During one of my recent trips to Japan for training with Bujinkan Grandmaster, Masaaki Hatsumi, one of the themes he touched upon in class was in the value of our training. And, how much like a good investment, the longer we participated, the more value we received.
Ironically, most students who come in to the academy, as with most things in their life, are looking for "quick results." Or, more to the point, a "quick fix." They say they're looking for self-defense and the ability to protect themselves from the ever-growing threat of danger in our world. But, what they're really looking for is a greater feeling of confidence. And, once they start to feel like they can handle themselves, which is usually after learning a couple of techniques well...
...they quit!
Soke ("head-of-lineage") Hatsumi, my teacher and the grand master of the Bujinkan Dojo, reminded us that...
..."there is a huge difference between "feeling" like you can handle yourself, and the ability to actually do it."
He said that most students are not willing to put enough time, effort, or energy to really understand what it feels like to live a life where, not only are they able to deal with danger should it happen to them, but that they don't have to worry about attackers appearing at all!
It's amazing, but true. As I have climbed the ladder in both rank and skill, there is one thing that I've noticed above all else. And that is...
...the greater my skill, the less I've had to use it for self-protection!
As a 12th degree Black Belt, I can't tell you how long it's been since I've had to deal with the threat of someone wanting to do me harm. And this is not limited to a physical assault, but extends into every area of my life.
I can hear many ask, "Why bother training at all, if you never have to use your skills for self-defense anyway?"
"Why bother at all? Why not just take your chances?"
While these questions sound logical, they are asked from the viewpoint of convenience. And, as we all know, what sounds good in theory, is often the furthest thing from reality.
The reason we train is twofold:
First, we train to realize that ideal life where we won't have to worry about danger because, even if it did occur, we knew we could handle it. And,...
Second, we're not there yet and may need to protect ourselves along the way to attaining our goal!
Benjamin Franklin, one of the acknowledged Founding Fathers of this great nation, once said, "They that are on their guard and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent."
The truth is, the longer we train and the better we develop our skills, the safer we will be. This is true both of our self-defense techniques as well as our personal development skills.
In fact, I believe that it is precisely those traits and qualities that the martial arts have helped me to nurture, grow, and develop - traits like confidence, discipline, respect, commitment, and a host of others - that actually act as my shield against most attackers. It is these more than any physical skill that communicates to others that I am a confident, powerful person in control of his world, that determines who will want to connect with me, and for what reason.
Why learn the often-violent methods associated with the martial arts then, if all I had to do was to develop those inner qualities that keep me safe? Again, same reason as I mentioned before...
...until I do, I am at-risk from those forces that would seek to harm me.
Ironic, isn't it?
We come to self-defense training to be ready and able to protect ourselves from harm and, at the same time, are preparing ourselves for a day when few would ever want to. Because it is precisely our ability to handle ourselves, that creates the end result. Not the other way around.
Be careful. Only looking at the obvious parts of training will cause you to miss the big picture and the unseen value that it holds for you, and the rest of your Life!
Get more free articles like this one at www.warrior-concepts-online.com/articles.html
Also...
You can now subscribe to my new podcast radio show called "KUDEN". You can read more about it and the upcoming web-based seminars that I'll be offering by scrolling down a bit to the prior post with that information. Please note that, due to technical difficulties, the release dates had to be changed from what's listed in the original announcement. I just recorded the first show and it goes live on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008!
Other no-cost training resources:
Are you subscribed to my self-defense and ninja training newsletter? If not, you probably haven't received the free gift that you get when you subscribe. What is it?
It's a 7-part ecourse called, Foundations of Self-Defense Mastery" and it's my gift to you for becoming a member of WCI's growing group of online students and teachers. At this point, we have over 6,000 members and growing!
The newsletter itself is a fantastic way to keep informed and add to your knowledge and training database about topics like learning self-defense, online ninja training, women's self-defense, and even tips for parents on child safety. Add to that, this free course and the other books, videos, and live training programs offered through WCI, and you've got a one-stop place for all your self-defense, martial arts, and Ninja Training needs!
Alright. Enough of telling you why you're crazy if you haven't subscribed. Here's the link to get the newsletter and the free ecourse: Learn Self-Defense!
Until next time.
Peace, Happiness, and Success!
Shidoshi Miller
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
3 Keys To Effective Self-Defense
By Jeffrey M. Miller
(C) 2008 Warrior Concepts Int'l, Inc.
When you think about a self-defense situation, what are the top three considerations for being effective? Is it having strength, stamina, power, or a ton of way-cool, tricky, martial arts techniques?
While all of those things help to one extent or another, none of them really touches on the priorities that will help you to prevail in a life or death struggle. Don't get me wrong. It certainly helps to be the bigger, faster, stronger, or more skilled combatant. But these things are only helpful if you're in a situation where they will serve you.
Let me explain it a different way.
Strength only matters if you are in a position or can grab your assailant in a way that allows you the use of your strength. And as for power...
... power is derived from size and motion. If an assailant jumps you and pins you to a wall or the floor, you will find it difficult to generate any sort of power as we normally think of it.
Stamina only matters if you're in a fight that's going to last minutes instead of seconds. Typically, karate and boxing tournaments have two minute rounds or bouts. That's an eternity in a life-and-death, self-defense situation where the goal is to get things over and done with in...
...less than 10 SECONDS!
As for knowing a lot of techniques, what can I say? Information is power, right?
But, what if you're new to this whole idea of self-defense? What if you just started taking classes or learning how to get away from a dangerous attacker? Or...
...what if, no matter how many techniques you know...
...your attacker is a better, more skilled, more experienced fighter?
Then what?
I've written extensively about what I call, "The 6 Phases of an Effective Self-Defense Strategy." This is designed to lead my students through just that, the phases that a self-defense situation can go through, and how to make sure that we have sufficient training to be able to operate effectively in each phase, or stage, of an attack.
Admittedly though, the 6 phases are the ideal - the best case we can hope for. They all function as they should when you have warning from your assailant and you can see things coming.
Often though, attacks happen with little or no warning at all. So, how do we trim even more off the top and come up with the minimum elements necessary to be able to come out of a situation with as little wear-and-tear as possible?
The key here is to focus on the situation that we're talking about. In the "6 Phases" formula, we can see the attack, or potential for danger, coming. So, we attempt things like...
Escaping to Safety,
Confusing the attacker, and...
Dissuading, or convincing him find another victim
This is just a quick outline for our discussion here. If you aren't familiar with the "6 Phases For Effective Self-Defense," you can learn about them in "The Karate-Myth." It's a great resource for understanding the "science of self-defense" and how to make protecting yourself as easy as possible. And, of course, it's loaded with some really great and easy-to-learn techniques for stopping an attacker and putting him where he belongs... on the GROUND! Click the link to read more about "The Karate-Myth" and the valuable bonus reports that go with it.
When the attack comes with little-to-no warning. When it comes at us quickly and ferociously and we don't have the time for escape, let alone trying to distract or talk our assailant down, we need just the basic-basics.
So, the 3 Keys - the unbreakable elements of an effective self-defense strategy are...
Sounds simple, I know. But that's what training and a good teacher is for - to help you to do the tough things like controlling your fear, focusing under pressure, and teaching you the most effective ways to hit certain targets.
Remember, you can have whatever theories you want in life. You can have your favorite style, teacher, techniques, or whatever. But, when the rubber-meets-the-road, so-to-speak, and you're face-to-face with your worst nightmare...
...you must pay attention, stay focused, and do what works!
This article is copyright (C)2008 by Jeffrey M. Miller and Warrior Concepts International, Inc. It is free to use in it's original form, with no alterations or additions. If it to be used online, all links must be active and without the use of "no-follow" type coding which would prevent the reader from accessing the resources being referenced.
For additional information about how Jeffrey Miller or Warrior Concepts can help you create the life you've always dreamed of living and how to protect that life from anything that would harm it, go to the Home page or call WCI at 570-988-2228
(C) 2008 Warrior Concepts Int'l, Inc.
When you think about a self-defense situation, what are the top three considerations for being effective? Is it having strength, stamina, power, or a ton of way-cool, tricky, martial arts techniques?
While all of those things help to one extent or another, none of them really touches on the priorities that will help you to prevail in a life or death struggle. Don't get me wrong. It certainly helps to be the bigger, faster, stronger, or more skilled combatant. But these things are only helpful if you're in a situation where they will serve you.
Let me explain it a different way.
Strength only matters if you are in a position or can grab your assailant in a way that allows you the use of your strength. And as for power...
... power is derived from size and motion. If an assailant jumps you and pins you to a wall or the floor, you will find it difficult to generate any sort of power as we normally think of it.
Stamina only matters if you're in a fight that's going to last minutes instead of seconds. Typically, karate and boxing tournaments have two minute rounds or bouts. That's an eternity in a life-and-death, self-defense situation where the goal is to get things over and done with in...
...less than 10 SECONDS!
As for knowing a lot of techniques, what can I say? Information is power, right?
But, what if you're new to this whole idea of self-defense? What if you just started taking classes or learning how to get away from a dangerous attacker? Or...
...what if, no matter how many techniques you know...
...your attacker is a better, more skilled, more experienced fighter?
Then what?
A Simple Formula
I've written extensively about what I call, "The 6 Phases of an Effective Self-Defense Strategy." This is designed to lead my students through just that, the phases that a self-defense situation can go through, and how to make sure that we have sufficient training to be able to operate effectively in each phase, or stage, of an attack.
Admittedly though, the 6 phases are the ideal - the best case we can hope for. They all function as they should when you have warning from your assailant and you can see things coming.
Often though, attacks happen with little or no warning at all. So, how do we trim even more off the top and come up with the minimum elements necessary to be able to come out of a situation with as little wear-and-tear as possible?
The key here is to focus on the situation that we're talking about. In the "6 Phases" formula, we can see the attack, or potential for danger, coming. So, we attempt things like...
Escaping to Safety,
Confusing the attacker, and...
Dissuading, or convincing him find another victim
This is just a quick outline for our discussion here. If you aren't familiar with the "6 Phases For Effective Self-Defense," you can learn about them in "The Karate-Myth." It's a great resource for understanding the "science of self-defense" and how to make protecting yourself as easy as possible. And, of course, it's loaded with some really great and easy-to-learn techniques for stopping an attacker and putting him where he belongs... on the GROUND! Click the link to read more about "The Karate-Myth" and the valuable bonus reports that go with it.
Just the Basics
When the attack comes with little-to-no warning. When it comes at us quickly and ferociously and we don't have the time for escape, let alone trying to distract or talk our assailant down, we need just the basic-basics.
So, the 3 Keys - the unbreakable elements of an effective self-defense strategy are...
- 1) Situational Awareness - Pay attention to what's going on around you. Actively look at people, instead of avoiding contact as is the case in most social situations.
- 2) Stay Focused - You could also call this step "Controlling Your Fear." If you notice someone or something that could be a threat - perhaps someone who looks angry or suspicious, keep your eye on them. You don't have to stare-and-glare, but you should be aware of them and what they're doing. I talk about this concept quite a bit in my video, "Danger Prevention Tactics: Protecting Yourself Like a Pro".
This also extends to the actual attack. Stay as calm as possible so that you can watch what's happening. For many people, their reaction is to close their eyes and "hope for the best." I didn't say this was easy, just what you MUST do to be successful.
And finally...- 3) React Immediately and Decisively -
As soon as the attack happens, start your defense. Don't try to figure out who this person is or why they're attacking you. You must immediately do three things if you stand a chance at winning. You must...- A) Neutralize the effects of what they're doing. Cover your targets or ride-off the blows that are landing.
- B) Keep your head. Stay focused on what you can do and as soon as you have an opportunity...
- C) Take whatever targets open up. If he leaves his throat open and your can hit it - hit it! If you can kick his groin, kick his groin. Whatever presents itself, take THAT thing! And keep taking targets until he's down and out or help arrives.
Sounds simple, I know. But that's what training and a good teacher is for - to help you to do the tough things like controlling your fear, focusing under pressure, and teaching you the most effective ways to hit certain targets.
Remember, you can have whatever theories you want in life. You can have your favorite style, teacher, techniques, or whatever. But, when the rubber-meets-the-road, so-to-speak, and you're face-to-face with your worst nightmare...
...you must pay attention, stay focused, and do what works!
This article is copyright (C)2008 by Jeffrey M. Miller and Warrior Concepts International, Inc. It is free to use in it's original form, with no alterations or additions. If it to be used online, all links must be active and without the use of "no-follow" type coding which would prevent the reader from accessing the resources being referenced.
For additional information about how Jeffrey Miller or Warrior Concepts can help you create the life you've always dreamed of living and how to protect that life from anything that would harm it, go to the Home page or call WCI at 570-988-2228
Get more free articles in Shidoshi Miller's Article Archive!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
