There are many different ways to classify martial arts ranges, but one relatively simple method way to divide all combat up into 5 distances... Projectile range (guns, javelins, arrows, thrown rocks, etc.) Handheld weapons range (sticks, swords, handheld spears, knives, clubs, etc.) Striking range (punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, etc.) Clinching range … [Read more...]
Which Martial Art is Best? Why Context Is Everything…
"Which martial art is best?" Ah, the old argument that never dies... I really like what Dan Inosanto told me once. Back when he was a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne there was a lot of rivalry between the soldiers who trained in the martial arts. Some thought that boxing was the best, others argued for the supremacy of karate, others for judo, others for … [Read more...]
A 5 Second Self Defense Exercise That Could Save Your Life
STOP what you're doing and try this SUPER-QUICK mental exercise... Imagine you're exactly where you are now (lying in bed, sitting on the bus, working at your desk, whatever)... But now you know for sure that you're about to be attacked! The guy is bigger than you and possibly armed with a knife... For whatever reason, you can't run... You have 5 seconds to get … [Read more...]
Critical Weapon Drills: Double Stick Sinawali
To be a complete martial artist you need to be semi-familiar with how to handle weapons, including sticks, knives, flexible weapons, firearms, etc. After all, if you end up in a serious confrontation and there's a tool handy then you'd be a fool to duke it out empty handed. To help you with becoming better rounded let's take a look at one of the most important drills from … [Read more...]
What Are the Most Powerful Strikes with a Stick?
OK, you're walking down the street and three guys jump out at you... You have to fight; you can't run, but there is a stick close to your feet. Do you A) ignore the stick and defend yourself with the third technique from the second kata, or B) you pick up the stick and start swinging for the fences? In 99% of cases the right answer the answer is B - use the bloody … [Read more...]
Improvised Weapons Found in the Street
Wherever you are right now as you're reading this, look up and try to spot three different improvised weapons you could grab if an attack was imminent. Seriously: if you're at home pretend that you've got 5 seconds to get your hands on something because someone's breaking in. What exactly are you going to grab? And if you can't get your hands on that object, what's your … [Read more...]
Countering Made Easy, with Examples from the Filipino Martial Arts and Kickboxing
There's a Filipino martial arts demonstration I saw once which really impressed me. A teacher and his student stood facing each other, and the student, armed with stick in hand, was swinging the stick in fast, powerful figure 8's in the air ahead of him. The teacher stood just out of range and waiting impassively. Then slowly - almost leisurely - he walked towards his … [Read more...]
Self Defense Against a Stick Attack
Let's talk about self defense against a stick attack. And keep in mind that this information also applies to bats, saps, batons, clubs, tactical flashlights, or pieces of 2x4 lumber. We're just using the word 'stick' as shorthand, because the principles and techniques are the same for dealing with all blunt weapons. First I'll give you the information in video form (this … [Read more...]
The Best Steel for Self Defense Knives
As you may or may not know, I have a podcast called "The Strenuous Life Podcast." This podcast has a very strong martial arts focus, and in the latest episode (079) I have an in-depth conversation about the best kind of steel for knives with metalworker and knife expert Zoltan Schubert. I found this a really enlightening discussion it really helped me understand the … [Read more...]
How to Make Sure Your Martial Art Will Work in the Street
You may train in a martial art, but will your techniques really work in the street, in real life, against a real attacker? This is a question a lot of martial artists wrestle with... No matter what martial art you are learning, there are countless techniques you will be trying to master and then combine to serve various purposes. It can be overwhelming, and even once you … [Read more...]
Defanging the Snake – a Critical Concept in the Filipino Martial Arts
I'm not saying that you need to be able to twirl double nunchucks or anything, but if you're interested in self defense then it's definitely a good idea to learn a little bit about weapons. (Most of the people you run into will have NO idea of what they're doing with weapons, so even a little knowledge will go a long way.) When it comes to handheld weapons like sticks, … [Read more...]
Face Your Fears
My mom grew up in the German speaking part of Switzerland in the 1950s, and occasionally she would reminisce about her high school and college teachers. I was always intrigued by her stories about the old teachers - the regal "Herr Professor Doktors" - who proudly sported big scars on their faces, tokens of a time when they themselves had engaged in a strange custom known as … [Read more...]
Awareness – the Single Most Important Factor in Self Defense
There are many different aspects of self defense, including everything from weapons, to striking, to clinching, to wrestling on the ground. But there's one particular aspect to protecting yourself that's hands down more important than all the rest combined... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yR2iVwkCfM It's not your striking. You might have a killer … [Read more...]
The Many Areas of Self Defense
Imagine you're in the stereotypical self defense situation: you're walking down a dark street, someone lunges out from a dark alley and grabs you. Responding quickly you break his grips, kick his legs out from under him, and knock him out with a punch from knee mount. This is a situation where your striking and grappling abilities made the difference. Had you not known … [Read more...]
The Constant Vigilance Mindset
The most dangerous attack is the one you don’t see coming. If you can’t see it coming, you are caught unprepared and your odds of injury increase dramatically. When people think of self defense situations, they think about bar brawls, or possibly muggings. Fair enough. All the focus is then on physical maneuvers to protect yourself and inflict damage on your attacker. In … [Read more...]