Effective Self Defense Techniques and Training: Where Martial Arts Training Falls Short
May 30, 2009
A Rude Awakening: The Inefficacy of Most Martial Arts Training
It’s an all too common story. The dedicated martial arts practitioner with years of experience and several stripes on his belt is finally faced with an opportunity to showcase his hard earned skills and he…flops. He and many like him wrongly assume that martial arts training is the equivalent of self defense training, when, for all intents and purposes, they’re based on diametrically different principles. He believed that martial artists have skills that will allow them to dominate and control an adversary with ease. And while many of the techniques are the same as those applied in self defense, the philosophies of training have little crossover.
From my personal experience, most trainees are led to believe that their system of martial arts is, first and foremost, a good self defense system. But students are not taught the difference between martial arts and self defense, a difference that isn’t simply breached with more and more technique training. Students enter a class assuming they’ll learn a system that will not only improve their all around fitness, but also prepare them for personal self defense. And most martial arts instructors don’t know the difference themselves, so they package their system as self defense and for years sell a product that is little more than aggressive ballet with a bit of shouting thrown in. Perhaps the greatest contribution of mixed martial arts in recent years is the die hard commitment to technique testing under high stress situations. This is where most systems fall terribly short.
Acknowledging and Utilizing the Fight or Flight Response
In life threatening situations our bodies have a natural fear response mechanism called the ‘fight or flight’ response. This mechanism empowers us to flee a dangerous situation or to stay and fight. This power derives from the sympathetic nervous system’s manifold functions. Under extreme stress the adrenal glands release the super hormone adrenaline into our blood stream, our heart rate increases, our cardiac output increases, blood pressure rises, respiratory functions quicken, pupils dilate potentially causing tunnel vision or the loss of peripheral awareness, normal organ function is temporarily restricted, muscle tension increases, and we’re empowered with near superhuman strength, speed, and pain tolerance.
Time itself may slow down or quicken, causing an experience of precognition, where events are anticipated or abstracted from subconscious perceptions of present circumstances. This may create the sensation of seeing a strike before it happens or lightning fast reflexes. This natural and powerful response to fear should be fully acknowledged ahead of time. Unless highly trained, one should not expect to keep their cool, as the power of this physiological and hormonal response can be all consuming and render all previous planning, training and hard work useless. An intelligent self defense system will not try to suppress or transcend this fear response; it will utilize its benefits while trying to minimize the negative symptoms of stress.
The Mind and Body Symptoms of Stress
Stress can cause a variety of psychological and physiological changes, and in a life threatening situation will result in the following without extreme preparedness or extensive self defense experience.
-Perceptual Distortion - Depth perception is impaired and peripheral vision narrowed, hearing may be blocked, and sensitivity to pain may be altered or cut off.
-Cognitive Impairment- Creative and logical thinking are impaired and emotional centers in the brain take over. Hallucination and time distortion (slow motion or fast motion) are possible, and memory will be less than accurate.
-Motor Skill Deterioration - The ability to perform certain physical actions is impaired by stress. Motor skills can be categorized as fine, complex, or gross. Fine motor skills involve small muscles, dexterity, and eye-hand coordination. Complex motor skills involve sequential actions requiring timing and coordination. Many martial arts techniques are complex motor skills. Both fine and complex motor skills are impaired under high levels of stress, which is why most martial arts training becomes irrelevant in life or death situations. A great deal of martial arts training is based on eye-hand coordination and precision, skills that deteriorate under duress.
Third category of motor skills is gross motor movement. These are skills that mimic large compound body movements like pushing, pulling, and squatting. These movements, unlike fine and complex motor skills, do not deteriorate under pressure, but actually strengthen. When the adrenals excrete the super hormone adrenaline (epinephrine) our gross motor skills become much stronger and faster than we could ever imagine. We become impervious to pain and our hands, arms and legs may tremble uncontrollably. Being aware of these physiological changes and altered states of consciousness will allow us to construct an intelligent and effective self defense system that capitalizes on this all consuming natural response as well limit actions and training that may prove ineffective.
A Viable Self Defense System Utilizing the Natural Fight or Flight Response
Unless a person intends to make martial arts a lifetime commitment they ought to find a self defense system that utilizes the natural fight or flight response discussed above because, for better or worse, you’ll probably be crapping your pants when faced with a serious situation. This response can be conditioned or counteracted with training, but increasing the complexity of one’s system may hinder rather than help effective response. So it stands to reason that if we, under situations of high stress, all act a certain way, and being attacked or assaulted certainly constitutes high stress, then we ought to use a system of self defense that focuses on the following:
1. Techniques which use gross motor movements
These movements are enhanced under extreme stress, and should therefore be the foundation of a self defense system. Gross motor movements are fundamental body mechanics, capable of being performed by anyone in nearly any physical or emotional state.
2. Techniques which focus on fighting and finishing the fight on one’s feet (without sacrificing balance, speed, or power)
There are many martial arts systems that specialize in ground fighting, and while these systems are excellent in controlled environments, cage fights, or one on one no holds barred matches, going to the ground on the street can be just the edge your opponent (s) is looking for, for several reasons. The ground is hard, and planning to submit an opponent on the ground could prove much more challenging if you’re lying on a curb, sand, broken glass, ice, or any number of unfavorable terrains. And that’s just if there is only one assailant.
If you are facing off with more than one opponent, you can expect your attacker’s friends to kick your head in while you’re working on an arm bar or choking him out. If your opponent is carrying a knife, rolling around on the ground is also not the best of ideas. And while basic self defense training from the ground is important, it should concentrate on getting back to one’s feet as quickly as possible and not finishing the fight on the ground. Learning to finish a fight on the ground will take years of serious study to do with proficiency, and for those unwilling to commit the time to learning this skill, it should not be considered essential self defense.
I know this will step on some toes, as there are those who swear by Brazilian Jiu Jutsu and point to the Ultimate Fighting Competition and similar cage match competitions to prove its efficacy. And I don’t demean it. In fact, I believe it is one of the most comprehensive and efficient systems of martial arts. I just don’t believe people are thinking clearly when they point to a cage match as conclusive proof. Fighters are not using weapons. Fighters are not outnumbered. And fighters are relatively protected by rules which prevent dangerous vital targeting which could cause death or paralysis. So I’ll leave it at that and simply say that my priorities in training are not to win a cage match, but to survive the worst of possible assaults imaginable.
In the title of this section I also qualify stand up fighting by saying our techniques should not sacrifice balance, speed, or power. This calls into question the value of all kicking techniques. When you throw a punch, you are eliminating only one tool from your arsenal temporarily (the punch, in that it can’t be used again immediately until it is retracted). Throwing a kick eliminates four tools, in that no other technique can be thrown until that kicking leg is back on the ground and balance is recovered. Kicking puts you at added risk, and kicking effectively requires much more training than striking with the hands.
This is a regrettable point for me because if I specialize in anything, it’s kicking technique. But I can, like my Jiu Jutsu brothers, accept that these skills need to be moderated or abandoned under high stress situations (we are going to redefine high stress later, as proper martial arts training allows you to operate more freely under what would normally be considered high stress situations). In general, if kicks are used they should strike below the waist in a way that doesn’t compromise one’s posturing, guard, and balance, and also allow for a very fast recovery. Kicking above the waist compromises balance and runs the risk of your leg being caught, trapped and your base foot sweeped…unless you are exceptionally skilled.
3. Techniques which inhibit your opponent’s basic body functions
Just as your sympathetic nervous system is empowering you to move faster and more powerfully, so too is your opponent’s. Techniques should be selected which rapidly attack targets which shut down your adversaries heightened powers and basic body functions. Therefore one should consider selecting primary strikes which cut off vision, oxygen, blood to the brain, and balance. Secondary strikes should target nerves, nerve bundles, joints, and acupoints.
Combining objectives 1 and 3 will leave us with linear and circular strikes to the eyes, the windpipe, the carotid artery on the side of the neck, the solar plexus, the ear, and the groin. When I teach self defense I teach what I consider the five primary strikes. Each of them utilizes gross motor skill and attacks one of these targets. They are all simple enough to learn in a single night and learn well enough so as to be effective in a real situation. That said, these striking skills will not yet accompany accurate perception, timing, blocking, and mental composure that come with repetition and simulated fighting application. These skills take time and proper training.
All of these strikes should be thrown from a natural defenseless position at first. Taking a stance against an opponent before the first strike has taken place tells your opponent a great deal about you and it escalates the situation to the most dangerous level immediately. Striking from a relaxed position will leave the element of surprise on your side. Once the first blow is landed or received then your hands should rise to protect your head, with your elbows close to your ribs. Don’t block your vision with your hands or cover your face. This effective boxing defense will get you killed on the streets, but more on blocking below. These basic techniques along with their desired results are as follows:
The 5 Basic Self Defense Techniques
1. Eye Scrape/Finger Spear. This technique is a simple flick of the hand toward the attacker’s eyes. Grazing the eyes with the fingers causes blinking and watering, buying you a few moments to finish the fight or run. This technique should be used to create distance or bridge distance. It is an inferior finishing technique and therefore should be used as a measuring tool or stun tactic, like the jab in boxing. There are many ways to attack the eyes with potentially more devastating consequences, but this technique requires little training or accuracy to be effective.
2. Palm Strike. I typically don’t teach striking with a closed fist to those interested in self defense only. Unless well trained and conditioned, the fist is more likely to break on an opponent’s skull than it is finish the fight for you. Knuckle striking requires proper wrist and arm structure as well as knuckle conditioning to prevent breaking on impact. The palm strike can be thrown in a similar motion to the single arm pushup or bench press, from the side of the chest straight out. Ideal targets for this strike include the nose, which causes the eyes to water and blink, the chin, which causes the attacker’s weight to fall back onto his heals, exposing his throat and shaking his balance. Secondary targets include the cheek bone, the temple, and the solar plexus.
3. Ear Box. This is not performed three stooges style to both ears and accompanied by a funny noise, but performed with a single hand in a slightly upward and wide circular motion originating at the hip. An ear box is a very dangerous technique. It should be performed with a lightly cupped hand which flattens on impact and forces air into the eardrum. This will, at the very least shake the attacker’s balance, as our equilibrium is based in our ears. And at its worst this technique will explode the attacker’s eardrum as the suction created by the cupped hand will pressurize and force air back out of the ear just after impact. This can cause permanent deafness and should not be used unless absolutely necessary.
The secondary targets for this strike are the carotid artery on the side of the neck, which cuts of blood, and therefore oxygen to the brain, and the temple, located next to the eyebrow. If attacking these targets, forgo the cupped hand and connect with the palm heal or inner forearm.
4. Elbow Strike. This is one of the most powerful movements the human body can perform, and its so basic anyone can perform it with relatively little training. The forearm should rise until it is parallel with the floor and in front of the shoulder. The palm of your hand should be facing down, not in to your body. And with a sharp hip rotation the tip of the elbow should hack into the attacker’s nose, eye socket, neck, temple, or solar plexus (on a taller opponent). This is a finishing technique and should be used at close range once control of the situation is yours.
5. Groin Strike/Testicle Squeeze. The groin strike should be performed with an upward swinging extended arm. Ideally you’ll connect with the lower portion of the forearm near the wrist. This is a strong part of the body unlikely to break on impact, and we all know what happens when someone gets hit in the balls. If the confrontation has become more close range, if it’s transitioned into a grappling situation, or if you’re grabbed from behind, grabbing and squeezing the testicles may be more practical than striking.
These five techniques provide great leverage for someone with little muscular strength or size. They are the ideal starting point for women or those simply interested in learning effective self defense. If someone is trained to react quickly, then they’ll need little else but these five. They are powerful, direct, and devastating, and they will only be enhanced by the body’s natural response to fear and stress. Each one of them inhibits vital body function in an adversary, and if used in concert will effectively shut him down quickly.
Secondary self defense techniques include:
-Head Butt (important for close range defense against bear hugs or double wrist grabs)
-Knee to Groin, Solar Plexus, or Floating Ribs
-Elbow to Targets behind You
-Knife Hand (both inner and outer) to the Side of the Neck
-Groin Kick (upward driving motion with shin or instep)
-Low Turning Kick to the Inner Knee or Sciatic Nerve on the Outer Thigh
-Sprinting!!!
You read that last one correctly. Sprinting is perhaps the greatest of all self defense techniques. Keeping yourself in good shape and practicing sprinting a couple times a week will provide you with options that many people won’t have in a dangerous situation. If I had to guess which person would have the greatest chances of surviving a violent confrontation against one or more armed opponents, and my choices were A) a bodybuilder B) a mixed martial artist and C) a sprinter, I’d have my money on the sprinter. Never underestimate the value of strength, endurance, and all around fitness in a self defense situation. Not only will it offer more power in techniques delivery, but will allow you to absorb blows without collapsing.
Drilling the Basics, Reflex Conditioning, and Simulated Stress
Once somebody has the basic gist of the five basic self defense techniques listed above, its time to apply them. This should be done in at least two ways. The first is through full speed and power combination training, and the second through defensive counter attacking. Both of these should be trained with a skilled trainer that can feed the right targets at the right time, as well as push the limits of the trainee without causing injury. Because self defense is inherently stressful, one should try to simulate this same stressful environment when training and push the trainee past comfort levels.
Combinations comprised of the five techniques above should be worked by alternative strikes from each hand. Self defense is not a sparring match. There is no room for dancing and jabbing. One needs to maximize speed and power in every strike, and the best way to do that is to alternate striking arms to call the power of the legs, hips and shoulders into each and every strike. These combinations should be trained for fluency, speed, and power, maximizing each one without interrupting the flow. The combinations should be trained until natural and unconscious.
Two hit combinations that work well are:
Spear finger followed by a palm strike
Palm strike followed by an ear box
Palm strike followed by an elbow
Ear box followed by a palm strike
Ear box followed by an elbow
Any of the above followed by an upward groin strike
Three and four hit combinations:
Finger spear, palm strike, ear box
Finger spear, palm strike, ear box, elbow
Finger spear, palm strike, ear box, groin strike
Ear box, double or triple palm strike
Ear box, pull head into elbow, groin strike
Working with an experienced trainer will allow you to practice these techniques at high intensity levels without injury. It will also allow you to work on your defensive blocking, reaction time, and counter attacking under pressure. The two most essential blocks are the simple outer forearm block, designed to stop incoming circular attacks, and the boxing parry, designed to simply redirect a linear attack. These blocks require very little technical training, but a great deal of reflex and perception training. One should not have to think about blocking, but simply react. The trainer, holding striking mitts, should work up to full power swings and strikes so that the trainee is forced to perform blocks that actually work under pressure, as well as get over the shock of body contact. These blocks can be trained individually at first, but should quickly be connected with counter striking using the 5 basic self defense techniques to build the habit of reflexive striking.
The trainee should get in the habit of counter striking immediately following a block. Training to block several incoming blows or use evasive footwork is training that again rarely transitions to high stress self defense situations unless highly trained. The trainer, once the trainee is familiar with the blocking and striking techniques, should strike without telegraphing and strike powerfully at the trainee. This should be followed immediately by feeding various counter attacking techniques on the striking mitts. This is very difficult emotionally for many beginners, and that’s the point. The single best way to ensure your techniques will be effective under high stress circumstances is to perform them under pressure. Training at 100% of your speed, power, and reaction capacity will promote unconscious reflexive blocking and knockout striking capability. The trainee’s arms will usually be left shaking after the first session or two as a result of shock to your nervous system and a lack of familiarity with an adrenaline surge. This goes away after a few sessions.
Martial Arts Training and Transcending the Fear Response
Despite the fact that many systems of martial arts develop skills and strategies well beyond practical self defense requirements, this is by no means an argument to reduce martial arts training to gross motor movements and high stress performance training. The true value in martial arts training is in preparing the mind for a life without fear, and all of the virtues that come with living in such a state. There are both internal and external means of accomplishing this. Learning to control the fear response or transcend it all together is the trademark of martial arts and self mastery. And while it makes sense for the average person to devote their time to a self defense system that concentrates on the body’s natural stress response, there is room for the application of numerous and sophisticated martial arts techniques under high stress situations for those with a passion for personal development.
Emotional Control and Prescriptions for Fear
There are a few ways of bridging the gap of practicality that exists between technical training and real self defense. The three training methods below are elements of a well rounded and traditional martial arts education, and each is conducive to controlling the fear response in combat. Practicing all three would be ideal, but any one of them can significantly improve one’s chances of applying complex motor movements in high stress situations.
-Full Contact Training and Fighting: Full contact training teaches you to function under similar high stress situations. It desensitizes you to the sting and shock of heavy impact as well as promotes mental focus under pressure. This can be done with full contact defensive and combination pad work practice, or simply through fighting. Those who learn to fight and compete in full contact environments generally have good chances of applying their hard earned knowledge when it counts. This is a product of both refining one’s arsenal of reliable techniques through trial and error, as well as keeping one’s cool and controlling one’s emotions when fighting. This opens the door for a wider range of techniques, tactics, and creative thought than your ordinary fight or flighter.
There are those that believe fighting is the only way to prepare for such situations, and I disagree. All competitions have rules which eliminate vital targets and require protective gear. This greatly reduces the number of effective techniques one can execute. When training basic techniques with vital targeting in mind using pad work drills or controlled light contact fighting will allow your mind to get in the habit of responding with the most devastating techniques you have to the most vital targets. The last thing you want to do is reduce your possible responses to those that work while wearing gloves and abide by protective regulations. Unfortunately there is no safe way to train these techniques completely without maiming or killing, so one should find a balance between open minded self defense training that develops the five basic self defense techniques above in a controlled manner, and full contact fighting which develops timing, power, and mental composure.
-Hand and Body Conditioning: This one may seem less clear, so let me start by asking a simple question. If an 8 year old cornered you in a street and threatened you would you feel yourself in danger? Probably not. Obviously this is because he’s a stupid kid who lacks the power to hurt you. Well, when you’ve conditioned your body to break brick and receive full power blows to the stomach, arms and thighs, then your measure stick of pain and power is somewhat skewed. When your body is a rock it will require something pretty extreme to elicit the normal fear response to the threat of bodily harm. It’s like walking around with a baseball bat.
-Meditation and Dissolution of the Ego: Non-attachment, the state-of-being nurtured by mindfulness meditation, is the deconstruction of conscious and unconscious associations which comprise our identities. Attachment to things causes a fear of loss. Non-attachment is the transcendence of fear and experience of the fullness of life. Freedom from this ordinary fear of loss or bodily harm is the freedom to act and react naturally in times of violent conflict. Freedom from fear is one of the highest objectives of a martial artist and the mark of self mastery.
If the fight or flight response is a natural response to fear, and you have no fear, than you’ll likely not be subject to the same psychological limitations as everyone else. You’ll have full control over your mental faculties, your gross, complex, and fine motor skills, and your emotions. This means that our definition of practical self defense techniques from earlier is no longer applicable, as the martial arts master has the composure and freedom to select the most effective and appropriate techniques from his comprehensive arsenal. The dissolution of the ego is a byproduct of living in the now, which is the essence of mindfulness meditation.
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