By David Nishimoto

Bouncing or uprooting the person is not mystical. First, relax and create a feeling of sinking into the earth. Connectedness with the earth is the fundamental principle to the bounce. The feet are integrated with the earth. Gravity is pulling body mass towards the earth. The legs and feet are supporting the body from falling. The knees are slightly bent and have a rubbery characteristic. External force is perceived and directed from the center through the legs, to the feet; and a counter-force is generated. Just like a bumper car hitting the edge of the pit, the reflected force is compressed by the legs and reflected back through the body into the opponent. So minimal external force is amplified and reflected back into the opponent with maximum effects. The hands or body propel the opponent back as the reflected force exceeds the force of gravity holding the opponent down. The hands or upper body are the transmitted force generated from the legs and center.

Think about walking. Each step is a balance between falling to the earth and a counter force pushing back. A connectedness exists between the minds timing perception which connects with the earth and generates an counter force pushing the body back up. Likewise, as an external force is approaching, a connectedness needs to be perceived relating time to impact and the counter force necessary to bounce the opponent away. The external force compresses the your body downward to the earth. A certain degree of compression is realized and expansion series initiates at will cause the counter force. Expansion generates a greater force greater than the force of gravity holding the person down causing causing a bounce or uprooting. The degree of bounce or uprooting depends on the intent and degree of expansion.

The discovering the center-line means finding the opponents body location where yielding becomes difficult. The body pivots around the center. Double weighted-ness means pushing too hard, at a miscalculated center and losing one’s own center of balance. If one pushes against a door thinking that it is rigid but instead it swings free open; the over extension will cause him to fall. This is called double weighted-ness and is bad. The test of double weighted-ness is the objective of pushing hands. If the body is soft and yielding to external force the center can not be discovered. However, any points of rigid-ness or resistance can be compressed and the opponent’s center of balance exploited causing him to step back or jump back to absorb the incoming counter-force.

Focusing on feeling increases awareness. Remove the ego of looking good and start thinking about the moment. Surrendering and yielding to the opponents movements allows you to blend with them. Blending is the key to find their center. Blending can lead to a bounce or a yield, control, and neutralization. Blending can start at formation of intent by your opponent. A punch, kick, tackle can be sense before it starts. It more important to feel what the person will do and blend with that feeling. Feeling is more important than seeing. With experience fighters the feeling is very subtle. Connectedness with your body, the earth, and the opponent is the key. Remove the ego of superior strength, credentials, pride, and prestige immediately proceeding listening to feelings. Concentrate on the sensation in the body: breathing, integration with the earth, confidence, integrated energy, and feeling the other persons energy.

Relaxation increases the ability to connect with the earth. Relaxation reduces the number of mistakes in technique. Relaxation keeps the body soft and prevents the centerline from being discovered. Test this principle by having a person push forward gently on your shoulders, swing your body with the force. Alternate between left and right parts of the body. Repeat the push on the left and right hips also. Relaxation is the key to not getting bounced during pushing hands.

Focus on the purpose of the technique. Executing a technique without understanding the intent will result in failure even if it looks perfect. Technique changes as the understanding of the purpose changes.

by David Nishimoto

Standing meditation builds great marital artists. Lets start with standing. Standing builds the frame. The frame is used to repel or redirect all forms of force. Once a student has been standing for a few years they build a integrated frame. The integrated frame becomes the beginning of advance drills for refining balance. All martial art systems have some forms and methods for improving balance. Here’s how to begin.

Select a private and secluded area where you can stand without interruption. In many areas of the country, if you go to a park you will experience more interruptions than its worth. Its important that you select an area where you can devote 100% concentration on what your doing. Don’t be afraid to explain to people, who may see you, what your doing. Just say, “standing meditation, minimal investment and maximum results.”

Start with your feet separated at shoulder distance. Slightly bend your knees keeping the back straight. Image your body is suspend from a rafter. Let the arms hang down and slightly in front with your fingers separated. Concentrate on breathing slowly and rhythmically.

Later move your arms upward forming a ring shape in front of your body. The palms of your hands should face inward and the fingers pointing at each other with a small gap in between the hands. Image you are hugging a tree. Working on the feeling of expansion and contraction as you stand. Adjust your balance as you feel slight changes in weight.

Standing requires you to focus on your breath, weight distribution, and mental focus. At first your mind will be racing. What do you think of? Nothing. You’ll be able to free your mind and reach a state of mental activity similar to one just before waking up. This is the beta state. An advanced form of relaxation where learning is maximized and the maximum benefits for your body are achieved.

Stand for only small periods of time, but over the year work up to a hour of standing. Once you’ve reach this level contact me for additional instructions. I recommend working in groups. If you have the determination to stand then more advance concepts can be taught later.

by Morne Swanepoel

Many a times have I heard Martial Arts instructors & schools state the amount of techniques they know etc. and classify themselves at different levels with these achievements.

I think we can all agree that there is Unlimited amount of techniques to study in any Martial Art system and that we all have limited time or even lifespan to train these techniques in. This is more the reason why we need to be true to ourselves and
identify the reason for training. We live in a time and era where our time is limited. That’s why it is so important to prioritize your training methods.

Saying this Let’s take Sport & Self Defence as an example. There are certain techniques that would score your points in tournaments but would not do the job in the street, and the same applies for the opposite. So if your aim is to learn how to defend yourself against an aggressive opponent it doesn’t make sense training techniques that would not work in the street. Learn as much as possible but you must also be able to distinguish between those techniques that are only good for demonstrations, and those which will give you results in an all out street fight.

How do you know which techniques will do the job?

At JKD Unlimited we make sure we test all our techniques. You have to try it out against a resisting, aggressive opponent who is going to do everything in his might
for you not to be able to apply your techniques. So yes unfortunately when you put on your protective gear and undergo a vigorous sparring session you will quickly find out what works for you and what doesn’t. This is exactly the same concept as what the late Bruce Lee used to refer to as swimming on dry land. You can learn all the strokes to become an excellent swimmer on dry land. But can you apply your strokes if
you get thrown into the ocean where the water is freezing, currents are pushing you all over the show, huge waves and maybe some other factors such as man eating sharks Thanks to my personal coach- Founder and President of Jeet Kune Do Unlimited, Burton Richardson, we have two very important guidelines we always refer to:

• Knowledge is not power. The ability to apply your knowledge is true Power.
• If you want to learn how to fight, make sure you train against someone who is fighting back.

Always practice the basic fighting techniques using training methods that are alive first. After you have improved in each range, then you can take the time to play with the other techniques which may improve some attributes, but which are difficult to apply against an aggressive opponent.

The main goal for Martial Artists should be for the individual to develop him or herself towards their Unlimited potential physically and mentally. By training in the Martial Arts we have a guideline for training in any other area of our life, from business to relationships. The concepts learned in your training should be transposed into your whole life experience.

You will never be able to learn each and every technique. Instead learning the Martial Arts should be like learning how to write.

First you learn the alphabet, then learn how to spell words, then learn how to make sentences and paragraphs and you can create as many stories as you wish. You don’t learn how to spell and then spend the rest of your life copying stories written by other people. You get to write what you want to write, your own expression. The same is true in the Martial Arts. Learn the basics well and you are only bound by your imagination. If you imagination is unlimited, then you too are truly unlimited.

Morne Swanepoel
President Jeet Kune Do Unlimited – South Africa
President World Taiji Boxing Association – South Africa
Website www.jkdu.co.za
Email morne@jkdu.co.za

By Morne Swanepoel

The Defensive Edge (A look at realistic Knife fighting)

‘The most constant thing in life is change. Everything that has been mummified belongs to the past. Mummification is a blockage in the body, there is no spirit. We are all alive and need to progress and go beyond…’ – Morne Swanepoel

In all of my training and experiences, the one area of the martial arts that frightens me the most is the knife. It is hard to convey the ugliness of the knife as a weapon. Anyone, trained-untrained, man-woman, is at a significant advantage with a knife and a great disadvantage against one.

So, how do we prepare ourselves for this fatal encounter?

REALITY is the key here, as most martial artists train primarily to defend against a face to face ‘Hollywood’ type knife attack. We need to distinguish between that which looks good for demonstration purposes and that which will work in actual knife fight. Look at the way you are training. You need to develop your training to gain the necessary skills and attributes to deal with high-speed blade attacks. Training with edged weapons is virtually useless unless it is balanced out with experience. We get this experience via resistance training or through actual sparring. Reality knife fighting occurs at combative speed and this is where we need to be functional & effective. This doesn’t mean that you should neglect the various drills that allow for creative, relaxed and playful training.

When you are in a confrontation that can cost you your life, you have no excuses for not having prepared as thoroughly as possible in your training. This means that your training exploration has to involve everything that works in a full resistance environment, and that you have to thoroughly prepare yourself for these defensive and offensive tactics. Martial Artists tend to focus on self-defence rather than offensive tactics. So why then should you train in offensive knife fighting skills? You need to understand the offensive elements in order to develop defensive tactics for any offensive techniques you might encounter. Knowledge of weapons working will give you an advantage if you must defend yourself against one.

You must always consider surrendering whenever a weapon is used, unless you believe that doing so will place you in greater danger. This is by no means cowardly reaction. Your possessions can be replaced – your life cannot. There can only be one winner in a knife fight and more often than not there are two losers. There is an old saying that says ’ When two tigers fight, the one will die today, the other dies tomorrow due to all it’s wounds it suffered’

Don’t just dismiss training with weapons because you think that you’ll never use them and that you will be able to avoid this type attack in the street. You will gain more insight, be more prepared for any situation, improve your attributes, and its loads of fun. Training with weapons is part of becoming the best that you can be.

Morne Swanepoel
President Jeet Kune Do Unlimited – South Africa
President World Taiji Boxing Association – South Africa
Website www.jkdu.co.za
Email morne@jkdu.co.za

By Morne Swanepoel

‘Knowledge is not power, the ability to apply your knowledge is true power.’

I am often surprised by how much the word ‘practical’ or ‘effective’ is used to describe a certain Martial Art system. While I agree that many fighting skills are practical and effective within realm of fighting, I question how practical these skills are within modern society and against an aggressive, skilful opponent.

People study Martial Arts for various reasons. The most prominent being for self defence purposes. Now if you are studying the Martial Arts to stand a better chance to defend yourself in the street try and answer the following questions to see if you think along the same lines as we do at Jeet Kune Do Unlimited. Remember that when answering these questions there will never be a definitive ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ but try and answer them in a way that makes the most sense to you.

• Is the Martial Arts primary purpose for impressiveness or effectiveness?
• Do you think that Martial Arts is primarily derived as a sport or a self defence system?
• For Self Defence should we only stick to the techniques that have been passed down through time, or should we just use whatever techniques work for the given situation?
• If you want to know the effectiveness of a technique should you just take your instructors word or test it for yourself?
• If you decide to test a technique, should the test be in a controlled, passive environment? Or should the test be in an environment that resembles a real, all out street fight?
• The amount of possible techniques in Martial Arts is it limited or virtually unlimited?
• The amount of time you have to train each week is it unlimited or limited?
• If the time is limited should we prioritise which techniques and training methods we use?
• Shouldn’t we prioritise training the most probable scenarios along with the most useful techniques?

I have found that most people answer these questions in the same way.

They conclude that most Martial Arts is supposed to be designed for effectiveness in the street using whatever techniques that will work regardless of their origin. You should test the techniques yourself in an environment close to a street confrontation. There is unlimited amount of Martial Arts techniques & combinations, but we have limited amount of time to practise them in and therefore we need to prioritise our training. In a real street fight or limited rules sporting event your opponent will resist your efforts 100%. The only way you can deal with that resistance is to practise against a resisting opponent. We make choices about which road we will take long before we take the step. Sometimes we make unconscious decisions and leave the rest up to fate. I hope that after answering the above questions sincerely you would make sure you are taking the right direction with your training to make sure you reach your goal. Just remember that ‘What is spectacular is not always practical. What is practical is not always spectacular’, and ‘If you want to learn how to fight make sure you train against somebody who is fighting back’

No Rules-Anything goes–Are you ready? is a guideline we use in all our gyms. The Martial Arts circuit has been taken by storm with all the no rules tournaments such as the likes of the Ultimate fighting challenges (UFC’s). These tournaments are great to see which techniques are effective when full resistance is applied but it is still just a tournament. These tournaments will most probably be the closest thing to a street fight but people must not misjudge it with a all out street fight. Let’s compare the two,

Street fight vs. Tournament:

• Ambushes vs. ready– time to prepare
• No pre-fight posture vs. pre fight posture
• No Rules vs. rules
• All attacks & targets allowed vs. tournaments allow limited or no striking to eyes, throat & groin as well as pinching & biting
• Unfavourable variables i.e. multiple opponents, assault, broken glass etc. vs. single opponent, agreed to allow attacks, arranged environment
• Always be ready with no stretching or warming up vs. the luxury of warming up before your match.
• No referee vs. Referee
• No time limit vs. time limit
• No divisions vs. divisions i.e. rank, weight etc.
• Any time vs. tournament date

These are just a few differences, but I am sure you get the picture. So again make sure you monitor your training to ensure that you are training correctly for your goals that you have set. It doesn’t help training pre-arranged forms the whole time if you want to defend yourself in a violent street situation.

All our members at Jeet Kune Do unlimited train techniques that have a high chance of success in a real, all-out situation where life and limb are at stake. My aim and that of all the members of Jeet Kune Do Unlimited is to continue the work that Bruce Lee started and continue investigating the Martial Arts realm for those techniques, training methods and strategies that work in the environment of a street attack. A fight is full of resistance and you must practise against real resistance if you want to be able to protect yourself. Life is full of resistance too, so the lessons you learn training should translate directly to making you a more successful person. Enjoy the process, and apply what you have learned to all aspects of your life!

Morne Swanepoel
President Jeet Kune Do Unlimited – South Africa
President World Taiji Boxing Association – South Africa
Website www.jkdu.co.za
Email morne@jkdu.co.za

By Morne Swanepoel

The end of the last century saw the birth of a new era in the Martial Arts world. With the advent of events known variously as ‘Ultimate fighting’, ‘No holds-barred’ matches and ‘Mixed Martial Arts’, martial artists across the world learned the value of learning more than one art, and becoming complete in what does work and what doesn’t in the real world.

The effectiveness of ground fighting or grappling cannot be denied. In the concept of Jeet Kune Do you always push towards totality in combat.

There are a number of Martial Art instructors and students out there that believe that no one will take them down to the ground. Even Guru Dan Inosanto has stressed the importance of ground fighting in his latest video series on the Martial Arts. You must be fierce, but have patience at the same time. Most important of all you must have complete determination. The worst opponent you can come across is one whose aim has become an obsession. For instance if a man has decided that he is going to bite off your nose no matter what happens to him in the process, the chances are he will succeed in doing it. He may be severely beaten up too, but that will not stop him from carrying out his objective.

The main modes of fighting one will find oneself in are weapons, Stand up, Clinching & grappling. Whenever the skills and tools of fighters are equal, victory will generally go to the person who possesses the stronger will and most cunning strategy.

As with any form of fighting, one of the biggest mistakes is to take the opponent lightly, and with grappling the main mistake is to loose ones sense of calm and to waste energy with inappropriate use of physical strength. Opportunities will surely be missed.

Too many students & instructors train their techniques without properly testing them under a full resistance environment. How would you deal with somebody that’s goal is to take you down to the ground? No matter how good you are, if your opponent wants to take you down he will. Remember, the opponent is not only NOT co-operating with you but he is very much out to knock your lights out!

In any encounter, one is always searching for the advantage. Speed, angling, superior technique and especially pain compliance are great to have, and it is generally preferable to remain standing on your feet, but, Murphy’s Law…….If you should loose your advantage such as slipping in the mist of throwing blows, be pulled off balance in the process of executing the best throw or take down. What do you do then? What if you apply the perfect joint lock, and the opponent doesn’t react to it or counters it. Worst yet, what if you are not afforded the luxury of having the advantage in the first place and forced into a wrestling situation. It is not the best place and time to get your first grappling/wrestling lesson lying on your back in the street with your opponent on top of you busy blasting away. Fluidity of tactics and skill within all the ranges of combat is a must. No matter how good you are on your feet with or without a weapon you must be equally proficient on the ground in order to be a complete fighter. Especially when dealing with a bigger, stronger opponent, or with someone who can close the distance and force grappling, or might just be better than you with stand up fighting skills.

Weapons training is to be included in your grappling and overall skills. To round out your training, include drills and sparring sessions that would pit empty hand vs. various weapons, weapons vs empty hand and weapon vs. weapon grappling.

With co-operation vary sessions from light to full contact, lots of rules to limited to no rules. The benefits will be many for all involved. You should not be afraid to try different methods in your training, for it is never complete (as much as we may believe it is).

Nature has shown us that all things evolve, therefore, so should we. The only thing constant in life is change itself.

Morne Swanepoel
President Jeet Kune Do Unlimited – South Africa
President World Taiji Boxing Association – South Africa
Website www.jkdu.co.za
Email morne@jkdu.co.za

By Morne Swanepoel

South Africa is known as the land of sunshine and scenic majesty. The world’s strangest and most dramatic landscapes…nature’s richest treasure chest of gold and diamonds…a unique wealth of animal and plant life…a kaleidoscope of exotic, sun-blessed people…can there be a land anywhere on earth more enticing than Southern Africa?

Southern Africa is still home to the mysterious San people, whose legends seem to go back to the beginning of life itself and to the descendants of the Iron Age people who wandered down from the far North. Here too are the people’s ancestors who journeyed from the East and the West, bringing with them influences good and bad, innumerable subtitles of thought and ideas and a complex range of life-styles, foods and customs.

On the East coast of Southern Africa lies a small province called KwaZulu Natal and has long been described as the “garden province” of South Africa. Here the Zulu’s became the most formidable military power ever to grow from any indigenous African people. Battles and Wars stain the rich soil with blood and many a maize field of today has been fertilized by the charred ruins of destroyed huts and the calcium of human bones.

The great Natural harbour of Port Natal on who’s shores the city of Durban now stands was founded by Vasco da Gama and became a great trade point for pirates and slave traders, merchants and shipwrecked crews and thus the start of European invasion to the Zulu land began. It was during that time and in that land that there lived an African Martial Warrior named King Shaka. It was he who founded the unique fighting style of the Zulu’s that took the Zulus from a tribe of a few hundred to a nation of millions.

Even to this day the Zulu nation is revered as strong, powerful fighters. Shaka Zulu had made such an impact on the lives of the Zulu’s that the “ripple-effect” has been carried through to every tribe living on South African soils from generation to generation. The story of Shaka lives in the hearts of many and has been told for over 2 centuries and has made him the most famous Southern African in history. Shaka implemented a new system of military organization that incorporated regiments from defeated tribes. When a chiefdom was conquered it became a territorial segment of Shaka’s kingdom-at-large.

The warriors became a part of his royal army and were drilled and fought beside combatants from other chiefdoms. Shaka’s Zulu warriors or ‘amabutho’ were truly legendary and stories of the grueling and often cruel training are innumerable. However, Shaka never expected his men to do anything he couldn’t or wouldn’t do himself and he set the example. Forced marches of up to 70km per day carrying weapons and surviving on what they could find in the bush, proficiency in handling their weapons and the methods of dispatching the enemy were the order of the day.

Shaka discovered that the crude sandals traditionally worn by Zulu men hampered his speed and agility and as a result the army marched, ran and fought bare foot – on sharp stones, through thorn bushes, in deep sand, rivers and every type of terrain possible. Another innovation of Shaka was the short stabbing spear (assegai) a great improvement on the longer handled throwing assegai’s that broke when used against the enemy at close range.

The forging of his spear is a story in itself, involving magic, secrecy and tradition. Coupled with the large hide covered shields, the stabbing spears were wielded with deadly effect on the enemy, accompanied by the terrifying war cry Si-gi-di! Perhaps the most successful of Shaka’s great battle tactics was the fighting formation he devised. Known as the “horns of the buffalo”, it was supremely simple. The warriors would form the horns and encircle the enemy, while the chest took on the main weight of the attack. Reinforcements were held in reserve behind the safety of the chest. Total warfare became King Shaka’s policy, causing a ripple effect, which affected a vast area of Southern Africa for years afterwards.

It should be remembered that life in Shaka’s time was not like ours today. A harsh land called for harsh measures, and Shaka was quick to use them. He ruled his kingdom fairly and with compassion, but those who disobeyed him met with harsh punishment. Change has been a constant in South Africa, and a huge change happened with the overthrow of apartheid. Political violence was at an all-time high as many were ruthlessly killed for not boycotting certain shops. Killers waited outside while a mother went in to buy oil and soap-powder and then was forced to drink and eat that as she came out as punishment – never returning to her home and family.

Even fathers who belonged to the “wrong” political party would be stoned to death with rocks and boulders, their skulls crushed in front of their children. The apartheid stigma was abolished with the release of President Nelson Mandela from prison where he was serving his sentence on Robben Island. South Africa became known as the rainbow nation, it was Mr Mandela’s wish that everyone should live as one in one country, with criminals shedding the blood of innocent victims on a daily basis. As you may guess, martial arts training has become very popular in South Africa. South Africa consists of many different cultures and within these cultures stem many different martial arts systems.

South Africans are known as a very competitive nation even within the martial arts circles. The variety of martial arts systems found in South Africa is very wide, matching the different races and personal preferences of the people. From Zulu to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Filipino, almost every type of martial art is practiced here. Now, though, people are re-examining their training and out of necessity are opting for a more practical approach For many years the African Warrior has been asleep but with violence on the increase, it is time to arouse the African Warrior within each South African – Zulu or not.

The concept of Jeet Kune Do has allowed even it’s African practitioners to explore and absorb what is useful and reject what is useless. The need for functional training has grown positively in South Africa and thus Jeet Kune Do has been the one to awaken the sleeping African Warrior! Bruce Lee said: “The ultimate achievement in Jeet Kune Do is not the wholesale destruction of one’s foes but rather the annihilation of things that stand in the way of peace, justice and humanity.

The art thus becomes the embodiment of life and not of death. A punch or a kick is not to knock the hell out of the guy in front but to knock the hell out of your ego, your fear, or your hang-ups.” The fact is JKD for him was not an end in itself, nor was it merely a by-product. It was a means of self-discovery. JKD is a prescription for personal growth, or to put it another way, it is investigations of freedom – freedom to act naturally and effectively, not only in combat but also in life.

Although Shaka’s methods of fighting were revolutionary at their time, they are certainly not applicable for today’s situations. In a confrontational situation in Shaka’s time, the solution would have been to go to war with the whole tribe and killing would have been the answer to any situation to be able to win and get what you wanted. In this same regard, the methods taught by Bruce Lee during his lifetime were and still are effective, but JKD would not be the functional art it is today without constant improvement by it’s innovators striving for better and higher.

Jeet Kune Do was introduced to South African Martial Arts practitioners in the mid 1990′s by Burton Richardson who heads Jeet Kune Do Unlimited association. Burton is one of JKD’s leading innovators, keeping the training progressing towards an evermore functional and efficient approach. After years of visiting South Africa, Richardson has recently appointed and certified South Africa’s own Jeet Kune Do Unlimited instructor and role model in Morné Swanepoel. “I chose Mr. Swanepoel because of his willingness to train hard, his skill, and his dedication to teaching JKDU. We spar every time I visit South Africa, and Morné has progressed to such a degree that he is now the only instructor in my organization to be given full credentials of heading the only fully licensed Jeet Kune Do branch outside our International headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii.

He has the physical and mental talents that I am looking for in a representative of JKDU.” Morné with more than 25 years experience in Martial Arts has found since being exposed to JKD that it is vitally important to recognize what you are looking for in your training and to train what is functional and realistic in today’s times. Since introducing Jeet Kune Do to his students, he has been amazed to see how eager and enthusiastic the students became to learn more, how keen they were to attend their classes and that the whole attitude toward their Martial Arts training changed.

The training was in a more fun-filled, relaxed environment which proved to be the right training environment to learn in. Morné found that more and more people were also moving away from the competitive ‘Karate’ scenes as point scoring and political arguments were no longer what they were looking for in their training. Students were now coming to class where they were given positive input and encouragement not just with respect to their training but towards life itself. Self defense is knowing how to minimize the risk of violence by using observation, commonsense, assertiveness and escape. Jeet Kune Do Unlimited is a total concept of self-improvement. The idea is for the individual to take responsibility and develop themselves toward their unlimited potential.

The goal of Jeet Kune Do Unlimited is to develop complete martial artists. A complete martial artist is one who strives to become a great person, a great fighter, a great technician and a great teacher. Fighting wise means training to be proficient in each range of combat, with or without weapons, against one or multiple armed or unarmed opponents in a variety of environments. Combat takes place in different ranges. In each range there are different postures. For each posture in each range you have a multitude of techniques. The qualities the fighter possesses to bring the techniques to life and make them functional are called attributes. Merely being aware of the ranges, postures, techniques and attributes is not enough. Regardless of style, there are various combat ranges: weapons, kicking, punching, trapping, clinching and grappling.

Most Martial Artists spend time learning techniques that only fit one or two ranges of combat. Regardless of their range specialization, most martial artists assume they can fight and finish an encounter at their chosen range. Such an assumption can prove fatal. The essential point to remember is that there is no superior art! All systems of martial arts have strong and weak points. Bruce Lee observed: “There is a range in which Western boxing will counter any kicking art. There is a range in which Wing Chun will counter boxing. There is a range where Tai Chi Chuan will counter Wing Chun.” The end result in JKD training is the production of a man who possesses no structure or form. Hence, he possesses all structures and all forms. He is able to adapt to any situation, like water adjusting to the shape of any container.

“Moving, be like water. Still, be like a mirror. Respond like an echo” – Bruce Lee

Jeet Kune Do Unlimited offers the functional and realistic training methods that South Africans have been looking for. It is important to spar and to put on protective gear and to spar with progressive resistance so that you can become familiar and comfortable in an environment with resistance that occurs during an all out street. You do not want to find out what it is like for the first time in the street. JKDU instructors undergo a strenuous test to check their abilities as functional practitioners in all the ranges of combat. They partake in several rounds of full contact sparring in a high-pressure situation with a non-cooperative opponent. This is where you quickly find out what is functional and what is not! This is the basis of JKDU: to experience the truth in combat, and be able to handle that truth through proper training.

Self defense begins with awareness of the nature of violence and the circumstances in which it is likely to occur – forewarned is forearmed. But there is no substitute for knowing how to deal physically with an assailant. Training the mind to assess dangerous situations accurately, to avoid confrontations and to stay alert and positive is an integral to successful self-defense. This positive mental outlook, combined with knowledge of self-defense techniques, will reduce the risk of being attacked and becoming a victim. The people of South Africa will see the benefit of Jeet Kune Do Unlimited training with daily improvement in themselves and in every aspect of life. “Don’t just think positive, act positive. When in doubt, remember that you are unlimited!” Don’t be a spectator, experience life. Live to the fullest, go where you want to go, do what you want to do and most importantly, do whatever it takes to become the person you want to be.” – Burton Richardson.

These are the concepts which I would like to see brought, taught and nurtured in our JKDU schools in South Africa,” says Morné Swanepoel who heads Jeet Kune Do Unlimited South Africa under the guidance of his teacher Burton Richardson. “JKD teaches us about subduing a violent opponent through various methods under the most stressful conditions when our very life is at risk, most people will go through a lifetime without facing death at the hands of another. However, to gain that attribute known as experience, we need to train our students with the most realistic training methods.

As Morné has seen the benefits of teaching JKD to the South African students, he believes that it would not only be beneficial to them, but also to anyone in the rest of Africa who is wanting to train in a more functional and realistic training program. South Africa has seen great changes over the years, and now the functional JKD revolution is sweeping the country. Our hope is that as JKDU students develop personal confidence and peace of mind, that our embattled country will also develop the confidence to live in peace.

Morne Swanepoel
President Jeet Kune Do Unlimited – South Africa
President World Taiji Boxing Association – South Africa
Website www.jkdu.co.za
Email morne@jkdu.co.za

by Darren Laur

Edged weapons are amongst the most ancient of implements usedby human adversaries engaged in interpersonal conflict. Their use tends to culminate in the premature extinction of one and sometimes both parties. Unfortunately the potential lethality of the blade is not always realized or taken into account when confronting a knife-wielding attacker. There is a commonly held view that a person armed with a knife is less dangerous than a person armed with a firearm. The truth is that within their practical ranges both weapons are capable of fatal life stopping wounds. Some interesting facts include:

U.K. studies:

• Edged weapon assaults are the most commonly used weapon for killing people (7 in 20)
• In half the incidents of muggings on men the offender is armed with a sharp instrument

North America:

• One in three chance that if faced with a subject sho had an edged weapon, you will be attacked and injured
• Attacks with edged weapons usually occur when you least expect them
• In Victoria BC Canada, our police department has found an increase of 35% in the number of calls that they deal with where an edged weapon was involved
• In 1994, out of the 7 murders in Victoria, 6 were committed with knives
• The majority of “street” type people carry some kind of edged weapon be it legal or illegal

FBI Statistics:

• Edged weapon attackers are responsible for 3% of all armed attacks of police
• Firearm attacks account for 4%
• Both of the above stats represent fatalities
• Subject shot, 10% die from their wounds
• Subjects stabbed, 30% die from their wounds

Calibre Press:

• Since 1980 the number of people routinely carrying knives in North America has increased by 92%

I have personally gathered research form around the world on edged weapon assaults and the following facts emerged during my research:

• The most popular assault technique utilized by the attacker was found to be the hammer strike – either straight down or diagonally
• The victim tends to squat in an effort to take a path which offers perceived escape
• Many people seldom saw the edged weapon that penetrated their body. They failed to recognize the danger cues due to faulty perception
• Knife attacks were found to be exceptionally accurate, to penetrate deeper that some bullets, creating remarkable permanent cavities and rip through numerous organs in one stroke
• In reality, within their respective ranges, knives are superior to firearms as far as lethality is concerned

Within its range, a Knife:

• Never runs out of ammunition
• Never jams
• Never misfires
• Rarely misses target
• Cuts bone, tendon, muscles, arteries, veins with one thrust
• Can bring about sudden shock, pain, and extended wound channels
• It has better stopping capabilities
• Is psychological defeating
• Has superior concealment capabilities
• It occupies a permanent wound channel until extracted, at which time, if the blade is withdrawn from a lung, consciousness is rapidly lost

I have also attended several autopsies involving edged weapon deaths and in speaking with Forensic Pathologists have found the following medical facts:

• Typical death of a stab wound in homicide cases is 1 inch to 1.5 inches through the rib cag
• In most edged weapon attacks the victim received multiple knife wounds. The usual cause of death are usually the last few wounds of the overall attack
• Even short bladed knives can penetrate the abdomen by 8-10cm
• 3cm allows penetration of the ribs
• 4cm allows penetration of the heart
• because of the small surface area of a knife, the amount of force per unit area is TONS per square inch

The above noted information shows the importance of training to deal with such encounters. A person’s ability to deal with such situations will be based on his/her TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE. Experience is something not easily acquired, proper training can save lives by preparing you both physically and psychologically. Remember that most edged weapon assaults take place unexpectedly and so quickly that it is not unusual for the defender not to have time to realize that an edged weapon is involved. The attacker who possess an edged weapon usually does not want to convey in any way that he has one, and will usually conceal it until such time as he can deploy it quickly against you. Although a reality, it is a rarity that the attacker will produce his weapon in full view prior to an assault.

As I continued to conduct me research into edged weapon assaults on both police officers and the general public I was also able to identify three common denominators that seem to be present in many edged weapon assaults:

• In most edged weapon attacks, the defender is already involved in the physical encounter way before he or she even has time to realize that a knife is being used
• Most defenders see a thrust or slice with a knife as just another punch or kick and not an edged weapon assault
• It was difficult if not impossible for the defender to differentiate between an attack with an edged weapon or an attack using hands of feet. This was especially true when the defender was not aware from the start of the assault , that the attacker had a knife

I’m a big believer in, “don’t tell me, show me” so in early 1992 I conducted an empirical video research study. I had 85 police officers participate in a scenario based training session where unknown to them, they would be attacked with a knife. The attacker, who was dressed in a combative suit, was told that during mid way of the contact, they were to pull a knife that they had been concealing, flash it directly at the officer saying “I’m going to kill you pig” and then engage the officer physically. The results were remarkable:

• 3/85 saw the knife prior to contact
• 10/85 realized that they were being stabbed repeatedly during the scenario
• 72/85 did not realize that they were being assaulted with a knife until the scenario was over, and the officers were advised to look at their uniforms to see the simulated thrusts and slices left behind by the chalked training knives

When I reviewed the hours of video tape of the above noted scenarios, I also made several other interesting observations in how the majority of officers reacted to the attacks:

• most attempted to disengage from the attacker by backing away from the threat. This usually resulted in the attacker closing quite quickly with their victim
• Those officers that did engage the threat immediately, proceeded to block the initial strike of the attacker and then immediately began to grapple with the attacker using elbows and knee strikes, but FAILED TO CONTROL THE DELIVERY SYSTEM RESULTING IN A LARGE NUMBER OF LETHAL BLOWS WITH THE KNIFE
• Most of the scenarios ended up on the ground

After making these observations, I began to ask myself why I was seeing the above noted reactions. In my research I had the opportunity to read an article authored by Bruce Siddle and Dr. Hal Breedlove entitled ” Survival Stress Reaction” . In this article Siddle and Breedlove sated:

” research by numerous studies provide two clear messages why people will place themselves in bad tactical situations. The common phenomena of backing away under survival stress results from the visual systems deterioration of the peripheral field to attain more information regarding threat stimulus. Since the brain is demanding more information to deal with the threat, he officer will invariably retreat from the threat to widen the peripheral field. Secondly, the brains normal ability to process (analyze and evaluate) a wide range of information quickly is focused to specific items. Therefore, additional cues, which would normally be processed, are lost. This explains why people can not remember seeing or identifying specific facts which were relatively close to the threat.”

The above noted research by Siddle and Breedlove not only confirmed my findings but also answered why our officers were acting they were. It also explains why one officer, who had actually caught the attackers knife hand with both of his hands and was looking directly at the knife, stated “I didn’t see any knife” It was not until I showed the video that he believed there was a knife.

Based upon all the above noted observations, I began to research a number of edged weapon defensive tactics programs that were being offered to both police officers and citizen. I attended several programs across North America and in doing so, I found that many of the programs although practical in a training environment, were totally unrealistic for the reality of the street. Many of these programs had several pitfalls:

• Most assumed the defender knew that the attacker possessed an edged weapon. ( what good is this assumption when we know that the majority of attacks with knives the defender did not know the attacker had a knife)
• Most techniques being taught were to complicated for people to remember ( to many fine complex motor skills which we know do not translate when survival stress clicks in no matter how well trained)
• Most techniques neglected the not so frozen limbs which the attacker still possessed and would use if not neutralized.
• Most techniques being taught concentrated on controlling the knife hand rather than the delivery system. ( the hand moves faster than the eye in a spontaneous attack. As well if cut, blood is a very good lubricant and makes grabbing the knife hand, even with two hands, very difficult if not impossible. To replicate this, use some baby oil during your next edged weapon defensive tactics class)
• Most techniques being taught were designed to be used against a static (stemming) attack.. (Real knife assaults are not static but fluid and dynamic in nature)
• Most techniques were designed to be used against what I call wide “Hollywood” motion attacks. ( most knife assaults are short and multiple in nature)
• Most techniques were designed to be used under perfect conditions of the dojo or training studio. ( most would not work if fighting/rolling around in the mud, the blood, and the beer of an “open” rather than “closed” environment

When looking for a Realistic Edged Weapon Tactics/ Counter tactics Program you should ensure that you pick one that teaches:

• 1) AWARENESS STRATEGIES
• 2) REALISTIC HANDS ON COUNTER TACTICS WHICH FOLLOW THE S.A.F.E. PRINCIPAL.

Simple Adaptable Fast and Effective Awareness strategies start with the above noted information on stats and facts.

TYPES OF ATTACKERS:

There are two types of attackers that you will have to deal with, Skilled and unskilled. Although it is a nicety to know the difference between the two types of attacker, it is very important to remember that both are as equally as dangerous. Remember it is not the skill level of the attacker but rather the desperation factor that makes him so dangerous. As well, in a dynamic spontaneous assault involving an edged weapon, you will probably not have the time to assess your attackers skill level. This is why it is so important that any counter edged weapon program you use, it must work against both the unskilled and skilled attacker. I say:

IF THE SUBJECT PULLS A KNIFE CONSIDER HIM TO BE AN EXPERT

The best defense against an edged weapon is to not get into one in the first place. Watch for edged weapons, this means watching a person’s hands. I have stated for years that the only assumption I make in a fight is that the person I an dealing with may have a concealed weapon that I don’t see.

By being aware of the ways in which a person may deploy an edged weapon may give you the advantage to with the encounter. This means, get to know the technology available. Visit you local knife/ army surplus stores and see what is available. Also look into how this technology is deployed:

• Listen for the unsnapping of a button on a knife case
• Listen for Velcro opening
• Listen for the click of a lock blade
• Movement behind the back
• Drawing motion of the arm/elbow
• The way in which a person may be packing a visible knife. A buck knife case that is holstered with the snap opening down lets you know that this person had thought about using gravity to deploy the knife quickly.
• Palming

In my program I have over 50 slides of actual knife wounds that I also show to further bring to light the issue of awareness and respect for the blade.

TYPES OF GRIPS AND STROKES:

There are as many gripes and strokes as there are people carrying knives. Is it important to know and understand how an attacker may be holding an edged weapon when it comes to defense. NO !!!!! I believe that the only important thing for you to understand is that the attacker is attacking with a knife. Again, in a dynamic and spontaneous knife attack you will likely not know how the weapon is being held. So if you have learned a system of edged weapon defense that is dependant upon how the knife is being held, good luck using it in the real word !!!!!

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO GET CUT:

• Do not panic
• Consciously make yourself breath slower (autogenic breathing)
• Inspect yourself and look for injuries seen and more importantly not seen
• Apply direct pressure to wounds
• If injury are to limbs, elevate if possible
• If you have a chest wound, seal it and protect your airway in case you go unconscious, you don’t want to drown in your own blood
• If you have a unctured lung, exhale first and use an air tight article to cover and seal the wound
• Mental commitment ” I’m going to Live”

PRINCIPALS OF PAT, WRAP, AND ATTACK EDGED WEAPON COUNTER TACTICS:

• 1) Respect the blade The person who attacks with an edged weapon has two incredible advantages.
  • PSYCHOLOGICAL: has chosen to use the weapon ruthlessly
  • PHYSICAL: usually has first strike advantage

Again remember, it is the desperation factor and not the technical skill alone that makes a person armed with an edged weapon so dangerous

• 2) Expect to get cut. You will likely get cut, bleed, may or may not feel pain. A program that teaches students not to expect this fact is NEGLIGENT. Your goal is to “WIN” notice I use the word “WIN” and not “SURVIVE”. Words are very powerful. The word SURVIVE is no different than the word “TRY”. Both of these words to the subconscious mind mean “FAILURE”. Our goal is to WIN, survival is a by-product of winning.
• 3) Neutralize the line of attack. In any kind of combatives it is important to get you body of the line of attack.. Remember in a knife fight you will get cut and stuck, the secret is to limit the amount/degree of this damage. Unlike a fist fight, you can not stand there and take multiple blows with a knife
• 4) Control the delivery system. In the system of Pat Wrap and Attack we do not play the knife hand but rather the delivery system ( arm/elbow) In hockey do you play the puck or do you play the man. You play the man why, the puck moves to quick. In a knife fight don’t visually lock onto the knife hand it moves far to fast when compared to the arm/elbow. We also do not attempt to grab the knife hand in a dynamic situation for the reasons that I mentioned earlier. Small target, slippery when blood is present Remember than most edged weapon deaths are associated with serious multiple blows. Why, person failed to control the delivery system. The delivery system is the arm (lever), if we can control the lever we control the blade. The only exception to this rule is in a static knife hold up where the knife hand is not moving and can easily be controlled with two hands.
• 5) Attack the attack.. I believe that so long as the attacker has the opportunity to continue his attack, he has a strong tactical advantage, with a strong psychological advantage as well. Both of these advantages must be neutralized as soon as possible by throwing the attacker on the defensive.

I have been involved in FOUR separate edged weapon attacks which I “won”, and I have had one person die in my arms from an edged weapon attack.. There are a lot of edged weapon defense programs out there that are designed to get you KILLED because they do not deal with reality. Do your homework. I have attempted to summarize some of the reasons for the development of my 8 hr Pat. Wrap, and Attack system in this post. This system is being used around the world and has saved many lives. Knowledge and the understanding of that knowledge is power.

Strength and Honor

Darren Laur
Integrated Street Combatives
Victoria, BC
Canada
personalprotection@shaw.ca

by Darren Laur

Acknowledgements:

In preparing this post, I have attempted to put into writing some of the information that I have gleaned over the years specific to self protection and the “way of the street” In doing so , I had the opportunity to integrate a number of ideas and concepts from others in the field. To say that all of the information in this post was totally mine, would only ignore those people who have made this work possible.

I believe that there is no such thing as the “ultimate” fighting form. Every combative system has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. I believe the secret is to recognize and acknowledge those weaknesses and then go elsewhere to strengthen them. In doing so, there are a number of people who I must thank for the content of this post. Some of the below noted instructors/coaches/teachers I know personally and have trained with, others I only known through their own published works. It is because of these people that I have been able to strengthen my weaknesses and make this post possible:

Albert Carty
Gil Puder
Tony Blauer
Bradley Steiner
Marc McYoung
Peyton Quinn
Sammy Franco
Richard Dimitri
Geoff Thompson
Jim Grover
Jerry Van Cook

Taking It To The Streets

The Police:

First of all, I am a police officer and have some knowledge in this topic. Most people believe that the police are the first line of defense. In a perfect world this may be true, but the fact is “YOU” are going to be the first line of defense. It is a fact that most police department are far more “reactive” to crime than “proactive.” Although I would love to see a police officer on every corner, the fact remains that this will never happen. In our world, there are more criminals that there are police officers, this is why we call what we do the “thin blue line”. Police officers understand that if the criminal element was to ban together as one cohesive entity, such as what happened in the L.A. riots after the Rodney King incident, there would be little police could do to regain control in the short term.

It is also a sad fact that unlike 30-40 years ago when most of the criminal element feared the police, today most do not and only see us as an “annoyance” to their criminal activity. Most of the experienced criminals know how not to get caught as well. We in policing usually catch the inexperienced, why?, because the experienced criminals have learned from their mistakes. The next sad thing is that even if the police do catch the criminal, many are soon released.

The Courts:

Even if the criminal is caught red handed committing the crime, the next step is court and the Criminal Justice system, or should I say “The Criminal’s Justice System.” Many criminals see the justice system as an advantage rather than a disadvantage. Why?, because most, including their lawyers, know the ins and outs of the judicial jungle, especially when it comes to a legal technicality or plea bargan. The fact remains that in some countries the criminal has nothing to loose but everything to gain by going to court. In some cases the punishment from the courts, if found guilty, does not deter the criminal from continuing on with their actions. The term “let the punishment fit the crime” seldom exists, but even if convicted to jail, there is a very real chance that the criminal will only have to serve 1/3 of their sentence anyways.

Who is the Street Predator:

So who is the Street Predator? The answer is “anyone”, but the average inmate housed in the Canadian Correctional system for violent crimes is:

• male between the ages of 15-24 years
• 5’9″ – 6’0″ tall
• 175 – 190 lbs

Most street predators can be split up into two categories; “The Amateur” and “The Professional”

The Amateur:

The amateur is an “ego” based animal who is looking for a fight “just because.” To be preyed upon by the amateur you do not have to be doing anything wrong, you just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This beast is usually very identifiable;

• usually walks with attitude
• elbows pushed away from body
• verbally aggressive and rude to people within a few feet
• confrontations are usually triggered by eye contact

Some of the “Ritualized” combative signs that are apparent from the amateur prior to contact, but not limited to, include:

• splaying arms to express exclamation
• beckoning with finger
• nodding of head, usually accompanies finger beckoning
• bulging eyes
• acquires innate fighting stance
• will close distance during confrontation

The Professional:

The professional street predator is someone who I like to identify as the serial mugger, serial rapist, serial killer. These beasts usually attack for profit and not because they want to fight. These animals are a little harder to identify as they merge into society quite well and usually prey upon targets that have “no” situational awareness. When the professional strikes a target they usually follow a seven step process of target acquisition:

• Step #1: victim selection:
  • looking for subjects with no situational awareness
  • attacks usually occur in sparsely populated locations out the view of witnesses and therefore reduces the chances of being seen heard or caught

• Step #2: Victim Stalking:
  • Once a target has been identified the professional will usually stalk first
  • They are waiting for the time and place that suits their need for privacy and control

• Step #3: Victim/Predator Positioning:
  • the professional must place themselves in position to either attack by surprise or engage in a “street Interview”
  • remember this beast is a lazy animal and does not want to fight but totally overwhelm

The professional will usually use one of five “relative” positioning tactics to set their intended victim up for attack:

• 1) Closing:
  • Most common, walks directly up to target to get as close as they can
  • the closer they get the more success he will have in his abilities to overwhelm and control
  • this is why the “reaction gap” is so important once you have identified a person as a threat. If the threat has breached the gap when you have told him not to, he has clearly announced that his intentions are not good
• 2) Cornering/ Trapping:
  • this is the second most commonly used tactic
  • will want to corner you between himself, you, and any safe exit point
• 3) Surprise
  • Surprise is the primary tactic that an attacker depends upon for full advantage
• 4) Pincer:
  • usually used by two or more criminals
  • one circles while the other distracts you
  • one attacker follows from behind and while you are focused on them, there is a second attacker just up ahead
  • things to be aware of, two people standing across from one another in a narrow space such as a hallway, staircase, or alley
• 5) Surround:
  • most common in “packs” or “swarms”
  • one in the pack will distract while the others surround
  • instead of a fast swarm, the pack will usually drift towards you so as not to alert you to their intentions

• Step #4: Testing the Waters:
  • only used if the element of surprise is not available
  • here the predator will use one or more “street interviewing tactics” to see if you are a low risk high gain target

• A) reasonable request interview:
  • will ask you for the time, match, cigarette, spare change, directions
  • as you are complying with their request, the attacker moves into a surprise attack position.
  • This is a classic “distraction technique”
• B) The Distant Interview:
  • takes place from a distance
  • attacker is assessing your body language and awareness level
  • the professional uses this method regularly to identify targets of opportunity
  • most criminals are in plain view but because of no “situational awareness” the intended victim fails to recognize the fact that they are there
• C) The Escalating Interview:
  • usually takes place in a pack situation
  • starts off small but builds to the boiling point
  • weapons are usually involved
  • men are really bad for this because of “ego”
• D) the Bully Interview:
  • will say things to you such as ” what the fuck are you looking at”
  • the attacker hopes that by saying this to you, you will respond in kind thus giving them the reason that they were looking for to engage you either verbally and or physically
  • this interview usually starts with the eye glare which then moves to the bully question which then leads to an escalating interview and then goes physical
• E) the Bully Interview:
  • Continual eye contact made (non-verbal challenge)
  • The bully interview: what the fuck are you looking at
  • The approach towards you
  • The bully question reiterated
  • The response from you; usually a verbal challenge
  • Escalating interview back and forth
  • Actual physical challenge: let’s fucking go right now
  • Single syllable replies back and forth
  • The actual attack; usually a hooking sucker punch
  • During the last few stages prior to actual physical attack, not uncommon to have finger pointing, arm flailing, and slight one or two hand pushes. These are done as an intelligence gathering technique to ascertain your intentions and abilities to fight back

• Step #5: The Assesment Stage:
  • if after steps 1-4 there is a positive assessment by the professional, they will usually attack using the element of surprise. If there is a negative assessment and the victim appears to be ware of what is going on, the attacker will usually abort their attack and move onto another safe target

• Step #6: Using Threats Of Violence:
  • If a positive threat assessment has been made by the professional in step #5, it is usually followed by verbal threats which are sometimes aided by a weapon or an accomplice or both
  • These threats are very direct and extremely violent in nature using very course language
  • The professionals “goal” here is to create a state of “hyper vigilance” to cause you to go into “brain fart” mode. Why ? because the professional understands that the mind guides the body. If they can get you into brain fart mode their in control.
  • It is also very common that the attacker will promise not to hurt you if you comply with their requests. Why? They don’t want you to make a scene that increases the risks of them being seen, heard, or caught.

• Step #7: the Attack:
  • after step #6 the professional now engages
  • some of these attacks may be minimal, intended only to freeze you allowing them to take what they want. Most, however, will be frenzied and severe with onw intent, to totally disable or even kill you before you can launch an effective counter attack

Although both the amateur and professional attacker are two different beasts, both will exhibit one or more pre-assaultive signs (Ritualized Combat) that if you know what to look for are real good indicators ( warning bells) to let you know what may be happening:

Ritualized Combat Signs That An Assault May Not Be Imminent But Possible:

• head, neck, shoulders go back
• face is red, twitching, jerking
• lips pushed forward bearing teeth
• breathing is fast and shallow
• sweating
• thousand mile glare
• exaggerated movements
• finger pointing/ head pecking
• totally ignores you
• gives you excessive attention during normal conversation such as direct uninterrupted eye contact
• goes from totally uncooperative to totally cooperative
• acts stoned or drunk
• directs anger towards other items such as tables, chairs, walls

Here create distance, awareness level up.

Ritualized Combat Assault is Imminent:

• face goes from red to white
• lips tighten over teeth
• breathing is fast and shallow
• change of stance, body blades and shoulders drop
• hands closed tight into a fist ( usually autonomic)
• bobbing up and down on feet, or rocking back and forth
• target glance to your body parts
• putting head and chin down (protects eyes and airway)
• stops all movements
• dropping of their center or lowering of body
• shedding cloths ( very common)
• full sentences to one syllable reply

If you see these signs and can not walk or talk your way out, you take FIRST STRIKE and continue with compound attack.

Five tactical Advantages Of The Criminal:

Remember, most attackers have five very real advantages over most of their victims:

• Advantage #1: Confidence
  • will usually not attack unless he has full confidence in his abilities to win the physical encounter
  • Confidence comes from ability to use the tactic of the sucker punch or the the ambush to his full advantage
• Advantage #2: Experience
  • Experience comes from actual street application rather than a training studio or martial arts school
  • Experience comes from real lessons learned on the street. Both good and bad
• Advantage #3: Competence:
  • Most have one or two techniques that they have mastered to some degree
  • This mastery comes from actual application in the real world
  • Because of this fact, they know what works most of the time, and what does not
  • Their combatives training is learned by doing under “real” street conditions
• Advantage #4: Tactics:
  • a criminal’s tactics are that of simplicity, the simpler it is the better it will work
  • when they do physically attack, it is usually a continuous attack until the intended victim has been knocked out or grounded
  • physical attacks are usually very brutal and violent
  • usually the criminal uses the advantage of FIRST STRIKE
• Advantage #5: Psychological:
  • Most people believe that this shit will never happen to me and because of this fact when attacked, go into a state of hyper vigilance which is a huge advantage to the attacker

So Why Do Street Fights Occur:

• Pride and Ego reasons are most common. Why?
  • a person perceives that their ego has been challenged
  • need to save face by fighting the person who they see as their challenger
  • this is especially true if the person who’s ego was challenges is with a peer group/gang. It is important when dealing with groups, a challenge to one, is a challenge to all
• Alcohol and Drugs:
  • The number one contributing factor as to why fights occur is alcohol and or drugs
  • I like to call alcohol “liquid courage”
  • Both alcohol and drugs override a person’s thought process to the point where reality and fantasy are one in the same. Both remove a person’s common sense factor
• Property, Body, Life:
  • Here the attacker could want specific things from you including:
    • Property:
      • money, wallet, credit cards, jewelry, clothing
    • Body:
      • Pride and ego assaults, Sexual Assaults, Enjoyment Of A Violent Act
    • Life:
      • Self explanatory

Real Fights Are Not Pretty:

• not choreographed like you see on T.V. or in some martial arts schools
• Most are very sloppy, fast, and gross in appearance
• Most are not back and forth occurrences. The first person who gets in the first good neutralizing blow usually wins the fight
• Even a well trained combatant’s technique will usually get very sloppy after the first or second shots are thrown
• This is why in a street fight, “functionality of technique” is far more important that “perfect technique”. If what you do is pretty and perfect but not functional, what good is it going to be in the real world

Most Street Fights Are Over Very Quickly:

• most fights are usually over within the first 5-10 seconds
• Very rare to see a street fight last longer that 10-15 seconds

Most Street Fights Are Decided By A Strike to The Head:

• most street fighters are head hunters
• they understand that the brain is the computer of the body. You knock it out and the body will follow
• this is why in a street fight you “MUST” protect your head and neck

Most Street Fights If Not Over Quickly, Can Involve Grappling And Ground Fighting:

• if the fight is not over quickly, it can end up in a grapple and then go to ground
• Why?, if a person is getting the shit pounded out of them, they will usually want to close the distance in an attempt to smother/control the punches that they are being hit with
• Once grounded, you will usually be shit kicked “curbed” by the attacker, if he is standing, and his friends if any. These kicks are usually targeted for the head and upper body.
• This is why “ballistic” ground fighting techniques are essential for getting back onto your feet as quickly as possible. Unlike the UFC we can NOT spend a lot of time on the ground

The Multiple Opponent Factor:

• Most attackers will have some kind of back up to help them out if they find themselves in trouble
• If you fall into the trap that you are only fighting one person, you will become tunnel locked, and the next thing you will find out is someone is on your back
• Always be aware of the second or third opponent in a street fight
• MUST always be thinking multiples on the street

The Weapon Reality:

• There are more and more fights taking place where a weapon was brought to use before, during, or after the confrontation. Especially knives
• Always be aware and prepared for a weapon in a street fight at anytime

The Unwanted Friend Factor:

• most fights usually have friends and acquaintances looking on from both sides
• these friends will often attempt to separate combatants in an effort to stop the fight
• this is very dangerous to you due to the fact that as your friend is pulling you away, they are tying you up giving an advantage to your attacker
• this can take place before, during, and after a fight as well
• Although your friends may be trying to help you, unless on the same page tactically, they are in fact placing you at a disadvantage

The Offensive Mindset:

• more often than not, the combatant who strikes first and maintains the offensive mindset, usually win the fight
• in a street fight do not go defensive, attack the attack, go offensive, you deploy FIRST STRIKE and continue with a compound attack

So there it is, my two cents, I hope you enjoyed it

Strength and Honor

Darren Laur
Integrated Street Combatives
personalprotection@shaw.ca