Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Veil Has Lifted - Convocation Open House!

The Convocation of Combat Arts

Perhaps only briefly, the Convocation of Combat Arts has opened to the public! Yes, the inner workings of the exclusive and mysterious group are now open for viewing. It boggles the mind! To participate, you'll still need to join, however. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

I'd love it if all of our millions (only a slight exaggeration) of TDA Training readers would join so that we can converse and share ideas.

Impressions, Aikido, Karate, and attacking first

Ever thought provoking, Colin's Traditional Taekwondo Techniques (an excellent blog sharing the techniques, training methods, and philosophy of one who teaches an older, and yes, more traditional form of TKD than you usually see), responded to our post, Impressions, impressions... with his own, which I will quote and to which I will respond below:

There is no first attack in Karate ... by Colin Wee

This is a response to Nat's post Impressions, impressions ... on the TDA Training Blog.

In a deadly environment where ruthlessness was the norm, it would be the wise instructor to promote peace and harmony whilst equipping the student with the tools to defend or de-escalate the situation if it got out of hand. Funakoshi, father of modern karate, called for 'no first attack' in Karate. Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, focused on defensiveness and spiritual oneness, rather than on the lethality of his techniques.

In Nat's post, impressions are enough for you to judge the fighting prowess of the people around you. Yet there is still a lot of dumbness that get people into road rage, bar fights, and other brawls ... especially when the evening wears on. Dare I say these guys should be at the dojo practicing?

Indeed, the philosophy of Funakoshi and Ueshiba, as well as Judo's founder, Jigoro Kano, was to avoid or de-escalate any situation in which violence may result, and their teachings clearly reflect those ideals. Morihei Ueshiba and Kano created their styles from the ancient battlefield art we know as traditional jiu-jitsu (as opposed to BJJ), which contained the footwork, postures, locks, throws, chokes, and falls of both arts, but also incorporated many more offensive techniques. Jiu-jitsu has every element of an offensive combatives (military application) system of unarmed combat, including open and closed hand strikes, kicks, strangles, weapon defenses, and deadly finishing moves with the explicit intent to maim or kill. Funakoshi's Shotokan Karate, on the other hand, is a direct descendant of Okinawan "kara-te" (China hand), which was a civilian art with a primary emphasis on striking. Indeed, it was he who changed the meaning of "kara-te" to "empty hand," denoting those devoid of offensive weapons.

My opinion is that all three, Funakoshi's karate (as opposed to other styles of karate), Uyeshiba's Aikido (the "Way of harmonious spirit), and Kano's Judo (the Gentle Way"), are a product of their environment, and do not represent the entirety of their respective antecedents. All were formed or matured in the shadow of World War II's militaristic expansion of the Japanese Empire, with all of the barbaric acts committed therein. My reading of history is that the post-war years were characterized by large elements of pacifism, with rejection of arms, violence, and weapons resulting from occupation and national shame. In all three cases, those arts were perfectly positioned to grow and expand in the years when anything that seemed military (or too reminiscent of what had become associated with the Bushi or samurai class was either forbidden or strongly discouraged). Judo was promoted as fitness and safe competition, Aikido was a spiritually rich alternative to violence, and that laid the groundwork for a politically correct Karate (Shotokan) to eventually become popular.

I am not saying that the origins of these arts are all post-war, just that they probably survived and thrived because of their seeming rejection of the aggressive nature of their parent arts. All three still contain the seeds and even techniques of their more violent forebears, but are all restrained by the moderating principles of their founders. Indeed, those philosophies are the ideals to which the faithful aspire: non-violence, non-aggressive, or, at least, not "attacking first."

A careful reading of the original post to which Colin is responding is one in which I actually express skepticism of the idea of judging a book by it's cover, or, an opponent by his appearance, not agreement with the concept. But re-reading it after reading Colin's response got me thinking that Colin may actually be advocating the opposite, passive-aggression through stealth!

Fear this man! [Is this man causing conflict?]

One of the core things in our system is that we shouldn't engage the opponent in any way. The posture we sometimes favour is called 'please don't hurt me' ... head hung a little lower, hands up with palms outward, and standing straight ahead. We take some of our drills in this manner, and we dish out some strikes from this starting point.

On the surface, Colin's preferred posture might be interpreted submissive, and invite attack. It's non-aggressive, but I've learned over the years that someone who appears submissive may not attract good will, but aggression or bullying behavior; in other words, bring on, or invite aggression. Knowing a little about what Colin probably teaches (based on his writing, videos, and my black belts in TKD), I'd bet that his students are anything but wimpy, and he's actually promoting a good defensive posture, not really "please don't hurt little ol' me" body language. On the other hand, though, if he is advocating that posture, but teaching powerful striking techniques based on out of a posture that invites attack, then he's actually starting fights! Wow! I'm not going to pick on anyone who seems wimpy anymore, 'cause they might actually be getting ready to ambush me after reading Traditional Taekwondo on the Web!

I'm betting that I've offended a lot of people, started some arguments in Australia, and made Colin regret revealing his hyper-aggressive stealth world takeover tactics to me, the decoder of ancient and modern secrets! The Illuminati have to be worried!

Heh.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Guns in the Martial Arts - updated

Do you practice REAL self-defense?

[UPDATED: I've added more links to great sites and posts. Scroll to the bottom of the post.]

[UPDATE: Apples to Oranges is a follow-up by James Rummel on this subject.]


"Martial artists who believe they are teaching self-defense are wrong not to cover firearms, but Shooters are wrong not cover unarmed skills" - Brillianter.com

Brillianter is responding to an equally brilliant post from Hell in a Handbasket, Easy, Quick, Simple, Effective, which posits a basic truth: martial arts schools and firearms are like oil and water, separated by nature.

"... most self defense dojos carefully avoid teaching their students anything about firearms. All of them claim to teach an effective open hand technique that will allow their students to prevail in a violent encounter, and some of them even incorporate weapons in their lessons such as fighting sticks or knives. And yet, of all the various weapons and self defense techniques offered, firearms are always absent. Why would that be so?"

Many, if not most, martial arts instructors have an aversion to firearms possession, training, and use. It's antithetical to the beliefs of many that any situation can be resolved by awareness, avoidance, training, or technique, all of which involve the "empty hand," or at best, a kubotan or improvised weapon. The sad truth is that most of our training will go for naught if faced with a 12-year old with a gun and a bad attitude. We avoid the knowledge of ranged, non-classical weapons (i.e. firearms) because it destroys the myth of our deadly skills in the eyes of others, or own own. Why spend 20 years learning Dim Mak and body hardening, only to be forced to admit that they are useless against a $50 handgun?

On the other had, both authors take the position that firearms instructors tend to ignore the need to learn and use non-lethal force, in which most of us specialize.

Thankfully, one of the intended aims of the reality-based self-defense movement (fad?) is toward integrating the use of firearms in training, both in their intended use, and in learning tactical and strategic methods to survive armed encounters, not to mention the ubiquitous disarms. I believe that the influx of former law enforcement and military personnel into the breach has helped those in the public who recognize the real need with an alternative to both traditional gun training (gun only), and the old-fashioned training hall.

For more information:

From TDA Training:
Airsoft Pistols for Tactical Training
Air Guns and Self-Defense Training
Knife defense scenario training
Anecdotal Information on Home Invasion - Use of Deadly Force
Weapons first or last?
Bringing a gun to a knife fight?
Is your traditional training going to get you killed?
Unarmed vs the drawn handgun
Rush a gun; Run from a knife

From other sites:
Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog Civilians using guns in self-defense.

Hell in a Handbasket a professional self defense instructor teaching practical self-defense with firearms

Hock Hochheim for Hand to Hand Combat, Stick Combat, Knife Combat, Gun Combat in All Ranges of Combat: Standing, Kneeling and On the Ground Combat Tactics and Strategies

things worth believing in by Thomas Gace, a police officer who's serving and protecting the both his local, and the online communities

Defend University, a research and development group dedicated to the exploration of leading edge techniques and strategies for self-defense, security and defensive tactics. Look here for info that can be applied to your personal protection, defensive tactics, executive protection, and martial arts programs.

Crime Information Latest Information on Crime Statistics and Self Defense

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Respect posts

You may start to notice more posts about those whom I think we should venerate above others, and whose sacrifice or risks for their fellow man deserve recognition. Hence, you'll see more about our brave men and women in the armed forces, police, firefighters, and everyday citizens who do their part to make our world a safer or better place.

Look for more battlefield links and stories, police anecdotes and reports, and crime fighting stories, among others.

Traffic status coming out of Newark and upcoming for Thanksgiving holiday

I'm working my way out of Newark, New Jersey, and headed back across PA to my TDA compound, hoping to be home by late tonight. Wish me luck!

As to the posting schedule, I've got tons of ammo in the hopper, and will post up at least a couple for you to peruse and comment on over the long weekend. I'm betting that, like me, once you've eaten the turkey and stuffing, and have loosened your belt, you need something to read, so I'll try to help. And check out the TDA Blitz when it comes out on Friday.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Definitely worthy of recognition!

250 enemy against 30 Marines with a bad ass marksman at Blackfive.

Marines’ heroic actions at Shewan leave more than 50 insurgents dead, several wounded
11/16/2008  By Cpl. James M. Mercure  , 2nd Battalion (2/7)
FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan  —In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it.

Read.

Impressions, impressions...

Wanderlei Silva
Photo credit: The Sun

Fascinating post by Dr. Randy Borum on the impressions of upper body strength and perceptions of fighting ability determined from faces. Read it here.

So the idea is that you can determine how good a fighter someone is by their face?

A mechanism exists within the human brain that enables people to determine with uncanny accuracy the fighting ability of men around them by honing in on their upper body strength. What's more, that assessment can be made even when everything but the men's faces are obscured from view.

The details.

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2008) — For our ancestors, misjudging the physical strength of a would-be opponent might have resulted in painful –– and potentially deadly –– defeat.

Now, a study conducted by a team of scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara has found that a mechanism exists within the human brain that enables people to determine with uncanny accuracy the fighting ability of men around them by honing in on their upper body strength. What's more, that assessment can be made even when everything but the men's faces are obscured from view.

A paper highlighting the researchers' findings appears in the current issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

"Assessing fighting ability was important for our ancestors, and the characteristic that the mind implicitly equates with fighting ability is upper body strength," said Aaron Sell, a postdoctoral fellow at UCSB's Center for Evolutionary Psychology and the paper's lead author. "That's the component of strength that's most relevant to premodern combat. The visual assessment of fighting ability is almost perfectly correlated with the perception of strength, and both closely track actual upper body strength. What is a bit spooky is that upper body strength can even be read on a person's face.

I'd have to say that, in my experience, it's somewhat accurate. Who among us can say that a Wanderlei Silva, Mike Tyson, or Randy Couture doesn't look tough? I'd have to say that there are folks out there whose appearances would give me pause on my best day, and who I'd only tangle with if my life depended on it.

On the the other hand, I remember being bounced around a ring by a baby-faced Jimmy Lange when he may have been 14 years-old or so, and I was a grizzled veteran of many ring rounds. I've also sparred and grappled with young guys who've fared very well, but I knew would wilt if I put on my "game face" and body language. I'd say you never know...

Inside the Crucible Vol2

New from Paladin Press, an exclusive look at Kelly McCann's first major civilian training program - the Individual Protective Measures Course


Monday, November 24, 2008

She will remember...


this.

It's too easy to forget, or worse, take for granted the benefits to peoples around the world that are bestowed by the sacrifices of our military service members and their families.

The example given is typical of what's happened all over the world. Our young men and women make that difference every day.

Thanks.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

TDA Sunday Cinema: Enter the Dragon

Here begins a new feature at TDA Training, Sunday Cinema!

For our first feature, Enter the Dragon

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Making a Difference

Hell in a Handbasket

My brother asked me a couple of years ago why I did this, the blog thing. He knows why I do the martial arts - I love it. I enjoy hitting and being hit, the clash, impact, and wheezing as you attempt to break a grip on your neck. That's easy to understand, right? But this blog thing?? A little harder to explain.

I've been at this since 2004, and, though TDA Training seems to be one of the more popular sites of it's type, haven't made nearly anything doing it. I do it because I love writing, sharing ideas, but a bigger benefit has been the community.

Getting to know George, Pat, DR, Colin, and too many others to name has been a great pleasure. I've recently had the honor of getting to know Mr. James Rummel of Hell in a Handbasket a little bit, and I have to say that I'm impressed.

James has been helping victims of violence put their lives back together and regain some emotional sanity by gaining some control. James teaches those "victims" tactics and techniques for avoiding becoming a victim again, and how to safely and effectively use firearms in self-defense.

By his own estimation Mr. Rummel has taught over 700 people to look forward and not back, and to open, instead of close, their eyes when confronted, facing their fears with steely determination.

I just want to salute him for making a difference. Go over to his site and do the same.

Friday, November 21, 2008

TDA Blitz 2008.11.21

  1. Steve, a blue belt, is celebrating his 2nd anniversary in BJJ. If you've not checked out his blog, Steve's  BJJ Log, he's one of the best at journaling and sharing what he learns in his BJJ training under James Foster.
  2. John at My Self-Defense Blog relates the story of a situation his wife successfully deterred while at church! Any place, or at any time, something can happen. This may have turned out much worse if his wife didn't respond in the manner she did. Be prepared!
  3. Really fun video of a good karate black belt versus a judo man. They are playing around, but it shows some of the respective strengths of each art.
  4.   Via SuperJudo.tv
  5. You see these types of stories all the time. Marine Risks Life to Save Crash VictimsChildren in the
    Mikalik, who is the platoon sergeant for the 6th Platoon, 2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Strike Team, told his wife to call 911 and ran immediately to the scene. He opened the driver’s side door to find the driver unconscious with his legs pinned. After hearing the passenger in back, he ripped open the sliding door and assisted the injured passenger in escaping the vehicle.
  6. This is still happening in the third world, and anywhere morality and order give way to war without restraint: Children of the Great War. H/T: Mental Floss
    All armies in the Great War used kid soldiers. In the beginning of the war the enthousiasm to join the battle was so great that young boys (and even girls) could hardly be stopped to enlist.
    Recruiting Officers in all countries closed their eyes when eager children clearly under the required age - 18 years old - showed up to join their armies.
    At the end of the war children were even more welcome in the ranks, as the Great Mincing Machine continued to require human bodies with an astonishing need.
    Hardly trained the kids were send to the trenches in Belgium, France, Russia and Turkey, where they mingled with the oldier soldiers - and died with them.
  7. Low Tech Combat has a nice sucker punch drill
  8. This was some smart thinking! Victim drives sleeping rapist to police station
    A New Zealand rape victim drove her rapist to a police station when he fell asleep in his car after assaulting the woman, local media reported on Wednesday.
  9. Every cop's closest companion. Nice!
  10. The Joint Strike Fighter breaks the sound barrier for the first time! Via Military Times:
    The F-35 Lightning II broke the sound barrier for the first time during a test flight Thursday over northern Texas.
  11. The jet, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, accelerated to Mach 1.05, or about 680 miles per hour, builder Lockheed Martin said in Nov. 14 press release.

    “The F-35 transitioned from subsonic to supersonic just as our engineers and our computer modeling had predicted,” said Jon Beesley, Lockheed Martin’s chief F-35 test pilot.

    Beesley said it was also a significant achievement for a test aircraft to fly supersonic for the first time with the weight of a full 5,400-pound internal load of inert weapons.

  12. Another Steve's BJJ Post you've got to see! Click to watch!
    image

Meanwhile, over at the Convocation...

We're now up to 63 membersThe Convocation of Combat Arts!, including over 40 martial arts bloggers!

Our groups now include:
Kung Fu Convocation
MMA Convocation
Fighting with Firearms Convocation
Karate Convocation
Aikido Convocation
Taekwondo Convocation
Kobudo Convocation
Defensive Tactics Convocation
BJJ Convocation
Boxing and muay Thai Convocation
Budo Convocation
Judo Convocation
Combatives Convocation
Filipino MA Convocation

Come join us today!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Going Through Life With A Cute Little Ass

Original title: Ten things I've learned by having a cute little ass. Don't worry, this is safe for work!

Me with Primo Carnera

  1. It's always referred to as, "cute." I can live with that!
  2. All the chicks dig it. Heh.
  3. Everyone wants to see it close up.
  4. Every time I see it, I get happy.
  5. It's not really good for anything. It's just there.
  6. Not as easy to manage as you'd think. Not high maintenance, but not so easy.
  7. Makes a good companion
  8. Likes physical contact
  9. Sometimes feels playful
  10. Needs periodic checkups (not from a proctologist, a vet!)

Everyone, meet Primo Carnera, the Sicilian donkey, and guardian of the TDA Training compound. Primo, meet the TDA Training readers.

Approximately 200 pounds of pure muscle, like me (except for the "pure" part), he's got an Italian background, but grew up in the States. He's named for a world heavyweight boxing champ, his namesake, and has a mean back kick and 1-2. Primo is only one - still a baby, but is already full size. You need to watch his body language, especially the pitch of his ears, as he can be a little ornery at times. Best to approach from the front, and bear gifts like carrots or apples.

He may be little and cute, but he's definitely a badass! Sorry. I just had to...

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A day training in the Marines martial art

image
Photo: History Channel

You'll find nothing but admiration and envy from me that, as he puts it, they "pay you to learn martial arts." But, not so fast... Hilarious! Read it!

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Monday, November 17, 2008

How to Make Your Training More Practical for Self-Defense

This is an update to a post originally filed August 11, 2004. I've long considered it one of my more important posts, but it was made back in my blogging infancy, and without a lot of thought. Back then, this was a means of communication and reinforcement to my students, and little more. We started to get so many hits that I thought, I'll start really going all out and make millions! That hasn't worked out, but I've reinforced two of my loves: teaching and study of martial arts, and writing. - Nathan
____________________________________________________________________________________
I've always looked at martial arts, in general, as an equalizer, much like the Colt .45 in the old west. I believe that you can improve your chances of survival in all self-defense situations if you have some training. For that training to be effective, though, you have to train as if you're in the situation, experiencing something close to the stress, anxiety, and chaos inherent therein.

This brings to mind something saw last winter at the skating rink near our home. As we were waiting for one of our kids' lessons to begin, I watched as the figure skaters were warming up in the main lobby area. Some of the competitors were just stretching and moving around, but a couple of them were practicing their jumps and spins in the air, then landing on the floor in tennis shoes. I realized that they were not only practicing some of the mechanics of the technique or jump, but from the focus, they were visualizing being on the ice.

That's how we should utilize the components of our training - everything can, and should, have a practical component.

How often will we use a martial arts technique? Hopefully, never. What technique is used is not as important as being prepared to use whatever we have ready or immediately available. By this, I mean that if I have very heavy boots, restrictive clothing such as jeans and a winter coat on, I probably won't be kicking very high, if at all. But, I should have full use of my hands, and can count on some protection from my clothing as well. If you've ever worn bag gloves, you can attest to the fact that you can hit a lot harder with them on than with them off. The same is true of the false confidence of weapons. Many people have mace or stun guns, or firearms. I'd bet that a very large percentage have never used them. I used to give away kubotan sticks with every women's self-defense seminar I taught, but wouldn't again. Why? Unless you drill with a weapon in scenarios, and repeatedly visualize use of said weapon, it's likely to be a detriment in that you have a false sense of security.

How can you make your self-defense training more practical.

  1. Train with self-defense in mind - How can I actually use this block, kick, punch, or grappling technique to save my life? Every technique, once learned properly, should be filled with intensity and purpose. Take nothing for granted. It could save your life.
  2. Drill scenarios like being attacked as you get in or out of your car; pushed from behind; grabbed from behind; tackled and pinned; in very light or dark conditions. Have you ever started out a grappling or groundfighting session on the ground, lights out or blindfolded? Drill being at an ATM and getting approached from behind. Practice in the parking lot. Read the crime blotter in your local paper and build scenarios from it.
  3. Train outdoors in street clothes. Make your training environment more realistic by wearing what you normally do. If it isn't appropriate, wear something close. As Bob mentioned recently, and I have many times, training wearing footwear is completely different than barefoot. Why on earth would you think that you can pivot, slide, or move the same with street clothes as you do in near-pajamas? Why do you think the military trains combatives in body armor, helmets, etc? Take a lesson and get it in gear!
  4. Train in confined spaces. Use a parking lot area marked off and surrounded (against a car), simulate an elevator or office area (or really use one if you make sure it's OK).
  5. Mentally rehearse. Inconspicuously look someone over so that you could identify them. Go from head to toe: height, build, skin color, facial hair or other distinguishing characteristics, clothing, footwear. Listen to his voice. Accent or anything else that stands out? Could he have a weapon? Think about what you would do versus an initial move or attack by that person.
  6. Think of escape routes. Never a good idea to turn your back, but, can you get away without being exposed to potential danger? One of your first moves when going in to a location is thinking of how you would get out. Much like defensive driving, knowing an escape route is key to being able to avoid dangerous situations.
  7. Practice the dynamics of fighting, not sparring. There is a very big difference between fighting and sparring. As you may know, sparring can be pretty, rhythmic, clean (technique-wise), and can take a while. Sometimes in sparring, you need to pace yourself. Fighting is all-out, vicious, and messy. It doesn't have a discernable rhythm, and there is no referee, or clock, so you don't have rules, and sometimes pacing yourself is going to mean you give your opponent more chances. Fight like you're in a toughman contest with only sixty seconds to win the whole bout. Sparring has it's place, but reserve time for serious fighting drills as well. Contact is critical to training to survive. If you aren't used to getting hit pretty hard, you're probably not going to make it outside the training hall.
  8. Train to survive fighting more than one person. Try to spar, at first, with more than one person until you get pretty competent at it. Then try to fight against a pair of partners that are working together to try to tackle or pin you. If you're really brave, try this against 3. Escalate the intensity and difficulty just a little past what the "defender" is ready for occasionally. Afterward, sit down and discuss what worked, what didn't and why. Learn from your losses and wins. Open up with different objectives, like the attackers are really pissed, or only want your wallet, or are just out to hurt you.
  9. Train to defend and survive an armed attack. Introduce weapons into your training as early as you can. There should be clubs, edged weapons, and handguns in your training. Add them into your skill set, then learn to defend against and use them. Add a club into the mix, or a blade, when sparring. Have someone pull a training pistol or squirt gun during drills and see how you handle it. It will, more than anything else, open up your mind to how your current skills need improvement. Who cares how many guys you can tap if someone else can double-tap you in the chest with a pistol because you aren't looking for it.
  10. Use your environment to survive. Dr. Jerry Beasley said that one of the first things he looks for in every self-defense situation is for something to throw. He wants to make sure he can blind, stun, or injure an attacker so that he can get away. A great approach. Also use objects in your environment to put between yourself and danger, anything that can give you a millisecond more to react if there's a threat. I think it was Hock Hochheim that wrote about some of the subtle things that officers do to maximize reaction time, like standing behind a fire hydrant or up on a curb. Are there any objects in your vicinity that your could improvise with? A broom could make good use of your bo skills. Similarly, I love having a short umbrella in my hand because I know that my Arnis training will let me make short work of most attackers, even a knife-wielding one.

In short, most of us start training with the idea that what we learn will help us in self defense. In many cases, it won't. Unless you train like your life depends on it.

Comments welcomed.

For more information:

self-defense “magic formula” This is one of the best articles I've read on self protection, and well worth your time.
TDA Is your traditional training going to get you killed?
Charlotte Self Defense
Defend University
Dr Ruthless Melissa Soalt
No Nonsense Self Defense
Is your traditional training going to get you killed?
TDA How to Win a Fight
TDA Practical Hand Techniques
TDA Tip Cripple Yourself to Be Prepared
TDA Tip Drive to survive!
TDA Tip Avoid a fair fight
TDA Knife defense scenario training
TDA Defend University on the Unexpected

Friday, November 14, 2008

Savage Baptist Joins the Debate on Escape

Mokuren Dojo's post, The aiki gift that keeps on giving, prompted a response post at Colin's Traditional Taekwondo Techniques blog, Aikido Philosophy, Taekwondo Technique ... Is it possible???, as well as mine, Escape as a Strategy in Self-Defense. I'd start in that order to get the full flavor.

I just read Savage Baptist's response to the series of posts at No Blog of Significance.
No Blog of Significance

One of my favorite blogospheric acquaintances, Dr. Patrick Parker, wrote a thoughtful post on how closely some aikido techniques actually match the art's professed ideals. The ensuing discussion, which has spread over three or four blogs at this point, seems to center around the difference between fighting and self-defense, and which techniques and strategies constitute what.

With that, I think he hit the proverbial nail on it's flat head. It's about the difference between fighting, a voluntary engagement of two or more in violence, and self-defense, which is involuntary by one of said parties.

His thoughts on my post:

Nathan, at TDATraining, wrote:

Most of us don't have the time, in a realistic attack, which is likely an ambush of some sort. If I could have escaped, I would have done so. If a situation makes me uncomfortable, I should get out - it's my moral obligation to avoid violence. If, on the other hand, I haven't left, then I didn't expect the attack in the first place.

This provoked several thoughts on my part (Smell smoke? That's probably it...).
Maybe it's just me, but in all my life, I've been in--oh, probably less than ten "confrontations" (I have a hard time thinking of some of them as "fights")--and only one of those involved an ambush. All of them were years ago. I'd say maybe it's just the neighborhoods I've lived in, but most of them haven't exactly been upper-crust, know what I mean? I mean, people do get involved in fights there. Just not me. Why? Who knows?
As an aside, I must also note that I've never had to deal with a complex attack or a skilled attacker. There are times I wonder where the bogeymen that some people write about actually live. All I've ever met are the sucker-punch artists, and not too many of those.
Most of the time, I could smell trouble coming, so to speak. I knew something was going to happen...

I'd agree with that, especially the last statement. If you know something's going to happen, get out, if you can. I'm not so ashamed to admit that, in my younger years, I didn't run either. In fact, if a fight was going to happen, I didn't mind being there at all. That was a choice. Savage Baptist goes on to relate that most of the situations he didn't leave, but could have.

It seems like we're all on the same page, more or less. My post was really related to the fact that 1) I agree with Pat's idea of practicing the evasive technique: no counter, no blend, no grab or throw. Just get into position to escape. I think that was his point (as I saw it). The ideal of nonviolence is just that, an ideal. Where I was heading with my response was that for self-protection, that ideal isn't always the best choice. Indeed, "Immediate engagement can be your best defense - evasion and escape only work if you can outrun or otherwise escape your attacker - if you can't, you could be toast."

Your thoughts?

TDA Blitz 2008.11.14

The Redskins had a bye week, so nothing about them this week. I was at a great show in San Diego (which is great, in and of itself), and saw lots of goodies. Gas prices are near or below $2.00 for regular, and I got an upgrade to Business Select on Southwest. Not bad. On to the Blitz


Colin kicking the head?
  1. Colin has a great how-to post on the High Roundhouse Kick to the Head. A man after my own heart! 'Course,  someone should tell Colin he missed the head. Just kidding Colin (I might meet the guy someday, and gotta be careful what I write).
  2. Bill Gertz of the Washington Times reports that missile defense is working, per the general in charge.
    "Asked if current U.S. ground-based and sea-based systems are "workable," Gen. Obering said: "Absolutely."
    "Not only are they workable, they've been proven in combat" in the Middle East, he said in a farewell interview with Defense reporters."
  3. Selling your house? Are you a realtor? Open Houses by Nick Hughes has some great advice.
    "If you, or anyone you know, is trying to sell their home, and they're going to have a parade of strangers walking through, let them know this tip.
    If they have kids, remove any reference to them in the house. A case I'm aware of involves a paedophile who got a slew of information from being inside a home. He was able to glean the age of the child, their hobbies, their names and the names of their parents etc.
    Put yourself in the child's shoes a few weeks later. Someone rolls up in a car, knows their name, talks to them about their hobbies, describes their house and their bedroom, uses the parent's names and then says they sent him to pick them up...it would have to be a well trained child to not fall for the ruse."
    Nick has much more information at his blog on avoiding crime and scams. See this TDA post about the problem.
  4. Rob Redmond at 24 Fighting Chickens has a thought-provoking, and headache-inducing post on Force:
    "F=MA is probably the most overused physics equation in the Karate community. Karate instructors use it to explain how to make a punch deliver more damage to a target. Karate students use it to explain why they are able to punch more powerfully than boxers (note: such claims are nonsense). F=MA has been bounced around the pool table of karate physics for years.
    Unless you are a physics major, everything you think about force and karate techniques is probably wrong."

  5. EagleSpeak's blog covers maritime security, but often features facts and trivia of naval history. Nothing better that that on a Friday, eh (if you're into history, like me)? Read Sunday Ship History: Churchill's Dummy Fleet. Fascinating!
  6. Formosa Neijia has done quite a bit of Judo posting lately, and has clips of a bunch of devastating throws on Judo in MMA. No wonder they call one of their throws "ouchie gary, or something like that!image
  7. My long-lost blogging brother, George of Boot to the Head posts on the glory days of Ninja movies with Sho Kosugi!
     
  8. Apparently DNA and fingerprints are kind of passe, and the reason really stinks! Identifying People By Odor As Effective As Fingerprinting Read it!
    Odor identification
  9. Hell in a Handbasket has a nice write up on the new Carbon (purpose-built police car) with a link to my excellent post. Just a little shameless self-promotion. Heh.
  10. Mr. Charles James has some required reading for his students. You may benefit from perusing the list, and his recommendations.

A great weekend to you all.

Train as if your life depended on it! - Nathan Teodoro

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Escape as a Strategy in Self-Defense

Pat at Mokuren Dojo has a post (The aiki gift that keeps on giving) which made me think, a lot. And I don't usually like that, but I chose to respond here as opposed to in his comments (which you should read, to get the whole picture). The point of his post, to me, is two-fold:

  1. Develop the skill of evasion as a technique because it will give you more options, make you more slippery as a defender, and give you the option of escape if you choose to take it. Therefore, "Try it for a month and see what it does for your aikido..." A great idea. Anytime you try to develop a new skill, isolate it, then fit it into the rest of your skills naturally.
  2. Open your mind to the idea of escape first, as many of the techniques which are your first choice in Aikido are actually counter to the ideals of the art, as espoused by the founder. As Pat puts it:
    "Aikido guys like to claim the moral high ground by talking about peace and not fighting with the enemy and etc... We drone things (often in a spacey voice) like, “get offline... No, don't oppose force... avoid... evade... don't fight with the attacker... Blend...”"

I appreciate and agree with the first point (again, as I see it), but the second, to me, is an ideal which is not easily met. I actually object to it (too strong a word?) for the following reasons:

  • Immediate engagement can be your best defense - evasion and escape only work if you can outrun or otherwise escape your attacker - if you can't, you could be toast.
  • If you have no idea what kind of weapon the attacker may have, counterattacking can be the best way to prevent it from being brought to bear. For me, hitting quick and escaping fast can prevent a ranged weapon from entering the picture.
  • Most of us don't have the time, in a realistic attack, which is likely an ambush of some sort. If I could have escaped, I would have done so. If a situation makes me uncomfortable, I should get out - it's my moral obligation to avoid violence. If, on the other hand, I haven't left, then I didn't expect the attack in the first place. I subscribe to the "stop-hit now, ask questions later" school of preemption.
  • Too strong a response? Not likely. If someone is deranged or aggressive enough to attack little old me, a peace-loving, non-threatening, nice guy, then he must be really dangerous.

Keep in mind that this only fits with my personal philosophy of self-protection, and may not apply to anyone else. I agree with the sentiment of escape. But when it comes to the evade part, once it's on, it's on.

Please read the post on Mokuren Dojo, then Aikido Philosophy, Taekwondo Technique ... Is it possible??? at Colin's Traditional Taekwondo.

Have a great day, and stay out of trouble!

Todays TDA Tip: Protect your centerline




Why did the guy on the left (Sam) get hit? Direct route in. Notice the lead-off fighter throws a weapon between the two. The counter-fighter attempts to use the side-kick counter, but it's too slow compared to the jab. The reason this worked is that the counter-fighter's lead was low, and aimed at the floor. Remember to keep a weapon between yourself and the opponent. In this case, if the counter-fighter had his lead up and aimed (covering the centerline), the opening wouldn't have been there in the first place.

Note: originally posted here.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Definition of Defensive Tactics

Thomas Gerace of the things worth believing in has posted something worthwhile at the Defensive Tactics Convocation, which he administers at CoCA. I'm reposting it here.

I was going to post something original to open up this group, but I find that I cannot do better than what Bernard Lau defines as Defensive tactics:

Police defensive tactics are NOT the same as self-defense. The role of defensive tactics in law enforcement and corrections is to assist the officer in performance of arrest and restraint, and to increase the margin of safety for both the officer and the suspect. Defensive tactics charge the officer with protecting others as well as themselves. The definition of "defend" as used here is neither punitive nor passive, but instead "to repel danger or harm while serving and protecting." Meanwhile, self-defense encompasses any and all means of protecting oneself. Self-defense techniques are not meant to apprehend an assailant. Indeed, there is no regard for the safety of the attacker whatsoever. So obviously self-defense and defensive tactics are not synonymous.

Defensive tactics are not martial arts, either. While martial arts provide a technical basis for defensive tactics, they are generally not suitable for use on the street. That said, martial arts training offers many benefits to officers, including fitness, strength and agility, balance and flexibility, stress reduction, recreation, etc. Indeed, the benefits for self-perfection inherent in long-term practice are enormous. Therefore, without denying that martial arts training can benefit officers, it is not necessary.
On the other hand, training in defensive tactics is more than simply issuing officers a nightstick and saying, "Don’t hit anybody in the head." It only takes a few seconds to be issued a tool, but learning to use it is a never-ending process.

Furthermore, you don’t always have the right tool in your hand. It may be on your belt or in your car, and while it just takes a few seconds to get it, that may be more than you have. Therefore another purpose of defensive tactics training is to give you a few seconds. You can use those seconds to get a tool or to plan a better response or simply to breathe and therefore regain mind control.

Finally, once you learn the techniques, you can’t forget to bring them with you, either. Sure, you can lose the skills if you panic, or if you refuse to practice them, but there is no way anyone can take them away from you short of rendering you unconscious.

The only way I depart from Mr. Lau is in a slight redefinition of the role of Martial Arts in defensive tactics. I have found that in many departments that there is little motivation to maintain any sort of regular DT training. As a matter of fact, the issues of on-duty injury, mandating DT training, unions and workmans-comp tend to make departments lean away from forming a regular DT program. That being said, officers concerned with maintaining their skills may be better advised to find training on the civillian side. However, the officer needs to be careful in what he is being taught. Not all arts teach techniques that can be directly translated to the various levels of force one finds necessary in performing the LE mission.

"...self-defense techniques are not meant to apprehend an assailant. Indeed, there is no regard for the safety of the attacker whatsoever. So obviously self-defense and defensive tactics are not synonymous." This is true, and encompasses the problem, to me, for a law enforcement officer: he or she is so focused on, and hamstrung by the rules which protect the suspect, that the officer is more likely to get hurt or die. As Mr. Gerace says, most department I've trained, worked with, or surveyed, have no qualification to maintain DT training once the officer completes his academy training. To me, the problem goes even further with a reliance on techniques which assume someone's on the way to back them up, and the removal of effective techniques which can save their lives (e.g. the lateral vascular restraint/blood choke).

Further, Gerace is right on, in my humble opinion, that civilian MA techniques don't mesh well with DT, in many cases, but mostly because they would open the department up to excessive/unnecessary force suits.

To me, one of the best uses of an officer's time is to learn a street-effective art such as Aikido, Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do, Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ (I know, they all need modifications), in addition to a weapon art effective in teaching responses to clubs or knives. Filipino MA fit the bill perfectly (Arnis/Escrima/Kali).

Disagree with me? Head over to the Convocation's DT forum and tell me why!

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Respect for the Real Warriors - Veterans Day

Generations of ValorToday is reserved for one thing, showing respect for the warriors who protect our way of life, whether overseas, or here at home. We call this Veteran's Day.

Since the founding of our nation, from volunteer militias fighting tyranny to establish a republic that's an example to the world, our military men and women have placed themselves in harms way. Without our military might, world commerce, as it exists today, would cease, untold millions would likely survive under the thumb of dictatorships, the yearning in the heart of every man for freedom would remain unfulfilled.

Without question, there is a special place in the heart of our Nation for those who ensure that we remain the United States of America.

Today, I call upon my American brothers and sisters in the martial arts blogging community to join me in thanking our veterans. Take time today to express your appreciation for ensuring our freedom. I will link up to everyone who joins me.

UPDATE:

Thanks to Patrick at Mokuren Dojo: Veterans Day 2008 Tribute
Alain Burrese starts with thanking family
A moving post at Hell in a Handbasket

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Monday, November 10, 2008

My Hero: 89 year-old woman thwarts intruder with gun!

I love this! Via Cfnews13.comimage

PALM BAY -- In Brevard County, a quick-thinking 89-year-old woman stopped an armed neighbor who  barged into the home she shared with her daughter.

It happened Thursday in Palm Bay on the 1600 block of Seeley Circle.

Palm Bay police said Craig Robbins entered the house with a handgun and rifle, thinking he was being pursued by enemies.

Catarina Tosca and her daughter said Robbins fired several shots out the front door, but never threatened them.

Police said that while Robbins was looking out a window, Tosca grabbed his ammo clip while he was aiming out of the window and then ran from the house.

Police eventually talked the man into leaving the house peacefully. Nobody was injured.

Neighbors said the man had been out of work for eight months.

He was taken to a mental health facility.

Now, this guy was seems to be nuts, but her "cool under fire" is to be commended. It could have gone very much worse, but she may have saved some lives, including those of police officers.

She's my hero of the day!

Do not run! - the new Carbon police car

Patrick and I were chatting tonight and he asked what I did. I wearily wrote, "I do IT for law enforcement," and his reaction was, "cool job!" Which got me to thinking that it is a cool job. I get a decked out police type-vehicle, an expense account, and meet lots of interesting people. I also get to attend interesting conferences and trade shows like the International Association of Chiefs of Police. And I get to see things like this, the new Carbon:

The purpose-built police car - Carbon
Marketing photo


What I saw today at the show.

If you think it looks cool in the pics, check out this video!

The concept of the Carbon is to provide, per their Web site, "the world’s first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle, designed by law enforcement, for law enforcement." They go on to state that cops drive "lightly modified retail passenger cars that were never designed to handle the rigorous, round-the-clock demands of law enforcement." They have a point. The Crown Vic, the market leader, has similar specs (same platform) to the Lincoln Town Car. What's needed in a police patrol car is, first and foremost, reliability, performance and safety, with things like cargo room and ergonomics lagging behind. What's different in the Carbon concept is that they've designed it with "Ultra-Low Sulfur (ULS) Diesel," and higher MPG than anything else on the market. It's green and mean! A good combination. The extras are that the light bar is built in, plus everything else you'd want, including a PIT-capable push bumper molded into the body. Nice!

My opinion is that the pictures don't do it justice. It looks much "meaner" in person. I love the integrated lights, and the "purpose-built" idea. I just wonder if this is a good time for any startup company, even one selling to the public sector.

The stats for the Carbon (via the manufacturer) are impressive:

  Carbon E7 Chevy Impala Dodge Charger Ford Crown Vic Interceptor
Horsepower 300 240 340 250
Torque 420 245 390 297
MPG (combined) 28-30 22 20 18
0-60 mph 6.5 sec 8.82 sec 6.53 sec 8.71 sec
1/4 Mi. 14.5 sec
@98 mph
16.65 sec @87.13 mph 14.99 sec @95.68 mph 16.58 sec
@85.75 mph
Braking 60-0 125 ft 140.5 ft 132.8 ft 142.4 ft
Lateral Gs 0.85 g 0.84 g 0.83 g 0.80 g

The bottom line is that... I think I've found my new car. Now if they can just get it to market before Christmas!

UPDATE: I posted the wrong video. Corrected.

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A Special Look at MCMAP

For more information:

See our Combatives category

Friday, November 07, 2008

TDA Blitz 2008.11.07

What week! We have a new president-elect, the Dow is sinking faster than the Titanic during that scene where everybody was falling sideways down the deck, my Redskins got beaten down by my Steelers, and lots of other things happening. Those are all interesting, but on to the real stories! - Nathan


Ma deuce!
Photo credit: Hell in a Handbasket
  1. Hell in a Handbasket reports on efforts to update the best weapon for home defense, the .50 caliber M2:
    Do you know that the very same design is still being used today, 70 years after US troops first hunkered down behind the spade grips to give the enemy hell? It still works, still does the job very well indeed, but a lot of those old warhorses are starting to wear out after decades of use. Some people think that there might just be room for improvement.

    Various attempts have been made over the past ten years to drastically improve Ma Deuce. Efforts tend to concentrate on reducing her weight, since she is a heavy girl that weighs 130 pounds or so. It would be nice if she could slim down to half that.

    As this post over at StrategyPage shows, it looks like she won't be any lighter any time soon. The major setback seems to be that a gun which weighs less cannot fire as fast without shaking apart or burning up.

  2. Speaking of home defense, thank God this woman was prepared! Read it all.
    Rape Victim Shoots Rapist in Her Home
    The 57-year-old woman shot Ronnie W. Preyer, 47, a registered sex offender, in the chest with a shotgun when he broke through her locked basement door.

    The woman told police he was the same man who raped her several days earlier. Officials do not intend to seek charges against her.

  3. Via Fight Geek, Speed bag work. Enjoy!
  4. Via Military Times, Combatives champ to turn pro, leave Army
    He’s a combat veteran who has turned down invitations to fight in the nation’s top mixed martial arts circuits so he could deploy with his fellow Green Berets.

    Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy has won the light heavyweight division at the all-Army combatives tournaments three years in a row and professes a deep love for his job in the Army.

    But his bosses at Special Operations Command won’t let Kennedy fight in professional, civilian MMA tournaments, and this fall, he plans to go on terminal leave and eventually leave the Army to pursue a career in hand-to-hand fighting.

  5. Watch out! Spy Cam In Wal-Mart Set To Beam Credit Card Numbers To Thieves
    A mysterious box with an antenna found hidden inside a Wal-Mart was a planted spy camera set up to beam customer credit card numbers to thieves in the parking lot, police said.
  6. I must have this! Chain Mail Shirt 
  7. Another good review of Meditations on violence at Formosa Neijia. I think I'll need to pick it up.
    Short review: If I could recommend ONE book that every martial artist on earth should read, this would be it. How’s that for a review?
  8. Blogs Better at Pushing Product?
    New research finds that bloggers' links are gaining heft as trusted guides for finding useful content and product purchases.
  9. What do you think has more potential to influence buying decisions online: links in blog posts or a burgeoning social network?

    If you chose social network, you would probably be using common sense. If you chose bloggers, you're on to something that Jupiter Research and Web metrics firm BuzzLogic have uncovered in recent research.

    For avid blog readers, the links found within posts are the preferred method for retrieving related content from other blogs, Jupiter found. The results of its survey offer some hints for e-commerce and advertising opportunities.

    Web analytics and advertising firm BuzzLogic commissioned the study. It found that blogs serve a key role in retrieving information on the Web, including product reviews and recommendations.

  10. Is this the Zohan's dad?
    Refugio "Fugi" Escobedo from Atlanta, Georgia is 71 and is leading what seems to be an interesting kind of double life. What else would you be saying about of a combination of bounty hunter and ... are you ready for this ... hair stylist!
    The man - who certainly is quite a character with long and flowing black hair - is described as a self-defense expert by
    ajc.com. As far as the quite risky bounty hunting business goes, he says he often works alone.
  11. Finally, read A side to fighters that many never see… linked at the great RossTraining.com. Just be prepared to cry like a little girl. Unless you are a little girl, then you should be ready.

Have a great weekend, and be ready!

Who are the Convocation Partners?

Quite a while ago, a group of us (martial arts bloggers) decided to create a place where we could discuss amongst ourselves, and with our reader, the issues of the martial day in a civil, mature way, without gratuitous, and anonymous personal attacks or unjustified opinions. Thus, The Convocation of Combat Arts was born. We've just moved over to a new platform, Ning, from our original Google Groups home, and are launching now. Please head over and check us out (membership required)! The original Partners (partner blogs) are (more are added daily):

Mokuren Dojo is the Aikido and Judo training hall for Southwest Mississippi