Archive for Self-Defense
Knife Fight in Beijing
Posted by: | CommentsDave sent me this video of a knife fight in Beijing. Take a look first:
Here’s what I see happening:
- They’re having trouble trying to kill each other. There’s posturing, talking (to the other guy and also the girl who might be involved in the whole thing), pauses, etc. throughout the whole knife fight. More on this in a bit. Read More→
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Martial Secrets Podcast with Jon Lupo
Posted by: | CommentsI just listened to the Martial Secrets Podcast with Jon Lupo and really enjoyed it. Jon’s a friend of mine and a really great guy. He’s a humble and quiet man but don’t let that fool you into thinking less of him. He’s been a law enforcement officer for a long time and has walked the walk. He’s one of the people I’d be glad to have at my back if I were in a tight spot.
The podcast in and of itself is well worth it as a whole but there is something I wanted to point out.
Jon clearly explains several key issues on how to interact with a police officer when he stops you for whatever reason. His is one of the best explanations I’ve heard on this topic. Jon doesn’t pontificate, nor does he sugarcoat it. He just says it like it is. If you are a young man in your late teens or twenties, this advice is for you. If you’re living in a shithole and have run ins with the police regularly, it’s for you too.
In the last decade or so, I’ve noticed an increase in hostility against police officers but also how a very misinformed course of action has almost become the standard for people’s reactions towards LEOs. Now I know I’m generalizing but nowadays, so many people foam at the mouth when an officer pulls them over. They immediately feel violated and start yelling about how they “know their rights.” To which I reply “That’s great but do you know your duties and obligations too?” Because those two come along with the rights you know so well (or as it turns out, not so well).
To the best of my knowledge, there is no Western society in which you have the right to curse at, insult, spit on or attack a police officer whenever you feel he’s not doing his job the way you want him to (if I’m wrong, please let me know where I can find that law in the books…) Yet according to my LEO students and friends, this is has become common place now.
Now before you start thinking of arguments in favor of or justifying such behaviour, the thing you need to keep in mind is this: Read More→
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One step sparring drill: Frankenstein
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s one of my favorite one-step sparring drills: Frankenstein.
The concept is very simple but for the younger generation (who probably haven’t seen these old flicks), please watch this clip from an old Frankenstein movie first.
As you can see, the Frankenstein monster attacks in a stiff and clumsy way. If the Wolfman would have used his speed and agility, he’d have cut him to shreds without getting hit at all. However, what the monster lacks in speed and skill, it makes up for in tenacity and endurance: it can take a LOT of damage. That’s the key to this drill. Here’s how it goes:
- The attacker acts like Frankenstein: he keeps going after the defender, all the time. He never steps back to create room, he always steps towards the defender, regardless of where he is.
- The attacker does only one technique at slow to moderate speed and then he waits for the defender to finish. This is mainly for safety reasons as we’re not using protective gear here. The faster you go, the more difficult it is to control your counters and you’ll end up hurting each other. It’s not a full-contact drill just yet (more on that later.)
- The defender however can go as fast as he likes. The only thing he has to worry about is pulling his techniques so they don’t do damage. Again, this is not a full-contact drill at this stage. It’s all about timing, technique, footwork, etc. The heavy impacts come later.
- One key point is that the defender has to step away as soon as he finishes his counterstrike. If he stays where he is, the monster can squash him. You have to imagine going up against a stronger opponent or a guy who’s so drugged up, he doesn’t feel a thing. Imagine you have to do damage and then move away before you take any because you know your best shot won’t end it right away.
- The more variation in the attacks, the more the defender will learn. In the video, you’ll see me defend against some not so common attacks. We do that on purpose. The goal is to throw the defender off balance and try to surprise him with an unconventional angle of attack. This keeps him sharp and focused on the job at hand.
- We usually don’t do that many throws or take downs as counters. Nor should you use too many joint locks either. If you do, it slows down the drill to the point of being less effective. The whole idea is to put the defender under a lot of pressure: he has to constantly strike and move out of the way before he gets hit again.
- The attacker can pick any attack he likes and never does the same one twice in a row. The attacks should always be unrehearsed and unpredictable.
That’s how you do the drill. Here’s a video of me doing two rounds of this: Read More→
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What the bouncer knows, Part 3
Posted by: | CommentsIn response to What the bouncer Knows, Part 2, Sean asked an interesting question. Instead of leaving it in the comments section, I figured I’d answer it here and share it with everybody. First up, what Sean wrote:
I was wondering – you touched upon how bouncers fight a lot differently than thugs, criminals and especially martial artists. Can you elaborate a little more? you have probably answered this question at length before, in previous blogs, so apologies in advance. sean.
There are several ways you can approach this subject as it’s a big and complex one. I’ll give you my take on it but by no means am I claiming to be the expert here. My days as a bouncer were limited and I didn’t enjoy the work. After the last time (worked for free as a favor and ended up as the only bouncer at an open party of 3-400 people), I made a promise to myself to never do that work again. It’s not worth it to me.
That said, I can speak (a little) of experience and have numerous friends who have been or still are bouncers. So I’m not just pulling my opinion out of thin air either.
The good, the bad, the mediocre.
Before I go on, I’d like to point out what I think a bouncer is supposed to be. Not everybody has the same definition of the job, so let’s clear that up first. For me, a good bouncer: Read More→
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What the bouncer knows, Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsIn Part 1 of “What the Bouncer knows“, Clint gave you some thoughts on how to behave yourself so you don’t get tossed out of a bar (either in one piece or broken into little bits). Here’s a follow-up to that post.
Clint did an excellent interview with Kris Wilder on Martial Secrets. He’ll give you some excellent insights on what it’s like to be a bouncer and how people get themselves into trouble. I highly recommend you listen to this podcast.
Clint (on the left) and me this Summer.
Some thoughts/my opinion on this:
- Listen to some of the gruesome details of what happens in the fights he’s seen and been in: people’s faces gets ripped off, glass fragments get tossed in the eyes, intestines get drawn out, the works. If you still have doubts that the differences are just as important as the similarities, let me ask you this: when was the last time you saw any of that in the ring or Octagon? Yeah, I thought as much… Read More→
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What the bouncer knows.
Posted by: | CommentsClint is a friend of mine and a bouncer with decades of experience. When I say “bouncer”, I don’t mean the guy babysitting on frat boys to make sure they don’t hurt themselves. I mean the guy who steps up when hardcore, bad-ass mofos want to do some dark deeds to each other or innocent (if such a thing exists) patrons. And then he has to watch his back for the rest of his life for when they might return…
In other words, he’s lived on the edge of darkness and is still around to tell the tale. So perhaps, just perhaps, he has some insights that might be worth listening to…
Here’s something he wrote and he kindly gave me permission to share it here. Read More→
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