Good talk on blocks

[Van Canna]

Larkin

I've hammered home the importance of the cold hard
fact: "you do what you train".

Anything you do in a
training environment is exactly how you are
conditioning yourself to respond in a life-or-death
situation.

Most of my clients understand this principle in
applying trauma to the body.

They are careful to
insure that they strike with a tight fist or make sure
that they complete the rotation of their body to
deploy maximum force upon the given target area of the
other guy.

So where do problems occur?

[Van Canna]

Something else we need to think about as we train is what Larkin points out below...something we don't much really address in class or in our minds.

I have told here many times about my being attacked by multiple armed opponents[blunt weapons] in my past and what made me survive...when that happens to someone, they will never forget it, and really begin to pay attention to their training.

Larkin

Most people train for a one-on-one confrontation.

They are excellent at handling the one guy but add in
another guy... and watch the meltdown occur.

I was training a well-known counter-terror unit a few
years back and let them see first-hand the danger in
this oversight.

They had been training heavily in a well-known ju-
jitsu system prior to my course. This was a combat
sport-based system that is very effective in the ring.

But it does no good to tell people that what they
trained may have problems associated with it because
often they have a strong emotional attachment to the
training. Better to let them see a gap and then offer
a solution.

And this is true because we have a tendency to fall back on what our forefathers may have done effectively because of the style and so on. Just listen to them now and then...and you will realize how foolish that is.

[Van Canna]

You must always treat every confrontation as having
multiple guys. You need to be instructed how to be a
"360-degree" fighter and to be aware of your
surroundings at all times.

TFT

And for most of us MA practitioners, the word 'fighter' must be self analyzed.

Some of us might turn into defensive 'fighters'...but for the average practitioner the word 'fighter' does not apply. Look up the definition of the word.

[Van Canna]

Question..

How do most street fights start?

With a big looping rear hand. Otherwise known as a haymaker.


That's the street fighters strongest punch. No doubt. Thats the go to. It's literally in our DNA to drop bombs with that rear hand.

When a street fighter punches, they typically “throw” their weight forward and try to hit a homerun on your face..

But a trained fighter punches differently.

First of all a trained fighter doesnt punch your face. A trained fighter punches through your face.

They literally aim for the back of your head while they break your nose.

A street fighter flails and smashes with their whole fist hoping for a homerun.

[Van Canna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8xepce ... e=youtu.be

Try blocking these punches.

[Van Canna]

Getting sucker punched is no fun...and we are susceptible to get hit _ matters not how careful we are in reading or keeping the distance as you will be set up for the punch.

The real skill of any defensive system is in developing a 'sixth sense' so as to perceive 'intent' just as the enemy brings that up in his mind.

The Samurai could do it.

An experienced street fighter will likely lunge, similar to a trained fighter when throwing a haymaker. They'll put as much body weight into the punch as they can.

A trained fighter does that and more….

Not only do they lunge forward, but they also punch from the ground up.

[Van Canna]

Points to ponder

1. Awareness of your environment. Where you are and where you are going. Always be aware of the best way to escape a possible threat.

2. Always have a weapon of destruction within easy reach or in your hand, especially if in a place where there is potential danger. Any weapon that you have, know how to inflict lots of pain with it, whether it is a key, knife or other implement that can be used as a weapon.

3. Learn how to turn on the "switch of destruction". . . that point where you become a fighting-machine and don't quit until you or your assailant can't move.

4. You can teach moves in slow motion but have full size targets made to be destroyed and students must learn to destroy them.

5. Evasion is better than confrontation. Getting safely away from danger is the best self-defense possible.

6.You cannot form effective self-defense without constant evolution.

7. It’s not 19th century Okinawa any longer, many people don’t live in a small fishing village. It’s not pre-Ming Dynasty China, or whatever. The times change, the methods change, the criminals change, the circumstances change, the weapons change, the tactics change, the locations of attack change, everything changes.

8. The lack of sparring and realistic testing, the inability to adapt to newer techniques and situations, all of it, all the flaws, comes from the fact that there is resistance to evolution.

9.There are many flaws in how traditional martial arts approach self-defense, and they have been well discussed. The primary one being that they don’t actually teach real contact. What it’s like to fight.

As many have said; to learn how to fight you must fight. I don’t mean spar, I don’t mean hard drills, those are important. But if you want to be able to fight you have to fight.
Either in the ring or in the street (not advisable), you have to be able to understand the realities of physical combat.

All the technique in the world is useless if one doesn’t know what it’s like to get punched in the face.

10.Learn what self-defense is - Alot of people misuse their skills in hand-to-hand combat for fighting, not self defense. Taking a fight outside with a bully is not self-defense. Hitting back long after you got beat is not self-defense. Real self-defense is you protecting your life at the moment danger happens. Anything else is criminal and you could spend time behind bars.

11. Kill or be killed - If you think self-defense is about winning a fight by KO or making a guy tap out, you’re not going to make it far. Self-defense is about survival not fighting because people don’t fight fair. They’ll use ambushes, weapons, friends, anything against you to hurt or kill you. Effective self-defense prepares you for every possible violent situation.

12.Martial arts is not self-defense - Yes, martial arts can be used in self-defense but only with the proper mindset. Alot of martial arts are ineffective for actual combat because of fancy techniques, unrealistic training, and lack of other vital skills.

13. Disregard the myth of “stranger danger” - Most schools teach you self-defense against strangers. The reality is these types of attacks are rare. Most crimes are committed by people you know.

14. Half of homicides are committed by ex-spouses. You’d be surprised who your enemy might be.

15. My abusive father threatened to kill me and my family several times. Someone in my own family also admitted to wanting to kill me. The most dangerous enemy is the one who is disguised as a loved one.

[Van Canna]

More points:

*Always have your keys in your hand as you head to your car - do not stand helplessly searching for keys, you are vulnerable that way.

*Lock the car door when you get inside and put the keys in the ignition right away.

*If you get a flat tire in a strange or bad neighborhood, keep driving on the rims, don't stop until you find a safer place.

*Don't answer the door, especially at night, unless you are expecting someone. If they persist, call 911, and if they are begging for help, still call 911. My husband had been carjacked and managed to escape by throwing himself out of the car and ran to nearby houses to get help - he scared a lot of people but he kept begging them to call the police and they did, but no one came out. That's a scary premise when the person outside really needs help but you need to protect yourself first.

*Hand over your purse or bag - don't hesitate, just give it over. I was held up at gunpoint and I didn't waste time searching in the purse, I didn't piss them off by taking too long and I got away safe.

*Watch your drink - it's really easy to drop some drugs into a drink - a quick hand movement, just a second or two is all it takes.

*Don't go willingly, fight like crazy.

*If you are driving and feel like you are being followed, pull into a fast food restaurant and go get a soda, then sit right in front of the counter in plain sight of the employees - wait until you feel safe. If you need to, tell the staff that you think someone is following you.

*Walking on the street, walk nearer the curb, stay away from buildings where someone can reach out.

*I wear sunglasses on public transportation in order to avoid eye contact with anyone who might make trouble. And I always brought a book/magazine/newspaper, but you still pay attention to what's going on around you.

[Van Canna]

And more...

Recognizing when you have to fight.

*Situations when I think I would have to fight would include the imminent threat of danger to myself or my family. There really isn't anything else.

* You need to always understand the costs. If you are in a fist fight, you need to expect to get hit. If you are in a knife fight, you need to expect to get cut. If you are in a gun fight expect to get shot.

* You should focus on keeping an appropriate distance with the combatant.
Once you are in a fight, you need to keep a distance appropriate to the type of fight you are in.

*If you are fighting a small person you might want to use your legs to kick.

*If it is a large person you want to stay distant and tire them out until you get in close where their size is a hindrance, avoid the middle.

*Tall people you need to stay close. Those long arms and legs can't build much momentum in a short distance that can be devastating if they do.

*If you are in a knife fight I would suggest you stay far. Use weapons of opportunity throwing rocks or sticks to give you back an advantage.

*If you are in a gun fight you need to stay out of the line of sight and you need to keep moving. Stay away from where they pointing. Hiding around corners until they come and jumping might be your best opportunity.


* Disable your enemy.
If early in a fight you can weaken them early, you can have a much easier fight down the road. In Jon Davis's answer to What is it like being bullied in school? I wrote about a lesson my mother, a nurse, taught me about fighting.

"Aim directly under the center of the rib cage. This is called the diaphragm and it is the muscle that controls how the lungs take in air. If you hit this spot at the beginning of the fight he won't be able to breathe for a few minutes and you taking him out will be easy."

[Van Canna]

Interesting concept about 'reasonable force' How should it be defined?

Never give them a second chance. Unless you can immediately depart, just make sure they can’t get up and go at it again. The second time you might not win.

‘Reasonable force’ in a situation where you need to defend yourself is to ensure they don’t get several tries at it until they succeed.

That’s my definition of it anyway…

[Van Canna]

One single tip?
If you can arrange it at your gym, try mob fight training: all onto all, padded up, full on, no rules except just be sensible. Our name for this at my gym was the Bundle.

You need a large ring or cage, or some space where the trainees can be confined - otherwise, without that situational compression, they all just run away (who wouldn’t).
The fighters have to be effectively confined or they don’t fight; there is no pressure.
They just end up doing sparring.

What we want is high-pressure fighting where they are constantly attacked full-on by multiple opponents, and nobody gets away.

[Van Canna]

Of interest.

UNDERSTAND THIS ABOUT LIFE…

1. Not everyone is going to be happy for you.

2. Most of the “nice” comments you get on social media are fake.

3. You are just attracting the evil eye on you and your family.

4. There are people who just hate you for no apparent reason.

5. People are not what they seem like. The internet has been infiltrated by cyber-stalkers who could be your ex or your next-door neighbor.

6. Up to 50% of social media accounts could be fake according to some statistics.

7. You are just attracting jealous people into your life every day you look attractive.

8. You don’t know who is saving your pictures and checking your updates.

9. Social media is sometimes the devil’s eye, ears, and mouth.

10. The more you expose yourself publicly online, the more you are treading on dangerous grounds since this could attract evil people who could ruin your life, family, marriage, and career.

[Van Canna]

*Don't be an ass-hole. Don't say rude things, don't act like a jerk, be liberal and sincere in your use of the words, "Please," "Thank you," and "Excuse me."

*Pay attention. Notice the people around you. Notice the type of neighborhood you're in. Notice when the mood in the bar, restaurant, or store that you're in has gotten tense or unfriendly or unwelcome.

* Notice when someone's eyeing you or sizing you up. Notice when somebody is behind you or in your blind spot.

*Learn when to leave. When the neighborhood looks sketchy, when the guy across from you starts getting pissed off, when you sense you've had one drink too many, it's time to leave.

*Leave quickly, leave quietly, and stay alert as you do. And if you're not sure whether or not you should leave, the answer is generally "yes."

*Get in shape. People who are fit project a natural confidence that makes them less attractive targets for the criminally inclined. All other things being equal, people who are fit are also more difficult targets for the criminally inclined.

[Van Canna]

Jim Maloney and me trained under the famous John Farnam at the lethal force Institute.

Check out his qualifications: https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/defens ... ohn-farnam

A Marine war hero and police trainer extraordinary.

He wrote the following that should be of interest to all martial arts practitioners:

Layers of response

John Farnam of Defense Training International _ writes
Years ago, Jeff Cooper delineated the "Color Code" and the "Principles of Personal Defense" in an effort to provide us with a logical model for one's thinking on the subject of mental preparedness.

I'd like now to go to the next step and apply the same logic to the issue of personal appearance and demeanor, as we all agree that, in the domestic defensive environment, avoiding a fight is preferable to winning one.

Layer One: Nonattendance. The best way to handle any potentially injurious encounter is: Don't be there. Arrange to be somewhere else.

Don't go to stupid places. Don't associate with stupid people. Don't do stupid things.

This is the advice I give to all students of defensive firearms. Winning a gunfight, or any other potentially injurious encounter, is financially and emotionally burdensome.

The aftermath will become your full-time job for weeks or months afterward, and you will quickly grow weary of writing checks to lawyer(s).

It is, of course, better than being dead or suffering a permanently disfiguring or disabling injury, but the "penalty" for successfully fighting for your life is still formidable.

[Van Canna]

Farnam

Crowds of any kind, particularly those with an agenda, such as political rallies, demonstrations, picket lines, etc are good examples of "stupid places." Any crowd with a high collective energy level harbors potential catastrophe.

To a lesser degree, bank buildings, hospital emergency rooms, airports, government buildings, and bars (particularly crowded ones) fall into the same category.

All should be avoided. When they can't be avoided, we should make it a practice to spend only the minimum time necessary there and then quickly get out.

I have investigated a number of violence cases out of emergency room situations, in particular where some security personnel, on contract with the hospital, acted in overly aggressive and unbelievably stupid ways when coming in contact with sick or injured people seeking help.

If you are ever in a position to have to go to the emergency room, always be sure to call 911 and get there by ambulance which guarantees no bothersome interaction with security or other desperate people.