Tag Archives: military self defense

Guidelines for Fighting Part II

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Street FightLast week I touched on five guidelines for utilizing your most effective self defense tactics.  While my focus is typically on that of military self defense, these guidelines could apply to any type of self defense tactics that you employ.  I must take this opportunity to promote training in multiple styles.  Martial arts self defense has immense benefits, as does my favorite, military self defense.

No matter what you do in training, you’ve got to get outside of the training box in order to really allow yourself the growth you need to adequately defend yourself should the occasion arise.  Here are the remaining guidelines for fighting.

6.  Throw style points out the window.  In a true life or death situation (which you must assume of any violent altercation), there are no points for finesse.  Time is of the essence and the only thing that matters is that you respond to any type of violence quickly and swiftly.  This is why military self defense puts a focus on gross motor movements.  These movements are easy to commit to muscle memory, so in the instance that you need them, they can be employed.  The last thing you want in the event of an attack is for your mind to be preoccupied with remembering form.

7.  Do what you must.  Remember, in training you are taught to fight fair.  There is a moral compass by which you engage with a grappling partner.  However, in a true fight or violent attack, fighting gets dirty and you must be willing to play the game.  The bottom line is, it’s either you or the bad guy.  This means that you’ve got to wrap your head around the possibility of poking an eye with your finger up to the first joint.  You might have to consider biting if that is your only way out.  Sure, it is brutal and primal; but when your life is on the line, who really cares if you played straight or fought dirty?

8.  Remember the stakes.  In training, it can be easy to forget the point of the fight.  Self defense tactics are about saving your life.  Period.  So if you find yourself in a fight, you need to keep in mind that your opponent is going to pull out all the stops to win and get what he wants.  That means you must do the same.  In any violent situation, you assume the mindset that you are fighting for your life.  It’s that simple.  You pull out all the stops to ensure you get away with your life.  If there is a weapon, you need to find a way to secure it and use it against your assailant, as military self defense teaches.  This is life or death; not schoolyard bullying.

9.  Watch out for obstacles.  Fighting from the ground is next to impossible.  But it is a reality in many violent situations, especially for women.  Therefore, when you are practicing self defense tactics, address the issue of how to get up if knocked to the ground.  Obstacles such as curbs can be a hazard that can take you off your feet, so you must learn to keep an eye on your surroundings at all times.  This is the major nuance of fighting and self defense; you can’t simply focus on your opponent in a street fight.   You must create seemingly superhuman powers to take in all that is going on around you while you fight for your life.

10.  Create a confident fighter through practice.  Self defense is all about practice, right?  We all do the best we possibly can to train under the circumstances that suit us.  But to really defend yourself on a dark rainy night, while wearing your bulky jacket, you must train in such conditions.  That’s right, the best practice is reality based, like military self defense.  Not in your living room or dojo but on the street, in your dark bedroom, in the rain, in your bare feet or in high heels.  Whatever situation you may find yourself in is the type of situation you need to recreate in training.

Training with a willing partner who will play the bad guy part is invaluable if you really want to prepare for the adrenaline rush that comes along with a real attack.  You cannot prepare for the adrenaline dump by standing in your living room or your dojo and imagining being grabbed or choked from behind; you’ve got to really feel it.  When you do this, you will see how your body and mind will respond..and you can train them to respond the RIGHT way.

Guidelines for Fighting

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Street FighterEven people who have been trained in self defense tactics need to keep up the refreshments of the basics.  Oftentimes, it is far too easy to forget that real self defense has no rules.  When you are grappling on a mat in the comfort of a studio or your own home, you obviously can’t grab certain body parts with a vengeance.  You can’t poke the eye as hard as you would in a real attack.  While this is how it should be, (you don’t want to cause damage to your friends or loved ones!) this type of training can lead you into a dangerous path of complacency.

Self defense tactics are important; but just as important as the actual moves are the guidelines that you can follow to ensure you come out the winner in the event of a violent attack.  Unlike in the sport of fighting, where everyone goes home; in a street fight, the loser just might not make it.  There is the possibility of win or die.

This is why I like military self defense so much.  With this type of training, there are less rules and this is definitely not for sport.  True military self defense learned by Special Forces does get brutal and bloody at times; but that is what these men are willing to do to fight for their country.

You are not fighting for your country; you are fighting for your life.  While you do not have to go to the extremes of practicing with brutality; you can remember the basic guidelines so you don’t find yourself relying solely on self defense tactics in terms of actual moves.

I will cove the guidelines in two posts, since there are plenty to go around.  Here are 5 to get you started:

1.    Avoidance is a key self defense tactic.  Even the best of the best remember to keep their ego in check when dealing with real life situations.  Don’t let your ego push you into saying things you should not or doing things to escalate a situation.  You should be the peacekeeper, not the instigator.

2.    Declare your intentions.  While you must be prepared for a fight, it is important that you clearly state your intentions of keeping the peace.  Again, keeping your ego in check will help with this step.  At the same time you are declaring your peacekeeping intentions, you also want to get yourself into a stable stance.  This way you are prepared physically and mentally should your opponent decide he’d like to escalate matters.  By putting your hands up, palms towards your opponent, and stating “I do not want a fight”, you do two things…You may ward off an attack; and at the same time you deceive your opponent.  For if he does come at you, you are prepared to put a hurting on him.

3.    Get in and get out.  Sometimes conflict is unavoidable.  That’s just how it goes.  So if you find that you must enable self defense tactics, deliver effective blows quickly and powerfully and be on your way.  This isn’t Hollywood; and you’re not going for show.  You want to save yourself from a fight.  Again, military self defense teaches blows to the right areas like the throat or the eyes so you can get the job done and get yourself to a safe place.

4.    Stay on your Feet.  Fighting is difficult as it is.  This can be a hard one for the ladies especially, but it is important that during an attack, you avoid being taken to the ground.  First, the mental response of the attacker becomes stronger when they know they have you down. Second, it is harder for you to get up and run than it is for you to strike and run.  Stay on your feet and you may save your life.

5.    Know what to do on the ground.  Ok.  I just said stay on your feet; I know.  But the truth of the matter is this isn’t always possible.  Remember, in street fighting, domestic assault, sexual assault or any other violent crime, there are no rules.  You can’t make up rules and tell your attacker he or she is out of line.  No, you have to know what to do at all costs.  So, you stay on your feet if you can; but if you can’t, you need to know what to do.  Military self defense like Krav Maga has great self defense tactics for ground fighting.

These 5 guidelines for fighting can do a lot to keep you safe.  As you learn self defense tactics, you must remember that in a violent situation things happen quickly.  You cannot rely only on the moves you have learned; you’ve got to develop a mindset that allows you to think in terms of military self defense.  You’ve got to think of everything at once.  5 more guidelines will follow.

Turn The Tide With Military Self Defense Techniques

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While martial arts are an amazing way to stay in shape and learn some cool looking fighting techniques many times these tactics are not very effective in urban situations. But for real self defense that works those who want to know they can handle any situation do as the military do and train as the Special Forces do.

Military self defense has been around for hundreds of years but it was not until the creation of the modern day Special Forces that the hand to hand combat skills became what it is today. Many of these soldiers turn to teaching civilians these techniques once they return home in order to share these techniques with others who want to learn to take care of themselves and their families.

Self defense training is proven to not only increase fitness levels but will also add to confidence and improve alertness in anyone who studies these techniques. Those who know how to handle an attacker in any situation can fight them off even in tight spaces and without having a weapon to thwart the attack. This style of fighting unlike martial arts utilizes points on the body to subdue anyone even when the size difference seems impossible to overcome. This is important for women who spend a considerable amount of time in areas where they feel uncomfortable. Or those who just want to not be just another victim of crime making it so they can take care of themselves.

Military self defense is something that can be learned from classes or even with a DVD in the home. These techniques are proven to work and are far more effective in urban situations than traditional modern arts which puts more effort into kicking and punching instead of submission of the attacker.

Protect Yourself At Home As Well As When You Are Out

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When most people think about when they will need to use self defense tactics, they usually consider scenarios which occur away from the home. The problem is most people let their guard down when they are home and this can leave them vulnerable to attach within their own walls. But with burglaries and home invasions on the rise it is essential to not let your guard down when you are at home with your family.

Burglaries are not possible to completely stop just because you are not home all the time. But keeping the doors and windows locked while you are away will go a long way toward thwarting most attempts. But should you come home to interrupt a robber in your home you need to be prepared to fight them off. In these situations knowing military self defense techniques will help you work in the close quarters within your home.

Home invasions are much easier to deal with since all it takes to thwart these attempts is to not give the intruder the opportunity to get inside the home. Most often these attacks occur at the front door and the goal of the intruder is to get the home owner to open the door at least a crack. This gives them the chance to force their way inside especially with the element of surprise on their side. By ensuring that you can see who is at the door before opening it you can ensure the guest is who they claim to be before allowing them access to the home.

Home is a safe place to be for the most part but that does not mean you can completely let your guard down while you are there. It is important to remember that self defense is sometimes needed within the home as well and be prepared to use it.