How Does Martial Arts Kicking Relate to Real World Self Defense

Aside from “point sparring” martial artists are generally taught to kick (generally a hand held target or some type of heavy bag) with accuracy and great power.  One advantage to kicking is applicable distance.  Since the human’s legs are typically longer than the arms, a kick can generally be delivered from outside the opponent’s hand striking range.  Given timing and accuracy a good kicker should be able to land an effective kick well before the opponent can evade it or move in for a hand strike or a grappling technique.  Given the amount of power a good kick can generate this one weapon can devastate an attacker.  All this is true in a controlled environment, especially inside a martial arts school, a gym or a sports arena and it can be equally true under favorable conditions on a street, sidewalk, parking lot or even a grassy field.  However there are a number of considerations to ponder when contemplating the value of a powerful kick in a real world “street fight” confrontation. 

The typical showy or flashy high (head shot) kicks typically seen in movies and even in sparring matches can be dangerous to both the kicker and the opponent.  Obviously if a good, solid, powerful kick lands against your jaw or face there is a good chance you will be badly injured or knocked out.  On the other hand a high kick leaves the kicker wide open in very vulnerable areas.  If he misses or if the defender grabs the kicking leg the entire scenario reverses.  Even Bruce Lee is said to have emphasized that in a real fight he would never throw a high kick but would kick toward the legs to stop the attacker.  If you think about it taking an attacker’s knee or leg out of the fight essentially takes the whole person out of the fight.

Then there is the law of physics which stipulates that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Applied to kicking, consider this example:  When you kick, especially with a great deal of speed and/or power, all or most of that power is transferred as a reaction to your support leg.  When your supporting foot has good traction and your supporting leg muscles are strong the reaction is transferred to the leg muscles and eventually, in a way, to the floor.  Try starting out on a relatively small piece of cardboard or other dry, slick material, laid on a tile or other hard, smooth surface.  When you deliver your kick you will undoubtedly slide the cardboard (and your whole body) in a direction opposite from that of the kick’s power.  If your kick makes contact with a heavy object you will move back farther.  At best the result of contact will be significantly less power than had you been able to remain in a fixed location.

How does this relate to self defense?  Most violent unexpected attacks or confrontations happen in parking lots, parks, sidewalks or even in some cases bars and clubs.  There can be any number of ‘foreign objects’ or materials on the “floor surface”, from sand to gravel, to garbage, to banana peels, paper, etc.  Any of these elements will tend to make kicking much more of a challenge than in a controlled environment.  A firm but uneven surface, loose sand or gravel, etc., can destroy the effect of the best kicks when the decision to kick is sudden due to an unexpected attack and the kicker does not have time to really get a feel for his surroundings or the surface conditions he will be kicking from.

Then comes the balance part of the equation.  Most humans have two legs.  Unlike a three legged stool or a four legged animal, two points of support leave us tentative at best.  The only real reason we can even stand upright is the structure and ability of our muscles.  As an experiment (with a willing partner) look at your partner’s stance as two legs of a three legged stool.  Visualize where the third leg should be.  Then push him toward where the third leg will be. (You will have two options, one to the front, one to the rear).  His balance will be disrupted easily.  Pushing in any other direction will be more difficult since the legs and muscles are automatically set to prevent balance disruption. 

Now, go to a one legged stance.  There is really no point where you are stable if anything pushes against you.  Visualize throwing a good, strong kick and just as your kicking leg starts toward the target your opponent’s girlfriend or buddy grabs you from behind or bumps you.  It doesn’t take a physics major to understand what will happen.

There are indeed some really good and effective low kicks that can work under most conditions but generally these are fairly close range kicking techniques.  Virtually all of them go for the legs, quads, shins, ankles, etc., and some even aim for the area of the kidneys.  Most can be delivered with minimal difficulty (if you practice, of course) even if you are being grabbed by an opponent.  Generally these are not “takeout” or debilitating kicks, although some of them certainly can be.  More often they are painful distractions which will buy you time to initiate a strike, joint lock or other technique of your choice.  Remember that once an attacker is distracted, even for a second, you have disrupted his game plan and bought yourself time to execute yours.
Hal Herndon 2010

Including Real World Street Fighting Techniques In Traditional Martial Arts Programs

In my ongoing research into “street fighting” concepts vs. “martial arts self defense” concepts I am more and more convinced that there are distinct differences and distinct similarities between the two.  I am further convinced, however, that a good martial arts program run by an open minded instructor can easily incorporate the currently accepted “street fighting” approach and techniques into virtually any program.  The resistance from many instructors is that doing this would violate the traditional style that their system is based upon.  This brings up the question of whether you are teaching martial arts for the sake of teaching martial arts and tradition or are you teaching martial arts with the intent of your students being able to defend themselves.  Or is it both?  Instructors have to be very honest in analyzing this question. 

For reference, let’s define “street fighting” as an unplanned and potentially violent conflict where there are no rules, no referees, etc.   Typically martial arts fighting has rules, referees, limitations to the amount of damage inflicted, etc.

An overview of most of the “tried and true” street fighting self defense techniques shows that they are little more than basic martial arts techniques, perhaps structured in a more primitive, instinctive manner than in a typical martial arts environment.

I believe that incorporating these “primitive response” reflexes or techniques as well as the rationale and principles behind the need for them into an existing martial arts program, regardless of style, would be providing a great service to the students of that art.  Possibly including some education about the reality of what happens in certain unexpected violent conflicts while introducing the techniques and approaches would be a tremendous asset.

We know that there are at least two kinds of “street fighting” situations which are likely to occur.  One is a situation you see developing and which, to an extent, you can analyze rationally and to some extent control.  The other is one that is sudden, totally unexpected and almost instantly violent. 

A holdup, for example, is a situation where you can stay reasonably rational, make decisions on whether or not to give the aggressor what he wants or decide to disarm him, fight, etc.  A similar situation would be where you are going down a dimly lit street and see a couple of men lurking in the edges of the shadows.  You can either change your route or decide to proceed on a rational basis and plan how you might react if they accost you.  These situations more often than not will allow your martial arts techniques to work to one extent or another, assuming that you have practiced them long enough and under the right conditions.

The other situation is one where you are perhaps walking down the same dimly lit street and suddenly one or two men jump out from behind something, run over to you yelling and pushing, demanding “your stuff” and threatening to beat you to a pulp or worse.   You have no time to plan, prepare, etc., and your brain locks in to a more primitive ‘fight or flight’ mode based on fear and surprise rather than allowing you to think rationally.  Under these conditions, even if your vehicle were next to you, putting the key in the door’s lock would be a nearly impossible task primarily due to nature’s protective methodology of dumping a huge amount of adrenalin into your system.

The two similar but very different situations outlined here are real.  These are situations that happen every day in every city, suburb and park in our country.  Your traditional training MIGHT prepare you to handle the first one if you have trained well and if you have trained long enough.  It will likely not prepare you to handle the second.  This is what the “street fighting” argument and dialogue is all about.  I believe there is a need to include at least the basics of this concept in our martial arts programs.

Hal Herndon 2010

Philosophical Keys to Real World Self Defense and Martial Arts

Below are some things to think about as you consider the potential of a real life violent confrontation.

Study, understand and apply the Basic Principles involved in your self defense techniques.  Without them your techniques are virtually worthless.  With them you will find whatever techniques you may need.

Be vigilant.  Be always aware of your surroundings.  Know where you can go to escape.  Know what elements around you can be used to your advantage and be willing to use them without hesitation.

Understand that your attacker will not play by any rules at all.

Never respond “in kind” to a verbal assault.  This is what your aggressor wants.  Doing so will likely force you to get into an emotional state which, at some point, will cloud rational judgment.

Never look your aggressor in the eye.  Look at his chest or past him.  Allow your peripheral vision to tell you what is going on.  It is generally believed that using peripheral vision as opposed to focusing on something will enable you to react or respond more quickly.

Never, ever let your aggressor make the first move unless you have managed to control the situation and can predict with great accuracy what he will do and when.

Always be on the lookout for an aggressor’s friends or colleagues.

Always assume that your aggressor or his friends may have weapons.

In a real world life or death confrontation assume that nobody nearby will help you.  Further assume that any help at all, if it does come, will arrive too late.

Do the exact opposite of what your aggressor expects you to do. 

Use your ‘fence’ to gauge distance, to enable you to maneuver, to lead the aggressor to think that you are cowering and afraid.  The appearance of being afraid can set up an attacker for a pre-emptive strike very easily.  Deception is part of self defense.

Never let fear control you or your actions.  You must force yourself to become determined and aggressive at the right time.  Fear and aggression cannot exist together.

When you make your move be decisive, aggressive and deliberate.  Make the commitment to minimize the threat with everything you have and do not stop until you are absolutely certain that the threat has been neutralized (i.e., rendered harmless, at least for the moment).

Understand the potential legal consequences of what you might do.  Know when “enough is enough”.

Hal Herndon 2010

Is a Pre-Emptive Strike Your Best Defense?

Once again we look at one of the basic premises of traditional martial arts theory.  Historically we are taught that martial arts is a defensive concept and that it should never be used as offensively.  In an ideal world this philosophy or theory is a great one.  In an ideal world there would be no violence anyhow so it would not much matter.  Unfortunately ours is not an ideal world in any aspect of reality so reality has to be factored in to the concept or premise.

Let’s say you have been training in a martial arts style for a while and one evening some human predator suddenly stops you on the street or in a parking garage, threatening you, yelling and all the rest.  You have the presence of mind to stay reasonably calm, set yourself in a relatively stable stance or posture without looking threatening and you try to negotiate your way out of the confrontation.  Exactly what a well trained martial artist should do. 

At some point you realize that the negotiations are over and the aggressor is going to do something violent.  He is bigger, may be on drugs and getting more and more belligerent all the time.  You think you know what his attack will be and you mentally prepare yourself to execute some sort of martial arts technique to defend against this.  You are allowing him, the predator, to execute HIS game plan at your expense.  What if your presumption of his game plan is wrong?  What if your presumption is right but in the process of executing your defense his size and strength as well as his extreme intent on harming you overpowers your defense?  It is important to understand that without a LOT of training and at least some understanding of real world fighting (no referees, no rules, no boundaries, etc.) the chances of your first attempt at defending against an aggressor like this are at best questionable.  If you have the training, focus and determination to instantly go to another technique the second your first try starts to fail you will have a chance.  Unfortunately not many martial artists are trained this way.

So let’s back up a bit to the point where you realize that the negotiations are essentially over.  You are absolutely convinced that there is no way out of the conflict and you have no place to run.  You are absolutely convinced that this predator is going to do everything he can to inflict massive bodily harm on you.  You obviously cannot be 100% sure of what his first move will be.  In reality your option is simple.  Do exactly what the aggressor does not expect you to do.  Move quickly in to him and execute a powerful series of pre-emptive strikes.  Essentially, if you are certain IT is going to happen, execute YOUR game plan before he can execute his.  Pretty basic but rest assured that the shock or surprise of your sudden attack will more often than not allow you to prevail.  The key is focus, speed and most important, effect.
Hal Herndon 2010

Self Defense on the Street: Defense Against an Attack With a Weapon -- Attack the Attacker!

It is important to understand that there is a significant and critical difference between a holdup involving a weapon and an attack involving one.  This outline deals with the problem of an aggressive attack by a person wielding a weapon.

You are confronted by an attacker who has a knife, a club, a machete, a ball bat or other life threatening weapon.  Your instincts are to deal with or stop the weapon at all costs.  Your instincts, unfortunately, are basically and dangerously wrong!.

Let’s assume, for example, you are being attacked by someone with a knife:  The knife your assailant is about to stab or slice you with is essentially a harmless tool by itself.  Only when a person uses it with harmful intent does it become a threat.  Even then, the knife is only an extension of the person wielding it.  If you think about this for a while you will likely realize that your main focus and effort in this situation should be to stop the attacker, not the weapon.  Without question you must do everything you can to avoid being struck by the weapon.  More often than not running away is the best solution.  Sometimes that is not possible.  Then it becomes critically important that you absolutely must focus on the attacker.   You must, in this instance, disrupt the attacker mechanically.  You will find that under many conditions (drugs, alcohol, some forms of extreme rage, etc.) inflicting pain on the attacker will not be effective.  In many cases he will not feel much of anything.  This is why dealing with his physiology is so critical.

Some ‘food for thought’:  Let’s say in your defense attempt the attacker loses his weapon.  Odds are he will instinctively look for it and possibly even try to retrieve it.  Instinctively you will do the same because you  don’t want him to get it back and use it against you.  Once again a dangerously wrong move!  Once the weapon is out of his hands it is no longer a threat to your safety.  However the attacker will likely still be a threat.  Deal with him and forget the weapon.  If he is distracted trying to retrieve the weapon he becomes a much easier target to deal with.

Granted, if he has friends around they may pick up the weapon and attack but that is another topic for another time.

In essence, too many defense techniques focus on the weapon.  Everything from knocking it away, trapping the attacking hand or hands and disarming the attacker, redirecting the weapon hand or arm and executing a joint lock, etc.  These are all good in theory and they could work in a real life violent confrontation.    What if they don’t.  Then you are off balance, the attacker still has the weapon, is probably not really harmed and, more than likely, the attacker is more agitated than in the beginning.  Not a good place to be.

There are also a number of legal issues inherent in this scenario.  Here is just one:  If you disarm the attacker and use the weapon against him you instantly become the aggressor and the legal consequences can be severe.  Even if you started out doing nothing other than trying to defend yourself and ended up using attacker’s weapon on him you could be charged and ultimately convicted of murder…Frightening but it has happened.  The premise is generally as follows:  If you honestly believe or feel that your life is in danger your options in response are virtually limitless as long as the original aggressor still has the weapon and you do not. 

Hal Herndon 2010

Are Martial Arts and Real World Self Defense Mutually Exclusive?

One of the big arguments these days seems to be whether or not martial arts techniques will work in a real life street confrontation.  Dedicated martial artists emphatically say “yes” and those more street fighting and self defense oriented emphatically say “no”.  I believe that both answers are correct depending on the circumstances involved. 

In order to address this we need to assume that the martial artist involved in the following scenarios has trained seriously and for a long time but may not have been involved in sudden, unexpected and violent real life “street fight” confrontations. 

Consider that there are at least two quite different scenarios for potential “real life confrontations and for our purposes let’s say that you are the aforementioned martial artist and that both scenarios take place in a dimly lit parking lot with relatively few people around.

Scenario 1:  In accordance with your training you are aware of your surroundings and you notice a couple of men loitering near your vehicle in the parking lot.  As you approach them you notice that they appear to be more interested in you than you would like so you start thinking about how to handle the situation (or them) if you are ultimately confronted.  As you continue toward your vehicle one of the men starts moving toward you and asks which one is your vehicle.  You don’t respond and then he starts telling you that he wants your vehicle and your wallet.  His colleagues are silent but are positioned in such a way that you will have to either deal with a physical confrontation, probably a violent one, or find a way to leave quickly.  Here you have a few seconds to make a rational decision.

Scenario 2:  In the same parking lot, a couple of thugs suddenly jump out at you from behind a parked van.  One, the obvious leader, instantly comes up to you and starts yelling about your wallet and your car while he is pushing you violently.  The others close in but do not engage.  There is no time or place to run.  You are shocked at the sudden and potentially dangerous situation and you try to stall off the fear that comes with surprise in these situations.  Your mind will not focus on anything but having a serious problem.  All of the training and self defense techniques you have learned over the years have suddenly disappeared from your conscious thought process. 

In Scenario 1 you have time to think and plan so what you have learned and trained for will most likely work or at least give you an advantage, assuming that you have trained properly.  In Scenario 2, however, psychologists have determined that most, if not all conscious thought and the ability to think rationally will be non-existent.  The brain reverts to what is often called the reptilian state or a “fight or flight” mode where reacting with pure primitive instinct and violence or running are the only options.

A great deal has been written and discussed on this topic in recent years.  There are indeed ways to train so that you will be able to handle either of the above scenarios.  A good, solid martial arts background and training is excellent and can do nothing but help in a violent situation (as long as you don’t get cocky).  However “cross training” in how to handle yourself instinctively in a totally unexpected real life or death street confrontation can give you an edge that most people don’t have.  It all seems to boil down to understanding the reality of the possibilities and being open minded enough to prepare yourself for both.

Hal Herndon 2010

REAL WORLD STREET FIGHTING FROM A MARTIAL ARTIST’S VIEWPOINT

In trying to sort out traditional martial arts training (particularly in the U.S.) in comparison to all the developing information and dialogue on “street fighting” (by definition not a sport) and even MMA (by definition definitely a sport) one has to try very hard to be objective.  This is particularly difficult for someone who has trained regularly over a long span of time in an extremely effective and potentially devastating martial art.  At the same time, however, in delving through the plethora of developing information, videos, books, blogs and other dialogue on “real world” fighting vs. martial arts training one really has to start looking and looking with a constructively critical eye.

Amongst the ever increasing volumes of information on “street fighting”, generated by numerous parties with varying backgrounds and experiences and from different parts of the world there seem to be a number of commonalities.  These commonalities make the situation very different from what is experienced and/or learned in most martial arts schools, especially in the U.S.  Among these are the following:
                A street fight is usually an unexpected act of violence.
               When confronted suddenly and unexpectedly with potentially life threatening violence, one’s ability to think rationally is badly impaired and often not existent.  All of the martial arts techniques one has learned over years of training (most of which require fine motor skills) are not able to be remembered, much less utilized.
                Street fights are totally chaotic and unpredictable.
                Street fights are extremely dynamic (i.e., the involved parties move around throughout the conflict, either to gain an advantage or to escape further abuse).
                There are no rules of any kind, no morals and little to no conscience involved.
                There is no referee and it is unlikely that anyone will step in and stop the fight regardless of what is happening to either party and law enforcement will likely get there too late to help.
                There are certain legalities that come into play, usually after the conflict is over.
                The original aggressor may well have friends nearby who will jump in and engage in the fight if the aggressor seems to need help. 
               It is fair to assume that the attacker (and/or his friends) may have a weapon.
                The physical environment (i.e., pavement, curbs, walls, chairs, bottles, etc.) can be used by either party to gain an advantage or to end the conflict.  He who is generally aware of his environmental surroundings will have a distinct advantage if he is willing to utilize it.

It is evident to this author that serious martial artists have at least some obligation to themselves and to their students to look into this aspect of self defense or self protection.  It is quite easy to incorporate many of the principles touted by those who engage in real world fighting into a viable martial arts program without “violating” tradition or protocol.  All it takes is a little study, a bit of cross training, a willingness to adapt and, most important, an open mind.  One of the keys may well be to fully understand and accept the fact that a pre-emptive strike, under many conditions, may well be the best defensive move one can make.
Hal Herndon 2010
                

Real World Self Defense vs. Martial Arts.  Is There a Difference?

Can you stop a violent physical confrontation is six seconds or less?  Sounds far-fetched but it can be done quite easily.  (No, you don’t have to have a gun!).  Far too many high ranking martial artists have found themselves in dire straits when confronted unexpectedly by street thugs.  Unfortunately many of them have ended up in intensive care or the morgue.   All the controlled environment training, sparring and practice of techniques is good martial arts training and I highly recommend it.  However executing these techniques requires fine motor skills which are proven to vanish in an unexpected, sudden, life threatening confrontation.   Innate survival reaction gives us a huge rush of adrenalin which takes over and forces our most primitive “fight or flight” instincts to totally govern our actions.  Thinking clearly is no longer a realistic option and often not even a possibility.  Pretty scary when you think about it but it is very, very real.

First of all, forget what you see in the movies.  While there are some excellent martial artists who have become actors everything you see is rehearsed over and over again, stunt men generally get involved and there are camera and computer tricks to enhance nearly anything they want to show.

In addition, you must understand that what you see on TV, such as the MMA, UFC, Thai Boxing, Kick Boxing, etc., is all pretty violent, the participants are in great physical shape and have trained intensely for a long time.  However, these are all, by definition, sports.  There are rules, referees and usually a ‘ring’ or ‘cage’, not to mention the fact that these competitors know ahead of time that there is going to be a violent confrontation and they usually know a good bit about their opponent’s cababilities.  On the street, in a parking garage, around the corner or even during a road rage situation none of these elements exist.  The aggressor acknowledges no rules, there is no referee and no physical boundaries….Just you and your assailant (and maybe his friends).

I have practiced a very aggressive and devastating style of Korean martial arts for about 18 years and am teaching our advanced black belts real world self defense as an enhancement to our advanced martial arts program.  This is quite different from “normal” martial arts training but it utilizes the basic techniques and approaches inherent to martial arts.  While having good martial arts training as a background is beneficial it is certainly not necessary.   The philosophy is simplicity and “effect”.  Frankly technique doesn’t matter in a life threatening situation.  No matter how good you are it won’t look pretty.  What does matter is the effect of what you do or don’t do.

Simplicity and effect cannot be over emphasized.  Larry the Cable Guy’s theory of “get er done!” says it all. 

Can you stop an attacker who has violent intent in mind even if he is bigger and stronger than you?  Most definitely.  Most martial arts preach “wait until he makes his move and then use your martial arts training skills to defend against it”….This is a nice theory but in reality it is usually not at all practical.  Why let the bad guy start initiating his game plan.  Take it away from him.

 Here’s the scenario:
You are suddenly confronted by a large, apparently strong and violent assailant and it is not feasible for you to run.  Your best chance is to take pre-emptive action and to take it quickly, without warning and as aggressively as you possibly can.  There are absolutely no rules in this situation other than trying to ensure your own survival.  You have to essentially flip a mental switch and become as violent as your attacker seems to be for just long enough to get the job done.

No self defense program can be learned and stored for future use in a one hour class or even in two or three hours.  You also will not benefit from just watching videos.  The only real way to learn is to practice the physical and mental processes that must be in place when you need them. The basics can be learned in a few hours but it takes practice of both the physical and mental aspects of survival to get the “system” ingrained in your subconscious.  Once it’s there you will have it forever.  It becomes an integral part of your nature to “get primitive” or “go medieval” when you feel that your life is threatened.  Anything more complicated will most likely not work.

There are a lot of alleged ‘self defense’ videos, DVDs, books and other media sales pitches available for varying costs.  Most are essentially grab defenses, a few striking techniques and other martial arts basics sold to you as a means of defending yourself.  I have purchased and watched many, many of these and in my opinion most are pure hype, obviously with the primary intent of making money and with little real concern for the reality of what may happen if someone believes that what they see on the videos will work in real life.  Certainly some of the techniques shown in most of these courses can work with adequate practice but the vast, vast majority require too much fine motor skill and conscious mental planning or action to be useable in a real life confrontation.  For example, if somebody grabs your wrist and you do break their grip (one of the usual basic “impressive” moves promoted on many “self defense” DVDs) is the assailant then just going to walk away in frustration and embarrassment?  Not a chance.  Odds are he will simply become significantly more agitated, more violent and then what will you do?
Hal Herndon 2010