Keep It Simple: Innovation Through Method Not Technique

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.” – Henry David Thoreau

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo daVinci

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Albert Einstein

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

“The simplest things are often the truest.” Richard Bach

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” Frederick Chopin

Every great martial artist, defensive tactics instructor or coach I have ever known were masters at simplification. Yet martial artists and people in general always seek to complicate things. They over analyze and extrapolate dozens, if not hundreds of possibilities for any specific situation. Now it seems that I tend to “beat up” martial artists, but the same holds true for any form of education because it’s human nature to do this, it’s just that martial arts fall into the realm of what I do.

There is a need to over teach, over explain and a need to ADD technique instead of subtracting. With instruction people get bored. They feel that if they can remember the technique in class and repeat it that they actually KNOW IT. This is bullshit.

I have thrown tens of thousands of edge of hand, chin jabs, reverse punches, single leg take downs, double leg take downs and the list goes on and on. While technically the techniques have changed, they have all evolved over time. My edge of hand 20 years ago may resemble the one that I do know, but the velocity and brutality in which I deliver it has changed. The single leg take down I learned in first grade was not the one I did in college.

Any good instructor feels they need to keep the class engaged and stimulated. Adding new technique is the easiest way to keep students interested. The learning curve is reset and they are not bored. But adding new technique is like giving your kids cookies when they’re hungry. Sure it shuts them up and you know they will eat it, but in the end it’s not good for them. What you need to do is feed them their meat and vegetables. The only way to get them to eat what’s good for them is to present it in a different manner. You need to do the same thing for your students.

Techniques and tactics of hand to hand combat WILL NEVER CHANGE. The only thing that changes is technology. We know what techniques work and there is nothing new under the sun. Since Cane crushed Abel with a rock, man on man combat will always be just that. REAL innovation is in HOW you train, not WHAT you train.

Good instructors, excuse me, GREAT instructors will innovate in the drills that they use to educate their students. When you force students to adapt their skills to new and different situations those skills become ingrained and instinctive. This is what you need to accomplish: give people a proven set of skills that they can apply to any situation. The less skills the better. In the SDTS we have a lot of technique. I personally use only about six. But my six might be different than your six so in a universal program you need to allow students to explore and grow. But the six techniques always consist of three that everybody does and three that are unique to them based on past experience and aptitude.

Innovate your training. I watched SDC Instructors Reuben Bean and Joe Landry do SDTS entry drills that I never even thought of! They broke a combination down even FURTHER! It was awesome.

It’s easy to give techniques. There are millions of them out there and most of them are inefficient or completely impossible to perform in a life and death situation. But they are abundant and there are thousands upon thousands of videos to purchase and its easy to collect technique and impress agreat deal of people. But that’s doing them a disservice.

Imagine a football coach who showed up every week with a new set of plays and completely new offense and defense. How well do you think that team is going to perform, not very good. A good coach prepares his team by adapting what they already do to their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. They train to adapt, just as you should do, just as you NEED to do.

Don’t add, subtract. Always seek to simplify. Innovate in the way you train and don’t be afraid to experiment. I have had a massive amount of failures to create one thing that works. But even in the innovation process there is learning.

How to Fight Drunk

How To Fight Drunk.  

Most fights involve alcohol it’s the way of the world. You lose you inhibitions and judgment and before you know it, you’re proposing to a house plant.

If you have chosen a path of 100% sobriety, then you don’t need to think about this, but for the rest of us who occasionally like to have a few then keep reading, but read fast, I don’t want you to pass out before the end of the article.

Even this guy can see an easy mark                 (man he looks a lot Forrest Gump)

If you drink and you’re serious about self defense, you better know how drinking effects your performance and endurance.

You can easily be impaired and too drunk to fight, among other things. We’ll call this “Whiskey Fist”. Not be be confused with, but often accompanied by Whiskey D!@k.

Not only does alcohol affect your judgement and your coordination, but it also impairs your body’s ability to get oxygen to your muscles and vital organs..including your brain. In short the effects happen faster and are far more debilitating than you think. This is mainly due to your lack of judgement.

Because your new found bravery is replacing your ability to actually fight, you don’t really know exactly how much until you can quantify it.

I first noticed this when I was younger and a few of us were drinking in my buddy’s home gym. Next thing you know, we are on the bench trying for a new max – not a great idea. Testosterone, alcohol with a dash of barbell – it’s a wonder no one died.

Needless to say, I didn’t hit my max, but I did learn a valuable lesson – while you may FEEL like you can take on the world – the world can come back to bite you in the a$$.

I’m no scientist, but I put together a drill to determine how many drinks it takes to render me useless.

So I combined drinking and training and it looks like this:

Note, this is best to do with a friend.

Establish your baseline:

30 Second 3 Count Chop Drill

30 second 3 count kick drill

30 second SDTS Ground and Pound top

30 second SDTS Ground and Pound bottom

Take a drink wait 10 minutes.

Do another round of 30 second bursts

Take a drink wait 10 minutes

Continue until you have to stop and catch your breath during a 30 second burst.

When you hit that point, there’s your threshold. Now you know how much you can drink and still fight well.

After that threshold is reached, it’s a steep decline (trust me on that one).

Oh before you ask – the record is 8 shots of bourbon. Now I’m not telling you to film your attempt and put it on Youtube, that would be irresponsible.

Life isn’t always dojo’s and gymnasiums.

You need to train for where and how you live. That’s why it’s important to train at home, even if you have a chance to train with an SDC Instructor.Because what happens is when you go to a place and put on a uniform you naturally get in the frame of mind to defend yourself. But as soon as you leave the gym, you relax.

We see this with cops and soldiers often.

The uniform goes on, the game face comes out but as soon as their off duty, they get taken off guard like everyone else. That’s why you need to train in your own and get used to the idea of fighting in places where you’re most likely to be attacked – where you work, live and play.

If you’re going to drink, well – know your limits. Having a few is OK, but keep count. You don’t want to be caught with your guard down, among other things.

How far can you take this?

The club is a disorienting and challenging environment.

I’ve set up a strobe light, smoke machine and lights to simulate a club atmosphere.

Be careful the strobe REALLY messes with your depth perception (note: wear face protection).

We’ve done car jacking simulations, parking lot scenarios and anyplace else you can think of, just get out of the gym and KEEP IT REAL.

Until Next Time.

Don’t Let Science Get in the Way of Your Martial Arts Fantasy

The Self Defense Company

Do martial arts like Aikido, Systema, Akijujutsu and even Reality Based Self defense Systems Like Krav Maga and TFT actually work in the real world?

Who doesn't want to be a “kung fu master"? Unfortunately you can only become one in the dojo and the movies.

The answer may SHOCK you. In fact there’s a simple scientific, physiological FACT that renders ALL martial arts and self defense systems irrelevant and useless when you’re attacked for real.

It doesn’t matter how believable,  how nice, or how tough your instructor. I get it and I don’t think they would lie to you intentionally, but I’m going to tell you something that they obviously don’t know or care to share with you.

Something happens to your body when you’re in a REAL fight and you have no control over it…

There is no amount of breathing and meditation that will change it – it’s hardwired into your system and there’s no way around it. It’s called the SNS (Sympathic Nervous System) and it’s what takes control of your body when you’re in a fight or flight situation.

Real fights are brutal, messy and barbaric and deep inside you, you’re engineered to deal with them.

You can practice and practice until your beyond exhaustion – but just because your system works in training, doesn’t mean it will work in the street. The vast majority of skills and defenses taught by literally every self defense system can not work in the street because of SNS activation, and there’s NOTHING you can do to change that fact.

The activation of the SNS is unavoidable and uncontrollable. It’s a reflex triggered by the mere perception of a real threat. Once initiated, the SNS will dominate all voluntary and involuntary body functions until the perceived threat has been eliminated or escaped. Once you feel you’re safe, the PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System) activates to reestablish homeostasis.

The PNS is what you use the majority of the time in a relaxed and non-threatened state.The problem is that you train in the PNS mindset when you have complete control over your faculties. You will get tired, you will get stressed, but it’s nothing like SNS activation.This is why most self defense systems are incorrect because they project the same functionality when you’re under attack.

The solution is you need to train in skills and tactics that will be there under SNS activation.

When the SNS is activated there is an immediate discharge of stress hormones. This “mass discharge” is designed to prepare your body for fight or flight. This is characterized by increasing blood pressure, heart rate and blood flow to large muscle mass (resulting in increased strength and enhanced complex and gross motor skills). This causes  vasoconstriction of minor blood vessels at the end of your appendages (which serves to reduce bleeding from wounds) – this also eliminates the possibilities of finite motor skills. You will also experience pupil dilation, shut down of the digestive processes and muscle tremors.

Your SNS is there to get you hyper-focused and ready for battle.

Under SNS activation you will only be able to concentrate on what’s immediately in front of you. And if you’re not trained the right way, your body will literally shut down because the effects of SNS activation can be debilitating. This has been recognized for centuries. Phenomenon such as tunnel vision (peripheral vision is shut off), auditory exclusion (hearing is shut off), the loss of complex motor control, irrational behavior, and the inability to think clearly have all been observed as byproducts of SNS activation. Stories of soldiers “losing their minds” in battle is not uncommon and prolonged SNS activation will lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

What exactly happens to your Body during SNS Activation

Below is a description of what will happen to you in the face of real danger when your SNS is activated.
Heart rate is used because it is a variable that can be easily measured. Heart rate from physical exertion is a lot different than the involuntary heart rate increase you experience caused by hormones when your SNS is activated.

Below is are 3 classifications of movement that are critical to understanding the effects of SNS activation on your ability to perform. The 3 classifications are Finite Motor Skills, Complex Motor Skills and Gross Motor Skills.

Finite Motor Skill

These are movements that employ articulation of the fingers, wrists and small subtle movements that involve a great deal of timing, skill and “feel”. This includes wrist locks, finger locks, trapping, complex joint manipulation, different hand and fist configurations.

Complex Motor Skills

Large joint movements of the hip, shoulder, elbow and knee, firing a weapon, stabbing and swinging a bat are also complex motor skills. On the high end would even be strangling or more specifically squeezing and constricting as well as gouging and biting. There is a reason that punch turns into a “hay maker” in the street.

Gross Motor Skill

Running to your enemy (charging) or running away (escaping).

A note on terminology:
*I refer to gross motor skills a lot and there’s a reason for it – the complex motor skill label is misleading. Complex suggests complicated.  In reality , complex motor skills range from the extremely simple (Edge of Hand Strike or Heel of Hand Strike) to the less simple (Hand Yoke or Combat Strangle). During the initial surge of SNS Activation, which I’ll explain next, you will only be able to do the simple movements, but as you come down and the threat lessons, more complex skills become available.

60 to 80 BPM (beats per minute) - Normal resting heart rate.

115 BPM -You get ready for battle

• This happens the second you realize you’re in real danger
• Finite Motor Skills Deteriorate
• Vasoconstriction occurs driving blood from your extremities to control bleeding from wounds.
• Blood goes into your vital organs and large muscle groups to prepare you for battle.

Say good bye to small circle anything, wrist and finger locks, fancy hand gestures, complicated holds and moves.

115 to 155 BPM – The “Combat Zone”

• The optimal heart rate for battle.
• Maximization of complex motor skills like the SDTS Edge of hand, chin jab, hand yoke and dozens of other base techniques. You can still use a firearm, club or edged weapon with simple and powerful maneuvers.
• Visual reaction time is maximized
• Cognitive reaction time is maximize

In this range your hyper-focused and with the right training, you will operate with maximum effectiveness.

155 BPM -The beginning of the end

• Complex Motor skills begin to break down
• Your skill set and your bodily functions start a fast spiral out of control

175 BPM and above – You’re Cooked

Your brain and body literally shutdown.

• Loss of cognitive processing (rational thinking)
• Loss of peripheral vision
• Loss of depth perception
• Loss of near vision
• Auditory exclusion
• Irrational fighting or fleeing
• Freezing
• Submissive behavior
• Voiding of bladder and bowels (yep – you literally shit yourself)
• Gross motor skills (running, charging) at highest performance level

In this stage you are all but useless. You can wither run towards the enemy or away from him. Eventually you will black out or suffer cardiac arrest. The terms “scared to death” and “scared shitless” have real meaning.

Once activated, the SNS causes immediate physiological changes, of which the most noticeable and easily monitored is increased heart rate. SNS activation will drive the heart rate from an average of 70 beats per minute (BPM) to more than 200 BPM in less than a second. As combat stress increases, heart rate and respiration will increase until catastrophic failure or until the parasympathetic nervous system is triggered (you will black out).

Humans have three primary survival systems: vision, cognitive processing, and motor skill performance. Under stress, all three break down.

The Warrior Inside You

Keep in mind the same holds true for the enemy you’re fighting. do you think a “pressure point” would have even fazed the woman on the left? Your best bet is to attack major nerve centers and respiratory functions.The positive by product of SNS activation is that it increases strength and increases your pain threshold. You will be able to be shot and stabbed without even feeling it. The majority of the time people die from gunshot and knife wounds due to blood loss. It’s not the movies, you don’t fall down when you get shot or stabbed unless the impact is enough to knock you down.

Can you control SNS activation to make sure you’re in the combat zone? 

Yes you can. Low-level SNS activation may result from the anticipation of an attack. This is especially common with police officers or soldiers minutes before they make a tactical assault into a potential deadly force environment. Under these conditions combatants will generally experience increase in heart rate and respiration, muscle tremors, and a sense of anxiety.

In contrast, high-level SNS activation occurs when you’re confronted with an unanticipated deadly force threat and the time to respond is minimal.This is literally EVERY self defense situation you prepare for and it’s important that you understand this fact, because this is why All methods of Self Defense FAIL.

In every self defense system on the planet they train you to react to the unanticipated attack. You are expected to respond instantly and precisely, just like in the movies.

Remember, every unanticipated attack is a high-level SNS activation situation. High SNS activation will cause catastrophic failure of the visual, cognitive, and motor control systems.

Every system you learn begins with the attack. The guy grabs your throat, he bear hugs you out of nowhere, he sticks a gun in your face and you’re expected to recall something finite and complicated when you get that awesome rush of adrenaline and hormones from SNS activation.

What about before the attack?

99% of the time you will be stalked before someone decides you have what they want and they can get it from you. Predators will even make contact with you to size you up. Criminals and bullies don’t want to have a hard time so they will choose marks they feel are worth it and or stack the odds in their favor.

Before the attack, before that first punch, grab or stab. Before it all goes down is where you need to concentrate your training. If you wait to be attacked it’s too late.

The SDTS concentrates on what happens BEFORE the attack based on the key factors of position and distance. Then you react using techniques and tactics designed to work in that “Combat Zone”. No matter how hard you try you can’t replicate SNS activation in the dojo and it sure as hell doesn’t happen in the ring so you must stick to techniques and tactics that qualify.

That means moves that are “simple” large movements that attack the major nerve, circulatory and respiratory areas of the body. forget the cute little parlor trick pressure points- they’re no good. Because if your enemy is in SNS Activation, high, drunk or insane, they won’t work.

There are six key variables that have an immediate impact of the level of SNS activation:

• The degree of malevolent, human intent behind the threat
  Does that person want to injure or kill you? Are they capable?
• The perceived level of threat, ranging from risk of injury to the potential for death
  Are they pointing a finger or a gun in your face?
• The time available to response
  Are they in your face, a few steps away or sending you a threatening email?
• The level of confidence in personal skills and training
  Are you 100% confident you’re prepared to protect yourself?
• The level of experience in dealing with the specific threat
  Have you done with this before?
• The degree of physical fatigue that is combined with the anxiety
  Do you have enough energy to protect yourself?

The obvious solution is replicating SNS activation in training but it’s impossible.

Bruce K. Siddle’s research involved monitoring the heart rate responses of law enforcement officers in interpersonal conflict simulations using paintball-type simulation weapons. This research has consistently recorded heart rate increases to well over 200 beats per minute, with some peak heart rates of up to 300 beats per minute, which is damn near off the charts!

These were simulations in which the combatants knew that their life was not in danger. In a true life-and-death situation where you face the ultimate universal human phobia of interpersonal aggression you will certainly experience a physiological reaction even greater than that of Siddle’s subjects.

Most self defense systems just ignore the facts.

The self defense you know assumes:

1. You will be able to “think” under pressure.
2. You can use finite and complicated blocks, traps, locks holds and strikes
3. You will be able to react in time with precision and accuracy.

At the Self Defense Company we embrace SNS activation.

We use inoperative conditioning based on position and distance and practice at 100% force on your target.

You start training in the “gray area” the place BEFORE the fight starts.

You understand what someone does before an attack and you know how to turn the tables on him and take the fight to him – all 100% legal, all 100% justified.

SNS activation makes you hyper-focused, strong and fearless. Fear is something that activates the SNS – it’s going to happen, so just accept it. This is why you need to train with in the confines of the SNS activation and base your training on methods that have been proven to work under real stress.

At the end of the day if any other system on the planet, Krav Maga, Akijujutsu, MMA, boxing, wrestling, Judo, BJJ, Systema, Sambo or anything worked I would attach my name to it.  

Damian Ross (founder of the SDTS) poses with violence psychology expert LtCol Dave Grossman from www.killlology.com

The research behind this post is credited to LtCol David Grossman and his book “On Combat”