Revelations - There are no 'single' techniques and the circle of learning.

Over the last little while, we've been working on perfecting our technique.  My Sensei has spent quite a bit of time going over the finer points of fairly basic techniques.  In recent posts, I've discussed how I've discovered easy and obvious (now at least) ways of improving the effectiveness of techniques that I thought I knew inside and out.

We've spent a lot of time 'connecting' everything.  This involves having your entire body involved in the executions of a technique, and flowing into the next available option seamlessly.  My Sensei always says he's thinking 3 steps ahead.  I never really understood what that meant.  I thought I did, but I didn't. I mean, you can't necessarily know exactly how your opponent will react so how can you know the next move?  Proper technique makes it likely, but combat is unpredictable.

I've taken on my own interpretation of what he means.  We were working on a variation of a Z-lock.  This can be from a lapel grab, a wrist grab, or a punch. First we did a z-lock, then we transitioned into an elbow break/shoulder lock and ended in a complete lock up of the shoulder behind our opponent's back. From there we could take down or sweep.

Here's what I discovered watching Sensei demonstrate.  He went into the z-lock portion of the technique and then into the elbow break and then into the lock up without pausing.  It was then that I realized that there weren't actually 3 separate and distinct techniques.  It was all one.  I realized that while we practiced each section, they were all part of what I now think of as a 'complete' technique.  Complete techniques come to a logical conclusion of some sort based on your movements.  So yes, in extreme circumstances, you might break the wrist and the elbow at the same time while separating the shoulder all in one fluid movement.

3 steps ahead doesn't necessarily mean 3 unconnected moves. The beauty of this is that all 3 happen simultaneously, and if any one part misses or fails to produce the desired effect, the other parts still work. A triple threat, of sorts.

The next discovery, or revelation, was that some disconnected training returns to martial arts study.  As a beginner, you practice each stage of a technique. There is a start and stop to each part of a defense, or any series of motions in a string of self defense techniques.  This is natural and it helps beginners learn the actual mechanics of a technique, as well as control.  

With continued study, we strive to remove these pauses, and develop smooth, continuous flow.

Now, something strange is happening.  I am getting much more proficient in a few 'basic' techniques that I am now perfecting (Sensei's words, not mine).  All of a sudden (or so it seems), my techniques have become downright dangerous.  They've always been (that's why I love Jiu Jitsu), but now my ability to execute them effortlessly and effectively puts my training partner in real danger of  accidental injury.  One of the things that drew me to Jiu Jitsu is that it doesn't take strength.  For years, you 'muscle' techniques, but they don't need to be to be brutally effective.  In fact, using strength can actually hinder you in Jiu Jitsu study.

Now I have to re-insert the stops in the techniques to make sure I don't break my partner.  When done correctly, some of these techniques have surprised me.  My training partner was tapping like mad and I didn't think I had even 'put it on' yet.  Once again, I have a whole new respect for my art and my Sensei.

I imagine in time, I will be able to phase out the pauses as I learn the new control required to prevent injury to my partner.  And so the circle of learning repeats.

So I've discovered there are very few lone techniques in my chosen art.  Each technique involves a connected sequence of movements.

I've also discovered that sometimes you have to insert artificial breaks or pauses in advanced techniques to be safe in training.  You also need to realize that we are quite capable of causing serious injury with little or no effort.  So respect your teacher, your art and your training partners.

"I am often awed by the sheer awesomeness of Jiu Jitsu"  - poorly worded original Journeyman quote.

"If I never teach you another technique, you've already got too much" - my Sensei.

Train well, there's always more to learn.

UFC and Steven Seagal

A while back, I wrote a post on Steven Seagal.  Read it here.  I've always been a fan of his skill and his impact on the martial arts.

Now, after some less than fantastic films, to many, he has become a bit of a joke.  People criticize him for a variety of reasons.  Most people who have spent time with him, however, believe in this skill and ability.

(UFC 129 spoiler alert)

Interestingly, two of the best UFC fighters have enlisted the help of Seagal in their fight preparation.  Both Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida are training with him.  And each fighter has now successfully used a 'never seen before' technique in the UFC to score knock out wins.  Granted, we've seen the Karate Kid use a variation, but that's another story.  The point is, some of the most elite MMA athletes in the world are turning to Seagal to improve their game.  What does that tell you?

Here's a video to Lyoto training with Seagal:



And here's the knockout kick:


And here's a post fight interview given by Seagal:

Blogger down

As many of you may know already, blogger had some issues and 30 plus hours of added content was  removed as they fixed a glitch.

I've lost a post and some comments that I made.  I'll give it another day to see if they return.  Thanks to all those who've commented on new and recent posts.  I'll do my best to re post my stuff soon (as best I can remember) if blogger doesn't get it back.

Mental note - back up your blog regularly.

Train well.

Living in the moment

In my last post, I talked a bit about taking responsibility for whatever you do and how it can free you to live in the 'now'.

Over the last couple days, I rebuilt a deck.  I did not particularly want to do it, as I don't have a lot of extra time in my life right now and it took me away from other pursuits I enjoy.  It's also hard work.  Now, I could have wasted time before hand thinking how I didn't want to do it.  And I could have spent the time doing it concentrating on how I wanted it to be over so I could do other things.  Instead, I tried to live in the moment.  What I found was surprising.

Sure, it was still hard work, but that's ok, it's good for you.  I also realized how great the weather was.  Ripping up boards, using a sledge hammer, prying up nails, replacing rotting wood with straight good smelling wood, and seeing the tangible progress became strangely satisfying.  I started to enjoy figuring out how to get into a rhythm, how to get faster and smoother in my technique, how to use less effort to accomplish more and so on.  I enjoyed and was present in the moment.

And yes, the parallels to martial arts study are not lost on me.  This same mindset should be applied to training.  What I found interesting was that just by thinking about being present in the moment, I was.  My mind drifted off from time to time but overall I enjoyed the day.

I may just be on to something...

Taking responsibility and freeing your mind.

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to listen to a presentation made by a renowned author and ex-military man.  It wasn't a motivational speaking seminar, but he spoke on a variety of topics.

One thing he said really resonated with me.  He said that we always have a choice in every single situation.    He also said every choice has some consequence, positive or negative.  Take the example of someone asking you to go somewhere or do something that you don't really want to do.

You have a choice.  If you really don't want to go, don't.  Of course, this may have some consequences that you'll need to weigh.

On the other hand, if you do decide to go, take responsibility and go with an open and positive mind.

Where we get in trouble is in the middle ground.  We go, but we're resentful and negative, and we blame the other person for 'making' us go.  This negative attitude means you have a rotten time and chances are you'll ruin the other person's time as well.

The message is simple.  Go or don't go.  But take responsibility either way.  If you do decide to go, let go of all the negative energy and thoughts.  You never know, with an open mind, you might even enjoy yourself.  Some people live their lives blaming external factors, people and circumstances for their woes. This perpetuates the notion that we are living a helpless existence.  Taking responsibility and realizing that you've made a choice is very freeing and often opens you up to new and positive experiences.  It also frees you to live in the moment.

Food for thought.

Knife Survival Series - Part VIII - Drugs and Knife Attacks

A while back J.C. over at Bujutsu: The Path asked me to touch on how to respond to substance altered attackers.  People that are high on drugs present a variety of challenges.

1.  They are less likely to respond to reason
2.  They are more likely to act erratically
3.  They are less likely to experience or react to pain
4.  They are more likely to have increased strength

I've written on the topic of pain compliance in the past.  They have a time and a place, but during a knife attack is not one of them.  You cannot and will not have enough time to determine if a person is high on drugs in formulating your response.

The key point to take away is that any survival technique you use must work on everyone, regardless of what substances they've ingested.

Now, drugs are interesting things.  They can make people do incredible things.  I can say from experience that one individual, jacked up on drugs, jumped from a balcony and ran from the police for almost half a mile before he was caught.  Why is this significant?  He had broken his leg when he jumped. Adrenaline and substance abuse had carried him.

I also once had to subdue a guy on crystal meth.  I wasn't alone, but no one could do anything with him. Distraction strikes did nothing, and he was stronger in his drug fueled state than the 3 guys trying to get him into handcuffs.  Ultimately, I was able to apply a shoulder lock, putting him face down into a couch.  This immobilized him, but he didn't feel any pain.  I found a way to immobilize him.  He had no leverage or room to resist, so he was stuck.  We could have hit him all day and I doubt it would have done anything.  I had taken him, or a part of him, out of the equation.

This same concept applies to knife survival techniques.  You have to take the individual, or the delivery system of the attack (hand, arm, shoulder etc) out of the equation.

If you are attacked with a knife, unless you can generate immediate distance and cover, you must prioritize getting control of the knife and the knife wielding limb.  With the potentially fatal nature of knife attacks, and the relatively high chance of your attacker being on some form of drug, you need to destroy whatever you get a hold of.  You need to break the arm, wrist, hand or shoulder of your attacker.  And you need to mangle it.  It sounds gruesome, but you must separate whatever part you break from whatever part it's attached to. You must make it unusable to your attacker.  This is crucial as they may not respond to the pain of the injury.  If the drugs make them immune to pain, then the part that they are using to attack must be taken out of commission. Taking the example of our broken legged friend, he could still run, but that's because his leg was still essentially held together.  Had it been broken more fully and completely severed, he would not physically be able to continue.

In the case of a knife wielding attacker, if he (or she) doesn't feel their arm break, for instance, then when they go to use it again for another attack, it must not work for this purpose.  Not to put too fine a point on it, but if their forearm is hanging down and the hand is backwards, they won't be able to hold or use the knife.

You cannot rely on anything other than the simplest, most destructive techniques to survive a knife attack.  You have no way to know what your attacker is capable of or what substances they have taken.  There are no less serious knife attacks.  Each and every one can be fatal.  Knowing this, every technique you study or learn must be effective, simple and inflict the maximum damage to you attacker.  They're nasty, but it's a matter of life or death.

Stay safe.

When does it stop being self defense? - 5th and Washington Street Fight

It's fairly rare that I comment on law enforcement related issues, and perhaps I should more often.  One question that I get asked quite a bit is how much force you can use to defend yourself.  Where is the line between self defense and assault?

The simplest answer I can give that basically applies to most laws in North America, and I assume overseas as well, is that you can use as much force as is necessary to stop the threat.  When the threat is over, or you are out of danger, or you can get out of danger, you must stop.  It's really that simple.

Take the following video that's been circulating the Internet:



Wim Demeere has an interesting break down of the video.  Here's the link.

I won't go into it too deeply, but the, I'll call him the winner, clearly steps over the line from self defense to down right assault.  There is no excuse for the kick that you see near the end.  That was purely to punish the initial aggressor for getting in his face.  The guy was down, he wasn't even trying to get up.  He was essentially helpless and the other guy kicked him in the side, probably breaking a bunch of ribs.

The threat was over when the guy went down.  The first punch put him down. I might even be convinced that the second punch when the guy was on the ground might have been justified.  After all, who knows what the initial aggressor was capable of.  He might have popped back up and the fight could have been on.  So I won't discuss the first hit when the guy was down.

I take issue with the kick.  There is no way that anyone could say there was still a threat.  I have a big problem with anyone who kicks someone when they're down.

You have a right to defend yourself, but when the threat is over and you don't walk away, it's you that's breaking the law.