Personal Defense

Defense against an individual aggression

Direct effectiveness and traditional martial arts

Traditional martial arts were developed during centuries of wars, where the combatants were really confronted with death; they result thus from an long experience and proved their effectiveness.

They however changed between 18th and the 19th century by three phenomena:

of the periods of peace, in particular the Period Tokugawa with the Japan;
the arrival of the firearms, becoming body-with-bodies of the minor situations in the wars;
the modernization of the company, being accompanied sometimes by a lapse of memory of the traditions.

Thus, the Savate which was a street battle became a middle-class boxing, martial arts of the Far East were diverted violence, and one passed from the combat to died to controlled sporting events.

However, the concern of personal defense is well the immediate effectiveness. For this reason, martial arts and sports of engagements seem sometimes far away from the real situations. A certain number of experts thus decided to take again the heritage of martial arts but by working them over again starting from probable situations:

by using protections (helmets, shell, gloves) in order to carry real blows and to accustom the practitioners to the violence of the attacks;
by using factitious weapons (knives out of foam, false guns) resembling the real weapons in order to learn how to manage the stress , the fear.

Practices which we will qualify “the applicatives ones”.

However, the practice of traditional martial arts remains often the base necessary of teaching:

“ Q : Are these movements really effective from a martial point of view?

R : To answer, let us take the example of secondary education. If the pupils studied only the subjects being the subject of the contest, their education would be inappropriate and incomplete. : We practice the techniques with knees which do not have any practical application in the modern society, it is not possible to find an application practical to all the movements, but to involve itself on the bases can finally help to develop the capacity which will make it possible to find an appropriate response in real situation. ”

official Aikido - fundamental Teaching , Ueshiba K., Ueshiba Mr., ED. Budo Editions, p. 18

Dragon : A recurring argument is the fact that the Kata S are not really applicable techniques in combat. What do you think about it?

Main Tetsuzan Kuroda : People who are strong fights some are it generally naturally, even if they do not practice anything. The drive in sports of combat just enables them to develop these aptitudes. The katas are used to impregnate the body of the theories and to transform it. We practice in order to manage at a gesture which cannot be stopped, to make our movements invisible, and to develop the capacity to seize the moment when the partner for moving. It is better that people who involve themselves with the idea to use their assets in brawl will make pumps and will develop their muscles and their endurance. That will be useful to them more quickly. When two individuals fight in the sports of combat, they oppose their physical qualities. We seek to develop a sensitivity which will enable us to feel an attack before it develops. But before fighting, it is important to control its body.

Léo Tomaki, discussion with Tetsuzan Kuroda, Dragon n° 23 p. September 22nd, th and th 2007

Certain people continue however to oppose the techniques of personal defense known as “modern” to martial arts known as “traditional”, asserting that the last moved away from reality. Let us note that in a certain number of cases, it is about a commercial argument, in a manner of promoting its own practice with arguments of the type “I preserved best tradition to seek the maximum effectiveness”; in addition, the traditional movements often were carefully studied, and their modification, even if it seems to carry out towards a greater effectiveness, can on the contrary endanger the practitioner during a real application.

We thus have three types of practices:

practices based on the respect and work on oneself, like Chinese martial arts known as “internal” (Taiji quan, IQ gong) and the traditional Budo (Aïkido, Judo kodokan, karatedo shotokan), which makes it possible to work the basic principles like the management of the security distance, balance, direction of attack;
sports of combat (Boxing S, Karate of competition, Tae kwon C, Jujutsu…), which makes it possible to work the endurance with tiredness and the pain, the speed, the management of the surprise; however, because of presence of rules, one frequently attends not very realistic situations such as for example of the too short distances (all blows not being allowed);
applicatives practices, centered on simulations of real situations (the Close fights , the Kali, the Krav maga, Systema and the Jeet kune C), and of many courses bearing simply the name of coil-defense .

The concept of effectiveness must also land in the concept of diffusion towards the public. The sports of combat and the applicatives practices can seem more effective, but will reject many people because of the fear of the pain, of the feeling of failure, the claimed physical effort. A person practitioner a “soft” art certainly will be prepared with the violence of a real attack than a person practitioner a “hard” art, but it will be prepared better than a not-practitioner. At the time of an aggression, it will manage the distances best, will fall without being hurt (avoiding adding the wound of the fall to those of the blows) and will be put in ball lasting the tabassage, where nona practitioner will be more seriously reached. The person will thus have preserved her physical integrity better and psychological, “soft” art will thus have been effective.

Finally let us note that certain specialists denounce in articles of the unrealistic methods in modern lesson and applicatifs, such as for example of the errors in the position of the feet, being able to induce an unstable position, or a disarmament of a person armed with a gun in which one would not seize that the weapon and not the hand (Uri Kaffe, discussion with Avi Bardia, Budo International n° 120, May 2005, ED. International Budo Publishing Co.).

General rules

First of all, to avoid the dangerous situations (" The wise one is never on the place of the combat"):

For the motorist in urban area, to remain courteous, lock the doors and to avoid getting out of the vehicle in the event of external aggression.
When one telephones on his portable, to lean with a wall not to be made steal its mobile by an individual come from the back.
For the ladies, to go on the pavement preferably in opposite direction to the motor vehicle traffic with the firmly maintained bag on the side of the buildings (prevention of the pulling up of bag by the robbers in two wheels).
Obviously, to avoid venturing the night in badly lit and badly attended zones…

Pace and the step (" language of the corps") the fear and the " betray; behavior of victime" who attract predatory urban as well as the antelope lame attracts the deer. To release from the dissuasive signals, whatever the sex and the gauge, always to go of a assured step by balancing well the arms, the head and the high glance. By crossing individuals " douteux" , not to seek the contact occulaire, but if it occurs, not to lower the eyes (index of fear and tender) but to divert them horizontally (neutral signal).

Dr. Dominique Grouille, author of the book " To survive a agression" , foreword Henry Plée, European editions of magazines.

Although various practices are taught, they all answer the same constraints, one can thus draw some general rules.

The first rule is:

Even if you act in the best possible way, there is always a possibility of failure.

The failure being to be made here wound or kill. On the basis of there, it is necessary to distinguish two situations, according to whether the person making use of personal defense is a quidam or a professional of the protection of the people (Policier, Vigile, Militaire, Bodyguard…).

Sometimes, we are killed, even when we do all correctly. The life is different from what we believe to know. Actually, all can arrive and although we do not make any error, something can always surprise us.

Uri Kaffe, discussion with Avi Bardia, COp cit.

be ready to be wounded. The objective experienced veteran is to leave it victorious with less possible lesions and less low registers that its adversary.

Sifu Vincent Lyu, International Budo n°129 (March 2006), ED. International Budo Publishing Co.

The considerations which follow place within the framework of a quidam .

The methods of personal defense show techniques of disarmament, but disarmament is not an end in itself. These techniques are necessary if the attacker carries indeed a blow. But the goal of personal defense is to preserve its physical integrity:

the only reasonable attitude vis-a-vis an armed attacker is to obey the attacker.

Indeed, most of the time, the attacker shows its weapon to obtain something (money, valuable article, Viol), it does not intend to make use of its weapon, this one is used to make fear. To obey the injunctions of the attacker in general makes it possible to be left there unscathed. A person determined to kill does not have any reason to show her weapon, it would make use of it before one can thus realize some to react (Tireur embusqué or sniper , Hired killer, settling of score in the medium of the Organized crime…).

Include/understand well that if you see the weapon, it is probable that the attacker does not intend to draw without more, the attacker wants something. To defend themselves or not to defend themselves. If he asks you money, never resist and remain in life! You should fight only when your life or that of your close relations is in danger. The cemeteries are filled hero.

Uri Kaffe, discussion with Avi Bardia, COp cit.

The fact of satisfying the attacker in addition will cause a drop in the nervous Tension, it will be of as much less inclined to pass to the act, whereas a resistance could on the contrary irritate it. The Cash clerk S and Guichetier S are in general formed with the management of armed attacks. The recommendations are in general to obey and showing that one included/understood (“Yes, I give you the case”), by leaving its apparent hands, by making calm and nonambiguous gestures.

However, the attacker can show its weapon and make use of it all the same, for example in the case of a mentally unbalanced person, of a person having planned the Homicide (Assassinat) but which will be long in passing to the act, of a person wanting to make fear but which itself would panic and pass to the act… In these cases, so in spite of the precautions the attacker attacks indeed, disarmament can indeed be the best manner of protecting itself.

If one attacks you with a knife, one will cut you. The cuts on the arms and the legs can be painful, but in general it are not mortal (note: except if a Artery or a important Veine is touched; in addition, certain wounds have irrevocable consequences: chronic pains, loss of an eye, amputation…) . Dodge the stabs and approach and destroy immediately , even if by doing it, you are likely to wound you with the arm or the face.

Sifu Vincent Lyu, COp cit.

one is threatened by a firearm, if we carry out a fast movement, to tear off hands and if it is that the criminal has the finger on the trigger - what is almost certain - we can surprise it by causing a movement reflex (the involuntary action to press on the trigger, due to the contraction of the muscles).

Jim Wagner, International Budo n°129 (March 2006), ED. International Budo Publishing Co.

the escape is preferable with the confrontation.

Even in the event of confrontation not armed, there is always a risk to be wounded or to die, for example because of a shock on the head, a fall, a breaking of glass, or presence of an armed accomplice.

That had been the other drama of the Thursday, October 27, 2005. In Epinay-sur-Seine (Seine-Saint-Denis), four young people were caught some with a man who photographed a standard lamp in the district of Orgemont. Transported in the hospital, Jean-Claude Irvoas, 56 years, was to die of its wounds in the night. “Initially, the young people wanted to steal the apparatus. But afterwards, all becomes fuzzier”. The man defended his good and succeeded in putting one of the attackers at ground. He then got clear, continued by two people of which one then struck a blow to him to the head which left it extended without knowledge.

Benoit Hopquin, Le Monde , October 27th, 2006

Sergio Vantaggiato was declared yesterday evening in a state of “brain death”. Sunday evening, in the corridors of the subway station two men conceal his backpack to him and escape. It then decides to launch out to their continuation, manages to catch up with one of the robbers. In the quarrel, the journalist falls heavily with the bottom of the steps. Victim of a cranial traumatism and losing much blood, it is evacuated by Samu towards the hospital :: Christophe Lehousse, Release n° 8171, p. August 9th, 15th and th 2007

The option of the escape is of course to balance: there are cases where the escape is impossible (physical incapacity, layout of the premises) or not desirable (for example the person is accompanied by a child which will not be able to flee effectively).

If the escape is impossible because of the layout of the premises, to emerge, think of using any object of the environment like shield and/or arms with fortune: chair, clothing, etc One can also try to make diversion (e.g. to throw a bag or an object of a certain value in direction of the attacker). In all the cases, on the first occasion, to flee. Dr. Dominique Grouille.

When the confrontation with place, if the attacker is not armed with a firearm, the principal parameters to be managed are:

the security distance: if one succeeds in maintaining a distance minimal (higher than the lengthening-piece of the arm and weapon), that makes it possible to have time to react to the blows; in addition, more the adversary has of distance to traverse for touching, more it will be put in situation of imbalance, which could be exploited;
the management of the distance in situation of stress requires a drive; to keep of the distance
in this throw spirit of the kicks (the leg with more lengthening-piece than the arm): if possible in the parts, if not to aim at the ankles, tibiae, knees (Dr. Dominique Grouille);
to obtain from the assistance, for example while shouting to prevent;
layout of the premises: not to find itself wedged without hope of escape; this is in particular complicated if there are several attackers (risk of surrounding).

Sub-lethal weapons

Weapons were developed in order to cause a temporary incapacity while limiting the harmful effects. These weapons are known as “sub-lethal”, which means that it have a low mortal potential, but one cannot ensure that the person is not likely to die, would not be this that during a consecutive fall to the use of this weapon.

The weak dangerosity makes that these weapons can sometimes be had without special permit; that in fact of the ideal “weapons of defense”, but also of the weapons of attacks, the attacker incurring a less important sorrow if it is made stop.

The most common example is the lachrymatory Bombe or with Gas pepper.

It is necessary to be wary:

of the closed places, in particular if the cloud is not very directing;
of the wind and the drafts, in-drafts.

See the article nonlethal Weapon.

Personal defense army

Armed personal defense, or self-defense, poses a complex problem: up to what point isn't this defense itself a Trouble with the law and order?

On the one hand, the fact of holding and of transporting a weapon is in oneself a risk; even if this one is intended only for defense against a Hold-up, nothing guarantees

that one will not use it against an attack with naked hand;
that one will not use it out of the field of the self-defense, to make a Homicide, if required to be made justice oneself (autojustice) if it is considered that the State does not play its part;
that there will be no casualty or of died by accident:

play of child: to protect the children, the weapons must be under key, and for the firearms, the ammunition under key in a separate place; but then the weapon is not accessible any more in the event of attack, by unexpected definition;
loss of control of oneself: sprinkled evening, blow of anger, psychiatric problem;
false alarm: the person awakes the night by hearing noise, but it is about a family member;
stray bullet.

Many countries consider that the risk of aggression is less important than the risk of mortality if everyone has a firearm. The statistical show in any case a correlation between regulation of the wearing of weapon and low criminality: countries where the wearing of weapon is very regulated, like the France and the the United Kingdom (0,7 homicide for 100 000 inhabitants), have a rate of very low homicide compared to countries where the wearing of weapon is free, like the the United States (6,2 homicides for 100 000 hab.; to also see on this subject the film Bowling for Columbine of Michael Moore).

In the countries where the wearing of weapon is regulated, only certain categories of people are authorized to hold and transport a weapon, in general the Police force (but there exist certain not armed categories, like certain British police officers or the police municipal French) and with unquestionable profession at the risk, like the transport and the detention of values (Transport of funds). The citizens can in general have weapons of collection or hunting weapons with need for having a license.

The situation is more complicated in the countries where the State does not manage to dam up criminality.

The effectiveness of the possession of a weapon rests in fact primarily on dissuasion. And the risk of an escalation of violence involves.

See too

Techniques

Close fights
Pencak Silat
Kali Escrima
Jeet kune C
Hapkido
Kollellaullin
Krav maga
Systema
Système of fast actions of control
Wing Chun

External bonds

Simple: Coil-defense

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