...on my part. I don't understand how some in the
"self defense" or "martial arts" world are still stuck
in a niche when it comes to stopping the bad guy.
It's like everyone has their own recepie for self
defense and they are sure thiers will work. Some think
it's JKD. Some think it's a mix of grappling, clinch
and boxing. Some think it's firearms. Some think it's
what Bruce Lee was doing in 1973. Some think it's
karate. Some think it's wrestling.
The problem with this thinking is that the key to self
defense is none of the above.
If you have a "way" the bad guys may find a "way
around it". This is not definitive but...
Multiple opponents counter grappling.
Knife counters gun at close range.
Grappling counters karate.
Gun counters multiple opponents.
MMA counters grappling.
Dark parking lot counters your ability to see. (White
light is the lastest area identified as a missing
element in self preservation)
I could go on but I get it it. The people I work with
get it. Others get it. I see that many still don't
though.
Proximity negates skill. I've been screaming this into
people ears for years. If you have no way of operating
from a distance you have limited your response
options.
If you were 15 feet away from your friend and someone
approached your friend with a knife... by the time you
ran up to help... But if you were to draw a firearm
you could operate from where you are or as you moved.
Likewise "threat recognition" should keep threats at a
distance. If someone who means to do you harm gets to
close because you were lulled by thier "hey bro what
time is it", you may never recover. If they "act" and
you "react" they have the advantage. Not only that,
they had a plan and were prepared.
People ask me do you really "do" this. It's real
simple. As long as you make the descisions in advance.
I was recently in ventura and we had to stop at a
convenience store. There was a bar next to it that
shared the same parking lot. I was 10:30 at night.
When I was coming out of the store a man and woman cam
out of the bar and started running at me yelling "Hey,
Hey". I looked over my shoulder and then put on hand
on my gun and put the other one up at the two running
at me and YELLED "stay back, stay back". They froze
about 20 feet in front of me. I looked over my
shoulder again and got into the car with my family and
drove off. My wife and kids understood what had
happened and my daughter asked "What did they want". I
told her "I didn't know and didn't care".
No one is allowed to run up on me and my family in a
dark parking lot at night without a response from me.
Threat recognition and the ability to operate from a
distance helped in that situation.
I see Self Preservation the way it really is. The
ability to preserve the self and those with the self.
Maybe for some who don't get it youth is the problem.
Maybe having children changes your perspective. I
don't know.
The moral of the story is:
No matter how good your boxing is, it's potentially
useless if you opponent brought a knife.
Threat Recognition
Movement
Firearms
OC Spray
White Light
Improvised Projectiles
Impact Weapons
Bladed Weapons
Counter Knife
Empty Hand Counter Assault Tactics
Grappling
I've seen many different approaches. I've been paid by
the US government to train law enforcement over the
past few years and I've seen "some" failures even
there in the lack of comprehensive training. Not only
in the "how" (spelled realistic) but in the what
(spelled no counter knife, no CQB, weak firearms
handling and more).
cont
...
...
Have you not seen how the terrorist enemies of the US
are training. Even though they are rag tag etc. they
are effective. So when someone says you have to train
for "years and years in any one thing to be great"
just focus on being effective. That does mean you have
to apply yourself and spend some time on each element.
Or you could just be a great striker. And maybe you
can even beat up a lot of people. But I see beyond
that.
1. "Love you neighbor as you love yourself."
2. Avoid/respond to threats/violence as needed.
3. Repeat.
Demi
www.DemiBarbito.com
good stuff demi.
that is more good stuff
there is a big untapped market for total training like this. Especially in Arizona (hint hint) which has much better laws regarding concealed carry for law abiding citizens.
Nice.
Demitrius, didn't you post about good manners being a superior self-protection technique? That's got to be the very best martial arts advice I've ever read anywhere. Any chance of reposting it?
Great post Demi.
ttt