Cash for gold?

It really chaps my ass. It seems that many MANY crime prevention groups out there advocate pacifism. It seems like I cannot turn around without hearing a story about the XXXXXXX association opposing good guys carrying guns, good guys learning to fight back, women fighting victimhood. When will the madness stop?

I don't mean to vent, but these policy makers often times don't know the first thing about violence. Either that or they are so out of touch with the real world, that they advocate dangerous shit with the best intentions.

So as a rebuttal to the victim/pacifist mentality, I go out of my way to report incidents that I find of badasses who defy those dumb rules and do something about the violence in their life.

http://www.wyff4.com/r/30076862/detail.html

Watch that left again.

Okay, watch it one more time.

Did you see it? The weight transfer! My goodness! Launching that stocky body like a missile is EXACTLY how you go for one punch knock out power. There was no follow up, no need for a second guess, JUST ONE MASSIVE HIT!

These are the types of mechanics that we all need. The guy didn't look perfect, but I can tell you his power was at 100%. Watch it ONE MORE TIME and look at the amount of ground he covered. You can't really tell what caused him to fall over, but the 3 step rule applies here. The guy got blasted what appears to be 8 feet.

Then watch him make the idiot clean it up. See where the blood ended up? That's some distance!

In conclusion, I want you all to have the confidence, mechanics, and ability to control your life that this guy has.

This guy is my "Badass of the Month"!

On the Subject of Animals

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/953156/391/Nine-arrested-after-brawl-at-Mall-of-America

Just saw caught this news last night. Although information seems to be sketchy, it seems the rumor of two famous rappers being at the MoA is at the heart of what started this brawl. It doesn't really matter what started it, take a look at the effect. Several fights and brawls started all over the peaceful place, this was not just one isolated fight. Also take note that the location was not some dark alley. It is someplace you have probably been yourself with your family.

A few lessons that stick in my head to take away from this:
- There are packs of wild animals out there, and closer than you probably think. Just because they aren't rabid at the moment doesn't mean it is wise to be in their proximity.

- When a fight goes down, don't think it is over when the two (or few) scrappers break up. When thugs get to fighting they get worked up and don't want to come down right away. Don't be surprised to see a second, third or fourth fight erupt in the wake of the first one, and by other people. When large scale brawls start, get away. Far away.

- Worried about 'profiling' or being judgmental? Screw that, it's your ass buddy. That is to say that your safety and the safety of your family rely on your instincts. Never worry about trying to justify your base instinct that a person, group of people, or a place doesn't feel right. Stuff that PC garbage in a hole where it belongs and listen to your instincts. If you don't like the feel of a place, take your family and leave. If things are getting bad, get inside somewhere that you can lock a door behind you. Just going into a crowded place might not be enough.

- Along the same lines, do not ignore your instincts because you think you are in a protected place. Safety is YOUR responsibility, that means you are your own best protector. Do you really feel confident wandering into a pack of fighting animals and expect someone else to come and save you? How long would it take for you to get stabbed and possibly killed? As we have established in class, it is about a nanosecond. Do you think a mall security guard will be there in time, or even if present, be able to stop it?

A story from 2008 drives these points home very well:
http://www.plamerican.com/view/full_story/13772840/article-Men-accused-of-beating-father-at-Valleyfair

If you feel having a cell phone on you provides security, think again. This is one of the greatest illusions out there, especially among parents thinking that their child having a cell phone provides them safety. Sure it does, when they are stranded and need a ride home but when seconds count and real danger is there, a cell phone is the equivalent to holding a KitKat bar. It won't stop a beating or rape, and cannot summon help anywhere near fast enough - even if there is time to make a call, which there probably isn't.

Also note that Valleyfair has it's own police and, despite being close at hand, could not get to or stop the beat down. You probably spend all of your life farther away from police assistance than the father who was hospitalized during this attack. Don't count on outside help because it is likely not going to come. You must be ready to handle your own safety.

This should be a sobering wake up call. It's your ass, buddy!

Dempsey / Carpentier Training

We do a lot of this stuff. Thought y'all might be interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQmVh1vX7mA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgQtbvbniE8

JTH

Edit 12-28-2011 to fix hyperlinks.

New Poll and Schedule

Hey everyone!

Class on Sunday was something different that what we typically do on Sundays. Please take a moment of time to write your thoughts in the comment section and vote on the Poll. Feedback helps make class better and lets me know where you are at.

Class on Sunday will be canceled to do Christmas. Many of you might have Monday off in observance of Christmas. If we can find a venue, we might be able to hold a class on Monday in observance of class!

Let me know if you could make a class on Monday!

Targeting and Human Anatomy Part 4: Foot

As you can all see from my picture, the foot actually has two targets on it. One being the ankle, the other being the toes/top of foot.

I'm going to go ahead and roll these both into one part because they are too similar to spread between multiple posts.

I remember teaching self defense at another location, and they always wanted us to teach foot stomps. For whatever reason, this was considered a "go to" move. First thing you do, stomp the foot. The tried to sell the foot stomp as if it was something from a bugs bunny cartoon. Upon stomping a foot, they would have you believe that they attacker would lift the damaged foot up, hold it with both hands, and hop around on the other leg yelling "ouchy!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spz6foT1oSk

Here on planet earth, we know better. This is a strike that I think we are all familiar with. If you have ever been to a metal concert, a riot, or the mall of america, you know what it's like to have your foot stepped on.

Yes it hurts.

However, if you have ever tried to administer such a stomp, you know that a brief moment of bad tap dancing makes this very difficult to land. Additionally, there are many MANY documented incidents of the person having bones broken in their foot and not knowing about it, or just fighting through without hesitation.

So how do you do a foot stomp correctly? MAYBE crank it from a green to a blue? Here are some things to consider:

-Put on weight.
-Wear work boots. Tiny kung fu slippers won't cut it.

In my personal opinion, the foot stomp works best as a piece of a move, not A move.

Here's what I mean:

Stomping on the foot hurts. You could break some bones, you could even cause mechanical failure. However, if you step on a foot with a drop step, then deck the guy on a spot (like The Mark), it adds damage. We talk about this much with throws too. You all know what I mean!

So go ahead and use foot stomps, but just be aware that they are not fight enders!

See you all at class!

Big Country And "The Mark" Targeting update

We talked a fair amount in class about "The crucifix".

The strange thing about this pin/submission/position of dominance is that the finest practioner in the world is... Well...

Big...



Yep... Big Country Roy Nelson is probably the best fighter in the world at the Crucifix... His termendous gut is used as a weight to smother the life out of a guy while he pounds them to paste...

It's too bad for Roy, that his only real skill.

Here is him in The Ultimate Fighter reality show winning a match with a crucifix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz-NYzGRwC8

Note that he did not use the figure 4 in the conventional way, but used the whole structure as a pinning hold for the arm.

Another interesting thing to note is that there are about a hundred different versions of "The Crucifix".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_eBvsmaws4

 The Mark Update:
A master of martial arts brought something up in conversation about "The Mark".

He liked what I had to say about it, but brought something up I had never really considered: It's a 5+ Organ Punch.

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/26700/26705/abdomen_26705.htm

A properly placed punch to the Mark actually does significant damage to 5 or more organs, really depending on the exact placing and power. The trauma actually hits many good targets!

Targeting and Human Anatomy - Part 3: The Mark

There once was a land of brutes, steel, cool mustaches, and boxing. Men were men, women were ladies. Folks wore suits to church on Sundays, and trains were the coolest technology around.

Ah, these were the days...

Imagine yourself in such a magical place, wood buildings, dirt roads, and train hop'n just to pass the time.

During this era was a pugilist named Daniel Mendoza. This guy knew his shit, believe me.  At the end of this post, I will link up some "further reading" about Mendoza, but for now, here is his definition of "The Mark".

"The MARK. The pit of the stomach. So called, from its being the object at which a stroke most likely to put an end to a battle can be aimed."

I think that just about says it. What Mendoza was talking about is what we know as, "The Solar Plexus".

This spot is located just about where the ribs end on the center of your body. Anyone who has had "The wind knocked out of them" more than likely was hit in the solar plexus.

So what happens when you hit "The Mark"?

The impact can temporarily stun the Diaphragm. The impact causes an abnormal amount of pain and also causes the breathing to halt for a second. The result typically is the person curling up to protect that spot, and try to regain air. Some of my research has suggested that your body shuts down many of it's parts to regain your breath, thus weakening your whole body or even damaging tissue outside of your respiratory system.

The reason this is Blue is this: A firm strike does so much damage that regardless of pain threshold, your body protects itself by preforming the actions listed above. Many people who are hit here with perfect health will double over.

The way to kick it into the Red: A hard enough punch of course can be fatal. It's extremely rare and I have never once seen it happen. But there is documentation out there of the Abdominal Aorta being ruptured and killing the person.

Of course, if you hit like a sissy, or you hit someone with an extremely strong core, you will only keep this in the green territory.

I have more personal experiance with this target than any other. This is the classic "playground sucker punch" spot. I have seen friends, enemies, and strangers get hit here and double over.

Don't try this at home:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MciLrVWcP8w

I'm not sure what kind of "school" would do this, but run, don't walk from a teacher like this one. If Chris or I ever tell you to, "hold weights, move your feet apart, and stand there while I hit you". Please leave without paying your mat fee because Aliens have taken over our bodies and most likely your brains will be sucked from your skull....

Further Explination from some kind of British Robot...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bktQ6UWSB98&feature=related

I have also hit people there and been hit there. I can tell you from experience, that even if it doesn't fully stun your diaphragm, it does keep it from functioning at 100%. Each time I have been hit there, I have to watch my breathing and control my core. Each strike takes a little bit out of you, and you have to regain your breathing.

I have personally  never been knocked out from this blow.

Many football hits that "level" people are from this kind of impact. The shoulder of a running defensive back or some other such human missile can deliver this blow effectively. It's not just for striking.

I have a video for you all that showcases some body punches. Here are the highlights to watch for:
Number 9: A non-striking "The Mark" K.O.
Number 7: A center line punch that really sticks it. *Note the weight transfer and back heel!
Number 5: We don't teach this kind of thing, but it shows the power of strong strike(s) to The Mark!
Number 3: Knee Strike from fairly close range. We don't like to throw knees to high, but in this case, it works!
Number 2: Mechanical Failure doesn't always happen quickly! There is often a delay with this sort of thing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R8n-J-buwA

For those of you who have watched all the videos, you will notice that many of them showcase some spots for future "Targeting and Human Anatomy" episodes.

Hope to see you all at class!

Further Mendoza Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Mendoza
http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Mendoza/