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The Eclectic Self Protection Academy (ESPA) was hired to run a self defence workshop in aid of building respect, dignity, hospitality, relationship building and empowerment for their in-house young teens and adults.

In addition, ESP went through with the in-house students other practical skills including natural tools which are easy to learn and apply.

These included:

A brilliant achievement by the Guy Chester in-house young students who demonstrated very high standards and determination. We are committed in providing young adults with the Self Defence techniques needed to keep safe and protect themselves. Well done and we look foward to seeing you again soon!

For reviews about what other students, parents, and organizations have said about us, please click here.

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Above: Master. LJ taking student Sandra step by step through some Edged Weapon Self Protection.

After a brief chat and catch up with the crew we kicked straight off into the session with a low to moderate warm up and static stretch sequence. ESP Coach structured the session slightly different to the usual coporate classes in accordance with what the students wanted to learn. ESP Coach took the students through the most efficient and best choke namely the Rear Naked Choke (RNC). We looked at this from stationary kneeling position with the protocals of a figure of four latch with a 'closed' attachment with no gap, and details of cutting off the blood and oxygen circulation, and not to use brute strength, but good 'eclectic' technique and 'energizing'. I let all students in the class apply it on me 5x each to ensure the actual choke was on before proceeding this in partner work.

Following this we drilled how to use the Rear Naked Choke as personal defence from an attacker swinging a wild punch. ESP Coach taught the cover and weave and body grip attachment leading into the actaul choke through 'interception' before taking down the attacker raking the eye and striking to break down the attackers nervous systems. In all cases we drilled this technique at 'walking pace' with self control and respect in partners. This particular personal defence technique of 'eclectism' is one of Master LJ's most favourite techniques taken from the actual ESP-SDS syllabus as it is always enjoyed by students and works biomechnaically efficiently for 'reality' due to its dynamic effectiveness.

ESP Coach also gave a brief explanation of the sports science of closing off the blood circulation in the arteries, and how dangerous this technique is to be in, ecspecially if its put on by a seasoned fighter, because to the point, once its locked on YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF IT, no matter how good you are!

The second section of the corporate class recaped over some of the edged weapon personal security actually from Eclectic Self Protection, with a questions and answers from the students. In addition, we looked at personal and natural defences to the abdomen, both sides of the throat (from front), and to the centre of the back, using Eclectic Free Fighting principles from actual syllabus. In all of these cases compliance was stressed, and the protocals of dialogue, deception and surprise 'energizing' off basic fences and arm sprays. ESP Coach also gave some breif details of hight threat and emergency situations with key aspects of personal security, personal safety and damage limitation.

The session concluded with 5 minutes of meditation set to a structured cool down routine.

A big thanks to the Hackney Team Building Staff and ESP is pleased you all enjoyed the session!

For reviews about what the Corporate Hackney Team thought about our sessions please click here:

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A client from Muswell Hill contacted me via my website and booked in for 2 private 90 minute sessions. They wanted the sessions designed for practical martial arts and self defence, and for key personal security skills relevant to travelling as they were a regular traveller abroad.

After a free 15 minute initial consultation assessing clients' current levels of fitness, health and previous experiences we went straight into the session.

The session proceed with a 10 minute basic warm up and static stretches. ESP Coach taught a variety of pre-emptive strikes against focus mitts including the slap, ridge hand, back fist and hammer fist from forwards stationary positions and also on the reverse and retreat. In addition, we also looked at the 3 main kicks for self defence namely the low thai kick, inverse side kick and the good old front kick to the balls.

Proceeding on ESP Coach taught 2 personal defence’s on hair grabs from the front and side, with 2 variations of each so the client could select which one they felt more appropriate using. With these 2 particular defences we looked at pre-emption, ‘snaking’ and control.

In addition, the client wanted some defences against knife threats. I taught the most simple and natural personal defences taken from the ESP Diploma Scheme. Namely, knife threats to side of throat – single handed, hand on shoulder, and wrist been grabbed using control and forwards striking pressure down the length of the garden, and then escaping to a safe zone.

Following up, ESP Coach also taught basic flanking with attacked in front using the knife hand to the groin, double hand grabbing the hand and shoulder and pulling and pushing as you escape through your safety exit.

The session concluded with developmental based breathing and concentration exercises to improve self esteem and lower stress levels.

After a brief formal chat and the fact that it was a hot day we went straight into forwards and aggressive natural striking using the hammer fist and palm heel strikes against the pads down the length of the garden. I explained ‘activating the reptilian brain principle’ taken from the actual ESP-SDS and how she should use this with the training I was giving her.

We looked at the front kick and thai kick from grounded position, and how to safely get up from floor whilst making an attachment to the assailant.

Given the fact that the client was going travelling ESP Coach taught some adverse situation principles that could be used on buses and tubes. We first looked at personal defence with 2 attackers directly in front using the twin protective shoulder barge and shouting ‘fire’. Second we looked at both lapels been grabbed using the throat strike and eye gouge, with ‘closed foot stomp’ as you get up from a seated position and following up with a takedown. Third, we looked at the knee and leg inverse swoop and escaping to a safe zone. Fourth, we looked at a single handed knife threat to side of the throat to both sides using attachments, controls and arm breaks from seated position.

I also gave the client an insightful explanation into how to use and create a ‘strong reactionary gap’ when been on buses, and the advantages and disadvantages of sitting at both the front of the bus and back of the bus on ground floor, and how cameras are positioned.

The last part of the session ESP Coach taught 2 personal defence options for gun threats to the front of the forehead and solar plexus, with the gun been held straight and side wards on. In both cases the ESP scissor action principle was stress (both forwards and side wards) with details of how to strike with the gun once attacker is detained. We also drilled these particular defences from forwards seated position on bus and tube.

The session finalised with a ground reveral position with attacker in guard, following up with hammer fists to the head and evading to safety with 360 environmental awareness.

I also issued the client with a ESP handout totally focussed on personal safety and personal security applicable to travelling abroad.

The client thanked me for the training said they will be back for more in the future when they return from travelling next year.

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We then did 2 minutes of 'free-directional striking' off the 'Eclectic Match Fighting Stance' using only techniques from the beginnig of the session in combination formats moving around the hall.

The session finalised with star jumps, squats, cool down developmental strateching. 3 minute of meditation on this class only concluded the session.

After the normal standard warm up and preperatory stretches we went back over the basic pre-emptive strikes off the 'fence' but this time going over in detail about the principles of power generation, and slight variations of how to window into pre-emption. The same techniques that were covered in the first session were used again. We then looked at 'eclectic match fighting stance' and i taught the basic striking techniques that we did at the end of last session in combinations standing on the spot. We looked at the basic lead/reverse punch followed by the lead/reverse hooking punch, and front kick/low thai kick, and low thai/low thai kick. Students were encouraged to alternate against different target areas of the attackers body and use 'full body action'. I've taught these types of kickboxing techniques for years and years, and students always seem to like this type of striking work.

Shield work was again introduced with students doing 6 sets of lead/reverse hook / slap as fast as they could followed by the offensive push. Second we did 10 palm heel strikes, and 5 low thai kicks off both sides into the shield.

Students were then partner up and we looked at the differences between the 'offensive' and 'defensive push' using power talking. Students were encouraged to practice off both sides of the body and use 'body shifting'.

We moved on into 'how to parry' before applying 2 arm lock variations. With the arm locks we went into detail about snaking, how to do figure 4, how to dominate the attacker, and subject to 'tap'. I also went into detail about how to apply these 2 types of lock against bigger opponents using simple principles such as stamping on the foot, kicking the back of the achillies tendon, and driving the elbow into the shoulder to drop the attackers height before applying the lock.

Short mini intensive fitness exercises were drilled so students were getting a workout.

We went onto the ground work and looked at attacker choking 'in guard' from Level 2 Syllabus. Emphasis was made on eye gouging the face and 'eclectically swording' into the juggular knotch, hooking one of the attackers leg and then shifting them off at a 45 degree angle, and following up into mount. Staying with the same defence we went into detail about how to apply and 'eclectic modern arm bar' on the ground with emphasis on locking up the attackers arms with the feet on oneside, grabbing the attackers wrist and forearm and twisting whilst pushing hips up at a 45 degree angle, and 'coiling like an anaconda'. Students practiced against with different parnters of all shapes and sizes for a feel of how both technique and size and strength do matter!.

We then re-warmed back up and looked at how to get up safefy from the floor in a horizontal format with good body action. Once comfortable with their technique students drilled this 15 times on left and right. Statying with the same technique we looked at how to make an attachment to the attacker and strike pre-emptively as you get up and continue moving fowards aggressively making impact agaisnt pads.

To warm and cool down we did kicking from the floor using the side kick. Students divided into pairs with one on the floor in side position and the other moving around in a circular format whislt the other continnously stikes for 1 minute, and then they change rolls.

Students were again paired up and did partner work using kickboxing based strecthing drills eg one person standing and holding the leg, whilst the other pushes down with the leg on their partners shoulders and then changes.

The session concluded with 5 minutes of meditation we visualization exercsies for mental refinnement.

After a 12 minute warm up we went straight into Levels 2 to 5 striking techniques off 'match fighting stance'. We looked at both the 'snapping' and 'swinging' backfists, front kick and back kick to all sesctions of the body, back kick and rear arm knife hand, and also the inverse side kick which im known for. We went back over the prinicples of power genration, and some details about sports science of the human body in relastion to 'fast, effective and dynamic' self defence training.

Students were rowed up with one side holding pads for the others to strike. We looked at the slap against the side of the face, and the ear with the differences between both and what would be better to use. All students did 25 sides with the empasis on 'engaging the attackers mind' and developinng explosive power.

In addition, we drilled a fitness and striking exercise using squats followed by front kick on both sides of the body against pads.

We also did some linear striking work from the Level 4 Syllabus using the 'flinch reponse' palm heel strike drill with emphasis on how to use body weight as an advantage and to keep moving fowards into the attacker, and then evade to safety. Students liked this particualr drill.

Moving swiftly on, we looked at wrist releases from level 1. All basic releases left to right, right to left, one on one, two on one and two on two. These are very simple and dead eay to pick up.

Back on the ground like the first 2 sessions we went into detail about how to apply a 'key lock' from the Level 7 Syllabus. We looked at how to be in side mount and then go into side control and stike before actually putting the lock on. I did a full detailed demonstration on how to put it one effectivelly explaining on how to exhaust the opponent whilest being in side amout and the details about using figure of 4, forearms being horizontal, using the anti-clockwise theory and 'painting like a brush'. I have always had great feeback teaching this technique. So students could understand how to feel if their partner was executing it right, I went round and individually applied it on them with self control. We spent a majority of the session looking at this particular technque to ensure everyone knew how to do it correctly.

I go the students to stand back up and we did a loop-holing exercise for mental stimulation, and to improve the students confidence, assertiveness, awareness and self-assurance.

We did some free-directional string work with combinations.

Following this we did a balancing and stretching exercise which was held for 1 minute on both sides.

As with the previous sessions we concluded with 5 minute of meditation for relaxation.

Following a warm up we proceed with some boxing combinations 'off match fighting stance' from level 4. We looked at the lead/reverse punch, upset punch and horizontal hook. Second we looked at the lead/reverse punch, 45 degree angle punch and rear arm hook. Third we looked at twin lead, rear arm punch and uppercut.

I moved on to teaching the thai clinch using gabel grip, pre-emptively knee striking and then relocating the attacker to a different position and then following up again with knees and inner elbow strike.

Self defence techniques against a two handing clothing grab was drilled. We looked at two variations. Variation 1 was grabbing the attackers foearm, eye gouging before attacking the juggular knotch, and then taking down by moving fowards whilsts steppig on the attackers foot. Variation 2 - my 'eclectic favourite', used the upset punch, snaking the arm applying a standing upright shoulder lock, attacking the masteroid gap, following up with knee strikes and then taking the attacker down to the floor, and evading to a safe zone.

The remaining 50% of the session looked at 2 knife threats and one knife attack. We looked at attacker threatening with the knife in front towards the cente. Students were taught to use the basic fence and dilaguoe routine before grabbing the attackers wrist, kicking and then executing a wrist throw with self control, and then proceeding with using the wrist and arm smash when the attacker is down on the floor, taking the knife and escaping to safety whilst mainintaing awareness. The second knife thrat we looked at was attacker behind, one hand on shoulder and blade under throat. Again complying with the attacker was stressed before using physical tools. The fence and deceptive dialogue was explained and to act on suprise by grabbing the attackers wrist and knife hand, striking the groin at least twice, moving side on to the attacker with two hand control and taking the attacker down and applying knee pressure, and running to safety. Third we looked at personal defence against an assailant attacking towards the gut with a recoil. Knife hand defence with simultaneous striking was used, followed up by using the 'eclectic double arm scoop' (to stop recoil), and pre-emptively kneeing into the groin, sternum area and draw backwards keeping control of the attackers knife hand, and securing the attacker whilst in sitting knee position, before evading to safety.

Before teaching these knife defences I gave a breif talk about treating rubber knives as real blades, complying with the attacker, only resorting to physical action if you really have to, the types of situations they would happen in, and the ESP Knife Self Protection and Personal Secuirty Model.

Before concluding the session we did 90 seconnds of holding a squat with a 90 degree angle in the knee joint and alpha omegas.

The last part finished with breathing, concentration and stretching exercises and meditation.

Lots of the people who attended this course made some great comments about what they learnt and how i taught. To see our reviews please use this link: http://eclecticselfprotection.com/reviews-.php

Thanks to all thoses who attended!

Written by Luke James May 2019

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Physical self-defense is the use of physical force to counter an  immediate threat of violence. Such force can be either armed or unarmed.  In either case, the chances of success depend on a large number of  parameters, related to the severity of the threat on one hand, but also  on the mental and physical preparedness of the defender.

To read more reviews about our classes and courses please click here: http://eclecticselfprotection.com/reviews-.php

You can read some reviews about what said here : http://eclecticselfprotection.com/reviews-.php

Written by Luke James Febuary 2018

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Meditation can be defined as the training of the mind to induce a mode of consciousness to create some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content.

The term meditation indicates a wide-ranging variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation and increase internal energy or life force such as Qi, Ki and Prana etc. A particularly determined form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration desired to unlock an indestructible sense of positive mental well-being while engaging in any life activity.

The word meditation carries different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as an integral part of many Asian martial arts systems. As martial artists, we understand that meditation can formulate a fantastic sense of calmness and self-centredness that is crucial in hectic situations. Whether we are talking about dojo training, real-life self-defence or just everyday life, having the correct state of mind in the face of adversity is crucial.

Just as with any other skill, our ability in meditation improves over time and with regular practice. Meditation is often used to clear the mind, improve calmness and help to prepare individuals to better handle whatever challenges they encounter. For centuries, martial art masters have taught their students that meditation creates an optimal state of mind and increases martial power. They have also concluded that meditation improves many health concerns, such as high blood pressure, depression and anxiety as well as combating disease.

Meditation has been practiced throughout the world for over 2500 years. It originated in India and spread throughout Asia and then to the West. The Samurai meditated before in Japan. In the 13th century Zen Buddhism spread among the Samurai, helping to shape their standards of contact. Meditation prepared the warriors to face their fears, such as death and killing, and became a way of life for the Samurai. In the martial arts, the “Yin” of the meditation provides balance for the “Yang”. As western culture began to adopt the practice of martial arts, meditation was dropped and the more physical aspects of the arts were practiced. Eastern cultures have long understood that the body and the mind reflect each other and one cannot exist without the other. As the mind calms, the body relaxes and vice versa.

The purpose of meditation is to ensure that our mind is one of calmness and peacefulness. To experience true happiness we must be free from worries and mental discomfort and therefore our mind must be peaceful. However, if our mind is not peaceful we will not be peaceful even when life is favourable. If we train in meditation and positive affirmation we will experience a purer form of happiness and therefore be able to stay happy all the time even when life does not act in our favour.

The mind can be very difficult to control and our mind becomes like a ‘stormy cloud’ affected by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy. For example, if we get what we want, such as a new possession like a brand new car, we will become excited and want to drive it. However, since we cannot have everything we want we will inevitably be separated from this enjoyment, this mental stickiness will cause us pain.

These fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external situation. We are like a child making a sandcastle who is excited when it’s first made, but then becomes upset when its washed up by the sea. By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances. Gradually, a balanced mind that is happy all the time is developed like a mental equilibrium, rather than an unbalanced mind that vacillates between enjoyment and un-enjoyment.

If we train in meditation systematically, eventually we will be able to eliminate the delusions in our mind that are causing problems. In this way we will become permanently peaceful and calm experiencing pure joy and happiness.

To ensure meditation is successful we need to have a comfortable seat and a good posture. The legs should be crossed but the most important feature of the posture is to keep our back straight by inclining our pelvis slightly forward. This is the basis of the meditation position as used in most martial art systems. Other practitioners sit on their knees with their backs straight not the most comfortable ways to meditate as you cannot attain meditation efficiency. Most martial art systems all agree and recommend meditating before and after workout / competition for at least 30 minutes to gain the best out of meditation.

The seven features of the most used mediation posture are :

1. The legs should be crossed to help reduce thoughts and feelings of desirous attachment.

2. The right hand should be placed in the left hand, palms upwards, with the tips of the thumbs slightly raised and gently touching. The hands are held about four fingers’ width below the navel to help develop good concentration. The right hand symbolizes earth and the left hand symbolizes earth – the two symbolizing success and positivity through heaven and earth.

3. The back should be straight but not tense to aid in developing a clear mind and allowing energy to flow freely.

4. The lips and teeth are held as usual, but the tongue touches against the back of the upper teeth to prevent excessive salivation and to stop our mouth from becoming too dry.

5. The hand should be tipped a little forward with the chin slightly tucked in so that the eyes are cast down to prevent mental excitement.

6. The eyes should neither be wide open nor completely closed, but remain half open and gaze down along the line of the nose. If the eyes are wide open we are likely to develop mental sinking.

7. The shoulders should be level and elbows are held slightly away from the sides to let air circulate.

In order to understand the concept of breathing meditation, you have to know the basic energy systems of the body. The human body has two polarities, one resides in the brain, and the other is in the abdomen region. The abdomen polarity region is the battery for the whole body and it is the structure of the abdomen that allows Ki/Qi/Chi to be stored to a high level.

Breathing meditation prepares our mind for developing good motivation and positive affirmation and is used in martial art systems all over the world to develop Ki. When we sit down to meditate our mind is usually full of thoughts and stresses of every day life and we cannot immediately clear them out. A negative, disturbed state of mind is like a ‘stormy cloud’, and a clear focussed mind is like a deep blue sky.

When we have settled down comfortably in our meditation posture we begin by becoming aware of the thoughts an distractions that are present in our mind. Then we gently turn our attention to our breath, letting the rhythm remain normal. As we breathe out we imagine that we are breathing away all the disturbing thoughts and stresses that build up eg. “Im not good enough / I will never succeed”. As we breathe in we imagine that we are breathing in all the positive energy that flows around us and mentally tell ourselves “we will succeed / I will pass” which enters our body and absorbs into the heart. We maintain this visualization single-pointedly with each inhalation and exhalation for twenty-one rounds, or until our mind has become peaceful and aware. If we concentrate on our breathing in this way, negative thoughts and distractions will temporarily disappear because we cannot concentrate on more than one object at a time. At the end of our breathing meditation we should think: “I have received the blessings and inspiration of life and I can achieve mastery in martial art and self-defence performance”. In this way we become stronger versions of ourselves and succeed in everything we do and develop our Ki dramatically.

The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make our mind clear by practicing simple breathing meditation. We choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position usually the traditional cross-legged posture with our back straight to prevent us from becoming sluggish and lazy.

We sit with our eyes partially closed and focus on our breathing. We breathe naturally through the nostrils without attempting to control our breath, and we become aware of the breath entering and leaving our nostrils. This sensation should be focused on to the exclusion of everything else.

At first, our mind will be very busy and the mediation will make us more naturally aware of how busy the mind actually is. There will be a great temptation to follow the different thoughts as they arise, but we should resist and remain totally focusses on our breathing. If we discover temptation to follow the different thoughts as they arise, but we should resist and remain totally focusses on our breathing. If we discover that our mind has wandered and is following our thoughts, we should immediately return to our breath and we should repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on our breath.

Breathing mediation will have a great effect on your health. The diagraphm drops down as you inhale which massages the organs that are below it, in particular the kidneys, liver and spleen. The kidneys produce hormones and through massage, the production increases. These hormones are bio-catalyst which helps make chemical processes in the body run more smoothly. As we age, the hormone production decreases; therefore it is important to keep the hormone production at a proper level.

Through proper, relaxed and natural breathing, you take in a lot of oxygen. This will ensure that the practitioner has a faster metabolism. Only with air we are able to change food into energy, therefore, it is extremely important to build up the right breathing habits. In addition, you will learn how to manipulate your energy. Using the correct technique of breathing, it is possible to manifest more energy or store it in the centre and in the bone marrow which allows energy to be manifested when necessary.

Furthermore, the meditation benefits that masters have concluded are getting closer to being proven by science. A team of psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School have researched how meditation techniques can affect the genes and the brain activity of people who suffer from chronic stress. After a 5 year study using the latest neuroimaging and genomic technology, scientists have researched how mind-body harmony through meditation techniques can turn on and off genes that have been linked to stress and immune function. This research of the benefits of meditation takes us deeper into the relationship between meditation and human physiology.

Other studies have concluded the benefits of meditation, but those findings were based on variables such as participant-reported feelings, heart rate and blood pressure. The Harvard study regarding the benefits of meditation has unlocked a deeper examination of the effects of meditation techniques on the human body. This evidence suggests that the reason we feel less stressed and healthier when we meditate is the genes that control stress and the immune system are being manipulated.

Harm to the body is caused by inflammation and stress particularly when it is present for sustained periods of time. Stress is a natural part of life, however as martial artists we face it consistently in the dojo. The subsequent recovery period during which the stress is removed enables us to cope and even thrive. We desperately need time to recuperate so we can be ready and refreshed when we have to tackle another stressor. Meditation seems to control our genes in a way that helps shut down stress, thus allowing us to consciously bring about that recuperation period.

It has become that martial art masters who meditate appear healthier, more vibrant and younger than others their age. This is in line with research findings made by scientists at UCLA. They found that engaging in 12 minutes of yoga meditation daily for eight weeks increased the body’s supply of telomerase, which they have dubbed the “immortality enzyme”. The cellular aging process is actually slowed down by Telomerase.

We should remember that as we live our lives that although pharmaceuticals are necessary for the treatment of many illnesses and conditions, meditation techniques are a tried and true way of helping us to reduce stress and when combined with proper nutrition, rest and exercise they avoid those illnesses in the first place.

In conclusion, meditation can be a very powerful tool in your life for improving mental well-being as well as physical health. If practiced correctly, it will ultimately allow you to draw upon the infinite force of gravity, channel it through your own physical centre and extend it in whichever direction you choose. Once you have mastered the breathing technique and internalized the process, and are extending Ki, you may start experimenting with it, standing, moving, lifting, pushing, punching, kicking, and throwing. Virtually every movement you make will be greatly enhanced if your movement and entire physical body is centred, balanced and in harmony transmitting Ki.

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A martial art can be defined as ‘using the mathematics of the human body for the art of fighting’. Traditional martial art examples include Taekwondo, Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Brazillian Ju Jitsu and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) which all share similar characteristics but are not self-defence. Although many of these martial arts did evolve as self-defence systems, they suited the needs of people in a specific time and place such as sword-fighting on horseback in 17th century Korea. They don’t necessarily translate well to practical, modern day needs. You are not going to do a flying kick to a potential date rapist or an violently confronting assailant when you are in jeans and have not warmed up or stretched. ‘Real world self-defence’ on the other-hand is not about the physical tools and techniques for fighting but about on-the-spot assessment of many variables, in mutable, un-predictable and rapidly changing circumstances, doing this under immediate threat, coming up with an appropriate game plan and effectively implementing it in time, and being able to later explain why you felt that was the right response. This essay will attempt to assess the similarities and differences between martial arts and self-defence, and also look at their strengths and weaknesses.

Anybody regardless of age, size, sex or shape can learn basic self-defence skills. These include situational awareness skills – ‘being switched on’, recognizing potentially dangerous situations, avoiding them before they escalate, developing solid awareness skills, following your ‘gut instinct’, making yourself a hard target, verbally de-escalating and defusing a situation that may come out of control and stopping a physical assault with minimal damage to yourself and your loved ones. Martial arts on the other hand, may teach awareness to help with prevention, and may help to develop confidence to handle daily situations. The physical fighting techniques of martial arts, though, are not usually practical or realistic for the kind of attacks that happen in today’s world. In contrast, both self-defence and traditional martial arts increase confidence and improve your self- assurance.

Originally self-defence was not regarded as a form of exercise, however new research and systems enlighten on combative physical conditioning. Combat is physically stressful and demanding, and this needs to be taken into consideration. Testing should be performed of your anaerobic capacity. Fitness is always activity specific and it is always better to use combative activity such as pad-work or sparring to develop and test combative fitness, as opposed to using body weight and flexibility exercises. Self-defence is more about using short bursts of exercise to protect your-self and escaping from a violent situation. However, martial arts will get you in shape and bring you the health benefits of fitness. Some schools are geared towards sports and competition and attract younger and more athletic people. It is these more sporting styles like Kickboxing and Taekwondo that focus more on duration than intensity as they have to last rounds of sparring. Other martial art schools like Aikido and Ju Jitsu are non-competitive and view martial arts as a practice open to anyone. Both self-defence and martial arts get you in touch with your physical power.

Furthermore, self-defence offers skills that can be learned quickly, whereas martial arts must be studied for a long time to attain proficiency; often a life-long pursuit. However, both self-defence and martial arts create a stronger mind-body connection. In addition, self-defence develops self-respect and awareness, whereas martial arts develop discipline, respect and focus. Both self-defence and martial arts may spur internal change as well as learning specific skills.

Most martial arts were designed for the ‘art of fighting’ via ‘sparring’. Fighting can be defined as ‘the wilful engagement with an opponent to gain something or engaging rather than losing something less important than your life – for example, pride, face or personal insult. In short, fighting is a consensual conflict both parties have actively engaged in. More importantly, fighting is about winning and this seems to be continually expressed in competitive arts like Taekwondo, Brazillian Ju Jitsu and Karate. When you focus in on ‘winning’, you leave yourself open to lose. If for example, your goal is to win a fight using your martial arts, you will actually end up lengthening the time of the engagement, increasing your chances of losing which you cannot afford to do in any self-defence situation especially when a weapon is involved. Your opponent may also come up with a more effective strategy and you may also increase the length of time you are in his ‘line of fire’. In addition, you may also make a mistake when countering his offensives.  

Effective self-defence means coming come up with a defensive strategy or game plan that is reflective on deflecting the immediate threat and escaping before another threat can be offered. Moreover, martial arts focus more on ‘winning’ and therefore seriously run the risk of extending the altercation – thereby increasing your chances of losing, and going ‘over the top’ and using excessive force – thereby causing you legal problems. Combative self-defence is an act of survival – not a ‘fist fight’. In a martial arts fight or sparring match you could lose, whereas in a real-world self-defence situation you could die. Your mind and body are at risk of grievous harm or death and after an assault you become a survivor not a winner.

Self-defence also differs to a sport / martial arts ‘fight’ or sparring match by missing several things:

1. Awareness – Both parties are fully aware of the fight ahead of time.

2. Preparation – Mental, emotional, and physical preparation is done far in advance.

3. Consent – There will be prior agreement that both people will fight at a specific time and place.

4. Rules / Environment – Safety rules (no weapons, no illegal moves, no multiple attackers, etc), time limits / rounds, presence of referee, takes place in a safe environment free of gravel, curbs, broken glass, moving cars, water etc. All these factors stop someone from being seriously injured or killed.

The above mentioned points are not available to the ‘victim’ in a self-defence situation. As mentioned before, in traditional martial arts and sport fighting the mentality is usually that of sparring ‘with’ or fighting ‘with’ someone else. In self-defence, we must do ‘exactly what our assailant is doing to us’. We must cause a ‘predator-prey switch’ by turning the table through gaining control of our assailant and situation, whereby there is a psychological role-reversal  to the ‘prey’ and who is the ‘predator’, giving you, the innocent victim, the upper-hand with a desirable outcome.

‘Fighting’ or ‘sporting’ martial arts are always one on one. Real situations, however, frequently involve more than one assailant which becomes ‘a life threatening situation’. Unlike, traditional martial arts, reality based self-defence systems will include practice with more than one enemy. ‘Out fighting’ multiple enemies is a very difficult situation and therefore more emphasis is placed on escape. For example, a drill involving a person escaping from multiple attackers to a predetermined area or ‘safe zone’ in a dojo.

Unlike self-defence martial arts do not give a true insight into the implications with violence. Due to the lack of real world scenarios and research into the complexities of violence, students in traditional styles are given a false sense of security and belief in their ability to handle themselves in a violent situation. It is very easy to believe you are ‘safe’ in the training dojo, but this will be completely different when put into an actual violent situation. This is why many ‘arts’ are in fact more dangerous to the student than no training at all. Students will attempt to fight instead of run, as they believe they can handle themselves. In addition, training could actually interfere with your threat assessment because you are already trained in a particular style. A good self-defence system will reflect violence as it happens by utilizing drills that involve realistic role play. These types of drills will have partners playing the role of assailants and will include dialogue, intimidation, deception and surprise, etc. This will usually be combined with live training drills and the requirements associated with awareness, avoidance and escape. Unlike, martial arts, self-defence will also include practicing the protection of others – third party protection.

In conclusion, martial arts are not self-defence. Self-defence is not personal safety. Fighting is neither self-defence nor personal safety. However, martial arts training can be used in a self-defence context, they are far better for sport and character development as well as obtaining improvements in fitness and health. Self-defence training is far more geared to protecting yourself and loved ones in a ‘street’ context. In addition, no martial art style or self-defence system will ever be able to teach you everything you need to know about the complexities of violence especially when involved in a high risk situation.

Adult Learners week is a festival of learning and national celebration of life-long learning with ‘have a go’ learning events taking place in May and June every year. Fortunately, enough a martial arts and self-defence instructor was required to run a 3 hr workshop and seminar at the Peabody Trust in South London on Saturday 22/05/04. After gaining a 1st Degree Black Belt Instructorship and University sponsorship, the event was planned and booked 2 to 3 months in advance by a senior sports coordinator. With plenty of marketing, advertising and collaboration between the parties involved there was a modest turnout with a good mix of men and women aged 16 above eager and hungry to go.

The session commenced with a gentle warm up including limbering up movements to introduce synovial fluid into the joints, exercises to increase blood flow and warm up the muscles such as star jumps, running on the spot, and sports specific stretching for the major muscle groups. Basic striking was taught against assailants / opponents including the front rising kick, crescent kick, lead/reverse punch, hook punch and the front kick stationary and free-direction. Stress was made on visualization and mental and physical determination to destroy your opponent.

Students were divided into pairs and more advanced striking against pads was taught with emphasis on how to use ‘elastic potential energy’ for effective speed and strength. In between pad work drills small circuits were introduced including press ups, lunges, squats, sit ups and burpees. We looked at various combinations including lead/reverse punch followed by lead/reverse hooking punch, front kick to turning kick, side kick to reverse spinning back kick, elbow strikes etc.

Students were instructed to line up and practice striking combinations against each other with maximum aggression, precision, accuracy and self-control. This included the defenders executing light blocking with palms, forearms, knees and shins in a safe and controlled environment, and with protective equipment. The roles were reversed, with the same drills been executed in free-direction format.

A small part of the session analysed how to fall safely on the floor with basic break falls including the front, side, back and foreflap. In addition, students were taught the four most effective strikes from a grounded position – front kick, thai kick, side kick and back kick to the low/mid and high sections of the body as well as how to execute basis takedowns with the legs against assailants. Emphasis was made on not to be on your back ‘like a dying fly’ and to stay in a mobile semi side-wards position on the ground with strong mobility and a nice striking range of movement. In addition, we also looked at how to get up safely and correctly from the floor in the fastest way whilst in a protected guard.

The second half of the class looked at kata/form application from Oriental Martial Arts for fast, effective and dynamic self-defence. This included simultaneous blocking and striking with a note and demonstration made on how difficult it is in reality to actually block. A defence against strikes and reaction testing was role played and drilled. We also looked at the diagonal palm block, middle section outer forearm block, higher outer forearm block and palm deflective blocking combined with simultaneous striking with use of the finger-tip thrust, eye gouge, groin strike and knee strike for self-defence purposes.

Students practiced a variety of self-defence techniques against general assaults and weapon attacks including the glass bottle and blunt instruments. Stress was made on protecting the head with hands and arms whilst making attachments to the assailant and striking pre-emptively, disarming the weapon and evading to safety. Fine points were made on reacting on the back swing and striking simultaneously and putting the assailant into ESPA’s theory of ‘un-known territory’ and making use of forward striking pressure with maximum aggression.

The final part of the session looked at situational positioning and defence against multiple attackers. Students were divided into three’s with one person in the middle making use of the fence and verbal commands and pre-emptively striking the closest assailant and then using them as shield between themselves and the the 2nd attacker and escaping to safety. Takedowns were also introduced with more power talking drills. We also drilled a group activity where one person was in the middle with all other practitioners surrounding him/her making ‘controlled sparring’ contact with the main emphasis of the person in the middle making an attachment to the assailant, shielding themselves, and getting out of the circle and evading to safety.

A gentle cool down of running around the hall followed by developmental stretching was conducted finishing with a 5 minute cool down mediation session. Students were told to meditate on 2 or 3 techniques and to visualize themselves achieving mastery and excellence. The session concluded with a talk on martial arts and self defence, and their respective differences. We concluded with a 5 minute question and answer session and some good questions were made with valuable feedback.

A big thanks to all those who attended!!

(Due to copyright and ownership of the photos taken and working on behalf of another organization I have been instructed not to upload them on the Internet so I have used other non-copyright images to replace them)

Public Comments:

“This was a fun packed session with lots of valuable tools to take home”

“I really enjoyed the blocking and striking parts of the session and it showed me actually how difficult it is to block and punch without injuring yourself”

“I have never done martial arts before and after this session I now feel more confident in how to protect myself”

“Being brittle and small I learnt some excellent techniques against bigger opponents that were applicable to female self-defence”

“The meditation made me feel much more relaxed, positive and confident about myself”

The second premium model covered under evaluation and awareness is the OODA Loop. The OODA Loop is an acronym used to describe the process that we use when responding to some type of stimulus, and was formulated by Col John Boyd in the 1950’s. Boyd was a fighter pilot in the Korean war and used the OODA Loop to train pilots under him. The training resulted in a 10:1 kill ratio. Col. Boyd believed that even at a disadvantage, a competent pilot could overcome his opponent by attacking the mental process or state of mind. The OODA Loop stands for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (Figure B).

1 Observe

This is the stage where an event is just beginning. We may observe a person stepping out of the shadows, a group that splits up when we come into their view, or a person seemingly following us. The process of decision making cannot even begin until there something being observed. This brings us right back to awareness, as awareness is the first major element of practicing good self protection. What is described above might go completely un-noticed if someone is engrossed on their smart phone or has their head phones in listening to music. It is better to have 360 degree environmental awareness than to be sucker punched from behind.

2 Orient

Assuming we are aware enough to notice something beginning to happen, the next step is orient. An example of this stage is the following : A person steps out of the shadows. Our brain would straight away determine whether or not we know them, if they appear threatening, and other things such as our position relative to theirs, as well as whether or not we are about to bump into them. These are going to be determined by the most healthy people without the need to consciously go through a list of questions. Someone properly trained may even instantly note whether the person stepping out from the shadows had anything in their hands. This level of training takes time, but is very nice to have, and worth the effort to develop.

3 Decide

Once the information is processed, the actual decision must be made. The brain is going to decide what to do, but the more we clutter it with information and different choices, the longer this stage of our process will last. People should be aware at this point of ‘Hicks Law’. At the basic level, Hicks Law states the more options you have, the longer it will take to decide on one. If we are able to keep it down to few choices, we will be much better off in just getting through the stage quickly. At this stage it is important to understand that there is no perfect choice, even if there seems there is.

4 Act

In this stage, you have decided on an action and now you must put it into play. The single most important piece of information is that you are being attacked and you must act. It’s important to note this is not an exact science. You are testing your hypothesis and must constantly adapt and rearrange your model as the information.

5 Using The OODA Loop To The Advantage

Understanding the OODA Loop will allow you to use it to your advantage by making your assailant get stuck in the observe-observe-observe short circuit. In self-defence, we want to get through the OODA Loop and keep the attacker in the loop. Therefore, for example, in ESP our weapon disarms always have a strike or destruction in them. If we just use leverage and attempt to take the weapon away, the attacker can observe, orient, decide and act to pull the weapon back or fight for it. If while the attacker is observing and orienting to our defence and we kick them in the groin or finger jab them in the eye, their brain will automatically go back to observing and orienting. When they get to orienting about the strike we knee them in the groin and start the loop all over again for them. Keeping the attacker in the loop while we are on the action phase of the loop is a big step towards winning the encounter.

Traditional pushups are beneficial for building upper body strength.  They work the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. When done with  proper form, they can also strengthen the lower back and core by  engaging (pulling in) the abdominal muscles. Pushups are a fast and  effective exercise for building strength.

Once you are able to do  anything from 25 to 40 traditional push-ups go straight into advanced 1  arm push ups. Legs should be double shoulder width apart and 1 arm should  be curled behind your back. Drop shoulder to floor without compromising  balance, posture and integrity. Aim to do 10 to 15 1 arm push ups on  both sides.

Advanced 1 arm  push ups are a fantastic way of isolating a muscle group and building  accelerated strength in the muscle groups mentioned above. By performing  this mini press-up routine 4 to 5 days a week your explosive striking  power and arm joint locking capability will improve dramatically.

   

#eclecticselfprotection #northlondonmartialarts #northlondonselfdefence #pushups #trainingroutines #traininginspirations #muscularendurance #muscularstrength #breathcontrol #combativefitness #explosivepower #strikingpotential #fast #effective #dynamic #explosive #fitnesstraining

Adult Learners week is a festival of learning and national celebration of life-long learning with ‘have a go’ learning events taking place in May and June every year. Due to the success of the last Self Defence Seminar run at the Peabody Trust for the last Adult Learners Week in 2004, a second 3hr course was organised by the LSBU Academy Of Sport. The event was planned and booked 2 to 3 months in advance by a senior sports coordinator, with the recruitment of a sports ambassador. This was a free ‘unpaid event’ advertised and marketed around South London including Peackam, Elephant & Castle, and Bermonsdey. It had a good mix of men and women aged 16 above eager and hungry to go.

The session commenced with a risk assessment, enrolment, medical check and health and safety check of all individuals, with a friendly meet and greet, and a small introductory talk on what was going to be covered in todays session.

The session began with a warm up including running around the hall and static stretches taken from the YMCA. Following this small circuit fitness training routines were incorporated including: 1 minute of press-ups, 1 minute of squats, 1 minute of situps, 1 minute of fast aggressive punching, 1 minute of squat thrusts followed by dynamic stretching.

We looked at pre-emptive striking off the basic fence using the hook, the elbow, the backfist, front kick and thai kick against the high, middle and low sections of the body in a stationary format visualizing the attacker. Partner work was conducted with the same techniques against pads stationary and moving around. We did a circular exercise with the ‘defender’ in the middle and all others surrounding with pads where the centre person had to use pre-emptive strikes of their choice in 90 second intervals.

Following this we warmed up psychologically using verbal de-escalation drills with students in partners where one would be in the fence using calm verbal dissuasive dialogue and assertive body language against a verbally and physically threatening attacker. Students were encouraged not to stay stationary but to move around with strong peripheral vision whilst looking for escape/exit routes.

Basic self defence drills and releases were taught including wrist grab releases, choke defences from front and rear, and basic clothing grabs. In other-words, low threat situations meaning you would have to respond with low force.

Shortly after we covered intermediate threats including two handed clothing grabs, lapel grabs and defence against swinging hook punches using the concepts taken off 1-step free-fighting for fast, effective and dynamic self defence.

After a short 15 minute break we moved swiftly on drilling knife threats. Stress was made on treating the rubber knives as real blades and complying with the attacker before physical response. We looked at knife threats to both sides of the neck/throat with one hand on shoulder or one wrist been grabbed. Students were partnered up with one being the victim and the other threatening with dummy knife and holding a pad, whilst the person being threatened would use 5 to 10 secs of dissuasive dialogue, grab the attackers knife hand keeping the blade as far away from the body as possible, and strike pre-emptively (with palm or forefist) moving forwards aggressively to get the attacker away from them and then escape/exit to a safe zone.

The session finished with a gentle cool down of star jumps and light continuous kicking followed by PNF stretching. Students were divided into pairs with one person in v-stretch position, and the other placing and pushing against there legs whilst pulling the their partners hands and wrist. Stretches were held for approx. 30 secs.

A 5 minute cool down mediation session finalised the practical. Students were told to meditate on 2 or 3 techniques and to visualize themselves achieving mastery and excellence.

The session concluded with a discussion on Self-defence and the UK Law and what techniques were considered most effective in different circumstances.

Thanks to LSBU for there organization and all the South Londoners who attended!

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A confrontation by definition is a conflict of interests between 2 opposing parties. This may be a situation in which people or groups of people are fighting opposing or challenging each other in a aggressive or violent way.

In most confrontations there are 5 main stages : The Approach, The Close, The Trapp, The Attack and The Aftermath.

Stage 1: Approaching – The first sign of potential danger is approaching. An assailant may walk towards you casually, follow you from behind or jump out and surprise you. This is the pre-cursor for you to avoid the assailant or run to safety.

Remember: Don’t Run Away from Danger; Run to Safety. You don’t need to beat or defeat an assailant – there are no winners in self-defense. Your only goal is to escape safely.

Stage 2: Closing – If a person is approaching you and you feel uncomfortable do not allow the assailant to get closer than 5 to 6 feet. If they pass this distance, give a stern verbal warning: ‘don’t come any closer’, ‘get back’.

Stage 3: Trapping – An assailant who ignores a verbal warning and moves closer to you has an intention on harming you. This is cue to flee immediately without hesitation. Be aware if you begin to flee, an assailant may try to drive you to a confined area.

Stage 4: Attack – When physically attacked there are a number of things you should do that might mean the difference between life and death. (1) You should have a strong mind. Stay calm, alert and don’t panic. An experienced assailant will use your mind against you to control the situation. Take a deep breath, stand tall and be ready for anything. Stay away from the wall or corner and try and place the assailant in front of the wall. (2) Look for mistakes or weak spots. This is when you will find an opening to break through. Use his weak spots for striking or exploiting. For example, if your female and up against a 20 stone bloke strike pressure points such as his groin with a front kick or if he is wearing heavy clothing strike his throat. (3) Every physical confrontation is fluid and the changing nature of the conflict will create a number of opportunities for you to escape or counter attack. (4) Don’t dwell on mistakes – keep your sight on the entire spectrum which is your survival. (5) Have a game plan – Know how to protect your body, know where to strike, be familiar with the environmental weapons and possible exits and know where to look for help.

Stage 5: Aftermath – In the aftermath of an attack whether it be a mugging or assault, the assailant may decide to kill you. Do not let your guard down until you have escaped or the assailant has left the area.

Written by Luke James 2014

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