Absolute Self Defense and Fitness

Archive for the ‘self defense’ Category

My son Jacob demonstrating how to “walk the clock”…

Transition drill 1

harker heights bjj

hhbjj.com

Watch the Limon fighters show their newly learned skills in Self Defense Grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Kids Self Defense Grappling And BJJ in Killeen Texas from jim mahan on Vimeo.

I want to welcome new fighters to our Self Defense and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team:

The Limon Family!

I want to welcome John Michael Gillaspy to our Self Defense and BJJ family. Say hello when you see him on the mat!

Keith Owen BJJ

I wanted to take a second of your day and tell everyone that I (we) have been accepted as students and affiliated members of Mr. Keith Owen BJJ.

Mr. Owen was gracious enough to accept me as his student even with all the military moving baggage that comes with being a Soldier who loves the ground game. Mr. Owen has a outstanding background in the martial arts with instructing BJJ as his forte. He is a accomplished BJJ instructor who comes very recommended from some of the more well known instructors and black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Here is part of his bio…

Keith Owen is a 1st Degree Black Belt under Professor Pedro Sauer and is a Pedro Sauer affiliate in Boise/Meridian Idaho.  He has trained in Jiu-Jitsu for the last 17 years and has made it his life’s work to promote the technical side of gi, no-gi and MMA Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

You can check out Mr. Owen at BJJ Moves.com to see more of his work and instructional ability.

I am very excited about this new opportunity to learn more Jiu-Jitsu and to be able to learn from Mr. Owen.

In this segment, I will teach you how to drill the fighting frame and the combat application that I taught last post. I will also post this as a pod cast that will be up on the site later today.

There are two basic drills that you can easily use to functionalize this particular skill set. They are:

Give and Take. To describe this easier, I’ll give each partner a name. Trainer and Trainee. To start the drill, stand in front of your partner and get what we call the “fighting measure”. This means to reach out with your arms and touch their shoulder. If you can’t, you are too far away. Once you have the fighting measure, assume a fighting stance. Here we go.

1. Trainer slowly steps forward and delivers a right jab to the trainee’s head and freezes. The trainee steps towards the trainer and assumes the fighting frame posture, striking the trainer with the frame. Once contact has been made, the trainee steps back and assume a new fighting stance. Okay. Now, the trainee becomes the trainer and the trainer becomes the trainee. Get it?
2. To continue the drill, the trainer slowly steps forward and delivers a right jab to the trainee’s head and freezes. The trainee steps towards the trainer and assumes the fighting frame posture, striking the trainer with the frame. Once contact has been made, the trainee steps back and assume a new fighting stance. Now, the trainee becomes the trainer and the trainer becomes the trainee.
3. Repeat this action until both partners are comfortable with the motions. Once you are good to go, you may slowly speed up the action until you are at combat speed!

Block and Strike. This drill is an adaptation of the Filipino combat arts training methodology “Abecedario”.  It is a progressive skill development tool that is very effective and has endless possibilities. The set up is just like before. Trainer and Trainee. To start the drill, stand in front of your partner and get what we call the “fighting measure”. This means to reach out with your arms and touch their shoulder. If you can’t, you are too far away. Once you have the fighting measure, assume a fighting stance. Here we go.

1. The trainer steps forward and punches to the trainee’s head. The trainee steps forward and executes the fighting frame. Once contact has been made with the trainer, the trainee will follow up the frame with a counter strike.
2. For the purposes of this segment. I will prescribe a specific response for ease of use. The trainee unclasps his/her left hand from the right wrist and wraps it over the trainers attacking limb. With the right hand, (already on the head/neck) open your fist and grab the back of the trainer’s head. Next, the trainee will pull down sharply on the trainer’s neck while at the same time delivering a right knee spike to the trainer’s stomach. Lastly, the trainee will push the trainer backwards; step back and assume the fighting stance. Okay. Now, the trainee becomes the trainer and the trainer becomes the trainee. Get it?
3. To continue the drill, the trainer slowly steps forward and delivers a right jab to the trainee’s head and freezes. The trainer steps forward and punches to the trainee’s head. The trainee steps forward and executes the fighting frame. Once contact has been made with the trainer, the trainee will follow up the frame with a counter strike.
4. The trainee unclasps his/her left hand from the right wrist and wraps it over the trainers attacking limb. With the right hand, (already on the head/neck) open your fist and grab the back of the trainer’s head. Next, the trainee will pull down sharply on the trainer’s neck while at the same time delivering a right knee spike to the trainer’s stomach. Lastly, the trainee will push the trainer backwards; step back and assume the fighting stance.

Repeat this action until both partners are comfortable with the motions. Once you are good to go, you may slowly speed up the action until you are at combat speed!

One more thing. Ensure that both partners take all safety precautions. Wear the proper protective equipment especially eye protection. Because we all know its fun and games until you put an eye out!

These two drills should get you started on the road to functional defense. If you have comments or suggestions, please email me or comment in the form below.

Until next time, let’s get training!

I was training my son in Standing Grappling and Ground fighting just a few days ago and my youngest said, “It’s too hard, can you show me something else that is easier?” Of course, I gave him a hard time about it and continued to drill and drill. Later on, I sat him down and shared some of my life experiences where having a “Don’t give up” mental attitude literally saved my life. So, I thought that this thread might make a good blog post. Let me know what you think. I look forward to your comments and tweets.

Here it is:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.  – Aristotle

How many times do we tell students “don’t give up”, but do we practice this mindset ourselves?  When a challenge comes along and we don’t get it the first time, we should keep trying for at least one hundred times.

I have not failed 700 times, I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work
~ Thomas Edison

Think how successful we would be if we always did things one hundred times before we even thought about giving up.  If this was put into our life at work, home and in martial arts, think of the things we could achieve.  we might not even get there after one hundred times but think how much better we would be than just giving it one chance and then saying “l can’t do it”.

“Begin at the beginning,” the King said, gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
Lewis Carroll

The human quality of perseverance is very important. Often people with physical talent fail because they lack perseverance and motivation, they should instead be like the proverbial boulder and just know we can achieve whatever we want, as long as we keep taking action and learning we can only go forwards and progress.

Repetition is the mother of all skills.  To do a technique once and expect it to work for us is not true in the slightest.  To really understand the technique and its concepts we have to do it until the line of familiarity and the root movement is in our subconscious.  It can be done anytime anywhere without even thinking about it.

You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning Karate is not very different from learning a dance. you will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do – Gichin Funakoshi

Think how many times we do a jab in our training more than say a difficult kick, the jab is repeated far more times as the difficult kick will work in a real situation.  It’s repeated time after time so that it will work for us in situations and we become very comfortable throwing it.

Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both….and surpass the result.
~ Tien T’ai

When we have developed all of our combative skill sets ensuring that we adhere to the six attributes then our techniques will become technically sound and we will develop our tactical or strategic skills to become an excellent martial artist.

The obstacle is the path
~ Zen Proverb

Until next time, Let’s Get Training!

jim

Hey! Just a quick update. Lynn and I are here in Hutto teaching a seminar on Self Defense Grappling.

There are folks from Austin, Houston and Florida here.

Today we ran through all the basic positions, escapes and walk the clock. Tommorow we are going to finish up the submission series and do some rolling.

Stay tuned for pics and video!

There are certain body positions that nullify a opponent’s attacks. Their strikes, kicks, locks and chokes are no longer effective due to the attack options presented by your defensive position. Yet from these positions, the superior fighter can launch effective strikes and finishes or can move to an even more advantageous position. There is no reasonable way without a position such as this to hit another person that doesn’t leave you vulnerable to an attack in return. These positions are the frame from which we attempt to organize our training.

Natural Stance - Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, this basic ready stance is often used to disguise tactics or intent. The entire body should be relaxed. Allow your arms to hang at the sides, bring both arms slightly to the front and clasp the left hand over the right wrist in the “monkey’s paw” grip. This is done by aligning all five of your fingers together and curving them the meet the curvature of your right wrist. Grip with all the fingers on one side of the other wrist. This will allow a unconscious release of the other arm. If you use a normal “grip”, you will subconsciously have to tell yourself to let go and complete another motion. This grip removes that step.  If used with a stick, stand with stick under left arm and left hand holding right forearm.

Fighting Stance – A general rule of stance is to keep both legs flexed for balance, and to be able to move rapidly. One heel is always lifted, usually the one with the least weight. This is a relatively general principle, which in particular facilitates turning. It may also help with explosive motions. The feet are 45 degrees to the major line of the body. There should be a feeling of being ready to take off like a sprinter. Hide the head behind the shoulder and the throat behind the chin. It is a good rule of thumb to keep the elbows low and close to the body and head. The guarding hand is used to block and check incoming attacks. When in an fighting position, hold the hand in accordance with your range to the opponent. If a weapon is being used, it is always in the lead hand.

Fighting Stance

Fighting Frame - In response to your opponent’s attack, you step slightly off the side of their body that the attack originated. You bring your arms up in the instinctive flinch response then link your wrists. Both arms are slightly bent at the elbow with your head tucked down and in-between and looking forward at the attacker.  Form your hands into fists and grasp your right wrist with the left hand in the “monkey’s paw”. You are attempting to blast your way past the attack (normally a jab or a haymaker style punch) by striking your opponent’s forearm / bicep area with your left forearm and your right forearm striking the opponent’s shoulder / neck area with emphasis on hitting the Brachial Plexus Origin nerve cluster.

Fighting Frame Position 1

This combative application of instinctively protection our face will hopefully do several things.

1. Protect our head and face from the incoming attack.
2. Deliver a debilitating blow to the attacking limb by striking the bicep brachial nerve which should stun the limb and hopefully effect a “impact driven grip release” of any weapon.
3. Place us into position for the Tactical phase of our Combative Application: The delivery of counter attack techniques.

This sample response simply shows a beginning option:

Fighting Frame Position 1

Left Knee Spike

Right Elbow Strike

Headtwist Takedown

Knee Drop

Hammerfist Finishing Technique

The fighting frame is a simple, yet effective strategic and tactical application tool. Practice, Practice, Practice until it is instinctive. Next post I’ll show you how to drill this with a willing partner.

Until then, Let’s Get Training!

jim

Here is a quick and easy self defense tip for when someone grabs one of your wrists and tries to pull you somewhere you don’t want to go.

1. Step back sharply and jerk the attackers arm down and towards the ground at a 45 degree angle. (this will off balance them)
2. Yell or shout. I like to tell folks to spit in their face and scream, “I have AIDS or Swine Flu”, or something like that to freak out the attacker. (this will begin to change their thought process from holding on)
3. Just for illustrations sake, we will pretend that your left hand is the one captured. So, after you jerk and shout; immediately / at the same time shove the palm of your hand upward and slam into their chin. You want to drive their head back and snap their teeth together. (this redirects their attention from the grip, establishes pain to divert their muscles from the grip)
4. Lastly, after the chin strike rebound your arm downward to the attackers arm that is holding your arm. We are aiming for the area forward of the bend in their elbow. (This spot is a nerve sensitive area and a strike will cause a flex response and cause the release of your wrist) Repeat as often as necessary.
5. Once you have struck the attacker’s arm, rebound your arm and strike them in the face with your forearm.
6. Run. Find a safe place or refuge to complete number 7.
7. Notify Law Enforcement authorities.

There you go. Quick, down and dirty self defense technique to escape a wrist grab.

Need some Self Defense training? Not sure what to do? Call Jim at Killeen and Harker Heights best Self Defense and Fitness center. 254-247-4999.

Welcome Lorene Ruiz to our fitness family! She is our newest Kickboxer! Welcome Lorene when you see her in the gym.

I want to welcome the following Fighters to our family:

Brandon Bailey – Self Defense and BJJ
Ryan Bailey – Self Defense and BJJ
James Hopwood – BJJ