Controlling Adrenaline Stress: Mental Imaging, 2

(Continued from this post.)
Here's how controlling adrenaline stress through mental imaging works for the sales professional who has lost confidence. He must close his eyes and picture himself making a sale. In his mind, he sees himself make the presentation and close the sale. Simple enough?

Well, simple isn't always easy. Winning the Olympic high jump is simple -- just jump higher than anyone else. But the execution is not so easy. In the same way, using mental imaging to train requires initiative, discipline and effort.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to use mental imaging to control your adrenaline stress, I want to talk about why this works. Simply put, it works because you learn from experience. For example, when I was in Jr. High School (Middle School to you moderns), I got beat up -- a lot.

I was 12 and not yet through puberty, but the orcs who singled me out for "special treatment" (the price you pay if you'd rather read a book than play baseball) were big, hairy, and older than I. This went on for almost two school years.

Throughout that time, I fantasized about defeating the orcs, but fantasizing is not serious mental imaging. However, the experiences themselves conditioned my adrenaline stress control. I'll discuss what I learned in "Controlling Adrenline Stress: Mental Imaging, 3".

Controlling Adrenaline Stress: Mental Imaging

I have previously discussed controlling adrenaline by means of breath control and by means of the battle cry. Now I want to address the topic of how to control your adrenaline by means of creative mental imaging. The first question to answer is whether you can actually use your imagination to manage adrenaline.

Anyone who has heard Bill Cosby's "Chicken Heart" routine and remembers being scared silly by a story on radio, TV, the movies or just sitting around the campfire knows the power of imagination to stimulate adrenaline flow. If your imagination can initiate adrenaline stress, it's not too far a stretch to accept the fact that you can use your imagination to learn to control that same stress.

The technique is the same that I've seen described in books on sales training. Beginning salesmen often have a fear of the prospective customer (closely associated with a rush of adrenaline). Even experienced professionals become "gunshy" at a prospect's objections. To overcome that stress, the knowledgeable pro will use a technique based on creative imaging.

In "Controlling Adrenaline Stress: Mental Imaging, 2" I plan to describe the technique of mental imaging as it's used for controlling stress.

Do Your Christian Service Tactically

Serving Christ is a natural desire for any Christian, but if you're a Christian sheepdog, you may want to consider how to do your Christian service tactically. There are many places of service open in most churches, and a sheepdog might find himself in any one of them. But I want you to consider one avenue of service that is a natural for the sheepdog: that of usher.

In most churches, ushers also serve as greeters. They greet church members coming into the sanctuary & give them bulletins. They also greet visitors, answer questions and make them feel welcome. During the service they may help take the offering, but other than that remain at the back of the sanctuary to help latecomers find seating.

What better place for someone to serve as an undercover sentry? I say "undercover" because 999/1000's of your job will involve smiling, greeting and being generally helpful. No one will suspect (nor should they) that you are screening everyone who comes through the door.

While the eyes of all the sheep are on the shepherd at the front, the sheepdog/usher is at the rear, keeping a watchful eye on the flock as he, too, worships.

Does the Bible Restrict Women's Self Defense?

When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her. (Deuteronomy 25:11-12)

I was somewhat surprised the first time I heard this passage cited as a proof that a woman should not use a groin strike against a male in self-defense. Then I realized that before I discount that application, I should examine the passage more closely. Let's begin with context.

These verses appear at the end of a discussion of levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5-10). That is, when a man of Israel died childless, his nearest male blood relative was to take the widow as wife in order to produce offspring. The firstborn of that union would be counted as the dead man's descendant and heir. This demonstrated the importance of heritage in the covenantal Law of God & is key to understanding the next two verses. (For an insightful discussion of this passage, see Gary North's "Levirate Marriage and Family Name" in his commentary on Deuteronomy, Inheritance and Dominion.)

Commentators who do not see the point of verses 5-10 often miss the point of verses 11-12. Take Keil & Delitzsch, for example:

“But in order that the great independence which is here accorded to a childless widow in relation to her brother-in-law, might not be interpreted as a false freedom granted to the female sex” (Baumgarten), the law is added immediately afterwards, that a woman whose husband was quarrelling with another, and who should come to his assistance by laying hold of the secret parts of the man who was striking her husband, should have her hand cut off.

The point of this ordinance is not to quell licentious sexuality, nor is it to punish immodesty (as in Matthew Henry & John Gill's comments). To grab a man by the stones is to take his covenantal continuity and heritage in your hands. It goes against the whole tenor of God's declarations regarding children and the future (Psa. 127:3; Mal. 2:15). Now, with an understanding of the passage's theme and purpose, let's proceed to analyze what it says.

"When men strive together . . . ."
The word translated strive means to struggle (Brown-Driver-Briggs), although it is used here to denote a physical fight (as also Exodus 2:13 & 21:22), it also may express a verbal altercation or quarrel (as in Num. 26:9). Gill paraphrases "strive together" as, "Quarrel with one another, and come to blows, and strive for mastery, which shall beat, and be the best man". Thus the language here indicates a fight rather than a criminal assault.

Men (primarily) enter into fights by mutual consent. If you've ever watched a quarrel escalate into a fight, you recognize that, in most cases, either of the men could have headed off the violence by simply leaving the scene. Instead, neither would give in until the argument became so heated that one of them touched (poked, prodded, pushed) the other. Then the other responded physically. Usually a shoving match precedes the actual throwing of punches.

What we see in this passage is not a man jumped by an assailant in an alley. We see a man who has abdicated control of his anger and entered into an ill-advised hostile encounter with another man (presumably another Israelite, a fellow-believer - reminds me of some church business meetings [oops, off topic]). And he's losing.

Then his wife takes matters in hand.

". . . and taketh him by the secrets."
Although he does not fully grasp the covenantal import, Gill recognizes the motives and possible consequences of such an act:

This immodest action was done partly out of affection to her husband, to oblige his antagonist to let go his hold of him; and partly out of malice and revenge to him, to spoil him, and make him unfit for generation, and therefore was to be severely punished . . . .

When God made the promise of the seed to Abraham (Gen. 17:7), no one knew precisely who that seed would be or how He would come. We see the Messianic prophecies much more clearly in retrospect than did the average Israelite under the Mosaic covenant (Gal. 3:17ff). Therefore to interfere with another Israelite's potential seed was an affront to God's covenant with His people, and an attack on His plan of redemption. It was, in fact, so heinous an act, that it demanded a punishment quite extraordinary by Biblical standards.

Thus, Albert Barnes observes:

This is the only mutilation prescribed by the Law of Moses, unless we except the retaliation prescribed as a punishment for the infliction on another of bodily injuries Lev 24:19-20.

Summary & Conclusion
This ordinance is about the fact that when a man gets involved in a foolish quarrel, even his own safety and well-being do not take precedence over the purposes and promises of God. His wife may not rescue him from the consequences of his prideful and willful pugnacity by violating another believer's covenantal continuity and heritage.

The context, theme and purpose of this law have nothing to do with a circumstance in which a mugger or rapist grabs a woman on the street. In my experience, women are hesitant enough (because of modesty and natural aversion to violence) to consider defending themselves by grabbing a man's stones. We don't need to add the hindrance of misplaced guilt resulting from incomplete exegesis to a woman's hesitancy.

I would counsel my wife and daughters that, in the event of attempted assault: "If the groin shot presents itself, consider it God's providence & take it."

Stahara, Ki (Chi) and Loins

In the Eastern arts, ki (Chinese, chi) is a term that represents the force that is centered in the stahara or loins. Since you may translate ki either as spirit or as force/power, you can view the concept either mystically or in terms of physics. Those who view it mystically sometimes make rather fantastic claims about the feats they can perform, which leads some conservative Christians to label the whole concept as demonic.

In Secrets of JuJitsu, Smith uses the term stahara for the abdominal region, the source of one's purely physical (non-mystical) strength and power. Modern athletes and fitness experts refer to this as your core. They have come to recognize the importance of the core in generating power for all kinds of movement from home-run hits to knockout punches.

A few years ago, I started working on an annotated version of Smith's book. Here is my note on the stahara:

The Stahara corresponds to the Biblical concept of the loins. The loins seem to include the pelvis and abdominal region up to the diaphragm. The Bible associates the loins with strength and power (Job 40:16; Proverbs 31:17). A loosening of the joints of the loins signifies weakness and fear. (Daniel 5:6).

Since the loins represent man’s center of mass, strength and stability, it is little wonder that Paul enjoins the Ephesians to cinch up their loins with truth. Spiritually, our strength and stability derives from tightly binding truth to the core of our being.

Rear Kick

I have started to practice a rear kick, just a few reps each morning after our walk. This particular version is actually a snap rear kick, and it's for when someone grabs you from behind. For the moment we will bypass such questions as: "Why didn't he whup you upside the head to disorient you before grabbing you," and, "What lapse of alertness on your part allowed the orc to come up behind you like that?"

I practice this rear kick with my back against the heavy bag. The bottom of the bag is adjusted to groin level. Then I snap my heel up to contact the bottom of the bag. I try to maintain my back in contact with the bag because leaning forward to gain kicking height may not be an option in an actual encounter.

This version of the rear kick does not need to contact with a lot of force. It's not the heavy strikes, but the quick sharp ones that cause the most distress in groin shots.

If I continue to practice the snap rear kick, I expect joint mobility to increase. As this happens, I plan to raise the bag an inch or two at a time, in case I'm grabbed by someone with longer legs.

Pistol Disarm

I see a lot of things I like in this side of head pistol disarm video from Defendo.com. Here are some of them:

1. Moving into the handgun rather than away from it (because you can't defend against the bullet, so you have to defend against the shooter);
2. Launching the defense from something very close to the startle response position;
3. Turning on a short, quick radius (because action is faster than reaction);
   
4. Striking with the effective & simple Tiger Claw (palm heel strike with fingers curled to slip into eyes -- see Get Tough!).

The only part of this defense that I question is grabbing the weapon. If the orc has a revolver that goes off as you grab it, exploding gases escape the force cone that will burn and tear the flesh of the palm of your hand. I saw a video somewhere of a guy wearing a thick leather gauntlet putting his hand around a revolver which was then fired. You don't want what happened to that glove happen to your hand.

In practicing this defense, I think I would snake my hand down around his arm and grab the palm-side of his hand where it's wrapped around the weapon. You lose a little leverage, but the Tiger Claw to his chin and eyes should distract him enough for you bend back his wrist & still lock his finger in the trigger guard. At that point, you can [more] safely remove the firearm from his hand.

Note: Fighting empty-handed against someone with a weapon is dangerous. Only you can accept the responsibility & liability for deciding to do so.

Martial Art as Way

Judo is not merely a martial art but rather the basic principle of human behavior. When that basic principle is applied to defense against attack or applied as physical education in randori at the dojo, these are applications of that principle in judo, but are only one aspect of judo—it is wrong to assume judo ends in the dojo.
Judo is not what many people believe it to be; that is to say, judo is more than a fighting art practiced at the dojo. The basic meaning of judo is quite different, and is universal and profound. —Jigoro Kano

I am the Way, the Truth and Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me. -- Jesus

For the Christian Martialist, there can be only one Way, one order of life. Jesus Christ is not only the template for that order of life, but He is also the entry into it. In Him we find the path TO life as well as the path OF life. This reality so gripped believers of the First Century that they referred to Christianity as the way (Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9; etc.)

The various Eastern martial arts, for the most part, came about as a result of their founders' intention to teach a way of life. The do suffix on the names of several of these arts means way. Thus we have ju-do (yielding way), karate-do (way of the open hand or way of the Chinese fist), etc. All of these ways of life arose out of either a Buddhist or a Taoist religious and ethical context.

Although the ethics of the way of the East and the way of Christ may have some superficial similarities, profound differences lie beneath the surface. Let's take as an example the ethical objective of teaching your child not to get into fights. This is an objective that a Buddhist and a Christian might share in common.

The rationale and approach of Christianity differs markedly from that of Buddhism. Of course the Buddhist as well as the Christian recognize that the urge to fight marks an individual without self control, and that lack of control makes him vulnerable (Prov. 25:28). But the similarity ends there.

The Christian recognizes that the roots of human conflict flourish in the soil of our sinful natures (James 4:1). It is the violation of God's eternal & abiding law which God will one day judge and remove. The Buddhist sees conflict in terms of yin and yang, the universal balance of light and darkness, positive and negative. Thus conflict is an expression of the very fabric of reality and is eternal.

The consistent Christian teaches his child when fighting is necessary and when it's not in terms of God's Law. The believer can walk away from a fight knowing that if he is right, God will vindicate him either in time or eternity. The Buddhist seeks for his child to avoid fighting through self discipline and self confidence.

In practice, the martial arts instructor explains it to a parent like this: Johnny gets into fights because he has a low opinion of himself. But through a rigorous and challenging course of training, he will prove himself through discipline, hard work and achievement. Then, when someone tries to pick a fight with him, he will walk away because he will have nothing to prove.

Be aware of the difference. From what source does your ethics come: God's Word or yourself? Of what is your character a fruit: the working of God's Spirit or your own self-based works?

This is not to say that Christian children should not be taught to discipline themselves or that hard work and achievement are anathema to the Biblical way of life. In fact, Christian Martialism offers these things to a family willing to practice them. The issue of how a Christian interprets these practices, however, and relates them to his faith boils down to a matter of worldview and context.

It is my hope that WARSKYL will provide Christians the inspiration and instruction to learn martial skills in the worldview and context of Holy Scripture, and to the glory of the triune God.

Sir Galahad

Sir Galahad provides a counterbalance to a false view that plagues us. In our culture, good people are often portrayed as helpless. Devout Christians are often seen as pacifists who must be protected by the irreligious but compassionate warrior. We have seen this in the movies going way back. Contrast this with the following poetic description of Sir Galahad from the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1834). (Unless I'm mistaken, a casque is a helmet.)

My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.

In Sir Galahad, most noble of King Arthur's knights, we see purity of character as a source of strength rather than of weakness. Wikipedia refers to him as "perhaps the knightly embodiment of Jesus in the Arthurian legends." This may be because Sir Galahad is represented as sinlessly pure.

However you view him, I believe Sir Galahad stands as an example to us as Christian Martialists. Like him, we find great strength in righteousness and conformity to the character of God in Christ.

Christian Martialism on a Budget, 11

Odds & [Loose] Ends:
At one point in this series I directed you to a Russian site which has an online copy of Get Tough! I neglected to also provide you with a link to an easily download-able PDF version of the same book. This is the version I have both on CD-ROM and in my flash drive.

In "Christian Martialism on a Budget, 9", I mentioned Point Shooting by W.E. Fairbairn. I just found where you can get a PDF download of it. I am also going to include that link in the aforementioned post.

As long as I'm linking you to free combat classics, I should give you a link to Cold Steel. This is also at the Russian website. There is a PDF version here, but it includes only the hand-to-hand & stick (baton) sections, but not the bayonet & knife. Steven mentioned this book in his comment, and you should have it, although I'd suggest you learn the Get Tough! techniques before diving into this material.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm sold on the book of Psalms as a mindset source for the Christian Martialist. The Psalms are inspired songs, and God intends for the warriors of Zion to sing them. Here is a link to a page where you can hear some of the Psalms from the KJV and NKJV in musical settings. They are in the public domain, so you can download, listen and even sing along. We use these in our family worship time.

Well, that's about it for now. I may add to this series, from time to time, but I don't want to overwhelm you with material, especially if you're just beginning your training. I would like to hear from the readers, though. Did I leave out anything you would consider vital? Perhaps you disagree with my priorities or my approach, and you'd like to suggest an alternative path. I'd like to hear from you. My approach to Christian Martialism isn't the only approach, and for you it may not be the best approach. That's what the comments section is for: to enrich & supplement each other's knowledge & options.

Christian Martialism on a Budget, 10

We are approaching the end of this series of posts. There are some subjects I have not touched (knife, stick, defense against multiple attackers), but if you follow the program I've laid out, you should have the basics of close quarters combat and handgun defense. You can build on that foundation later.

One area I've not yet addressed is warrior fitness. Strength training is, I believe, the key to warrior fitness. If you structure your strength training in terms of circuits and intervals, you can get a good cardio workout as a bonus. You can achieve this with 20-minute workouts 3-4 times per week, without barbells or other equipment.

The resource you'll need to accomplish this is John E. Peterson's Pushing Yourself to Power. It is a cornucopia of bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere, including cramped quarters. It also contains several short biographies & photos of some athletes, strongmen, and others who have built their strength and physiques through bodyweight-only training.

The photographic illustrations are detailed enough so you can see how each exercise is done. The text is easy to read and understand. And I know that it works, because over the past six months I have gained muscle (although I've cleverly camouflaged it underneath my personal survival food storage program -- er, fat).

Peterson professes faith in Christ, which is a plus, but his witness is more of the soft evangelical variety than the robust proclamations of, say, Luther or Knox. Nevertheless, to read a training book in a Gospel rather than a New Age or Buddhist context is refreshing.

Pushing Yourself to Power sells for $19.79, and if you waited to order The Gift of Fear, you can order both at once and get free shipping.

One more important training topic I've not yet addressed has to do with the lower end of the scale of force: verbal techniques to deflect potential violence. For this I recommend George J. Thompson's Verbal Judo. I reviewed this book in "The Best Self Defense System, 4". It sells for $11.16, and you can get free shipping if you order it with the two books I mentioned above.

That brings your total expenditure to $98.38, just under the $100 budget for a year. You don't have to purchase everything at once, either. There is plenty of free material for you to work with, and you can expand your training as funds become available. The important thing is to train as well as to study. To become an accomplished Christian Martialist, you must do both.

One more post on this topic should do it. I want to list a few more free resources, and wind up this topic by asking for some discussion & reaction.

Security Tip

Today there will be a brief hiatus before I conclude the series "Christian Martialism on a Budget". The following security tip was forwarded to me by my barber, LT:

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this -- it's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around . . . after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there . . this is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone.

One woman has suggested to her husband that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

Christian Martialism on a Budget, 9

So far, you have [potentially] spent $46.99 for your first year's training in Christian Martialism. You have an assemblage of some of the best martial/close combat instruction manuals ever produced. You also have access to some excellent sources on tactics and training drills. I hope you have already begun to practice some of what you've learned.

Now I want to approach an area of training that the young man who prompted this series already knows a great deal about: handgun skills. He comes from a shooting family. I'm not sure, however, if he has ever trained in point (or instinctive) shooting.

I believe that learning to use the sights on a firearm is practical and useful at the appropriate distances. You need both aiming and tactical skills. Nevertheless, I am also aware that sight alignment takes that extra second you may not have in a close encounter of the fatal kind.

Over 90% of handgun altercations occur at less than 20 feet. Remember that the pistol originally was introduced to cavalry officers as a less cumbersome substitute for the saber. And it was meant for approximately the same range.

W.E. Fairbairn's work in reducing instinctive shooting to a science is recorded in his book, Shooting to Live(free PDF online). However, you can get a great video instructional aid plus some impressive footage of the techniques being used in a VHS video called Point Shooting. It contains a WWII era declassified training film (black & white) based on Fairbairn's methods. (Video + shipping = $20.44, which brings the total expenditure so far to $67.43).

Christian Martialism on a Budget, 8

Putting it all together: Scenario Based Training, cont'd
Here is a sample scenario.

Attacker: Say, do you have a light?

Defender: (Alert to distance) No.

Attacker: (Starts to move in) Are you sure?

Defender: (Hands up, palms out, then loudly) Stop! Leave me alone.

Attacker: No need to get all paranoid (launches attack before finishing sentence)

Defender: (Startle response & reactive technique, then escape)

• The attack might consist of rushing, grabbing, sucker punching, etc.
  
• The attacker's approach may also vary -- ask for directions, ask to use cell phone, "wanna buy a watch?", etc.
  
• The escape from the situation is vital. You are not there to win a fight or to prove how macho you are. Sticking around could get you hurt or killed. Also, from a legal standpoint, you may someday be glad to be able to say under oath that your self defense practice focused on the objective of escaping danger.

Christian Martialism on a Budget, 7

Putting it all together: Scenario Based Training
From the beginning, as you develop competence in your fighting skills, you should combine them with other aspects of your total self defense system. I'm referring to adrenaline stress conditioning (see here & here & here & here), startle response (see here & here & here) and drawing the line (see here & here & here).

Work with your partner to develop scenarios wherein you may have to defend yourself. It would help if you knew the stages of an assault & some variations (fodder for a future post). For now, work on the obvious ones: ambush from behind, sucker punch (overhand or hook), grabs, kicks, etc. from the front or side, etc. Do not script your scenarios, but have a general idea of what you & your partner are doing.

Practice the scenarios in slow motion. I mean very slow motion. Do not cheat by moving faster when you see what your partner is up to. Match his speed as you play out your startle response and your reactive technique. At first, only practice Attack, Startle Response, Reactive Technique. Later add an attacker's defense & 2nd attack along with another reactive technique from you.

As you become comfortable with this level of practice, introduce a new level of discomfort. Let the attacker ad lib a little. Let him choose from two or three possible attacks. Then gradually increase the speed (say, 1/4 combat speed). But don't try it all in one practice session. You need to train your reactions over weeks and months.
Continued in "Christian Martialism on a Budget, 8"

Tactical Training Tip from Keith Pascal

This article should give you some idea of the practical training suggestions you might get (for free) by subscribing to Keith's weekly e-letter MA Mastery. If I were you, I'd also want to click on the free e-book & article mentioned below.

Martial Arts Scenario Training - Package Practicing in Public
By Keith Pascal

Keith Pascal
Level: Platinum

Keith Pascal is the author of 7 books, including Wrist Locks: From Protecting Yourself to Becoming an Expert, Coin Snatching the Reputation Builder, and Tiptoeing ...

Are you out and about a lot? Window shopping? Maybe doing a little real shopping? Do you spend a lot of time in crowds? Department stores? Walking to your car with bags in hand?

Have you done enough shopping to last a lifetime, where the thought of more sickens you? Or are you ready for more -- always?

Here's a quick little martial arts training scenario idea:

Train with a package in hand.

That's about it.

Try different sizes and different weights. Load yourself up with several department store bags. Even though the title of this article implies scenario training in public, I wouldn't start that way. Practice in a class, or with a partner at home.

Save the public practice ... for just being more aware whenever you have to carry a package in public. For now, start in the privacy of your own home. The idea is to [burden] yourself with either the shape of the package, the weight of the package, its size, or the number of packages that you have to juggle at one time.

Then have your practice partner vary the attack. Try everything from the teasing hassle, to an attack.

By the way, if your attacker is just going for the packages, I'd advise giving them up without a fight. No toaster is worth your life. You agree, right?

Make sure you give equal practice time to your partner. You both want to be prepared for an attack while you are carrying a package. This is why you practice scenario martial arts training.

I hope you are never attacked, but if you are, scenario training has prepared you.

Have fun. Be careful. And don't put anything fragile in your packages.

Download my new, Free ebooklet, "Elbow Strike Counters": Free-- Learn a better Elbow Strike and a Practical Counter Read an article about joint lock self defense: Wrist Locks Techniques. Here's a site about punching harder and faster ... Punch Harder and Faster Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Pascal

Click this link to go to "Christian Martialism on a Budget, 7"

Christian Martialism on a Budget, 6

Training in Fighting Techniques, continued
Learning self defense skills is a lot like learning to talk. First you learn individual, isolated words -- mama, dada, ball. Then you start to put words together to communicate simple ideas -- "Mama! Ball!" (She gives you the ball, and you're happy.)

Finally, you learn to use grammar to link words in coherent sentences: "Mother, do you think supralapsarianism is a Biblical concept or one imposed on selected texts through a presuppositional bias?" (I'm impressed. You must be home-schooled.)

In learning close combat skills, individual techniques are like isolated words: necessary to know, but not always useful by themselves (hit or miss, so to speak). Once you are competent in a few techniques, you need to practice putting them into the context of a violent encounter. You need tactical application -- the grammar of personal combat.

Keith Pascal is a master at designing self defense drills that will not only train your basic skills, but get you to thinking & reacting tactically. If you have not subscribed to his weekly newsletter, Martial Arts Mastery, you need to do this. It's free and it should become a staple source of training drills & ideas.

In order to encourage you to subscribe to MA Mastery, I'm going to take a little break from this series and publish [legally and ethically] one of Keith's articles in my next post.

Click link to go to "Christian Martialism on a Budget, 7"