This story goes back to 1980. I was in the student union bar at Loughborough University after finishing our Friday night Karate class and having a social drink or two, this particular Friday had been a bit of a special class, we were very honored to have a high ranking Japanese instructor present (who will remain nameless) he had been doing both a seminar and some end of term grading, so the get together we had after was more of a well deserved celebration for most of students.
Now for those of you who have never been to a student social gathering let me tell you they drink plenty and then they drink some more, add to this a group of rugby boys who are also celebrating some sort of end of term success I kept a close eye on our distinguish guest. One thing that I learned that night was that Martial Arts and Self Defense are really two very different things. It was only a matter of moments after our guest said good night to us all when the party atmosphere turned very ugly as someone overstayed their welcome amongst the rugby guys. Now let me tell you, these guys did not come at you in the same order and sequence like they were supposed to do in the Kata.
In Martial Arts you learn a set of techniques, you then practice the techniques and when you show that you have mastered these certain techniques you are awarded a nice colored belt, and let me say there is nothing wrong with that as long as you understand that learning, practicing and mastering falls a long way short of what you need in a bar fight.
For example you can take a highly trained circus lion that has learned, practiced and mastered lots of techniques that are needed in a circus, but then you can’t take that same lion and put him back into the jungles of Africa. Yes he is still a lion but he just won't be able to survive in the wild, despite his fancy jumps, rolls, and acrobatics through hoops.
I hate to say it because I've spent many years in martial arts schools and on sparring mats; and I learned a lot and had some great times learning. But these days, it's all about colorful belts, expensive uniforms, and monthly dues i.e. money.Inside the school, there are rules and there are restrictions. But out in the streets, there's only one rule, and that is "There are no rules!"
That means anything goes. You have to use any means necessary in order to survive and live to tell about it.
With most martial arts, you have to learn complicated and weird moves that don't feel very natural at all. It's no wonder it usually take years to learn to use them effectively. This is why the late Bruce Lee decided to create the art of Jeet Kune Do that was "formless" - so that he could easily adapt to whatever attacks the opponent threw at him. He wasn't limited to a particular style.
Most street fighters operate the same way. They have learned the hard way that anything goes.
Most martial arts styles consist of too many techniques that you have to learn and remember, so when it comes time to actually use them, most people get so overwhelmed and confused that they simply aren't able to remember any!
Martial arts schools teach you to wait till your opponent strikes and then you can defend yourself. You are not to ever strike first. Out in the streets, he who strikes first wins! There are no second chances. If you don't strike first, your opponent will. And there is a very good chance that he'll continue to strike while you continue to block. Eventually, he will be able to get a few good ones in there and take you down. That's just the reality of the streets. So that is exactly what you have to do.
You simply have got to strike first! If you're caught in a dark alley and you've got a 6-foot plus animal charging at you with an expression on his face that clearly says "you're dead," guess what, you have to shoot first and ask questions later. Because if you don't, there is a good chance that you'll never leave that alley alive.
One of the most popular martial arts, Karate, requires you to build a certain amount of strength in order to execute effective punches and kicks. And even then, if you run into guys twice your size, your punches and kicks may not work as well as you think they would.
Let's face facts here... The average guy does not have years to learn complicated moves or build up enough strength into his strikes. And he certainly doesn't have the money to throw away in learning an art for years and still getting his butt kicked out in the streets. This is why many trained martial artists, who perform very well on the competition mat, get their butts kicked out on the streets. And this is why you need to do things differently, in order to survive out on the streets.
New Understandings & Learning’s
In order to survive an attack out in the streets, you have to break most of the fighting rules that you're currently familiar with. You have to realize that the only rule is "survival" take them down or be taken down yourself. In the Self Defense Training System you have a blueprint for success that has taken people in the know many years to put together. Over the last 40 years I have studied the fighting and training methods of the armed Forces such as CATT (Counter Assault Training Tactics) I have spent my share of years studying various forms of martial arts to black belt level, including, both Karate, and Jiu Jitsu, I have also competed in Kickboxing tournaments, and I have the Instructor qualification in Jeet Kune Do & Krav Maga.
Having done all that, what I've learned over the years is this...
To win a fight, you have to use moves that are easy to learn, simple to execute, and quick to work!
You have to use moves that do not require much strength to be effective, and can work just as well on a small person as on a giant.
Size or strength should not matter much. And most importantly, you don't need to learn 101 different techniques and strikes, you only need a handful of them that work well on just about any situation!
Always remember that knowing more is not the answer.
It's what you can effectively apply and execute that matters, It doesn't matter how much you know, it only matters what you can use! Out on the streets, there are no rules! That means anything goes.
Whatever it takes to save you and take the attacker down!
Don't wait for him to strike. If you sense danger, strike first and end the fight quickly,
Before it gets life threatening stage. Use anything at your disposal. Use your environment and surroundings. Use whatever is available. That means, walls, bricks, rubbish bins, beer mugs, tire irons, baseball bats, keys, hair spray, hair pulling, groin kicks, and yes, even biting in extreme cases. Don't wait for a technical knockout. Hit till the attacker's down, and then get out of there fast. Keep your distance! Don't wait for the attacker to come close enough to swing a punch at you. Get him before he gets too close.
When you attack, don't just use the strength of your hands and feet. Put your entire body weight behind your strikes. Push with your entire body. And finally, use your head! That means Avoid being a target in the first place. Prevention is always better than cures.
Don't purposely get caught in situations where your life can be put in danger to begin with. Avoid dark alleys and unknown shortcuts. If you're not sure that it's safe, it probably isn't. Whenever possible, take another person with you. Go when it's brighter or busier. When in doubt, DON'T.
If you sense danger up ahead, cross over to the other side of the street, or take a different street. Be aware of your surroundings. I don't want you to turn into a paranoid freak, just learn to pay attention. If you end up in a new club, or new neighborhood, turn your awareness up a notch. If you happen to notice any half dodgy looking characters around, keep your distance and be aware of their movements.
Keep a confident, alert posture at all times. Many times, the attacker will pick weaker targets if he has any choice in the matter. Remember, they're also trying to get things over with quickly so they can leave without getting caught or being seen (identified) by others. If you seem like too much work for them to deal with, they will move on to a weaker target. Of course, there are times when things can happen despite all your precautions.
To put this to bed lets look at people who have to know what to do as well as do what they know, lets look at the training a solder is given, when a young recruit joins the British army, they are given around 16 weeks basic training, most of the training is on going, but in the first 16 weeks they have to learn many things, ie, First Aid, Map Reading, maybe another Language, one of the things they must learn is how to protect themselves from many situations. So I guess the 4 year beginner to black belt in Judo, Karate, or Tae Kwon Do is a non starter, so what do we teach our Solders? WE TEACH THEM WHAT WORKS.
Below is a great video from Bob Spour aka Geordie Wallace that I want you to watch.
This is not self defense theory. It is no nonsense real straight talk with combat proven techniques, you will hear him talk about Surprise – Aggression – Speed.
You will also hear and see some of his SOPs = Standard Operational Procedures, using Palm Heel Strikes, Head Controls, Knees, Elbows & Jap Slappin (Yes I did say Jap Slappin)
WARNING! However please note you will also hear the odd bad word, please understand, this is not because Mr. Wallace is some uneducated thug, Mr. Wallace is getting in state ready to deliver his actions and sometimes saying your a little bit miffed does not get your true point and feelings across, so if your easily offended turn the sound off and just watch this great video. His explanation or awareness towards the end is not to be missed.
Finally Please Note, what your about to see is hand to hand combat that is effective, efficient, and down right dangerous.
Kids, Don’t try this at home …
