INFLICTING PAIN vs. MECHANICAL DISRUPTION

INFLICTING PAIN vs. MECHANICAL DISRUPTION in Self Defense Situations

There is little question that inflicting sudden and intense pain is a great way to enable you to escape a threatening situation and possibly temporarily disable your attacker.

OK then…..What is “mechanical disruption”?  It is simply disrupting the mechanics which allow the aggressor to attack, defend or chase after you.  Make it so that he is physically unable to effectively chase you or attack you further and the situation is resolved (for you). 

Most who train in martial arts and/or self defense are capable of inflicting varying degrees of pain via striking, joint locks, ripping or other methods. 

Unfortunately there are a lot of drugs on the market and in use by what most would consider “bad” people and some of these drugs make the user all but impervious to pain.  It’s not that inflicting pain does not work it is simply that the user’s sensory perception is so far beyond ‘normal’ that they just do not feel the pain.  Some of these same drugs also enhance the user’s strength and agility, adding to the problem.  In a sense, striking someone using one of these drugs or executing what would normally be a painful joint lock would be much like pounding on a heavy bag.  The bag simply hangs there, rocking back and forth due to the physics involved but feels nothing at all.

This situation can be and usually is very, very bad for the defender regardless of training, strength, etc.

Is there a solution to this problem?  Of course…..there are solutions to every problem but sometimes one has to dig a little deeper to find them.

Considering that most all people trained in martial arts and self defense know how to strike with their hands, arms and legs we need to consider how to use those talents to effectively stop the attacker in question.  The solution is simple but it must be implemented quickly once you realize that your ‘normal’ pre-emptive or counter attack is not having the effect it should have.

The most important element of any attack or defense is balance.  Humans rely totally on their legs for balance when they are standing and to a somewhat greater extent when they are fighting or attacking (unless, of course, they are on the ground).  With this in mind it is important (critical) to know that the knee is absolutely the weakest part of the leg’s support mechanism.  (Granted, the ankle is equally weak but much harder to get to when both parties are standing).  It takes very little force or pressure to damage or even destroy a knee joint.  A force somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 psi delivered suddenly and properly to the side of the knee joint will usually damage or totally tear one of the major ligaments which give the joint strength and stability.  A decent Muay Thai type roundhouse kick (the one we typically use in Krav Maga) is the simplest way to make this happen.  The concept here is that if the attacker cannot stand he cannot chase after you, thus your job is done and it is time to go home.

A second option is dislocating the aggressor’s elbow.  Most people trained in martial arts and/or self defense eventually learn the “arm bar” which is essentially a means of locking the elbow in a painful manner and at the same time preventing the aggressor from using that arm against you.  In this case if he is not able to feel pain you must attack and execute the elbow lock violently and suddenly, hoping to literally dislocate or break the joint.  This will not, of course, prevent him from chasing after you, especially if he is not in excruciating pain.  However, chances are the broken or dislocated elbow will be on his strong side and his ability to do significant damage to you will be seriously limited.  In addition his balance will be at least somewhat disrupted.  Remember that breaking or dislocating an elbow takes a good bit of force and the technique must be done suddenly and violently with as much of your body weight imposed as possible.  Then, of course, run or follow up with intense knee or other strikes.

An additional option that occurs at times is when the attacker might end up in a kneeling or prone position due to a slip or trip or due to your putting him there.  Again, if he feels no pain at all the fall will do little more than give you a very short break in the attack process.  IF this happens and IF you can quickly get to it a hard stomp to his ankle will seriously damage the tendons, ligaments and nerves in the ankle joint and will likely break some of the smaller bones in the foot as well.  Again, if he cannot stand he cannot chase after you.
There are, of course, other ways to disrupt an aggressor mechanically including takedowns, reaps and the like.  However be aware these will not at all guarantee he will not get up and chase after you OR that he won't be able to attack you from the ground and take you down.
Hal Herndon 2013

GROUND FIGHTING IN SELF DEFENSE

(This post was copied from an article written as an advertisement by a self defense school.  The principles and concepts are very much in line with what we emphasize and teach in IKI Krav Maga)

 It could happen anywhere! Many fights or struggles will undoubtedly end up on the ground, whether you are in a street brawl, a domestic violent attack or even involved in a sexual attack. It could happen anywhere, whether it is in your home, in the street, at work or anywhere else.

Ground fighting in Self Defense - is a very important aspect of training. You may have been dragged down by your hair, attacked from behind, you may have simply gone into a clinch and lost balance in the struggle, or maybe you have been punched to the ground. Whatever the reason that you're in this situation, you must do something and quickly. If you don't react quickly then you could be on the receiving end of a kicking session by one or several attackers, you may even become the next statistic of a sexual attack. Although we do utilize simple ju-jitsu techniques, it is not any fancy technique on its own that will save you but your hunger for survival. The techniques give you a good grounding on what to do in many situations and practicing them helps build your confidence. You must still find your inner savage. We all have an inbuilt survival mechanism, instincts given to us by our ancestors. In a situation, it's up to you bring those instincts out.

Effective Targets - Targeting your attacker's vitals from any position, whether you are on the ground or standing is always effective. A single bite may not work but a bite followed by a barrage of eye gouges, strikes to the throat, tearing the ears and scratching across the face is very effective from any position. Know how to unbalance your attacker if they are in the dominant position and know how to disable your attacker to prevent them from pursuing you as you make your escape. As for any attack, remember to shout out. Shouting serves many purposes from attracting attention, creating witnesses, to startling your attacker, focusing your strikes and tensing up your abdominal region. You have to do whatever it takes in order to get away.

Get Up! - The ground is not where you want to be in a fight, especially if there are multiple attackers involved, so avoid going to ground if you can or look to get up and get away as soon as possible. Many people know how to fight standing up but are very restricted when the fight has gone to ground. It is useful to know some grappling techniques, but it's the additional dirty stuff, not allowed in competition that makes it different. Knowledge on sensitive areas such as pressure points and motor nerve points and other vital areas enables you to gain the maximum effect from strikes and makes your ground defense so much more effective. Targets like the eyes, groin and throat are very effective if you know how to access them from your ground position, this is especially important when it's not a match fight and your opponent could be twice your size and strength.

It's your move - Concentrate on what you are going to do to your attacker rather than focus on what may happen to you. Tell yourself that this person is not going to deny you the right of seeing your loved ones; you are going home and you will do whatever it takes to get there. The ever increasing popularity of Jiu-Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and (UFC) The Ultimate Fighting Championships, have made people far more aware of the effectiveness of good ground defense techniques. The biggest difference between competitive grappling and other competition styles from Self Defense is the fact that there are rules in competitive Martial Arts.

In Self Defense there are no rules. You must use that fact to your advantage too. Eye gouges, finger nails tearing at the nose and face, fish hooking the cheeks, elbows to the neck, strikes to the groin, strikes to the throat, kicking out at the kidneys and so on, are suddenly viable tactics that you can add to your armory in self protection. Ground fighting in self defense is part of a system. You need to have a general understanding of many other aspects. For this reason, we have covered Targeting and Striking, Escapes, Take Downs, Hold Downs and the Weapon of Opportunity through similar informational books. You could say that Self defense is a system of systems and each one compliments the next.

Learn Pre-Fight Strategy - Whatever aspects you decide to cover, I would encourage you to learn some pre-fight strategies such as verbal tactics, learn how and where to strike, some ground defense and maybe some take downs. Ensure you practice regularly, either with an organization, family or friends. Do not just go through the motions; once you have created a good grounding start creating some realistic situations.

The goal of Ground fighting in Self Defense is ultimately to help you get up and get away to safety.

DEFENSE OR OFFENSE……That is the Question……or is it?

Visualize a training center for suicide bombers located in the Middle East.  Then let us assume that there are at least one thousand (yes, 1,000) students involved.  Let’s further say that the “students” in this training center are individually signing up (being “scripted”) to commit to this short life of commitment to their beliefs and in the process destroying as many “infidels” or innocent people as possible.

Given the above brief scenario we can approach a solution in two distinctly different ways:

1.       Wait until the students complete their training, try to follow each student’s movements, actions, etc., in an attempt to determine when, where and/or if they will in fact initiate their suicide bomber training and kill an indeterminate number of innocent people…..OR….

2.       Determine when the vast majority of students and instructors (trainers) will physically be in the training center, totally destroy the center and eliminate any potential of the pending problem.

To any rational person, option two above is the only realistic solution.  How can anyone track, analyze and/or otherwise control the actions of persons so totally committed to such violence, much less know when, where and how they will act on their commitment to violence.

This being offered as a theoretical example (based absolute fact from someone who was involved in locating a similar facility in this situation in Iraq but with closer to ten thousand ‘scripted’ trainees) one has to wonder why our (and most other) governments shy away from pre emptive strikes.  In the real version of the situation posed here the training center was thankfully “taken out” via high powered air and other strikes and was turned into ashes in a matter of minutes, thus saving untold tens of thousands of lives.

And now, of course, we revert to personal protection and self defense because that is why these blog posts are created.

With the above example as a background or reference point, if or when you are in a conflict it is important to realize that you, as the recipient of the aggression, have a number of choices, including being aware enough of your surroundings and environment (including its ‘inhabitants’) to pick one of those available to you:

1. Recognize whether the situation and physical environment allows you a way to escape or avoid the conflict and if so, calmly and confidently dismiss the situation and walk (or run) away.
2. Do the best you can to verbally diffuse the aggressive banter and ‘temper’ the situation.
3. Develop enough awareness of aggressive banter and/or dialogue to realize when the “conversation” or “negotiation” is over and that the aggressor is about to “make his/her move” or attack.
4. IF you develop the skills and confidence to get to item 3 above, your best move will without question be to initiate a pre emptive strike which is absolutely the last thing your aggressor will be thinking about.  You must absolutely strike first, strike aggressively and continue to advance into your aggressor’s personal space and replace him/her with yourself.  You must not stop (no matter how much the aggressor is resisting or counter attacking) until the aggressor is “down” and in a position or situation where he/she cannot retaliate or chase you.

And…..Here is why this entire concept is so important:

IF you allow the aggressor to make his move or initiate his ‘game plan’ first there is no way you will know for sure what that move or game plan will really be.  Doing this will put you instantly on the defensive and your subconscious mindset will be in a defensive mode, not a ‘win’ or ‘attack’ mode.  Being totally defensive makes you vulnerable since it tends to drag out the situation and the longer it goes on the more chance you have of making a mistake.

IF, on the other hand, you strike first and strike hard, followed up by aggressively advancing on, into and through the aggressor his/her game plan will be totally disrupted, he/she will be on the defensive and will not have a chance to re-set to an alternate offense.

If this all sounds relatively simple, it is.  Having the confidence to enact this under extreme pressure is something developed over time and with much mental and physical training.  Your mental and physical reflexes need to become instincts and not conscious thought processes.
Hal Herndon 2012

Defending Against Long Weapons Attacks

(“Long Weapons”, for our purposes, will be anything noticeably longer than a normal sheath type hunting knife. )

In a nutshell it’s all about movement……….

To paraphrase Richie Grannon of ‘Streetfightsecrets.com’:  If you understand the principles you can develop your own techniques.  If, on the other hand, you only learn (memorize) techniques and ignore the principles you will likely fail when things get rough.

It is this author’s observation that it is critical to have a pretty good understanding of the mechanics, movement and forces of both the attacker and his weapon during an attack in order to prevail or even survive.  There are certain principles which are inherent in these situations.  Without understanding the basics of these principles you will be at the attacker’s mercy (or lack thereof).  You must also gain an understanding of how incredibly easy it really is to escape the main force and impact of the weapon.  No matter how many great self defense techniques you know, how good a kicker you are, etc., if you end up in the wrong position in this type of attack there is a good chance you will not prevail in the conflict.  (Wrong place+ wrong timing = wrong outcome).  Once the attack starts you will likely have less than one second to make your move.  Where and how you move could mean the difference between your survival and severe injury or even death.

There are essentially two basic types of attacks involving long weapons:  A single handed swing and a two handed swing:
        Single handed Weapons would include relatively light swords, machetes, sticks, maybe a hatchet, a piece of pipe, etc.

      Two handed weapons would include some heavier swords, baseball bats, boards, garden rakes, hoes, axes and the like, i.e., implements which cannot be easily wielded using only one arm.

      As a sub category under each of the above types of swings there are, of course, forward (inside) and ‘backhand’ (outside) strikes.

       There is also the potential of a direct overhead strike or thrust attack straight at you but these are relatively uncommon because it is not as effective or destructive as the others and, frankly, these are much easier to avoid and defend.

The principles for escaping injury and defending against the various types of attacks is essentially the same.  However your options in how you might implement your counter attack or defense are quite different.

For starters, know without question that your best and safest defense in these situations is to run away and run away quickly.  Unfortunately running to escape is not always an option. 

It is important to understand that trying to be ‘macho’ at the wrong time and under the wrong circumstances can be fatal.  

Initially we will deal with single handed long weapons attacks.  (To keep things simple we will assume that the attacker is right handed.) Note that in a single handed long weapons attack the attacker will generally start with a swinging motion from behind his right side or shoulder traveling in an arc toward his left side, thus allowing the elbow to bend comfortably and control the location of the weapon, whereas the backswing which would follow essentially locks the elbow mid swing, keeping it straight and inhibits any change in the weapon’s path of travel.

Basic Concept:  This is critically important.  More often than not people don’t realize the obvious:   The part of the weapon farthest from the wielder’s hands is the most dangerous.  It will be moving the fastest and will have the most force on impact. 
              The path weapon will come at you in a circular path which is generally quite predictable.
                The part of the weapon being held by the wielder is essentially harmless.
                From the wielder’s hands to the mid point of the weapon is usually the least harmful part of the weapon since it will be moving much more slowly than the outermost part.  From the middle to the outermost part of the weapon can easily become a lethal zone.  Make no mistake, however.  Injury can occur from any part of the weapon.  It’s just an order of magnitude.

As an example, think about a pendulum:  Visualize a thin steel rod hanging from a pin in the wall up above.  On the bottom of the rod is a rock or other heavy weight.  Pull the weight back and let it go.  As it swings it will pick up speed until it gets to the center point of the swing and then the speed will decrease as it gets to the other side, it will stop for a second and come back with the same process.  At the top, where the rod is pinned to the wall, the speed through the whole process is essentially zero.  As you go farther down the rod toward the weight the speed will increase more or less regularly (centrifugal force) and, of course, at the weight the speed will be the greatest as will the force.

Common types of attack:
                1.  Inside swing to the head or body
                2.  Inside swing to the legs
                3.  Overhead swing (not as common with a one handed long weapon)
                4.  Back or outside swing to the head or body
                5.  Back or outside swing to the legs
                6.  Forward thrust straight toward you (very uncommon and usually not very effective)

Next, let’s consider reach and distancing:  Typically on a one handed long weapon attack the wielder will step toward the intended victim while he initiates the attack.  In a two handed long weapon attack this is also frequently the case but it is usually not quite as dramatic.  If you consider that a ‘long’ weapon will likely be around 24” or more in length and the attacker’s arm will likely be similar  you , as the potential victim, start out with a 3 to 4 foot disadvantage.   If you add the stride forward that the attacker will undoubtedly take, especially in a one handed weapon attack, add another 30” to 36” to that, which results in a total disadvantage to you somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 or 7 feet, possibly more.  That distance will be covered, in most cases, in a less than a second when the attack takes place.

The Basic Premise:  Attack the Attacker!
Too many martial arts and alleged self defense “systems” focus on the weapon, gaining control of it and disarming the attacker.  Understand that the weapon, regardless of what it may be, is in and of itself not a threat to you at all.  It only becomes a threat when the person holding the weapon decides to use it against you.  IF you choose to concentrate on the weapon and IF you are successful in disarming the attacker, guess what……The attacker is still a threat and now you have to deal with him.  The folks who have “been around the block” and who have personal experience with real life weapons attacks generally concur that you must attack the attacker.  If you disable the attacker the weapon is no longer a threat.  This is overlooked in many systems but it is quite critical to understand.  Of course you must be aware of the weapon, its type and position and you must avoid being struck or otherwise injured by it.  That is why understanding the principles of movement and body mechanics (physiology) are so critical. 

Your only realistic defense is awareness of the principles involved, watching for the “tell” (covered below) and, of course, correct movement.  Movement, that is, in a predetermined direction with serious intent and extreme focus.  Simply trying to duck under the attacking weapon is a very poor and dangerous option.

Given that you are in a situation which does not allow you to just run away, our normal instincts are to move back from the attack.  If you see or sense the start of the attack in time that may work.  However that is exactly what the attacker expects you to do.  IF you do move back and he misses, odds are he will keep moving forward and come at you again with what would now be a backhand attack.  As you move away he will move toward you with increasing intensity and speed.  Your chances of escaping injury or worse decrease exponentially in this scenario.

OK…..what DO you do?  Do the unexpected!  Move into the attacker.  You absolutely must innately and instinctively understand the mechanics and physiology of the type of attack and the attacker to be able to pull this off.  With practice this can become a natural instinct. 

You must be patient and wait until you get the “tell” (he will ‘telegraph’ his move by “winding up” at least a little because that is what the subconscious mind tells the human body to do in order to generate maximum power) and move instantly.  If he is swinging the weapon with his right hand, from his right to his left, just move quickly “inside” toward his left side, as close to his body as you can.  His body motion will be forward and in somewhat of a circular motion pivoting around his left foot due to the power he generates in the swing.  If you are “up close and personal” the weapon will no longer be a factor.  From here, if he is overtly off balance, you can run or otherwise escape in the direction you are already heading.  He will have to turn around and re-set in order to continue the attack.  Essentially, by doing the exact opposite of what the attacker expects you to do messes with his mind and interjects a bit of confusion for at least a part of a second……That’s all the time you need to start your escape or to initiate a defense technique.  From this initial position there are a plethora of defenses (or counter attacks) you can use.  Remember in choosing your next move that this guy was trying do you extensive bodily harm and possibly kill you (especially if there is a sharp weapon involved).  Assuming that you honestly felt that your life was in danger,  your options are often considered essentially limitless.  However, if your defense or counter attack ends up disarming the attacker and you use the weapon against him you will then be considered the aggressor and will have to deal with those legal issues.  The main point here is Just be sure you can live with your decision.

Now, let’s say that you misread his “tell”, he went through with his first (right to left) swing, you jumped back and he missed.  Now he is taking another stride toward you, he is really aggravated and moving fast while you are a little off balance from moving suddenly backwards.  He expects you to try the same thing again.  Do the opposite! The weapon just went a good bit past you when you moved back, giving you plenty of time to make your move.  Move quickly and suddenly toward his right side as he starts his backswing.  If you do nothing more than keep running in that direction you may be safe.  Otherwise, a simplistic defense from this move is to initiate a very strong, hard-style forearm or shoulder block to his elbow as he comes around with the backswing.  Odds are he will hit your block at the peak of his power and dislocate his own elbow (kind of a nice bit of irony, all things considered).  Then, of course, leave.  In this case there are also a plethora of other defense/attack options.

From an overhead attack the defense is simpler but the principle is the same.  As he rears back with the weapon (above his head) there will still be a “tell”, likely more pronounced than in the inside swing attack.  Move in to him, generally centered and close.  You can choose to block the downward strike with a forearm block, grab his upper arms just inside of his elbow joint (toward his body) as they come down.  This will tend to lock his elbows.  (Note that if you grab  his arms outside of his elbow joint he wil be able to pull his arms and the weapon back in by simply bending his arms.  Then you can simply take him down with an elbow to the face, throat or elsewhere. 

From the standpoint of what defense or counter techniques are best for a given type of attack there are, of course many, many defensive techniques available.  No matter what anyone tells you it is vital that you use the one that is most comfortable and natural for YOU.  In a violent situation you will not be able to sort out much of anything other than responding to the situation.  You absolutely must respond with something effective, natural and essentially instinctive (due to practice) to YOU.

For the record there is a theory that a good, solid front or side kick will drop the attacker.  A friend of mine did that once in a situation against a violent attacker with a machete.  My friend was a law enforcement officer with 40(+) years of martial arts experience, behind the lines special forces action and was “hands on” with druggies, gang bangers and other riffraff literally every night.  The odds on most of us “mortals” who don’t have this type and extent of “on the street” experience making that approach work are minimal at best.  The surface from which you are kicking, timing, accuracy and a bunch of other variables come into play.  My friend had enough experience with thugs to have the confidence to wait for the right split second, check out his environment and get it done. 

Attacks to the legs will be from either an inside or an outside swing but obviously not likely from overhead.  There is one very important difference between a strike toward the head or body and one toward the legs:  With a strike to the upper body you don’t have to worry about your legs and you can block or strike with your arms.  With a leg strike this is not the case.  There are some theories that you can just jump up at the right moment, let the weapon pass as you land and then deal with the attacker.  This takes extremely good precision timing, good fast twitch muscles and the elimination of any fear which might cause a split second of hesitation.  For most of us in an unexpected and violent situation this is not a good option.  The key is that you must move in exactly the same direction and with exactly the same focus and intent as noted above.  The big difference is that you must move farther and do so very quickly.  Taking a good stride forward, for example with your right leg toward his left side and then pivoting back around your right leg with your left leg will get you out of the main arc of the swing.  Properly done this movement will also put you comfortably behind the attacker where you may be able to run or you may choose to take him down from behind.  There are many options from this position but you absolutely must get past him.  This applies to the backswing as well if it is to the leg area, although his control and reach will not be quite as great on that attack.

Two Handed Weapons Attacks:

Virtually everything outlined previously for single handed weapons attacks and defense applies to two handed weapons attacks and defense.  The main difference again goes back to the physiology of the attacker and the weapon. 

Witness the position of the batter in a baseball game.  He is wielding a two handed weapon.  He will start his swing by using a “tell”, or a bit of “windup” (sudden backward motion of the weapon), then swing.  For purposes of example let’s assume the batter is right handed.  His left arm will be bent at first but as he swings and brings the bat across his body to complete the swing the left arm will lock out straight due to the nature of the elbow joint.  This sets up the same scenario as above when the wielder of a single handed weapon missed and came back with a backswing.  In the case of a two handed long weapon, however, the elbow closest to the target is locked (or very close to locked) regardless of the direction of the swing.  The blocking principle mentioned above is applicable also.  The main thing remains that you move forward and into the attacker, inside of the arc of the swinging weapon.  As with the previous scenario there are many, many counter attacks/defense which can be used here.

An overhead attack with a two handed weapon is handled virtually the same way as described above for a single handed weapon.

With the principles of understanding the attack, physiology and movements in mind the available defenses or counter attacks vary from control and subdue to extreme violence and everything in between.  You must, however, physically and mentally practice the movement required in the above scenarios in order to develop the instincts to enable you to use the principles if and when you have to.  Practice different attack speeds, directions, etc., and concentrate only on the principles of where and how you need to move to get out of danger as step one.  Practice this over and over and over again and at some point the rest will be easy.  As a safety oriented suggestion, start off being attacked by a “nerf” sword or other soft or very well padded weapon.  As the attacker’s speed and intensity increases you will miss judge from time to time and the learning process is much less painful with a softer object.  As your skill and reaction time improves, change to a harder weapon and go from there.  We discourage practicing with sharp weapons since much can go wrong and usually does.  If your practice with hard, blunt objects (e.g., staffs, bats, etc.) is productive you will do fine if ever confronted with a sharp weapon.

Hal Herndon 2011 

Principle vs. Technique – Dealing With a “Haymaker” Punch

More and more martial arts school touting great self defense training programs are emphasizing how many devastating and effective techniques they teach.  There are some who check out their competition in the same style and all but arbitrarily add techniques so that they can say they have more.  One of the great architects of the Bauhaus era, Mies van der Rhoe was quoted as stating emphatically “Less is More.”  One could translate this into quality vs. quantity I suppose.  At any rate let’s look at the “technique mills:”  Certainly an instructor can teach virtually any interested student a large quantity of techniques, all the while emphasizing to the student how great and effective the techniques are.  Inside the training room the technique(s) may be appear to be incredibly effective.  But what if your partner (the ‘pretend aggressor’) decides to resist or even start moving around or fighting you like he might in a real life confrontation?  Will the technique be as effective?  Will it even work?

Now let’s look at the principle upon which the technique is based.  As principles, there may be a specific kind of motion or movement involved such as circular motion.  There is a HapKiDo principle known as ‘non resistance’ which in essence utilizes the aggressor’s force or movement against him while allowing the defender to use as little exertion, force or strength as possible.  Take a haymaker or “roundhouse” punch as an example.  There are indeed dozens of techniques which can be used to throw, joint lock, evade or even buckle the punching party.  However if you, as the defender, do not understand the principles which allow these techniques to work with minimal effort  you are asking for trouble. 

Consider the type of punch attack and the motion typically involved on the part of the attacker.  Assuming a right handed “haymaker” punch, the attacker will likely step toward the intended victim with his right foot, bring his right arm back to “wind up for the punch”, and swing in a wide arc from behind himself toward the intended victim’s head.  This punch is pretty easy to spot as it develops and is usually not all that damaging to the recipient for that reason.  (A hook punch, properly thrown, however, is a totally different matter).  However if the haymaker makes contact there is a pretty good chance that the left arm and fist are in the process of following up with similar strikes and that the attacker is continuing to move forward.  (This is sometimes referred to as the ‘windmill’ punch attack.)  Even if there are not physical obstacles to prevent you from backing away, backing up or ducking under the punch is risky at best.  That is exactly what the attacker expects and what he is prepared for.  Besides, if he does step into the punch, which is pretty normal, he will be gaining a couple of feet with the step in much less than a second’s time.  Sure, you can try to block the punch or deflect it while backing away but remember that the attacker will typically be continuing to move forward.   While all this is going on you will be at least partially off balance and the chances of you executing one of the many dozens of techniques you have learned are pretty slim since whatever rational thought processes you may still have are concentrating on not getting hit and trying to find a way out.

So what is the principle involved in this scenario?  Where is the attacker most vulnerable and what does he least expect?  Assuming a right haymaker, move toward his left shoulder.  At the very minimum here is what will happen:
                1.  Your being suddenly in that location will get you inside of the most powerful part of the punching arm, the fist.  This will also tend to jam or totally block the left follow up punch he had planned on executing.

                2.  You will be inside of his personal space with will disrupt his subconscious thought processes.  (Most people raised in the U.S.  have something like a three foot circle they consider their personal space and they become very uncomfortable when it is violated).
                3.  If you do nothing more than bump into him with your shoulder as you move in toward his left shoulder he will be off balanced.  If he is swinging hard a good bump or a push may actually make him fall.  This may well be all you have to do.
                4.  Being fully inside, advancing on the attacker and disrupting his subconscious thought processes will interrupt his game plan, at least for a moment.  This should give you plenty of time to execute an effective technique, even something simple like a punch to the solar plexus, a head butt, a shoulder throw, you can just reach behind him and help him lose balance, you can perform a chin jab to make his head go backwards (in which case the rest of him will also go backwards), etc.

The true bottom line here is that if you understand the principles involved and get in the right place at the right time you can comfortably execute virtually any technique you want as long as you do so quickly and accurately.  Timing is critical and practice makes for good timing.

What are the basic principles in the above scenario?  Understand where the least dangerous place to be is and get there quickly.   Act in a way that causes the attacker to move or lose balance with minimal effort to yourself.   Move in a circular type of motion to counter the arc of the oncoming first punch and to block the probable follow up punch.

Hal Herndon 2011

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