A while ago I was introduced to the "12 Step Self Defense Program" by a great martial artist named Hock Hocheim. I've since hijacked it and modified it to my needs as an instructor and tend to use it whenever I teach a seminar...be it a Womens Self-Defense class or a seminar designed to train nightclub doormen. Here it is and I hope you might like to comment and discuss. Please note that this is written as if it was a class outline and talks about what areas each step should open up for discussion.
Step 1: W.W.W.W.H.W?
Who? What? Where? When? How? and Why?
These are the classic cop questions when taking a crime report and investigating crimes. The questions must be used here in all the following 11 steps of the program. In Step 1 we explain it. Crime and combat is situational and that is why there are really very few universal answers for people to use when in jam. For a quick exercise, imagine a common mugging and answer the"W" questions. You will have dissected the victim, the location, and the criminal and how he attacks you.
Another big subject here. The WHO of who attacks you? Here I talk about the common and uncommon, organized or disorganized criminal. I highly reccomend reading Dr J. Reid Maloy's Violence Risk and Threat Assessment.
Step 2: The Recon
To prepare yourself, where do you travel? This works for the professional or the civilian. A "pro" like a soldier, guard, or cop has more travel plans to worry about than a civilian But, either a pro or a civilian, how can these routes and stops of your life be dangerous. List the high percentage problem events with the high percentage problem people. Educate yourself and prepare for them. (big glitch here is that many people -and martial instructors- THINK they know these answers).
Think like a criminal. How will criminals recon victims?
Step 3: The Stance
Communications experts say that some 90% of communication is non-verbal. This means your face, your clothes, your physical appearance., how you hold your hands and arms, etc. This covers three areas to me:
Area a) mental - what stance do you take in your mind about confrontations? Area b) physical - how will you actually "stand" when confronted;
* try to keep some distance
* keep the body slightly bladed
for quick, athletic response
* move about slowly and advantageously
(the very word "stance," hypnotizes you
into thinking you have to stand still.)
Area c) martial arts gobblygook review, advise and consent. Many martial arts systems obsess about stances, turning them into anal retentive, black and white still photographs of perfect group, statue form. This is best used for organized group training sessions, not fighting strategies. When actual fights are full-color, hi-def motion. The so-called fighting stance is really about balance and power in motion. There is no "football-scoring stance."
4) The Talk
Given the many "Ws" variety in Step 1 and many places of Step 2's "life recon", what in general are you prepared to say and to whom? What will say (scream, whisper, or yell to you) Collect verbal ideas from seminar participants here.
5) The Fear
Fear is a two-way street yours and his. And here I like to mention:
*Issues on mind set
* A quick, user-friendly, non-techno-jargon
speech on the bio-mechanics of fear
* preconceived notions and the common
misunderstandings and misuse of
adrenaline issues in fighting. Trainers
can often further scare the student
with negatives about adrenaline.
Many are still using a 1980s model
and subsequent scare tactic
marketing plans to lure students
into various training programs.
* repetition training issues
* crisis rehearsal issues
* fortune favors the prepared
Step 6: The Four Targets
For a long time now I have mentioned my "college" speech on this, "You graduate the college of self defense by majoring in eyes, throat, groin, top of the feet...with a minor in fingers."
Major: By eyes, I mean the shooter's triangle around the eyes.
Major: By throat I mean the entire circumference of the neck
Major: By groin...I mean his nuts
Major: By top of the feet I mean around there on the feet - the shoe laces - and the ankles
Minor: By fingers, I mean cranking and breaking those suckers.
These are great self defense, close-quarter targets.
Step 7: The Four Stops
When angry parties do charge you, it is not uncommon that they "stop" at four points upon each other.
Stopping Point 1) At the hands. Since many people push or reach up to grab you, their hands are up. Your hands are likely to be up to respond. This often leads to parties held at hands length, sometimes with their fingers entwined. Please remember that I am not talking about a UFC fight here, but the real world folks. Watch the TV news and you will eventually see the Taiwan parliament, or the West Palm Beach City Council, or any other people in a fight and see members caught at times, at finger length. I often teach finger locks and catches at this range not un similar to aiki-jutsu and aikido.
Stopping Point 2) At the forearms, basically limb grabs. People either crash at bang forearms or grab each other's forearms. I often teach grab releases and...the Block, Pass and in Drill (the great forearm-to-forearm drill - which can be as alive or as dead as you want to make it) for response options here.
Stopping Point 3) Shoulder stops and chokes. I show basic old-school self defense here. Many common fights and crimes with citizens, police, criminals and today's modern military start with the ubiquitous shove to the shoulders . I teach an entire, mixed weapon module called The Shove Module, here in this progression.
Stopping Point 4) Bear hugs and arm wraps. I show what some might call JuJitsu here...grappling. I show old-school, basic self defense here.
Step 8: The Big Four Takedowns
In the opening of this century, several criminal justice departments of major USA colleges, along with the famous law enforcement street survival institute Calibre Press put together a list of "the 4 ways we hit the ground." How are we taken down. While I am sure the basic order of them might be debatable, I do think was can all agree that we are taken down by these four categories quite a bit:
1) Tripped down
2) Punched down (at times I use the words struck down, but the study said "punched.")
3) Pulled down
4) Tackled down
1) We trip. Probably the most common. In the real fight, many stumble over ourselves, furniture, curbs, etc. Here I introduce "grounds awareness" ideas, footwork and balance training.
2) We are punched down. The experts list this as second. Maybe? Maybe not? But the subsequent order of successful punches do make sense, as the majority of "street assault" attacks are perpetrated by untrained people do not know how to execute a sports jab or cross:
a) Sucker punches / strikes reviews
b) Roundhouse haymakers
c) jabs and crosses
And here we must do much work. Sucker strike recognition and responses, then the basic blocks and strikes of street strikes and punching. Issues of broken hands. Then, the "advanced" work of dealing with jab/cross/hook/uppercut/overhand sports striking and what they mean to survival. At times I use the words struck down, but the study said "punched"
3) We are "pulled down." That is to say we do a takedown and the guy hangs on to you with enough mojo to yank you down with him. He is on one knee or the ground and he pulls you down. (yes, they list this as third!) More balance, awareness and footwork.
4) We are tackled. Listed as last? I beg to differ. And they mean not sport tackles either. Crazy wild man leaps and so forth. Here I teach basic takedowns and basic countering
The order is not that important to me as the overall idea of the "big four takedowns." GREAT teaching concept. Perhaps we can use them as just a list of four things, but these are the four big ways the bad guys take us down.
Step 9: The Ground
If we are prone to hit the ground, whether on purpose or by accident, we had better learn to fight and survive there, and in a mixed weapon world. Here is where I teach the street survival material with a dash of very practical submission fighting for arrest, control, restrain and contain material.
This includes:
- Kneeling vs standing
- Kneeling vs kneeling
- Kneeling vs the downed
- Downed vs groups
- Top vs bottom
- Bottom vs top
- Side vs side
- Ground striking module
- Ground kicking module
- Ground maneuvering module
- Basic ground escapes
- Basic, practical submissions for capturing criminals and soldiers
- Fighting with uniform duty gear on
- Climate and terrain awareness
Step 10) The Weapon
Stats say that 40% of the people civilians and police police fight are armed with concealed or brandished firearms, impact and edged weapons. In the military, pretty much 100% of the people you fight have firearms. Observatinal skills (find the heat) and disarms/jamming tecniques are addressed here.
11) The Group
Stats say that 40% of the time civilians and police police fight two or more people. In the military, pretty much 100% you fight two or more people. Addressing defense againt mulitple opponents is addressed here.
12) The Aftermath
You have to be constantly asking yourself, what happens next? Okay, if I do this, what happens next? If I beat the overzealous, panhandler flat with my commando and World War II Combatives course? What happens to me next? The police arrest me? What?
The basic, final answer should be this: "I am home safe and the police will not arrest me."
This area is where I bring up legal issues, what and what not to say to responding police and how to do it. What actually happens in the criminal justice system? Given my training, education and experience I am qualified to expound on these subjects.
Also we cover some other after-the-immediate-fact things to do. Check yourself out for injuries. Proper authortiy notification, etc.
"My name is John, and I will never stop working on my 12 Step Program.
Thank you and good night"
