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