What is your self defense specialty?

[nigebj]

I like all the guys here whose special power is either not engaging, being invisible or if really necessary the ability to talk people down.

Those are the people you want to be with when stuff goes wrong ... or the guy you don't know well who just finished a BL binge and wails into the attacker giving you time to get away.

 

[Urban Trekker]

Well I get that you are joking, but at this point you don't get the chance to try the other steps

This does kind of lead to a real suggestion, though. You do want to look like you're aware of your aware of your surroundings, and the best way to do that is to actually be aware of your surroundings. These days, what that mostly means is to not walk around staring at your cellphone. Of course, you'll want to save the battery anyway, as the cellphone itself is an important tool.

 

[nigebj]

This does kind of lead to a real suggestion, though. You do want to look like you're aware of your aware of your surroundings, and the best way to do that is to actually be aware of your surroundings. These days, what that mostly means is to not walk around staring at your cellphone. Of course, you'll want to save the battery anyway, as the cellphone itself is an important tool.

Indeed. I've been to many cities in the world and fortunate enough to never be mugged. Of course for a chunk of that time a phone was not an option as they were not portable back then. But, not looking lost or like you're a tourist is a great SD tactic. Read the map (Google directions), remember them and follow them without your phone or behavior advertising that you are not local.

Also, remove those earbuds. Even if you have the music off so you are "still aware of your situation" - you are still inviting trouble that an obviously aware person does not.

 

[Urban Trekker]

I like all the guys here whose special power is either not engaging, being invisible or if really necessary the ability to talk people down.

Oh, of course. The bruises, scratches, and cuts you get from fighting aren't worth whatever one might feel there is to be gained from fighting. That is, unless those bruises, scratches, and cuts are gonna happen anyway unless you prevent or minimize them through fighting.

If I'm on a long journey home and I'm on foot, the journey only becomes more difficult if I've fought along the way.

 

[Instructor]

Well I learned martial arts initially because someone attacked me after school one day. I trained for a few years and earned a 1st Dan in TKD with some HKD for self defense.

Joined the USAF as a Security Specialist. Did a lot of guard duty after the police academy but didn't use martial arts much for that role.

I did private security on the side for a local dirt race track. It's basically a bouncing job because a lot of fans drink alcohol at those events.

Eventually I decided to focus on HKD and I'm up to 4th Dan.

Honestly I would say the best thing I have is just being mindful of my situation, knowing how to deescalate and when to just walk away.

If you have to actually use your martial arts in the real world you've already failed a few levels of prevention.

 

[john_newman]

Yup!
I've been in Bar fight on several occasions. In my view the best self defense is to observer carefully your opponent's each and every step.

 

[Rabbitthekitten]

Running away. Failing that a turning kick to the side of the head.

 

[drop bear]

I have bounced for years in some places so rough the police black listed us. And essentially wouldn't turn up.

I have fought about a thousand guys under a lot of different and varied conditions. I have been punched and choked and eye gouged and bitten and even recently chased around by a meth head with a bow and arrow. I saw a guy once blinded by having champagne thrown in his eyes. A lot of weird and random stuff.

My SD expertise is I have experimented with a or heard first hand reports of a lot of the street elements of street fighting. (That 10%) All those variables like fighting in a suit or with weapons, fighting on uncertain surfaces. Even ambush and counter ambush.

I did break in response and had to creep through buildings looking for robbers.

I did loss prevention and had to chase villians through shopping centres.

I have done first aid response, prevented suicidal people from jumping off car parks, treating sucking chest wounds from stabbing victims.

I have worked with dogs. I have used bats on people. I have fought guys in to hand cuffs.

I have also played with a lot of self defence systems I did hock hokcheims rsbd. I have done ppct and it's variants. A bunch of Australian freestyle suff like Zen do kai. And then I went out and actually tried to do that stuff on people.

 

[Argus]

I think, when it comes to self defense, it's a really good idea *not* to be specialized in anything, unless that speciality is, itself, a diverse and wholistic approach to self defense.

In competition, people specialize to the a very specific ruleset and environment of the ring.

In many TMA's, people specialize equally, with the context of fighting other practitioners of the same, or similar art(s).

But in the real world, you have to unspecialize. You have to know something about dealing with committed, untrained opponents, as well as opponents who may have some experience. You have to know how to deal with not just grappling and striking, but potential weapons. You have to know how to deal with multiple attackers. You have to be prepared to deal with people much larger than yourself. You have to know how not to injure yourself by breaking your hand, slamming your knees into the concrete, etc. etc. And you have to not just be concerned with fighting, or winning the fight, but with extracting yourself from the situation, with legal concerns and reasonable use of force, and with avoidance and de-escalation.

So in short: don't specialize. You need to have a keen understanding, and ability to operate under immense stress against a very wide range of threats, and to stay tactically aware such that you are creating every opportunity to avoid, end, or escape from the situation and protect yourself both physically and legally as much as you can.

Of course, if you have a specific role, such as Security / Police / Bouncing, etc., there is understandably more argument to be made for specializing, as you have in those cases a more clearly defined role and expectations beyond just protecting yourself or people around you.

 

[john_newman]

Just Observing ever move of my opponent. That's why I didn't need any self defence.
I always overcome every step of my opponent.

 

[Urban Trekker]

Just Observing ever move of my opponent. That's why I didn't need any self defence.
I always overcome every step of my opponent.

I've seen plenty of edgy posts on MT, but this one tops them all!

 

[Steve]

I have bounced for years in some places so rough the police black listed us. And essentially wouldn't turn up.

I have fought about a thousand guys under a lot of different and varied conditions. I have been punched and choked and eye gouged and bitten and even recently chased around by a meth head with a bow and arrow. I saw a guy once blinded by having champagne thrown in his eyes. A lot of weird and random stuff.

My SD expertise is I have experimented with a or heard first hand reports of a lot of the street elements of street fighting. (That 10%) All those variables like fighting in a suit or with weapons, fighting on uncertain surfaces. Even ambush and counter ambush.

I did break in response and had to creep through buildings looking for robbers.

I did loss prevention and had to chase villians through shopping centres.

I have done first aid response, prevented suicidal people from jumping off car parks, treating sucking chest wounds from stabbing victims.

I have worked with dogs. I have used bats on people. I have fought guys in to hand cuffs.

I have also played with a lot of self defence systems I did hock hokcheims rsbd. I have done ppct and it's variants. A bunch of Australian freestyle suff like Zen do kai. And then I went out and actually tried to do that stuff on people.

When are you going to market your own self defense training program?

 

[drop bear]

When are you going to market your own self defense training program?

Nah.

Do MMA.

 

[Chris Parker]

Well, I considered bring back a thread from 2006 on Self Defense. A lot of good, general definitions in that thread. But figured it would be better to just start a new one.

We talk a lot about self defense in broad terms. A lot of posts along the lines of dealing with a threat to your physical or mental safety. But I think that leads to a lot of misunderstanding. So, if you think about a bouncer as being a specialist in a particular area of self defense. Or a cop, or an MMA fighter, or anyone else... what's your specialty? What do you think you've done enough in your life that you would consider yourself an expert in that area?

Have you been in a lot of bar fights? Or better yet, almost been in a lot of bar fights? Have you lived in an area where violent crime is more common? Did you take public transit for long enough to get a Spidey sense when something weird was happening?

Honestly, this doesn't make any sense... self defence IS a speciality... beyond that, there's understanding of different contexts... but to have a "self defence speciality" is to not understand self defence as a concept...

 

[Steve]

Honestly, this doesn't make any sense... self defence IS a speciality... beyond that, there's understanding of different contexts... but to have a "self defence speciality" is to not understand self defence as a concept...

Well, I'm not all that surprised it doesn't make any sense to you. The idea was to consider what things we actually do, as opposed to things we have a theoretical or philosophical knowledge of. You're a salesman. What skills do you have as a function of your actual experience in sales that are useful in a self defense context?

It's not a difficult exercise, Chris. Just having a discussion. You can choose to participate in a constructive manner, or you can troll the thread and, I'm pretty sure, get it locked in short order. Up to you.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Nah.

Do MMA.

If you swap those words, you get a brand new, entirely different art with all the benefits of MMA. Plus it's a "do", which is just better, right?

So, when do the MMA-do t-shirts come out?

 

[Rich Parsons]

Honestly, this doesn't make any sense... self defence IS a speciality... beyond that, there's understanding of different contexts... but to have a "self defence speciality" is to not understand self defence as a concept...

If one is conscious of the conscious and the unconscious, then is the unconscious also conscious of the conscious and of itself the unconscious?

To be aware and apply parameters and adjust and not to make absolutes which leads one to false assumptions.

I see your theoretical point.
I also see the point of discussing what are people's specialties and or favorites.
This could lead to them reviewing their own bias and then becoming conscious of their unconscious.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If one is conscious of the conscious and the unconscious, then is the unconscious also conscious of the conscious and of itself the unconscious?

To be aware and apply parameters and adjust and not to make absolutes which leads one to false assumptions.

I see your theoretical point.
I also see the point of discussing what are people's specialties and or favorites.
This could lead to them reviewing their own bias and then becoming conscious of their unconscious.

Well said.....I think. Or maybe complete bunk. Um...I'll get back to you........

 

[Steve]

If one is conscious of the conscious and the unconscious, then is the unconscious also conscious of the conscious and of itself the unconscious?

To be aware and apply parameters and adjust and not to make absolutes which leads one to false assumptions.

I see your theoretical point.
I also see the point of discussing what are people's specialties and or favorites.
This could lead to them reviewing their own bias and then becoming conscious of their unconscious.

“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.”
― Richard Feynman

 

[drop bear]

Honestly, this doesn't make any sense... self defence IS a speciality... beyond that, there's understanding of different contexts... but to have a "self defence speciality" is to not understand self defence as a concept...

I would have said the opposite. Self Defense on its own is a weasel word. It means nothing and everything.

It is the specifics where you do begin to understand the concept.