Combatives/combat tactics, most authors commonly warn the readers of their articles and books that no matter how well-trained and well-prepared someone may be for combat and protecting oneself, they will never be more prepared than the predators committing these terrible acts of violence.

I wish to espouse a different theory.  Man in today’s society and throughout time has constantly and consistently worked to become a more and more civilized and sophisticated being.  Effectively man has worked to make himself more and more “domesticated”.

As a result the common citizen, and often even law enforcement and military In reading and researching the literature and material available on “self-defense”, and/or personnel, are ill-prepared to face and defeat these violent animals in human clothing and to deal with the extreme levels of violence these animals are willing to exact on their prey.

Predators whether man or animal are extremely violent opportunists.  They look and wait for their prey to be caught unaware and unprepared, and to therefore be easy targets for whatever the predator wishes to do to them, and by no means do they play fair, by any stretch of the imagination.  Human predators are even more dangerous, because their minds are socio- and even psychopathic.

Meaning that not only are these predators capable of conscious thought to plan out and perfect their assault on their prey, but they often take pleasure in the violent acts they perpetrate, and in the pain and sometimes death and destruction they cause.  Anyone seeking to defeat the plans and desires of these human predators must themselves become human predators.

First, please understand that by no means am I advocating becoming as socio and/or psychopathic as those who commit these heinous crimes.  I am not saying in any way whatsoever that to defeat these human monsters, that we must become monsters ourselves.  What I am saying is that in order to defeat these people, we must understand how they think, and how we make ourselves a target for them.

This means that as a common course of our daily lives, we should be running mental profiles of ourselves, and our daily activities.  During the course of these internal profiles, we should be able to find all the lapses in our personal and family security and lax thinking that a human predator could take advantage of.

After discovering these holes, we then need to figure out ways to close these holes, and thereby prevent ourselves from becoming easy targets and hopefully not targets at all.  We should be able to identify if we’re leaving home and car doors unlocked, or not visually (and sometimes carefully physically) checking areas where we could be ambushed before entering and exiting our homes and cars, and the homes and vehicles of others.

We should realize if we have made assessments of all individuals, and identified all immediately verifiable and easily accessible exits, when we enter any building from bank to bar.  In our assessments of individuals, we should be asking what does their body language say, are they carrying a weapon (whether openly or concealed), are they in a group, or using signals, signs, and body language to covertly communicate with another person?  It is these kinds of assessments that will prevent us from becoming prey.

However, in order to be able to outthink a predator we have to become a predator (in mind), though since we wish to not hurt others and we wish to remain a part of civilized society, we must become a “domesticated predator”.

We must think like those who would do us harm, in order to out think those who would do us harm.  Further, even if we do not present ourselves as easy targets, some predators may still try to hurt (or worse) us or our loved ones, and in those times, we must be as fierce and aggressive (within reasonable lawful limits) as those who would take advantage of and assault us.  Therefore we must also be willing to become somewhat predatory in our defensive/protective tactics, thereby turning those who would hunt and hurt us, into the hunted and hurt themselves.

This is how we can always stay one step ahead of the human predator…the socio/psychopath that will not be reasoned with or talked out of the destructive crimes they desire to commit.  This is how we become the lawful victor, the civilized survivor, the “domesticated predator”.  This is the truth in combat.

REAL Women’s Self-Protection and Awareness

• One rape or sexual assault occurs every two minutes.
• One violent crime occurs every five seconds in the U.S.
• 172 Women are physically and/or sexually assaulted every hour
• 261,000 rapes and sexual assaults occurred in the U.S. in 2000.
• 90,186 forcible rapes in 2000 as reported to police.
• In the year 2000, 2.8 % of college women experienced rape in a six month U.S. Department of Justice study.
• 17% of rape or sexual assault victims were victimized by someone they knew!
• One murder occurs every 34 minutes.

Statistics from: National Center for Victims of Crime – Year 2000

The proceeding statistics bring light to a very serious issue that exists in all societies, and specifically in the United States.   Please look again at the alarming statistics presented here, because I don’t know about you the reader, but as a husband and father of two girls, the fact that a rape occurs every two minutes, and that 172 women an hour are assaulted in some manner is unimaginably frightening. 

Further as a self-protection specialist and reality and combatives martial arts instructor, the fact that a violent crime occurs every five seconds, and a murder occurs every 34 seconds is also quite jarring to consider.  It amazes me how many people still ask me if the manner of “hardcore” martial arts that I teach is even necessary in today’s society.  Obviously they are even more in need now than ever before. 

Society may appear more civilized in some areas of this great Nation, but in far too many places that go forgotten about and unseen, violence is still a normal and regular part of life.  Quite honestly in my own neighborhood, which is less violent than where I grew up and lived as an adult for many years, I still see/hear at least 3 violent altercations a week.  Usually it’s heated arguing and pushing and shoving.  However, I still see fights frequently and honestly hear gunshots at least 4 times per month (I can’t say it happens once every week, but it averages out to be about that). 

All this brings me to the point of this article.  I must honestly say that I am shocked and saddened by what I see being taught as “self-defense” and more specifically “women’s self-defense” programs.  Often these programs involve either instruction in fine motor martial skills (which CAN be used effectively after YEARS of regular instruction and regular adrenal stress training and sparring; and training that causes intense and spontaneous adrenal dumps), or techniques instruction in attacking vital points and organs of a would-be assailant. 

The problem is that this is techniques-based instruction, and these techniques are taught VERY specifically, with no room for adjustment or alternating based on potential attacks/attack variations.  Further, in the heat of an assault most people, even supposedly high-level martial artists revert back to their base instincts, and their supposed skills deteriorate exponentially based on the intensity/severity of the assault. 

 This is because while they are used to pulling off their high-level techniques, under non-stressful conditions, in friendly confines with cooperative teammates/classmates; a real-world assault involves none of these variables.  Additionally, the immediate adrenal dump that most people (especially those inexperienced in adrenal stress response training) experience, totally shuts down the part of the brain that allows them to control and execute these high-level, fine motor skills. 

The programs we teach at Delaware Combat University (www.delawarecombatuniversity.com) are first of all principle-based.  This means that while specific techniques are taught, it’s the principles that allow the techniques to actually work. This allows the practitioner to compensate for unplanned/unexpected variables in conditions and attacks.  Students are taught in a high-intensity environment (at times with variable conditions) essentially wearing “street” clothing (anyone who’s ever experienced an adrenal dump will tell you that even the clothes you wear, certain smells, and other environmental cues can actually impact the way you perform when you need to protect yourself or your loved ones).

while training begins with moderate cooperation so that skill-sets can be ingrained into muscle memory, soon training involves increasing levels of REAL resistance, and students learn to MAKE their skills work both in ideal conditions AND when things go wrong, and how to immediately improvise without “hitches” or “hick-ups”.  This is reality, and this type of training and combative sparring is what leads to real-time, real combat effectiveness and success. 

This is what teaches students to fight through surprise, shock, and pain.  This is where they learn to not shut-down, to never give up, and to persevere until they escape or prevail.  This is where they condition and harden themselves for the rigors of real world combat. 

Finally to more specifically address the type of training women receive, I again, am saddened.  Women are taught to box/kick-box with a male assailant; to try to place rear-legged power kicks on a man’s groin with no instructions in setting this technique up; to attack an assailant’s pressure points, again with no set-up, or striking instruction so that they learn how to open and activate these pressure-points, to apply very fine joint locks/manipulations, and other basically ridiculous tactics that will get them killed. 

Before I go any further, I must be clear that I truly mean no disrespect, and I applaud both the women who realize that they need to acquire adequate self-protection skills and have a willingness to do so, and the instructors who are honestly trying to teach the skills they feel will help these women.  Also, some instruction and training is absolutely better than nothing. 

Now here’s my issue: no matter how strong or skilled a women is, any male assailant truly bent on completing his assault is at least wired on natural adrenaline, and usually other things, and he WILL overpower you, so grappling or fighting/striking with him is a blueprint for pain and failure, and potentially much worse.  Also, being totally honest about what a women can and should expect from a male assailant needs to be made clear from the beginning of the program.  THIS IS REALITY. 

With all that being said, it is entirely possible and plausible for a woman to defend herself against a male assailant; and fending off a male assailant is an entirely winnable scenario.  However, the right attitude, principles, and techniques must be taught to female class participants. 

These techniques must begin with gross-motor skills, and be taught in adrenal stress response type, and scenario-based training.  This does not mean teaching “kick him in the groin!”  Examples of actual gross-motor skills that work very effectively are palm heel strikes, ear/eye slaps, eye rakes/gouges, vital point bites, skin tearing, ear tearing (takes very little pressure to tear an ear off of someone’s head), stomps to feet (ankles and knees), close quarter (and therefore disguised) groin strikes, properly set-up and executed groin kicks (this is actually a bit of a higher level technique as men learn from birth, essentially, to protect themselves from direct hits to the groin, and really, only direct hits work).

The use of tactical flashlights and kubotans, chemical weapons (mace, pepper-spray), improvised weapons, and even knives if necessary.  I teach my fiance’ Filipino kali, and I believe this system (both empty-hand and knife techniques; though it would be higher level training, after someone has already shown proficiency in utilization of base gross-motor skills and techniques), along with Filipino kino-mutai, and a mixed bag of truly (high stress situation) applicable jujutsu techniques, as well as the aforementioned specific gross-motor techniques from a variety of other systems, are tailor made for women to effectively and decisively, and TRULY  protect themselves from any assault, but only when combined with proper, principle-based instruction. 

This is real self-protection training.  THIS IS THE TRUTH IN COMBAT!

4. DEFENSE – A) Blocking/covering (both traditional boxing covers, and a modified Thai covering which allows the defensive cover to be used very effectively as an offensive maneuver).  B) Parrying/“hand-tapping” C) Slipping/“head movement” D) Ducking E) Bobbing and Weaving F) Static “Thai”/Shin-check G) Moving/Dynamic “Thai”/Shin-check H) Knee destruction (“Thai” Leg-Shielding, but instead of using the shin to block and parry, the knee is used to destroy the incoming attack/kick, and to totally shut down your opponent.

 5. CLINCH– Traditional “Thai/Plum clinch”, and a modified “Dirty Thai clinch” to deal with wrestlers and other grapplers, and to not only defend and take away their preferred methods of generating offense and getting takedowns, but to use their methods against them and capitalize on their attacks which will open up lines of attack and striking for the modified (prepared) Muay Thai fighter. 

Proper clinching techniques, when and where to clinch, using the clinch to throw and lock, and takedown, and striking from within the clinch will be taught.  Further, students will learn to strike when entering and exiting the clinch, a crucial and often overlooked skill in both Thai boxing and MMA.  Students will also learn kick catching, which is not an accident as many people assume, but an actual skill, with technique and proper applications. 

This will be taught as part of the basic curriculum clinching skill-set.  As with the traditional Thai clinch, kick catching is a traditional Thai technique based on good, explosive footwork and timing, which can be used to set up nasty and devastating strikes and takedowns (and takedowns into strikes/ground and pound; this will be taught in advanced classes)

 These are the basic techniques for Combat Muay Thai.  In the basic instruction, students will build the foundation for becoming high level strikers/fighters.  They are also going to be taught how to control the distance and spacing in any fight, depending on their individual range, ability, likes, and dislikes.  Muay Thai is a nearly complete fighting system which encompasses striking, clinching/grappling, and throwing/takedown skills, and with proper modification, ground fighting/striking skills can just as easily be added in. 

Therefore if students already have a proficiency/background in another art, they don’t have to lose, forget, or ignore that skill set to ingrain this  Muay Thai skill-set (the way we teach it) into their fighting style.  What they learn in this system will allow all of their skills and abilities to compliment and improve upon each other.  So, even if students like to grapple or have some sort of grappling background, or whatever background they may already have coming in to their training they can use their newly acquired Thai boxing skills to enhance and supplement their original skill set. 

Our combative philosophy is to only learn, and then teach skills that are functional for any and all combative encounters, and to impart an aggressive mentality that will allow those skills to be utilized as effectively and efficiently as possible.  Our students will gain skills, attitude, and confidence to be able to survive, thrive, and succeed in any combative encounter (street or ring) in which they may find themselves.

 At the advanced level, students will learn to seamlessly blend in and flow through all the techniques of all fighting ranges (kicking, punching, grappling, and ground-fighting) in their arsenal; they will move from one technique to the next without any “hitches” or “hick-ups”.  The advanced training program involves further reinforcing the basic level curriculum lessons. 

Further the advanced level techniques are taught, and worked in with the previously acquired techniques, to enhance fighters various combat attributes (speed, power, accuracy/precision, balance, timing, etc.), and give them a more diversified and unorthodox array of attacking techniques. 

Fighters will be taught advanced fight strategy, how to launch unorthodox attacks and counter-attacks, and how to deal with and re-direct unorthodox attacks and counter-attacks.  Students in this program will never remain on the defensive.  An aggressive attacking mentality is taught, and students will learn that remaining defensive will get you beaten and potentially hurt in any combative encounter, but attacking without strategy or intelligence (just brawling) will also get you beaten and potentially hurt. 

Students will learn to be aggressive, but simultaneously controlled, and focused with pinpoint accuracy on what they need to do in any combative encounter to turn the tide of battle in their favor, and end the fight as quickly (and potentially as brutally) as possible (I call this “Controlled Focused Fury”).  Further, students involved in an actual fight training program (Muay Thai, Boxing, and MMA), will learn how to absorb and re-direct attacks within the confines of the ring/cage. 

Fighters will be taught how to use the ropes/cage as an obstacle that can be used to trap opponents, and set up devastating fight ending techniques and combinations, and how to avoid and get off of the cage/ropes so that they are not in turn set up for such techniques.  Advanced, and blended clinch work and strategy will also be taught, as well as nuances of clinch fighting that basic/beginner level students simply won’t be able to understand until they reach a more advanced level. 

At the advanced level fighters should have most of the techniques not necessarily mastered, but be very comfortable using their techniques without having to think very much; the techniques should be ingrained and instinctual.  Therefore, instead of focusing on techniques and proper technique application, advanced level students can now focus on actual fight strategy, and setting up techniques and their opponents.  Good, high level, striking instructors will tell you that a fight involving high level strikers, is just as technique oriented, and just as  much of a “chess match” as any BJJ/Jiu-Jitsu fight. 

Stand-up fighting is just as beautiful and artistic as ground fighting has come to be recognized. Throughout their training under students will learn this fact, and emphasis will be made that good striking is nothing at all like the brawling, simplistic, all-out mere kicking and punching (without much strategy) evidenced in most matches seen on television today.

Stone Warrior hand and arm conditioning is a necessary foundation for all martial arts training and conditioning programs. We’ve all heard the story, or seen the Kung Fu movie of the Iron Palm Master who with one palm strike could inflict internal damage or even death on their unsuspecting victims.

While this may be true or just legend, it does not change the fact that iron fist and iron palm training is valid and a necessary but often overlooked preparation for all martial arts styles and even combat sports. It is a fact that multiple professional boxers and MMA fighters have broken their wrapped and gloved hands while fighting in mixed martial arts events. Recently Urijah Faber from World Extreme Cage fighting (WEC) broke both his hands while fighting. He did extremely well by using his elbows and kicks, but was unable to punch or grapple without the use of his hands. There has also been at least two or more reported cases where professional boxers have broken their hands while street fighting.

Developing fast and powerful punches through strength conditioning, plyometric training, technique training and speed drills are another foundational training protocol that all martial artists with any type of real skill practice. The more muscle, power and speed that we develop in our bodies the more bone density, joint & tendon strength, skin elasticity and resistance to impact we need. The harder you hit the more damage you can do to yourself. But also the harder you can hit with a rock hard fist, palm or forearm the more damage you can inflict on your attacker.

Doing Damage

In a reality based situation it is not only easy but highly probable that you will hit something hard whether that be the other persons skull, elbow, teeth, the wall or the even the ground. This is why open hand striking techniques are preferred by the military in combative situations. If you break your hand by punching then you will not be able to deploy a weapon if the need arises or grab and hold something if necessary. A police officer once told me that three officers broke their hands with fist punching in altercations just in one week alone.

There are four main reasons why this happens:

1. Most cops, civilians and many martial arts styles do not know how to punch properly by using a vertical flat fist and punching in a straight line.
2. They don’t know where to punch (proper target acquisition).
3. They don’t know how to use open handed striking and how to generate power using proper body mechanics.
4. Finally, according to this article, most people do not do proper hand conditioning.

What are best methods and most effective ways to condition the hands, arms and limbs?

Specialized training equipment, tools and training partners are the best way to accomplish this. The least expensive way is the single section or three section canvas striking bag.  Also known as the Makiwara bag or wall mounted iron palm bag. These heavy duty canvas bags were designed to hold a varity of filling materials such as sand, steel bb’s, smooth rocks or corn. By using a special Chinese herbal liniment (Dit Da Jow) your practice and conditioning can be progressive and safe. These bags will help you to learn how to punch using the proper fist &  punching angles, will strengthen your wrists, help develop short range punching power, combination punching, forearm and elbow striking & impact conditioning.

You can also use a Makiwara board that is made with firm foam and wrapped in canvas. This board is good for hand conditioning and short range power.

Heavy bag training is a standard method for most people for hand and elbow conditioning. Four or five foot bags are great for boxing and high kicking but for shin, foot conditioning and low kicking practice the Muay Thai bag is the best choice. We recommend that most people should use bag gloves with wrist wraps and training shoes while learning proper techniques or when using maximum power during training, but periodic sessions of using no gear can be beneficial. Caution must be taken because a sprained wrist or broken toe will put a delay in your training progress. Muay Thai fighters don’t wear gloves and shoes but they also start conditioning at a very young age while the body is still developing and their careers usually end in their 20’s for that very reason.

Wooden Dummy Training

Wing Chun/JKD wooden training dummies are my personal favorite training tool. Immortal Martial Arts was started because of the training dummies. The versatility and real life application makes the wooden training dummy second only to a training partner. In one way it is much better, because you can’t hit a partner with full power or with sticks and hard training knives, but with the dummy you can. The dummy will not only give you hands of stone and forearms of steel but will give you the ability to stick to your opponent and use highly effective footwork.

Focus Mitt Training

By hitting focus mitts with no gloves you will not only toughen your fists, palms and elbows but you will learn target accuracy and footwork. Mitt training will also teach you how to evade and defend against offensive attacks. You can also use mitts for kicking practice which will develop flexibility and balance.

Dit Da Jow (bruise liniment) – No proper hand or limb conditioning should be done without using a quality herbal liniment. Here are a few benefits for using Jow.

1. Makes skin more elastic
2. Decreases swelling
3. Protects against tissue and bone bruising
4. Increases circulation
5. Speeds recovery time so you can train more often
6. Protects against blood clots

It is often very evident that people forget that the meaning of the word “martial” is military or combative.  This Means that many martial arts were taught for the purpose of allowing practitioners to excel and succeed in combative endeavors (though not all “martial arts” that exist today were in fact historically “martial” in nature).  It is understood that some people, in joining a martial arts school/gym, are just looking for something to do; a potential belt to gain; or a club; gym or group to belong to; or they have some other non-combative purpose for enrolling in and participating in martial arts programs. 

However, the vast majority of the people, looking to enroll, in any true Muay Thai class are more likely to be interested in acquiring true combative skills for self-protection, and competition/fighting, and it would be a disservice to them to merely learn traditional techniques, that have no modern-day efficacy (especially in today’s landscape of MMA gym’s and in some cases “traditional” martial arts school’s now cross-training in other complimentary styles), that won’t lead them to being successful in competition, or especially on the street. 

The other thing to remember, especially when talking about Muay Thai is that it’s not an art based on showy techniques, or belt promotion.  Muay Thai is, historically, primarily a combative art; where your progress, skills, and success are solely measured by your ability to fight.  Success in Muay Thai is based on learning to have an aggressive, dominant, destructive, fighting mentality; and the willingness to damage and dominate/“destroy” another living being. 

 In Thailand, traditional Muay Thai stylists began training anywhere from ages 7-10, and spend years banging and beating on each other for no other purpose than conditioning their bodies to withstand the pain and punishment that can potentially be dished out by another human being.  That’s the mentality of Muay Thai, not just sport, but combat; destructive painful combat. 

I have therefore set about to create a Muay Thai system non-traditional in nature but still able to impart all the necessary skills and mentality to be combat successful.  In America, it would be nearly impossible to teach “traditional” Muay Thai, because we all know that Americans don’t want to learn (or voluntarily agree to subject their children to the kind of long-term abuse described above) this way, and don’t have the mentality to allow this much punishment to be inflicted upon them. 

They’d never again show up to train if this was the manner in which they were being instructed.  And, because the vast majority of the beginning Muay Thai students I’ve encountered don’t have much, if any combat or martial arts experience at all, they’re really not ready to have their bodies “conditioned” in this manner.  So how do you get around this “traditional” Muay Thai teaching mentality, without cheating my students out of body conditioning, and technique training?  And how do we bring our students to proficiency in the techniques we teach, and get the light to go on for our students so that they will understand when and where to apply these techniques.  That’s where good curriculum modification comes in.  Here are some key areas where Combat Muay Thai differs from traditional Muay Thai.

 1. STANCE – Blended Stance which is mostly traditional Muay Thai, but the body is more bladed than squared – head, hands, and shoulders squared/semi-squared to opponent, and standing on the balls of the feet, lead hand a little further away from the body, than the rear hand – this stance has a lower/more squat center of gravity (which will help in takedown defense…i.e. the Muay Boran Stance), and footwork borrowed from western boxing to allow for more mobility.  The toes are turned 45 degrees, instead of facing the opponent (compared to traditional Muay Thai).  The turned in toes allows for easier and faster defense of leg (inner and outer) kicks, and for better takedown defense.

 2. FOOTWORK – A) “Step and Glide” (front and back, side to side, and diagonal).  B) Circular stepping; both types of footwork are borrowed from Western boxing.  C) Pivot stepping.  D) “V” stepping.  E) Pendulum Stepping.  F) “Switch” stepping.  Constant, consistent footwork drilling is an absolute necessity.  Consider that in “traditional Muay Thai there is not a lot of footwork or movement.  Fighters, due to their supreme body conditioning and hardening, often stand directly in front of one another, and strike (mostly the more devastating techniques of roundhouse kicks, knees and elbows) until one fighter is unconscious or otherwise unable to continue fighting. 

Thai fighters train for this type of conditioning for decades, but the downside is that they are forced to retire, nearly crippled and have a very poor quality of life (often by around age 35), due to this extreme body conditioning.  In recent years, some of the more progressive Muay Thai schools in Thailand have been brining in western boxing coaches to teach their fighters better footwork, to improve movement in the ring, to cut down the beatings their fighters take over the course of their training and fighting careers, and thereby hopefully improve their quality of life after fighting.

 3. PUNCHING – Jab (quick, and lead straight/power jab), Cross, Lead Hook, Rear Hook, uppercut, overhand, and shovel punch.  Students learn strikes in singles, and in combinations (traditional and random/non-traditional combinations).  This sounds more like western boxing techniques, but not only have many traditional karate schools started incorporating these techniques(and been doing so for many years), but also the most highly rated Muay Thai school in Thailand and most highly regarded around the world has been bringing western boxing coaches for past few years. 

This is the Fairtex Academy, and they as well as most good Thai schools realized years ago, that Thai Boxers would lose to western boxers, because the other primary weakness of “traditional” Thai boxing has always been the arts hand skills, or lack thereof.  Despite Muay Thai being the art of the eight limbs/appendages, the hands are weak in the traditional art.  Therefore most good schools have brought in the hands of western boxing, and modified the skill-set as necessary for their combative sport.  This is also what I’ve done in Combat Muay Thai.  Punching with precision, speed, and power will be emphasized as well as fighting “in the pocket”, and throwing multi-punch, multi-level combinations.

Continued with part II

The Truth in Combat is a martial philosophy and concept. This truth mindset is crucial because most people only think about their personal reality and experience and not truth.

The word reality is being used all the time now in martial arts and combat but most people only have a partial understanding or a perception of what is really true.

When mixed martial arts (MMA) events first started in the U.S. many spectators including myself thought that the striker would just knock-out the grappler and not be taken down and submitted. Well this was not a true assumption.

The reality was that in the close quarter closed cage/padded ring environment the grappler had the advantage. This advantage was due to the fact that the striker had a false mindset, underestimated their opponent’s abilities and were unprepared for the strategy of the grappler. Improper conditioning also played a major factor also.

Fast forward to today’s MMA competitions and we see that striking is the most common way to defeat your opponent or that striking is used to set up a takedown for ground-in-pound or submission. It’s the integration or mixing of these styles that make for a true mixed martial artist.

The truth is that only a mixed martial artist (someone who knows striking, grappling, conditioning, fight strategy and has a finishing mindset) can prevail in today’s events. Cross-training and mixed martial arts have been around for thousands of years. The Greek Pankration events from the early Olympics and Greco-Roman is a great example of blending cultures and fighting styles. Russian Sambo and Systema are also hybrid systems taken from European and Asian cultures and modernized for today’s sport and military combat needs.

What is the difference between reality and truth?
Reality is truth and truth is reality, but reality is subjective and truth is absolute. We can have a perceived reality of something but this does not make it true. We can also believe that something is true but in reality it is a false belief.

“And isn’t it a bad thing to be deceived about the truth, and a good thing to know what the truth is? For I assume that by knowing the truth you mean knowing things as they really are.” (Plato)

Definitions of truth: (Dictionary.com)
A. Actuality or actual existence
B. Conformity with fact or reality
C. That which is considered to be the supreme reality and to have the ultimate meaning and value of existence.

Definitions of reality: (Dictionary.com)
A. Resemblance to what is real
B. Something that constitutes a real or actual thing, as distinguished from something that is merely apparent.
C. The state or quality of being real.

Combative truth:
Following are a few examples of how people’s realities can be self deceived.

A. Most people when asked, think they are good looking and attractive.

B. Most people believe they can sing well. (If you don’t believe me, just watch the first few episodes of American Idol).

C. Most people believe they have lots of friends but the truth is, when you are really in trouble and need help there will only be one or two people that you can truly count on. This is where the term “true friend “comes from.

D. Most people lie to themselves and don’t want to know the truth.

E. When people are asked to give their eye witness testimony about what they saw many times the reports conflict with what actually happened.

Reality is subjective:
Some people argue that what you believe is real, is real for you. This is perceived reality or false reality, but that does not mean that it is actually true.

Truth is based on facts, evidence and collaborating witnesses but reality many times is based upon perceptions, false beliefs and traditions. Many times people believe something to be true but after they gather more information or practical experience they come to the realization that what was real to them was actually false.

Summary:
There are many misconceptions in the martial arts world today and we must be clear about what our objective for training and study is based upon. If we are studying a sport based MMA or traditional sport based art like Tae Kwoon Do then we must understand that our training is for the cage, dojo or arena and this is fine but let’s not deceive ourselves and believe that our Kickboxing or grappling will be effective against multiple attackers or a weapons attack.

Just like the striker against the grappler we must not under estimate our opponent or over estimate our training and abilities. A Karate practitioner or full contact boxer who does not condition their hands against impact or who only spars with protective gear will be in for a rude awakening when they hit with maximum power and break their hand against an attacker’s skull. Or when an experienced wrestler or Ju jitsu man goes to the ground and gets stabbed in the gut or head kicked by a bystander or accomplice.

The solution:
We need to base our training on what is true and real and not let false information such as advertising, the movies, certain so-called experts who recommend submission ground fighting for the street or sports competitions that make us believe otherwise.

If you are looking for effective truth based, real life street self-defense then Paul Vunak’s “Enigma” DVD will give you all the tools needed.

• The exact curriculum I teach 13 government agencies.
• I have condensed 20 years of Brazilian Jujitsu down to my 10 favorite moves.
• My secret Golden Goose principle of One million techniques.
• Bruce Lees six most effective Wing Chun moves.
• For the first time ever I show you what I teach specialized assault units known as quick kills.
• Defense against a knife that will improve ones odds 100% guaranteed.
• Why most disarms will get you killed. I show you what works.
• Military technology adapted for women and children.
• In five minutes I show you how to increase your chances of surviving a carjacking or home invasion 100%.
• How to fight more than one person and win.
• The simple yet effective defense against a large wild man charging you.
  The three ways to get a large man off you and come to your feet.
• I will show you the escapes to use in a fight against a headlock, armlock, ground pin, bear hug, rear naked choke and many more.
• I reveal the rare Filipino art of Kinimutai — the art of uninterrupted biting and eye gouging.
• The incredibly brutal leaping face bite.
• The primate groin bite.
• My top five Escrima techniques. (Filipino Stick fighting)
• Finally I will share the single most important fact in Martial Arts which happens to be the reason behind the title The Enigma.

First off, all martial arts have something good to offer, but not all martial arts styles offer real life practical defensive skills.

What we are looking for here is, The Truth In Combat. What I mean by this is what skills are necessary and will enable you to survive and be victorious in a REAL life (possibly deadly) combat situation.

I’m a bottom line, pragmatic kind-of-person. Details are important but the Big picture is more important to learn first. Gross motor skills first, then fine motor skills. Walk first, then run.

 Many people believe that MMA or mixed martial arts is real combat. MMA is real SPORT combat not street fighting or home invasion combat. On the street there are no padded floors or referees to stop the attack if someone is getting hurt. Saying you quit (tap out) won’t work on the street when someone is bent on smashing your face in or pulls a knife.

Also in MMA protective gear is worn on the hands and groin. Fighters often break their hands in the cage while wearing hand protection so you can imagine what could happen in a street fight.

Muay Thai, Tae Koon Do, Wu Shu (Kung Fu) Wrestling, Boxing, Kickboxing and Judo are all sports. A sport has rules for safety reasons, and most sports are performed in a controlled environment. This is the opposite of real combat.

Martial sports competition & sparring are necessary disciplines to develop and test our skills. All martial artist’s should have sparring experience and practice. The combat athletes who competes in full contact events are tough, disciplined, highly conditioned athletes who endure extremely painful training session, injuries, dieting & sacrificing their time away from their families and loved ones. I admire and respect these individuals commitment.

I personally enjoy watching the professional MMA fighters who have developed quality skills and top notch conditioning. I do not enjoy watching poorly trained amateurs and pros who’s fundamental skills have not been properly developed. Anyone can throw wild hooking punches and poorly executed kicks and two guys or girls with poor skills is a brawl not a professional fight.

Many of the fighters we see in the UFC and WEC are not very well trained on the basics. They are sloppy, off balance, have poor defensive skills, not conditioned properly, they have no power in their kicks and punches, don’t know how to throw a proper straight punch or jab or an effective kick. Many have poor balance and footwork which is a fundamental skill that all good fighters possess.

Also many of the fighters have not learned how to transition and flow from the different fighting ranges and techniques. Kicks are not being used to set up Punch’s, elbows are used infrequently and most grapplers and many strikers do not know how to strike effectively on the ground.

The reason I went into so much detail about sport martial arts is because for many people this is their understanding of what REAL martial arts are too them.

But the truth is:

Real combat is unpredictable.  Sports fighting is predictable and prepared for.

Real combat is brutally violent. Sport fighting has referee’s, doctors, corner men and rounds. Also you can quit (tapout) if you want to.

Real combat is unfair. Sports combat has rules.

Real combat could have multiple attackers or weapons. Sport is one- on-one and has no surprises. (unless you are poorly trained).

Real combat could lead to death. Sport might put you in the hospital or the bar.

Real combat could put you in jail for life or at least get you sued. Sport fighting puts you on the front of a magazine or in a video game.

Just  make sure that you don’t get real combat and sport competition confused.  This wrong mind set could lead to permanent failure.

The Chinese martial arts training systems have a lot to offer a person who is looking for tradition, health, fitness, functionality & fun.

Chinese martial arts are some of the oldest martial arts studied today. Traditionally it has been taught that martial arts came from India and the Shaolin monks were taught combative self defense techniques and health exercises. 

Principles Of Chinese Martial Arts

There are a large variety of styles in the Chinese arts and each art focuses on different strengths and specialities, but all techniques are based on the same principles.

These principles include: hard & soft energies, circular movements, strong emphasis on striking, throws, joint locks and a large variety of weapons.

The Chinese arts also put an emphases on using open hand techniques, circular foot work, redirection of force, ability to change height quickly and values health and longevity in addition to combat ability.

The Chinese arts deemphasis ground fighting. Most styles that have a strong combative & military foundation do everything they can to stay on their feet and take the other person down. Going to the ground in real combat is the worst place you could be. Just imagine weapons or multiple attackers and you get the idea.

Side bar: Ground defense is a necessary skill and all practical martial arts styles include this important knowledge and ability.

If weapons are available then they use weapons. If body armor is being used and they have no weapons, striking is not practical so throwing and breaking would be the primary focus.

Many times circumstance and environment decides what techniques are to be used. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances is paramount when it comes to combat.

The Chinese arts are very broad in their scope and have a lot to offer. The main thing is that you have to decide why you are training & what your specific goals and outcomes are.

In the U.S. Wushu is more of a sport and a performing style. Exercise is always a benefit with all styles of martial arts from China but Wushu’s focuses on the art more then the martial. If you are looking for combat or defense then Kung Fu is the best choice. I will discuss the different Kung Fu styles and what they focus on in a future article.

Kung Fu (Gung Fu) is the self defense style in the U.S. for Chinese martial arts. Many commercial schools in the U.S. call their art Kung Fu but they are really teaching Wushu. If you want the Wushu benefits and self defense then you will have to take some private lessons in addition to the group classes  and ask your instructor for practical self defense and combat instruction.

One thing you will notice is that the practical techniques have none of the fancy and flashy moves in them. This does not mean that an advanced practitioner could not make something flashy work for real but it takes along time and practice to be able to do this and the risk of making a mistake goes up considerably. In street combat there is little margin for error. It is best to keep the fancy, cool looking movie stuff for the training hall were there is a padded floor.

I titled this article practical self defense or self protection because there is such a thing as impractical self defense. By this I mean things or techniques that won’t work in the street.

1. Punching someone with your fist to the frontal or side portion of the skull. The human fist was not made to hit a round solid object. The hands have some of the smallest bones in the body (smallest are in the ear) and the skull has the hardest bones in the body. So it doesn’t take a black belt to figure that one out. 

Side bar:  The temple is the only area of the upper skull that should be struck with a fist, and a raised knuckle should be used. When hitting to the head it is always best to use an open hand. Always use your rotational or whipping power when using the hand. The ears are one of the best targets if a circular strike is the best option.

Warning: Striking someones ear canal could lead to permanent injury so use proper discretion and always try and talk your way out of an altercation if ever possible. Even if you have to apologize for something you didn’t do. Don’t let ego and pride get in the way of common sense.

2. Fighting three or more people at the same time. Even fighting two people runs a high risk of getting your head kicked in but fighting three or more with out a weapon only works in the movies.

Question:  How do you fight two or more if you are being attacked and have no choice.

Answer: Run if at all possible if not, use a weapon if you have one or pick up an improvised weapon from your environment. Try and keep your attackers lined up by using footwork so that one attacker is in front of the other. Never let two people flank you. Bad balance and poor footwork will get you taken down very quickly in a street attack.

3. Grappling against multiple attackers. Don’t clinch or tie up with someone if you can help it. Try and keep kicking distance between you and your attacker. It only takes a second to be punched so keep your hands up in a non threatening manner and control the distance to your opponent. Stay off angle and don’t stand in front of a person if at all possible. Stay away from their right side. Most people are right handed but some are left so stay aware.

4. Wrestling or trying to grab a knife from someones hand. Follow the answer from # 2 in this article. Get some distance from the person and take off your jacket or belt and use this as a source of defense.

5. Doing fancy moves and techniques. Let’s keep it practical and basic. Use your low lines kicks as a first line of defense. Control the distance and use a downward stomping kick to the knee, scoop kick to the shin or front snap kick, Savate style with the toe of your shoe to the groin or inner thigh. These kicks take practice but are safer and more powerful then punches. You must develop the attributes of good balance, accuracy, speed, non telegraphic movement, deception or distraction.

Bruce Lee’s martial art has gone through a lot of changes over the last thirty years. All of the original Bruce Lee students are doing their own specialty art except for Jerry Poteet who has stuck with what he was originally taught.

You might say that this is a good thing and you might be right but I believe that no one can do an original art other then the originator.

Bruce Lee had many natural talents and one of these was the ability to learn complex physical things very quickly. I don’t know about you but that does not describe me or most people who study martial arts or any sport for that matter.

Bruce was also obsessed with martial arts training , physical fitness & studying. You might even say he had obsessive compulsive tendencies.

I never had the opportunity to train with Bruce because I was to young but I have trained with two different first generation instructors under Sifu Bruce and am certified as a full instructor under Paul Vunak who is a second generation instructor.

Danna White said recently that Bruce Lee was the father of modern MMA, and I have to agree with him. Cross training in the martial arts has been around for hundreds of years if not longer but Bruce created a scientific street fighting style, a theatrical fighting style and a sport fighting style.

Joe Lewis was one of Bruce Lee’s most famous and successful sport fighters that he trained. Joe was one of the most successful Karate tournament fighters and the first heavy weight kickboxing champions in the U.S. and he did all this after he trained with Bruce.

I’m not taking anything away from Joe because he was a winner and a great athlete before he trained with Bruce but the principles and strategies that he learned made him complete.

One of the strong benefits of training in JKD is that it teaches you to fight at all ranges, but better than that it teaches you to transition and flow from one range to another seamlessly. It also teaches you to fight your fight and not your opponents. This is something that many of the UFC fighters should learn.

Fighting even in sport is NOT about how much abuse you can take or how tough you are its about winning and staying injury free for a long as possible.  

With each new person and generation that trains in Bruce’s art there will be modifications and even improvements in the art. One example is knife fighting. 

Bruce did not put much focus on weapons training except for in his movies. This influence can from guru Dan Inosanto who was chosen as Bruce ‘s successor after he died.

Filipino martial arts has been a great addition to my Jeet Kune Do training and has given me true combative street skills. I know that if someone pulled a knife or improvised weapon on me I would have a fighting chance to survive and come out of it victoriously alive.