Riot Survival Basics: The 3 Things You Need to Do Immediately

This is advice for anyone, whether you are a weekend warrior or the most timid person on the planet.  When a riot breaks out anything can happen.  Everything you do should work towards getting you out of that dangerous situation. 

Do not think you will pounce on every bad guy that approaches.  It’s not time to prove how tough you are.  It’s time to get the hell out, and quick.

1. Stay on your feet

I don’t care if you are the highest-ranking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert of all time, when a mob swarms and flows with random violence and hatred flares, stay on your feet.  It should be obvious that in such a situation, if you fall down or end up grappling on the ground, you will be stomped and kicked by every set of boots within reach.  There is no reason to it, but that’s what happens.  So don’t go down.

Get something solid behind you.  Stand against a wall, a car, or any solid object that will help you keep all threats in view.  The objective is to avoid being surprised by an attack from behind.

2. Relax and keep moving

Don’t fight, just get out.  Work your way towards the outer edges of the mob.  Focus on escape and don’t let your pride force you into a wrestling match that could result in total disaster.  By relaxing your body you can better rebound from the force of blows and pushes that come form every direction and angle.  You need to avoid getting knocked down and letting your body flop around like a rag-doll will keep you from getting hurt and help you escape.

3. Breathe hard!

If you hold your breath, which is common under stress, panic, and when struggling, you will allow both physical and psychological tension to rule you.  This can spell disaster in a riot.  You need to keep the air going in and out hard to deal with the adrenaline and keep your head clear. 

Force air out with a sharp burst through the mouth and draw it back in quickly through the nose.  With every cycle you are keeping the strain of the situation from overtaking your entire body.

Once you’re in the middle of a riot, it’s too late to feel sorry for yourself.  Get over the initial shock and fear as quickly as possible and start taking these steps toward safety.  The worst place to be is on the ground, so do everything you can to stay on your feet.  No matter what happens just keep trying to relax your body to help you move through the crowd.  And breathe hard to keep the effects of panic from controlling you.

Do all you can to Stand!

To learn more check out 7 Self-Defense Truths Your Instructor Never Taught You 

LADY GAGA, BRUCE LEE, AND THE COURAGE TO BE YOU

I don’t know if Lady Gaga has ever thought about martial arts training.

It doesn’t really matter. 

The struggle for individuality and freedom of expression is universal enough. 

When a celebrity, especially a singer or actor, behaves outside the accepted range of normality, I doubt if you are all that surprised. 

But for some reason, when I write about the freedom from formality and the acceptance of natural reactions in self-defense, traditional martial artists seem to get a bit uncomfortable. 

7 TRUTHS OF SELF DEFENSE: TRAIN TO OVERCOME VIOLENT ATTACKS by Richard Moore

That’s okay with me. 

In fact it puts me in an exclusive and honorable group along with such masters of individuality as Bruce Lee and Lady Gaga.  I know.  Haven’t seen those two names together before.

But think about it.  Society works to keep people in line for the most part, and we tend to admire those who can break free from the mold.  Perhaps Lady Gaga hasn’t been an exemplary role model for our children, but I don’t think that was one of her main objectives (benefit of the doubt anyone?). 

Admit it.  Part of the reason outlandish celebrity stunts bother you is because you wish you had the opportunity and courage to reach for something earth-shaking beyond the status quo.

When I was 12 years old, I asked my martial arts instructor why we performed certain movements and forms.  I questioned the reality of being able to use what I was learning in an actual violent encounter.  That just made him angry, and my faith in his ability, the tenets of the system, and my regard for the founder were all called into question. 

I just wanted to know that I could block a real punch and counter a realistic attack.  I thought that’s what they were teaching me to do. 

This put me on a path to find a different way.  What I found is that I had within me the foundation of an effective fighting spirit.  Once I was free to consider the reality of a violent attack, I found a way that worked for me, and I started to understand myself in a whole new way.

I write books to help people become free of what Bruce Lee called the “classical mess” of organized martial arts.  It’s easy to write about what I’ve learned.  But it wasn’t so easy for those who first set out on this journey towards an open mind. 

I was fortunate (don’t really believe in luck).

Eventually I found others who had been either turned off by commercial martial arts or who continued traditional training and supplemented with realistic combat tactics as well.  My journey toward realistic and practical defensive proficiency was begun in earnest.

Bruce Lee had to fight many challenge matches on the sets of his movies, and in everyday life, as people wondered if he really was that good.  The establishment of masters couldn’t seem to understand why he would share his knowledge so openly. 

In his search for individual freedom and perfection, Bruce Lee found some of his peers to be a limiting factor, holding him back.  The real battle was to be fought in the mind and perception of a man who sought to break free of “normality”.

The same is true for the Lady Gaga’s of the world.  The same might be true of you.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s easy for me to write about learning to use your natural movements and attributes as your own way of moving in a fight. 

But it took courage and spirit for our forerunners to stand up to a classical system and say, “No! I won’t do this your way anymore.” 

Those fighters pass on a legacy to us, and will always inspire those of us who aren’t looking to venerate any particular style or way.  Instead, we want to know what it is within each of us individually that can save us from the clutches of violence, and deliver us safely home yet again.

Awaken your inner warrior™

7 TRUTHS OF SELF DEFENSE: TRAIN TO OVERCOME VIOLENT ATTACKS

Stand!

Richard A. Moore
AppliedFighter.com

COMBAT TRAINING FOR EVERYDAY DEFENSE

COMBAT TRAINING FOR EVERYDAY DEFENSE

It’s not what you’re thinking.

Forget those images of camo-wearing weekend warriors who need an outlet for their thrill seeking, aggressive personalities.  As fun as that is, most people don’t want (and certainly don’t need) to climb a wall, crawl through the mud, and dispatch an enemy in the dark of night.

That being said, elite combat training offers a wealth of knowledge and applications for the everyday person seeking practical self-defense skills.  But there is a caveat.  There are no secret moves or special military techniques per se.  The value of the combat training I have observed and participated in is found in the fundamental movement of the human body.

Read the book, 7 TRUTHS OF SELF-DEFENSE: LEARN TO OVERCOME VIOLENT ATTACKS

Since 1997, I have trained in Systema, a system of combat based on the methods of Russian Special Operations Units known as Spetznaz.  While these men are some of the most feared and respected fighters in the world, what I learned from them surprised and enlightened me.  Having cross-trained and studied many styles of martial art over the past 24 years, I have always been disappointed by teachers who seem to be more concerned about the perfect execution of the movement, at the expense of the defensive development of the students.  But this was not the case with Systema.

Instead of creating a class full of robots, mimicking the instructor, Systema guides you to know yourself.  This is where the true benefit for the everyday person is rooted.  Commercial martial arts and so-called fighting programs do not address the issues confronting the average person when attacked.  I use the concept of friction to describe all the unknown things that can occur in a real street attack.  The attacker will have the element of surprise, but you may be distracted, upset, afraid, sick, injured, or otherwise limited in your ability to respond.

Most martial arts training assumes you will begin from an ideal position (stances) and be able to proceed through the prearranged steps and techniques you have practiced.  This just is not the way it works on the street! 

Your natural reactions and movements are ideal for self-defense, because they are fast, reliable, and automatic.  You will react when attacked, so it is important to understand your personal, individual response.  Everyone is different, but one’s reflexes are the reality and must be known if you will survive a real violent attack.

Read the book, 7 TRUTHS OF SELF-DEFENSE: LEARN TO OVERCOME VIOLENT ATTACKS

The good news is that it doesn’t take years of reprogramming your muscle memory.  You don’t need to become anyone else, or modify your personality.  There is no requirement that you become violent, aggressive, or confrontational yourself.  In fact, isn’t that the exact type of person you are hoping to avoid?  Why would you want to become that type of person?

The key to developing your defensive ability is already in you.  Your innate natural reactions are the foundation for effective defense.  Seek to DISCOVER YOUR FIRST NATURE™.  No matter how much you practice a prearranged sequence or technique, even if it becomes second nature, it will never be your first nature.  And your natural reactions will always override any conscious process or response you have learned.  Then the physical aspects of training can focus on learning to TRANSITION FROM RELEX TO FIGHTING TACTICS™.  Don’t spend time and effort practicing stances, blocks, and techniques you will never be able to apply under the stress and friction of a real violent attack.  You will make first contact with your attacker in the position that stems from your natural reactions.  From there you must learn to apply simple natural movements that will overtake the opponent and ensure your safety. 

Violence is a reality in our society, but there are some simple steps you can take to prepare to overcome.  I call this a process to AWAKEN YOUR INNER WARRIOR™.  You already have the tools, you just need to learn to trust and apply them. 

Read the book, 7 TRUTHS OF SELF-DEFENSE: LEARN TO OVERCOME VIOLENT ATTACKS

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Applied Fighter, visit www.AppliedFighter.com or contact Richard Moore at ram@AppliedFighter.com

TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

You can also register for the 3-Day course hosted by Community Education at Las Positas College.  Each session is 2 hours long, and the dates are October 9, 16, and 23. 

Call 925.424.1467 or register online at www.laspositascollege.edu/communityed.  Search class listings for “SELF-DEFENSE THE APPLIED FIGHTER WAY”.

THEY JUST DON’T GET YOU

Sometimes I worry that in demonstrating the simplicity of a natural self-defense concept, some people may think that simple equals easy (which must be easy because it is watered-down).  Just to be clear, complexity is a watered-down approach, and simplicity is the concentrated original formulation.

I have instructed many students who come to my talks and seminars looking for a paint-by-numbers approach to defense.  I choose not to teach this way because of what I know about the reality of violent attacks. 

Let me talk to those of you who are seeking realistic abilities (not just a collection of colorful belts).  The vast majority of commercial martial arts and MMA instructors to the public don’t get you.  They know your choices (while far more numerous now than in decades past) are limited.  You have to choose between the dojo down the street or an exercise/martial arts program at a local gym.  Let me repeat myself.  These instructors don’t get you.

They think their way is the only way, and that in order to protect yourself, you will have to take on their superior personality (alpha-dog), learn their way of responding to threat (aggressive and confrontational), all while memorizing their technically superior style of fighting (repetition and muscle memory).  This is how they learned, so why shouldn’t you have to go through all that?

Well for starters, you are not anything like them.  Okay, that’s presumptuous of me.  But I think I’m probably right.  You are reading this because you want to actually be able to defend yourself when attacked.  You don’t want to go around bullying people, starting fights, showing off, and building false “fools” pride.

You don’t have to become anything you’re not.  You shouldn’t develop a new, more aggressive personality.  You don’t need to be an animal to walk safely.  Be yourself, and train with people who are genuine as well.  You don’t need to change who you are.  You can Awaken Your Inner Warrior™.  You already have abilities that can form a strong foundation for self-defense. 

Part of the problem of the “They Just Don’t Get You” message is that these instructors I’m picking on have not been on your path in life.  They (most of them) are ex-military, competitive fighters, or trained law enforcement professionals.  Professionals!  Is that you?  Well maybe, but that doesn’t mean you want to strut around with your feathers propped up.

How can a naturally violent (read aggressive, confrontational, etc.) professional fighter understand where you are coming from?  Will they empathize with your challenges of fear, hesitation, anxiety, and uncertainty under the stress and friction of a violent encounter? 

You need to learn from someone who has stood where you stand and has progressed through the challenges you are facing to come out at a place of proficiency, confidence, and power.  So forget commercial martial arts and MMA training (most of them anyway) for self-defense training.  They just don’t get you.

Stand!

Richard A. Moore

Applied Fighter

BRAT STYLE KUNG-FU

BRAT STYLE KUNG-FU

I have written a lot about the innate natural reactions and movements that form a powerful foundation for defense.

But if you are having a hard time accepting the idea that there is an innate fighting ability within, consider this example.  Children do not have the handicap of decades of experience and manipulation of the environment.  Children provide us with a glimpse into our initial natural human state in many ways.  

A child knows intuitively that it is futile to struggle against a much stronger opponent.  That’s why when parents try to remove a screaming child from public view they find themselves working to get a grasp of the now limp and slippery youth.  The child is fighting and in a panic state, but they are not tense.  There is a key to a secret here.

As we age, we introduce tension and strain in unnatural ways, both physical and mental.  This causes health risks and hampers one’s ability to adapt to violent attacks.  So swallow that pride, and take a lesson from a child.  

Call it “Child Form” or “Brat Style Kung-Fu”.  Call it whatever you want.  But think it through.  Is it any different than mimicking the movements of animals and insects, as Shaolin masters have been doing for centuries?

Stand!