[Pathfinder]

The other day I was awoke at around 0237 and listened to someone trying the handle on the door leading to the outside. I tapped my wife on the butt and said "someone is trying the door, watch my 6" and went in my underwear to the door. I opened it and caught the view of the back of a guy running from the front yard. Within seconds my wife was there, her FNP-9 ready in hand. We spoke of that later and she asked me about chasing the guy and I explained that I was in my underwear and didn't want to scare the neighbors. I went on to say that I don't know why I didn't grab a weapon, as I had my Katana right at my bedside within reach. I knew that she would be there A.S.A.P. with her pistol as well. She said that I didn't really need a weapon, as she has witness how fast I react to a situation with my hands and went on to say she knows close in my hands may be as effective as the sword or gun.

That kind of made me feel good. In Okinawa we are taught that the hand is your sword. If you are taught right, the techniques are very deadly. To be honest, I haven't been training as much as I use to lately. I have an injured left hand and it hurts when I train. I still train about 5 hours a week, give or take. I dropped out of the Martial Arts world a long time ago as I saw it becoming the realm of con artists and wanna be's. Not something I wanted to be involved in. I decided that my art was in my heart and mind, and I didn't need a school or a teacher to tell me to work on my skills. I enjoy it. I have been doing the same art for over 35 years. The crazy thing is I was never given a belt. All my friends now claim 5th degree or 7th degree black belt and here I am a no belt. Once again, its in my heart and mind.

I have seen people study a hand 2 hand way of combat that were in a wheelchair. Ron Scanlon is one that comes to mind. I have seen old grandmothers and young kids study. It does a lot to build self confidence and self discipline, two valuable life preservation skills. Fact is, we all study some type of art here to preserve our life, thats what survivalist do. If you have never trained your body to be able to use it as a weapon I would insist that you try to find a way. There are many videos available, work with your children as you follow the video if nothing else. Show your wife how to do the techniques and work with her. She may never need it, and you may never need it. Same as survival training, if you dont need it and have it it's all good. If you need it and dont have it, you are in trouble.

There are videos that teach basic self defense, stick fighting, knife fighting, ground fighting, traditional arts and everything in between. Get one and if it is good, post the title so others can learn from it as well. Maybe even pass it along to another member with the understanding that he will pass it to the next guy as well. Not only will it get you into better shape, it will make you more flexible and improve your focus and mind set. You dont have to wear a pair of pajamas and go make yourself look like an idiot. Do it for yourself, either in the privacy of your home or in a class or seminar.

A lot of people will tell you that you cant learn any "real" Martial Art from a tape. This is false. You cant become an advanced Martial Artists without having someone help you who has already traveled that path. Thats what the term "Sensei" really means, someone who has gone before. If you just want to get your feet wet and add the ability to protect yourself to your skills then do it however you find a way. I gave a lady who wanted to take her child to karate a video to watch about basic self defense. A few years later she walked up to me and told me that her son had watched the tape about 50 times and she usually was there to see it with him. She then said a guy came up to her a few weeks back and tried to force her into her car at a local mall. She replied with her keys to his eyes and punched him "as hard as she could" in the throat. She told me that she had learned that while watching my video. I guess when you need it, its good to have.

Before anyone adds that they have a CCW or they just carry their 12 gauge I want to press upon you this fact. If we are ever placed in a FEMA camp, no weapons except what you find will be available, same thing if you are in the shower, taking a bath or just relaxing by the swimming hole. I love to shoot, but there is a reason Hand 2 Hand is still taught in the military. It's good to have when you need it.

 

[Dom Tuminello]

that reminds me of an old Bruce Lee interview i have on tape. he said if you want to become a great martial artist then you must practice,practice,practice, but if you want to learn how to fight then baby you better get out there and fight. i love watching martial art videos (instructional videos that is), but nothing will give you the mental preperation you need in a life or death situation like going out there and bustin some ones chops. i was pretty nerdy in high school and never got into a real knock down drag out fist fight untill i was 19 years old and i got my ass whipped but the next day i stood 7 feet tall. i was so proud of myself that losing did'nt matter. i might be wrong but i feel every man should get at least one or two fist fights in before they die.

 

[Pathfinder]

Holy Cow, not sure what to say. Someone actually posted something on this thread. Been a few threads I have done that never get any posts, but there are Thanks for the post so I guessed it was all good.

Everyone should learn the basics of combat. Should be required learning in schools, IMHO. More so for the Gals, but the guys as well. If not everyone is a pushover it may make the idiots that hurt people think a bit harder. Wait, cant do that. Hard to have Sheeple that are willing to stand up and fight.

 

[Smudge]

Holy Cow, not sure what to say. Someone actually posted something on this thread. Been a few threads I have done that never get any posts, but there are Thanks for the post so I guessed it was all good.

Take the thanks as kudos :thumb:
I wont reply to a thread I have nothing to say on the matter and had I seen this thread before now I wouldnt have replied then. I've had Very little training in H2H, some karate as a kid and a little aikido in relation to arrest and restraint in the army and niether has held me in goodstead in the few fights Ive been involved in. I try to avoid violence when I can and give it everything when i cant, its all I know.

 

[breakneck]

Good post.
Judo and wrestling were the ones I learned first. Then mma.
I always see people wearing mma shirts and when I ask them where they train they say 'I dont'. A lot of these people see mma on tv and think they can do it. MMA is something that you cannot watch on tv / internet and do on the street.
Now that I said that, you can youtube a lot of useful moves and escapes and then use them in class. I am always evolving because of other people's video posts. Escapes from armbars and chokes that nobody knows around here can be found and practiced in class.

 

[Adam12]

Just a couple points I wanted to mention:

First, practice is great, but always be aware of the stress factor. When faced with the real thing you'll experience an adrenaline dump, your heartrate instantly shoots up to about 200 BPM, and getting your body to do what you want it to becomes much more difficult.

Second, I agree on the subject of firearms not always being a good self defense weapon choice, but for a different reason. When a personal (that is, close range) confrontation goes south, it's extremely unlikely that a firearm is going to save you. Firearms are a distance weapon. Engaging a target at close range with a firearm is almost always a bad idea. Remember 21 feet. That's roughly how much distance a well motivated attacker can cover before you can draw your weapon.

 

[tunasi]

I think everything has its place. But if you want to truly learn to be effective at hand to hand, my opinion is that you must practice in a realistic manner. MMA, judo, wrestling, bjj, boxing, etc are great for this. There is no way you can learn the nuances without training in a live situation against a game opponent. Otherwise, you can't simulate the breathing, movement, pain, etc.

I think traditional martial arts are good for some things. They are fun, good physical activity, teach discipline, etc. But, in my experience, in the US, they don't teach realistic skills and they don't practice in "live" situations. It seems that a person could get a serious false sense of security in his ability to defend himself if faced with a real situation.

 

[tunasi]

Good post.
Judo and wrestling were the ones I learned first. Then mma.
I always see people wearing mma shirts and when I ask them where they train they say 'I dont'. A lot of these people see mma on tv and think they can do it. MMA is something that you cannot watch on tv / internet and do on the street.
Now that I said that, you can youtube a lot of useful moves and escapes and then use them in class. I am always evolving because of other people's video posts. Escapes from armbars and chokes that nobody knows around here can be found and practiced in class.

Some people who wear mma shirts are probably just fans of the sport, not necessarily fighters. That's no different than sporting an NFL team shirt.

 

[blue123]

as a kid i trained in judo later boxing when i was in my teens and hard years i learned that martial arts are effective only to a point...i once saw a blackbelt about 75 pounds heavyer than the guy he was fighting...the guy grabbed his legs put him on the ground and then proceeded to beat the crap out of him...

if someones going to stab you or shoot you 9 out of ten times you wont see it coming untill its too late by then it wont matter how many degrees you have you'll take a hit just the same.....personaly i have been knifed twice and shot once but that was along time ago in a diffrent life.....what worked for me was awareness of surroundings and hard hits in a fight...very few things can work in your favor better than a low kick to the nuts, it is a fight stopper also you dont have to be in front, it works just as good from behind and shin kicks are also very effective.....a light simple poke in the eye can blind you for minutes or a real poke can blind you forever...the upper cut to the jaw is a fast way to knock out anyone and if you hit squarely in the front chin you break it....oh and a good hit to the side of the neck hurts like hell for days and if i knew i might be fighting someone who could possibly beat me i would even the odds with a weapon..........

now that i am past those days i dont even think about hand to hand, when i gave up that former lifestyle i was amazed how i didnt have to fight anymore or look over my shoulder.......

this reminds me of a true story that happend to a freind of mine back in the late 70's at the time we had a running fued with some salvadorean immigrants, one night they broke into his house held him down in bed and proceeded to carve the bottom of his foot with a knife...kid you not!...this guy was street smart and as savy as anyone who grew up hard in those days but he was cought off guard and it cost him pain and embarrassment.......but not his life........

i guess what it all boils down to is that i would rather trade it all for that third eye, you knew the one that tells you were and when a threat is coming your way so you can react before taking a hit?............just a few thoughts for you Kung Fu boys:thumb:..........

 

[shawn]

Sorry to hear you about got broken into. I agree martial arts are important and my 5 and 7yr old are about to take classes. I kinda agree with some of the instructors being fake but it good for the kids to meet other kids that are disciplined. I try to work with them everynite aswell on whatever idea I get from chosonninja off youtube who puts out a new video about everyday. I think it best though to practice a little of everything from krav maga, muay thai, systema judo or boxing even they all have their advantages.

 

[zipfreer]

Your goal is to equip our yourself with the tools necessary to allow them to persevere under any circumstances. Under stress, we tend to fall back on our basics, loosing fine motor skills to more gross movements. You must understand this and teach yourself in natural way of moving that does not concentrate on "attributes" (such as how high can I kick), but more on the ability to utilize motion and energy in a way that provides us with solutions to problems that would otherwise not be available. You will come to understand power doesn't come from the technique, but from the principles and physics that the technique manifests. The consistent creation and application of physics in your movement is what must be learned. The core concept here is the use of power by virtue of position, something that's free for us all to use if we only understand the mechanics to do so you will strike harder with more kinetic energy. I highly recommend you learn. The body's anatomy. There is also a book called virtual points strikes by Sang H. Kim, very good book.

1) Weapons - Improvised/Urban and Classical programs
2) Strikes - Knees, elbows, headbutts and low line kicks
3) Self Defense - Dealing with armed and unarmed attacks
4) Joint manipulation -joint breaks Controlling a resistant opponent
5) Grappling - Learn effective ground control skills I personally feel fighting is fighting even if you're standing up on the ground, targets are targets
6) Conditioning - Flexibility, cardio and toning drills
7) Disarms - Dealing with a weapon wielding attacker
8) Motion - The study of human biomechanical principles

 

[thewolfman456]

When I was 13, I enrolled in a kickboxing class. I achieved the highest rank, and ended up teaching my siblings.

Knowing self defense is a vital part of survival.

 

[Robert Lytle]

I teach self defense/MMA classes and The first thing I teach is about four levels of self defense, with only the last one being physical combat.

1. Avoidance (Don't be in a place where there is likely to be trouble. Go tothe bank during the day and stay away from the ATM Machine at midnight) Ladies shoud keep their blinds closed on their bedroom windows etc.
2. Awareness (Notice the guy hanging around his car that's parked next to you or near the ATM Machine)
3. De-escalation (a soft answer turns away wrath, but grevious words stir up anger) Be nice. If some one is upset that you took their parking place, apologize in a quiet tone and volunteer to move your car
4. And lastly, Physical combat (for close hand to hand do a search on "the shredder" it is an awesome technique that requires a minimum of strength or training)

 

[blue123]

I teach self defense/MMA classes and The first thing I teach is about four levels of self defense, with only the last one being physical combat.

1. Avoidance (Don't be in a place where there is likely to be trouble. Go tothe bank during the day and stay away from the ATM Machine at midnight) Ladies shoud keep their blinds closed on their bedroom windows etc.
2. Awareness (Notice the guy hanging around his car that's parked next to you or near the ATM Machine)
3. De-escalation (a soft answer turns away wrath, but grevious words stir up anger) Be nice. If some one is upset that you took their parking place, apologize in a quiet tone and volunteer to move your car
4. And lastly, Physical combat (for close hand to hand do a search on "the shredder" it is an awesome technique that requires a minimum of strength or training)

you have posted an excellent four part doctrine for defence of ones self.......
in my mind you are to be commended........:thumb:

 

[Black Knight]

Pathfinder. It's good to know that your wife has faith in you. After all that's a big part of why we train, isn't it? So that others feel safe when we are around? I know that is important to me. It sure isn't about a belt.

I will agree that any training is better than no training. I will also agree that self defense is at least 80% mental. However their is a danger in false confidence.

When I first started training, it was in Tae Kwon Do. After a few months of training, I was starting to feel like a pretty bad dude. And everyone else that I knew was slowly buying into the fact that I could defend myself. The problem was, I really wasn't prepared for the reality of the street in any way. If anything I was over confident. I paid for the classes, I bought the T-Shirt and I passed the tests, so I'm good to go right? Wrong. I had a long, long, long, long, long way to go.

My opinion is to take any training that you can find. Books, magazines, videos, or any martial art that is available, but keep in mind that a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Like Clint Eastwood said, "A man's got to know his limitations." And you only learn that through realistic, tough training.

 

[test]

Way back when I was a young guy home from the Marines I had this beauty with me at a local club. Well her big boobs drew allot of problems and some guy kept coming over and messing around. Messing around finally turned into sorry man I meant nothing have a shot on me bro. Well it was dark and the shot was habenaro sauce. So I said out side mother trucker. We went to the door and three bouncers and one of his buddies came along. They were all friends. I do not remember all of it since I went into survival mode five to one. The guy who gave me the shot was laying on the ground with a fractured skull and the bigest bouncer was nursing an arm that was broken completly in too. The other three were trying to stop one guys bleeding and hollering your friggin crazy man. Some cop yelled at me from a few steps away and said Marine are you ok. I was standing with out a scratch but breathing like I was out of breath. Again the cop yelled Marine we got your back. I was coming off the high and looked around therr of the five were heading to the ER the other two wanted no more. I was escorted drunk to my hotel I drove the cop said I have never seen anything like that man you f--ked them up. It turns out they did that trick real often but some poor guy got his butt kicked and they would take his money and sometimes his girl. They could have the girl but they messed with my good time bummer man. Han to hand combat was my thing they came to me for tips on how to fight. So patting myself on the back hell I was 25 at the time thats so long ago. I hope I never have to fight like that again I always pull a muscle.