UNCONDITIONAL SURVIVAL

Thirty points on use of self-defense and training from Scott Sonnon in Black Belt. A few I found significant. Read the whole thing.

3. By themselves, prearranged self-defense techniques are not sufficient for combat. Unconditional survival demands extensive skill and preparation ranging from non-verbal communication to lethal force.

4. Symmetrical training cannot be relied upon. Too many martial arts instructors teach you how to use your skills only against practitioners of the same style.

8. If you understand only fighting skill, then when conflict arises you will fight, even if the situation could have been solved by other means.

12. Most people have never fallen on anything harder than a mat. They have never kicked with their shoes on or punched a real person. They have probably not tried to battle from inside a vehicle, from within a crowd of civilians or in the company of untrained loved ones. Don't fall victim to those pitfalls.

13. To prepare for an event, you must simulate it as closely as possible. Performance is in direct proportion to preparation. Moreover, the worst performance you have in training is the best you can hope for in combat.

14. To increase your chance of survival, you must engage in overload practice. Your training simulations must be more difficult than the potential assault.

17. Because of the weapons and methods used by modern criminals, you can no
longer permit yourself the luxury of training only with your empty hands. You must adopt an integrated system that spans the spectrum of defensive preparation, from non-verbal communication to interpersonal skill to less-than-lethal measures to lethal force.

27. During a physical confrontation that has obvious legal implications, the fight is over when the assailant is no longer a threat, even though the turmoil continues until the situation is resolved legally, socially, physically and emotionally.