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.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, February 8, 2008
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).
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).
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
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)
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.
Monday, February 4, 2008
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"
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"
Saturday, February 2, 2008
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
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 |
Friday, February 1, 2008
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"
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"
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