Have you ever used your training?

[Kreth]

Well, things have been pretty slow, so I thought I'd throw this topic out there. I'm aware that we should be striving to use our training in every aspect of our lives, but I'd like to hear about specific instances where you've had to use your training to protect yourself, or another, either with taijutsu, or just your awareness and ability to avoid a bad situation.
I'll start:
Last weekend I met some friends out at a bar where I bounce part-time (mainly when they have a band). About 10-15 minutes after I got there, there was a problem. The bartender was trying to deal with situation solo, as this incident happened a little bit before his bouncer was scheduled to come in. What follows is a mix of what I knew at the time, and what I was able to piece together during/after the events from talking to other people.
I was playing a game of foosball with my friends (losing badly, if anyone's interested) when I look up in time to see one of the off-duty bartenders go flying over her stool and take a header on the floor (we'll call her Kim). The on-duty bartender (let's call him Mike) came out from behind the bar and had things under control, or so I thought. Within a few seconds though, there was a flurry of activity around Kim, Mike, and her boyfriend (who we'll dub Ted).
Ted and Kim unfortunately have a history of scrapping when one or other has been drinking. In this case, both had, not just beer, but several shots in a short period of time. What I was able to piece together later, was Ted and Kim were arguing. Kim took exception to something Ted said, and swatted him. Ted responded by shoving her. In her inebriated state, Kim staggered back, tripped over her barstool and took the dive I mentioned above. Most of the bar saw only the second part of the exchange, so Ted was in real danger of being lynched.
Mike grabbed Ted, and shoved him back into the bar office. IMO, this was the smartest thing he could have done. Not that I condone Ted's actions, but Mike's responsibility at this point was preventing a fight inside the bar. At this point, I realized Mike was apparently flying solo, and ran over to help. Several good ol' boys who were in the bar were already moving towards the office. After a quick exchange between Mike and I, where I learned that he had no backup yet, Kim stepped into the office to scream at Ted. Ted flew into a rage, and Mike and I were forced to restrain him. Of course, the whole time Ted was threatening us both with a variety of nasty fates. Attempting to reason with Ted that Mike and I were trying to prevent him being stomped to death in the middle of the bar fell on deaf ears. At some point, Ted managed to shove Mike to one side, and attempted to do the same to me. I was able to establish and maintain hand contact on his shoulders and arms, shifting his balance enough that he had no base to either grapple or punch. Eventually, out of frustration I think more than anything else, Ted began to calm down, and called his brother to pick him up.
As a nice bonus, I drank free for the rest of the night, as during the initial part of the exchange between Ted and I, I was able to jam a punch that stopped about an inch short of Mike's nose...

Anyone else?

Jeff

 

[Lawman85]

I use it almost every night at work. Any time you have to put your hands on someone to arrest them you are using your training. I've dodged punches, kicks, bottles, cars.... After a short time your forget how much you really use it. There have been several fights where an officer was having a hard time handling someone and I would run up and throw a shoulder or wrist lock on them and take care of it.

 

[Kreth]

How about picking one situation and giving some color commentary? I'm interested in the way that things play out outside of a dojo environment. For example, in the situation I described above, I found it easier to control "Ted" than one of my training partners in the dojo, for a couple of reasons. One was the alcohol consumption that I mentioned, another was some office furniture that I was able to push him against to restrict his mobility...


Jeff

 

[Erik]

Mostly use high school wrestling, believe it or not. Says something about the training methods.

When I was a bouncer (3 cities, 2 countries), it was usually best to separate the people fighting as often one guy feels he is defending himself from something that started the fight and the other guy is wondering why he's being attacked by the one who thinks he's defending himself.

So, manpower permitting, I'd separate them and in getting them to calm down, don't make them wrong. By that, I mean, tell them that you're not saying their opinion is wrong, but that you need them to calm down and shape up while you figure out what is going on. Don't give them anything to argue about with you.

If they turn on you (the bouncer), then I suggest choking them out cold, removing them from the bar, and then reviving them on the sidewalk, and arresting them. If they're fighting the bouncer then they're really out of hand.

Just my two cents over about five years.

 

[Commuter]

Note: Since this is my first post I will introduce myself, the Commuter. I call myself this because I travel a lot and never really get to have a "home dojo" in which I can spend several years attaining any certain degree of proficiency. So, when I get settled somewhere I tend to look for the nearest quality dojo and try to commute there for a lesson about once a month if I can.

Anywho, back on topic, I use what training I do know every chance I get. I don't mean picking fights to try out the striking methods and postures that I know, but more or less to take hold of the principles that I've learned and use them whenever I can. For example, then learning different postures I was always told to lead with the hips, bend the knees a bit, striaghten my back, and relax my shoulders. Then I just add whatever breathing method I need at the time. Some of you may have a bit of a clue how well those principles apply when trying to smoothly negotiate your way through the crowds of Christmas Shoppers in a department store when all you want is to get to the books and pick up a magazine without being stomped.

I have very little training but even a little bit of Taijutsu helps out a lot in everyday use. I still tend to rely on Kickboxing in a fighting situation, though, since I am less limited in fighting experience with that than I am Taijutsu.

 

[Koinu]

This would be quite a long story so I will try to keep it short. It shows how Kihon
is effective anywhere.
I was on my way home from training one night and had not eaten all day so I called into a fast food chain. I was going to go through the drive through , but there was a big line of cars so I parked and walked into the store as there were not as many people. I got my food walked out got back into my car and started to reverse out of the parking spot when I noticed a woman walk behind me in the mirror. I stopped waited for her to go past then started to reverse out again when there was a knock on the driverside window. It was the woman who had walked behind me. I wound down the window about 3/4 of the way. this woman then asked me if I would like to part take in one of the many services she offered. I said Oh no thanks I am married and don't have to pay for your services. Anyway this banter when on for a few minutes and then she changed tactics and asked if I could lend her $50 as her BF had dumped her in the car park and left. I said no and this went on for a few minutes and she changed tactic yet again and told me if I did not give her some money that she would call her BF over to beat me up. As she did this I saw a large bald head guy with Tattoos stand up from the outside tables and head toward me. I was seat belted in the car and the cars was still in reverse
(auto) this guy walked to the car and grabbed me though the window by the shirt front with his right hand and threw a punch at my head with his left.
I simply did kihon covered the grab hand dodged and blocked the punch as I applied a wrist lock on the grab hand (also hyperextending his elbow over the window) Instead of striking as I blocked like you would in kihon I grabbed a large hand full of throat.
So there I am with a wrist lock and a hand full of throat on the guy though the window still seatbelted in and in gear. I am thinking ok now what do I do.
All I could think of was to let go of his throat after I had weakened him though lack of air so I waited for a little while then let go and palm struck him under the jaw knocking him to the ground making sure to hurt his elbow as he went down. I slammed the car into park opened the door smacking him with it as i did, grabbed the steering lock off the seat and stepped out and told him to stay on the ground or I would belt him with the steering lock. As I did the woman went off her tree telling me to leave him alone or she would stab me.
Anyway she was not keen to get what her BF got so I just backed up to the car and told her to pick him up and go away or I would take her out as well. That was sort of the end of it except someone had called the cops . So I waited for the cops they were keen to arrest me untill I discribed the people involved and some people came from the store to confirm that I was attacked by them
and had just pulled the steering lock as a self defence measure. Anyway a few weeks later the police had a big clean up of that place as there had been similar crimes and it was a well know hangout spot for hookers.
Funny I have never trained Kihon while seated seat belted in a car that is in gear but it woked just as smooth as It does in training .Of course all the guys at training thought it was a great joke for the next few months and every time I paided for training they would ask if i had enough money left over for a Mchooker .

 

[Jay Bell]

A couple of months ago a large group of friends and I were at Karaoke (ugh). Evidently, said night was....we'll call him "Mike" (because that's his name)....Mike's birthday (no..not Pratt). Mike, very late in the night came in and was staggering drunk on entrance. He approached two of the females in the group (I later found out) and began...well...touching them in not-so-fond ways.

The place was pretty packed and there were two gentlemen over at the bar, keeping to themselves and seemingly having a good time. Right up until Mike made his introduction. He approached the two men, who had not turned around since long before Mike arrived. Mike pushed one of them in the back and said, "What the F*** are you looking at?!". Myself and a friend Jim stood up and realized that Mike was about to be dragged out, either by us...or his new friends.

Mike continued talking mess until one of the guys stood up, finally having enough of Mike's chatter. I looked around the bar and quite a few people were on their feet now, moving the crowd outside the doors. Once outside, I talked to the two people that Mike was bothering, explaining that he's pished out of his mind and to please not turn him into a concrete stain.

I stood in-between the two parties...facing Mike...each time he drove forward towards his would-be executioners, I used very soft touches on his body to turn him like a top and send him back where he was coming from. After the ump-teenth time of this, Mike stared me in the eyes saying, "You do that again, I'm f'in you up."

Somehow...getting involved to save a guy that I can't stand to begin with, now I'm in a situation myself. Neat.

Repeat the same...some 50 more times. It was interesting to see how drunk-Mike couldn't even determine that he was being controlled until he was some steps in the other direction. I kept a smile on my face and was truly enjoying our little dance number. He repeated his threats a few dozen more times, I'd nod, smile and continue with my fun.

Finally, Mike had had enough. *cough* He stood up straight and tall (I guess to make his 5' 2" self seem much more menacing), clenched his fists and belted out, "I SWEAR TO GHOD, I'M ABOUT TO F YOU UP". I replied, "Then jump, froggy." and chuckled s'more.

Finally, his friend Doug got involved, grabbed Mikey from around the back and screamed, "JAY IS ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS YOU IDIOT". Things quickly downgraded from there.

All in all, I guess about five minutes past with Mike being turned, shifted and off-balanced by veryvery slight touches to his outer frame. He seemed to be so focused on getting stomped into tar-mush that it took him a really good amount of time to realize that he was even being worked with. All-in-all, everyone walked away unscathed and laughing about it the rest of the night.

 

[Dale Seago]

Okay, once upon a time 'bout a year and a half ago. . .

Loud argument going on outside the place where I was working, one guy standing in the street telling the other guy he was going to eff him up. The guy making the threats -- I'll call him dude #2 -- then follows dude #1 into a donut & coffee shop on the corner, still yelling. As #2 was holding a bottle in his hand I was somewhat concerned; and as this little restaurant is where I normally get my breakfast every morning, I was somewhat concerned for the management and patrons as well. So I followed them in.

Things went from bad to worse after a bit, with #2 suddenly swinging the bottle at #1. It missed and shattered on a table, showering the room with broken glass; and now that an assault with a weapon was in progress, I literally didn't even think.

As they were jumping at each other I moved in from #2's left, taking his right shoulder with a very gentle touch and spiralling him down in place, while simultaneously spiralling #1 away in an opposite rotation with my left hand. That left #2 nearly-sitting with his back toward me, side of his head against my belly while I gently cradled his jaw with my right hand; from there I could easily feel/respond to whatever he might do, and could also just drop my weight and snap his neck if necessary.

#1 recovered and began to move toward both of us; so I moved slightly away while extending a warning left arm toward him and telling him to stay back; and as I did this I also moved #2 with me, doing a sort of one-handed do-gaeshi/armbar on #2 taking his right wrist with my right hand and locking his arm against my right knee, turning him and pinning him face down while leaving me still ready to deal with #1 if necessary. Seeing this, he backed off.

I told the staff to call 911. #2 indicated he'd be good now, so I let him up and just stood there with both of them until the police arrived. For whatever reason, they decided not to arrest anyone.

It's interesting how in a situation like this, the values you hold important come out. No one was injured; I protected everyone -- including protecting both combatants from each other, without judging which of them was "right" or "wrong". I also found it interesting that at no time did either combatant feel I was "fighting" him because of both the gentle, relaxed movement and my own attitude. Neither of them at any time focused on me as an "opponent" or tried to "fight" me.

 

[Cryozombie]

You guys have much better stories than I do.

My BEST one is...

Several years ago I was in California at a Managers Meeting for Hot Topic. We were in the Hotel bar seated around a big table they had pushed together for all 40 or so managers, and, since they had run out of chairs, they brought in plastic deck chairs from the pool area for us.

I was in one of said plastic deck chairs, leaning back on two chair legs when they decided they had had enough stress, and folded under me.

I executed a nice back-flow as the chair hit the groud, was back up on my feet and standing the chair back up, like nothing had happened. One of the girls at the table looked at me and said

"You must fall down a lot"

All I could do was nod and giggle.