In an effort to draw a distinction between training and competing in sports martial arts and the reality of self defense, I make the analogy: training for sport is to self defense as NASCAR is to parallel parking.

I did sport karate when I was in college, and it was fun. But I stopped because I believe I was developing bad habits which would score in the ring, but make me more vulnerable in self defense. MMA and any other sport martial art fits.

While no analogy is perfect, this one holds up pretty well. Here’s how I break it down:

I’m sure you could keep going with comparisons of your own.

Today I was inspired by this story about a local grandmother who single-handedly fought off two armed home invaders. I was inspired because this story highlights how untrue many statements are that I’ve heard from martial arts and self defense ‘experts’.

Let’s break down a few myths that I’ve been trying to debunk for years:

Self Defense Myths Perpetuated By Experts

1. You can’t fight multiple attackers
2. You need years of training to defend yourself
3. All fights wind up as a wrestling match on the ground
4. You can’t fight armed people without getting killed
5. Untrained people just freeze up
6. You have to be in great shape to defend yourself

In my experience, most instructors out there get their ideas about self defense from the same place most people do – movies and the TV. They also tend to think in absolutes like “never”, and “always”.

Here’s an absolute that makes sense: “Every situation is different”.

Here’s what I would rather hear:

1. Defending yourself from  multiple opponents is hard, but it’s definitely been done and can be done.
2. Untrained people defend themselves successfully every day. Training makes you better at defending yourself.
3. It’s a good idea to learn how to disengage if you’re ever grounded. Some self defense situations wind up with both opponents on the ground, but you don’t want to go there if at all possible.
4. Weapons are always to be considered dangerous. Sometimes armed assailants wound or kill their targets, but this isn’t a definite outcome.
5. Sometimes people freeze up, even trained people. But there are a range of reactions including fight or flight that are more common. Most people are not good at predicting what would happen to them or others under duress.
6. Fitness is a definite advantage in self defense situations. However, unfit people can be skilled. Skilled and unskilled people defend themselves successfully every day. If your self defense training requires you to be in peak physical condition to execute, it might be less effective when you are sick, injured, or elderly.

You do not need to be some kind of commando trained lethal weapon to defend yourself from most common situations. Real self defense is not about fighting like you see it in the movies.

I have a lot of respect for the Gracie family – and Hélio Gracie in particular. Here I’ve found this Youtube video, purportedly of Hélio Gracie doing a self-defense demonstration.

What I find interesting about this video is that there are almost no ground-fighting techniques demonstrated – something the Gracies are famous for. The video shows clearly Gracie Jiu-Jitsu’s Judo origins.

Gracie Self Defense

Here are some more videos from the Gracie archive – again notice the Judo (and some of the famous ground technique).

If I had to make a point about these videos it would be to emphasize the difference in training for sport and training for self-defense. This is something I’d like to believe most instructors recognize.

I just got an email from a martial arts “master” who repeated, almost verbatim, one of my least favorite self-defense myths. I am not going to reply to him publicly, but I need to call this out.

The myth goes something like this, “if you do technique x, and the guy has a gun you’re just likely to make him mad and he’ll take out his gun and shoot you.”

The problems with this statement (regardless of what technique x is meant to describe) are many, but here are some of them:

• For years the, “don’t fight back or your opponent will get mad and hurt you” lie was used to teach women not to fight back against rapists. The truth is that women who fight back stand a greater chance of not being raped or harmed by a rapist. The earlier one fights the less severe the injuries one is likely to incur at the hands of a rapist. Does fighting a rapist have a chance of making them more violent? Yes it does, but the vast majority of the time it does not. The blanket advice suggested above is bad most of the time.
• Assuming you are defending yourself against a criminal who is armed, they are more likely to lead with the weapon and not save it for later. Most criminals do not want a fight. Self-defense is a different animal than mutually agreed-upon combat. Criminals almost always try to gain a disparity in power level.
• If a person is armed and “saving” the weapon for later deployment, how on earth are you supposed to guess which technique or tactic is going to set that person off?
• Whatever else such a myth says you “should” do is based on a specific scenario (probably dreamed up from watching action movies). Your likelihood of ever running into a scenario from your head or from the movies is virtually zero.

I’m working on a report of the top self defense lies, this one’s going on the list.

In the movies and on TV, bad guy gets punched in the face, he falls down unconscious. Most of the time our movie hero doesn’t even take the bad guy’s weapon, he just saunters off.

Let’s be very clear: movies and TV are NOTHING like real life. Real life fights are brutal, sloppy, and full of surprises. Boxers, who are professional punchers, rarely ever get a one-hit knockout. It can happen.

Unfortunately, many laws regarding self-defense were clearly written by people who learned everything about self-defense from watching movies.

So you’ve downed an opponent, is it time to stop and reap the rewards of heroic action? Like everything in self-defense the only true answer is, “that depends”.

If you’re thinking that it’s dirty pool to kick a downed man – you’re darned right. Why would you invoke the Marquis of Queensbury rules when somebody is trying to hurt, murder or rape you? Self-defense is not a sport.

Has the downed opponent ceased attacking you, or is he going to continue the attack? This should be the primary consideration about whether to press on with an attack. The secondary consideration should be whether you have created an opening for escape. Could you safely run away at that point?

I am not a lawyer, and nothing here is intended to serve as legal advice ever, and by reading this you agree never to sue me for anything ever – OK? If so, keep reading.

First, your state and local laws may require you to disengage in your defense if an opponent stops his attack or is downed, or indicates surrender. Check your own laws and do your best to act within the confines of the law.

To me, this places a pretty heavy burden on the part of the person who defends him or herself. In the heat of conflict, you have to asses the condition and accurately predict the future actions of someone who just attacked you.

There are many reasons one could study a martial art: for sport, for exercise, to relax, build self discipline, or because you think the costumes are cool. All reasons are valid. In my experience, most people start training in martial arts because at least one of their goals is to learn how to defend themselves. All martial arts will do this to some degree.

Do not be fooled by the haters with low self esteem on the Internet who need to feel good about themselves by insulting other systems, or teachers. Lack of respect is a lack of self-discipline and it is a clear sign of mental weakness. Even if you dislike what another martial art teaches, keep your mouth shut. Those who speak out on internet message boards under the guise of “educating others” are being ridiculous, since only their fellow chairborne-commando haters read those things.

Self-defense (or self-defence if your British) training, ultimately, is not about style or system or what you wear or what you call it. It isn’t even about ultimate deadly unstoppable techniques culled from the jungles of some war-torn country by special operations commandos. That stuff is exciting, but it’s mostly marketing puffery.

True self-defense training is about one thing only (in the very humble opinion of this author) – transforming the individual into someone with skills and attributes to survive and escape danger. And, no two human beings will have identical skills or attributes, so throw out the silly notion of the ultimate best system on the planet to turn you into a superhuman fighting-machine.

In computer programming two skilled programmers can create exactly the same software using two different languages, two different development processes, and deploy them onto two different platforms. Which one is the “best”? Neither – just live with the fact that in life there are no absolutes. Thinking things are either all good or all bad is lazy thinking which is unbecoming of a true martial artist.

First, let’s talk about attributes that will help you survive a violent attack. In my opinion attributes are more important than skills.

Speed, endurance, coordination, agility, and strength are physical attributes which will help you whether you choose to run away or stand and fight. The physical training of most MMA fighters is simply incredible and gives them the advantages that conditioning brings. Pain tolerance, and the ability to carry on when injured relates to resilience. Boxers and special forces soldiers have excellent resilience due to their training regimens. Timing and awareness of distance almost always trump speed and other physical attributes. Weapons arts like kenjutsu, Kali, Arnis, silat, and fencing are incredible to imparting this level of skill.

The key attribute, more important than all the others is awareness. The ability to be aware of your physical surroundings will mitigate most attacks and make you less of a target. No skill or attribute will work if you are completely unaware of an attack until it lands. Snipers, drones, and smart bombs are effective weapons of war in part because they are hard to detect. You cannot defend against what you can’t detect.

So, a lot of self-defense oriented training will be geared towards developing advantageous attributes. In our school, due to our traditions, we look at timing and angles, off-balancing, body alignment and awareness as primary attributes. We teach understanding of concepts and principles. Here is the important thing – other schools have different foci and are completely effective.

All martial-arts schools tech skills. Skills are the technical lessons, the specific vocabulary with which you express your attributes. A skill may be punching, parrying, blocking, etc. Many schools are technique-oriented, having hundreds or thousands of techniques. Some may teach forms, some drills. All are equally valid teaching methods.

Our school focuses on teaching self-defense. What that means for us is the following:

• We focus on building attributes and understanding that we have found effective for real-world self-defense
• We throw away dogma, tradition, and ceremony where it doesn’t suit is
• We place less emphasis on archaic weapons than on modern weapons
• We focus on what happens to the human body and mind under extreme stress
• We do our best to train honestly, yet safely so we don’t develop bad habits
• We strive to understand local self-defense law and how it applies to us

This is not to say that our school or our system is better than anyone else’s. It isn’t. It is the best school and system for me and the people who choose to train with me because it makes sense to us, and we feel we can dedicate ourselves to the training. The best system for you is going to be the one you can stick with and train in for a long time.

Frequently, when I teach self defense classes, I get questions about weapons.  It’s usually something along the lines of, “what about guns?” or, “what do you think about pepper spray?” My stock answer is that all weapons are good and useful, when carried, when you have time to get to them, when you have the will to use them, when you employ them properly and legally, and when they work. Certainly weapons can be great equalizers when facing an assault.

My main advice for those who carry weapons for self defense is this: get a lot of training, and learn the law for your location. In the same way that owning a guitar doesn’t make you a musician, owning a weapon doesn’t make you Rambo. But, what if you can’t or don’t want to carry a gun, knife, or pepper spray? What if you do carry one of these things, but want to have other options or need a bridge in case your weapon malfunctions? What if an assailent gets your weapon away from you, what are some other carry options.

One of my favorite improvised weapons is a heavy pen. My sensei recommended carrying one that was out of ink, so you wouldn’t be tempted to use it to write and forget it somewhere. A good heavy pen can be a great stabbing and ripping implement, or can be used as a hand stick like a yawara or kubotan.

Before the recent airline restrictions on liquids, I used to carry a Poland Spring water bottle 1/3 full onto the plan when I flew. Holding it at the cap end, I have practiced throwing it underhand and striking face-sized targets up to 20 feet away. This isn’t a tool that would do a great deal of damage, but is intended to distract an opponent, allowing me to close distance.

A rolled-up magazine has incredible longitudinal strength for poking somebody. Poked at the eyes it can distract or even cause injury. I have seen a demo of somebody using a magazine at the end of a hammerfist to smash a glass window.

Any kind of bag, or backpack can be used as a shield when placed between you and an assailant. No, it isn’t going to block bullets, but it might entangle a knife or absorb a punch or kick. When I used to ride public transportation in Boston, I carried an L.L. Bean backpack with a padlock attached to the bottom of one of the straps. Nobody would think anything about this, since people attach padlocks to their bags when going to the gym.  However, I could swing the backpack by the top loop and strike with the padlock.

Ultimately, almost anything you can carry and hold can be used as an improvised weapon. But, like all other weapons systems, you need proper training to build the mental and physical skills. Maine Martial Arts includes improvised weapon training along with our self defense program. To learn more, just contact us.

Everybody needs to train in self defense and the sooner the better.

Living in a relatively low-crime area like Southern Maine, it may seem strange to recommend that every single person here get self defense training. However, it’s not really such a strange idea, and it’s an idea that may save lives.

Damian Ross of The Self Defense Company wrote, “not everybody needs martial arts, but everybody needs self defense.”

Mr. Ross draws a distinction between self defense training and martial arts training, it’s an important distinction I’ve written about before. Here’s why I agree:

1. You cannot predict if and when you might be a target of a violent crime.
   Even if you live a low-risk lifestyle in a low-risk area, you never can be sure when you’ll cross paths with a violent criminal. Home invasions happen in areas, urban, rural, rich and poor. People are mugged going to and from their cars. People  are assaulted by emotionally disturbed strangers, acquaintances, and people they work with.Just because it hasn’t happened to you doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen to you.
2. The only time self defense training does any good is before you need it.
   It’s kind of a no-brainer, but I’ve had students sign up after a violent encounter. If you asked them if they wished they got self defense training earlier they all would answer “yes”
3. Proper training helps in a violent encounter.
   I’ve written about the danger of buying too heavily into statistics, but every study I’ve seen, compared with anecdotal evidence shows that self defense training helps. In fact one study showed that women who took an anti-mugging program were less likely to even have someone attempt to mug them. I would probably attribute this to increased awareness along with confidence that comes with training.
4. Preparing for the worst is a smart thing.
   Nobody would question the intelligence of fire drill training conducted in our public schools, yet fatalities from school fires virtually never happen (unless you go back to the 1950s). Violent crime occurs every 35 seconds in the U.S. and nobody is immune. The best preparation is for people to learn to take care of themselves. We buckle our seat-belts, go to the dentist, change the batteries in the fire alarm, so why not get self defense training?
5. You are ultimately responsible for your own safety.
   If you are ever attacked by a violent criminal it will likely happen when you are alone. It most likely won’t happen within earshot of a police officer. The attacker will not wait patiently while you call 911, or while you rummage in a bag for pepper spray. Your attacker will not try to mug you from across the street giving you plenty of opportunity to run.
6. Most criminals are looking for an advantage.
   Crime works along economic rules. Criminals make risk/reward choices about victims. They want to minimize their risk of getting caught or hurt, while maximizing their reward of getting away with their goal. By training you can become “too much trouble” for many criminals. The vast majority of criminals will give up when resisted, and those that don’t you really need to worry about damaging. Violence against other criminals is prevalent because criminals won’t go to the police. Violence against women, children and elders is prevalent because they are seen as easy targets. However, everybody looks like an attractive target to somebody. Studying self defense can be a deterrent to crime, and thus proactive.

So, what’s the objection?

My opinion about the real reason more people don’t train is that it is related to an almost universal human fear. At least 85% of people will measure a phobic psycho-physiological response in the presence of interpersonal human conflict. PTSD is much higher in soldiers who experienced face to face combat than in airmen who dropped bombs in combat. We seem to have a built in mechanism to get along.

Psychologically, it’s been proposed, that when we are attacked (verbally or physically) it can symbolize another human being who doesn’t value our identity. Identity is a complex psychological construct, but we’ll just say that it’s who we think we are at the core. A threat to identity is a threat to not just our life, but who we are at the core.

I believe that a lot of people avoid training in self-defense because they are in denial and are uncomfortable accepting the fact that another human being may threaten their very being. As someone who has had his life threatened by a criminal, it is an uncomfortable thing to accept. However, moving past that and taking responsibility for your own well-being is empowering.

Countering surface objections:

Here are some of the regular things I hear from people when talking about training.

I don’t have time
This is the granddaddy of excuses and it’s BS. You can find time to train. What you’re really saying is that it isn’t a priority. How much TV do you watch in a week? How often do you go out and socialize? How much time do you spend on the computer or playing games. Can you spare an hour or two a week? Of course you can

It’s too expensive
We’re all feeling the effects of the economy these days. There is self defense training everywhere at a number of price points (including free). And, you don’t always get what you pay for – I mostly teach for free. Sometimes schools or police departments offer training at a very low price. Ask yourself this, “What if I were injured in a violent crime tomorrow, what would I have to lose then?”

I don’t have any experience
I get this all the time, and it makes me chuckle a little. Nobody had any experience before they began. The time to begin is now.

I’m out of shape
I have news for you, a violent criminal doesn’t care. You probably need training more than anybody. Real self defense training does not rely solely on athleticism. It helps, for sure, but an attacker is generally not looking for someone in the best shape to scrap with. And, self defense training will provide at least some exercise which everybody needs.

I don’t have years to train
This one is also kind of funny, I don’t have time to be good so I’ll stay lousy. The reality is that real self defense can be learned quickly, while martial arts take a lifetime to master. Our own military hand to hand combat instruction is extremely short but effective for the mission. They don’t have 30 years to prepare troops for combat.

So, wouldn’t now be a great time to begin your training?

I

Self Defense vs. Martial Arts

It’s a question that comes up quite frequently: Can you defend yourself against someone who is bigger and stronger? And: How important is size and strength in martial arts? The answer requires a bit of a breakdown:

1. Don’t confuse sport with self defense. Combat sports like MMA, boxing, and wrestling have weight classes for very good reasons. Being larger and stronger offers distinct advantages to punching power, grappling ability, and reach.

However, combat sports are not self defense. They are pre-arranged fights, within a controlled environment, with specific goals, and specific rules. Generally combative athletes train and condition specifically for these fights. In Sumo (pictured left) the goals are to knock the opponent out of the ring or to force him or her to touch the ground with a body-part other than the feet. Having a great deal of body-weight makes it more difficult for an opponent to move you. I can’t imagine a 700 pound Sumo wrestler doing well in a Tae Kwon Do point sparring match.

Contrast combat sports with self defense. Generally you will be unprepared, it won’t be pre-arranged. There may by multiple opponents and weapons in an uncontrolled environment. Running away may be your best option. There are no rules. The tactics that are the most effective actually have a higher chance of causing injury – but would be illegal in sport.

2. Fitness provides a self defense advantage. Strength, speed, dexterity, balance, flexibility all provide self defense advantages. Endurance is extremely important for running away, or surviving a physical attack. However, these things alone cannot be relied upon. Here are some reasons why:

• You may need to defend yourself  when you are sick or injured.
• You may need to defend yourself against someone who is larger, stronger, and faster than you are.
• You may need to defend yourself against a weapon – you are not faster or stronger than a bullet.
• You may want to be able to defend yourself when you’re 90.

3. Self defense is about escape, not beating up your opponent. For civilians, self defense is about 1 thing only: escape. A few years ago, Boston had a serial rapist running around it’s North End. I spoke to a police captain in the area and he told me that the perpetrator ran away at the first sign of resistance, and that included simply screaming. One woman got away after stomping on his foot and screaming.

None of these scenarios involved a toe-to-toe fist-fight. Yes, there are attackers who are more persistent, but this is where training comes in. Putting the emphasis on escape means that you train to survive. It means you can use whatever force (from none to lethal) required by the situation. You can use improvised or actual weapons, you can run, you can scream, you can poke an attacker in the eye.

The majority of people I speak to get their complete understanding of self-defense from TV and movies. Most of the time it’s completely unrealistic.

My sensei was asked once, “what would you do in a fight against Royce Gracie?” His answer, “I don’t know, probably take out my knife and stick it in him.” The person was appalled, but my sensei’s answer was wise as he explained: Since I don’t train for sport and have no beef with Royce, the only reason I would be in a fight with him would be if he was threatening my life or the life of my family. If that were the case, then there are no rules and I would use whatever means necessary. However, the scenario is very unlikely since Royce is, by all accounts, a very nice guy.

This question, and one’s like it are the product of a lazy thinking paradigm. It goes back to the whole, “who would win in a fight, Bruce Lee or Batman?” silliness that surrounds martial arts discussion boards and magazines. People are looking for easy answers: If I can bench-press 300 pounds, nobody can defeat me. Nothing in self-defense is ever that simple.

There’s no secret to effective self defense, but here are some essentials:

• Awareness of your surroundings will mitigate most issues before they arise
• Train honestly and build your tactical repertoire based on large muscle movements
• Don’t escalate verbal assaults unless you believe there is absolutely no other way
• Escape
• Build good muscle memory by practicing at variable speeds (slow for learning, medium for practice)

Halloween is just around the corner and while, to my knowledge, Southern Maine has never been on the receiving end of a zombie attack, it may be helpful to review the basics.

Incidentally, the points I am about to cover also work against hordes living and the undead.

1. Stay Mobile
   Especially when multiple opponents present themselves to devour your brains, you need to always think escape.  Run if possible, head for safety. Self defense is always about escape.
2. Look For Hard Cover
   After getting away for immediate danger, remain safe by seeking hard cover. Put solid objects between you and an attacker.
3. Attract Helpful Attention
   Zombies and their living counterparts do not want to get hurt, caught, or identified. Scream and yell – make a lot of noise. You may frighten them off or get helpful attention. Since time is of the essence, calling 911 should be reserved for when you can safely do do, or you have zero other options.
4. Utilize weapons
   Nothing levels the playing field against an aggressor like a weapon. You may not have tools designated as weapons, but in a pinch use anything you can hold in your hands to strike, cut, or entangle your enemy to effect your escape.
5. Fight early, fight hard
   Statistics looking at attempted rape show that women who fought back earlier were less likely to be harmed, or to have the rape actually occur. This could be extended to zombies and living aggressors.
6. Eat Bacon
   You need to keep up your strength.

Contact us for more info about Self Defense Training in Maine against the living or zombies.