Apologies

Upon further thought, I will not be adding much if anything more to this Self-Defense blog. There are so many bullies in today's world, and they could learn new techniques here as well as those who need protection from bullies. And with all the other violence in the world, and given all the thousands of other self-defense sites on the web, I don't think I'll add any more than I already have to the subject. My apologies.

A Very Good Link On the Ins and Outs of Self-Defense

A Very Good Link On the Ins and Outs of Self-Defense.

The best defense in self-defense is knowledge and avoidance. So I conclude this blog with a very informative site on every aspect of understanding violence and learning how to avoid it.

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/

I am reopening the reality based self-defense blog with a vengeance. This is a dangerous world we live in, and it's time I began sharing some of the tactics I've learned over the last 35 years.
I'm going to be talking about the state of mind to cultivate so that you're always in a state of readiness to defend yourself, about the vulnerable spots of the body, improvising weapons out of everyday common objects, using objects in the immediate environment you find yourself in to aid in your defense of yourself, environmental awareness, and legal issues, among other things.
Right now it is 3:04 am EST, so I won't be adding anything more tonight. But expect new material in the coming days.

A word of caution

If you are taking a reality based self-defense class practicing realistic scenarios, or just you and an equally enthusiastic partner practice together in your back yard, any technique, tactic, or strategy you learn should be used, if possible, with only enough force to stop your opponent. You don't have to even use force equal to your attackers necessarily.
Also, you should never use any move you've learned to bully people or go around looking for trouble. You should only use what you've learned when you have no other option, including the option of running away. Try never to strike a vital spot that can possibly result in death unless you cannot run, and you are in reasonable, absolute, fear for your life. The best self-dense tactic is just avoid bad situations, be aware of your surroundings, including sounds, and walk straight and tall like you are confident of yourself. While being aware of other people in the area, do not stare at them. Merely glance at them to acknowledge that you're aware of them. A stare can be interpreted as a challenge or as a sign of fear. Also, stay away from areas of a city or town if you know they have a bad reputation and crime.

A List of some of the Body's vulnerable spots with a warning of their potential harm

The body is simultaneously tough and fragile. What follows is a list of the more fragile anatomy of the human body.
You must always be up-to-date on your knowledge of your state's self-defense laws, and do not go beyond them should you need defend yourself. If you have no way to escape and no other option, and all attempts (if time permitted) of defusing the confrontation have failed, then meet force with equal force.
1. The temples. They are relatively flat, which is not as thick and damage resistant as curved bone, such as the curved bone at the place where the forehead rounds at the beginning of the top of the head. Referral shock is transmitted more readily and directly through flat, relatively thin bone like at the temples. The temples are located just above and forward of the ears.
2. The eyes.
3. The ear canals.
4. the tip of the nose.
5. Just upward under the nose.
6. The philtrum (the vertical groove on the surface of the upper lip, below the septum of the nose).
7. The point of the chin.
8. The thyroid cartilage, i.e., the Adam's Apple on the Larynx..
9. The supra-sternal notch (the hollow depression at the base of the throat).
10.The sternocleidomastoid muscles (one of two thick muscles running from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid and occipital bone. These muscles enable the head to turn while slanting it, or to turn the head and turn it into a slant. They also allow the head to lean from side to side).
11.The vagus and phrenic nerves that run down the inner side of the sternocleidomastoid muscle about an inch above the inner ends of clavicles for the phrenic nerve, a little higher for the vagus nerve.
12.The carotid artery, running vertically up the neck and crossing over the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
13.The brachial plexus.
14.The clavicles.
15.The center of the sternum (breast bone in center of chest).                                                   16.The xiphoid process (the cartilaginous  projection forming the lowermost part of the sternum).
17.The solar plexus ( a deep bundle of nerves between the sternum and the upper abdomen).
This is just a small list. Many more could be found in charts and books or internet searches. As I said at the start, don't use more force than necessary (in fact you don't have to use as much force against an opponent as is used against you, even if it's deadly force. You need only use enough to incapacitate your opponent so you can flee), and know your state's self-defense laws.

The Body's Natural weapons

The human body (not to mention other animal bodies) come equipped with anatomy that can serve as natural defensive and offensive weapons. They are: The teeth (as for biting a nose); The top of the forehead (as for bashing an opponent in the ball of the nose); The elbows for striking vulnerable in - range targets: The heel of the palm of the hand for thrusting and smashing blows (as for smashing the nose with a forceful blow); both outer and inner forearms (the inner forearm is most often used for striking into the area of the brachial plexus on the neck); The outer (pinky) side edge of the closed fist. This is called a hammer fist, and is good for striking most every target; The open cupped palm; The outer side edge of the open hand, below the pinky and above the wrist, this is used for delivering what is commonly called the Karate or Judo chop; The fingers and thumb formed into a claw (as for briskly and forcefully raking down the face or gouging into the eyes and then raking); The knees (as for groin strikes, also face smash tactics); The shins (for soft targets unless your shins are well conditioned as through Muy Tai training); The foot (top, side, heel and bottom, as for kicking and stomping). The next entry will be on the body's vulnerable targets.

Motor Skills in Self-Defense

Motor skills in real life self-defense. Professional MMA fighters and other long trained practitioners of different martial arts are highly skilled at what they do. They are specialists in their fields. But the rest of us are not so. There are three levels of motor skills that we begin to learn in childhood and develop and build upon. The first skill set to develop is gross motor skills. These include the development over time of the ability to use large muscle groups that coordinate body movements such as walking, running, jumping, throwing, clawing, striking, kicking, and maintaining balance.
The next set to develop over time as we grow and learn are fine motor skills, the ability to use precise coordinated movements such as writing, buttoning, cutting, tracing,  visual tracking, or threading a needle.
The last set to develop are complex motor skills, the ability to perform almost any act that involves three independent body parts working in unison.
If you're not a martial arts student who has been practicing for, say, 15 years, you will not be able to use fine or complex motor skills in a fight to defend yourself, and even if you are a 15 year student there is no guarantee that you'll be able to call upon fine or complex motor skills in the urgency of the moment, especially if you're ambushed or sucker punched or faced with more than one opponent who may be yielding weapons of one sort or another. 
The best motor skills the average person can practice to adapt to self-defense situations are gross motor skills. Skills such as kicking in the same way you would a football, poking with the fingers, such as a quick poke to the eyes, delivering elbow strikes, claw rakes with the fingers, grasping body parts and jerking on them, particularly the ears or hair, blocking movements, biting attacks, stomping on downed opponents. If you can get away from a situation before it becomes physical simply use the gross motor skill of running, run to the nearest well populated area, and if necessary, once there call the police. But if you cannot run, and cannot defuse the situation, fight using these gross motor attacks continually, not giving your opponent the chance to mount a defense, Continue to do so until he is incapacitated or runs himself from your onslaught.

The Fight or Flight Response.

I came across a website the other day that was talking about how the fight or flight response may have served humans in prehistory, but that it was unnecessary and unhealthy in todays world. Obviously the author of the website is not living in our world, or it was written 25 years ago. He or she must not be aware of the constant threats we face in the world in 2011: muggers, rapists, street gangs and street violence, and the threat of terrorism that was brought to us on September 11, 2001 and that we still face today and for the unforeseeable future. The fight or flight response gives us that extra boost of power and energy we need to either fight or flee. So don't knock it, it might save your life one of these days.

Use of Force

Under United States law you are allowed to use only the force necessary in defending yourself. Do some research on the self-defense laws of the State you live in. You cannot cripple or maim someone for pushing you. If you use more force than is necessary you could find yourself facing jail or prison time. Even if someone is trying to kill you, you should attempt to use only the force necessary to incapacitate your attacker without killing him, unless you have absolutely no choice. After you have incapacitated an attacker you should seek the most immediate avenue of escape, not to evade the police, but to evade the attacker once he regains his senses. If it comes to having no choice but to kill an attacker, you must be able to articulate to a Judge every detail that lead up to the event, you must be able to prove that you had, at the time, reasonable fear that your life was in mortal danger, and if anyone witnessed the altercation who could collaborate your account you should bring them with you to court. Be honest with the Judge and don't stretch the truth, don't try to make a simple aggressive shove look like an attempt to kill you.

Reality based self-defense: Avoidance and Environmental Awareness

Reality based self-defense: Avoidance and Environmental Awareness

Avoidance and Environmental Awareness

The best way to stay out of trouble is to avoid it. If you go to places like bars and nightclubs, or areas of  towns or neighborhoods known for a lot of criminal activity, then you are taking the potential risk of encountering violence. Back alleys and dead end alleys are also hot spots for trouble. These places take on an even greater potential for trouble in the hours of nighttime. If, for some reason, you find yourself in one of these areas then you must remain alert and aware. Be environmentally aware; this means to take notice of every sound and try to identify its source and direction. Take notice of other people you may encounter at such times, and make a mental assessment based on their facial expressions and body language whether they present a potential threat. Don't stand there looking them up and down as this might be considered a challange. Just take quick notice and absorb as much information about their demeanor as you can. Be aware of your surroundings, take stock of anything in the immediate environment that could be used as an improvised weapon should the need arise. Things like metal trash cans or trash can lids, bricks or stones laying about, fire hydrants that you can push someone over, chairs (in bars or nightclubs) that can be used for the same purpose, or that can be used in lion tamer fashion. When you first enter into an area or a bar take an immediate assessment of avenues of escape should you need to make a quick exit. Take notice of anything that can be used as an obstacle, such as tables or desks. Never do anything that will detract from your senses, like listening to headphones or talking on a cell phone, or texting, when you're out walking. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Reality based self-defense: Improvised weapons

Reality based self-defense: Improvised weapons

Reality based self-defense: Improvised weapons

Reality based self-defense: Improvised weapons

Improvised weapons

In most States of the US many weapons are illegal, especially martial arts weapons. The police can arrest you for using pepper spray against an assailant, yet pepper spray is sold in places like some auto parts stores or other places. It doesn't make sense. Why is it allowed to be sold but not used ? As far as firearms go, personally I'm against their use, though they do have their place. But you don't have to spend a lot of money on buying a defensive weapon such as pepper spray or tazers. Almost any everyday common item can be utilized as an improvised weapon. Car keys can be used for stabbing and raking soft targets. Rat tail combs can be used for jabbing, and, with the teeth, raking the back of the hand or targets on the face or neck. A metal alloy five and a half inch long mini flash light can be used like a kubotan or yawara stick, plus in the dark, the light can be used to temporarily blind an assailant. A thick broken tree branch can be used for clubbing. A walking cane can be used for striking, or by using it's crook for trapping. Heavy ash trays make good projectiles, as do hefty stones. Wasp and hornet spray can be sprayed into an assailant's face and eyes, and it has a longer range than pepper spray. It can spray up to thirty feet. And pencils and Pens can be used for stabbing soft targets. These are just a few examples of common items that can be used in place of weapons should the need arise. If you had to, what could you come up with in a pinch ?

Reality Based Self-Defense

Reality based self-defense is an interesting area of study and practice. It has much to offer and there's lots to learn from it. Traditional martial arts like Karate, Jujitsu, and Kung Fu, are ok for the dojo or the sports arena, and some practitioners can even make it work on the street, but for most practitioners it is impractical for real life self-defense situations, where you are likely to be taken by surprise, as by a sucker punch. Traditional martial arts rely on trained muscle memory responses, and arts such as Jujitsu have literally hundreds of techniques. In Jujitsu you have several different counters to, say, a head strike. The problem becomes that when you have a bunch of options to choose from in defending a head strike it slows your response time as your cerebrum decides which technique to use.
Reality based self-defense systems generally have a syllabus of only a few techniques and tactics that can be applied to a wide variety of different attacks. This is true of Krav Maga. It is also true of Senshido, the system developed by Richard Dimitri. Also, reality based systems don't generally rely on learned muscle memory responses, but rather focus on training to launch a defense/offense from off of the amgydalic flinch response. In my opinion, the best RBSD instructors and authors out there today include Richard Dimitri, Loren W. Christensen, Tony Blauer, and Larry Jordan. Another good instructor and author I've come across is Keith Pascal. I started out at the age of 16, with different practice partners, teaching myself Jujitsu. Later I incorporated elements of Taijitsu and Krav Maga. I'm committed to RBSD, and always working to improve my skills, and men like those named above only help me to improve further. You see, I was born with a congenital deformity of my left leg. It is about 5 inches shorter than my right, congenital absence of fibula, and my foot up to the instep had to be amputated at the age of 6. Consequently I have to wear a prosthesis. As a child and early teen I felt very vulnerable, like one of the weak of the herd (so to speak), and I was bullied and ridiculed a lot by my peers. So I felt the necessity of having an edge, and that's what led me into the martial arts and RBSD.
Someone might ask, "Why would I need RBSD skills" ? Look at the world we live in today, watch the News for a while, and that will give you your answer. Others are free to do as they choose. As for me, I choose to be prepared. If you're one who is interested in self-defense, then don't seek a martial arts class. Seek a self-defense class, unless, of course, your interest is in the sport aspect, which by the way, is for the dojo or the sports arena, not the street.