Hand-to-Hand Styles: The Keys to Effective Training

Un-armed self-defense is a nasty and chaotic business.  With the world as it is today, it really benefits every member of society to have some sort of training to protect themselves and their family if need be. Now, I tend to live by the principle that “If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.” There is no substitute for a force multiplier when yours and your family’s safety is at stake. And with trends as they are these days, we see more and more various weapons being carried on the streets by both civil and criminal elements.

The fact of the matter is that we can’t have a weapon with us at all times in every location or situation. Many large events, like baseball games and football games, concerts, and places such as federal buildings, post offices, courthouse, and schools disallow any form of weapon at their event or on their premises. So what do we have left? The human weapon….which, as far as the animal kingdom goes, is pretty much bringing a spoon to a gunfight. Our teeth, as nasty as they can be, are flat and not necessarily meant for flesh and bone. Our claws are pathetic by comparison. Flat and flimsy. Our fists break under heavy impact. Our bodies were designed/adapted (see how PC I am….lol) for mostly climbing and flight when confronted with danger.

But that’s the thing….we are not merely animals….we are the human animal. Unique in our cognitive abilities. Unique in our ability to mentally and technologically adapt to our environments and the threats that confront us. We test and assess our responses to these situations. Our collective knowledge spreads. Our trial and error results pass from culture to culture and from era to era. Not just in fighting, but, that is the focus of our discussion here.

So, what we are left with are the questions of “What should I train?” and “How should I train?”
In this introduction, let’s talk about “How should I train?” Because no matter what it is you train for unarmed combat and dealing with disparity of force situations, it needs to be functional. Training for functionality involves three basic concepts:

Simplicity, in both movement and technical aspect (number of steps to achieve goal.) This means finding a system that has tools in its toolbox that are not physically difficult for your physically average individual…or even, AND ESPECIALLY, the physically below average individual. Long complex chains of movements combined with body torqueing physical structures lend themselves to failure under stress and physical difficulties for most individuals. Whatever you are training, follow these rules. 1. It should be under 5 steps and 2. It should involve only 3 basic mechanical principles. (example)

Functionality involves finding the things that work for the given situation you may encounter. You may be a Tang Soo Do 5^th degree Black Belt who can do a Jumping reverse Back Spinning Hook Kick. But you do realize this technique was originally intended to forcibly dismount a rider from his horse…..you planning on fighting guys on horseback? Let’s update that…Maybe a motorcycle?  No? Then avoid training things that will not be appropriate for your daily environment. Find practical training and techniques that will allow you to respond appropriately should the unfortunate incident occur.

Reality means you are training like you fight. When we do martial arts and train to fight, we respect our partners. We touch gloves, bump fists and ask if they’re ready. But the reality is getting caught completely unaware in an assault will be the most likely case. You may encounter multiple assailants. Some may be armed with various instruments of nastiness. Your training should reflect this. Your training methods should involve both fighting techniques as well as training techniques and drills meant to develop certain attributes (hand speed, coordination, tactile sense) or skills ( reading distance, footwork, etc…) . To ignore improving your attributes means to ignore improvement overall. To ignore fighting techniques, is to miss the entire point. Your drills should build confidence and character, meaning, learning to find your limits. Your techniques should be what works best, not what looks best. If it happens to look cool as well, good for you. Your training should reflect the reality of an environment where there may be no witnesses, no help, no ref, no police, no bouncer, no escape. Mass attacks, force-on-force, outnumbered, extreme strength and size differentials. Your training should prepare you for not just the fair fight, but more importantly, the unfair fight….because that’s what they all are.

Something else to keep in mind is that you’re not fighting to win, you’re fighting to survive. (I know, stay with me here, Im not trying to jack up the win at all costs mindset. It’s in there.)  At any point where you can disengage safely, you should to decrease any further risk of injury or death. You don’t fight to kill, or fight to win, you fight to live. Should that involve winning or killing, so be it. You have to stop the threat. But in a case where you are not left to defend the innocent, you’re goal should be to disengage. Not because you want to avoid hurting the assailant, but because simple math dictates that the longer you stay in a fight, the greater the increased risk of injury or death. Simple as that. Go home to your family.

Underneath all the civilization we paint over with technology, social niceness, charity, and good humor, there lies beneath a thin line where barbarism continually slips through to remind us we are not far from our ancestors who continually killed each other over land, water, reproduction, food, gold, and glory.  The thin veneer of civilization is just that. A thin film that does nothing to protect us, but provides us with a comfortable illusion that while we ourselves may be civilized and domesticated human animals, the individual walking right towards us may not be such a person. Our training must account for this at its heart.

No matter the style or system you train, keep those things in mind. Some systems have these training objectives already worked into their matrix. Others languish in the glory of old and in the mists of legends past. Even those, when brought under the scope of these three rules, can be fit to function in today’s modern society. We need not drink from the purest of water. When dying of thirst, any pond will do.  But we must be aware enough not to drink the stagnant puddle or gulp from the salty sea. Our next article will begin to compare and contrast some of the martial systems we commonly find. Once you find the one you love, train it with purpose. Focus it through the lenses of the above principles. Find your own success.

Josh Fowler, Ground Zero Fighting Systems