Interrupt the Brain!

Do you remember the yell? The yell by a teacher or a another adult figure that stopped you in your tracks cold? It might have been “STOP!” or “HEY!” Or even your own name. But in that instant, whatever you were doing was completely forgotten about and you froze. That’s a brain interrupt.

Interrupts are varied and can include a loud noise, a shout, a flick to the eye or even a tap on the forehead just to name a few. But its the sudden unexpectedness of it all that makes it work. And you freeze. That’s the key to survival.

Look when a knife wielding attacker comes at you in full frenzy, they are the ones driving the car. Their hands are on the wheel. Your knife defense WILL NOT work. What will work is if you take control of the wheel. You cannot react. You have to attack - shout, slap their face etc. and then gain control of that knife. The brain interrupt gives you a chance for your defense to actually work. Without it, you will fail.

You are not just fighting their body but also their mind. Learn to interrupt it.

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POWER!!

How do we develop power for hitting?

Most people assume that the more muscles you have the more powerful your punches will be. While somewhat true, it is a bit misleading.

Developing power in your punch is a result of the following factors:

• muscles - specifically the tricep when punching along with your core and legs

• connection to the ground/footwork - the engine of power is pushing off of the ground using your legs

• alignment - having the power that you generate aligned and focused to hit a specific target and to help withstand the shock into your joints

All 3 factors have to be unified and practiced to create a great result. Develop the form first then add in more power and then lastly speed.

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Center Yourself

Self-defense is a stress inducing endeavor. To combat the effects of stress you need to learn to center yourself when everything around you is devolving into chaos. This is crucial for surviving.

There are many ways to deal with Survival Stress Response (SSR) but most take way too much time - especially when someone is coming at you with the real violent intent.

Number one issue is that most people tend to hold their breath. For your body - the machine - to work you must give it fuel - aka oxygen. Practice breathing during your workout sessions on a bag, with a partner, etc. Exhale on exertion, inhale after. In a self-defense situation when things are starting to boil-up - breathe. Use 4-counts: breath-in for 4, breathe-out for 4, hold for 4.

At the same time center your body. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice gravity and your weight pulling down. Twist your feet into the ground. Find your connection. Prime the pieces.

The rest is relying on your training - muscle memory. Trust your training. If you have trained correctly it well serve you well.

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Have Fear...Don't Escalate?!?!

Fear and escalation. They kind of go hand-in-hand. It’s very easy to panic and jump the gun to a higher than needed response when you are afraid or in a situation that is fear inducing. The fear you feel is hard to translate in a courtroom. You may be justified. Or you may have escalated the situation needlessly and be at fault. It’s a very thin line that you must be careful not to cross.

First, let me be clear, if you fear for your life, you must defend yourself. At the moment is not the time for a debate. Do what you must to get home safe. That being said, if you have clearly stopped an attacker and then pursue or continue after they have been knocked-out/stunned, etc., you will be at fault.

Some examples to think about:

• A woman being attacked by a man.

• A woman being attacked by another woman.

• A woman being attacked by a man/woman with a weapon (knife/gun/pipe/etc.)

• A woman being attacked by multiple men/women/or mixed group.

• A man being attacked by another man.

• A man being attacked by a woman.

• A man being attacked by a man/woman with a weapon (knife/gun/pipe/etc.)

• A man being attacked by multiple men/women/or mixed group..

Obviously when more than one attacker is involved and/or a weapon is being used, the fear of safety rises much higher. And the idea of fighting back with everything makes more sense. But the 1-on-1 scenarios are grey at best. What if we describe the person being attacked as a younger girl or boy? A college student? A high school student? Notice how your perspective of fear and justification changes. What if they were elderly? Pregnant? Disabled? That was on the “being attacked side” what if we flip the table and say that the attacker is a younger person, student, elderly, pregnant, disabled? How does that shift your perspective of fear and response?

There are few clean-cut answers here. But the more we contemplate and discuss this ahead of time, the more you will be prepared to act with the appropriate level of response. Training for self-defense is not just physical. It’s also mental and emotional. Be prepared.

Does this strike a chord with you?

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Shhhhh....

Your Miranda Rights:
While wording can vary slightly by jurisdiction, it must include:

1. You have the right to remain silent.

2. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

3. You have the right to an attorney.

4. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.

5. Do you understand these rights?

Most importantly is #1. Be quiet. Shhhh… Stop talking. Get an attorney.

After an incident - right or wrong - we tend to want to explain ourselves. To justify our actions. When the police arrive this is usually not the best time nor the correct audience (police are not the judge). And if you maimed or killed your attacker, the stakes become higher. You HAVE the right to remain silent. But do you have the ability? Bodycams will record everything you say. Police car cams will record everything you say. Be respectful. Claim your right to be silent. Claim your right for an attorney.

Understand when a police officer is in trouble they shut up and the lawyer up. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you.

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We're Not in the Ring Anymore...

A clang of the bell. Two fighters come out of their corners, prepared to meet in the middle of the ring and duke it out. Each expecting the other. Each moving and countering as they get closer. They know what’s happening. They know what to expect.

Switch scenes.

It’s after work. You are walking to your car looking for your keys in your pocket. Then, out of the blue, someone grabs you and pushes you from behind. You stumble, hitting into a nearby car. Your glasses fall off your face. Someone is shouting at you and hitting you.

Two very different scenes. Two very different approaches. In a self-defense situation the fighting may be similar to the fighting in a ring, but the approach and environment is 100% different. The main difference is expectation. In a ring you are there to fight. You know you will be fighting. Your body is prepping for it. In the other scene you are just going about your business and the last thing you are expecting is to be fighting for your life. Not to mention that it is probably at night, in poor weather conditions and on uneven, and treacherous ground.

You play the way your practice. Make sure to practice with this element of surprise. Get outside of the ring. Practice on gravel, wet grass and sand. Understand the extra elements that are not present in the ring. Preparation is the key!

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Wet Hair, Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Let’s talk about training vs. not training. A lot of students train to compile techniques. The more they learn the better they get - or do they?

Technique will differentiate a trained person over an untrained person. Like knowing how to actually throw a real punch with your body weight behind it is a difference maker. But that is not the real difference that makes a trained person be able to handle a self-defense encounter better.

The real “secret” is the process. The directions on your shampoo bottle are a good example: wet hair, lather, rinse, repeat. Follow the process and repeat the process. Again. And again. And again. Training is not in the technique but more so in the process. Being exposed to different attacks and situations day-in & day-out, week-in & week-out, month-in & month-out is the true secret.

My instructor used to tell me, “Recognize the situation, recognize your position, you’ve been here before.” The more you do this the more it becomes automatic. And that is what can save your life.

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Managing the Chaos

If you are suddenly under an attack - say from behind, being strangled - the clock is ticking. You have about 8 seconds before your muscles give out and you start losing consciousness. Freezing and maintaining the status quo IS NOT an option. Fighting his grip around your neck IS NOT an option. The attacker is in a dominate state of control and is proceeding forward to his goal. You need to maximize the chaos. Throw in some variables that he is not ready for.

What can you do? Arching up and throwing your whole body down to the ground or over a chair may hurt you but also may hurt him. At the very least he is probably not ready for it and in that chaos you can hopefully break free and then escape or fight back. It is risky but it throws variables into the mix that you can then use to gain an opportunity.

Learn to manage choas. Sometimes more chaos is a good thing!

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Fight vs. Assault

A physical confrontation can take many forms and shapes. Not all are the same. I want to define the difference in my eyes between a “fight” and an “assault.”

A fight is a physical attack that can happen from a misunderstanding, an argument or within a competitive event. A fight involves hitting and/or grappling with the goal of overcoming your opponent. It can devolve into an assault but usually is resolved once the dominant party takes command of the situation via knockout, surrender/quitting, or fleeing. This is where you fight to be the winner.

An assault is a fight that also involves hitting and grappling but also usually involves the use of a weapon/tool. Be it a knife, a gun, a beer bottle, etc. Additionally, it has a very different intent. That intent is a predatory malice to injure, maim, rape and/or kill the other. This is where you fight to survive.

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