A long time ago. in a galaxy far, far away…

While running errands the other week, I passed by the cemetery in Carnegie where my mentor, teacher, and best friend, Matt, is buried—a place I hadn't visited in quite some time.

I finished my errands and double backed to the cemetery. It’s been years. I really could not say how long. But definitely overdo. Got to the cemetery, parked and went through the wrought iron gates. It’s a small cemetery. Very personal. It’s up on a bluff overlooking the rest of Carnegie. The wind sweeps across it nicely. Matt would have liked it here.

Moving through the cemetery, I was trying to remember where his gravestone was located. I had a general idea but as i walked I started to doubt myself. I stopped, gathered my thoughts, focussed and let my instincts take over. Just like I was taught. And yes, I found it. His name was still prominent but the engraving art to the left of his name was all but gone. If you knew where to look, you could still find the faint traces of his face looking out at you. In a strange way, I feel Matt would have loved this affect. LOL.

A flood of memories hit me. So much to process. The fear I used have in facing him, the pride I developed when I learned I could beat him, the camaraderie of a best friend who do anything for you. Other than Denise, here was the one person that had affected me the most in my life. That shaped me. Trained me. Gave me purpose.

I have grown and learned so much since his passing. I really do not think I would be where I am now in my training had his tragic death not occured. Matt was my crutch. I relied on him. His passing was my first experience with death as an adult. It taught me so much. It prepared me for so much more to come. As I write this, crazy thoughts enter my head thinking, “this was the plan all along….” Little did I realize.

Training changes you. You face the worst situations that people can create. You face the worst situations that you, yourself can create. But in that forge of training, something develops. Something shiny and sharp. The real you is forged stronger and better than before. And you do it along with a community of friends, teachers and students. All who are also going through the same process - to become a better human being.

Ninpo ik kan, my friends…

CHART YOUR COURSE….

Everyone has a different learning style. I happen to be a visual learner. I need to see what I am learning, do what I am learning and then…I need to write what I am learning down. After I do all 3 steps, whatever it is that I am trying to learn usually will become internalized. It becomes real. It becomes mine.

But no matter how you learn, I think the writing it down part is key. I encourage all of my students to keep a training journal. It is a great way to log everything that you are learning but also provide a navigational chart, a map of your journey. Your training journal is a tangible piece of evidence that you can see where you came from and where you are now - today.

In addition to writing down techniques you can also use it to explore your inner training world too. Noting frustrations along the way with your training or even just how life gets in the way. But in each case, you perserve. You move forward. Maybe not perfect, but you don’t stop. And as you keep moving and reflect upon your journey, you realize - hey, I made it through that. Training is a cycle of ups and downs. Somedays you are the “gold star” student. Other days, maybe not so much. Training keeps us honest. It keeps us grounded. And your journal maps your way.

Ninpo ik kan, my friends…

FIXED? or FOLDER?

One of the best self-defense tools that exists is a knife. And all knives can cut - no matter if they are cheap or expensive. What does matter is the structure of the knife. What is better? A folder or a fixed blade? Two things that we need to consider in this argument is durability and deployment.

• DURABILITY

Durability is basically how strong the blade is structurally (we are not talking about knife edge durability). Using a knife and hitting it into an object or an attacker will take a toll on the structural integrity of the blade. Thin, cheaper knives may break off. And this is where most folding knives are quite lacking. The weakest point is the locking mechanism that keeps the blade out and in place. That connection between the blade and the handle is a huge point of failure. Now there are some folding blades that use a robust locking system such as the Cold Steel tri-lock that have a 3-point locking system tested up to 800 lbs of pressure and will do good. But this is the exception, not the rule. When your life is on the line and you are being attacked, do you want to rely on a flimsy locking system? Overall, it’s hard to bet against the durability of a fixed knife.

• DEPLOYMENT

Deployment is the often forgot about aspect of knife training. Deployment is getting your knife out-and-ready in a smooth, quick & efficient manner. Deployment depends upon where the blade is being carried - on the belt, in a pocket, around your neck, etc. All of these pose certain issues that need to be circumvented for good deployment and trained again and again. Ok, so let’s say you get to your knife and your are able to freely clear it from its position. With a fixed blade you are ready to go. For most folders you still need to flip the blade open. Again, in a time of need, under pressure, this is just one more step that you have to deal with, unfortunately. Yes folders are easier to carry - slip it into a pocket and you are good to go. But getting them out and fully deployed is rough. And yes, there are automatic knives that open with a push of a button (check legality) and others that have assisted methods of opening (e.g. Emerson wave). So there are some options out there that can be utilized, but overall, it’s hard to beat the deployment of a fixed knife.

In the end, I use and train with both types of knives. But if I was knowingly going in to a area where my safety was suspect (first off, why go??) I would opt for a fixed blade that was easily carried on my waist or pocket. Why leave things to chance if you don’t have to? No matter what though, training (including practicing deployment under stress) is the key.

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WHAT DO I DO?

You probably have heard of the following terms:

• Martial Art

• Sport Martial Art

• Combat Sports

• and maybe even Martial Science.

What are these?

Martial Art: the full, in-depth study and practice of a specific martial art - e.g. Karate, Wing Chun, Taekwondo, Jiu-Jutsu, etc.

Sport Martial Arts: the “sportification” of a martial art for safe sparring competitions.

Combat Sports: full-on contact competitions in a ring at a higher pro level - e.g. Shoot Wrestling, Pankration, MMA, Kickboxing, etc.

Martial Science: the scientific understanding behind martial art techniques and applications.

Now to answer the question, "What do I do?"

It's a little bit of all of these but fundamentally, we are not concerned with 1-on-1 match ups in a ring enviroment. Self-defense training is more surviving the sudden, unexpected attack out of the blue that is extremely fast, violent and in your face.

Although we use bits of all of the terms above in some manner, a better comprehensive term would be "Martial Violence". It is truly the study of violence that we practice.

- The "art" of violence: is learning the techniques.

- The "sport" of violence: is training the techniques in a progressive flow and getting everything honed in a natural way.

- The "combat” of violence: is pressure testing your skills in specific self-defense scenarios.

- The "science" of violence: is understanding the legalities of your actions and learning the motives and behviors of your attacker.

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WHACK-A-MOLE!

Whack-a-Mole was a Chuck E. Cheese arcade game that had my kids stomping a mole that would randomly raise up out of a number of holes on the floor. The kids had see the mole, move to it, and whack-it with a mini foam bat. Needless to say this frantic arcade mole game was one of their favorites and it was one that they could do at a very young age. See a mole, whack-a-mole. Simple as it gets.

That concept is what we are trying to instill in our students when it comes to targeting - see the target, hit the target. But now the target is a precise vulnerable location on the human body. We train in learning targeted templates. If I am hitting the head with my hand/arm we learn a specific template of the various ways to “whack the face/head” in the most devastating fashion. This could be to the temples, the corneas, the ear drums, the windpipe, etc.

We do the same for the entire body and also with various weapons/tools. Some of our templates include: head hitting, body hitting, knife, reverse knife, tomahawk, stick, etc. Each hit is precise. Each hit is calculated. Each hit gives us a desired result. Hitting should not be out of fear or a chaotic random mess. How to hit and where to hit go together in an effective strategy of self-defense.

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A Fundamental Problem…

A fundamental problem with most fighting schools is that they are all the same. That is the say that if you go to a karate school, you learn to fight against people who do karate If you go to a jujutsu school, you learn how to fight against someone who’s doing jujutsu. And so on…

This is still great training, but it’s missing a fundamental component - what if the person you have to fight doesn’t fight the way that you have learned? What if you’ve put in years of training into karate but all of a sudden you go against a Thai boxer?

The answer is cross training or testing things out by going to other training venues and learning more approaches to fighting.

TIP: Noticing how somebody stands and the position of their hands will usually give you an indication of what type of fighter they are and what type of style they use primarily.

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The Body Remembers

Whenever one of my longer term students comes back to training after some time off, they are quick to tell me they have forgotten things. My reply is simple,”your brain maybe, but not your body.” When I train somebody, we are actually training the body’s muscle memory to take over and become the auto pilot for doing various techniques.

Muscle memory is thereby the body’s automatic reactions to an external stimuli (an attack) through repeated physical training. We learn a skill/technique so thoroughly that we can bypass the level of conscious thought and just do it - even under stress inducing conditions. Key aspects include automatic response, stress conditioning, and regular repetition.

Why It Matters

• Faster reaction: Cuts down the time needed to think so you can block/strike/counter instantly.

• Overcomes panic: Keeps your body moving correctly even when fear and adrenaline spike.

• Simplifies choices: Prevents your brain from freezing under sudden pressure.

TIP: shoot for 10k reps. It’s at this mark that the skill is imprinted into the muscle memory.

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What Is Your Life Worth?

If you were to walk the streets and three muggers pulled out knives and wanted your valuables. What would do you have on you?

So for me, I would have:

• My phone

• Approximately $20 in my wallet.

• 2 credit cards & a debit card

• My various loyalty cards

• Car keys

Now ask yourself, “Is this worth fighting over? Is it worth risking my life or receiving life-changing permanent damage?” The answer is simple, “No.” Just hand them over and head back home. Yes, it is a PIA to cancel cards, report stuff stolen, etc. But you are alive. Your stuff can be replaced. Your life and your body can NOT.

Now if they do not stop after you have given them your valuables, then that’s the red line. It’s go time! That means they want your body &/or your life. You WILL have to fight. Be ready!

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The Contract is Broken…

Do no harm. Treat others as you would have them treat you. The “Golden Rule.” Etc. Etc. Etc.

But what if the person trying hurt you is not bound by these philosophies? What if they have broken the social contract? You better realize this ASAP. Philosophy is a social construct. It has its place. But that place is lost in the moments you have when defending your self against an attacker who really wants to hurt you, kill you, maim you.

Violence is asocial. There is only success or failure. And when violence is knocking down your door, you need to act with violent intent to protect yourself. You must cause injury. Only two things are required for this: large amount of kinetic force and a vulnerable target.

There will be no “force,” no “chi” and no mercy from the attacker to protect you. You only have you… and your training.

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THE CORE OF THE MATTER

What’s the best exercise for self-defense??? This is a tough one as you could argue for so many different ones. In my experience the best overall exercises for self-defense has been the ones that involve training my core.

Core exercises stabilize your spine and pelvis, serving as the power center for your entire body. The primary benefits include preventing lower back pain, improving posture, enhancing balance and coordination, and boosting combative performance by safely transferring force to your arms and legs. It’s the engine of your self-defense machine.

During high school my instructor used to make me climb a rope and navigate his homemade rope course. I hated it. But it served a purpose. It taught me how to climb and it helped me strengthen my core. If you climb a rope with only your arms/legs you will be wiped out fast. You can also isolate the core with various specific core exercises like the following:

• abdominal crunches

• bridges

• abdominal presses

• planks

• supermans

Take care of the core and it will serve you well - especially during self-defense.

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