Self Protection
When I was eleven I was attacked by two adults while walking home from a mornings fishing at the local boating lake just outside Newport. The attackers were never caught and if I am honest with you it messed my head up for a year or two..
When I eventually decided to address my fears I started looking into martial arts to give me the confidence and techniques to hopefully deal with any future attack. In the early years I tried all sorts of styles, I wasn’t interested in grading and the likes, I just wanted to learn how to protect myself. On reflection some of the stuff I was taught could of put me in more danger. It was just too fancy and was honed for maybe the dojo or give new students the wow factor (it worked with me). However That said I did learn some very effective techniques especially from Goshinkwai Ju Jutsu in the earlier years (before I discovered Thai Boxing)
After a few years training in this and that I discovered Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) and that is still my core art. I favoured the offensive skills this art provided the ability to use hands, elbows, knees and kicks, it also conditioned me physically and mentally.
It also taught me damage limitation (how to cover up), what it was like to be hit, as this seems to be strangely missing from a lot of systems out there, (because there is every chance that’s going to happen, if you can’t firstly escape, or secondly if you miss your opportunity to launch a pre-emptive strike). And just as important how to change from a tight cover up to 100% offensive to stop your attacker and escape.
I carry a lot of these principles over to my self protection training, but I do separate Muay Thai from self protection/defence. One is a fighting art and when you fight as a Thai boxer in the ring its two fighters trained in a fighting art. Street self defence is different, your not fighting in a traditional manner, you have to approach the scenario from a different angle, you have no referees, your haven’t warmed up and stretched, you wont have the lighting or space of a boxing ring. Your attacker will not be aiming to fight you, more like overload your senses very quickly and destroy you using every dirty trick he knows. Controlling or dealing with range will need to be done in an instant before they try to steam into you. Very often there is alcohol in the scenario as well as potentially lots of other impact factors.
Most difficult of all – Controlling emotions and state of mind to deal with a fighter who you will NOT hug you with respect after a ring fight, but someone who possibly wants to seriously hurt you for reasons only known to them (or just for a sick crack) Can you see the difference? You can still select the powerful basic tools of Thai Boxing (which are as effective as ever) as well as other effective add ons but your not Thai Boxing – Its a totally different scenario.
Over the years I have worked in various sectors where you are often subjected to aggression and violence (including door supervision and secure units etc)
I am a massive believer in trying to read situations, risk assessment, pre-attack rituals, body language, gut feelings, impact factors (e.g alcohol, drugs, crowds etc) de-escalation skills, escape avoidance if possible. Getting into right mindset.
However if you cant de-escalate, escape or avoid the situation how to use a few realistic techniques to your advantage. I talk about the law of self defence and reasonable force and try to enlighten students regarding their ‘honest believe’ and ‘reasonable in the circumstances’ etc, when having to take defensive action.
I wont sell you short or go down the fancy nonsense route, that’s not my style, I know all to well what its like to be the victim of an attack. I will give you realistic direct options which can be effective under heavy stress.
The bottom line is this.
” It’s not about showing you what I can do, but more about showing and teaching you what YOU CAN DO.
