Team I.D.A.C.T

Hit Fast, Hit Hard, Hit Brutal!

2011-06-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

The advantages a club wielding attacker will have over you are -a greater reach with the weapon than without it, a much more lethal impact, than if it was the bare hands and a psychological edge from having
a weapon and you not having one.

Remember, you are not fighting a one armed man. Obviously the weapon arm is a priority to control but
remember don't place yourself in a position where the attacker can use his other or his feet, knee, head, etc.

Many of the fancy 'come-along' control techniques just DON'T work against a hardened street attacker.

If he isn't instantly subdued he WILL gouge for your eyes, knee your groin, butt your face, Etc

Remember you cannot be sure what the attacker is like. Is he wielding a club as a 'front' and 'bravado' or is he going to stove your head in?

Will he submit after your first blow, lock, throw, etc. or will he come back twice as hard fighting?

My theory on disarming is, if you have no choice, go in hard, fast and BRUTAL, do what you have to, to eliminate the threat. As I mentioned previously, this is NO game. It can be a life or death situation. You must get it over as fast as possible.

Also, going up against a weapon is your last resort, no matter how skilful you think you are.

Too many so called 'experts' have ended up in hospital or the grave, carrying that foolish attitude with them.

Use anything at hand to help you in a pub, club, etc. use a chair to defend and cover then kick low to the groin, knees or shins, or push a table into the attacker's legs to unbalance them and buy time.

If available throw pool balls or pick up a cue as an equalizer.

Throwing a heavy ashtray is also a good option and as a last resort throw your beer into attacker's face, (what a waste) then kick the groin.

In the street dustbin lids are great shields to foil attackers and also great 'frisbees' to throw and escape.

These tactics are all 'sound' and are what REAL effective and personal protection is all about.

Remember we are not fighting for points or trophies and there are no rules.

If you are bound by a set of rules or ethics be warned that you WILL perish in the street.

If some of you reading this think these tactics are not martial arts then get 'REAL'.

These tactics have been used for centuries in one form or another...they work!"

Building that dream team

2011-06-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

If you have been on a team that was firing on all cylinders and performing at an elite level, then you have experienced something magical. The level of output and synergy is through the roof. Everyone is happy, healthy and motivated, while working twice as hard as less developed teams. The elite team conquers seemingly insurmountable tasks with apparent ease. Life is good.

Why is this so UNCOMMON?
Conventional wisdom tells us that great teams exist as the result of an Awesome Leader. Whether born or bread, the awesome leader is a forceful personality. He or she defines a powerful Vision for the team, establishes a Smart Mission, and develops a set of sound Team Values. Then he or she implements important Team Objectives and a compelling Strategic Plan. All this activity is destined to take the team to the top.
Up go the Vision, Mission Statement and Values on the wall in the Team Room. Into the file goes the Strategic Plan, where it starts to collect dust. The team, full of optimism after forming, now starts storming and blundering along, never making it to the top. The awesome leader is deemed a failure, and a new leader is selected.
Rinse, repeat and this scenario is played over and over. What is missing?

Just two thirds of reality, that's all.
If the leader represents one third of a team's reality (self), then the followers represent a second third (team) and the organization (system) represents the final third. The integration and development of all three of these crucial elements will propel a team to the top.
Let's look at how we can integrate these three "spheres" of Self, Team and Organization into an Unbeatable Team.

We will start with an overview of Integral Theory as it pertains to teams.

Integral Teams

Reality occurs simultaneously in 3 key dimensions: the "I" dimension, the "we" dimension and the "it" dimension. For purposes of this discussion, we will refer to each dimension as a sphere.
Each sphere represents a distinct perspective that maps our sense of who we are at any given time. For example, if we are sitting alone in deep contemplation, our internal experience represents the "I" sphere, where we are alone with our thoughts, wishes and eternal witness.
When we later show up at work, we are immediately thrust into the "we" sphere, where we are co-located, co-operating (or not) and co-creating with others. Our internal experience is dramatically affected by our relationships and reactions to this shared experience. And so it is with the internal experience of our teammates

Finally, we cannot ignore the impact of the organizational sphere and its impact on our personal and collective experience. The "it" of our social systems - our organizations, schools, societies, etc. - has a broad and not always apparent impact on the "I" and "we" spheres. The organizational sphere is the result of rigid rules, regulations, norms, systems, and the like.

Imagine the experience you would have in the SAF. You know what to wear, where to go, what to do, norms for communicating (hand salute!), how much money you will make, and on and on.

Fast forward to your first day of retirement. You are out. Your experience is radically different. The organization of the SAF, which somehow helped define who you were for 20 years, now has no impact on your internal experience besides lingering beliefs and habits. Chances are you will still wake up, but you may not know what to do with yourself!

The "I" sphere is the world of the interior-individual. This is where you reside inside your head and heart. This sphere is the hearts and minds of the team leader's and the teammates, or followers, if you will. In this sphere, the individual consciousness and world view are the driving force. From inside each of us, informed by our level of awareness and consciousness, comes:

Trustworthiness - powered by our virtuous behavior

Self-Leadership - we must lead ourselves before leading others

Personal Mastery - the journey of personal mastery is a necessary journey on the warrior's path

The "WE" sphere is the interior-collective. Here "I" joins with "you" (and "you too") to become "we." In "we" there must be:

Trust - powered by the trustworthiness of the individuals
Shared Experience - we must experience enough in common to relate
Shared Risk - doesn't work if I take all the credit while you take all the risk
Service - toward your teammates
Supportive Following

Finally the "IT" sphere is the world of the exterior collective. In "IT" we find various forms of:

Rank & positional authority

Command, control & org charts

Rules and regulations

Support structures & resource allocation

Elite teams focus on understanding (with a collective world view), developing (active growth of "I" and "We" in a healthy "IT") and balancing (ensuring that one of the spheres does not stifle or poison the others) all three spheres.

Ultimately, for a team to operate at an elite level, then the three spheres must also be operating at an elite level. Each teammate seeks a strong body, mind and spirit individually while simultaneously seeking a strong collective "body, mind and spirit" of the team. The actions of the leader, followers (supporters) and the systems of the organization must align to make this a reality.

Why MMA does not equal to street fighting

2011-05-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

1. MMA, NHB, CAGE fight etc, does not equal to street fighting
Although blood can be spilled in the cage, the padded mat and rails are softer than concrete sidewalks or brick walls.
Throw in other street hazards like broken glass or icy sidewalks and think of the many challenges MMA fighters DON’T face in the cage.

2. You’re likely to have more than one opponent……and he’s armed!
If you’ve stepped into the cage or ring, you’re going to face someone roughly the same size. He won’t be carrying a gun, knife or bat.

Violent street confrontations have multiple attackers that quickly complicate things. If you apply a submission hold to one; chances are another guy is kicking you in the back of the head.
3. You don’t know when your next fight is!
The jerk that’s demanding your wallet while waving a knife in your face didn’t call you six weeks ago to schedule this mugging. You’ll be in a surprise mind set with adrenaline and cortisol running through your veins as your heart rate skyrockets.
You never know when you’ll be attacked – your training must prepare you for this moment.

4. There’s no paycheck in street fighting!
You’re fighting for your life!
This is good news as you’re truly motivated to survive a violent encounter in the street as “losing” is NOT an option.

5. There are NO RULES in a real street fight!
The rules of engagement in the street are “anything goes”. There are NO rules, no referees, no corner men or trainers to prepare you for the next round.

There’s only the “NOW” in a real street fight.

Escaping a headlock

2011-05-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most dangerous hold as it blocks your windpipe, rendering you vulnerable to chokeouts and movements are immobilized or manipulated by the attacker.

Fortunately most untrained fighters will just roughly squeeze or hold the head neck while trying to manoeuvre you into a strike.

If you have trained properly enough in react in your reaction responses, during the early stages of the hold you can have a good chance of escape even from a much larger and stronger opponent.

The longer you leave it, the harder it will become to escape and even the novice fighter may succeed in securing a strangle or choke on you.

We will look at a few methods of escapes from the side and front headlocks. I have
used these in LIVE situations and in pressure tests.
As the side headlock is applied you can immediately DROP your inside hand up and over the attackers shoulder and either pull back on the hair, claw the eyes, or hook the mouth, at the same time your other hand can grab and squeeze the testicles or pinch the flesh high on the upper thigh.

As their grip begins to slacken on you hook, behind their knee and lift up and tilt them up and back for a throw.

If the opponent is too heavy to lift fall back with them and immediately start to strike any vital body part that is open.

Then escape.

Another option - again from the standing side headlock. In short, if your head is pulled tightly into the opponents chest, turn your head and sink your teeth into the pectoral muscle and bite hard. This will give you a release.

Dropping to your knee and bringing up a stiff forearm blow to the groin from the rear can complete the move.

The front headlock can be foiled early with an uppercut punch, forearm or grab to testicles.

Visualization

2011-05-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Visualize Success

Visualization is what we always do in our IDACT Trainings; the creation or re-creation of an external experience in the "mind's eye." Sports psychologists and top coaches have used visualization to enhance performance for some time now. It is estimated that 90% of Olympic athletes use some form of visualization and 97% say that it helps. Most Olympic coaches include it in their training arsenal

Why does visualization work?
A properly visualized event is treated as if it happened for real in your conscious and sub conscious mind, our human brain is unable to differentiate between what is real or unreal. Thus you are seeing and doing the event a second time when you do it in the flesh. Also, during a visualization event your muscles are stimulated as if during a "real event," thereby greasing the groove of the repetitive motion. The best part of visualization is that you choose the outcome, and the quality of the performance. Why not start with a winning outcome and great performance in your mind first!

We perform two types of visualization during our Trainings and Awareness Seminars

1. "Practice visualization" is rehearsing an event in the mind before attempting it. Visualizing a performance on a workout, swim, run, the fights etc can have a positive impact on the results, especially if done well and repeatedly over time.

2. "Future me visualization" is where we create a powerful image of a future event which is a major goal. A good example would be earning the gold medal, or launching a business. You create the event in your mind, replete with emotions, color, sounds, smell and tastes, all as vividly as possible. Then we cement and reinforce this visual image through repeated internal visits. This plants a powerful seed in our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind then goes to work to recruit the resources necessary to nurture the event to fruition through proper thought and action.

Proper visualization helps to reduce stress of the unknown and control emotional responses It builds confidence and helps you concentrate on the important tasks required to achieve the future state, rather than waste energy on non-productive states of mind stemming from uncertainty. because you have "been there" before.

When you begin the practice of visualization, you will likely start with second person, or external, visualization. This is where you are viewing yourself from the perspective of another person. As you gain experience you will shift to first person, or internal, visualization. This is where your imagined event is happening from your perspective, as if you had a helmet cam on.

Visualization is a valuable tool in the development of any sport or skill (fighting, shooting, jumping, diving and public speaking). Furthermore, it can help hone and test a strategy. The power of a solid visualization practice cannot be underestimated.

I hope this is helpful and that you can put the information to use today. As always, train hard, stay focused and have fun!

Stay on the PLUS side rather than the MINUS

2011-04-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

The hidden secret with micro-goal setting is that it forces us into the present. Forcing our monkey mind to pay attention to what is happening right now, rather than what it hopes to happen in the future or what happened in the past. Collapse your focus to the near present, such as making it to the next yummy diet meal or through that miserable exercise and you achieve victory where it is at - right here, right now.

The wandering mind is the devils playground. The nature of the outer, conscious mind (the 12% brain) is to dwell on the negative and obsess about it. Often that which is the obsession becomes the reality. Once you begin to focus on the present, the requirement then is to keep your mind in a Positive State.

We call this Positivity.

Positivity can be likened to an electrical charge. Are you positively charged, or negatively charged? How big of a difference would it make in your life if you learned to keep your mind and body positively charged all the time? My guess is a big difference.

Back to basics. Ensure that the mind is focused on the present and propelling us forward with Positive Self Talk. Positive Self Talk is akin to a battery that positively charges your energy, emotions and the very air around you; so that you attract the positive success you seek. At the basic level, it keeps you feeling good, strong and able to set a "positive example" for your teammates (who draw strength from you and vice versa).

First, you must learn to pay attention to your energy, whether it is positive or negative. Use a simple question to draw focus to this: "what dog you are feeding?" This question refers to the two dogs we have in our outer mind vying for feeding: The dog of FEAR and the dog of COURAGE.

Our minds are energized with either courage (positive) or fear (negative) which manifest their influence in our lives in different ways. Our basic emotional "feeling" states can be generalized into these two broad categories. We could actually replace "courage" with "love" but for this discussion courage is a more powerful descriptor.

Fear is the dominant energy in most because the outer monkey mind is generally negative in nature. It is constantly filled with negative programming from numerous sources - friends, family, news, TV, and our own self talk. By paying attention to what dog you are feeding, you will start to notice the patterns.

Next, as soon as you notice negative patterns, you must use a pattern interrupt to immediately stop and re-direct them. Use Power-statements as pattern interrupts for this purpose. Power statements we use include some classics such as: "Hooyah," "Easy Day," "Get some," and "Aint Nothin but a thing."

These power statements interdict negative thinking and replace it with a powerful and positive mood.

Finally, power statements are not enough to do the job alone. Our bodies must also get in the game. A Power Posture reinforces the power statement. Saying "I am going to crush this" while slouched in a defeated, slouching position just doesn't work! Your subconscious mind will call bull and continue to feed the negative pattern. You need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and mirror the power statement with a power posture.

Often in the middle of a grueling workout, I or one of my coaches will shout power statement, coupled with powerful gestures, when we notice the fear dog nipping at the trainees. Everyone's mental attitude and bodies respond immediately as if jolted by a bolt of positively charged electricity. It is great to watch and be part of. Soon we are all laughing and cranking away at the workout, having left the worst behind us. We have learned to allow positive self-talk and powerful body postures to condition our minds for positive outcomes.

One final comment about Positivity: the mind will easily slip in and out of negative situations based upon external stimuli. You must trick your conscious mind to remain positive by reciting Powerful Mantras. A mantra is simply a short statement that has positive meaning to you.

When I was in Class 2 Diver's course, on long runs I would recite over and over "feeling good, Hooya!" Corny as heck but it worked. The power of positivity cannot be underestimated and I highly recommend you start practicing these techniques now if you are not already.

Forging Mental Toughness

2011-04-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last week we looked at how Ultra endurance athletes and survivors of natural disasters actually survive! The tactics and behaviors used are surprisingly similar, and better yet, are trainable.

The "quit option" is more complicated than it appears. It is easy to tell yourself "no way will I quit" when in reality your belief systems driving your subconscious mind are telling you quite the opposite.

We discussed the short term pain of suffering as compared to the long term pain of regret. The higher the risk and the stakes, the higher the suffering required to prevail. Also the higher the regret associated with failure.

As with Aaron Ralston who chopped his arm off after 127 hours of being stuck between a rock and hard place, quitting is simply not an option. I highly recommend you see his movie "127 Hours" or "Into the Void" to observe outstanding psychological profiles of mental toughness.

We also looked at how our belief systems limit our physical performance, something we call the 20X factor. We are capable of at least 20 times what we think we are. The only thing standing between us now, and the 20x us, is our "knowingness" of this fact. Again it is our subconscious mind, not our "thinking" mind, which either supports or torpedoes a belief such as this.

During a seminar that i attended, i found that research shows that 12% of our brain-power is handled by our conscious "thinking" mind while 88% is handled by our subconscious mind. Wow! I want to know how to tap into that 88% don't you? (I call the conscious or thinking mind our "monkey mind" because it is always grabbing for the next thought or stimulus and doesn't take time to pause or digest what it is already chewing on!)

Here are some more tactics to help guide us.

Set Goals the right way

Yes, I know. Goal setting is mundane isn't it?

Have you reviewed yours today? Have you worked on the #1 thing today that is going to move you closer to your major goal tomorrow? What happens when your goals fail to be realistic? Do you have a method for checking it against reality? Are you tracking them?

Goal setting is a very powerful tool, and it is useless when done in a silly way. Goal setting helps us to maintain a positive and forward momentum, a way to track our progress, and a way to focus our efforts on the important, rather than just the urgent, things.

Proper goals are stated in precise and positive terms. They are measurable and have a modest time frame associated with them. Too short and either they are not meaty enough, or you are setting yourself up for failure. Too long and you lose the urgency and they fall off the radar.

Goals must be achievable, in that you have the potential to accomplish them with the skills and resources available. Also they must be realistic, even if achievable, are they realistic for you to even go for it?

When the going gets tough, goals take on a whole new level of importance. In Hell Week, we were not setting our sights on "being a Naval Diver" or even "getting that badge." Either of these is a SMART goal when I was preparing for Class 2. But during Hell Week or any arduous situation, we require a different method.

In the tough spots I recommend to collapse your goal setting to the very near term. I call these "micro-goals." The great thing about micro-goals is that they lead to "micro-victories." You stack up enough micro-victories and pretty soon you have achieved a huge milestone!

Back to the Hell Week example. A terrible goal would be to "make it to Friday." When you are in the depths of despair on Monday morning at 4am, sleep deprived and depressed, Friday seems a very, very long way away.

A better goal would be to make it to sunrise. The sun has a remarkable ability to both warm you up, and cheer you up. Things suddenly don't look as bad at 7am as they did at 4am. Micro Goal. Micro Victory. Next.

The hidden secret with micro-goal setting is that it forces our monkey mind to focus on what is happening right now, rather than what may happen in the future where it wishes to be. Focus on the next meal, the next event, or even the next footstep. These short and achievable goals help to enlist our monkey mind to be an ally versus enemy in our fight.

The survival instinct

2011-04-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Survival Instinct when it comes to street self defense is defined as a cold, primal mentality that surges to your consciousness and turns you into a vicious fighter.

Do you have and know how to develop your survival instinct?

The fact is, self defense tools and techniques alone won’t prepare you for the violence and other horrors of the streets. A self defense technician must have a combative mentality to channel a destructiveness exceeding that of a deadly and evil criminal aggressor.

He must be a cold and vicious animal free of fear, anger, apprehension, and ego. This mentality results from mastery of the survival instinct. IDACT strives to develop the killer instinct in the self defense technician.

Unfortunately, some martial arts overlook this combative mentality. Many find it to be an concept unworthy of their civilized dojo or studios. In some martial art schools, the combative mentality violates their religious and philosophical beliefs. Other systems make the mistake of replacing the combative mentality with a “competitive” mentality. This sport-oriented mind set simply lacks the brutal and aggressive characteristics necessary to neutralize a crazed criminal attacker

Everyone has a survival instinct. In some it may be stronger than in others. Some manifest this instinct in gross abominations. Some never call upon it at all, but it’s there.

Most people manifest their survival instinct in blind rage fury. Self-defense practitioners driven by a raw killer instinct are inferior and undisciplined warriors. Their energies are poisoned by emotion, resulting in poor body mechanics and tactical errors.

On the other hand, the self-defense practitioner who has tapped into the deep reservoir of emotional calm and mental clarity of the survival instinct can "switch" on their instincts at will. Guided by virtue and courage, one can release a most destructive energy, free of emotions. This may sound paradoxical and extreme to some. But there is, in fact, no inherent incompatibility. The advanced combat warrior must be virtuous and yet altogether capable of unleashing a controlled explosion of viciousness and brutality.

Be “Emotionless”

The survival instinct is predicated on being emotionless.A warrior must not experience emotions while engaged with his opponent. He must temporarily eliminate fear, anger, remorse, and ego from his conscious. Moulding the average person into an emotionless warrior is not an easy.

We are, in fact, emotional creatures who, from childhood, are conditioned to feel for ourselves and others. Humans are expressive beings, crying when hurt, laughing when happy, yelling when angry. Emotional expressions are integral to our growth and development. They are , in part, the essence of humanity. It’s against our nature to be otherwise. However, it’s essential that the warrior remain emotionless during a violent confrontation because emotions create indecisiveness and dangerous tactical vulnerabilities.

Do Not Fear Death or Hurt

The modern warrior must not fear death or hurt. Interestingly enough, some see fear as a positive self-defense attribute, believing the so-called “fight or flight” syndrome will help defeat the enemy. They cite superhuman feats performed out of fear or panic. Perhaps the most popular one is the story of a mother who lifts a car to free her trapped child. This may or may not be possible.

Control of the emotions also prevents anger from poisoning the warrior. Anger is a useless emotion that only taxes energy and creates numerous vulnerabilities. The famous Pietro Aretino said, “Angry men are blind and foolish, for reason at such time takes flight and, in her absence, wrath plunders all the riches of the intellect, while the judgment remains the prisoner of its own pride.”

Be Vicious!

Viciousness is another critical characteristic of the survival instinct. By viciousness I mean dangerously aggressive behavior or extreme violence. Many people will consider this the most revolting aspect of the controlled survival instinct.

However, if a self-defense practitioner is to prevail in combat, he must be more vicious than his adversary. His tools and techniques must be brutal, explosive, and conclusive. At the same time, his attack must be strategically calculated to maximize efficiency, effectiveness and safety.

Master your Mind

The survival instinct also requires a unified mind. This means that one is free from distractions and fully focused on the enemy.

Distractions are derived from two sources.

The first is internal, wherein your mind wanders off or panics prior to or during actual combat. The second is external, when your adversary attempts to verbally “psych you out,” for example. Environmental conditions such as weather, lighting, terrain, and noise can also create external distractions. Regardless of the source, distractions must be ignored and eliminated from your consciousness

There are various other characteristics of the survival instinct that must not be overlooked. They include: lucid thinking, heightened situational awareness, adrenaline manipulation, physical mobilization, psychomotor control, tunnel vision, courage, tactical implementation, breath control, pain tolerance and habituation to violence.

The bottom line is when harnessed, disciplined, and forged, the survival instinct is a tremendous source of power. Developing and refining this essential combative mentality is not an easy task. It requires the application of specific cognitive exercise provided by a competent “reality based” combat instructor.

The only easy day was yesterday, HOOYA!

2011-04-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

What separates survivors from quitters in extreme challenges? When you look at the tactics used by successful SEALs, athletes and survivors of natural disasters, they are surprisingly similar.

In the case of BUD/s selection, the option to quit means that you get ring the bell. However you must then deal with the long-term pain of regret. In the event of a firefight, accident or disaster, the stakes are much higher - life or death.

Quitting is simply not an option there.

So how can you learn to treat every worthy obstacle with the same intensity as the life and death ones?

How can we train ourselves to make both minor and serious decisions with the same clarity and strength as when we are strong, but in our weakest moments?

A single bad decision, made in a moment of weakness, can have disastrous consequences.

Here are some of what we advocate to stay motivated, clear-headed and in control of our decisions, so we can stay in the fight when it gets really shitty.

Never give up on yourself. Quitting is simply NOT an option

Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.

Whether it is the pain of seeing a long, complex project til its end, or the pain of getting through hellweek, simply removing the quit option is the first step to ensuring victory.

I strongly encourage enduring through your darkest moments and not making serious decisions at night, when things are at their most difficult in ant scenarios. Wait until the rays of sunlight appear!

Never giving up means that you remove "quit" from your dictionary - FOR GOOD!, and do what is morally necessary to survive or accomplish a really difficult task.

20X Factor: you are capable of 20 times more than you think you are

During Hell Week I heard this quote from an instructor. It stuck, and sure enough, by Thursday of Hell Week I was actually getting stronger and having fun.

What was going on? Once the mind accepted the new circumstances, it adapted and started to work with it.

I found myself enjoying the humor of the crazy instructor staff, and I was astounded how my body, despite 100 hours of no sleep and non-stop training, was getting stronger (though I admit there were moments of delirium as my mind struggled to deal with the lack of sleep).

Bottom line, this is the same experience ultra-runners and those who do extreme events have - a break down, then building back up as the body and mind adapt to the new, harsh reality of the circumstances.

Through this you learn that you are truly capable of at least 20 times more than you previously thought. You undergo a psychological and physiological paradigm shift.

After this experience, anything less than Hell Week looked easy.

Don't accept your self-imposed limitations. Dare to discover what you can truly accomplish!

Train hard and never quit!

Back to Basics

2011-04-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

At any one time, you have “natural weapons” that will help you to defend yourself in a real street fight.

We’re talking beyond just fists and feet.

AWARENESS is our first and foremost resource. It doesn’t matter what ability you have in a physical sense.

If you don’t see the threat coming you won’t be able to deal with it pro-actively.

Awareness is the very power base from which we operate and from where ALL personal security measures begin.

The second ‘weapon’ is BODY LANGUAGE.

This relates to how you carry yourself as you go about your daily life.

Obviously, if you portray youself as meek and mild, then you may increase all likelihood that at some time in your life you may come across those who are looking to take advantage of you.

Create an outwardly positive self-image, that clearly states that you are a confident and alert individual.

Just by standing tall and walking at a brisk pace with confidence is an immediate indication to anyone that you are a switched on individual which will, in turn, make you less likely to be selected as a victim of attack in the first place.

Finally we have INSTINCTS.

Most people who are attacked remember feeling a hunch, an intuition, a non-verbal perception before something physical happens – the feeling that something is wrong.

The sooner we act on this intuition the more likely we are to be safe in the end.

I am a FIRM believer in our instincts acting as a sixth sense.

I have always believed that if your instincts indicate that something isn’t quite right that it would be sensible to listen and act accordingly.

Coach J is back with apologies!

2011-04-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

What a busy 2 months I have had!

I sincerely apologize on behalf of the team and myself to all who have

wishes to hold classes and training, and have been trying to reach us.

We are expanding every year and as we are a small outfit, there are

some areas that we are always striving to improve and this is one such point.

1) I was away filming and doing audio recordings for some of the

last few weeks tocreate a few series of video and audio training CDs,

putting long hours in. Seriously do hope the end results would be MASSIVE!
 
2) We also have taken the first step to expanding into the region

by looking at training venues, offices and possibilities in Malaysia, Thailand.

Hopefully we can expand our reach successfully, bringing our vision

of making everybody more responsible for their own safety.

3) Our website is currently down, we are looking for new servers

and designing new content.

So currently, the only contacts we have are this blog!

teamidact.blogspot.com

Our FB page, and email at idact@singapore.com

Again, we sincerely apologize and hope to see you soon!

Coach J

Facing a Knife...

2011-02-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Even a skilled fighter will have problems dealing with weapons.

A 12 year old youth with a knife is every bit as dangerous as a full grown assailant.

DON'T under estimate anyone who is ARMED.

Firstly NO sudden movements. Give nothing that will panic the attacker and cause them to cut you.

Remember they are desperate and HYPED up - and any sudden move on your part could be FATAL.

In the opening seconds be compliant, raise your hands up and say something like "OK, you can have my money, I'm not going to mess with you!" Anything along those lines to relax them somewhat.

DON'T say things like "got a knife to feel brave, eh?".

This kind of statement only serve to 'wind' them up and they may cut you out of anger.Whatever you decide to do next you must to quickly and sharply, control the knife arm and go in whole heartily to VITAL points. Get it
done quickly.

Once you have deflected the blade DON'T overlook kneeing or grabbing testicles, butting the face, elbowing the throat and hitting the knife anywhere else.

Also close up as a distraction, in the opening few seconds, spitting in there face will instantly make them 'cringe' - then go for the counter.

Confrontation with a knife

2011-01-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, a lot of people young and old have found themselves confronted with
a mugger armed with a blade demanding money or valuables.

What can you do in this situation?

Do you give up your valuables?

Do you fight back?

Will you risk being hurt?

What should you do?

Firstly, let's examine the manner of the attack.

You are held up at knife point. That means the attacker hasn't made up his
mind to attack you yet or they may NOT wish to use it at all.

They are making the knife a psychological threat.

They feel the presence of the knife will MAKE you succumb to their demands.

They are carrying the knife as a psychological boost, a confidence boost.

They may be a down and out coward but it is an EXTREMELY dangerous job finding out; nor do you want to know.

As I said they may not intend to actually use the knife but changing circumstances
or sheer desperation may force them to.

An example is a drug junkie looking for a fix - a VERY unpredictable assailant.

How important are your valuables?

A lot of self defense books, courses and magazines recommend giving up your wallet, handbag or purse.

They are not as important as your life.

This is good, sound and sensible advice.

The average person may accept this and give up their belongings.

But others may not.

You may be furious that some LOW LIFE wants to rob you of your hard earned
money and valuables.

A fair point and one that isn't easy to answer.

Each one of you will have your own thoughts on this matter. However, I would like to post this question to all of you:

How can you be sure that you can entrust your lives over to a assailant all stressed up, to not attack you with that knife?

Develop your cardio stamina

2011-01-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Cardiovascular endurance is the ability to take in, transport and utilise oxygen.

The purpose of this type of exercise is to improve endurance by challenging the
heart and lungs. This component is a MUST to last the pace in a hard training
session, spar or fight.

Boxers refer to this as developing your 'wind'.

They do this by plenty of roadwork (running) and skipping to be in shape to endure 12 rounds of HARD boxing.

Running is still the 'king of conditioners' and can develop your cardiovascular
endurance quickly.

The downside of running is it CAN place stress on the ankle and knee joints. You
need to avoid running on hard road surfaces and go for grass to lessen the impact.

If running is not your thing or it simply bores you, then get into the gym and try outthe various 'cardio' machines they have available today. One great workout we do is integrate drills to train up your reactions and shadowboxing for about 3 minutes.

There are some great pieces of kit to challenge your conditioning.

Cycles, steppers, rowers, cross trainers, stairmasters and treadmills are all good.

Of course padwork and drills, throwing and grappling all improve your cardiovascular capabilities anyway - as well as giving you specificity to your chosen goal.

Intensity is the key to how you develop your conditioning. Martial Arts training works both aerobic and anaerobic systems.

The patterns of a hard working training session, spar or fight usually works BOTH
energy systems.

One minute explosive powerful action e.g. combination punching and kicking in a fast flurry, the next long drawn out endurance (e.g. groundgrappling.)

You NEED to train both elements.

Street fights are normally a fast explosive affair relying on anaerobic conditioning,where a sparring session may lean more towards aerobic conditioning over say a three minute round.

Make sure you have both types of fitness developed.

Having the 'cardio' conditioning to run a marathon DOESN'T necessarily mean you have the fitness for an all out explosive three minute box or grapple

Are you strong enough?

2011-01-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

Muscular strength is defined as 'the measure of one's ability to exert muscular force.'

Strength is needed in martial arts and when all other components are equal between two people the person with muscular strength may just be the one who has the edge.

To be able to find one BIG knockout punch or finishing kick at a seconds notice depicts strength.

To be able to bridge out of a ground hold when fatigued requires a surge of EXPLOSIVE muscular strength.

To pick an opponent up in one swift movement and crash him to the floor will take muscular strength.

Strength is a short-term explosive burst of raw energy. When strength is on the move as in throwing that big punch or executing that pick up throw it is termed as POWER!

Muscular force and speed equals power.

Strength as mentioned is only short term, it is explosive using the fast twitch muscles of the body.

These fibres in the muscles are better suited to anaerobic activities (working without oxygen.) and are short lived.

Hence strength is needed but it is NOT enough on its own. Being able to bench press 300lbs or squat 500lbs doesn't mean you have got what it takes to last or win a fight that goes more than 20 or 30 seconds.

Under the EXTREME stress and pressure of a fight situation, strength can drain away very quickly indeed.

Examples of strength athletes are power lifters,Olympic weight lifters, shot putters etc. If you train with weights for strength you need to work up to lifting heavy and minimum reps between 4 and 8 for good strength.

Bench pressing your own body weight is an example of a fairly good level of strength in the fighting arena.

Building up to mass strength is your choice but not totally essential in the area we are training.

Functional and sports specific strength is a better requirement for the combat martial artist

Upcoming Events

2011-01-12T23:47:00.000-08:00

Situational Confrontation Awareness

Time: 8 Mondays, January 24 at 7:00pm - March 7 at 10:00pm

Location: Safra Jurong

Created By: I.D.A.C.T Tactical Systems

More Info

Our flagship personal self defense course integrated with a fitness conditioning program which is suitable for anyone with or without any prior training experience.

This module emphasizes on the basic core of all I.D.A.C.T's training, our Crisis and F.E.A.R Management. Trainees will learn street efficient tactics and principles to disengage from any confrontation

Ladies I.M.P.A.C.T self defense workshop

Time: Saturday, May 14 · 10:00am - 5:00pm

Location: Kent Ridge Guild House, NUSS

Created By: I.D.A.C.T Tactical Systems

More Info

Who Should Attend
The female community with or without any prior training experience who wishes to learn easy, memory – embedded Self Defense/ Personal Protection. This course will enhance confidence in confrontational situations scenarios designed around the female trainee

Course Goal
To give the lady trainee the requisite skills needed to initiate a unique process that aids in converting instinctive survival startle responses and reactions into effective Self Defense tactics.

Only for NUSS members and guests, limited slots after allocation to be open to public!

Beauty of the first strike

2010-12-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

One of your most powerful weapons when defending yourself in an attack is the element of surprise.

In fact, in a majority of fights, the person who "wins" is the one who lands the first punch.

3 "quick tips" to make sure that person is YOU:

1. Don't dress like a soldier!

Your "The only easy day was yesterday!" t-shirt may help you pick up chicks, but it's also a tell-tale sign you "think" of yourself as a fighter. Keep the combat
boots and UFC hat at home if you're going into an area where you may be attacked.

2. Don't train in "ready" stance!

The typical martial arts "ready-to-fight" stance shows your cards. When training, use a "fence" position, and, even better, from a relaxed position with your hands down at your side, seated, lying down, etc. These are very real positions you may NEED to defend from and your attacker won't expect your strike. We do alot of our trainings with scenarios from such positions.

3. Train for speed first!

Your right-hand haymaker may pack some serious power, but if you have to rear it back from left field to land it, you're giving your attacker a LOT of reaction time. Instead, use a very fast, direct palm heel with your weaker lead hand at the same time you're rearing back with your strong hand. It will put him on the defensive and set you up for your big "move".

The odds of the 10 attacks - see previous post

2010-12-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Most of the self defence training we see is against a swinging punch to the head. One is a reactive attack and the 2nd is a "pre-emptive" type of attack.

In the first attack, you - as the defender - have pushed your attacker away, and he simply comes straight back at you with a swinging punch to the head.

Now, as 85% of people are right handed,most people would suggest you train for only a right hand attack; I suggest train for both: the defence is the same.

You either go in with 100% commitment or you get OUT with 100% commitment.

As for, attacks 3, 4 & 5, Any type of clothing grab means trouble!

For one, you have let your opponent get too close

Practice maintaining your distance. Then move onto the grab,. This is because you
got it wrong and did not maintain distance.Then practice the grab from different
scenarios, e.g. a surprise grab, or an argument then a grab etc.

This is why our training comprises of before & after - before anything goes wrong & what happens after the Karma theory comes into place.

Completely ignore the grabbing arm/s- just maintain a point of control. If you try to do anything with them
you will be hit. Try it and see. Wear a headguard, have someone wear a boxing glove
and grab you and try to K.O you.

If you ignore the grabbing hand and just attack you will be OK, not KO! If you
try to block you are doomed, from our training experience about 7 out of 10 times.

In training, when trying to do something with the grabbing arm the defender loses
10 out of 10.

And that ain't bad !

Some common attacks

2010-12-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

1. One person pushes, hands to chest, which
is normally followed by the pushee striking
first, to the head.

2. A swinging punch to the head.

3. A front clothing grab, one handed,
followed by punch to the head.

4. A front clothing grab, two hands, followed
by a head butt.

5. A front clothing grab, two hands, followed
by a knee to the groin.

6. A bottle, glass, or ashtray to the head.

7. A lashing kick to groin/lower legs.

8. A broken bottle/glass jabbed to face.

9. A slash with knife, most commonly a 3 to
4" lock blade knife or kitchen utility knife.
(Apart from muggings, sexual assaults and gang
violence, the hunting/combat type knife is
seldom used)

10. A grappling style head lock.

If you train in martial arts or self defence,you NEED to compare that list to the way you train self defence. If what you train is not on or similar to that list, I would suggest that you might want to add it to your training!

Avoiding a confrontation

2010-11-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

A very common form of early aggression and intimidation comes in the guise of
the 'The tough walk up' to about hand shaking distance, sometimes (especially
if he is taller), the chest to chest downwards glare at you, often accompanied by some form of very loud verbal extras.

You know the sort of thing, he shouts at you, waves his hands a lot, strides
towards you , loudly proclaiming just what he intends to do to you (often he
doesn't intend this one iota, he just likes shouting it).

Play his game by HIS rules and you have lost. If he stops right in front of you,
and a reasonable escape isn't possible then take first verbal control, answering
ANY of his questions puts you in HIS territory.

If he say's "What the F*** u staring at?", Rather than answering with "I
don't know what you mean, what's up man? ". Say "I'm bursting for the toilet, see you in a minute" A form of escape via YOUR verbal control has just presented itself, take it.

He is now left standing there feeling a bit of a JERK.

If you CAN'T get away then don't stare into his eyes, it's a form of challenge,
instead look at the spot on his forehead known as "the third eye", then he can't
read your eyes.

Don't attempt to touch him just yet,it may trigger his attack, we DON'T want violence (yet)

The art of science

2010-10-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

"Science is about bringing about order from chaos."

This is what I attempt to do everyday, every time from our training. Our local scene in the arts, self defense etc is in a chaos. At least from what i can see; people are blindly chasing fads while the ones responsible for teaching these very few, who entrusts their own personal safety into their trainers/ instructors hands, are being short changed?

The wedge

2010-10-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

The wedge is where two attackers are involved in a ploy to attack you.

One attacker normally will distract the victim with verbal moves. This is designed to engage the victims brain. The other attacker will then attack you on the 'blind spot'

If you are approached in this way, listen to your instincts. Many people don't and
THEN fall victim. If your instincts tell you to get away, then run if you can.

If you can't get away, try and dissuade your attackers verbally by telling them to
back off and making a fuss so as to draw attention.

If the first 2 options don't work then your ONLY other option is to fight back with 100% commitment.

So really you are going to get OUT with 100% commitment and run like hell or go IN with 100% commitment and ATTACK Like hell

NOTICE

2010-10-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The IMPACT workshop on the 30th October has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. A new
session will be arranged ASAP; with a even bigger, newer apearance and
location.

Thanks for your kind understanding!

Chief Trainer
Jason Wu

Myths against multiple attackers

2010-10-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Facing multiple attackers is an area feared and stunned by many around the world. To be outnumbered in a self-defense situation is very dangerous, what may work against a single opponent simply won't when dealing with multiple attackers.

This is, in fact, one of three major myths told and retold about self-defense against multiple attackers.

Here are three multiple attacker self defense myths that could get you hurt or killed:

1. “Bruce Lee principle.”
In his movies, the bad guys surround him in a circle. They all wait and take their turns while Buce fights them off one at a time - only thing is, it doesn't happen in a real multiple attacker scenario.

In a real street fight, the attackers all swarm you simultaneously. The more people that attack, the worse the swarm will be.

2. "Creating a shield with the attackers"
This states that we can create a kind of shield by trying to isolate the attackers & blocking the others as you move and shift to keep him between you and the others. This only works at very close quarters, and even then, it's difficult to pull off. At distance, the attackers are going to flow around each other and swarm you.

In order for it to work properly, there has to be consideration in the environment you are in, EG: bigger area = more space. Get the drift?

3. "Learn one move that will work against all"
The dynamics change with multiple attackers. Any technique you do that keeps you fully occupied with one assailant – say, an arm bar or control technique, or some standing or ground grappling method – allows the other attackers to pound on you as much as they want.

In a real multiple attacker scenario, you got to remember what doesn't work so that you can apply what works. This means staying on your feet, moving quickly, and exploding rapidly, using the most vicious and brutal self-defense technique you can in each case.

You have to punish each of your multiple attackers as fast and as quickly as possible to neutralise each outta the fight. You can't afford to spend much time on any one opponent. That may seem harsh, and it is. You've got to learn these if you wan to go home at the end of the day after facing multiple attacker, instead of landing up in some A&E departments.

4."You HAVE to fight multiple opponents"
LOOK before you open your mouth. If someone is giving you trouble, take the time to see if he has friends. This is a really good investment of time. It's also not hard to do because most people don't hide the fact that they have friends with them. If a group member starts talking trash, do a tactical withdrawal and keep your mouth shut. It's not cowardly to withdraw from a rigged fight.

5. "You CAN ‘fight’ multiple attackers."
Multiple attackers ain't your normal, typical fight. If whatever you do takes longer than three MOVES — not techniques — moves before someone is neutralised and out of the fight, You WILL be swarmed.

This is not ‘fighting’ as most people think of it. It's dropping someone so fast and then either
a) running like hell
b) moving onto the next guy
that their tactical advantage of numbers is neutralized or minimised.

It also tends to scare the sh*t out of them because attacking in numbers is supposed to keep them safe. When you beat the crap out of their best fighter and use your grip on his skull to throw him and bowl over their second best fighter, fighters three and four tend to hesitate about closing in on you. You can use that opportunity to get the hell out of there.

People use the multiple attackers on one person strategy because it WORKS! Bad news: Of all strategies, it has the highest success rate.

Good news: You can usually see it coming.

This gives you time to do something other than stick your finger where it hurts. It doesn't matter how fast you are with your finger or where the place is, you aint gonna happy.

So your best strategy is: If you do find yourself in such a situation, get out of there ASAP

One sweet spot

2010-09-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

The point we are going to cover is the back of the head, at the base of the skull under the round of the occipital bone.

If you draw a line from the bottom of the ear to the spine, the half way point is
where it can be found.

This area should be struck in an upward motion towards the opposite upper side of
the frontal part of the head.

Strike towards the forehead of the opposite side.

This is the 'easiest' K.O. point on the body. However, it is not easy to get to as it is on the back of the head.

All the Doormen, Security Officers and Law Enforcement Officers I have taught this to have made this place their 'favourite'.

A light strike will cause dizziness and the legs to buckle.

A medium strike will cause unconsciousness and momentary memory loss.

A severe strike will cause massive unconsciousness.
It will also cause total short term (last few hours) memory loss

As always, please ensure you only use reasonable force and adhere to laws of wherever you are in!

I.M.P.A.C.T Ladies Exclusive Protection workshop

2010-09-21T23:00:00.001-07:00

Dear all, the 1 day I.M.P.A.C.T! Ladies Exclusive Protection workshop has been changed to 30th Oct, 2010 due to over whelming response! We are extending registration period! Grab your slots now!

Pictures from 13th August Mini Seminar

2010-09-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Good personal safety

2010-09-06T04:43:00.000-07:00

The first point is obviously avoid being alone late at night in dangerous areas. Even if in a group of people, you can gettrouble in some places at daytime as well as night.

It can happen in good areas too, so the statement of the obvious isn't that usefulin these circumstances, and sometimesthere's some stuff worth seeing and doing in DODGY areas so you have to go there.

Here's some tips about avoiding trouble when things get not so obvious:

Firstly look confident! This can be tough but human predators are just like their counterparts in the animal world: they'll pick on a target they believe to be EASY PREY. You can look confident by walking purposefully with your head held high andobserving what is happening around you. Also having smart and tidy clothes and an all round neat appearance. These make you appear more powerful and LESS victim like to a potential attacker.

Wearing black or very dark clothes helps.In our culture people associate black withpower, confidence and a little bit of danger. This goes for predators too and can help put them off.

Shaky legs and moving bowels

2010-09-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

For those who have had any training or contact with what we do will know, our training regime focuses alot on managing FEAR and also the various physiological occurences during a stressful situation especially a physically hostile confrontation.

I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said that when someone tries to attack or fight with you that you WON'T be stressed. You will be. It's a VERY stressful experience.

Some of the effects you may experience are as follows:

Bowel loosening - commonly referred to as a "combat s**t" . This is the body's natural way of dumping digested food and making your body lighter and more prepared for action.

Nausea - Similar concept to the above, again the body is trying to shift excess weight and digesting food is NOT regarded as an essential function by the body in high stress situations.

Voice Tremor- The voice can take on a quiver and the opponent can perceive this as fear. This NEEDS to be controlled.

Tunnel vision - This is the body's way of inducing a state of higher concentration on the threat before you. You focus so much on that threat that anything else around you is ignored. This is OBVIOUSLY potentially dangerous as it leaves us
open to attacks from other opponents.

The best way I've found to counter this is to constantly scan 360 degrees around you or step off at an angle of 90 degrees to your opponent so you can see what was originally behind you in your peripheral vision.

Auditory Exclusion- Connected to Tunnel Vision,the bodies higher state of concentration on the immediate threat blocks out peripheral noise, again people who have fought in the cage or ring in full contact fights often DON'T hear the crowd
or their corner team shouting instructions.

Quote of the Day

2010-08-23T07:11:00.001-07:00

"I was always afraid of dying. Always. It was my fear that made me learn everything I could about my airplane and my emergency equipment, and kept me flying respectful of my machine and always alert in the cockpit."

- Brigadier General Chuck Yeager
Yeager, An Autobiography

Featured!

2010-08-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

I love this article! LOLs! Written by a participant in one of our workshops. And in case you're wondering, NO! We didn't pay her to write that! Thank you Yvonne!
Click here

Some pictures from the workshop are below:

Coach J - explaining basic FEAR Management

The Importance of Distance with your hands up

"Blind - man's Drill TM"

Mirror Drill

What starts the fight?

2010-08-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

As with what we tell all our participants in all our classes, workshops and seminars; There are three aspects you simply MUST control in a street encounter, your attacker will (often without realising he is doing it) try to control these three.

They are: SPACE, DISTANCE, TIME. Let me explain.

Your attacker has made his choice to confront you, you may not even have known anything about it until he does.

He, on the other hand may have been sitting at a near by table working up to coming to confront you. Remember an old combat adage (well it's only old cos I am, and I made it up years ago)

A fight doesn't start with the first punch; it starts with the first THOUGHT of fighting!

So firstly he is now controlling TIME, he has decided WHEN to confront, WHEN to threaten, and he will control WHEN to attack.

Next, he will control SPACE. He may crowd you, or block you in... he is dictating the AREA, the SPACE that the 'fight' or attack will take place in.

Finally he will approach you physically and move you and himself into positions that HE wants, how close (or not) HE wants to be to you. He is now controlling DISTANCE.

You must take control of all three of these aspects or at least as many as you can.

Let's take SPACE.

As soon as there is a hint of encounter, get into as much space as you can; stand up, rather than stay seated, move OUT of a doorway (Bottle neck). Don't stay in it.

Move away from obstacles and so on. By moving you are making him re-plan 'on the go' as it were. He has lost the advantage of SPACE control!

Resorts World Sentosa, Martial Combat Night MMA Fighting Championship

2010-08-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Resorts World™ Sentosa Martial Combat™ will feature a grand total of twelve events comprising 60 action-packed fights. Presenting some of the most popular and celebrated Asian fighters and many ranked fighters from around the world, the championship will be held at the Compass Ballroom in Resorts World™ Sentosa, Singapore’s first integrated resort. With an unprecedented amount of television coverage from ESS in excess of 60 hours, it will be the largest MMA broadcast in Asia. This is a star-studded event showcasing non-stop action inside a custom designed circular cage – the first in Singapore, bringing together some of the biggest names in the MMA world.

The only MMA event broadcast to over 24 different Asian countries, this Championship will receive over 200 hours of TV broadcast on the network. ESPN STAR Sports strives to grow this action-packed professional sport to new heights and turn talented fighters into household names.

The annual Championship is a thrilling series of two-day events held monthly for a period of six months Fighters will battle for their place in television history, a Championship belt, and the coveted right to call themselves Asia's Champion.

Upcoming Fight Dates are: Aug 18-19

The competition is officially sanctioned by the World Martial Arts Federation in Singapore and ESPN recognises the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Federation as the official governing body of the sport within Asia. This is the biggest MMA championship series in Asia and the fights will be done in a custom designed circular cage that is specially made for Martial Combat. This will also be the first time a cage is used in Singapore

There is a special deal proudly brought to you by Beeconomic.com on the 13th and 14th Aug 2010 for the tickets of the event at a very special price! Click on the banners to go to their site!

NOTE: ONLY 150 tickets will be on sale for each day!

18th August tickets are on sale 13th Aug!

19th August tickets are on sale 14th Aug!

Most important thing in a fight?

2010-08-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Got a mail last night & this was the question:

"What do you look out for in a fight or any violent encounters?"

My Ans: You fight to W.I.N. Whats Important Now.

Depending on the type of fights (Real vs Sports vs Training etc.), focusing on the W.I.N determines the end result of the encounter, which is of course, the ultimate finale you would want to see.

And you might ask, how do we get the results we want in all these fights? Simple! By alot of trial and errors, developing a whole of drills and see which produce the most consistent results, adapting it and changing the way you do things etc.

NOTE: Consistent results does not equal 100% working all the time! It just doesnt work that way as no one single encounters, gym, training or real fights, are exactly alike! Yes, you will see similarities but thanks to Murphy's Law, it keeps you on your feet.

It's like when your financial consultant tells you that a investment is 100% guaranteed, that is your signal to look for someone else!

This is why we are a system and not a set of doctrines or philosophies. The difference?

Systems can be ever evolving and changing to adapt over the times, to include, increase, improvise (3-I's); this ensures that all important aspects are being taken care of, physically, mentally, emotionally etc. It aims to solve a problem.

Confusing?
EG: ever went to your car workshop and see how many tools are there hanging on the wall or in the mechanics individual toolboxe(s)? Yes! They have one or more of such boxes or tools sometimes. Why? This is because they carry a variety of tools to do their job: diagnose, treat & remedy a problem. If problem A grows bigger, they have to use different tools, say tool A1 instead of tool A. For a various of problems, they have various tools. However, if you notice, they also seem to have a basic set of tools that seems to work wonders in almost all cases!

Get the drift?

What about philosophies: A 'philosophy' is only validated if you explore all the tangible(movable/ changeable) parts of it. And, a philosophy is useless if YOU control the experiments and the condition so that it supports the philosophy itself.

Alot of people, they train this way if I might bring your attention.

Confused?
EG: Ever notice how some traditions teaches the same low stance - outer block - straight punch (No puns intended) move over and over generations to everyone? Things change, people change, the way encounters are met, change. So why doesnt the way being taught, is changed?

One common challenge faced is the underlying philosophy, principles or doctrines, as different people would call it. In order to adhere with the "guidelines" handed down, people over the years have the notion to "pause" development & experiments as the philosophies itselves have been embedded too deep, some don't even dare to think of change.

This is very dangerous, why?

Think of this: You go to a class and you're taught to block - straight punch or someone grabs you - you hold wrist - twist outside, repeatedly. Worst, with someone actually co-operating to make it all work, you get really good at doing the wrong things, real fast.

For some,they will start to wonder "hm..is this really how it works or plays out?"

Very soon,it will lead to self doubt and in times of a real encounter, guess what?! GAME OVER!

This is why, the only "philosophy we" have is Continually Challenging Challenges. (3-Cs) Which in itself, deserves and can only be further broken down in another article soon.

See you at our next training.

A cause for concern of our personal safety?

2010-08-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

8 youths arrested for robbery
Sometimes we wonder, is it really safe?

Lift robber arrested
A classic case that hostile criminals may come in all shapes, sizes and age!

Man charged with rape
A crime that is commited against women's basic's rights and in broad daylight!??

Violent teen crimes up
This article states that YOUNG people in Singapore are turning to violent crimes like rioting, loansharking and theft rather than sex! No doubt some crimes of concern were down, i saw in the papers yesterday that crimes against persons were on the rise.

Robbed at ECP
A forum discussion on a woman robbed in broad daylight.

So, what's the point of posting this few of the many cases that happen each year? Some people might argue that it is still a minority amount.True & yet i beg to differ;

Alot of people in SG are reluctant to learn how to effectively protect themselves, without dewlling too deep, some common reasons are busy, no time, lazy, SG is a very safe place, it won't happen to me!

No doubt SG is a safe place, such incidents do occur!
1. 1-2 hours a week not only great enhances your physical fitness, it also increases the knowledge and skills you need to protect yourself incase such things happen to you. The age old sayings of "Give them what they want" rings in many people's ears, sure, you can do that. what makes you so sure that you will be unharmed?

Remember, no hostile criminal likes to get caught, especially under all the rush, rage, anger, fear etc they are experiencing under the act of the crime. Besides, would you really hand and trust your personal well-being over to the hands of a hyped up, potentially fatal hostile person?

2. These are just a few of the many incidents that occur, unaccounted for those that goes unreported. If saying it won't happen to me will work, trust me; it happens to anyone and anytime. It may be now, it may be when you're all old and feebly.

3. I can just call the police!
Ok, go ahead and call the them while you're being robbed. Or threaten the hostiles that you will call the police. In our training, we advocate verbal de-escalation of the situation, however this is one thing that we will never teach people to say (tactfully of course.) Why - It has a hidden fatal potential that it will aggrevate the attacker more! Remember what I said people does not like to get caught? Easy, put yourself in the criminal's shoes; if someone says this to you, what will you do?

2 things: either run away or make sure the person doesn't talk.

Next, if you are able to survive the ordeal and go to the police, would you be able to remain during the incident to remember details of the attacker? Of course, I dont deny some people do have remarkable abilities to remain cool under extreme stress and anxiety, these will definitely help the police to solve the crime in the fastest time possible.

Also, even if you are able to make the call during the incident, by the time they get there, can you be sure you will be still unscathed?

Our local police have great response time, however it still takes awhile for anyone to even take notice of the assualt if someone is nearby, let alone the authorities to arrive on scene.

Just like buying insurance, why do you buy it? For a "just - in - case" event, right? I surely believe that such crimes definitely shows how much more worthwhile a life is.

I always advocate it is the individuals Responseability to take care of themselves in any kind of potentially hostile situations.

Yup! Responseability There isn't any spelling mistake! Response - ability

Not only is it upon your own shoulders to learn and react, response, prevent or protect etc, it is also your Ability to Response that contributes hugely to the level of injury (lets be real, any real violent confrontations are bound to have), your ability to escape, etc.

So i would say, invest your time, learn some basic skills or knowledge to protect yourself.

Situational Confrontation Awareness _ The Fitness Chapter

2010-07-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Recognizing that not all individuals might be very into the martial arts or combat aspects of self defense, rather; more into maintaining their level of physical fitness and health.

We have included a long term, regular training program into our list! You can check it out at IDACT Tactical Systems or alternatively check out our Facebook page.

This program constitutes of IDACT Tactical Systems core training concepts and principles, inco-operated with our usual training drills, workouts etc

Participants not only learn effective, highly retainable (meaning you wont forget what you learnt!) personal protection skills, but the workouts allow you to break that sweat, maintaining and ultimately, increasing your fitness over the weeks of training.

The files images are below:

New Online Comboutique Shop!

2010-07-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

We have a new online shop at here!

Check it out for new designs! Design your own as well! Follow us on Facebook for more info and updates!

New image!

2010-07-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

We have a new image artwork !

What are your views!

RWS Martial Combat Night

2010-07-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Wed, 14 July 2010

Team I.D.A.C.T had a great night at Resort Worlds Sentosa, Martial Combat Championships.

We managed to get 4 complimentary tickets thanks to Chris of Beeconomic.com , a online portal which offers great shopping deals in coupons! So guys, if you wan great deals, do visit them! we will also be posting up great deals that are related to what we do in the Martial Arts or Self defense industry for all!

Back to the topic, as I could'nt make it to the event, our Auxiliary Instructor Yingquan and our Ops sweet babe, Samantha had to go with their friends instead which was indeed a eye opening experience for them (Tix on sale was quite hefty too) .

Samantha has the pics taken on the night with her and once I get it from her, it will be uploaded into our FB, website, newsletter, blog etc for all to enjoy!

Will my 100- year old history art/ style work?

2010-07-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

One of the questions we get asked all the time is "will traditional Martial arts
work in a street confrontation?"

Well, There is a theory on traditional martial arts in real life situations.This is a general and simplified explanation, this question usually leads "What's the best art then?".

Which has been answered numerous times too, do scroll through the posts for that subject, LOLs!

Too many people including martial artists misunderstand the difference between sport/ dojo sparring and street fighting.

They are completely different worlds.

The karateka might say "I can smash a dozen roof tiles with my reverse punch, so I could easily drop an attacker in the street." This is a misconception that an aggressor will stay around and exchange blows with them. NO WAY!

The fact is there is very rarely any sparring in the street.
No street smart person wants to fight three, three minute rounds because he doesn't train for this.

The street aggressor is bound by no rules whatsoever. He will come at you in a frenzy,using no ritualized punches. He'll spit, bite, head butt and stomp with no referee to save you.

You'll face a fast, brutal few seconds of violence that will not only physically blow you away, but mentally shock you. You won't be attacked in a well lit dojo or ring with matted floors to land on. Instead it may be an icy pavement, a beer soaked floor in a pub or club, or a slippery toilet floor. Not the ideal conditions for combat!

There may be no room to use your toolbox of "killer" techniques and you may even have difficulty seeing the attacker in darkness or rain.

Upcoming I.M.P.A.C.T Ladies Exclusive Self Defense Workshop

2010-07-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

This upcoming Ladies Exclusive Self Defense program is on 2nd Oct 2010, it is a whole day program.

So ladies, why is self defense a important factor for you? Usually we think that self defenses encompasses just the physical factors of when someone grabs you, harasses or attacks you etc. However, a major portion of it comes right from even the whole confrontation occurs!

If we are to effectively handle a situation that spirals outta hand, we need to know in advance, the emotional and physchological factors that play a role in us being able to prevent, defuse the situation and finally confidently react and response to the physical confrontation that it escalates to (hopefully it never goes to that!)

No doubt Singapore is a relatively safe place, we still need to empower ourselves with knowledge that we are prepared! Be it locally or overseas, Stomp had a report of a girl being sexually assualted overseas and there are some comments both positive and negative within the article; the point is, no matter what, you have a right to protect yourself!

You can check out IDACT Tactical Systems Facebook page for more info! Or go to our Training Calendar to check our the details!

The images for the program are also uploaded below:

Improvised weapons

2010-06-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

You are not allowed to carry any weapon by design or anything adapted to be used for the sole purpose as a weapon.

With that said, in dire circumstances, where you feel that you are in danger for your safety, it is perfectly acceptable to use anything to hand as an improvised weapon in the event of an emergency.

The key factor here is that any improvised weapon will only be of any use
to you if the item is already available to you, in your strongest hand and accompanied by an alert and switched on state of awareness.

Your car or door keys can and should be held ready to use in your hand in preparation to enter your car or house as quickly and efficiently as possible accompanied by a good sense of awareness.

This is simply habitual street smart Self- Protection.

Say you were returning to your car. It's dark and you're in a deserted car park. In this case, it would make sense that your keys were ready for use in your strongest hand - in a manner that would allow them to be to be used for effective slashing and stabbing.

If an attacker approached you, you're first response would be to use the keys as a weapon.

There are MANY everyday items that could be used as an improvised weapon.

The main items we are going to cover here involve the use of keys, a pen and a mobile phone any of which could come in very handy if we found ourselves needing an equalizer.

The thing to remember about the items mentioned is that they are NOT weapons by design. Nor have they been converted in any way to be used as one - but they could be should the need arise

Adrenaline, Heart Rate and the Freeze

2010-05-11T00:20:00.000-07:00

As we have always emphasized during our training classes and workshops alike, understanding our human body's natural psycho - emotional responses as well as physiological preparations is important to surviving any kind of confrontations, this applies even to our daily life styles.

Factors such as our heart rate, adrenaline rush and the dreaded brain freeze are the main issues that deter and encumber our optimum efforts.

Scientific research into the adrenal state also referred to as the Survival Stress Response (SSR) carried out by a scientist in this fieldc alled Bruce Siddle, has indicated that our ability to function under the effects of adrenal stress is directly related to an increase in our heart rate.

At 115 beats per minute (bpm) most people will start to lose fine motor function. Skills which involve hand and eye co-ordination or finger dexterity will become difficult to perform.

As the heart rate increases to 145 bpm and beyond our body will start to REDUCE the efficiency of certain bodily functions thatit considers to be less essential to our survival during this time of stress, these include effects to both our visual and auditorysystems as well as temporary impairment to certain areas of the brain.

The thing to remember is that in combat, our heart rate can go from 70 bpm to 220 bpm in less than a second such a case can TRIGGER astate of hyper-vigilance or the DREADED freeze response. At the very least our decision making abilitiescan become severely impaired.

Further research by Siddle suggests that theideal heart rate for a functional combative response allowing maximum reaction time and maintenance of gross motor skills will fall into a range between 115-145 bpm.

The key factor lies in our ability to remain within this ideal range. This can be attained through certain training drills that will allow you to de-sensitise to the effectsof adrenaline.

Aggression Therapy drills, Simulation and scenario training in a controlled environmentusing body armour, role play and AGGRESSIVE dialogue can take you a large part of the way towards de-sensitisation to the effects ofadrenaline, and will develop your ability to remain calmer in such situations thereby reducing the increase in heart rate.

Make adrenaline your friend!

2010-05-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

During potential or violent confrontations, our ability to use our thought process becomes less rational, our decision making abilities become more difficult.

This is due to blood leaving the brain to be put to use else where. Such as our extremities, to prepare for the fight or flight moment.

Your eyes will become wide and STARING to take in more information.

This is due to the effect of tunnel vision,which will make your field of view as if you were looking through a telescope with no lenses.

This can make you vulnerable to an attack from the side if you are focused on a
threat in front of you, try and keep your peripheral vision open by looking around
often.

Your hearing will also become impaired due to what's known as auditory exclusion in an attempt to tune into the threat.

Your ability to perform fine motor skills or complex actions will become seriously
reduced leaving you with only gross motor ability.

On the POSITIVE side adrenaline will make you stronger, faster and more resistant
to pain.

As you can see all these effects have a purpose and are in fact ESSENTIAL to
our survival.

Try and gain an understanding of adrenaline!

Understanding your Mind... yet again

2010-05-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

It has been many many times since I last stressed on this topic over the years, be it whatever discipline or arts that you are training in. However, it seems, this is an area many people miss out or rarely understands.

They just want to learn the physical skills. Like I always emphasize, understanding how our brain functions and the in built neuro responses that are too fast, primal for our conscious mind to apprehend are equally important.

For the individual the most important aspect when dealing with any POTENTIALLY violent confrontation will be his/her understanding of the fight or flight response.

Your ability to cope with adrenal stress when a confrontation 'kicks off' will make
all the difference to how you handle the situation.

The fact is if you understand what is happening to your own body under the effects of adrenal stress then you are more likely to gain control over yourself and the situation and LESS likely to freeze up or over react.

The body responds to danger by secreting adrenaline: this is what we often mis-
interpreted as F.E.A.R.

If you do NOT understand this simple fact,then what you are more likely to encounter,
especially if you are startled, is the 'freeze' response.

The only way to lessen the effect of the startle reflex and prevent freezing up is
through awareness, being switched on and good threat assessment abilities and the
anticipation of the adrenaline sensation.

We MUST learn to understand what is going on inside our mind and body when we are
faced with danger.

If we have this understanding then we will be better prepared to move past the mental and physical sensations of adrenal release so we can physically function effectively.

STOPPING IMPACT

2010-04-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Your main tools as we spoke before, should be the ones that allow you to deliver the MOST decisive, fight stopping impact in a blink of an eye, an instant!

They should also be workable and functional from anywhere, NOT just the ideal range with your most dominant side, but also from restriction in range and position, from both your right and left, dominant AND non-dominant limbs.

OK, that is the Jeez of the information, I'm sorry certain things have to be repeated & said else where by me and those before me in order to get the point across.

The fact is there's commonality in what works right across the board, regardless of whose delivering the material so lots of factors kind of entwine themselves before coming to a similar conclusion.

So, what tool should YOU choose?

Well this blof or any articles here for the matter is not a debate about what's best! hand, head, elbow or foot. Closed fist or open hand?

They all have their place and have all worked decisively for someone, somewhere at sometime or another.

The point to take is, find one or two strikes that best suit you and master them. Aim to become EXTREMELY proficient with everything else and in turn, this will provide a contingency support plan for your main arsenal tools.

Limit your choices!

2010-04-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

Just as we always tell our trainees across the board in any of our courses and workshops:

Action Vs Reaction
More choices = More complex skills
More complex skills = More reaction time
More reaction time = not a good thing

trainees should aim to become extremely efficient with all of their natural body weapons and resources with BOTH dominant and non-dominant sides. Then you will know what tools in your arsenal work best for you.

The less options or choices you have in your mind or toolbox,the faster you
will act under stress.

These then become YOUR main artillery tools, which are then placed into your
game plan.

This artillery now sits on a controlled hair trigger that literally points at
their target objective EVERY time you employ your fence, without the potential
subject even knowing it.

It is your main artillery that should be prioritized. These tools SHOULD be drilled
beyond unconscious competence, to a level of "complete mastery" where by you absolutely own them.

Training for thorough striking power

2010-04-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

Many people focus on the surface of your attacker's body as the “contact point”. In fact, we should aim somewhere about 6 inches PAST his body.

The idea is when you strike, imagine that your fist or your foot is traveling THROUGH your attacker's body and literally coming out the other side.

WHY?

1st, your strike force is condensed to a much smaller area, focusing all of your power into a tiny section versus diffusing your effort across a wider area like that from a strike that makes contact and then snaps back. (Think of it as the difference between getting shot with a shotgun using buckshot vs. a slug. Slugs leave big wide, gaping holes and do much more damage!)

2nd, although your strike won't really come out the other side of your attacker's body, it WILL drive deeper into their insides and do more damage.

Training for such a blow is surprisingly easy (though a bit harder to re-wire for those used to competitive “point strikes”).

When you punch or kick (a bag or a training partner), instead of quickly retracting your strike, make it “stick” to your target as if you were hitting sticky paper.

This will very quickly reprogram your brain to avoid retracting your strike and you'll be able to better mentally imagine your blow traveling THROUGH your target until it becomes second nature.

If you're attacking the ribs, Imagine your fist moving THROUGH your target, snapping bones like small branches and coming out the other side, leaving a wide hole!

If you're attacking the lower limbs with a roundhouse kick, imagine that you're literally shearing off the leg in half.

Head shot? All you want is the head snapping right off.

Getting the picture (as morbid as it may sound)?

The goal here isn't to actually visualize spurting blood and eyeballs flying all over but to simply train your body to think beyond surface targets to put more power into your strike

WHAM!!! Like a BIG hammer!

2010-04-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

I believe more often than not, alot of people will have found that many schools build an entire attack philosophy around more of a “points” system rather than a “kick the shit & escape” approach.

EG: many martial arts schools use a “snapping” motion with both punches and kicks in which you strike and quickly retract your fist or foot to punch again.

Familiar?

This works great if all you have to do is touch your sparring partner to score a point and need to aim again in case you missed.

It sucks if your goal is for some serious ass kicking & escape a violent situation!

WHY?

Think about the difference between using a hammer versus a sledgehammer.

With a hammer, your aim is to hit a nail and then quickly pick the hammer back up and hit the nail repeatedly until it finally goes in. Speed is a primary factor in getting the nail in as fast as possible.

When you use a sledgehammer however, your goal is to knock the living hell out of something with as few blows as possible, preferably just ONE.

Same goes with strikes in a real fight.

Since your goal is to end an attack as quickly as possible, you don't want to be messing around with rapid, “speed punches” that make contact but do little damage.

Won't you rather get in one good solid strike on a vital target that makes the attacker see stars than get in a bunch of faster, less powerful strikes?

Yet this is how most guys strike because they don't understand how to deliver REAL power into their punches and kicks.

Weapons Retention Tips

2010-03-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

F.I.B.U.A often offer environmental obstacles and it's easy to trip, fall, bang into a wall or other obstacle. If you have a weapon, you're at a great risk of losing it and the same goes for your attacker if he's armed. At some point in a close-quarters battle, either of you might lose your weapon. Your first impulse will be to try and recover it, or to fight for possession of it and that can be fatal!

Because the one mistake almost every fighter makes during CQC, especially if he lacks training, is to focus on the weapon instead of the real threat. The weapon, by itself, can't hurt you. It's the man who can hurt you, and he's the real enemy. If it looks like it's going to be a life-or-death struggle to gain access to a loose weapon, especially when you're cramped for space follow these principles instead:

Fighting in Built Up Areas -
Weapon Retention Tip #1:

WORRY about the man INSTEAD! As long as your force multiplier is on the ground or the floor, it can't hurt you.

Fighting in Built Up Areas -
Weapon Retention Tip #2:

Use his own survival impulse against him. He'll go for the weapon instinctively. While he's focused on the bait, you can target him more effectively.

Fighting in Built Up Areas -
Weapon Retention Tip #3:

Use your combatives skills. Football kick your enemy while he's struggling to get that fallen weapon. Rain hammerfist blows down on him. Knee him. Overwhelm him while he's still thinking of that weapon he's never going to reach. Make use of the arsenal you have learnt

Fighting in Built Up Areas -
Weapon Retention Tip #4:

Once your enemy is on the defensive, you can recover the weapon to finish him off or escape.

When it comes to your self defense training, think outside the box and outside your traditional training environment and the hazards you may face such as those when fighting in built-up areas.

Maths in L.E or Confrontation Awareness

2010-03-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Math Problem

One IDACT training maxim is: “Don’t let the math beat you.”

We will assume that there are only one or two good guys at the scene and three or more bad guys. We will also assume that help is on the way but because of Murphy;s Law, it will take more than 10 minutes and the assault will occur early in the interaction.

Geometry

Before this multiple assailant situation starts to get physical, geometry is the study of the properties and relationships between points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.

Upon sensing a escalation in the confrontation, try to position yourself so that you can observe every person involved but only one of them can reach you at any given time.

Use NVPs but keep the arms and hands engaged and provide a mental and physical barrier between you and the bad guy; that limit the closest bad guy’s choices of attack while using choice speech and develop rapport with the subjects. You also want to be able to observe your partner’s actions if there is one present. Ideally, you would position yourself where you can see your partner and vice versa.

If the assault commences regardless of your efforts, you should continue to use zoning and angles to limit the amount of bad guy limbs that can come in contact with you.

Use the environment and footwork to prevent more than one attacker to come in contact. Use walls, tables, chairs, and even the attackers themselves as obstacles, shields, or weapons. Remember that a multiple assault against you may quickly become fatal and one of your options is to quickly escalate to a weapon or heightened level of force

Other options are to find an escape route and tactically withdraw, hold off the attackers until help arrives, or a combination of all of the above.

None of these options can be achieved, however, without effective counter-ambush tactics, personal defense skills, and achieving a point of control.

The following reframes are all closely related and overlap each other, making our problem easier to face.

Addition

This starts as a psychological mobilizer. The additional opponents have now provided you with additional targets to hit!

Using Closest Weapon Closest Target (CWCT), the presence of more than one opponent just adds more targets for your tools to collide with. Capitalizing on this reframe will help you implement the next one.

Subtraction
Once the attack starts, quickly reduce the number of attackers by one — as quickly as possible and as often as necessary —for your success. By using zoning and flanking strategies together with your tactics, you want to create a series of manageable one-on-one encounters instead of one large gang fight. Don’t be surprised or discouraged if you can’t reduce the number quickly.

Multiplication
Often when attacking, the multiplied amount of limbs are coming at us from multiple body-mind systems with different intentions. This often results in multiple coordination problems. Usually, multiple attackers just get in each other’s way allowing for more opportunities to escape or use their own bodies as shields, obstacles or weapons. We can take advantage of this by applying our next reframe.

Division
This principle is VERY IMPORTANT. By using efficient movement and zoning, we can also divide the group into smaller numbers. You must also try to divide their attention as they attempt to move around their numbers to get into position to strike.

Scoring an A

At IDACT, we learn basic drills that teach us how to apply this math in realistic scenarios.

Choice speech and other rapport-building strategies are practiced in with physical tactics.

First we make sure that we understand how to use physiology to our advantage and the principles of Point of Control (POC) against one opponent.

Next we practice drills that allow us to achieve and maintain a POC quickly and use the same to manipulate an opponent.

Once we can do this effectively we also implement zoning and manipulation in order to use our opponents as obstacles, shields, or weapons. The next stage of training involves reaction time drills in which we face several opponents, but we don’t know which one will attack first. Once the attack is started we implement our strategies to avoid and escape.

We follow the principle of progressive resistance and start with just two opponents, then add one at a time until we have a number of partners that can safely replicate a gang attack. Space available and number of students will play a factor in how far you can expand this aspect of your training.

Finally, we create realistic scenarios where we can apply all of the principles we learned. We allow ourselves to apply all the different options so survival is the main focus. The stress induction in this level of training is priceless, creating a more competent, confident you.

Although kicking and punching all our attackers seems macho fantasy, facing more than one aggressive attacker in the street is a very real possibility. By understanding all of the principles here, it is now a very survivable reality.

The ancient Samurais on the ground

2010-03-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

In experience, l have found in a live situation that throwing a fired up, uncooperative opponent is completely different to throwing a training partner.

It is very difficult to throw someone who DOESN'T want to go (and is doing
everything they can to stop you).

Remember we are not talking about competition, where you both seize each others' Gi's and look for a throw or go to a clinch and attempt to take the other down.

If you go to an upright grapple position,your opponent WILL do everything to foil your throw with head butts, bites, kneeling, stamping and gouging. In the street he WILL not play by the rules.

An excellent Judo, Ju Jutsu or Wrestling person can and will be beaten if he hasn't the knowledge to adapt his/her art.

Early Ju Jutsu was a battlefield art of the Samurai - they learned to grapple in battle armour.

Some of the throws seen in some Ju Jutsu systems today lean more to Judo than true Ju Jutsu, because two people clad in armour would NOT be leaping around doing sacrifice throws and winding throws.

They just would not be able to move effectively enough and once they went to ground they would probably have a job to get back up.

"OUCH" on the floor & why its important in your arsenal

2010-03-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

The so called - original Ju Jutsu throws relied on pain to put the person down. Judo relies heavily on leverage and balance breaking to throw. However, if one goes in deeper into the ancient times of arts, Ju Jutsu works on the above two principles & relied heavily on creating LARGE quantities of pain, in that they would break a limb, grab a pressure point, gouge an eye to convince their attacker to go over or down etc

Of course we don't grapple in armour today - but if you adapt the same principles you CAN have some success in throwing.

To rely on grabbing clothing in a real life altercation is not a good idea. Because the designer shirt or jacket, although looks great, was never intended to be in a "tug - of - war" during a combat situation.

If you attempt a shoulder throw by grabbing someone's shirt, you may find yourself in a BAD position with just the torn piece of clothing in your hands.

I am not very tall (1.67M) and all my training life people I have come up against
have been bigger and taller. I needed equalizers - and my own innovation helped overcome the problem.

The rules:
if the opponent is rushing in towards to grab you, tackle or strike etc, use HIS momentum to carry him on, so you DON'T clash and fight strength to
strength.

Certain trips, sweeps and take-downs WILL work this way but you have to train for good timing, body positioning and accuracy.

These moves can give your opponent a NASTY shock and it's like having the carpet pulled from under you or the ground suddenly opening up in front of you

HOWEVER,
as we always advocate during our trainings, of the so many things we train for, how much of it actually works? you can train for all the good timing, body positioning and accuracy BUT when your adrenaline is rushing, heart rate is pumping up to 3 times as fast, your vision gets tunneled, how to do you ensure that all these you have trained for comes into place?

This is where the Intercept comes into play, for anyone who have had studied or trained with us, you will find that it is workable from the left & right, and is easily transformable into a takedown.

For those of you who have to bring the fights to the ground, it is a very versatile move that you will have to get into your nervous system. Remember that "blunt trauma is king"! Based on your own body's reaction, it will help you weather the 1st impact of rush and grabbing and of course, remember our "W.I.N" theory, the rest is up to the individual's skils and training.

Death of a baby in Brazil

2010-03-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

A newborn baby who died in a delivery room & the mother has SLAMMED two doctors for fighting while she was delivering the baby.

An investigation has been initiated by the authorities in Brazil to determine whether the fight caused or contributed to the death of the baby.

The two doctors were since sacked by the hospital.

Witnesses said that one doctor got angry because the other had been summoned to
deliver the baby, even though he was not to be on duty.

The 32-year-old lady said she was terrified when the fight broke out.

Describing the event, she said the doctors began "exchanging punches inside the room", when she was just minutes from delivery. Witnesses said the baby died of asphyxiation following complications.

"Their sentences could range from a warning to the suspension of their medicine practice licenses," an official said.

What can we learn from this AWFUL story?

IE: however calm, nice, kind and pleasant people are, WHATEVER their background or occupation, everyone is capable of "snapping" in "certain" circumstances.

It can be anger, jealousy, alcohol or whatever reason - everyone is capable of "losing" it.

So from a self defence stand point - NEVER let your guard down in a situation because the other person appears incapable of turning nasty.

You never know what will "trigger" even the most "angelic" of people.

The little piece of "Wonder Cloth"

2010-03-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a good tip for improving your punch and reducing the damage to your hand.

Start by folding two handkerchiefs into a 'roll', just the right size to hold in
the closed fist, with a little protruding.

This gives internal 'support' to the closed fist, and actually makes the punching position stronger.

Now begin lightly striking a heavy bag from about 12-15 inches away.

Do this for about 100 times each hand.

Then take the hankies out, and start again lightly punching the heavy bag.

BUT start with the hands wide open, and about 2 inches from contact suddenly
SQUEEZE the fist closed.

The act of closing at the moment of contact actually strengthens both the
phalanges and inner hand bones.

If you start with the fists already closed,then extension of the arm produces
relaxation of the fist on contact.

This is how you hurt them....REMEMBER that!

Boxers hit with wraps and gloves, and no need any extra protection. The wraps provide BOTH the 'hankie' effect in the palm and a support on the wrist and
hand.

The gloves then provide the cushioning. You will be street punching with neither wraps or gloves.

To strengthen the wrist do push ups, on open hands, on the finger-tips.

You don't need anything else. This spreads the tendons of the wrist and aids in
supporting your punches.

Finally, practise 90% of your punches from a NON posed position. That is, walk past a partner holding Mitts, suddenly turn and strike.

Stand in front of a heavy bag with your hands held anywhere OTHER than in a
'boxing' posture.

At the sides, in your pockets, scratching your backside if you want.

Then on an external signal (a shout from a partner), throw your punches from where ever your hands happen to be at the time.

Keep them relaxed until a couple of inches away from the impact point then make a
conscious effort to ALMOST 'jump' them closed.

Remember, the legs, hips, shoulders and arms provide the power.

The fists only deliver it

Improbable Theory

2010-02-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

One of the most common questions I get asked by our readers and students is how to handle the first few seconds of a street
confrontation.

The first few seconds and the first few moves in ANY violent or potentially violent situation are the most vital.

What does or does NOT occur here can dictate the whole outcome, in other words, whether you survive the encounter.

The martial arts are full of the types of openings that not only WON'T happen in the street, but actually CAN'T happen in the street.

In I.D.A.C.T, we call this "Improbable theory". By this I mean that nearly every martial system on the planet teaches how to defend against an attackthat has actually happened. You know the kind of thing I mean:

"If he grabs you like this you do this defence", when he steps in to punch, you do this" and so on.

The major problem in many cases, you have already lost some valuable opportunities
or a good defence and secondly your defences may not work once a determined attack is already 'in your face'.

Your priorities are to control the SITUATION, not just the attack.

Distance, Time and Space are all there to be influenced by YOU not your attacker, so use them.

Calmness is the best weapon

2010-02-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

Usually, a fight will have a VERBAL opening.

OK, if you are confronted with a stranger yelling in your face, why argue back with
him?

Simply TELL him you don't want trouble, then seek a simple escape route.

NOTE - DON'T plead with him or look round in panic for an escape. Just walk away looking at him with one hand outstretched in your NVP...saying something like "Look man, I don't want any trouble, I'm going home" or similar.

He then has to decide whether or not to continue his assault on you - and you have
now increased distance, time and space.

You are actually taking some control over the scenario. Because you have NOT stayed rooted to the spot, arguing with your voice and tone octave levels going higher, and his blood getting hotter. You have taken some of HIS control away.

If he still comes towards you, shouting the odds then stage two sets in

Keeping your NVP up,keep moving around a bit as a moving target makes it harder to hit.

Now make your voice more determined and stronger:"LOOK, I'VE TOLD YOU (not
asked)... BACK OFF... I DON'T WANT TROUBLE... GET AWAY FROM ME". The likes of such phrases

Using your own words and continuing to analyse the positions of both you and him.

Where are the doors?

What's behind you?

What can you use to your advantage?

HE will find it harder to get a hit on you. Move side to side a bit, change lead hands in your NVP as you do so.

DON'T wave your arms around under poor control, simply maintain your NVP, but keep it mobile.

Try to read the signs if he is a BARKING dog or a biting dog. If he
is just shouting his mouth off, let him have that very poor victory and try to
walk away.

If the shouts change to single words and become more threatening, he is probably ready to launch his attack; this is a pre contact cue.

When it turns violent, you MUST do your utmost to weather the 1st impact.

Now the fight is on and you have just weathered the "holy shit" moment and can start to gain control of the situation through the drills you have learnt.

Events coming up!

2010-01-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

NEW HAPPENINGS!

2010-01-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

We have new exciting line ups this 2010! New training schedules, improved courses, workshops & seminars! We are also launching our Seminars/ Workshops hosting. Which means to say, if you would like to host a seminar or workshop to boost your exposure or as an added curriculum to your training, holding a F.E.A.R Management workshop that can be applied to everyday life and situations for corporates etc. Do email us at idactadmin@gmail.com OR idact@singapore.com

New training

Next Fri: 7pm to 9pm at NUS

Every Monday at Jurong Safra 7.15pm to 9.15 pm

Do email us for more details!

Indian airports terror alert

2010-01-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Indian airports are on high security alert after a threat of a possible hijack attack by an al Qaeda-linked militant group was discovered.

Security was stepped up at airports all across in India. According to intelligence sources, the possible target is an Air India or Indian Airlines passenger plane heading for neighbouring South Asian countries.

India has beefed up security at ALL airports and passengers will be subjected to more intense security screenings.

Sky marshals will also be deployed on a number of flights around the region. Now, to my knowledge most countries DON'T have ANY air marshals. I think there is an argument that they should be on as many flights as possible:

Be there any terrorist threat or not. Some people argue that the terrorist could get hold of the marshall's weapon and use it. What's the alternative? The Hijackers come up against no resistance and are allowed to carry out TERRIBLE acts such as 9/11. I think air marshals should be on as many flights as possible. I would feel safer on a plane with one, wouldn't you?

Hm...

2010-01-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

“This is the law:

The purpose of fighting is to win.
There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield
and skill is more important the either.

The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental.”

-John Steinbeck

Fitness in the Streets II

2010-01-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

If running is not your thing or it simply bores you, then get into the gym and try out the various 'cardio' machines they have available today. There are some great pieces of kit to challenge your conditioning.

Cycles, steppers, rowers, cross trainers, and treadmills are all good. Of course padwork and drills, throwing and grappling all improve your Cardiovascular capabilities anyway as well as giving youspecificity to your chosen goal. Intensity is the key to how you develop your conditioning. Martial Arts training works bothaerobic and anaerobic systems.

The patterns of a hard working training session, spar or fight usually works both energy systems. One minute explosive powerful action e.g. combination punching and kicking in a fast flurry, the next long drawn out endurance (e.g. ground grappling.) You need to train BOTH elements.

Street fights are normally a fast explosive affair relying on anaerobic conditioning, where a sparring session may lean more towards aerobicconditioning over say a three minute round.

Make sure you have both types of fitness developed. Having the 'cardio' conditioning to run a marathon doesn't necessarily mean you have the fitness for an all out EXPLOSIVE street fight.

Sweat it out for the hols & jumpstart the year!

2010-01-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

Why the hell is it so easy to put weight on?

Ever wondered?

Before the festive season, I went on a fitness
regime and lost 6Kgs. I sweated my ass off,
in the gym, 4 days a week for a month and a
half...and ate healthy food all day.

One of the best ways to lose the weight is
getting on a PUNCH BAG.

Why?

Well, as well as losing the weight, you can polish
up on your self defence techniques.

You don't need to go and spend loads of money
on one either.

You can get a heavy duty sack, such as an army
kit bag from an army surplus store. Fill it
with old clothes, hang it up, and away you go.

Good for getting rid of stress too.

Give it a go. It's ideal for the New Year
when people are looking to get back in
shape quickly.

And it's very cheap - much cheaper than a
fancy gym membership!

Fitness in the streets

2010-01-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

Most dangerous attack?

2009-11-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Which threat do you feel is the most dangerous in a real street fight?

Knife attack?
Handgun?
Wooden club or something long and hard?
Multiple attackers?
Well, there’s not a one of them that I’d like to face on a night out with my family, but the “trick answer” is:

The Attack You Don’t See- the suprise attack!

When your brain is in “adrenaline” mode, one of the primary limitations you’ll experience is tunnel-vision where your senses don’t pick up cues outside of the immediate threat you’re dealing with. Primarily I’m talking about the “pre-fight” stage where you have someone on your tail or threatening you in some way.

Your brain is trying to deal with:

“Is he going to hit me?”
“Should I hit him?”
“What’s he going to do?”
“Are other people watching me?”
“Is my wife/kid/companion safe?”

And in this stage of bewilderment and guesswork, you’re not able to see any of that signs of attack that may already be headed your way.

The unseen hand in the coat pocket that’s feeling for a knife.
The unseen clenched fist that’s prepping for a haymaker.
The unseen thugs coming up behind you to help your attacker.
The unseen iron that was just pulled out of the car boot beside you.
The unseen razor blade hidden in the palm of a hand.

But How Can Your Prepare For An Attack You Can’t See?

It ain't easy. The brain isn’t easily re-programmed after years and years of biological programming.

However, here’s a “exercise” to help you prepare for the “unseen” street attack…

Few times a day, when you’re in public and talking to someone (like a store clerk, postal worker, co-worker, etc.), make a mental note of just these 3 things:

The number of rings on both their hands
The activity that the person to their immediate left and right is doing
Any activity happening immediately behind you.

It only takes a few seconds to do these tasks and if you do it right, using your peripheral vision and conscious listening, the person you’re talking to won’t even know you’re paying attention to anything other than him or her.

Doing this exercise just a couple times a day will train you to be more aware in one-on-one contacts by taking notice of what’s in someone’s hands and the activity in a 360 degree circle around you.

As a practiced skill, this is a truly powerful self defense technique because it helps you make faster, more effective decisions while hopefully lessening your chances of being surprised by an unseen attack.

The Remaining D's of Attackers & Criminals

2009-11-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

The next D is 'Deception' - used to make the attacker appear harmless, for instance the notorious serial rapist and killer Ted Bundy would wear a fake cast on his harm and pretend to struggle getting shopping into the back of his van. He would ask women ( his victims) to assist him and as she was distracted putting away the shopping she would be FORCED into the back of his van and driven to a pre-planned location.

The next D is 'Distraction' - part of the Deception and usually delivered through Dialogue in the form of a question. While the victim's brain is engaged thinking of an answer the attacker will STRIKE.

The final D is for 'Destruction' - This is the final part of the ritual and the aim of the attacker. Of course, the attacker may not have touse the rituals if you have already isolated yourself and appear switched off - for instance if a women was walking across a field at night,the rapist wouldn't HAVE to go through the four D's and would just go straight for the destruction; in this case the rape or attack.

The D's of the Attackers & Criminals - Dialogue

2009-11-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

In our training, we tell our trainees the 3 D's of personal protection. Today, i'll cover the D's of the attackers.

By this I mean knowing your enemy's rituals and how they are going to try and attack you.

Dialogue
Deception
Distraction
Destruction

There are two types of Dialogue :
Hot Dialogue- This type of dialogue is aggressive in nature and is often followed by a gratuitous assault. It is often initiated by eye contact followed by a question. The attacker generally DOESN'T want anything from you except to cause you physical harm

Eye Contact
The question (what the hell are you looking at)
The approach
Question reiteration (I said what the hell are you looking at)
Actual Challenge (you want some then) Physical push or poke Reiteration of challenge followed by attack

Then there is 'Cold Dialogue'. This type of dialogue is used to disarm and distract the potential victim, commonly used in muggings and rapes. Usually used as a question for instance:
he may ask for direction, the time have you seen a dog etc. All designed to make you lower your guard while you are approached by his accomplice or a weapon is drawn.

Prepared or Paranoid

2009-10-30T09:20:00.001-07:00

Most self-defense instructors give some kind of lip service to awareness as a front line defense for personal safety.

However, the ‘always be aware’ strategy can become disempowering quickly or lead to a paranoid mindset that reduces instead of enhances your quality of life. Besides can we really expect to be on our guard 24/7/365? not likely. So how can we be ‘Prepared vs. Paranoid’?

Analyze your typical weekly activities:
If you're going to attack yourself, where would be the most logical places and times? Remember bad guys typically don’t want to get caught or for the assault to take too long.

Look for more isolated places with none or very few witnesses and easy escape routes. This exercise should most likely shrink your list to a handful of locations and times of day. These are the times/places where you want to heighten your awareness or avoid altogether.

Are your legs shaking? Be aware of yourself!

2009-10-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

Aawareness of yourself means knowing how you are going to react under the stress of a confrontation.

I would be lying if I said thatwhen someone tries to attack you & you WON'T be stressed. You will be. It's a VERY stressful experience.

Some of the effects you may experience are as follows:
Bowel loosening - commonly referred to as a "combat s**t" .
This is the body's natural way of dumping digested food and lightening your body to be more prepared for action.

Nausea - Similar concept to the above, again the body is trying to get rid of excess weight and digesting food is NOT regarded as an essential function by the body in high stress situations.

Voice Tremor- The voice can take on a quiver and the opponent can perceive this as fear. This NEEDS to be controlled.

Tunnel vision - This is the body's way of inducing a state of higher concentration on the threat before you. You focus so much on that threat that everything else around you is ignored. This is OBVIOUSLY potentially dangerous as it leaves us open to attacks from other opponents.

The best way to counter this is to constantly scan 360 degrees around you or step off at an angle of 90 degrees to your opponent so you can see what was originally behind you in your peripheral vision.

Auditory Exclusion- Connected to Tunnel Vision, our bodies higher state of concentration on the immediate threat blocks out peripheral noise, EG: cage or ring fighters often DON'T hear the crowd/their corner team/ coaches shouting instructions.

When the sh*t hits the fan!

2009-10-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

If an attacker steps up to you, right in your face, launches a sudden haymaker or any attack at all, WHAT DO YOU DO?

Many people find it hard to strike with any power or accuracy when the attacker is right in their faces. They want room to step back or stance up. In the real world you will NOT have this time or luxury. Train out of no stance, work in tight corners, backs to walls.

Make it difficult for yourself, pressurize yourself so that you can react and EXPLODE from very short range. Also remember that real attackers are fuelled with emotions like HATE and jealousy so use verbal dialogue, swearing, insults - whatever to make the scenario real.

Any defensive tactics must be trained from close range, as this is where it will be,like it or not. Nine times out of ten you WON'T get to choose anyway. Of course, techniques have to flow from one to another giving the attacker no chance of stopping them. Bring these ideas into your training and it will improve by great folds!

Especially if you're into reality training. It is known that if we hesitate even a small moment in a "live" situation, we might end up on the ground or worse. But remember all fights will start on the feet.

This is the crucial time that dictates the outcome of the encounter. By all means train for the ground (YOU HAVE TO!)but do NOT neglect your close quarter stand up skills. Remember: only use physical response if there is no other option, but if you have to, be 100% committed and RAPIDLY fire in your response.

Chokes & Strangles

2009-10-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

Strangles & Chokes attacks the carotid arteries and slows the blood flow to
the brain whist the choke puts direct pressure on the windpipe closing down the airway.

Running down the neck on both sides of the windpipe are the common carotid
arteries that divide into internal and external caratoid arteries.

Near the base of the neck the artery enlarges - this is called the Carotid
Sinus - running with the Carotoid Arteries are the Vertebral Arteries.

All these supply oxygenated blood to the heart. The internal Carotoid supplies
blood to brain and eyes etc. and the external supplies blood to the face and scalp etc.

In addition, two vertebral arteries RISE from the subclavian arteries and run up
the neck through openings in the cervival vertebrae to supply blood to the brain and skull.

This blood collected in the brain is eventually emptied into 2 large veins, one on either side of the head called
internal jugular veins which carry the blood down the neck for passage back to the heart.

Avoid the Drunks

2009-10-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

I got a mail asking how to deal with drunks, well... I have addressed this before, so a short thought on this in the mail I replied to him.

One big cost that is caused by excessive drinking, is the amount of violence that is caused by alcohol induced IDIOTS.

Even the nicest people can be turned into a RAVING lunatic when they have 'one too many'.

If you have ever been down to a hospital on a Friday or Saturday night, you will know it is full of people who have been injured by
being attacked or who have been fighting.

It's nearly always down to alcohol...

So, my advice to you is on a night out AVOID the trouble whenever you can...

If you know that a certain bar is bad news ...then why bother going there?

If,you are walking down the street on a night out and you see a group of drunk guys coming towards you, however jovial they
may seem, cross the street - and avoid the potential trouble.

It's common sense - but many people STILL make this mistake over and over.

Today's lesson then...avoid the trouble in the first place...especially when drinks are involved

Verbal Commands

2009-09-14T01:58:00.001-07:00

Verbal commands are frequently an under utilized self-defense tool. Verbal commands can be applied early, without liability, and throughout the encounter in conjunction with other levels of force. You can issue verbal commands while simultaneously applying strikes, pepper spray, or gun fire.

Remove Ambiguity. Issuing verbal commands can help you determine if someone is really a threat. A stranger approaching you in a dark parking lot might be perfectly innocent, but the potential for danger is too high to make this assumption. The circumstances are not in your favor. If you yell “Stop! Don’t come any closer!” most normal people would probably stop, especially if they actually didn’t intend to do you harm. To continue approaching someone who is telling you to stop is threatening, To approach faster is very threatening.

Create Hesitation. Getting a command to stop will force many people to hesitate, especially if they haven’t committed to a course of action yet. That hesitation buys you a little bit more time to escape, prepare to fight, or further evaluate the situation.

Provide Direction. Tell the assailant what you want him to do. Let Go! or Go Away! in conjunction with another level of force tells the assailant how to avoid getting hurt (or getting hurt any more). If they are now facing your drawn handgun they might not know what to do – the problem has moved off of their mental map sheet. We don’t want the assailant to ‘freeze’ like on a bad TV show, we want him to run as far and as fast as his little criminal feet will carry him.

Alert the Witnesses. Many crimes need to happen in isolation. If you can draw a crowd you might be able to prevent the attack. Maybe there is someone that will come and help us, but at a minimum we are establishing who is the defender and who is the aggressor. This sets the context for all our other actions in the mind of the witnesses. If we have already shouted Stop! Stay Back!and the assailant has closed the distance then we have a justification for using another level of force, and we have clarified our role as defender for any potential witnesses

Mindset Conditioning

2009-09-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

The term ‘Mindset’ gets thrown around a lot in the self-defense and training community, and a lot of people don’t really understand it or articulate it well. Many of the “Survivor Mindset” and “Warrior Mindset” proponents talk about mental attributes as if they were bolt-on parts and once fully kitted out you will be ready. I would argue that it is a little more complicated than that.

Disregard the irrelevant. Mindset is less about adding attributes than it is about stripping away the irrelevant. Most of our daily lives are spent focusing on things that don’t really matter. Paying the rent seems really important, unless you put it up against something like breathing. Embarrassment, fear, and other emotions are just that – emotions. Get back to thinking about the mechanics of the situation.

There aren’t any rules. People are hampered in real self defense scenarios by the rules we normally live by. They don’t realize that all doors marked ‘employees only’ are now available for their use. They don’t see the sidewalk as drivable terrain, or that stoplights are simply suggestions in an emergency. They are conditioned by the rules that we live under to a point of mental paralysis.

Take action. Many victims reach a point in the encounter where they quit. As soon as they are emotionally and mentally overwhelmed they curl up on the ground in an instinctive surrender posture. This leaves all of the decision making up to the assailant. Make a decision and execute. The earlier you begin to take action the better.

Discard and run. Unless it would mean abandoning someone you care about, focus your efforts on getting out. If that means breaking things then do so. If that means leaving behind stuff, then that stuff can be replaced later. Make sure that anything you need for your escape is on your person (car keys, cellphone, etc.) because you might not have the luxury of rummaging for it.

Make the assailant fear for his safety. If you are fixed in a location because running didn’t work or wasn’t viable then fight. Fight dirty. Use whatever is a hand. Environmental weapons are not only things you can hit the attacker with, but things you can hit with the attacker. Shove him into traffic, slam him in a door, throw a chair. Improvised weapons aren’t a very good substitute for real weapons, but can be better than nothing.

Spend no time thinking about losing. Losing is what was happening before you started doing something. Even if the assailant is tough enough to beat you, he might not be committed enough to continue after he his hurt. Statistically people who fight back have better outcomes than the people who quit.

Real fights?

2009-08-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Qns in the mail: My instructor has told me all the fights he's been in before, have you been in in any?

My ans: I have & i'd rather not talk about them. I'm not impressed by those instructors who talk about 'all' the fights they've had or use that as their marketing 'hook'. I think of a street fight like a car accident. cos you could avoid it (unless you didn't really want to) if you're more aware. I wouldn't want to take driving lessons from someone who bragged about all the accidents they've gotten into. Makes sense?

Visualisation and Awareness Drill

2009-08-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

The following drill will give you a good awareness in a situation where there is a high possibility of more than 1 attacker.

Picture a typical bar or pub:
The FIRST smart thing to do is to position yourself where you can ONLY be approached from the front. EG: place your back to the bar or seat with your back to the wall in a position where you could keep visual contact or glances at a potential threat ahead of time.

The next thing is to know where your exits are these are your escape paths. Make a mental note of who is with whom. A casual glance over a rowdy group of people can tell you a lot about their body language, who a potential threat could be, and who is with who. The location of anything that COULD be used as an improvised weapon. An ashtray, a bottle, chair or bar stool all make excellent equalisers should such a desperate need arise.

Avoid and Escape

2009-08-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

ALWAYS avoid and escape any potential violent confrontation!

Awareness and a heightened alertness will allow most confrontations to be spotted even before they start. In a multiple assailant confrontation where escape is NOT available, your ONLY option is to be pre-emptive.

If you wait to be attacked in the hope that you will be able to defend and then counter, I can only say, whoever taught you that ought to be shot! Every second delayed will have you end up fighting on more than one dimension. When they do attack, it is going to be violent, fast, agressive and perhaps worse. One of the best chance is to pre-empt and keep hitting until the threat is neutralised.

Palm or Fists

2009-08-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Palm or Fists. Which of these works best for a “real street fight” has always got the blood boiling of many.

Here’s how I approached it once in one of my workshops

I asked the class if they would be willing to volunteer to punch the wall hard with their fist.

None?

Ok, next: “Who's willing to go and hit the same wall hard with a strong, open handed, palm-heel?

Hm.. we've got some response now!

Why?

Simple! Our subconscious knows that it’s very easy to damage your hand striking a hard surface (like someone’s jaw). But we naturally understand that we can put a LOT of force behind a palm heel and not subject ourselves to the knuckle- and wrist-destroying impact a traditional punch could bring on.

In fact, even in UFCs (back when they didn’t wear gloves), reports of guys with broken fingers and injured wrists after punching in a fight was very common!

Shadow Boxing

2009-07-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Shadowboxing is used extensively in training for various martial arts. It is used mainly to prepare the muscles before the person training engages in a higher level of physical activity. In shadowboxing, only one person is required to participate; the participant throws punches at no one in particular, perhaps facing a punching bag or the wall.

Shadowboxing helps in cardio activity, builds up agility and visualisation skills, these are important in training the "flow" for the fighter, enableing to switch from one technique to the other (eg: punch to elbow, to kick to knee etc) or from one set of combinations to the other.

The main purpose of this exercise, other then getting muscles ready for other activities, is usually to maintain a fighter's rhythm and show the fighter how they would look at that stage of training against a certain opponent. This could be important as fighters envision themselves facing their immediate future opponents: it usually gives fighters an idea of what is, and what is not, to be fixed.

In our training, we use it as a warm up where trainees will do this for 3 minutues or more and as well for our PT session. When you engage in shadowboxing for your training regime, in just two weeks, you should be able to see the difference in youself: better co-ordination, better physical stamina, agility, reflexes, visualisation etc. There are definitely more benefits than these and it is up to the individual to explore what it means for them!

For the short video on this, add us in Facebook: search IDACT

Power IMPACT!

2009-06-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Think of this scenario: When Mike Tyson was at his peak, he was known as a ferocious puncher with both hands. Because of this, his opponents were frightened of being hit. So, everyone backed off and evaded instead! This was actually a biggest mistake they can ever make!

It gave Tyson the time and distance to launch EVEN MORE shots! But what it did prove was that power and impact are of the utmost importance. It is these ingredients that can end a fight in the blink of an eye. Your opponent may be a better fighter, but if you land one bomb, then 'night night'!

Ignore impact at your peril!

Tips: To generate power you need certain principles in place:

Distance: Learn the correct distance required from your weapon e.g. fist to your target. The target should not be a full stretch away but only at about 75-85% of that distance.

Alignment: Your body MUST be in alignment to make the structure sound and resistant to shock. This means that everything must be connected, from your feet right up to the weapon.

Timing: This is vital to ensure that shots land at the right time and place and that you release it when it has the BEST chance of landing. (Which is why have the 3 hits combo theory)

Bodyweight: It is essential to get your bodyweight into the strike. What's the point of having 50 KG worth of muscle mass when you can only punch an impact of 20 KG?

Foot position: IMPORTANT! Get your feet in the right place and everything else will fall into place for you. By that, I mean every aspect. In the right place for you, in relation to your opponent, pointing where you want the power to go and ensuring that you have the balance to repeat the shot and are ready to defend should the need arise.

Comments from past trainees

2009-05-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, received a few comments from a couple of past trainees in our programs. Feels really great that our training program is making a difference in people's life!

"Coach Jason delivers a training program like no other I have attended before. Not only did the S.C.A course improve my own physical skills but has improved my coaching ability. Anyone who is serious about delivering a no nonsense, effective training program for their students needs to train with I.D.A.C.T and their Chief Coach."

"The training program is a change of paradigm in self-defense. You will be able to experience how instincts, intuition, psychology, and the proper training drills can do more for you in terms of survival than dozens of years in martial arts training."

"I think the material is perfect for the everyday person who wishes to protect themselves and their family but might not be into martial arts."

3 Common Attacks, Unamed and Armed

2009-05-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

1) Suprise Attack
Most dangerous and deadly, it’s exactly what its name says: an ambush. The assailant’s goal is you; in fact, he’s already decided to kill or maim or highly immobolise you. He may be standing in front of you when it begins, or he may attack you from behind.

The surprise attack is the hardest one to prepare for and defend against because the aggressor can usually get in three or four strikes before you even know what’s happening—and he’ll probably aim for your neck and chest.

2) Escalation Attack
One or more people are giving you a hard time, perhaps while drunk or have consumed alcohol/ drugs. A fight erupts, and you trade punches with one of the thugs. He grabs you, and before you know it, you’re rolling on the floor and getting punched in the ribs. Suddenly, your left side goes weak, and you can’t catch your breath. You let go, and he jumps up and runs away. When the ambulance comes, you learn you’ve got nine knife stab wounds in the left side of your ribs.

3) Opportunity Attack
You’re alone, perhaps in a parking lot, and someone approaches you. He takes out a knife and demands your wallet. You hesitate, and he lunges to stab you. It wasn’t premeditated or planned; the knife was intended to threaten, not necessarily to injure. However, the dynamics of the confrontation turn it into an attack, probably one delivered with the intent to wound, not kill. Either way, your life is in danger.

So, how do you prepare for these three scenarios? The most important lesson to learn while preparing for weapons fights is: “knife fights” don’t exist!

Ask yourself this question: How many people you know, heard of or even just logically thinking, have a knife by their side when they are attacked by a person with a knife?

Practicing knife sparring is fine because it can develop timing, range and footwork, but it’s not realistic. I have worked with alot of people and not a trainee reported they have been in a knife to knife confrontation. Most of them have been in situations where knifes were involved, but only 2 of them were the ones with a knife.

Some Questions Through the Mail

2009-05-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

Below are a short list of some questions we recieved and answered through our mail:

What is the state of the art reality-based self-defense training?
These days, alot of things are happening and the face of reality-based training has changed over the last decade. There are many new guys spreading the word, helping make the world safer. All I can say is, it's about time that our local DT/ SD community mature and start embracing new ideas.

What role does awareness play in self-defense?
EVERYTHING! Alot of martial artists and DT instructos ofer little, if any, to the topic of awareness. These are the people who start their classes by saying, if anything happens, run away first. And remind their students that awareness is key to any prevention.

They would spend around 1 minute on topic of awareness, maybe another 3 minutes on verbal - de-escalation, and defusing situations. Some would just brush such topics off their shoulders, before they start commencing their muscle- memory moves (which by the way, we advocate Survival Memory instead of Muscle Memory).

We have the D3 principles which we teach our trainees. It is always stressed to them that being able to avoid, defuse the situations before the physical confrontations occur is always more important than the fight itself. Only when there is no other options available, we fight.

In the military, they talk about readiness factors: If you know the fight is on, how long will it take you to deploy? How long will it take you to get ready?

If you don't teach actual techniques, what do you cover in your courses and classes?

In our classes, we teach things by reverse engineering our topics and contents. Our flagship course: Situational Confrontation Awareness, we teach alot of drills and principles.

Usually we teach 3 things: Tools, Targets, Tactics
Tools: Knowing what tools available to you in your toolbox is important to the carpenter or construction people. Same thing applies, as a martial artist or just a person looking to effectively defend yourself, knowing what natural body weapons and biomechanics you have is important

Targets: When you have the tool, you must know where the best place to use it is, for example, if you have a philips screwdriver, you can't expect to use it for a flat tip type screw, makes sense?

Tactics: When you combine the above two, you have a tactic. Let the opponent and his targets inspire your counter. If you decide on your shin kick or knee thrust or elbow strike in advance of the problem, you can't flow. Most likely, you will choke or freeze!

We teach trainees about neuro-muscular factors, how to use the right muscles at the right time, which part of your shin bone to hit with, how to rotate your hips for maximum effect etc. We don't teach muscle memory techniques because that encourages you to fixate on a particular move that may or may not be appropriate in a real fight.

Combat Complacency in Security Enforcements and LEOs

2009-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

As you know, one of the most dangerous mental traps an officer can fall into is the ‘routine’ rut, thinking: “I’ve done this before. No big deal.” But how do you overcome the complacency that sprouts so readily from the repetition of the street?

What’s important is to persuade officers that they can never be in exactly the same situation twice. There is always some environmental element that’s different. You need to mentally search for what’s different as you approach even the most common activity, telling yourself, ‘I don’t know this place or this situation or this person this time. I don’t know what’s going to happen here.’ When you think about it, does it make sense to say we're in an unknown environment?

An effective way to “recalibrate” thinking, is to ask your trainees or yourself, “When you came home yesterday, what was the first thing you saw?” Then tell them, “When you come back to class tomorrow, tell me the first thing you saw when you got home tonight.”

There’s always something different. The people, the noise level, what’s in the rooms, how you feel—something. When officers realize that their own residence is constantly changing, they become much more aware of how things on the street keep changing.

Keeping complacency away is much harder for a street officer than for a S.T.A.R officer, for instance. S.T.A.R knows they’re going someplace where something bad has happened or may happen, and they’re mentally prepared for that.

But street officers deal with a lot of essentially good people and benign situations. It’s mentally harder for them to stay alert for what may be lurking beneath the surface. It takes frequent self-talk to remind yourself that you never step in the same river twice, that you may ‘know’ this environment—just not today.

Stamina

2009-05-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Running is still the 'king of conditioners' and can develop your cardiovascular endurance quickly. The downside of running is it CAN place stress on the ankle and knee joints. You need to avoid running on hard road surfaces and go for grass to lessen the impact. If running is not your thing or it bores you, then get into the gym and try out the various 'cardio' machines they have.

There are some great equipment to challenge your conditioning. Cycles, steppers, rowers, cross trainers, stairmasters and treadmills are all good. Of course padwork and drills, throwing and grappling all improve your cardiovascular capabilities - as well as giving you specificity to your chosen goal. Intensity is the key to how you develop your conditioning.

Martial Arts training works both aerobic and anaerobic systems. The patterns of a hard working training session, spar or fight usually works BOTH energy systems. One minute explosive powerful action e.g. combination punching and kicking in a fast flurry, the next long drawn out endurance (e.g. groundgrappling.) You NEED to train both elements.

Street fights are normally a fast explosive affair relying on anaerobic conditioning,where a sparring session may be towards aerobic conditioning EG: a three minute round. Make sure you have both types of fitness developed. Having the 'cardio' conditioning to run a marathon DOESN'T necessarily mean you have the fitness for an all out explosive three minute box or grapple

Family Awareness & Safety Tactics ID-F.A.S.T-01

2009-04-28T18:14:00.001-07:00

Training Tips

2009-04-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

1. Goals.
Find out what you want no matter what your training routines are. Do you want to lose weight, better fight conditioning? Want to perform better on the job? Training to not suck at life? Figure out what you want to get out of your training!

2. Got your goals set? Figure out what training routine will work best for you.
I love constant variety and achieving maximum results. It may not be the ideal workout routine for you, but try out some variety. Routine is the enemy, it bores you, demoralises you etc. I can assure you from experience that you will not achieve elite fitness by lifting weights five to six times a week and 15 minutes on the treadmill after the weights. Run short and fast, but long distances from time to time too. Short and intense workouts fit everyone’s busy lifestyle and if you keep variety in mind, you can come up with different workout routines.

3. Water, Sleep and Nutrition.
To reach peak performance, all 3 are needed. Water is essential to avoid cramping and helps in reducing soreness. Sleep rests the body and the mind. You can whack your workout after a good night’s sleep. Reaching a plateau in the performance of your workout routines? Watch your nutrition! Food is the fuel that drives the body. Crap in Crap out. Nutrition in, Positive energy out. Start simple with your diet. Eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and avoid sugar. After you get the quality nutrition, start playing around with the quantity.

4. Rest
This means a day off from training.. I follow the “three-on, one-off” training protocol. It means 3 days of high intensity training, and the following 4th day off. Taking the day off allows my workouts at high intensity again for another three day cycle.
The 4th day is a rest day but you stillc an practice here and there. Just take not not to be lying in your own sweat after that.

5. What is your body saying?
Are you exhausted or is your performance dropping? Overtraining? More is not always better. In what we train for, the martial arts etc. Injuries are bound to happen. You will get injured far more often training than you ever will in an actual fight. If you have a body part that is not just sore, it actually hurts, take care of it. Let your body heal! Trying to ignore the signals that your body is sending you, can lead to you not being able to train at all.

Improvised Weapons

2009-04-22T04:50:00.000-07:00

In alot of countries, especially Singapore, we are not allowed to carry any weapon by design or anything adapted to be used for the sole purpose as a weapon.

However, in emergencies situations, where you feel that you are in danger for your safety, it is perfectly acceptable to use anything in hand as a weapon for self defense.

DO NOTE that any improvised weapon will only be useful if the item is already available to you, in your strongest hand and accompanied by an alert state of awareness.

For eg: A set of car or door keys can, and should, be held ready to use in your hand in preparation to enter your car or house as quick as possible accompanied by a good sense of awareness.

Remember that awareness is a good habit to have! It is also your first line of self defense strategy.

Imagine you're returning to your car. It's dark and you're in a seldom visited car park. Would it make sense to have your keys ready for use in your dominant hand - in a manner that would allow them to be to be used for effective slashing and stabbing etc.

There are MANY everyday items that could be used as an improvised weapon. The main items usually involve keys, a pen and a mobile phone any of which could come in very handy if we found ourselves needing an equalizer to our survival odds.

The thing to remember about the items mentioned is that they are NOT weapons by design. Nor have they been converted in any way to be used as one - but they could be should the need arise.

Control the F.E.A.R

2009-04-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most common subjects I get asked about are adrenaline and fear. Alot of instructors and martial artists claim they are able to teach this, but how many really understand it.

A few paragraphs will help you understand it better. Fear is a natural emotion, without it, we would do stupid and dangerous stuffs all the time. It makes us 'sensible' or do what we should.

If you feel scared...you're not alone! We all do - HONEST! It's what we DO with the fear that matters.

If it controls YOU then you've lost. You control IT and you can increase your chances of winning by many folds. Expect it then deal with it.

If you think "Shit! That guy's two times my size!" then balance it by saying to yourself "I bet I'm faster than him" turn the negatives into positives. Adrenaline is a chemical that is pumped into the blood stream when we feel danger.

Its causes many effects: sweaty palms,shaky legs, dry mouth etc. Its actually MORE than one chemical in a cocktail of chemicals that are there to help you survive things, but Adrenaline is understood so we will use that term.

It's just that we aren't used to the feelings and associate them with fear and we often run or panic (flight or fight) because of them. Expect it, recognise it and learn to convert that F.E.A.R and any other emotions you might have into momentum. This is precisely what our drills and training at I.D.A.C.T aims to achieve.

Fact vs. Fiction

2009-04-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Myth: My attacker will be twice my size and physically impossible to fight!

Fact: A very common fear/feeling of a female. When we look at one's size we are automatically intimidated. Self-defense is about how you use your knowledge to your advantage. Females do not defend against males with strength. Females protect and defend with strategy. We are trained to fight an attacker’s weaknesses, not his strengths by using our minds to determine vulnerability and to strike defensively. There are target areas on a human body that are extremely vulnerable. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

Myth: I have a gun or pepper spray for a weapon; if someone attacks me I can use this to protect myself!

Fact: Realistically, when you are attacked by an assailant, it happens without warning. You do not have time to pull out and use your weapon of choice. When faced with predicaments that call for immediate self-defense, only two things are readily available—YOUR MIND AND YOUR BODY. Bottom-line.

Myth: It won’t happen to me.

Fact: This is a sad mentality, given the statistics. You must raise your level of awareness and learn how to protect yourself should the unfortunate occur. You never know what might happen, but should the worst occur, it’s better to be prepared.

Myth: I’m too busy. I don’t have time.

Fact: This is an excuse! How much time does it really take to learn self-defense that will give you survival skills for the rest of your life? “Realistic un-armed self-defense”™ training does not take hours upon hours to learn. Just a commitment to yourself and incorporating the natural skills into your daily routine. Ultimately......it’s time well spent!

Myth: I’m not a fighter.

Fact: Do not ever accept victimization. You will do whatever it takes to survive and conquer a threatening situation giving yourself permission to fight back. You are worth it!

Myth: I’ll be too scared and my fear will make self-defense impossible.

Fact: Fear is normal. Fear is natural. Fear is expected. Decide on what frightens you more—being injured or killed by an attacker or taking the risk and fighting back. Using self-defense is a means for escape and survival. Learn how to turn fear into effective reaction.

Red Tape

2009-04-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

I wonder, why on earth would it require $50,000 to teach a couple of wrist locks, arm bars and locks?

Is it cause they know somebody inside or do they know how to kill a person with the touch of their finger?

Lives of officers at stake, handed over to the "street fights and defense experts" which require $50,000 to teach them.

I'm pissed because our mission and vision of making this world, community and society safer, is going to be met with harder journeys, by such claims...

Strategies for Women without DT or SD Training

2009-03-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Are you a woman who is coming into her own in terms of self-defense? Most women will often come to a point in their life where they realize the importance of taking care of their body, and learning to protect it.

Fortunately, the growing trend of self defense training has brought many new opportunities for women to learn the best techniques and strategies for defending their bodies. Here are some strategies if you are entering the world of self-defense training.

Strategies for finding the best self defense training

If you have no experience with self defense training whatsoever, maybe it is time to take the plunge and learn. Self defense is actually quite natural—all of us have the urge to defend our bodies and selves when we sense a coming threat.

However, it is important to learn to refine our instincts and draw on our natural abilities in order to do our best in defending ourselves. Here are some ideas for how you can learn to defend yourself, even if you have no experience in professional self defense training. Learning to follow your instincts.

One of the most important things you can do in order to learn self defense is simply to follow your natural instincts. Many times, the best self defense training will incorporate the movements that you body will naturally use to defend itself.

That means that creative movement is key to learning to defend yourself. Do not try to hinder your instinct by trying to train yourself too hard or trying to “unlearn” things that your body naturally seems to want to do in the act of fighting back. Instead, learn to work with your body, be flexible and open yourself up to the possibility of natural movement in the art of self defense.

Protecting yourself against a rear attack.

Here are some specific self defense movements that can help you protect yourself against a rear attack. A rear attack is often the most common type of physical attack. This kind of attack occurs when someone attempts to take hold of you from behind. Learn how to make use of that instant when you get into a shock due to that attack to effectively convert into a self defense mechanism.

Creating a realistic self defense goal

When it comes to fighting back during an attack, your goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to escape without being hurt. Unfortunately, action movies have trained us all into thinking that escaping from the hands of an attacker should be a dramatic moment full of breath-taking moves of skill and endurance.

This is probably never the case. In real life, fighting is more often artless and full of clumsy blows. Your immediate goal is simply to render your attacker useless for just long enough for you to run away and escape. You don’t need to be an action movie star—you simply must be able to keep your attacker out of breath and in pain long enough to make your escape from the scene.

Traditional Martial arts in a street confrontation?

2009-03-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

I was asked this question in the mail yesterday and it is one of the many misconceptions of alot of people. This is a controversial question for some, but here's my two cents worth for the streets. Hey! What we teach is just more desirable or less desirable.

Now, many people & martial artists misunderstand the difference between sport/dojo sparring and street fighting. They are completely different worlds! The karate practitioner says "I can smash a dozen bricks with my reverse punch, so I could easily drop an attacker in the street."

Will an attacker dance around and begin to exchange blows with them? NO WAY! The plain fact is that there is very rarely - if ever - any sparring in the street.

No street fighter wants to fight sparring rounds because he doesn't train for this, and they are usually emotionally pumped up. The street fighter has no rules. He will come at you in a frenzy.

He'll spit, bite, butt and stomp, and there's no one to stop you both. You'll face a fast, brutal few seconds of violence that will not only physically stun, but mentally shock you. You won't be attacked in a well lit dojo or gym or ring with mats to land on.

Instead it may be a cold hard concrete, a beer soaked floor in a disco, or a slippery toilet floor. Try sparring here!

Little space and you may even have difficulty seeing the attacker in darkness!

Did you know...

2009-03-19T17:30:00.001-07:00

Did you know...You use 12 sets of muscles with every breath you take and they can tire, just like other muscles in the body? Studies show, when the respiratory muscles work harder and tire, less oxygenated blood flows through the legs and other large muscles.15% of the total energy spent in high intensity exercise is just to breathe?

Most athletes show significant physical stress during exercise due to the nature of the activity and the need to balance their breathing with keeping lactate levels under control.Breathlessness and breathing discomfort occurs during high intensity exercise and may limit training and performance?

Security Enforcement Tacticals

2009-03-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

Awareness and Avoidance

2009-03-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Today, let's touch on this issue of how to best protec ourselves from fights or any violent confrontations. It can never be repeated enough.

NOT going physical is the best way to avoid and protect ourselves, makes sense? You will 'see' possible trouble and do what you can to avoid it. If this means leaving a 'rowdy' pub to drink in a quieter one ... why not?

If it means seeing a gang of rowdy teens on the same side of the street you are walking down to get home, then cross over... you can always cross back again further up the street. And if they DO cross over with you - at least you have had some warning of their intent.

You can look for escape routes; use your mobile phone for help etc... Don't underestimate or neglect these principles.They really could save your life.

These two are followed by ... ESCAPE ...

Your priority is getting away with as little damage to you (and your attacker) as is reasonably possible. So if you see a chance to escape, take it. Don't hang around. If you can jump on a bus, or get a taxi, whatever, do so. If you know a house with some relatives or friends who live there close to you, go there.

What feels good and comfy to you? (cont)

2009-03-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

We have talked about Adapt in the previous post, so let's talk about the next princple, "Implement".

What good is it if you have the best punch, kick or any order technique in the world if you can't actually use it?

So let's see how you can improve your skills for the street.

First your posture or stance: there are many different postures in the martial arts, some might even seem very weird and unatural. However, it seems like by being in these weird positions of their hands and feet, some people think they can be better fighters!

So with a partner holding focus-mitts, or the punching bag, stand in some ordinary every day postures, unplanned for and so on. Then punch FROM WHEREVER YOUR HANDS ARE!

Don't go into any martial arts posture and give your opponent the signal that you're going to punch. Just strike from where you are. Try all and any positions!

The objective is to be able to hit from wherever you are.

Practice casually walking up and strike from there.

Don't telegraph your strikes! Strike from wherever you are.

Something NEW!

2009-03-09T08:13:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! We have a new design up! I find it cool and intimitating, quite love it though! haha!

What feels good and comfy to you?

2009-03-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Guys! I'm back! Was on a short training trip/ workshop to our neighbouring country, 2 plus KM above sea level.

Oh boy! It sure ain't easy running and training at that kind of altitude, I started to pant only a few hundred metres into a short run! Can you believe it?

Well..I apologise for the lack of pictures guys, as this was a closed door private event, so the access to the pics and videos are restricted.

I would like to share something though, the post today is on a topic which is being asked and discussed by many, even by my own students.

There are 2 concepts I would like to introduce first, Adapt and Implement:

A lot of traditional systems perhaps for fear of offending and respect, try to make the trainee fit into their system, when in many cases because that particular art was designed for maybe short slim Asians, but end up being learned by a near 2M tall, big sized Westerner. The 2 just don't click!

Now picture yourself, in your own height married to a much taller or shorter woman, driving a same car. When both of you first get into the car, what do you do? You adjust the mirrors, the seats etc to fit either of you, makes sense?

You are "adapting" the car to fit you, same with clothes! Would you tailor a suit, based on your brother's bigger or smaller size, and then expect it to fit you? NO WAY!

Both the car and suit are the same objects, just 'adapted' to make them fit each individual.

This is the same with your D.T, S.D etc skills.

If you are 1.9M tall, then what are the chances of a taller man attacking you? Get the drift here?

So why "Monkey " a 1.5M tall instructor's skills, expecting them to work for YOU?

So first use moves that feel good to YOU, and NOT those that looks good when performed by others.

I'm often asked by my students about a specific move

"Jason, when I do the knee, it feels better than a kick, what do you think?"

What I think, is actually very simple,if the knee feels better, USE it! D.T and S.D on the streets or jobscope specific scenarios are very different from learning a set of moves or routines to pass a grading test, get the next colour belt etc.

And when you have to do it for real, then certain moves will not work for you, BUT may be better for others.

So first, adapt everything to fit YOU, do drills about the moves and make them feel right.

What is the Best Martial Art?

2009-03-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, these is a question I believe everyone gets asked during one time to another.
I got to start collecting money for this question!

Q) JKY: What is the best martial art?

There are different opinions and views. People do different Arts for different reasons.

In short, Train for whatend result you want.

The modern martial arts are neither bad or wrong, some arts are pure SPORTS with lots of rules, others are there to preserve TRADITIONS and DOCTRINES.

Most martial arts teach their students to defend against their own styles.

Example: Judo against Judo
TKD against TKD etc

Boxers are trained to BOX, not fight against street assailants or grapplers. etc

Though there are many benefits from these arts, most won't really work for real self-defence. Yet most people join such clubs to learn to defend themselves!

And often the training leaves them very ill-prepared for a real street confrontation.

The answer is simple : You must train for what you WANT! Makes sense?

Would you go to a 100 meters sprint training to improve your StandChart Marathon? NO WAY!

But both teaches you to run right? Same as in the self defense world. If you wish to improve your chances of surviving violent confrontations, you must prepare yourselves for THAT eventuality.

Stay Safe, Street Safe
Jason Wu