Well, we have been talking a ton about the class.
Structure, location, type, drills, etc.
We have found perhaps the peak of human performance. From here on out, we will be adapting the techniques and strategy of Master Dominick Giacobbe.
http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-instructional-videos-made-by-crazy-people_p2/
Scroll down to the second article...
In all seriousness, class has been going very well. People are really starting to develop and I am getting more impressed with every each class. As we go on with the "Cover Crash and smash" drills, I hope to let you guys have some reps being the instructor. You will be blown away how each student has a VERY DIFFERENT style, all of which are stuff we teach, and are effective. I think the higher intensity stuff is really good for everyone and it's forcing people to develop.
The closing issue I wanted to mention is Escalation of Force.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, many thought the war was over. Japan had used force faster than us and damaged the already small American Navy to a unsightly low number. How would America ever recover from such a violent, dark, and vicious attack?
The exact same way that you do in a street fight. When it comes to violence of any kind, he who uses the most force wins. This is something we talk about in class a ton, but cannot be overstated. If someone pulls a knife, you must trump it and find a way to commit more violence than is being committed on you.
The legal way of putting this, "Using the least amount of force necessary to stop a threat". So if a guy punches you in the mouth, don't shoot him... Use the least amount to survive. And yes, that usually means running away....
A bad example of this is something I found online today.
If someone throws rocks at you or your property do you:
A. Throw Rocks Back
B. Drive off, call the cops
C. Defend your sweet ride with honor (honor in this case being a crossbow)
D. Cower in fear.
Read the article and find out...
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CROSSBOW_ATTACK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-08-30-11-06-29
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Hey Pal, got a buck?
I think everyone has been asked this at least million times in their adult life.
There you are, walking down the street. Your minding your own business and out of no where, some smellier member of society approaches:
Scum: Hey man, can I get [insert amount of money here].
Me: No
Scum: Hey, these are hard times I just need...
Me: (now agitated and clenched fists) I said, No.
End of issue... Right?
Well, today Tristan sent me an article.
Here's what I want you to think about:
1. Was this guy after money, or after the thrill of an assault?
2. Would giving a dollar kept him out of the ER?
3. Why did he pick this victim?
4. At what point during this encounter could the victim have turned this around and kept himself from getting stabbed?
5. Your the passing motorist. What do you do?
6. Once again, your the motorist. You see the attack. Do you have a weapon on you capable of saving this guy?
I look forward to hearing responses!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Perfect Move
Attention all students of the Survival Academy:
I have discovered the perfect martial arts move!
When we drill in class, students see a bunch of "other possible moves". This is good. It shows vision and insight into other possibilities and other techniques. Our response to most of these moves is something like, "yes, that could work, but in my opinion, this one is better".
Is there a Perfect Move? Yes there is.
As defined by Rory Miller:
"A Perfect move does four things in a single action:
1. It betters your position;
2. It worsens the Threat's position;
3. It protects you from damage; and
4. It damages the Threat or unbalances the Threat if damage isn't justified, but this is a counter-assault. If you are ambushed, only enough damage to get out safely is justified."
Do you get the point here?
I am much more of a inside fighter. I fight most effectively when I am standing on my Threat's toes. Breaking the glass is essential in just about every move I prefer. There are other people who prefer long range attacks, middle range attacks, fists, hammer hands, palms, elbows, etc.
A truly well rounded fighters knows their body. A truly well rounded fighter knows their ability. He (or she) has the vision to know how to do "A Perfect Move" from all ranges, positions, and situations. This is the essence of a martial arts master.
Have you run through in your head all the different ranges and positions the are possible? Have you tangled with different types of people with different types of abilities? Does your fear of getting hurt, tired, or made to look silly keep you from practicing skills that will save your life? Time to defeat "The Bashful Monkey" and move on to keeping your ass alive.
Develop the perfect move. Develop the strength, speed, and stamina to do the perfect move over and over again.
I have discovered the perfect martial arts move!
When we drill in class, students see a bunch of "other possible moves". This is good. It shows vision and insight into other possibilities and other techniques. Our response to most of these moves is something like, "yes, that could work, but in my opinion, this one is better".
Is there a Perfect Move? Yes there is.
As defined by Rory Miller:
"A Perfect move does four things in a single action:
1. It betters your position;
2. It worsens the Threat's position;
3. It protects you from damage; and
4. It damages the Threat or unbalances the Threat if damage isn't justified, but this is a counter-assault. If you are ambushed, only enough damage to get out safely is justified."
Do you get the point here?
I am much more of a inside fighter. I fight most effectively when I am standing on my Threat's toes. Breaking the glass is essential in just about every move I prefer. There are other people who prefer long range attacks, middle range attacks, fists, hammer hands, palms, elbows, etc.
A truly well rounded fighters knows their body. A truly well rounded fighter knows their ability. He (or she) has the vision to know how to do "A Perfect Move" from all ranges, positions, and situations. This is the essence of a martial arts master.
Have you run through in your head all the different ranges and positions the are possible? Have you tangled with different types of people with different types of abilities? Does your fear of getting hurt, tired, or made to look silly keep you from practicing skills that will save your life? Time to defeat "The Bashful Monkey" and move on to keeping your ass alive.
Develop the perfect move. Develop the strength, speed, and stamina to do the perfect move over and over again.
Friday, August 12, 2011
An Ethical/Legal question....
Allow me to set the scene:
You are at a shopping mall. You are standing in a rotunda talking on your cell phone. During the conversation on the cell phone, you say: "...that idiot pisses me off too."
A passer by hears only this portion. He walks over to you and says, "what the fuck did you say to me?"
You are startled, put the phone at your side and say, "hey man, I wasn't talking to you. I was on the phone."
The passerby doesn't buy it. "shut your fucking mouth or I will beat the shit out of you!".
End of story.
Think about this: if you try to explain the situation and it escalates into a fight, will the court find you at fault because you didn't shut up? A case could be made saying that by not "shutting the fuck up" you were defending your pride, not your body...
I don't have a good answer for this, but it's something to think about...
You are at a shopping mall. You are standing in a rotunda talking on your cell phone. During the conversation on the cell phone, you say: "...that idiot pisses me off too."
A passer by hears only this portion. He walks over to you and says, "what the fuck did you say to me?"
You are startled, put the phone at your side and say, "hey man, I wasn't talking to you. I was on the phone."
The passerby doesn't buy it. "shut your fucking mouth or I will beat the shit out of you!".
End of story.
Think about this: if you try to explain the situation and it escalates into a fight, will the court find you at fault because you didn't shut up? A case could be made saying that by not "shutting the fuck up" you were defending your pride, not your body...
I don't have a good answer for this, but it's something to think about...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
New Poll, Changes, Martial Concepts!
First off, I wanted to point out to everyone that I put up a new poll on the blog. The last poll had to do with "Should I have Ad's on the blog." 7 for yes, 1 for don't care, and 1 for no. I don't know how we have 9 people voting, but I have had plenty of 3rd party traffic across the blog in the past. It would appear that those people like to vote! So from here on out, there will be ad's with every post. Visiting the sponsors will bring in only a few cents, but any money it generates will be back to supplies/material for the class.
Secondly, there's a new poll. This particular issue has been a rolling debate for some time. We have been encouraged in the past to formalize class, add belts, ranks, tiers, etc. I encourage you all to consider this, and vote accordingly.
Thirdly, I wanted to tell everyone what a great job they have been doing in recent classes. This isn't coming from my mouth as much as it has been coming from the mouths of other students. I have discussed with several students about things like:
1. Tristan looks really good lately! He has made amazingly big strides in the past months.
2. Mark hits like a truck. I can't believe how hard he hits.
3. Jason has made great progress already. I really enjoy having him in class.
These of course, are the quotes of other students. I would never say nice things to you guys, I am far to much of a jerk...
The Martial Concept I wanted to write about for this week is:
The Bashful Monkey
We all struggle with this. Even MMA/Boxing pro's struggle with this. It is the reason that Hillbillies, Bums, Thugs, Maggots, and other violent types win against trained fighters.
The Bashful Monkey is the title of a concept form Musashi's The Book of Five Rings. Everyone should read this book, as it's one of the best martial handbooks ever put to print.
The concept is this: When you fight, You cannot worry about being hit. Act ferociously and skilled, and you will avoid being hit and you will launch a solid offense.
Many folks go through life for years at a time without getting hit, or wrestled. The result is that they fear it. It becomes the unknown, and it probably has to do with their last painful memory of the school playground. The fear of an attack keeps you jerky, sloppy, and weak. Learning to deal with objects flying at your head is a ESSENTIAL part of Martial Arts. You must be able to look at an attack and fight through fear. Dodge appropriately, but don't let your fear of getting hit overwhelm you.
How to drill:
1. Show up to class and partake in drills. Let your fellow students throw some shots at you while you preform drills.
2. Rondori/sparing. Cover Crash and Smash and other forms of high intensity drills keep you on your toes. Have your wife/son/neighbor/friend take a weapon and try to hit you with it. Learn your footwork, range, and defeat the fear of getting hit.
3. Punching bag drills. After doing a combo on the punching bag, let it swing back and clock you. Repeatedly. Learn to elbow spike it as it swings at you. Also learn how to absorb the impact of a heavy object hitting you.
Once you learn that getting hit is no big deal and that you can fight through it, you will not be a Bashful Monkey!
Secondly, there's a new poll. This particular issue has been a rolling debate for some time. We have been encouraged in the past to formalize class, add belts, ranks, tiers, etc. I encourage you all to consider this, and vote accordingly.
Thirdly, I wanted to tell everyone what a great job they have been doing in recent classes. This isn't coming from my mouth as much as it has been coming from the mouths of other students. I have discussed with several students about things like:
1. Tristan looks really good lately! He has made amazingly big strides in the past months.
2. Mark hits like a truck. I can't believe how hard he hits.
3. Jason has made great progress already. I really enjoy having him in class.
These of course, are the quotes of other students. I would never say nice things to you guys, I am far to much of a jerk...
The Martial Concept I wanted to write about for this week is:
The Bashful Monkey
We all struggle with this. Even MMA/Boxing pro's struggle with this. It is the reason that Hillbillies, Bums, Thugs, Maggots, and other violent types win against trained fighters.
The Bashful Monkey is the title of a concept form Musashi's The Book of Five Rings. Everyone should read this book, as it's one of the best martial handbooks ever put to print.
The concept is this: When you fight, You cannot worry about being hit. Act ferociously and skilled, and you will avoid being hit and you will launch a solid offense.
Many folks go through life for years at a time without getting hit, or wrestled. The result is that they fear it. It becomes the unknown, and it probably has to do with their last painful memory of the school playground. The fear of an attack keeps you jerky, sloppy, and weak. Learning to deal with objects flying at your head is a ESSENTIAL part of Martial Arts. You must be able to look at an attack and fight through fear. Dodge appropriately, but don't let your fear of getting hit overwhelm you.
How to drill:
1. Show up to class and partake in drills. Let your fellow students throw some shots at you while you preform drills.
2. Rondori/sparing. Cover Crash and Smash and other forms of high intensity drills keep you on your toes. Have your wife/son/neighbor/friend take a weapon and try to hit you with it. Learn your footwork, range, and defeat the fear of getting hit.
3. Punching bag drills. After doing a combo on the punching bag, let it swing back and clock you. Repeatedly. Learn to elbow spike it as it swings at you. Also learn how to absorb the impact of a heavy object hitting you.
Once you learn that getting hit is no big deal and that you can fight through it, you will not be a Bashful Monkey!
New Poll, Changes, Martial Concepts!
First off, I wanted to point out to everyone that I put up a new poll on the blog. The last poll had to do with "Should I have Ad's on the blog." 7 for yes, 1 for don't care, and 1 for no. I don't know how we have 9 people voting, but I have had plenty of 3rd party traffic across the blog in the past. It would appear that those people like to vote! So from here on out, there will be ad's with every post. Visiting the sponsors will bring in only a few cents, but any money it generates will be back to supplies/material for the class.
Secondly, there's a new poll. This particular issue has been a rolling debate for some time. We have been encouraged in the past to formalize class, add belts, ranks, tiers, etc. I encourage you all to consider this, and vote accordingly.
Thirdly, I wanted to tell everyone what a great job they have been doing in recent classes. This isn't coming from my mouth as much as it has been coming from the mouths of other students. I have discussed with several students about things like:
1. Tristan looks really good lately! He has made amazingly big strides in the past months.
2. Mark hits like a truck. I can't believe how hard he hits.
3. Jason has made great progress already. I really enjoy having him in class.
These of course, are the quotes of other students. I would never say nice things to you guys, I am far to much of a jerk...
The Martial Concept I wanted to write about for this week is:
The Bashful Monkey
We all struggle with this. Even MMA/Boxing pro's struggle with this. It is the reason that Hillbillies, Bums, Thugs, Maggots, and other violent types win against trained fighters.
The Bashful Monkey is the title of a concept form Musashi's The Book of Five Rings. Everyone should read this book, as it's one of the best martial handbooks ever put to print.
The concept is this: When you fight, You cannot worry about being hit. Act ferociously and skilled, and you will avoid being hit and you will launch a solid offense.
Many folks go through life for years at a time without getting hit, or wrestled. The result is that they fear it. It becomes the unknown, and it probably has to do with their last painful memory of the school playground. The fear of an attack keeps you jerky, sloppy, and weak. Learning to deal with objects flying at your head is a ESSENTIAL part of Martial Arts. You must be able to look at an attack and fight through fear. Dodge appropriately, but don't let your fear of getting hit overwhelm you.
How to drill:
1. Show up to class and partake in drills. Let your fellow students throw some shots at you while you preform drills.
2. Rondori/sparing. Cover Crash and Smash and other forms of high intensity drills keep you on your toes. Have your wife/son/neighbor/friend take a weapon and try to hit you with it. Learn your footwork, range, and defeat the fear of getting hit.
3. Punching bag drills. After doing a combo on the punching bag, let it swing back and clock you. Repeatedly. Learn to elbow spike it as it swings at you. Also learn how to absorb the impact of a heavy object hitting you.
Once you learn that getting hit is no big deal and that you can fight through it, you will not be a Bashful Monkey!
Secondly, there's a new poll. This particular issue has been a rolling debate for some time. We have been encouraged in the past to formalize class, add belts, ranks, tiers, etc. I encourage you all to consider this, and vote accordingly.
Thirdly, I wanted to tell everyone what a great job they have been doing in recent classes. This isn't coming from my mouth as much as it has been coming from the mouths of other students. I have discussed with several students about things like:
1. Tristan looks really good lately! He has made amazingly big strides in the past months.
2. Mark hits like a truck. I can't believe how hard he hits.
3. Jason has made great progress already. I really enjoy having him in class.
These of course, are the quotes of other students. I would never say nice things to you guys, I am far to much of a jerk...
The Martial Concept I wanted to write about for this week is:
The Bashful Monkey
We all struggle with this. Even MMA/Boxing pro's struggle with this. It is the reason that Hillbillies, Bums, Thugs, Maggots, and other violent types win against trained fighters.
The Bashful Monkey is the title of a concept form Musashi's The Book of Five Rings. Everyone should read this book, as it's one of the best martial handbooks ever put to print.
The concept is this: When you fight, You cannot worry about being hit. Act ferociously and skilled, and you will avoid being hit and you will launch a solid offense.
Many folks go through life for years at a time without getting hit, or wrestled. The result is that they fear it. It becomes the unknown, and it probably has to do with their last painful memory of the school playground. The fear of an attack keeps you jerky, sloppy, and weak. Learning to deal with objects flying at your head is a ESSENTIAL part of Martial Arts. You must be able to look at an attack and fight through fear. Dodge appropriately, but don't let your fear of getting hit overwhelm you.
How to drill:
1. Show up to class and partake in drills. Let your fellow students throw some shots at you while you preform drills.
2. Rondori/sparing. Cover Crash and Smash and other forms of high intensity drills keep you on your toes. Have your wife/son/neighbor/friend take a weapon and try to hit you with it. Learn your footwork, range, and defeat the fear of getting hit.
3. Punching bag drills. After doing a combo on the punching bag, let it swing back and clock you. Repeatedly. Learn to elbow spike it as it swings at you. Also learn how to absorb the impact of a heavy object hitting you.
Once you learn that getting hit is no big deal and that you can fight through it, you will not be a Bashful Monkey!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Improvised Weapons
So here's something to think about:
Your walking down the street in your town. Going to the store or what have you.
Some guy shoves you and a fight ensues over some arbitrary reasons....
Question: How many weapons are involved?
Answer: All of them.
I hate to beat a dead horse, but when a street fight occurs, an unlimited amount of weapons exist. Rocks, knives, guns, tables, tree branches, rail road ties, or... Shoes?
Shoe as a weapon:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2021420/Death-stiletto-Woman-kills-boyfriend-spiked-heel-head.html
Club/knife/car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dq1zzhbqPg
Big ass Stick (probably found outside 2 min before)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaAo4DuyIf4&feature=fvsr
Crossbow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIF90d7_egE&feature=related
The point is this: Weapons of all kinds are out there. Most of the time, you don't know what they are, where they came from, or if they are real. Make sure that you have the superior weapon and the ability to flee.
Your walking down the street in your town. Going to the store or what have you.
Some guy shoves you and a fight ensues over some arbitrary reasons....
Question: How many weapons are involved?
Answer: All of them.
I hate to beat a dead horse, but when a street fight occurs, an unlimited amount of weapons exist. Rocks, knives, guns, tables, tree branches, rail road ties, or... Shoes?
Shoe as a weapon:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2021420/Death-stiletto-Woman-kills-boyfriend-spiked-heel-head.html
Club/knife/car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dq1zzhbqPg
Big ass Stick (probably found outside 2 min before)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaAo4DuyIf4&feature=fvsr
Crossbow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIF90d7_egE&feature=related
The point is this: Weapons of all kinds are out there. Most of the time, you don't know what they are, where they came from, or if they are real. Make sure that you have the superior weapon and the ability to flee.
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