In The Eye Of The Storm

We spent a few hours with Sensei last night. We, his senior students of 20 yrs+ stature, and we had an “open class”…alright! He allows us to do anything we want and just moves around to us either individually or in pairs (if doing drills). This is always fun and is only reserved for “old timers”.

About an hour into our training, Sensei stopped everything and we had a “sit down” in the middle of the dojo and given a “Q & A” period. Of course, for anyone who has read this blog, this is where the rubber meets the road. Truths are discovered and myths uncovered….via live scenarios and acting out imaginary situations. We started discussing some of our real life encounters that ended in violent solutions. Somebody asked Sensei, “how come I can remember every second of every fight or confrontation that I have ever been in, and in minute detail? How come when you’re embroiled in a self defense situation..A.K.A…..”a fight”, that everything seems to be moving in “slow motion” even though it is a lightning fast event, rarely lasting more than a few seconds”? Others reported the same experience.

Sensei shared with us that after many years of training, our brain’s “fight or flight” response becomes altered, inexplicably, and we no longer feel the overwhelming adrenaline rush, and subsequent events retain their clarity as seamlessly as recalling a great play at a sports event or the minute details of a movie we watched. We become relaxed and revert to our trained responses and don’t fall prey to mindless activity, as “untrained” people do, when in the throes of an adrenaline rush brought on by a dangerous situation. Like the bar-room fight we’ve all seen – two guys go at it, flailing madly at their opponent. In the end, no one is really hurt, and it generally ends up in a few minor scratches and “post fight” threats and screaming.

I have always taught you to be relaxed, to breath “properly and naturally” and you all have formidable martial arts skills. How many of you panic or get queasy at the thought of fighting with our young students? No one right? It’s like I’ve always told you, confidence and ability permeate a good martial artist’s aura and is projected to the opponent quickly, defeating him on the mental plane first, and on the physical plane (or, in reality) second, as he can’t be beaten by untrained, everyday people who start trouble out in the street (our definition of anywhere but the dojo).

I’ve told you all, time and again, that we don’t do martial arts to “beat people up”, but to challenge, and master, ourselves! You judge your skills using other martial artists as your measuring sticks and that isn’t right. You only fight with other black belts and so you begin to compare your skill level to theirs. Karate has never been taught to be offensive or brutal, but as it is said: “karate begins and ends with courtesy”. We have trained to master our minds and physical bodies, for personal growth through our practice of martial arts, not to bully or intentionally cause harm to others. The by-product of this training is superior fighting ability. I’ve told you that we practice to defend ourselves from people in the streets, not against other black belts and trained fighters, who are also trained “not to give offense”.

So then, it’s as easy as fighting with one of our new or junior students. There is no fear, no urgency to cause harm, and no worries about the outcome. So it is in the fights you have described in the street, night club, work, or anywhere. They act, and you react, w/o fear or apprehension. You are in that place called “the eye” of a storm, where everything around you is a swirling mixture of violent activity, but you are the calm center of the storm, doing what you like to do best, on “auto-pilot”. It’s really no different mentally, than watching the fight from the comfort of your living room sofa. You are in the “eye of the hurricane”. A great karate teacher once said in an interview: “I have led thousands on the path up the mountain, when we stopped at a well to quench our thirst, some drank deeply, some stood there and looked at it but did not drink, and many never even knew the well existed”. (I’ve paraphrased Sensei’s remarks)

Woman Testifies About Alleged Rape!

MSNBC headlines say, carrying a story by NCTimes.net writer, John Hall.

Being involved in self defense in many facets over 35 yrs. it has always been one of my primary fears: that someone would use the instruction and sometimes defense tools I have taught them to use so well, and turn them against innocent people to commit crimes. From the least grievous injury to the taking of life and anywhere falling in the middle. It is a responsibility that any teacher of self defense must think about at least from time to time, I would think. Not to share this information would be worse, as my observation is that thugs, and other various undesirables usually don’t last long enough to learn much more than they would watching TV.

An un-named California woman alleges that a man named only as “Gill” forced her to submit to rape by shocking her with a stun gun repeatedly, leaving her in pain and with a rapid heartbeat.

Gill, 31, has been charged with kidnapping, kidnapping to commit rape, making criminal threats, and assault with a stun gun. If convicted of all those counts, Gill could possibly get a life sentence. Gill’s lawyer claimed that Gill and the woman were having consensual sex but she claimed that Gill pulled up next to her vehicle, at her place of work, and said to get in or he would kill her. Gill drove to a secluded area and raped her under constant threat of the stun gun, which police report, left burn marks on her skin afterward. Gill was under custody with a bail set for $610K.

This is the type of story that I always dread hearing about since I have taught self defense classes for women, and explored the positives and negatives of women’s self defense using martial arts alone, and with the use of personal alarms, kubotans, stun guns and pepper spray. These products if used after proper, “hands on” instruction, and repetitions of defending against various rape or mugging scenarios, would have helped the un-named woman immensely. She was afraid of the weapon and under the circumstances did the wise thing, submitted to Gill and pressed charges.

Sadly, many women only make it to the morgue, that could be here with us today if they would find a self defense seminar, or attend several classes designed for “women in crisis situations”. They’d be taught to be more vigilant, and also trained to mount a defense that either turns the table on the attacker, or gains sufficient time to escape.

You can bet that Gill never expected anything but total compliance out of his victim, armed only with a stun gun. I’d have paid $100 to see her pull out a 20 inch 500K stun baton out after he pulled up alongside and ordered her into his vehicle. There may have been no crime to post about today.

Rape: No Winner, Just losers!

ABC News reported the rape of a 19 yr. old coed has come forward with charges of rape against another student in Buena Vista, CO, Aug. 28. Both were 19 yrs. old at the time of the rape which took place 3 yrs. ago. Both would be 22 yrs. old now.

Compelling testimony and not “hard evidence” was the determining factor in the conviction. The rapist now sits behind bars for a 16 yr. stretch. His friend, he said, invited him up to her dormitory room to share drinks and marijuana. They later had intercourse but the woman accused him of raping her. He said it was consensual; she said it was forced. Heard that before?

Vaginal tearing was part of the evidence submitted in the young man’s trial but jurors interviewed after the trial, said it was the victim’s testimony that was most convincing. “The victim in this case was on the witness stand for hours and her story never varied,” the prosecutor told ABCNEWS. Another student approached by the victim in the dormitory soon after the incident also proved compelling. “She was hysterical, shaking, trembling, afraid”. “She couldn’t even speak, is what this person testified to.”

The former prosecutor said: “To me it’s sad that a 19-year-old went to prison for 16 years to life, but it is also sad that a young woman’s life has been totally messed up”. “They both have lost. Absolutely.”

I think that the woman should have forearmed herself with a slick little stun gun, or maybe a small keychain model of pepper spray. At least if she has told him to stop in actuality, she would have been able to completely stop his amorous advances with a solid dose from either of these high-powered, inexpensive self defense units. Ignorance is no excuse anymore, every woman should have some sort of self defense deterrent that they are comfortable and handy with for thwarting “would-be” assailants.

Man Sues City: “Brutalized and Tortured with Stun Gun”

The Journal News reported in their Crime / Public Safety section that a White Plains, NY man is suing the City, Taser International, Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, and the White Plains Law Department. There were no comments by these agencies.

Sean M. Cosby says he suffered permanent injuries from police beatings and the use of stun guns during drug arrests in 2003. Cosby claims he contracted a serious foot infection after being “forced to stand and walk barefoot upon a filthy floor” in the booking area at Police Station. Sean A.K.A. “Rumble” was being picked up for allegedly selling crack July 30, 2003. He became combative and started flailing wildly and pushing cops around. He had 18 packages of “crack” in his pockets at the time of his arrest. (another stun gun resistant “perp”)

“Rumble” just isn’t getting it, and was picked up again on Oct. 1, 2003, for an outstanding warrant and charged again with resisting arrest after “he fought violently with the arresting officers”, the police report stated. There was no mention of stun guns in the report, although Cosby alleges he was given shocks to his arm, back and was beaten by police.

Not being one to be labeled as a “quitter”, “Rumble” was picked up about two weeks later. He was arrested on more drug charges Oct. 16, after police allegedly found a hand-rolled cigar (Blunt) containing marijuana and PCP as a passenger in a car in which was stopped by police.

Guys like “Rumble” Cosby die hard and if he wins any money at all in his lawsuit he’ll probably just use it to buy more dope to peddle and ingest. The courts should stipulate, win-or-lose, that Cosby be admitted to a Rehab unit and then be court-ordered to attend AA or NA meetings (with random drug screening) for about a year. That should put a damper on his partying and save the taxpayers of White Plains some hard earned dollars. When will they ever learn?

Mountain Biker Escapes Killer Grizzly Bear Attack!

Kirk Speckhals of Jackson Hole reportedly was attacked by a grizzly bear while riding his mountain bike at Wyoming’s Togwotee Pass according to News Channel 6. The bear repeatedly attacked him but he fought him off (yup?) until his friend arrived and hosed the bear down with pepper spray.

Speckhals got dirt on his arm, a “flat”, and a bent rim on his tire, as well. He said he hoped other people learn from his mistakes. (I hope he does!)
He was quoted as saying that riders should always make plenty of noise to alert the bears, and not to cause an attack by startling the animals. Also, to ride with a partner and ALWAYS carry pepper spray.

Kirk took no precautions, and it was because a buddy drove the grizzly away with his can of pepper spray that he is alive today.

Thanks for the safety tips Kirk. We’re glad you are well, really! Hope you follow your own advice next time you go out biking! “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”

The Lighter Side of Self Defense?:

We went to train with Sensei last week. We, who are his oldest and trusted students. He was teaching a normal lesson at his dojo but his eyes lit up when he saw his life-long students enter and brought the class to attention. The class gave us the proprietary bows. He turned over the class to a very young man who had just received his 1st degree black belt. He told us “it’s good for him to learn teaching”. Nuff said! We all knew Sensei’s methods and they are rigid (but not inflexible) and produce good results. How can you learn to teach correctly if your teacher never observes your classes and gives you positive critiques? Yes sir!

We had about a half hour before we could pad up and “kumite” with the class members so we sat and stretched on the floor and talked. I said “Sensei, have you ever dis-armed an attacker who really meant to kill you? We’ve been working on ‘dis-arms’ from the club, knife and gun.” His eyes sparkled and he said “which time, and what weapon”? Sensei had been a child of the streets before martial arts became his love, and even afterward, the streets tried to reclaim him many times.

The Tale:

“Well,” he went on, “there was this fella in (YOUR TOWN) that came downstairs at his annual lamb roast, drunk on whiskey and looking to kill his wife. Everyone in the house could hear them calling each other the filthiest names I’d ever heard people use. Well, the next thing I hear is this guy screaming “I’m going to kill you (deleted)” and the action of a pump action shotgun. One poor lady came running down the stairs screaming ‘he’s got a gun, run for your life’! I peeked around the corner of the breakfast nook to the living room where the stairwell ended. It was to my front, and slightly right, side. So, down he comes like the devil himself, cursing, with veins popping out of his neck and forehead, brandishing a .12 bore shotgun.” “So what did you do then sir”, we asked? He paused and looked far away as if he could see it all, then as quickly, he met our gaze and said, “nothing much really, just two white belt techniques. I laid tight against the partial wall of the breakfast nook and when the barrel cleared the wall completely, I stepped out and did a ‘middle body block’ with my left arm & hand, and turned my wrist to grab the barrel and push it up and away. I told him to drop it, then with my free right hand launched and landed a sharp ‘back knuckle’ strike to his right temple area above the ear and the stock fell from his limp arms and swung back and forth by the barrel, still in my left hand. I shucked the shells out 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, they hit the floor…Hollywood style! That’s all guys just a block & grab and a ‘back fist’ (as we say) and the would be killer had to ‘take a knee’, with all the starch knocked out of him by one pin-point accurate strike.”

We all got up and grabbed short staffs and batons, then pretended they were gun barrels and practiced the same thing. Time and again it worked flawlessly. Sensei told us “never forget your basics and work on them, sometimes less is more”. He laughed, walked away to “bow out” his class and gave us all 1/2 hour for kumite or “free sparring”. It is, I believe to be a true saying that has been passed down from karate master to student. “If a man only masters a few techniques in his lifetime, he will be nearly impossible to beat”. Another proverb from a closed door Kung-Fu Kwoon I frequent: “If you don’t train everyday, then don’t go out to face the enemy”!