because sparring is not the end all be all in regard to testing technique. In my opinion, sparring is, aside from teaching lessons in an experiential manner, just another scenario. If sparring is the only hands on training methodology you use, then sparring is the only scenario you're training for. In my experience, very few fights go down that way. I've pulled off techniques "on the street" that a sparring session does not set you up for. Use your imagination when developing scenarios. They can be fun and very rewarding!
Please let me know if this was help full to you or not.
With that being said, I do have an opinion on things to look for in a martial art in relation to self defense and professional use of force. I'm going to have to cover this in two parts as I think that, as no single martial art has all the answers, no single martial art can adequately cover both subjects. This is why, in both cases, I recommend first finding a base art that will give you a good technical and conceptual understanding of the type of physical conflict you think you will most likely encounter, and secondly finding an instructor that you are comfortable learning from and with. The second is definitely the hardest to do and may take you a number of years and schools to find. You are going to have to do this on your own because so much of it is about personal experience and chemistry.
For the purposes of self defense, being a man or a woman will influence the technical syllabus of what you will want to look for, as the self defense situations that men and women find themselves in can be very different. Men, as a rule, will want to find an art that trains about a 70/30 split between stand up fighting (70%) and ground fighting (30%), while women will want to look for just the opposite (unless you can find a school that covers them both equally).
Stand up arts are those which will include good foot work (the ability to move effectively, or "stick and move"), strong striking ability (effective hand, foot/shin, knee, elbow, and headbutt techniques), and has a training methodology that allows you to get in "flight time" (realistic sparring).
In my mind there are only a couple of arts that do any this adequately. In no particular order they are: western Boxing, Muy Thai, Savat, Filipino arts (Kali [especially Inosanto Kali], Eskrima, Arnis, etc.) and Jeet Kune Do. Of these, I like Jeet Kune Do the best as it tends to combine elements of each of the others along with the superior theory and training methodology that Bruce Lee developed. I also like Filipino arts (I practice Kali along with my JKD) as it teaches how to use weapons and, as the saying goes, " you 're not an ape- use a tool" (yes, I know that in light of recent scientific research and observation this is not entirely accurate, but you get the point). Kali is also a good place to start because it is (relatively) low impact and tends to develop some crazy ass coordination which leads to a superior understanding of distance and timing. This, as any instructor worth his salt will tell you, is the basis for winning a fight (and, incidentally, most activities in life). After a Kali class, my brain tends to hurt more than my body because my brain has to fire an all cylinders to keep up.
For women looking for a martial art to train self defense, I think that Brazilian Ju-jitsu is where it's at because most of the self defense issues for a woman will face center around rape. In Brazilian Ju-Jitsu the two strongest position you can fight from are what are called the "mount" position (being on top of a person while straddling their torso), and the "guard" position (being on the ground, on your back, with your legs wrapped around the other person). Although the guard position can feel like a very awkward place to learn to fight from, this is where a potential rapist will probably be wanting to get a woman. Being comfortable with knowing how to move and fight effectively from this position can be critical.
Judo can also teach many, but not all, of the same skills that BJJ teaches, so if you cannot find a BJJ school in your area, Judo can be a more commonly found alternative.
If none of the above mentioned arts are available in your area, again, you can start anywhere. The important thing is to get you thinking in the right direction. As Bruce Lee said, "there is no superior martial art, only superior martial artists". The man knew what he was talking about.
For the purposes of this post specifically, and this blog in general, when I refer to "Professional use of Force" I will be talking about those skills used by Law enforcement and Private Security to apprehend criminals (often called "Defensive Tactics" or simply "arresting techniques"), as compared to those skills used by soldiers (generally referred to as military combatives) used in the battlefield arena.
With this in mind, finding a good grappling system is key because applying force professionally often, if not usually, means restricting someones freedom of movement and putting them into handcuffs. I like Judo, Brazilian Ju-jitsu, and western wrestling for this purpose. If you are young, still in high school, and think that you may want to go into a law enforcement or security oriented job, take advantage of your high school wrestling program. Generally it's free and you don't have to be good, you just have to have heart and want to learn. It will be invaluable experience. Otherwise look up Judo (kodokan) and BJJ. Either will serve you well. If neither is available in your area, consider a form of kung fu (look for the key words "chin na" and "shuai-chiao"), traditional Japanese Ju-jitsu, Aikido (although it may take a while to be able to apply what you learn in class to situations at work, I have had success with the a modified "Iriminage" technique and a number of wrist locks, but generally only after I have had people otherwise subdued), and one of my heroes, Marc "Animal" MacYoung, swears by Silat and Kuntao, although I have no experience with it personally.
The reason that I say that you should be looking for a base art is that, as I said before, no single art has all the answers and you will want to cross train. Also, most of the arts that I mentioned are at least somewhat competitive in nature and can miss the point in regard to the realities of self defense and professional use of force. In any case it will be important to develop a scenario training regiment to figure out what works and would be useful in real life, and what wouldn't work, because sparring is not the end all be all in regard to testing technique. In my opinion, sparring is, aside from teaching lessons in an experiential manner, just another scenario. If sparring is the only hands on training methodology you use, then sparring is the only scenario you're training for. In my experience, very few fights go down that way. I've pulled off techniques "on the street" that a sparring session does not set you up for. Use your imagination when developing scenarios. They can be fun and very rewarding!
Please let me know if this was help full to you or not.
My first blog!
Hello and welcome to my blogsite! I imagine that what I write may come across as a bit clumsy until I get the hang of this, however please bare with me through my growing pains (and poor spelling ability) as I'm sure that It will only get better.
I would also like to say here that it is very important to me that the reader not take what I say as fact, expert testimony, or the ramblings of a wanna-be know it all, but rather as an opportunity for me to organize my thoughts and experiences on the given subject matter to better understand the subject its self. I also hope that this blog may do the same for you.
I fully believe that you can only work with what you have and try to pick up more along the way. With this in mind, please understand that what I write about is only from my understanding of the subject as I am writing the post, and I may very well look at things differently after I have had some time to experience and learn more. If you visit this blog after not having been here for some time and there appears to be no new entries, take the time, if you have any interest, to scan the posts, as I may have re- written parts of it to reflect a new understanding of the subject. This blog, like me, is a work in progress.
If you disagree with anything in one of my post, or you think that I could have added something to it, or you just want to have a discussion on the subject, write me a comment and I will be more than happy to have dialogue with you.
I would also like to say here that it is very important to me that the reader not take what I say as fact, expert testimony, or the ramblings of a wanna-be know it all, but rather as an opportunity for me to organize my thoughts and experiences on the given subject matter to better understand the subject its self. I also hope that this blog may do the same for you.
I fully believe that you can only work with what you have and try to pick up more along the way. With this in mind, please understand that what I write about is only from my understanding of the subject as I am writing the post, and I may very well look at things differently after I have had some time to experience and learn more. If you visit this blog after not having been here for some time and there appears to be no new entries, take the time, if you have any interest, to scan the posts, as I may have re- written parts of it to reflect a new understanding of the subject. This blog, like me, is a work in progress.
If you disagree with anything in one of my post, or you think that I could have added something to it, or you just want to have a discussion on the subject, write me a comment and I will be more than happy to have dialogue with you.
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