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LIVE SAFE
Author: Andrew Breen
Over the past three decades, methods of teaching selfdefense have taken a quantum leap forward.
Back when the martial arts were a novelty in America, whatever system you were studying was the beall and end-all of personal combat and woe to anyone who dared question the veracity of the techniques you were being taught. Rigid instructors rarely acknowledged the legitimacy of their counterparts, much less encouraged you to gather techniques from people outside your style. Attempts to streamline the traditional arts to meet the needs of people who, for one reason or another, could not make a commitment to ongoing training were seldom made.
Perhaps the most limiting aspect of the old way of training was a singleminded emphasis on technique. Admittedly, the prolonged study of any authentic martial art engenders a fortitude and awareness that will serve you if youre ever called on to defend yourself. Yet many people have neither the time nor the inclination to pursue the arts on that level.
Fortunately, progressive self-defense programs have arisen to address the needs of average citizens like you. One of the best is Live Safe. Created by Mark Davis, it provides an integrated approach to self-protection that includes a framework for reducing the likelihood of a violent encounter, as well as all the essential elements of psychological preparation, environmental awareness, body-language interpretation and a plethora of effective offensive and defensive techniques.
FOUR STAGES
For more than 24 years, Davis has been a personal-protection consultant and teacher of togakure-ryu ninjutsu.
That background enabled him to evolve Live Safe into more than just a laundry list of techniques. In addition to teaching basic defensive tactics, the course acquaints participants with the psychodynamics of conflict by analyzing potential and actual situations in the context of a four-stage process.
Davis describes the first stage, preconflict, as the intuitive or recognition phase. ìYou will detect subtle or not so subtle body clues and vocal clues where you start to realize that hostilities are about to occur,î he says. ìOr you might have a feeling that a problem is developing. So the pre-conflict stage is basically basically one of recognizing a potential threat.
When this initial uneasiness grows and the threat is actualized, the second stage, space violation, is reached. ìThe aggressor now violates your space and sets up the conditions for an attack,î Davis says. ìYou realize an attack is imminent, so you want to put distance between yourself and him, or at least maneuver yourself to where its tough for him to get at you. This may entail only a slight turn of your body, but you dont want to stay in line with a lunging bull. You want to move off to the side, reposition yourself and be aware of this phenomenon.î
The fight-or-flight stage is the actual attack. It is where you must use your martial arts techniques, along with your instinctive responses, to fend off the assailant, Davis says. ìA lot of our focus is on heading off the conflict in the preliminary stage by dissuading or avoiding the situation, but you may have this luxury only 5 percent of the time. If you do, you can position one of your limbs or some nearby object to slow the attacker.î
Obviously, avoidance isnt always an option. Assaults can occur so suddenly you are overwhelmed before you know what hit you. An assailant who springs from behind bushes or around the corner of a building is likely to have you at a disadvantage in the first few seconds.
In such circumstances, Live Safe offers a few choice techniques to help you keep your spirit, channel your adrenaline and reverse that initial disadvantage.
BASIC TECHNIQUES
Live Safe employs non-classical blocking and footwork wherein your prime objective is to protect your centerline. It emphasizes using your lead hand to deflect the initial momentum of the attack and break the balance of the aggressor. As you block, you also pivot away from the attack, usually at a 45-degree angle. For added stabilization and to minimize the danger of getting knocked down, you sink your weight. Rather than becoming too involved in the mechanics of footwork, concentrate on making your body move the same way it does when youre startled by an object thrown at your face, Davis says. ìYour instinct is usually to recoil, jump back and perhaps throw your arms up to protect your face. [You should] exploit that reaction.î
Proper positioning of your lead hand is critical to interfering with the attackers attackers vision and equilibrium, Davis says.
Once you use it to sweep away his punch or grab, you can use it to counterattack without missing a beat. The techniques of choice include eye pokes, ear grabs and palm strikes to the nose or chin. Dont get too selective; hit, rake or grab any sensitive area you can reach.
Palm-heel blows and knifehand strikes are preferred over closed-fist techniques for several reasons. Many people have had little experience actually striking anything solid with their fists. That can make it difficult to deliver an effective punch. And punching improperly can hurt you more than your target. Open-hand slaps and palm strikes are more natural motions that minimize the risk of hand and wrist injury. Moreover, such techniques lend themselves instinctively to follow-up ripping and clawing attacks directed at the assailants face or genitals.
Other in-fighting techniques useful for self-defense include elbow strikes, knee thrusts and head butts. Elbows are particularly useful for women because a great reservoir of physical strength is not required to deliver a punishing blow. To reinforce the repertoire of knees and elbows, Live Safe advocates low-line kicks and sweeps to the knees, shins, ankles and, if the opportunity presents itself, the groin. Two of the most potent of these weapons are the front lifting kick to the groin delivered with the toes and the stomping cross kick executed with the sole of the foot against the knees or shin. These moves are easily learned and do not require you to jeopardize your balance unnecessarily.
If time permits, you can add basic control and restraint techniques to your arsenal. However, the philosophy of Live Safe is not one of trying to outfight an attacker. Your goal is to stun, disengage and escape rather than become embroiled in a toe-to-toe battle. Davis cautions against becoming too sophisticated with your defenses: ìYou should utilize simple, direct techniques that take you away from the conflict. Your emphasis is on footwork, simple blocking, striking and moving-away motions rather than engaging the person in armbars and so forth which require a great deal of skill to use.î
FOUR MODES
To buttress the physical techniques, Live Safe teaches four basic modes associated with conflict: standing firm, defensiveness, committed action and benevolence.
These elemental attitudes mirror natures elements of earth, water, fire and wind. It would not be overstating the case to say that they are the key to understanding the dynamics of combat.
To become acquainted with these concepts, pair off with a partner and practice drills that coordinate and project your intention through body positioning, voice and technique. As the designated defender (or projector), you react to a simulated attack such as a single-arm choke or hair grab in four entirely different ways. For example, with a standing-firm mind-set, you respond to the grab by blocking the approaching armwithout moving forward or backward. Your energy and emotion convey total confidence accompanied by the strong vocal command of ìStop!î or ìHalt!î Like the earth element it is modeled after, the whole sequence should have an air of steadiness and absolute refusal to give ground.
Conversely, a defensive mind-set not only allows you to give ground, but it also encourages it. You respond to the hair grab or choke by stepping back and away at an angle, loosening the assailants grip as your blocking hand sweeps away his arm. Your hand is positioned in a palm-out fashion to reinforce the notion of non-confrontation and to guard against a possible follow-up attack. The vocal command is ìHold it!î Similar to the ebb of a wave, the instinct is to move your body away from the attack rather than meet it head-on.
Committed action embraces a fiery, determined mind-set wherein your body surges forward without hesitation. You move in on the aggressor and overtake him before he can generate any offensive momentum. Obviously, this is the most assertive of the elements, and that characteristic guides you to smother the assailant with short, explosive pushes to the chest. The vocal cue is ìBack off!î or ìGet out!î
Benevolence is the final element, and while it may seem incongruous to speak of compassion in the midst of a confrontation, some situations are better managed by simply withdrawing your energy and providing no antagonism.
The dynamic here is avoidance. You meet the threat by turning away and redirecting the force of the attack.
The footwork is much like that of the aiki-based arts as no force is applied; you simply shift your weight to the side, guiding your partner past you with his own momentum. It is like helping an intoxicated friend who has become aggressive. The object is to stop his actions without hurting him or escalating the situation. Accordingly, the vocal tone is light and reassuring as you issue a command to ìPlease stop!î
BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY
Live Safe doesnt have all the answers nor does it pretend to. What it does offer, though, is a practical set of strategies and techniques to help you protect yourself no matter what your experience level is. It helps you recognize the natural fear and apprehension everyone faces, then provides you with a repertoire of proven tips, tactics and techniques to help you turn the tables on the bad guys. ...
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