# OF all the



## tshadowchaser (Apr 2, 2007)

Of all the self defense techniques you have ever learned which one have you used the most in your daily life and do you find that you do it without thinking or do you have time to think  and choose which one you use


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## Shaderon (Apr 2, 2007)

Daily life?  


The one I most use in daily life (taking in to account that my daily life is mostly harmonious) is not to open my mouth and say what I feel.   To just evaluate the situation before I speak.   I used to speak my mind without thinking, then when I realised it only aggravates and maybe caused certain situations, I learned to stop and think first, sometimes I don't actually comment if I can't find the correct response now.


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## tshadowchaser (Apr 2, 2007)

not a bad lesson in life to learn 
it can stop a lot of situations from escalating


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## jdinca (Apr 2, 2007)

Shaderon said:


> Daily life?
> 
> 
> The one I most use in daily life (taking in to account that my daily life is mostly harmonious) is not to open my mouth and say what I feel. To just evaluate the situation before I speak. I used to speak my mind without thinking, then when I realised it only aggravates and maybe caused certain situations, I learned to stop and think first, sometimes I don't actually comment if I can't find the correct response now.


 
"If it's not worth saying, it's worth not saying." 

My answer would be the outward parry. Not in a self defense situation but I've had stuff come off of shelves, someone turn around with something long on their shoulder, with it heading for my head, and it's also a good way to wave off flies.


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## Lisa (Apr 2, 2007)

I would have to say being aware of my surroundings and making plans for any travelling I have to do and ensuring that it is the safest way possible.  Everything from planning my route to ensuring doors are locked to picking out my parking spot.  If you practice this a little it become second nature and you can possibly avoid some situations just with being careful.


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## tshadowchaser (Apr 2, 2007)

> it's also a good way to wave off flies.


 
but don't you need the inward parry also  most of the time for this?  

keeping "stuff" from hitting you is always a good idea and I think it becomes a natural reaction to use the parry once one knows it  insted of just wildly swinging the arms


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## kidswarrior (Apr 2, 2007)

Not a technique, per se, but the greatest thing I've gained from the MA and used over and over is to be calm. Not for my own defense so much (doesn't seem to really come up) but for example when we have an outside crew show up after school to jump someone/some group from the school, somehow my being there calms the whole thing down, and it just dissipates (_usually_--do have a few horror stories from when some crazies showed with guns, etc. etc., but that's for another time ). So, yeah, just have learned to be calm and confident, and that seems to spread to those around me.


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## Blindside (Apr 2, 2007)

Defensive driving, helped me avoid being t-boned once and keeps my insurance rates low.

Lamont


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## jks9199 (Apr 2, 2007)

Blindside said:


> Defensive driving, helped me avoid being t-boned once and keeps my insurance rates low.
> 
> Lamont


There've been quite a few times that I've thought that some idiot owes the academy driving instructors a thank-you because their training just saved him & me from a crash...

Thankfully, in daily life, I don't need to use many self-defense techniques.  Professionally -- it's more often awareness and acting before they have a chance to do more than start their action.  I suppose if push came to shove, and I HAVE to name one self defense technique that I've used the most, it'd be evasive stepping.


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## bushidomartialarts (Apr 2, 2007)

1.  awareness.  helps me avoid bad situations ranging from leaving a bar to ducking a tree branch.

2.  falling skills.  i've been in very few fights, but i fall down with embarassing frequency.


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## jdinca (Apr 2, 2007)

tshadowchaser said:


> but don't you need the inward parry also most of the time for this?
> 
> keeping "stuff" from hitting you is always a good idea and I think it becomes a natural reaction to use the parry once one knows it insted of just wildly swinging the arms


 
Depends on the angle of approach of the fly. It's important that one be able to adapt to the situation.


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## tellner (Apr 2, 2007)

Falling safely. Recognizing danger and being able to flip the switch quickly.


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## Bigshadow (Apr 2, 2007)

Walking.  I do it without any conscious thought!


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## HKphooey (Apr 2, 2007)

Get to the dead side of my opponent.


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## loyalonehk (Apr 2, 2007)

360 Awareness, Calm yet confident posture, and as far as techniques I would have to say the "Nightmare Choke"  (I was a bouncer off/on for several years and now I am stationed with the Marines)


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## tellner (Apr 3, 2007)

A lot of people talk about calmness and de-escalation being the most important self defense techniques they've learned. With all due respect I'll bet that most of you already knew everything you needed to about de-escalation before you started martial arts. Punching, kicking, uniforms and rituals may have given you the permission you needed to do that of which you were already capable.

Calmness? I don't know. I've been calm in sparring, but when someone has really been trying to do me I've been a lot of things. Usually it was surprised, afraid, and intensely focused. Noting concentrates the attention like someone trying to kill you. But even the best in the business has said "In all the fights I was ever in I was in calm, pure "no mind" maybe 5% of the time. The rest of the time I was in 'Oh ****!' mode." If the most decorated officer ever in the NYPD, survivor of thousands of violent encounters with armed criminals, can cop to it I'm not ashamed to say the same.

What has saved my bacon has been the ability to go from normal to full out quickly and without hesitation. Sometimes it meant running. Sometimes it didn't. But it was the ability to do what was needful that was vital. Calm is nice. There for the fight when it becomes a fight is better.


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## loyalonehk (Apr 3, 2007)

Shaderon said:


> Daily life?
> 
> 
> The one I most use in daily life (taking in to account that my daily life is mostly harmonious) is not to open my mouth and say what I feel. To just evaluate the situation before I speak. I used to speak my mind without thinking, then when I realised it only aggravates and maybe caused certain situations, *I learned to stop and think first*, sometimes I don't actually comment if I can't find the correct response now.
> ...


 
Tellner, I could not agree more with all that you have stated.  
"Hesitation Will Get you Killed"  The ability to process things fast and respond with "violence of action" when the crap hits the fan is paramount.

What I believe most are replying to is their DAILY routine applications.  Most people do not have daily life threats such as LEO's, Military or security types.  Therefore I can understand where the mindset and responses are born from due to the way the question is presented.

In addition I also believe (IMHO) is that when you have reached a point where you can remain calm, cool and collected most of the time, your ability to go from 0-100mph NOW can be done faster and more efficiently and with less emotional response and more of a wise response to normal daily threats.

Ahhh, Late for work - I'll catch up with this later...


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## kidswarrior (Apr 3, 2007)

loyalonehk said:


> In addition I also believe (IMHO) is that when you have reached a point where you can remain calm, cool and collected most of the time, your ability to go from 0-100mph NOW can be done faster and more efficiently and with less emotional response and more of a wise response to normal daily threats.



I agree with this. Calm doesn't mean passive. It means I'm in control of myself, instead of letting someone else get me worked up and so take me out of my game and get me into theirs. And no, I was nowhere near as calm before MA, or even in my first 8-9 years, as I am now. So as I meant to stress, and believe I stated in my earlier post somewhere, calm and confident go hand in hand. Now if the dirty stuff is or has already hit the fan, time to forget calm and hope for _intentional_--i.e., not losing my mind and forgetting everything I've learned and practiced. :ultracool


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## jdinca (Apr 3, 2007)

tellner said:


> A lot of people talk about calmness and de-escalation being the most important self defense techniques they've learned. With all due respect I'll bet that most of you already knew everything you needed to about de-escalation before you started martial arts. Punching, kicking, uniforms and rituals may have given you the permission you needed to do that of which you were already capable.
> 
> Calmness? I don't know. I've been calm in sparring, but when someone has really been trying to do me I've been a lot of things. Usually it was surprised, afraid, and intensely focused. Noting concentrates the attention like someone trying to kill you. But even the best in the business has said "In all the fights I was ever in I was in calm, pure "no mind" maybe 5% of the time. The rest of the time I was in 'Oh ****!' mode." If the most decorated officer ever in the NYPD, survivor of thousands of violent encounters with armed criminals, can cop to it I'm not ashamed to say the same.
> 
> What has saved my bacon has been the ability to go from normal to full out quickly and without hesitation. Sometimes it meant running. Sometimes it didn't. But it was the ability to do what was needful that was vital. Calm is nice. There for the fight when it becomes a fight is better.



Well put. Those of us in a profession where we have to stay calm in stressful situations do have a benefit over others. I do think that that is where martial arts can help. I agree that we all have the ingredients to stay calm and focused, it's just that many have no idea how to accomplish that. A good school can teach a person to harness those traits and apply them to everyday life. 

As for "calm", I think I would prefer to call it "emotional self control". You may be rockin' on the inside but if you can control it and focus it, you can amazed at what you can handle.


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## xTNVx NirVana (Apr 4, 2007)

tshadowchaser said:


> Of all the self defense techniques you have ever learned which one have you used the most in your daily life and do you find that you do it without thinking or do you have time to think  and choose which one you use


Well, I use more than one.
When people bug the heck out of me, I grab their fingers and squeeze them, causing them to be quiet.
Another thing I like to use that don't injure people (Unless I have to) are wrap techniques. I do Shaolin Kenpo and for those of you who practice it, you know what the snake is (There are 5 animals in Kenpo, in which the defense manuevers are usually baed on. The animals are named after the style of how you perform the move).  One jerk tried to punch me and I did scissor block, grabbed, spun under and around his arm and I had him on his tip-toes. I was proud of doing that because of one-I saved my butt from being beat up, and two- I improvised it. I call it the Boa Wraps Around the Branch .


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## tradrockrat (Apr 7, 2007)

It's weird, but I have developed over my life a tendency to attack an opponents lead arm and follow it into their body where I then try to take control of the head / neck.  Gross motor control - not small circle stuff

It's weird because I developed this preference outside of the training floor.  I was taught to fight like a kickboxer for many years before I was taught to close and grapple, but I have always tended to like it up close and personal in any real encounter.

the technique of following the arm was never actually taught to me at all as we tended to try to divert the limbs away and slip them to attack the trunk, but I just naturally feel comfortable trying to control the arm for some reason.


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## tshadowchaser (Apr 7, 2007)

I started this thread but never said what I seem to use most.
Outside of being aware of my surroundings and listening to that inner sense about danger I think I tend to parry/block many things that approach me. I work with people who may strike at you at any time but I can not hurt them in any way and I find that often my arm or hand has removed a strike without my even thinking about it. I find that I tend to block/parry and often softly lock the hand or arm that is coming at me while my other hand is doing something else and I am talking about a totally different subject. This block/parry has become almost a natural reaction.
Now if I could only remember to turn away from the door frames instead of into them. I have a bad habit of kissing door frames with out meaning to


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## kidswarrior (Apr 9, 2007)

OK, I see I never really answered the 'one technique' part of the question, and since there's now a whole thread on how terrible it is not to answer a straight up question on favorite technique with a straight up 'technique' answer (wouldn't want to let attitude or strategy in to confuse the tactical question), here's my favorite technique: divert his attacking limb and move into him, breaking his distance/taking his center; then, slam him to the ground. Works for me in training and in life. Of course, there are myriad combos and possibilities, but this is the heart of my favorite technique.


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## Em MacIntosh (May 24, 2007)

Pull a guy halfway through a doorway and slam the door on him repeatedly.  Kick a car door closed a couple times on omeone's leg as they get out of the car.  I like doors, they're on my team.  I hope that counts as a technique.  It's one I've used before a couple times.


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## CoryKS (May 24, 2007)

The one technique I use on a daily basis is the rear kick.  I use it when the fridge door doesn't close fully as I'm walking away.  My wife hates that.


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