Learning Basic Self Defense

Many self defense techniques in a person’s toolbox to employ in about any given situation is a good thing.  They may be highly sophisticated martial arts techniques but it is mastery of technique that wins out.  Any martial artist has heard at some time that it’s better to have a few techniques mastered than a whole array of techniques that they can simply “perform”.  I agree largely with that saying if it includes more than a “few” but rather “several” techniques.

It is quite simple to purchase a hand gun for instance but the consequence of having to use one is very grim and can harm not only the assailant but the shooter or anyone in the path of that bullet.  Police officers including SWAT units train vigorously in using/gaining mastery with their weapons – and they’re armed to the teeth!  If such specialized training is mandatory, it would simply be the practice of using a few weapons/martial arts techniques to the point that it is mastered and a part of you - as stated in the first paragraph.

The highest levels of excellence can assure you a chance of a positive outcome in a self defense situation.  It’s difficult to say but in my opinion, there would be a lot less young women’s bodies turning up on a weekly basis, if more ladies would have some self defense training, gaining mastery of a few techniques and were also willing to fight their attackers to the death.  Carrying and getting very good with a handgun would be my choice for my college aged daughter but for her that’s not happening.   Women, largely don’t think about self defense as much as they should IMO.  Women continue to fall prey to some really crazy looking killer/rapist types or are even victimized by people they mistakenly placed trust in and thought them to be safe with.  Whatever led up to the actual brutal turn of events is not as important – what’s important is their response to a man using force to beat, rape or kill a woman.  Too many daughters, wives and sisters have been lost already!

It doesn’t take a lot to learn how to escape most “grabs”, to duck a swing or learn to punch and kick to the areas of the face and body which will produce the greatest amount of pain and damage to the perpetrator.  Add a few more little goodies (proper stance and delivery) then train religiously to use these few basic kicks and punches and you’re getting your game up – good job!  Ladies – you don’t have to train to be a Black Belt for years.  I guarantee that my 18 yr old daughter would have a decent chance at fighting out of the grip of a grab and snatch situation.  She has only taken perhaps, a dozen self defense classes in a formal setting, but has spent her short lifetime around brothers, father and their friends who all are dedicated martial artists and has been used as our little “uki” to kick or punch at us so that we can try a technique – all very slow and certainly nothing that would cause her pain.  We always made her try it out on us – always.  Also, we’d bought several sets of foam rubber eskrima training batons for the youngsters – she won’t like to at first – but after a bit of cajoling can be gotten to do some “sword fighting”.  This was how we eventually taught her a basic system of eskrima and she never knew it was happening – it rubbed off.

I encourage any woman who can to find someone who teaches self defense classes – as specialized and abbreviated women’s self defense courses to jump on the chance.  It cuts through all of the stuff a full time student would be required to do and gets right down to the easy stuff, the basics, which when practiced at home or refreshed with another seminar or 6 – 8 week self defense course – you’ll produce confidence in yourself, good judgment when in pressure situations and some simple, but hard-core defense - blocks and escapes, followed by an effective and powerful counter attack of punches and kicks.

MMA Cage Matches – Rocked The House

Two of our local martial arts students who participate in the MMA nights at class and who have honed their skills by hard work - cross training with local area Instructors, showcased their skills this past weekend in the Octagon.  Just as in Major League Baseball there is a farm system and the UFC is cleaning up.  They have been sanctioning smaller events around the country and buying out or creating smaller satellite companies to use as a farm system for the “Big Show”, when the cream of the young fighters begin to emerge, they’ll get the nod.

Fighters in these sanctioned events will keep their records if called up to the UFC.  This is a wonderful system, allowing those of lesser skills than we see from the pros on TV to develop into fighters with enough talent, that all they would need is some polishing by top notch trainers or camps, to fight competitively in the big events on TV or PPV.

We had a card with 12 fights.  The first 6 were featherweights and lightweights who just didn’t have the power or skills needed to submit or knock out their opponents – which made for a very long and at times, boring first half of the evening.  The highlight of the early evening being our local welterweight, who pulled off a submission by armbar in the second round.  Then came intermission.  Some went for food and booze and others for a smoke.   I called home and talked to my wife - what a putz ay?  I told her “honey this may take until dawn at this rate, we have 6 more fights to go!”

The call for fights to begin again had folks scampering back to their seats.  I didn’t mind as we had three local instructors who purchased our table - the first row table and ending at the cage door.  They gave me the prime seat on the aisle with the ring card babes seated – one next to me and one across the table from me.  I had good conversation and good company – no complaints from the Ronin as I sat there watching MMA and talking to the gals with my eyes glazing over.

One of the girls pointed to the card and asked where we were, when much to my delight - as I pointed down to show her the match, I noticed that we were starting with middleweights and working up to heavyweights.  Now some people were going to get hurt.  I was right – natch – and the fights blazed by in about an hour.  The final fight would be a fighter from our school, a heavyweight wrestler with some boxing  skills.  Very big and muscular but who knows – that doesn’t really mean you win in the Octagon.  He was green and in his first competitive “real fight” – not wrestling for points and all that and against a former Pan American games title holder!

His fight lasted 18 seconds including the count – I was told later.  At the referee’s command to “Get It On” he literally RAN across the ring – jabbed his opponent in the face and as the guy’s head turned away from that punch he hit him with a right cross, flush on the jaw and as they like to say - ”put him to sleep” – and soundly at that!  A great time was had by all including myself.  I will go again, but no offense fellas, that will be my last card of feather and lightweights.  I loved the power these bigger guys were landing with and knowing that any second could be the last – holds my attention a lot better.  If you haven’t gone I recommend it highly, just show up and have a great night (even a cheap date) as everything was very affordable too.  Good job guys – going out to my buds and students who went home winners!

Dinner is Served!

I have had a strong flow of visitors from our post titled “Serial Killer Cannibals” and thought our readers would be interested in – the REST of THEM – the unsolved, unclosed cases of serial murderers / cannibals.

Where does this urge to kill and/or eat human flesh come from, and why is it uncontrollable?   Is it genetic, hormonal, biological, or cultural conditioning? Do serial killers have any control over their desires, many ask?  We all experience rage and inappropriate sexual instincts, yet we have some sort of internal cage that keeps our inner monsters locked up. Call it morality or social programming, these internal gates have long since been trampled down in the psychopathic killer. Not only have they loosed the monster within, they have embraced it and become slaves to its beastly appetites. What sets them apart from the rest of us?

The Axeman of New Orleans:
The unsolved mystery of the phantom who for many years stalked the people of the Big Easy, killing them in their sleep without any consistent pattern or motive.

Bible John:
That’s what they called the tall, handsome well dressed young man, who constantly recited passages from the scriptures. Bible John was the last known person seen with three young murdered victims, none were sexually assaulted, but strangely, all three were menstruating at the time of their death. DNA has brought forward new leads in this unusual, unsolved case.

Capital City Murders:
Wanted for the abduction and murder of 8 young women associated with the University of Wisconsin, began suddenly in 1968 and ended without a clue in 1984. Check out this great resource for all of the unsolved cannibals and serial killers (I’ve listed only a few of them) – complete with links to the corresponding case files, which are quite in-depth and very well done.  Bon Appétit!