"...KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER"

The saying goes, “keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.”  Such is the strategy of many engaged in politics or manipulation.  But this may serve us well in our effort to find ways to overcome violent attacks in martial arts and self-defense.

Distance is one of the most important, and most difficult, aspects of combat.  Much of a student’s time is spent mastering distance in fighting applications.  The difficulty comes in trying to maintain a certain distance, because that is the range at which a person’s training is effective.  But sometimes it is impossible to control a violent situation to that level.  Think back to the first time you saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  Fighters who tried to maintain striking distance did not fare so well against the grapplers back then.  To solve the problem, everyone and their brother began training in Jujitsu to supplement their striking. 

I’m a big believer in cross-training, having trained in Jujitsu and Sambo myself.  But I realize that sometimes there is not enough time to become proficient in another art in order to round out your toolbox.  More than that, it’s not necessary.  With some preparation and practice, you can learn to manipulate an opponent’s balance and base with subtle shifts in your body’s position.  The action of pulling away from an attacker, who is trying to pull you in or grab, will give him the advantage and further trap and prevent you from responding to the attack.  If you are pulled, for example, go with it.  The attacker will expect you to resist and pull away.  But when he pulls and finds you coming in with momentum, he will struggle to change his attack. 

There is a mental-psychological barrier that makes people feel uncomfortable in close proximity to others.  This is multiplied when that other person is bent on causing you bodily damage.  With the right training, you can quickly learn to use this strategy against common violent attacks. 

If you are at a distance where you are able to strike your opponent, the opponent can also strike you.  I know that seems too simple, but think about it.  If you can reach him, he can reach you.  Now you have to be the better striker (faster, stronger, more technical, etc.).  But if you are not the superior striker, you need to alter the position and distance.  Here is where it gets good.  Retreating only draws the attacker and you will struggle to get out, and stay out, of striking range.  But if you get close, really close, to the attacker and manipulate the position and body alignment, you can take the advantage and win. 

I personally believe you should stay on your feet whenever possible.  Sometimes there is no avoiding going to the ground.  But I know of at least two cases when going to the ground is a disadvantage, even if you are a superior grappler.  The first is the situation where the opponent may pull a knife out after you have hit the ground.  The second is the situation where the opponent’s friends will interfere and kick or stomp you while you struggle on the ground.  These scenarios will be covered in depth in subsequent articles, so here I merely mention them to make a point.  If you want to stay vertical while working very close to the enemy, you have to learn to use leverage and position to ultimate advantage. 

Let’s just cover one example situation to get your creative juices flowing.  Really there are no limits to the possibilities once you start to study this close work.  It can be a fun way to break up a training routine with some practical tactical practice.  Imagine an attacker grabs hold of your arms or wrists (in front of your body).  This is a common starting point for many self-defense techniques.  Many instructors teach students to twist or grab their own hand in order to release the grip of the opponent and pull the arm back.  In my opinion, this would infuriate an aggressive attacker.  The attacker is still standing at arm’s length and is now alert and angry.  If you cannot outrun them, you will soon be in the same hold or worse.  Now think about it from the perspective of the attacker.  You grab hold of your victim, knowing they will try to escape and probably pull away as hard as they can.  So as you grab, you anticipate the force and firm up your upper body, bracing with your legs.  You are ready to continue to try to grab (if they wiggle away) and may need to throw a punch or pull a knife to get them to comply (depending on how it goes).  In any event, you are ready for them to attempt to escape.

If you (the victim) pull away, you may be playing right into the hands of the violent criminal, reducing your chance of escape.  But if, instead you step in behind the attacker’s outside leg, pushing your arm the same direction he is pulling, you will find yourself very close to the attacker.  The advantage here is the position of your body relative to his.  The force of his pull (because there was little or no resistance) has thrown him off balance, your arm following his pull and continuing behind his back or behind and over his head has twisted him and given you leverage, and the step to his outside has placed you close enough to take out his knees and legs and far enough away from his strikes to be relatively safe. 

From this position there are endless options for bringing the attacker down hard, causing enough damage to prevent him from presenting a threat of bodily harm to you and your loved ones.  Two things to remember as you consider the many ways to implement this type of tactic:

1.       Work to keep your centerline straight (pelvis to hips to back) without bending.  Bending reduces your power by creating a point of leverage that can be used against you.

2.       Work to bend the opponent’s centerline or other joints.  If you can cause the opponent to over-extend, bend, twist, or generally break any straight line of a joint, you can use it to leverage them to the ground or to cause pain. 

When you are close, you have more weapons in proximity to your attacker.  You are safe from most strikes and having contact with the opponent allows you to feel movement and perceive strikes as they come.  But think about all the possibilities.  Imagine you are just outside the opponent’s punch; for example, close enough to bear hug from the side.  Your legs will be somewhere next to, between, or behind his legs.  You may be in a position to trip him with the simple bend of your knee.  Your elbows may be in position to strike or trap his body.  You may need an able instructor to help you experience the benefits of these ideas.  But please take time to consider the merits of being close to the enemy.

Not everyone will be comfortable with this.  Not everyone will see the value.  Some will scoff and say, “That would never work against me.”  Well if that’s you, I hope you continue to think that limited way, just in case I ever have to face you in combat.  Those with no imagination sometimes need to see before they believe.  With any luck, you will make it through life without ever having to defend yourself.  But if you do, I hope you have the tools you need to survive.  If it looks like danger is imminent and escape is uncertain, get mad and get close.  And don’t stop fighting until you eliminate the attacker’s ability to present a threat.

Applied Fighter is a practical defensive tactics training organization that promotes natural simple movements as foundational to effective self-defense.  Our service provides mobile training centers (we will bring the training to you), custom curriculum (design the best program for your needs), and private or group lessons (corporate, and private group sessions).  Let us help you awaken your inner warrior, and walk in power and confidence today.

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Stay safe,

Instructor Moore

Scared Civilized: A State of Tolerance Toward Injustice

When I was a kid, I believed in the heroes I saw on television.  You know what I mean!  I didn't think there was a real Superman or Lone Ranger.  But I did believe that a person being mugged could yell for help and expect someone to show up.  Maybe that's why, when my close childhood friend would get picked on and jumped by multiple jerks, I had no reservations about trying to even the odds a little, regardless of the impending bruises.  But today, I am astonished at the level of tolerance for injustice in general.  Like the story of the “Good Samaritan” in the Bible, too many people excuse themselves from any duty to help others engaged in unjust conflict.  It wasn't always so.

This leads me to ask a few questions, and I hope you will take an honest look at your feelings on the subject.  It's important!

What is your attitude toward violence, fighting, aggression, defense, force?  Is there such a thing, in your mind, as justifiable war?  Is it okay for an individual to use violence to harm, maim, or even kill an armed attacker?  Eye for an eye—or--violence begets violence?  Is it uncivilized to engage in the forceful elimination of a criminal assault?  Is this objective and unchanging, or subjective and based on the details and circumstance?  Think about it—really think about it!

I was born in the mid 1970's and grew up with a bit of political correctness and anti-violence philosophy woven into my education and culture (don't worry, I'm feeling much better now).  My circumstances were further complicated by conflicting messages from my parents.  My mother told me NOT TO FIGHT!  But my father told me NOT TO LOSE!  That seemed simple enough.  If I don't fight I can't lose—or so I thought.  The problem was the fact that I found situations where following these rules became quite challenging.  So in order to reconcile my moral dilemma, I determined that I should only fight under two conditions:

    1.    No alternatives.  If someone literally punched me in the face, I would have no choice but to try not to get my you know what handed to me. 
    2.    Obligation to maintain justice.  Basically, I figured that if I were in a position to stop something tragic from happening to an innocent person, I could accept any punishment associated with my actions. 

I think these are reasonable guidelines and they served me well, keeping me out of too much trouble with a clear conscience for the most part.

Let me ask another question.  Who is responsible for the safety in your neighborhood or community?  I know you call the police once it's too late and something has happened.  But isn't it up to individuals and groups of individuals to determine what they will accept?  I have heard people talk about peace as if all you have to do is stop resisting criminals, improve economic conditions, and sit back and enjoy the peace.  That's insane!

Terrorists attack because of their ideology and hatred toward their targets.  Drug dealers and gang-bangers shoot people because they want to evoke fear in order to gain power and territory.  It doesn't matter if you refuse to stand up to violence.  It only takes one person with a personality disorder to perform one act of violence and there goes the peace.  There have always been people willing to hurt others for personal gain, and there always will be.  And peace loving, law-abiding citizens should not feel like monsters for wanting to restore order through the use of force.  Sometimes that's the only response that makes sense.

It is time to stop punishing the victims of violent crimes.  People must feel encouraged to defend themselves and protect their lives at all costs.  Have we already forgotten the lessons of the recent past?  Because of a general appeasement of Nazi policies targeting people group after people group in 1930's Germany, millions of Jews, Christians, and others suffered and/or died horribly.  The civilized world vowed, “Never Again!”.  But slowly, a trend toward hamstringing the public and programming society to view violence as bad has changed our behaviors. 

It is the duty of every individual to stand firm against injustice.  There is no contribution made to society by feigned sophistication and the promotion of blind peace, regardless of circumstance.  We cannot afford the type of wake up call that is probably required to change the tide.  If September 11, 2001 didn't convince you that evil is real and must be faced with grit and force, you may be a lost cause. 

Whole generations are coming up with the belief that, “FIGHTING IS BAD!”  Does it make you uncomfortable that I do not agree?  You see, I was raised with the philosophy that, “INJUSTICE IS BAD!”  It is a subtle difference, but an essential one.  Fighting is neither good nor bad.  It is an action, a behavior.  Injustice is an attitude, a concept, a system or intent that shapes the actions of people.  The ethics hinge on the purpose of the action.  Why are you fighting?  That's the issue.  There are times that require force be met with force.  This is self-evident.

Do not be scared to stand against injustice!

Do not be fooled by the loud-mouthed lunatics who want to label you for supporting personal defense!

Do not be afraid to tell people when you think their views are suicidal in application!

And if faced with a violent criminal bent on causing you personal bodily damage, do not hesitate to display a righteous (and violent) indignation at the assault.


Stay safe,

Instructor Moore

A Mind to Survive: How You Think Matters

You have heard people say that ideas have consequences.  I'm sure I don't have to work very hard to convince anyone of that truth.  But for some reason, when it comes to martial arts and self-defense, students are quick to follow their teachers into almost any path of development.  Of course, there are merits to following traditional methods of learning the basics and then progressing to higher levels of understanding.  But the way we train, and the way we prepare mentally, can have more impact on real-world results than the techniques we learn.  Ideas have consequences, and this truth has played out in politics, economics, and every other area of human experience.

On the street, where you will be when actually implementing martial arts skills, the way you think (psyche) will have consequences too.  You will be at a disadvantage from the start.  The attacker will have the element of surprise, greater strength, superior speed, or a higher level of ability; otherwise they would leave you alone.  And consider the change in circumstance caused by the presence of a weapon such as a knife or handgun.  The reaction your mind has under stress and the possibility of injury will determine, more than the step-by-step defense maneuvers you learned, whether or not you make it home.  I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to consider the reality of a violent attack and prepare to survive.

If you are attacked and you are worried about getting injured, what may come of your family if something were to go wrong, the possibility of being either in the hospital or jail, or anything else, you will probably not b at your best defensively.  You cannot worry about anything--it's distracting.  The enemy only needs a fraction of a second's hesitation to get the jump on you.  You cannot afford to let anything in your mind prevent you from doing everything in your power to overcome the attack and make it home safely.

You need to decide right now (before an emergency situation) what you are willing to do to another human being.  Some people refuse to use violence, even when faced with violence.  If that's you, that's fine.  But the heat of the moment is no time to be considering options and weighing your moral dilemma.  Think it through in all seriousness.  Would you hurt someone who is trying to hurt you?  Would you rather survive or behave in a civilized manner?  There are many ways to look at this, but you must determine what is consistent with your philosophy, your heart and soul.

Nobody can tell you how you will react under pressure.  No technique will just happen when you're scared.  No muscle memory will overcome your natural instinct to protect yourself.  So prepare for the worst and be happy when nothing happens.  Will you be in your favorite stance when violence strikes?  Will you be stretched out and warmed up?  Probably not.  You can become more aware of your surroundings and increase your chances.  But take steps to get your mind on the same page as your body.

Don't be fooled by the teachers making robots out of their students.  Everyone doesn't move the same.  Everyone doesn't react the same.  Train your body to respond to common attacks, but train your mind to be free of additional mental tension caused by stress.  Because how you think really matters.




Stay safe,

Instructor Moore