| "There Are No Superior Martial Arts, | | | | attacked by a large, strong, psychopathic |
| | | | assailant. There is no way of avoiding the |
| Only Superior Martial Artists"I've read, | | | | fight. Let's say your self-defense system |
| heard, repeated and written that phrase so | | | | consists of 20 different techniques. In the |
| often I can't even remember where it came | | | | stressful moments preceding the encounter |
| from. The reason I like it so much is | | | | your mind is reeling; trying to figure out |
| because it's true!This article is not another | | | | the most appropriate course of action.Keep in |
| effort to debate the merits of one | | | | mind that your cognitive abilities are |
| self-defense system over another. Nor is it | | | | impaired by stress. Stress-related "brain |
| to argue about which style will or won't work | | | | damage" prevents you from forming a logical |
| "on the street." All martial arts have | | | | or creative solution to your predicament. |
| components within them that are powerful | | | | What will you do?Seeing your dilemma, a good |
| fighting techniques. It's important to know | | | | friend (if he wasn't before he is now!) |
| which ones they are!Self-Defense Systems | | | | discretely passes you a set of brass |
| Differ, | | | | knuckles. What do you suppose has just |
| | | | happened to your thought process?I'll hazard |
| But Self-Defense Principles Don'tOn the | | | | a guess that the mental fog begins to lift, |
| surface, martial arts and self-defense | | | | your stress decreases and your objective |
| systems seem different. However, if they are | | | | becomes clear. It's now a simple matter of |
| legitimate and effective, the principles | | | | taking those brass knuckles and slamming them |
| underlying them are the same.Principles are | | | | repeatedly into vulnerable parts of your |
| the rules about the way things are. They are | | | | opponent's anatomy. Seems simple now doesn't |
| inarguable, non-negotiable and unchanging. | | | | it?The potential of you winning the encounter |
| They have nothing to do with the way we think | | | | has been significantly enhanced. That same |
| things are or the way we want them to be. | | | | affect can be achieved without the brass |
| Like the laws of physics, they just are.As | | | | knuckles by sticking to a limited, yet |
| "Martial Scientists," our goal is to explore, | | | | adaptable, inventory of dependable fighting |
| discover, test and confirm the operative | | | | skills.THE SCIENCE OF STRESS POINTS TO THE |
| principles that define and influence the | | | | NEED TO SPECIALIZEVirtually all accomplished |
| reality of combat. Your ability to produce a | | | | fighters are known for specific techniques |
| desired result, in this case to effectively | | | | that they excel at. However, if you ignore |
| defend yourself, is a direct result of how | | | | their "bread & butter" techniques, most of |
| well you understand and apply the principles | | | | them would be considered "average." Those |
| of combat and human performance.What Do You | | | | fighters excel because of their ability to |
| Know About | | | | simplify their system and build on their |
| | | | superior techniques.Knowing what you now know |
| Performance Under Pressure?This article is | | | | about technique selection and stress |
| about how fear and stress affect fighting | | | | performance, what do you think about the |
| performance. Whether you consider yourself a | | | | merits of "specializing" in a core set of |
| seasoned martial artist, a self-defense | | | | fighting skills? Here's how to get |
| enthusiast, or a self-taught "ham & egger" | | | | started.Explore Your StrengthsDon't just |
| who just wants to stay in shape and boost | | | | latch onto a fighting tactic arbitrarily. |
| your confidence, this information is | | | | Evaluate your existing skills and select a |
| important to know. If you are training for | | | | strike, a kick, or a finishing hold that |
| self-defense, you need to select and develop | | | | seems like a "good fit" for you. What |
| skills that will be effective in the chaos of | | | | technique to you consistently land or apply |
| a violent conflict. This article will help | | | | when sparring? What is your best or favorite |
| you in that process.FEAR, STRESS AND | | | | technique? What technique do you feel you |
| SELF-DEFENSEStress Is Good, But Only If It | | | | would resort to under pressure? Answering |
| | | | these questions will get you started with the |
| Works For And Not Against YouStress is our | | | | specialization process.AdaptabilityHaving as |
| response to a real or perceived threat that | | | | few techniques as possible doesn't mean that |
| we inherited from our ancestors. It was, and | | | | you limit your ability to respond to a wide |
| is, essential for our survival as a species. | | | | variety of situations. The idea is to take |
| That survival mechanism, often called the | | | | that specialty strike, kick, joint lock or |
| "Fight or Flight Response," is a good thing. | | | | choke and train it in as many different ways |
| If properly managed, it can be a powerful | | | | as possible. Learn to apply those basic |
| force in fighting off (fight) or escaping | | | | skills at different ranges (striking, |
| from (flight) a violent assailant. However, | | | | clinching or on the ground), against |
| if ignored or misunderstood, stress can | | | | different partners, against different |
| impair our mental and physical performance | | | | apparatus and in as many drills as you can |
| and compromise our effectiveness in a | | | | think of. Learn how to set them up and follow |
| fight.What Is "Self-Defense Stress?"Stress, | | | | them up. Strive to learn a lot about a |
| as it relates to violence, is the response to | | | | little, not vice versa.Train to Momentary |
| a perceived discrepancy between a threat and | | | | ExhaustionA good way to see how well a |
| your ability to control it under conditions | | | | technique holds up under stress is to train |
| where the outcome has the potential for | | | | it to extreme fatigue. You can bring on the |
| death, injury or physical degradation.The | | | | physiology of intense stress by exerting |
| Symptoms Of StressStress causes a variety of | | | | yourself. I call this "blitz training" in the |
| psychological and physiological changes. | | | | heavy bag article: "There's nothing like a |
| Without getting into the specifics of those | | | | swift kick to the bag." on my site at: out a |
| changes, the affects of intense stress on | | | | technique or combination repeatedly for a |
| performance fall into three categories:1. | | | | specified duration or until you can't do it |
| Perceptual Distortion - loss of peripheral | | | | any more. I can guarantee that gross motor |
| vision and depth perception, hearing may be | | | | skills will be the only ones conducive to |
| impaired, changes in pain sensitivity, etc.2. | | | | this type of training.Keep in mind that you |
| Cognitive Impairment - the emotional centers | | | | wouldn't do this training all of the time. |
| in the brain become predominant and creative | | | | You need time to recover between intense |
| or logical thinking is impaired.3. Motor | | | | workouts like this.Obviously you must be |
| Skill Deterioration - the ability to perform | | | | healthy and in good physical shape to do in |
| certain physical actions is impaired by | | | | this training. Refer to my disclaimer page |
| stress. However, other actions can actually | | | | for precautions before following this advice. |
| be enhanced by stress.Each of these | | | | Is Not InflexibilityA final note in keeping |
| categories could form an article (or book) of | | | | things simple is that the process of |
| their own. However, for the purposes of this | | | | specialization doesn't mean that you stop |
| article, I'll confine myself to information | | | | learning, experimenting or that you abandon |
| pertaining to the selection and performance | | | | your existing training program in lieu of a |
| of physical skills.THE KYSS! PRINCIPLE (Keep | | | | "bare-bones" self-defense program.If you are |
| Your System Simple!)Why Do Black Belts Get | | | | proud of your traditional martial arts system |
| Beat Up?Why is it that so many martial | | | | stick with it. If you love to jump up, spin |
| artists get beat up? I'm sorry to burst your | | | | around and kick things, then by all means, go |
| bubble if you thought otherwise but the fact | | | | for it! Just don't confuse techniques that |
| is that many people, even after years of | | | | will work in a street fight with those that |
| training, have been thumped by "unskilled," | | | | won't. Apply the science of stress |
| intoxicated adversaries. How can that | | | | performance by adding specialty training to |
| be?Often people train with a distorted mental | | | | the degree that you want to develop practical |
| map of what it's like to be in a real, | | | | self-defense skills.SO WHAT? HOW TO USE THIS |
| knockdown, drag-out, anything-goes | | | | INFORMATIONUsing The "KYSS! Principle" |
| street-fight. They confuse sparring with | | | | |
| fighting and find themselves hesitant, | | | | To Evaluate A Potential Specialty |
| overwhelmed by fear or attempting techniques | | | | TechniqueNow its time to put this stuff into |
| that just don't work.The more clearly you | | | | practice: Based on the priority you place on |
| understand the realities of a "fight" and the | | | | "fighting skill." (there are several other |
| affects of being in one, the better you can | | | | benefits and reasons to train) Take a good, |
| prepare yourself for the chaos of personal | | | | hard look at the skills you have in your |
| combat.Motor Skills ClassificationMotor | | | | inventory and the amount of time you plan to |
| Skills is a fancy name for physical actions | | | | invest in training.Decide on what proportion |
| or techniques. They can be divided into | | | | of your training you want to dedicate to |
| three categories:1. Fine Motor Skills - are | | | | self-defense. Design your system based on |
| actions involving small muscles, dexterity | | | | the following "KYSS Criteria."=> is the |
| and eye-hand coordination. The ability to | | | | technique a "gross motor skill?"=> do you |
| perform fine motor skills deteriorates at low | | | | have confidence in your ability to perform |
| to moderate levels of stress.2. Complex Motor | | | | the skill under pressure?=> What technique is |
| Skills - are actions that link three or more | | | | most successful for you in training |
| components in a sequence that requires timing | | | | sparring or competition? (however don't |
| and coordination. At moderate to high levels | | | | confuse those activities with fighting)=> Is |
| of stress, the ability to perform these | | | | the technique applicable in a wide variety of |
| skills is also impaired. Many martial arts | | | | situations, at different ranges, in |
| techniques are complex motor skills. This | | | | different environments, ring clothing that |
| explains why techniques that may work fine in | | | | you were during your day-to-day activities?=> |
| low-stress training fail in a high-stress | | | | Are you able to construct a wide variety of |
| street-fight.3. Gross motor skills - are | | | | training drills to build adaptability and |
| simple, large-muscle group actions like a | | | | flexibility in your chosen techniques?=> Are |
| squats, pushups and push/pull-type movements. | | | | there techniques that you've selected that |
| This includes basic fighting skills like a | | | | are redundant?=> Do you understand the |
| straight punch, a hook punch or a Thai | | | | underlying principles and biomechanics of |
| boxer's knee strike for example. Unlike fine | | | | performing and applying the skill with |
| and complex motor skills, gross motor skills | | | | optimal efficiency?CONCLUSIONStress in a |
| DO NOT deteriorate under stress. In fact, | | | | combative situation is a given. Expect it. |
| they are enhanced by the affects of fear and | | | | It's going to be there. Your performance is |
| stress.Obviously we want to rely | | | | the result of how confident and well prepared |
| predominantly on gross motor skills when | | | | you are in addition to how well designed your |
| designing a self-defense response system.The | | | | self-defense response system is. Attack the |
| "Less-Is-Best" TheorySome self-defense and | | | | problem of stress performance this way:=> |
| martial arts instructors believe in the | | | | Simplify your system through specializing in |
| "More-Is-Better" philosophy. They think that | | | | a handful of effective and adaptable |
| learning a high number of techniques will | | | | techniques.=> Artificially create stress in |
| increase the ability to respond effectively | | | | your training sessions to inoculate yourself |
| to a wider variety of situations; that the | | | | to it to some degree (more on this in future |
| more elaborate the fighting system the more | | | | articles) and...=> Select gross motor skills |
| adaptable it becomes.If you hold this | | | | that will be efficient under stress.Knowing |
| philosophy yourself, please forgive my | | | | what you now know about stress performance |
| bluntness but...YOU'RE WRONG!!! The | | | | isn't it obvious that the "KYSS! (Keep Your |
| More-Is-Better approach does not withstand | | | | System Simple!) Principle" is worth |
| scientific scrutiny. Complex or elaborate | | | | incorporating into your training? Scrutinize |
| techniques don't work in a real fight. It's | | | | and evaluate your inventory of fighting |
| as simple as that.In contrast, the | | | | skills and select those that meet the KYSS |
| "Less-Is-Best" approach is more practical, | | | | criteria and you will improve your |
| realistic and consistent with what science | | | | performance in a combative situation |
| tells us about the way we perform under | | | | dramatically. The bottom line of what I want |
| stress. Here are a few of the benefits of | | | | you to take away from this article is that if |
| keeping the number of techniques to a | | | | you are training for self-defense Keep Your |
| minimum.Faster Reaction TimeAs far back as | | | | System Simple!Take care, train smart and stay |
| the 1800's, researchers knew that the more | | | | safe,Randy LaHaie |
| responses you have to a stimulus, the longer | | | | |
| it takes react. In 1952, a researcher named | | | | Protective Strategies============== |
| Hicks confirmed that for every response | | | | Self-Defense Quote ================="There |
| choice added, the amount of time required to | | | | are no superior or inferior martial arts, |
| react doubles! This is widely known as | | | | there are only warriors and |
| "Hicks Law," and has been repeatedly | | | | non-warriors""Each martial art is based on |
| confirmed by subsequent research. In a | | | | doctrine, a set of broad and general beliefs. |
| self-defense situation, the longer you take | | | | People who study a single doctrine tend to |
| to respond to a threatening action, the more | | | | shut out ideas from other sources and |
| likely you will be injured and defeated.Fast | | | | convince themselves that their's is the one |
| Results With Minimal TrainingAnother issue | | | | true way of fighting. They become slaves to |
| that supports the idea of keeping your | | | | the very doctrines they profess."Forrest E. |
| inventory of techniques to a minimum is the | | | | Morgan, Maj. USAF |
| amount of time you have to practice and the | | | | |
| time it takes to build technique competence. | | | | Living The Martial Way |
| (remember: competence builds confidence which | | | | |
| reduces stress!)Imagine you work on 20 | | | | A Manual For The Way A Modern Warrior Should |
| techniques and you train for an hour per | | | | Think |
| session. That means you have 3 minutes to | | | | |
| invest on each technique. If however, you | | | | |
| reduce the number of self-defense techniques | | | | ============================================= |
| to three (just an arbitrary number), you | | | | ===================Randy LaHaie is the |
| invest 20 minutes on each technique, | | | | president of Protective |
| conceivably investing 600% more time and | | | | |
| repetition on each one. What technique | | | | Strategies and has been teaching |
| wouldn't be improved by six times more | | | | reality-based |
| training?The Brass Knuckle Effect (Cognitive | | | | |
| Clarity)Imagine you knew you were about to be | | | | self-defense for over 30 years. |