How Do Your Assumptions Hold You Back?
I was reading a book the other day called Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence by Sgt. Rory Miller
Muscle Memory & Its Role in Self-Defense
In last week’s post, I discussed 4 Factors that Muscle Memory Development. This week, I’ll discuss the relevance of muscle memory in its application to the practical application of self-defense skills. In Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu, the style we practice at my Vancouver/Richmond BC martial arts school, we emphasize the use of gross motor skills and commonality of techniques to make our self-defense techniques easier to use should the need arise. Both of these concepts relate directly to muscle memory development.
Gross Motor Skills & Muscle Memory
Gross motor skills are skills that use the larger muscle groups. All gross motor skills come from things we learned from infancy to early childhood, including walking, crawling, maintaining balance, reaching, hopping, etc. By using techniuqes that employ larger muscle groups, we are drawing physical skills the body is used to using, ones that have been reinforced since our early physical development. This makes them easier to learn and use when under the high stress conditions of an attack. The body already has a tendency to resort to movements it has already learned, so we are taking advantage of that by using gross motor skills for our defensive techniques. Fine motor skills, one the other hand, require a lot more training to get the movements ingrained in our subconscious minds. That’s not to say they can’t be effective (we do include fine motor skill techniques at higher levels of training), it just takes longer to develop the muscle memory to make them second nature.
Commonality of Technique & Muscle Memory
Commonality of technique means that we use similar types of defensive techniques for similar types of attacks. For example, we would treat an attack with a wide haymaker style punch to the head the same way we would treat a wide inward swing to the head with a club. While there are slightly different nuances with the distance and timing, the basic movements of the defense are essentially the same. So what does this mean for muscle memory development? It means that all the time we spend developing the skill to defend against a punch directly helps us to develop the skills to defend against a club. And as I said in my last article, repetitive practice reinforces muscle memory development. It also helps keep us from having to use our conscious minds in a real defensive situation, resulting in brain stalls, which could cost valuable seconds in reaction time. In other words, if we trained completely different defensive techniques to be used in similar styles of attack, practitioners may get tripped up when faced with such a situation as they have to make a consious decision as to which defense to use. That is not to say that it can’t be done. Again, the more you train, the more you can overcome these types of difficulities. It’s just that commonality of technique helps make the learning process faster and easier to use when under pressure with less training under your belt. This can be vital, particularly when trying to impart self-defense skills to people who will not be training over the long term, like a women’s self-defense class.
In my next article, I’ll be discussing how to play off the concepts of muscle memory and muscle confusion to build strength and technique.
Women’s Self-Defense: Dealing with Assaults from People You Know
It is said that 3/4 of assaults on women are performed by people they knew prior to the incident. This is something I tell participants in my women’s self-defense classes. The scenario of an anonymous, malicious attacker coming at them from an alley or other remote location that women fear most is actually rare in comparison. This is a very important fact to address and should affect the way people teach self-defense for women.
More Common Assault Scenarios
So if the men are usually people that the women already know, what are the scenarios? Firstly, assault doesn’t necessarily mean an attack. An assault can be unwanted touching, like a sexual harassment situation at a night club, party or even at a workplace or at school. On the other hand, it could be more than that. Most rape situations that occur are date rapes. Another consideration is domestic violence involving a husband, boyfriend, father or brother, which is actually a very different type of situation, the scope of which I can’t really cover in this particular post. So what does this mean when it comes to teaching women’s self-defense?
First Line of Defense: Awareness
Awareness is the first line of defense. When it comes to dealing with people previously known by a woman, this can mean different things. It may mean recognizing potential miscreant behaviour in an individual like a man openly eyeing women, making demeaning comments, being very drunk or high, etc. Once a woman is aware of such behaviour, she can avoid situations in which she might come into contact with him or be alone with him, or she could report his behaviour to a bouncer, supervisor, teacher, etc. It could also mean being aware of the actions of people around you, like if a man she knows appears to be following her as she leaves a party, walks home from school, to her car after work, etc.
And even if no “warning signs” are going off, a woman should still take precautions with men she is less familiar with. A woman should not go into man’s home alone when she doesn’t know him very well. She should make sure that people know where she is when she is going on a date, what time she should be home, where she can be reached, etc. And every woman should carry a cell phone. These are just a few precautions.
Second Line of Defense: Boundaries
Once a potential threat has been identified, and a woman is unable to avoid being in contact with the man, she should set boundaries to prevent assault. If possible, the woman should keep physical distance between her and the man. If he is approaching her in a way that makes her fell threatened, she should stand in an interview stance (strong leg back, hands up, palms facing him). If he makes overt advances on her in a way that makes her uncomfortable (verbally or physically), she should tell him to back off in an assertive, non-aggressive tone. If the man persists in his advances, she should increase the strength of her tone as necessary.
Third Line of Defense: Combat
If the threat develops into an assault, the woman may escalate to physical combat as a defense. Now if it is a social situation and the assault is fairly minor (i.e. unwanted touching) and using words and an assertive tone have done nothing, a woman might choose to use a less violent combat method (i.e. sharp kick to the shin, stamping on a foot, etc). I also teach women to combine this with words to gather witnesses, yelling “No!”, “Stop!” or “Let me go!” This will usually be enough in a social situation in which other people are around.
If it is a more serious assault situation, like rape or a violent attack from a man, it makes no difference whether they know the person or not. She may use as much force as is necessarily to nullify the situation. As a woman, of course, she is justified in using more force than the attacker is using on her to make up for her lack of size or strength as compared to her attacker.
And Remember…
Awareness and boundary-setting are the most important skills for women to learn. They are the ones that help women keep out of trouble in the first place. Combat is nice to know and helps with confidence, but ultimately the other two skills are the ones that will be used most often.
Reacting to Aggression: How to Avoid and De-Escalate Conflict
In light of the Vancouver-area women’s self defense class I’m running this weekend, I was thinking about the different reactions to aggression in day-to-day life and how the vast majority of physical fights can be prevented with assertive conflict avoidance and de-escalation strategies.
There are 3 main ways people react to conflict. The first two I’ll discuss below are the ones most people use. They are the reactions people have when they give in to their conditioned fear-based adrenal responses in the face of aggression. The third type of response is self-aware, allowing a person to keep their head and stay in control of the situation.
1. Passive Response: This is when a person under-reacts to aggressive behaviour. The person avoids eye contact, turns the shoulders away and/or hunches over. In a woman’s case they might allow aggressor to get close and make physical advances. Verbally, the person would be saying ‘No’ to the advances or saying that they don’t want any trouble, but they do so without confidence or in an unconvincing manner. When you take on a “scared rabbit” victim-like demeanour, it confirms to the aggressor that you’re an easy victim and can bring on further physical aggression and assault.
2. Aggressive Response: This is when a person over-reacts to a situation. They display a defiant attitude. The non-verbal communication that is usually displayed is hands on hips and/or puffed chest, firmly set jaw and direct, menacing eye contact. The person might also point their finger at the aggressor in a menacing fashion. Verbally, the person would talk back to them defiantly, oftentimes swearing. Basically, the person puts on a show that they’re unwilling to back down, which fuels the fire to the point where aggressor loses face and has no choice in his or her mind but to escalate things with a violent response.
3. Assertive mode: Responding assertively means assessing a situation and responding appropriately. Every aspect of the person’s response exudes non-threatening assertiveness. They stand in what we call the “interview stance,” both knees bent with the strong leg back and the hands up with palms open for protection in a way that looks non-threatening. The person has confident body language, which includes a straight back and firm but non-menacing eye contact and tone of voice. The person keeps a safe distance while talking. The verbal response is also assertive. A woman might say to a man’s unwanted advances, “Look I’ve already told you once that I’m not interested. Go away now!” Here is an example of what a man could say to an aggressor who is accusing him of hitting on his girlfriend: “Stay back now. We can talk things over just fine from there. I was just asking her where the washroom was. I didn’t mean anything by it. Let’s just all go back to having a good night, ok?” When it comes to verbal responses, a person should modify their intensity appropriately until the person backs off, whatever the situation.
Physical defense should only be used as a last resort when avoidance and de-escalation tactics have failed. By being assertive, not passive or aggressive, you can usually keep yourself physical fights.
The Practicalities of Conflict Avoidance
In modern society, people who stand up for themselves and for the rights of others are often seen as heroes, as champions of justice. There are, however, a potential costs to this form of heroism.
One of my students recently told me how a friend of his complained to a group of people loudly talking and swearing at the back of a bus. He pointed out that their swearing was disruptive and that there were children on the bus. Several stops later, the man and his girlfriend got off and the group followed them and attacked. The women held the girl back while the men beat him down until he lay bloodied and unconscious.
Last week, an LA moviegoer who was watching a screening of ‘Shutter Island’ spoke up against someone who was talking on his cell phone in the theatre during the movie. A dispute ensued and the man who had spoken up had a meat thermometer plunged into his neck for his efforts. Read the complete story.
Does this mean that we should all just let things go for the sake of avoiding conflict? More often than not, the answer is yes. While the meat thermometer attack is a response you’re unlikely to encounter, in a public place to boot, there are a lot of other potential risks to consider. When you’re dealing with a complete stranger, you don’t know whether or not they have friends willing to jump in, whether they’re carrying a weapon, whether they’re drunk or high, or what they’re capable of in a state of anger. And what do you risk if the conflict ends in a fight? Disfigurement, serious injuries, physical disabilities, brain damage, paralysis. You risk losing the ability to do the things you love and take care of the people you love. It’s not worth it to get directly involved over the little things.
If you find yourself tempted to engage someone in a conflict, stop and calmly think it through. You’ll find that it’s probably not worth it. This isn’t cowardice; it’s simply having the confidence and mental fortitude to know what your priorities are.
5 Rules of Street-Oriented Ground Defense
I was recently asked what my general rules that I apply to all ground defense (for street application as opposed to sport). It’s pretty straight forward. I’ve laid them out in this post.
Rule #1: Protect your head and neck. If an attacker is trying to immobilize their victim and eliminate their defensive capabilities, the most dangerous targets are the head and neck. While defending from the ground, the forearms should be kept up close to the head (when possible) to protect it and the chin should be tucked with the shoulders raised to prevent strangulation.
Rule #2: Keep your elbows and knees tucked close. On the ground, an attacker will try to immobilize your limbs to keep you from fighting back. When your arms are straight and spread out away from your body, they are easier to control. If your attacker knows joint lock submissions, they will more easily be able to apply them too. Keeping your elbows tucked close to your body prevents this and also allows you to use them to protect your head and neck. Keeping your knees bent allows you to kick out and hides your kicking reach.
Rule #3: Create and use space. When defending from the ground, the more space you have the better. This is particularly important when your attacker has the size/strength advantage. Space opens up more defensive options. Use whatever attacks to vulnerable targets you can, in combination with whatever body shifting you can manage to create more space. Then use the extra space to apply more powerful defenses. Another good use of space is to try and ward off an attacker with kicks and takedowns from the ground before they get on top of you.
Rule #4: Watch out for other hazards. The ground can present a number of hazards that you need to watch out for as you defend yourself. The attacker may produce and use a concealed weapon. If you see them reach back for something, assume it is a weapon and take the necessary measures to defend yourself. You also have to watch out for environmental hazards like glass or other debris/obstacles on the ground that could cause you harm.
Rule 5: Get off the ground! The ground is a dangerous place to be (See my article on the dangers of ground defense). You greatly increase your ability to protect yourself and escape by getting off the ground as soon as you have the opportunity to safely do so. As such, all defenses should end with the student getting back to their feet.
For more information about practical, street-oriented ground defense, check out Lori O’Connell Sensei’s book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground.
Can-Ryu Ground Defense Concepts Applied
In the past few weeks, I discussed the updated ground defense system that I developed for my style, Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu. In my post “Fundamentals of Can-Ryu Ground Defense,” I explained how we use a combination of attacks to vital targets and body shifting manoeuvres. The body shifting was demonstrated in more detail, complete with video in my post, “Body Shifting from the Underside of a Ground Attack.” Since then I’ve had a number of readers request that I demonstrate applications in more detail through video.
In the video below, I demonstrate a few different applications of Can-ryu ground defense concepts. These applications are really only the barest surface scratch of the myriad ways our ground defense concepts can be applied. I perform them at an instructive speed with a compliant partner so you can better see what I’m doing, but in practice it can be applied more dynamically and at greater speeds with no prior knowledge of how the attacks will shift and change. For more video footage and advice on ground defense, check out my new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground. Enjoy!
What to Do When Your Bell Gets Rung
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing some sparring with Chris, my second-in-command at my dojo, during open training. It was my first time sparring since my elbow injury just over 6 weeks ago. Needless to say, I was a little rusty, but still keen to give it a go.
As Chris and I sparred and increased the intensity, we each managed to take a couple of solid hits. The solid hit I took to the head in the form of a left hook that really hit home and rang my bell. I actually saw stars briefly. My response, as I’ve trained myself to do, was to let loose my own strikes, and to keep at it until I had regained my composure.
The reason for responding this way is to keep from being overwhelmed. This logic is applicable whether in a self-defense situation or in the competitive arena. If you give in to the hit and go on the defensive, there is a solid chance that your attacker or opponent will press the attack and get the better of you, both physically and mentally. Instead, you’re much better off throwing your own attacks back, even if they don’t end up being effective. It will hopefully be enough though to throw off your attacker’s initiative so that you can regain your composure.
This attitude follows the same logic discussed in my blog post about the power of intention. Have you personally had any similar experiences continuing to fight after taking a solid hit, whether in a belt test, a self-defense situation, or a competition? I invite you to share these in the comments section.
Body Shifting from the Underside of a Ground Attack
There are 3 types of body shifting I emphasize as part of the overall strategies I teach for defending from the underside of a ground attack. These, in combination with attacks to your attacker’s vital targets, are designed to be used by anyone regardless of size. They are adaptable and can be used interchangeably depending on the way the nature of the attack changes throughout its course. These body shifting methods include: bridging & rolling, shrimping and turtling.
When first introducing these movements to students, I like to have them do it dry, without an attacker (as in the video below), so they can learn the movements. They can also be incorporated into the warm-up for any ground defense or ground grappling class. They get the blood pumping, they strengthen core muscle groups, and it helps them improve their technique. These and other useful ground strength/technique drills can also be found in my new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense.
In my next posts, I’ll show how these are applied.
Fundamentals of Can-Ryu Ground Defense
I am happy to report that the ground defense principles I proposed over the weekend were well-received. They were considered to embody the 4 tenets of Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu and are therefore being incorporated into what we teach for ground defense.
As discussed in my last post, I discussed the idea of moving away from set defenses against specific ground attacks to apply a system of defense that is more flexible to different body types and the adaptive nature of ground attacks. And of course, the goal, as always in ground defense, is to get to your feet and get away. The system of defense is based in the idea of combining two strategies. They are as follows.
1. Body Shifting. When defending on the ground, you shift and move your body in ways that will give you an improved tactical position from which to fight back. If you’re defending against a standing attacker who is trying to kick your head or get on top of you, you shift your body in ways that will keep your feet towards your attacker so you can kick them as they come in. If you’re under someone on the ground, you use bridging & rolling, shrimping, etc. to off balance the attacker and/or create opportunities to strike.
2. Vital Targets. Body shifting alone is not enough, especially when you’re dealing with a much larger attacker. Striking, grabbing, squeezing, or applying pressure to vital targets can help you create space, off balance/distract an attacker, thereby giving you opportunities to use body shifting to create more space and escape.
These strategies can be used interchangeably as ground attack changes in nature. In some situations, body shifting may be enough on its own to create an avenue of escape. In others, you might have to attack a vital target first in order to employ body shifting effectively. Or in yet another situation, you might only be able to use body shifting enough to improve your position but not get away. In this case, you might have to attack a vital target to create enough space to use additional body shifting to get away.
The idea is that it’s a flexible system that is highly adaptable. While it may be necessary at first to introduce the concepts with set attacks and defenses, the goal is to quickly move forward into adaptive attacks and adaptive defenses. These concepts are explained in a lot more detail in my new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense.
We're proud to announce that Lori O'Connell Sensei's new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense, published through international martial arts publisher Tuttle Publishing, is now available in major book stores and online. More about it & where to buy it.