Self Defence.

* I got this mail awhile ago upon requested to show that knowing self defense Don't normally work on streets upon emergency. Read On ....

Hi Bryan,

Here is your special report you requested.

This special report was written for both the experienced
self defense/martial artist as well as the total beginner.

In writing this I know that I will wrinkle some feathers. This
is especially true of the hard core martial artist types who
have set beliefs about their training (dojo/dojang mentality).

After nearly 39 years of training in both the martial arts as
well as self defense I have come to believe certain things. This
is based on what I have seen in the dojo (training hall), the
street as well as our specially designed adrenal stress trainings.

It is my belief that most of what is being taught in probably
ninety percent of martial arts schools, seminars and videos just
will not work on the street.

I came to this realization quite a few years ago. A master instructor
who I had the opportunity to train with helped me (very graphically)
understand. He taught me and showed me why simplicity wasn't just
important, it was essential.

I had learned this hard lesson after many years of traditional training.
By the way, I am not knocking traditional training. Not at all. In fact
I am a strong believer in the merits and benefits of traditional martial
arts training. I teach full time at my dojo. Martial arts is one of the
very best things you can do for yourself.

Just understand what it is and what it's not! Traditional martial arts
training helps build character. It conditions both the body and mind.
It helps improve concentration, self discipline, self confidence and
a host of other very important life skills.

What it doesn't do for the most part (there are exceptions) is teach
effective and realistic street self defense. The old saying is that
"knowledge is power". I believe that incorrect knowledge is not only
not power but very dangerous. Someone thinking they can really defend
themself (but really don't have a clue) can get themselves into big
trouble.

After my "experience" with this master instructor I made a point to
modify, simplify and improve every aspect of my self defense program.
This required years of searching, experimenting, going to seminars,
studying books and videos as well as searching out the best instructors
and methods.

I really felt we were on the right track and them something quite
sensational happened. I call this true story...

"Fighting the Bulletman"

I was sitting in a national martial arts convention. This guy was
up on stage talking about adrenaline stress response training.
I had never heard about it at the time. The instructor was talking
about the effects of fear induced adrenaline on the mind and
body during an actual street attack. I was intrigued.

A little later in the demonstration they asked for
a few volunteers. Several men and a women were chosen to go up on
stage. The next thing that happened had most of us feeling the effects
of adrenaline, right in our seats.

Another instructor comes out in this weird looking
suit. He has football shoulder pads and some obvious groin protection.
On his head he wore a huge piece of headgear which I found out later
was a professional football helmet with four layers of special density
foam padding wrapped in silver tape.

They called this ?monster' the Bulletman, obviously
because of the silver round headgear that looked like the top of
a bullet. One of the volunteers was asked to come out. The instructions
were to try to maneuver around the Bulletman without getting too
close. If the Bulletman attacked they could strike him full force
into the groin and head.

The action began? The Bulletman starts screaming at
the guy. He shouts obscenities at him. He taunts him. He faints
attacks as he threatens the guy. I could feel my gut shaking just
sitting there. Then suddenly the Bulletman attacks. The poor guy
attempts some foolhardy kick which embarrassingly misses the mark
by about a foot. Next a punch that had less impact than my eight
year old grandson could muster. After a few more minutes of this
hideous display a women instructor blows a whistle and the whole
thing is over.

A few more volunteers and about the same result. Now
here is the interesting part. Everyone of these volunteers were
experienced black belts. Some were school owners with a dozen years
or so of experience. So whey did this happen?

They fell prey to the natural effects of adrenaline
on the mind and body. Adrenaline is the natural result of fear induced
aggression. It really can't be stopped but it can be focused and
used. These black belt volunteers had tried to use their dojo (and
dojang) techniques. What they hadn't anticipated was that the adrenaline
had dulled their senses. It minimized their fine motor skills, it
gave them tunnel vision and even affected their cognitive thinking.

With out taking this adrenal rush into account, effective
street self defense cannot be accomplished. To be effective, each
technique must be simple, direct and not require fine motor coordination.

Additionally, the techniques should build, one upon another so
that a minimum number of total techniques (regardless of the type
of attack) need be learned and practiced.

Within a few months we brought this instructor and
his system into our school. We not only took the seminars but learned
to teach this technology. We had many chances to see what would
work against a fully armored, attacking opponent, that we could
wallop full power into his vital areas. Besides being a lot of fun
we sure learned a great deal.

Next we went to work to adapt, modify and overhaul
our system of self defense to employ this new found and proven knowledge.

Unfortunately only a very small percentage of martial arts instructors
and self defense "experts" have ever really felt the tremendous effects
of full adrenal dump while trying to execute their techniques.

I have no doubt (believe me I have witnessed this many times during
our adrenal training seminars) that many of these black belt
instructors would be shocked to find what they are teaching their
students, would never work under real world conditions. Why?

Beacause I realized the same thing myself. Mind you, this was after
decades of training!

Fear is very powerful. The adrenal "dump" has severe effects on
us both physically and mentally. Here are some of things that happen:

* It is doubtful whether most could remember more than a
handful of technques under duress. This is due to the loss
of some or most of our cognitive (reasoning) thinking.

* Our fine motor coordination is minimized. What's left is only gross motor
skills. Many of the techniques taught in many
martial arts schools and self defense programs require pinpoint targeting or
wrist or joint manipulation. This probably isn't
going to happen under a strong adrenal rush.

* We lose peripheral vision. Our field of vision tends to tunnel
in. Things sometimes appear much larger than they really are. The
more one stays focused in one line of vision the worse this becomes.

* We feel weak at the knees or develop body shakes. Breathing becomes short and
rapid. In fact studies have shown that if the heart beat gets high enough we can
become totally "frozen in fear".

* Adrenal Stress Response Training experts say that most people
will not be able to recall or more importantly execute more than four or five
techniques or steps to effective self defense while under the duress of an
attack.

Because most self defense instructors have not experienced this while
trying to execute the techniques they are teaching, they really have
no way of knowing whether what they are teaching could actually be
done by the average person, while under duress.

Again, I am not putting down other instructors or their systems. I am
merely saying that most have not put their systems to the test while
under the strong influences of adrenaline. Something that is inevitable
while under a real attack.

We are currently working in new venues, learning and fine tuning our
verbal, spatial, as well as physical defenses. Always with directness
and simplicity in mind. As well as always testing them out in our
adrenal stress seminars where a strong adrenal dump can be elicited.

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