Chance Fine's Blog: Practical Self-Defense - Posts Tagged "martial-arts"

Essential Martial Skills:
20 skills to move you from fear to freedom


Ask any skilled martial artist and they will tell you that they have 10 to 20 skills/techniques that they can do at any time and from any position. They may know hundreds of techniques but they will have 10-20 that are their primary techniques. In this blog, I will share with you what I consider to be the common and essential skills that you should know.

Internal Skills

Distraction Strikes/Actions

I first came across the concept of a distraction technique through the teachings of Grandmaster John Pellegrini who created the system of Combat Hapkido. A distraction strike or action is something that causes the attacker to hesitate or stop their initial attack. Always use a distraction technique unless otherwise stated. This could be calling attention to the situation by yelling, dropping a wallet, or striking the attacker. The distraction may be effective enough to cause a complete resolution of the situation (for example, if you start to yell “fire” or “somebody call a doctor” and people come running, your attacker may leave, or you might strike your attacker in the knee with a kick and incapacitate him), however, a distraction is meant to aid you in your escape. If it affects your escape, wonderful. However, if it only aids in your escape, that is all it was intended to do. In every self-defense technique, unless stated otherwise employ a distraction technique.


Basic stances and movement

Boxing stance

Chun Tu Moo Sool works initially and predominately through a modified Boxing stance and movement. There are several types of boxing stances but we will cover the most basic and straightforward one. In this stance:

• Keep your hips, chest, and shoulders all squared to your attacker. This will allow you to use the maximum amount of weapons (hands and feet in various ways not to mention other weapons like knives, guns, and weapons of opportunity).

• Keep your knees and hips soft almost like you are about to sit down. This will help you stay mobile yet relaxed.

• Have your feet approximately shoulder-width apart and one foot should be about the same distance in front of the rear foot with your vertical centerline in the middle of your feet. This will help you move better and keep you balanced in all directions. If your left foot is forward, you will be in what is called the orthodox stance. If your right foot is forward, you will be in what is called the Southpaw stance. You should practice all of your movements and techniques from both sides.

• Stay on the balls of your feet. You do not have to have much room between your heels and the floor. If someone can easily slip a piece of paper between the floor and your heels, that is high enough. This will make it easier to move and keep you from getting stuck in one place.

• Keep your triceps resting on your ribcage or chest with your elbows bent so that your hands are approximately 6-8 inches in front of your face for protection. Your hand that is on the side of your lead foot should also be your front hand. This is for proper shielding which we will cover later in this chapter.

• “Crunch” slightly in your abdomen and bring your navel to your spine. This will make you a smaller target and lean you forward for better balance, movement, and longer reach.

• Tuck your chin to your chest. This will cause you to be a smaller target, keep you from being punched in the throat, and potentially prevent you from being knocked out. Practice this stance before you try moving. Feel your weight drop into your hips and knees, feel your heels come up, and create a little spring in your ankles. Practice this on both sides and get comfortable. Now onto the movement. It is important to remember: The directional foot moves first and the non-directional foot follows the same amount of inches until you are back at your normal stance! What I mean by directional foot is this, whichever way you are going, that foot needs to move first and then the other foot should move the same distance. For example, if I want to move forward, I step forward with my lead foot first and then follow with my rear foot. If I want to move back, I step backward with my rear foot first and then follow with my lead foot. If I want to go right, I step to the right with my right foot first (it doesn’t matter if it is the lead or rearfoot) and then follow with my left. If I want to go left, I step to the left with my left foot first (it doesn’t matter if it is the lead or rearfoot) and then follow with my right. This is what trips (no pun intended) most people up. They will either:


• Cross their feet just like in walking and not shuffle their feet. This type of movement will get you tripped up, off-balance, and taken down quickly.

• Not move their directional foot first. This is essentially the same as above but it is like walking in a crouched/boxing stance.

• Not move their non-directional foot enough or too much. If you don’t move your non-directional foot enough, your stance will get wider and you will lose mobility. If you move it too much your feet will be even and you will not have enough balance or you will end up crossing your feet.

It is important to have good footwork to maintain balance and to be able to move quickly. A good stance and platform to move from is your foundation of the physical techniques. It is the 2nd most important part of personal protection. If you are not balanced and stable you will soon lose the confrontation. After your stance and movement become comfortable it will feel like you are stepping and sliding, gliding, or almost bouncing. Be sure to take this process slowly so that you get it right and don’t cheat yourself.

Break-falls and Rolls


Break-falls are extremely important in that they teach you how to fall safely if you fall, are thrown, or are tripped.

Forward break fall

Begin on your knees with your back erect and your hands in front of your face much like in your shielding position. The differences are that your triceps are not on your ribcage, your triceps are perpendicular to the floor, and your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. When your fall forward, do not bend at the waist, just fall straight forward, turn your face to the side, breathe out and slightly tense your arms before impact. Several common mistakes that people commit are that they reach out to catch themselves, bend at the waist, dive forward, or, let their stomach hit the floor. Once you feel comfortable, perform this from a standing position and continue to avoid the common mistakes. Once you feel comfortable with this, jump up in the air, and tilt your head forward so that you land on your forearms first. Once you are comfortable with this, have a partner grab your ankles from behind and pull them back and up. Be sure to take your time on learning this and practice safely.

Backward break fall

Begin by sitting on the ground with your chin tucked to your chest and your hands crossed in front of your chest. Rock backward onto your back with your back curved. At the moment that your lower back/belt touches the ground, slap the ground with both arms at a 45-degree angle from your body. Several common mistakes that people commit are that they reach out to catch themselves, don’t tuck their chin, slap the floor with the back of their hand, or have their arms from their body. Once you feel comfortable, perform this from a squatting position, sit down, roll, slap, and continue to avoid the common mistakes. Once you feel comfortable with this, from a squatting position, jump up in the air, and tilt your upper back backward so that you land your upper back first missing your lower back altogether. Also, be sure to slap before you land on your upper back and keep your chin tucked. Once you are comfortable with this, have a partner grab your ankles from the front and pull them forward and up. Be sure to lean back and slap before you land on your upper back with your chin tucked. Be sure to take your time on learning this and practice safely.

Side break fall

Begin laying on your side with the arm closest to the floor raised up, slightly bent at the elbow, palm towards the floor, and at a 45 degree from your body. Raise the arm up off the floor and bend at the elbow as if touching your face with the back of your hand and then slap the floor with the entire arm. Practice this so many times so that you become comfortable with this. Once you are comfortable, kick your feet over your head until you are on your shoulders and neck, cross your other arm over your chest as you did on the ground, and turn to the side so that your body and legs fall to the floor. Slap the ground as before as your body is falling to the ground. Then kick your feet back up to the air and repeat on the other side.

Once you feel comfortable with this, from a squatting position; kick one foot to the opposite side of your body while crossing your arm over your body and fall to that side. Be sure to slap the ground with your arm at a 45-degree angle from your body as you roll onto your hips and side much like the back break fall. Once you are comfortable with this, perform this from a standing position. Once you are comfortable with this, you can have someone throw you onto a crash pad. Be sure to take your time on learning this and practice safely. Common mistakes that people make are that they will land on their back and not their side or they will land on their elbow or catch themselves with their hand instead of slapping.

Forward roll

To perform the forward roll, begin with one foot forward and your hands in front of your face. Bend forward at the waist and touch the floor to your hands. Tuck your chin, and roll forward at an angle from the lead shoulder to the rear hip. Common mistakes that people make include hitting their head on the ground, rolling forward along their spine, turning sideways, and rolling across the ribs. For illustrative purposes refer to the picture. Your back should travel across the angle from shoulder to hip. Once you are comfortable with this, add a side break fall at the end.

Backward roll

To perform the backward roll, begin with both feet even and one arm pointed out to the side. Lean your head in the opposite direction. Squat down, sit down, and roll back over the shoulder of the arm that is pointed out to the side. Common mistakes that people make rolling over their head or leaning their head to the side of the pointed arm.

Tactical Standup.

I do not recommend grappling/ground fighting in real life. You never know when your attacker will have a partner. When you are on the ground it is twice as hard to fight multiple people as when standing, you cannot easily run away, and if you are on the bottom, it’s even worse. Even if you do everything correct, in a high-stress situation, you may fall, slip, or get pushed/knocked down. When getting up from the ground, you want to use a move that I call tactical standup.

To do this, lay on one side like you are watching T.V. The elbow or hand that is on the side that is on the floor should be under you to prop your body up. The other side foot should be flat on the ground behind your bottom knee or thigh. If your attacker is close enough, you can use your bottom foot to kick his knee. Once there is enough space, elevate your hips off the ground by extending your arm under your body and pushing down with your foot that is on the ground. Then swing your bottom leg back behind you like a pendulum and then stand up and come to your boxing stance. I typically fight from a left leg forward stance (orthodox); therefore, I do this standing up from my right hip on the ground. I do this so that I am immediately in my preferred fighting stance. I do practice and believe that you should also practice from the opposite stance (Southpaw).

Protection skills

Basic Blocking shell

Basic Blocking shell (Hands defend the face and neck, Forearms defend the face, neck, and body, Elbows defend the body and lower Abdomen, Knees defend the legs.) Shielding is simply keeping your arms and legs in the optimal position to take the force of the strike on your extremities instead of your vital areas. I recommend your hands be in front of your face, forearms running vertically down your body, and elbows around your lower ribs. You will probably need to move your arms slightly from time to time but keep the arms close. Be sure to relax. Remember how I instructed you to have your arms earlier: Keep your triceps resting on your ribcage or chest with your elbows bent so that your hands are approximately 6-8 inches in front of your face for protection. Your hand that is on the side of your lead foot should also be your front hand.

When you do this you are creating a shield with your arms. I want you to think of a traditional shield used in combat for a moment. The warrior would not move the shield around unless he knew that was the only direction that an attack was coming from, the deadliest attack was coming from that direction, or he was striking with his shield. When he did move his shield he would only move it enough to provide adequate coverage. Your arms are your shields; keep them in front of your vitals.

There may be times when you need to move your shields slightly such as Someone is punching your body and you drop your elbows. (Keep your hands up!) Someone is throwing a big nasty hook at you. Turn your body to intercept. Someone is throwing a tight hook at your head and you don’t have time to evade it. As a side note, we recommend that before the actual moment of conflict such as the verbal de-escalation phase, you keep your arms and hands in the same position with your palms out so that you imply that you do not want to fight to assist in de-escalating the situation. If you choose to use palm strikes instead of punches, this will be your actual fighting stance. However, if someone is threatening you with a knife and you can’t run or pull a weapon of your own and you choose to try to verbally de-escalate the situation, turn your palms in to protect your arteries in the forearm.

Answer the phone.

This is another type of shielding. This technique is designed to shield against a hook, ridge hand, knife hand, or elbow to the head when you cannot avoid it. Bring the hand up to the head, grab the base of your skull, and the law your forearm on the side of your face. Pro tip: You can also use this shield to put your elbow in front of your nose when your opponent throws a straight punch to your face. If done correctly, they may hit the point of your elbow.

Be Blessed,

Chance

20 Essential Self-defense skills part 2

Basic Strikes

Jab and Cross/Lead and reverse palm strikes

Whether you want to use the Jab and Cross or a lead palm strike and a rear palm strike, you need to know how to effectively and powerfully strike a would-be attacker. Straight strikes are so effective because:

• They are fast and powerful.

• They can disguise the timing and depth perception.

• When they alternate, one goes out the other comes back to shield.

A proper fist is accomplished by rolling the fingers into the palm and wrapping the thumb around the fingers. It is important to strike with the first two knuckles or preferably the middle knuckle. Line up these knuckles with the radius bone in the forearm which will line up with the humerus bone (bone in the upper arm) which will be seated into the shoulder socket.

A proper palm strike is accomplished by opening the hand (fingers up or to the outside of the body and fingers straight or curled in).

To execute a proper straight lead hand strike (Jab), first, you will thrust your lead hand straight out from your shielding position straight to your attacker's nose. Of course, you can aim for other parts of the body but keep it simple let’s just stick with the center of the face. Aim for the center of the face and if you are a little off or if they move you may still capture a piece of them. As soon as the strike is extended to the fullest, misses, or finds its mark the strike should return back to its original position along the original path. Imagine that there is a rail connecting your cheekbones to the attacker’s cheekbones and that your hands travel out and back along that rail. Throughout the strike, keep the elbow directly behind the hand, and don’t let it flare out to the outside of your body.

A rear straight strike (Cross) is executed the same way. It should go straight out from the shielding position and back along the rail. It should be aimed at the nose. Be sure to keep your elbow behind the hand. There are many variants to a straight strike. You can strike with the lower part of the palm with either the fingers curled in or held straight up. You can strike with the knuckles. When punching with the knuckles, be sure to focus on the knuckle of the index and middle finger.
The fist can be vertical, horizontal, or at a natural 45 angle. There are several advantages to all of the above. The advantage of a punch over a palm strike is that it has a longer reach and can slip through someone’s guard easier than a palm strike. The advantage of a palm strike over a punch is that you are less likely to break a hand. There are also advantages to the different types of punches. The vertical punch has a longer reach whereas the horizontal punch delivers more strength. The natural 45 punch excels in speed. We can discuss the physical formula for power but the most important things to remember is that you should learn all variations and use the version that is most appropriate for the target that is presented.

The most common mistakes that people make with their straight strikes include:

• Flaring/bending their elbows and reducing the power of strikes.


• Striking in a curved manner. Not remembering the rail system


• Dropping the hands-down below face level.


• Not striking with the proper part of the palm/knuckles

The intended target area for this strike is any area that is directly in front of you that is softer than your knuckles or palm.

Pro tip: When executing a cross, rotate the same hip towards the front and drive off the ball of the same foot to maximize the number of muscle fibers and power usage. Conversely, when executing a jab, rotate the front hip forward.

Back leg front kick

To execute a back leg front kick correctly think of it as a Cross with the back leg. The striking area is either the ball of the foot or the heel. I prefer the ball of the foot because it increases the reach of the kick by several inches and is easier to kick higher if needed. Common mistakes that people make include:

• Striking with the toes or top of the foot.

• Retract the foot to the starting position.

• Raising the leg straight up in front of you. To execute this kick properly, execute this kick in a four-part step. Step one: Raise your knee up high. Step two: Thrust your foot out to the target. Step three: Draw the foot back. Step four: Set the foot down. With time and practice, these four steps will blend together and be less drastic and in one fluid motion.

Launch your foot at the target at a 45-degree angle slightly raising and bending your knee when your foot is on target; snap your foot out at the target. As soon as you strike your target slightly withdraw your foot and set it down in front of you.

The intended target area is generally the shins, knees, thighs, or lower abdomen/back. Any of the targets can be struck from any direction such as from the front, side, back, or any angle.


Knee Strike

To execute a knee strike properly you should remember the following factors:

• Strike with the patella.

• Strike to the thigh or lower abdomen. The knee to a thigh is 99% effective whereas the
groin is a small package compared to the thighs and not always responsive to strikes. Not everyone responds to this.

• Use your hip flexors to thrust your hips forward.

The intended target for this weapon is usually the thighs and lower abdomen. These targets can be struck from any angle.

Pro tip: A knee to the thigh is much easier to land than a knee to the groin and your opponent will experience pain a higher percentage of the time than they will by a groin strike.

Back Kick

One of the major problems with martial arts/self-defense/combat training is that we start to think that our training mimics reality. In reality, you will likely be attacked from behind. The striking area of the back kick is the heel of the foot. Common mistakes that people make include:

• Striking with the toes or ball of the foot.

• Retract the foot to the starting position.

• Hiking the leg up to the side.

• Some people teach the back kick in a similar manner as the front kick by raising the leg straight up in front of you first. To execute this kick properly, use one fluid motion. Launch your foot at the target directly behind you without hiking your leg up or bringing your leg in front of you first. After striking the target, withdraw your foot slightly but not all the way and set your foot down behind you.

The intended target area is generally the shins, knees, thighs, or lower abdomen/back. Any of the targets can be struck from any direction such as from the front, side, back, or any angle.

Forward elbow

I have never been hit with an elbow even lightly that didn’t hurt. Whether you want to use a traditional forward elbow strike or an upward angle strike, ELBOWS WORK! It is essential that when striking with an elbow you make contact with the bone edge. Elbows like punches can be landed on any target that is presented.

There are many types of forward elbows that include the traditional forward elbow strike, traditional upward elbow strike, traditional downward elbow strike, reinforced elbow strikes, upward angle elbow strike, and the downward angled elbow strike but for the sake of space, we will focus on two. The first is the traditional forward elbow strike. This elbow is thrown horizontally. Tuck your hand to your chest while you bring your elbow to the target from the side.
Many try to land an elbow from too far away. An elbow is a close-quarter combat technique. This may seem odd but the best way to know if you are close enough to connect with an elbow is if you are close enough to kiss. Never lean out of balance to land any strike. There is a reason that stance and movement was the first technique that I shared with you. Without a solid foundation and balance, all other technique crumbles.


Rear Elbow Strike

ELBOWS WORK! I have never been hit with an elbow (even a soft one) that didn’t hurt. Remember that it is essential that when striking with an elbow you make contact with the bone edge. Also, remember that elbows like punches can be landed on any target that is presented.

There are also many types of rear elbow strikes. They include the traditional backward low elbow strike to the body, the traditional high backward elbow strike, spinning elbow, downward circular rear elbow strike, reinforced rear elbow strikes, and the upward rear angle elbow strike, but again, for the sake of space, we will focus on two. The first is the traditional rear elbow strike to the body. This elbow is thrown straight back to the body. Bend your arm like doing a curl and thrust the elbow tip straight back like a spear. The second is the high rear angle elbow strike. This elbow strike is delivered almost like the opposite of a traditional forward elbow strike. Just as you should be in “kissing range” for forward elbow strikes your body will likely be touching your opponent when you execute a rear elbow strike.

Remember that an elbow is a close-quarter combat technique. Pay close attention to your stance and balance when executing rear elbow strikes. Make sure that your stance is solid and stable. Without a solid foundation and balance, all other technique crumbles.

Hammer Fist

The Hammer fist can be delivered vertically (from high to low, or from low to high) or horizontally (from outside to inside). This strike can also be delivered from many other angles and directions but that is for a later time. The striking area is the padded part of the bottom of the hand while making a fist or the forearm.

For the vertical version, raise the fist up slightly and bring it down on top of the target. For the horizontal version, bend the arm inward towards your body and rotate your arm out by the shoulder and straighten out the arm to the target.


Grappling skills

Tabletop principle

This principle is employed in grappling position reversals. The tabletop principle is basically the idea that if a table is perfectly balanced and you remove NW and SW legs or any two legs on the same side, no matter how well balanced it is, it will topple. If any two diagonal legs remain, the perfectly balanced table will theoretically stand. In position reversals, this principle will serve as a guide. When you are in a dominant position and someone tries to reverse/sweep you if you will reach out with a foot or hand in the direction that your opponent is trying to move you may be able to stop the reversal. This is called “posting”.

Rear naked choke (RNC).

From behind your opponent, place one bicep on the same side of his neck. Bend that arm at the elbow and place the radial bone (thumb side) against the other side of his neck. The elbow should be directly in front of his windpipe. Reach forward with the other arm palm side up and grab the bicep with the first arm. Perform a curl with the second arm and slide that hand to the base of the skull of your opponent and then rest your head on the opponent's head above your hand. Tighten both biceps to complete the choke. The bicep and radial bone will restrict blood flow to the brain and cause your attacker to pass out.

Pro Tip: In a life-threatening situation, if your opponent taps to any blood choke (RNC, Triangle choke, etc.), do not release the choke. Let them pass out. Once they have passed out if you cannot retreat immediately, hold the choke for approximately five more seconds. Sometimes the choke is released the moment that someone passes out they will come right back fighting. Holding the choke for another five seconds will increase the chances that they will remain unconscious long enough for you to escape or restrain them and it is unlikely to cause any permanent damage.


Armbar from mount.

When you are mounted on your opponent, capture one arm by grabbing (for example, his right tricep with your right hand) his tricep and pulling it hard to your ribs. Press his face hard into the captured arms shoulder (this is called a cross face) and place your grabbing side foot on the floor. With the pushing of the hand and stabilization of the foot on the ground, swing your other leg over your hand/his face and fall to your back. Squeeze your knees together, curl your legs over his head and ribs, elevate your hips and hold onto the arm to complete the armbar.

Pro tips: Do not remove your hand from his face until your leg is over your hand. When performed correctly, the elbow joint is hyper-extended primarily by the lower body movements and not a pulling motion of the arm. Be sure to have his tricep as close to your belt line as possible for maximum effectiveness. A great way to capture the arm is to convince them to give you that arm by punching them repetitively in the face. However, be careful not to be bucked into a tabletop position.