What really works in selff defense

[Manny]

Myabe I am a bozo here but what I think really works in the streets talkjing about self defense is not a perfect kick or maybe a perfect trow, or maybe a superman punch or a knee to the rib cage, what works in the streets is be aware of our sorroundings, been in yellow condition and prepared, if you see something that looks like evil then it's evil en period. Avoiding not so nice plecaes too is a part of the equiation.

For exmple, I don't go party anymore and if I do I go to nice places and go home not so late, I am a family man not a hunter anymore, so I don't go to bars where nice chicks go and don't drink to much like when I was younger and stupid, now I drink maybe one or two drinks with a nice meal and maybe the last drink before living, I go aout with wife and another couples and return home not to late. And.... I always try to be in yellow condition, if I see something wrong or someone I don't liek I just simply avoid it.

Manny

 

[Tony Dismukes]

The essential elements of self-defense:

Be aware of your surroundings.
Don't abuse intoxicants (of whatever sort) especially in public.
Don't hang out with people who are abusing intoxicants, especially in public.
Don't hang out with violent people or in places where violence is common.
Don't date people who are prone to violence.
Keep firm control of your ego.
Keep firm control of your temper.
Don't be an *******.
Don't be an idiot.
Be in good enough shape that you can sprint a few blocks if necessary.

Unless you have to confront violence as part of your profession (police, bouncer, prison guard, etc), that's 95% of the self-defense you will ever need. All the other stuff (punching, kicking, grappling, weapons) is secondary,

 

[ballen0351]

Prevention is always the best policy. When prevention fails Go hard, go fast, and then just go.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

And.... I always try to be in yellow condition, if I see something wrong or someone I don't liek I just simply avoid it.

Manny

I think from your previous posts you live in a more dangerous area than most people. In Canada where I live, I really don't worry about my safety; if someone approaches me on the street, inevitably it is to ask me "can you spare any change?". Conversely, when I went to Venezuela 15 years ago and saw the armed guards at McDonalds protecting the kids in the play area, I knew I had to be vigilant when walking around.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Awareness, Avoidance and being prepared to Act should the need arise. Those three will go a long way in keeping anyone safe!

 

[K-man]

The essential elements of self-defense:

Be aware of your surroundings.
Don't abuse intoxicants (of whatever sort) especially in public.
Don't hang out with people who are abusing intoxicants, especially in public.
Don't hang out with violent people or in places where violence is common.
Don't date people who are prone to violence.
Keep firm control of your ego.
Keep firm control of your temper.
Don't be an *******.
Don't be an idiot.
Be in good enough shape that you can sprint a few blocks if necessary.

Unless you have to confront violence as part of your profession (police, bouncer, prison guard, etc), that's 95% of the self-defense you will ever need. All the other stuff (punching, kicking, grappling, weapons) is secondary,

I agree 100% with the first nine ... but number ten? Mate, I couldn't sprint one block, let alone a few and I think a few of the older guys here might be in the same boat.

But I will share a tip from Bas Rutten. If you are running away don't just run blindly. Look back to see if you are actually getting away. If you are, great, keep running. If it looks like you will get caught then ease off, save your energy, let him catch up then at the last minute turn putting all your energy into a swinging backhand strike with the forearm.
:asian:

 

[Thousand Kicks]

The one thing I would like to add to Mr. Tony Dismukes post is:

Be very careful about using smart phones and tablets in public. Maybe in the suburbs and low crime areas it's not a big issue. In the city and higher crime areas, put that stuff away.

When people find out I study martial arts I usually get questions about what does and doesn't work. I always cite awareness as the #1 deterrent. Most non-violent criminals are not looking to get into a fight to get what they want. They want to use surprise and the threat of violence to make you give them what they want.

There is almost no easier target than someone immersed in their phone while walking down the street. Not only are you distracted but now a thief, or worse, knows you have something of value.

I fully agree that we need to teach our students about situational awareness along with the physical aspects of self-defence.

 

[Fritz]

1- Awareness
2- Keep Moving
3- Train Yourself So When You Get Hit You Don't Close Your Eyes!

 

[terryl965]

Anything that can get you home save and sound....

 

[seasoned]

= K-man;1605957]I agree 100% with the first nine ... but number ten? Mate, I couldn't sprint one block, let alone a few and I think a few of the older guys here might be in the same boat.

I hear ya........

But I will share a tip from Bas Rutten. If you are running away don't just run blindly. Look back to see if you are actually getting away. If you are, great, keep running. If it looks like you will get caught then ease off, save your energy, let him catch up then at the last minute turn putting all your energy into a swinging backhand strike with the forearm.
:asian:

Ok, I like this.....

 

[sfs982000]

Situational awareness and gut feelings go a long way. If it doesn't feel right, walk away.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Awareness, Avoidance and being prepared to Act should the need arise. Those three will go a long way in keeping anyone safe!

Awareness, Avoidance, ...... are numbers 1 and 2 from Peyton Quinn's "Real Fighting" & "Bouncer's Guide to Barroom Brawling" . A couple of quick easy reads with lots of good stuff.

 

[Manny]

Thank you for all your replies, almost all of you are in the same chanel like me, and yes avoidance and be aware of our sorrodings is the ABC of self defence smarts.

Manny

 

[oftheherd1]

I agree 100% with the first nine ... but number ten? Mate, I couldn't sprint one block, let alone a few and I think a few of the older guys here might be in the same boat.

But I will share a tip from Bas Rutten. If you are running away don't just run blindly. Look back to see if you are actually getting away. If you are, great, keep running. If it looks like you will get caught then ease off, save your energy, let him catch up then at the last minute turn putting all your energy into a swinging backhand strike with the forearm.
:asian:

LOL, I don't think I could sprint more that 50 feet any more.

As to stopping without warning and attacking, I knew that to happen about 30 years ago. A man was accosted by three strong-arm robbers. He took off running and one of the robbers was catching up to him. He knew because the looked back as you mentioned. Just before he was about to be caught, he suddenly stopped and wheeled about, throwing one heck of a strong punch. Laid his attacker out flat. The other two decided they should stop and help their friend without engaging the supposed victim. Wasn't too hard to identify the hapless robber. He was the one of the three with the buggered up face.

 

[1992]

I agree 100% with what everyone said about awareness being most of self defense. Awareness is also necessary to becoming proficient in martial arts. There is one thing I didnt read anyone talk about here. And that is, the use of body language and choice of words to deter someone who is out to do no good, or most commonly, someone who is impaired or even just a little 'off' with their perception skewed. We all have a built in instinct to be able to tell when someone or something just isnt right. It is the bells that go off in our head, and the proverbial red flag. This ties in with awareness, but what if there is no way to avoid a person or they get the jump on you and initiate contact with you by surprise in an awkward moment?

If you display a weak or submissive posture to someone looking for a mark, you are more likely to be approached than someone who puts out an aura or vibe of dominance and strength. Your posture and body language say more than words about your attitude and project that back to everyone around you without even speaking. Always know your immediate surroundings and position yourself in a strategic way. Look people directly in the eye. Square your shoulders toward them and stand up straight. Speak firmly and be very direct when you engage a stranger who has approached you. These things will in no way help you walk up and talk to a woman who you are interested in, however. In fact they will make her very uncomfortable.

You can play into another persons psyche with word choices, the use of humor, subtle adjustments in posture. Planting the seed of doubt in the mind of a person who needed alot of reassurance in the first place to approach you goes a long way and usually will see you through. Everywhere I go, I project self confidence with the way I stand, walk, and interact with people. If that fails and someone is dead set on doing me harm or harm to those with me I have a line of physical defense that starts with unarmed combat, escalates to the kubotan, then to my knife, and as a last resort, my pistol. All which I train with, and so should everyone who owns any or all of those tools.

 

[Koshiki]

If you display a weak or submissive posture to someone looking for a mark, you are more likely to be approached than someone who puts out an aura or vibe of dominance and strength. Your posture and body language say more than words about your attitude and project that back to everyone around you without even speaking. Always know your immediate surroundings and position yourself in a strategic way. Look people directly in the eye. Square your shoulders toward them and stand up straight. Speak firmly and be very direct when you engage a stranger who has approached you. These things will in no way help you walk up and talk to a woman who you are interested in, however. In fact they will make her very uncomfortable.

If the violence is financial or asocial, probably yes. If the violence is a social dominance game, trying to play Alpha-male Packleader can be a bad idea. Especially if another Alpha-Male Packleader is there and has his pack to impress/as backup.

If that fails and someone is dead set on doing me harm or harm to those with me I have a line of physical defense that starts with unarmed combat, escalates to the kubotan, then to my knife, and as a last resort, my pistol. All which I train with, and so should everyone who owns any or all of those tools.

When I first read this, I misinterpretted it to mean that you would start out unarmed, then go for your kubaton if that failed, then the knife when that failed, and then the gun if the fight was going really poorly. My first thought was, "how are you going to draw each of those in the fight?", followed by, "how on earth is the attack going to last long enough for you to go through all those stages?", and finally, "what happens to the discarded kubaton and/or knife, does the other guy get them?"

Then I realized you meant that you have options as far as what to grab should things get murky. Gotcha.

 

[Rumy73]

Thank you for all your replies, almost all of you are in the same chanel like me, and yes avoidance and be aware of our sorrodings is the ABC of self defence smarts.

Manny

Manny,

Are people in your country permitted to carry a pistol? I am curious.

Anyhow, I am like you. I am a family man. I do not drink or visit bars. I do not go out late. However, from time to time, I find myself in a big crowd, such as when I take my son to a soccer match or football game. In those settings, when people are drinking heavily, one has to remain alert.

 

[SJON]

Apart from the essential avoidance and awareness factors that have been mentioned, I would add:

1. Acting under pressure. Students need to know what it feels like to hit and to get hit, preferably in a context that will considerably disconcert them. By this I mean occasional hard sparring or simulation exercises, with unexpected variables that mean they cannot follow any "game plan" they may have developed in, say, sport sparring.
2. Total confidence in one or two hand strikes (and perhaps a takedown) that the student knows will do big damage if they connect.

The above two points really do cultivate an "aura" about the individual that discourages an attacker. I recall one potentially very serious situation in which the leader of a group of would-be attackers backed down and laughed the situation off because he perceived that I was not scared (I was, but it didn't show), that I knew full well what was happening and that my posture and movement indicated that I could perhaps be a difficult proposition.

Best regards,

Simon

 

[Balrog]

The essential elements of self-defense:

Be aware of your surroundings.
Don't abuse intoxicants (of whatever sort) especially in public.
Don't hang out with people who are abusing intoxicants, especially in public.
Don't hang out with violent people or in places where violence is common.
Don't date people who are prone to violence.
Keep firm control of your ego.
Keep firm control of your temper.
Don't be an *******.
Don't be an idiot.
Be in good enough shape that you can sprint a few blocks if necessary.

Unless you have to confront violence as part of your profession (police, bouncer, prison guard, etc), that's 95% of the self-defense you will ever need. All the other stuff (punching, kicking, grappling, weapons) is secondary,

Agreed.

And keep in mind some basic concepts:

Distract, release, stun, RUN!

If they can't 1) see you, or 2) touch you, or 3) stand up, or 4) breathe.....most likely, they can't hurt you. If you can cause your attacker to go into one or more of those conditions, you stand a much better chance of escaping unscathed.

 

[Manny]

Manny,

Are people in your country permitted to carry a pistol? I am curious.

Anyhow, I am like you. I am a family man. I do not drink or visit bars. I do not go out late. However, from time to time, I find myself in a big crowd, such as when I take my son to a soccer match or football game. In those settings, when people are drinking heavily, one has to remain alert.

It's almost imposible to get a gun carry permit in my country unless you are: a) a very wealthy man/woman with a lot of influences or b) some one with right friends in the goverment.

I am a shooter and the only permit permit I have is a tranportation one that can be use to go to the shooting range and return home and it's only for hunting and sport guns like shotguns (hunting) and some target revolvers or target autopistols or target rifles in .22 lr caliber.

Manny