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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. Stay Mobile Especially when multiple opponents present [...]
There is a lot of very bad information about self defense on the internet. A lot of this stems from forums and message boards which are usually collections of people who have such low personal self esteem they can’t wait to rip apart other people’s systems. There are the ever-popular discussions about who should win [...]
Last night I attended a talk on information security given by a representative of a major endpoint security company. They make antivirus software for those who aren’t fluent in geek. The presenter made an interesting point that I think is relevant to personal security and self defense. He showed an image of a house and [...]
Making a decision is a powerful mental process. In fact the word “decision” is a nominalization, the turning of a process verb into a noun. A decision is static – set in stone, unlike the process of deciding. This is an important distinction. When you decide something, you draw the proverbial line in the sand. [...]
The other day I posted a statistic to my facebook profile – that 70% of adult males carry edged tools, such as knives, on a day to day basis in the U.S. A couple of people called me on the statistic; I have no problem with that. I do have statistics and research methods training [...]
The purposefully provocative title of this post is meant to point out a “truth” about martial arts and self defense. In Ketsugo Jujutsu we say that the three possible ways to finish a defense are to kill, cripple, or control. We say that killing is for soldiers, crippling for bodyguards, and control is for the [...]
I am a big fan of action movies, specifically martial arts action movies. I have been my whole life. Anyone who has some training in a Reality Based Martial Art (RBMA) knows that the movies and TV have little to do with real self defense. Unfortunately many people without training, including those who shape our [...]
Martial Arts photos from Flickr
