Self Defense

The Friday candidate class was one of my favorites for two reasons. It started with a run and a run time of 13:51!  Yes, below fourteen! Of course, that was my son's time, not mine. Mine was a nebbish backsliding 14:21 perhaps due to not training enough, arriving late, not stretching, or running in the evening (instead of the morning). The fact is I'm over the moon with his time.  He has a real work capacity which I personally think is the most important factor for success and satisfaction in life!

Secondly, we spent a lot of time on self defense and holds and grabs. So this is my chance to create a guide to all the releases from holds and grabs that I've learned over the past five years. I'd like to have a directory of them similar to my kata one.  I already have two areas done (Rear Bear Hug & Rear Choke) .  So I'm creating a list with the intention of getting them video'd with a pair of other kohai this week.  I'm going to publish this with the intention that this remain a work in progress. Anybody remember anything not mentioned here? Any volunteers to be on camera or to hold the camera?

A List of the Release and Defenses Learned by a Black Belt at Fifty
This list is meant as a list of what I've learned and to serve as a script for filming. It can be hard to follow.

Rear Bear Hug - Several versions are shown including traditional kempo and reference point defenses.

Rear Choke - This post demonstrates our releases from chokes and headlocks from behind.

Head lock from side (ouki on left):Locked up: Step forward with right leg so the right foot is in front, double strike to groin and kidneys, reach up with left and grab top of gi or hair, pull back with left right strike open hand to chin, right hand to groin.
Not yet locked up: Protect face with right hand, reach behind ouki and as ouki pulls arm back to punch, grab far arm at bottom of bicep with left hand. Posture up stretching back, reach right hand onto their right hand on my neck, pull down and back so I'm behind, put ouki behind ouki's back, slight left foot kick to their left knee to bend them down, shift right hand to choke, lock up and choke out

Front Bear Hug
Hands Pinned: Put legs back pushing back on the ouki's hips to get some space. Knee to groin. Slide hands up between bodies until you get your right forearm into the ouki's throat until hold is broken. Switch to reference point grip, step back pulling him forward. and throw three knees.
Hands Free: Slide hands in until you get your right forearm into the ouki's throat until hold is broken. Switch to reference point grip, step back pulling him forward. and throw three knees.


Shoulder or neck grab from side (assume left):
Shoulder Hold: Spin left with left hand in chinese elbow breaking grip. Continue spin with right hand cross to face and right round house 180 to body.
Shoulder Hold Release: Put left arm up behind ouki's hold with your right hand on your own left wrist. Simultaneously step towards your left (a little behind the ouki) while pulling your left forehand into the back of his elbow hyperextending it until he releases.
Neck Hold:  Throw your left arm around his arm gripping either his bicep or gi. Spin to your left bringing your right elbow into the ouki's face. Grab behind his neck for reference point grip. Step back with right pulling him forward and down. Three knees.


Haymaker punch (assume with the right)
Slip it: Left hand in guard, throwing right hand around waist, place your head in the middle of the ouki's  back and grip one of your wrists with the other. You can push away from here. Or, slide the left hand to a shoulder hold, right hand up around the throat, lock it up
Step inside with right elbow to face.  Switch to reference hold, step back with right foot, three knees.

Full nelson: Posture up leaning head back with hands resting on your forehead stretching & weakening grip.  Lean forward hitting down with elbows onto his forearms and momentarily trapping them between your biceps and core. Grap his right hand, spin out controlling him posture down with the joint lock. Right front kick up to face or groin.

Bouncer hold (ouki behind locking your right hand behind back, left hand held at your side): Step back with left foot while shooting left hand forward. Then elbow back. Spin right breaking your right hand free, regrabbing with joint lock that pulls him forward and down. Kick up with right leg to face or body.

Wrist Grabs
Single wrist grap, same side (kenpo):  With your free hand, cross over and grab the wrist of the arm holding your wrist. Break the captured wrist free by rotating your wrist out of their grip while holding this hand still. With free hand, hit upwards with forearm or wrist to hyperextend the ouki's arm. Quick back fist groin shot, back fist face shot, disengage.
Single wrist grap, same side: turn sideways with gripped hand towards the ouki,  punch down breaking free, elbow up into chin, step back
Crossover (assume they're holding my right hand): Step forward with left leg with left forehand pushing below their elbow twisting my hand free and regrabbing the ouki's wrist, forcing ouki to bend over.  Elbow strike to side of head, elbow down on middle of back.
Both wrists: pull up to break, step forward with right side, right elbow to face, right chop to neck. Reference point grab, step back, pull the ouki forward and down. Three knees.
Both wrists: pull up to break, clear their hands, ear clap, plumb. Three knees. (warning, don't practice an actual ear clap, just clap in front of the head).


Lapel holds,  Front Pushes, Front Chokes
Front Choke:  Put your two hands in almost a prayer posture but with hands clapsed together making a double fist. Punch upwards between the ouki's hands breaking hold. Hands still together, chop down on ouki's nose. Pull hands towards yourself, rotate them sideways and jab, both hands still together, into ouki's neck. Disengage.
Front Choke: Put your two hands in almost a prayer posture. Punchup between the ouki's hands breaking hold. Double chop on ouki's neck from each side. Plumb. Three knees . 
Double lapel hold: Pin ouki's hands to chest with left hand and forearm, step forward with with right foot punching first under arms to solar plex, then above putting your elbow to nose. Grab behind neck with right, slide left hand to control their hand, step back with right right pulling them forward and off balance, three knees, optional choke out.
Double front choke: Strike their hands down towards lapel, use double lapel (above).
Double front choke: Grab each of their hands with my fingers towards inside, peel them off, keep hold on left hand pinning it to my chest. Step forward with right leg and strike with right elbow, grab behind neck with right,  step back with right foot pulling them forward and off balance, three knees, optional choke out.
Single Lapel Grab (assume ouki's left hand): Pin it to the chest with your right hand, hit it inward with your left hyperextending it. Hit it down. Step back.
One hand on throat (assume ouki's left hand): Hit his hand down and pin it to your body with your left hand while stepping foward with right leg and open hand hit to face followed by elbow strike. Reference point grip behind his neck with right while still controlling his left. Step back with right right pulling them forward and off balance, three knees, optional choke out.
Front Push: As they make contact, brush hands to side and push back.

Rear neck grip -

Lavallee's curriculum includes some self defense and releases from holds and grabs. The very first one we learn is a release from a rear neck grab (two hands gripping the neck). We also learn a release from a rear choke hold. In my mind, I group these two attacks on the neck together so I have here.

Our curriculum, as I've mentioned before, evolves. Below are videos of releases using the older (for our school) kenpo-based moves and our current approach which is reference-point based.

Kenpo Based Defense from Rear Neck Grab


The reference point system is designed to respond to each attack by engaging and disabling your attacker, not just repelling him to attack you again. Also, the idea of reference points is to respond to each attack by funneling the response into a few well-known fighting maneuvers. The Lavallees self-defense, while similar to jitsu, is most directly derived from Israel-base haganah self defense. It avoids the kenpo self defense problem of there being many dramatically different moves for self defense. A cool-headed well-trained person might remember which defense to use in which situation but most people, once attacked, could get confused by the complexity of responses of the kenpo self defense.

(note - this videos were pulled together from an impromptu practice session after class. They are not performances)

I'd be very interested in your thoughts on which of these is more effective in what situations. And what you know about the heritage of these approaches...

Kenpo-Based Rear Neck Grip Again

Reference Point - Rear Neck Grip

Rear Choke - Kenpo

Rear Choke Reference Point

Rear Choke Cradle Release

Thoughts? Comments?



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We're now an MMA school

It seems that at Lavallee's, at least for the moment, MMA is in. And kata are out. I noticed last week at testing that there were NO kata. Bbth the junior and adult classes earned their new belt without performing a single Kata (except for the basic appreciation form)! No XMA, no weapons, no three set kumatai, no bookset, no 6/8/10 count kicking, and no long or short ones. The entire evening was the basic strikes, pad work, and MMA style holds and grabs.

Today was an A day. Traditionally, A days means Kata work. But today, it was all MMA. The same thing was true last week (I've only made two classes in two weeks). It's a dramatic change. And how far will it go? So far, our take downs and ground work are drills. I go, you go with no resistance. But, are we on a path to real wrestling and jutsu? Will we start resisting the moves and trying counters in free form? Will sparing include take-downs this year? How far will Kyoshi take us on this MMA path?

When I joined Lavallees, in the summer of 2003, all of our holds and grabs were of the kenpo variety. Then, the holds and grabs disappeared from the curriculum for awhile. When they returned, they were much more MMA and street style self-defense. Kenpo holds and grabs were structured as releases, strikes, and then the creation of distance. Now, our holds and grabs are about holding and maintainng control, elbow and knee strikes, taking the other person to the ground, and maintaining a dominant position.

It's interesting to see how far down this road we'll go. And it helps make us more rounded martial artists.




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Scenario Training - What are we talking about?

The Google martial arts group that I'm following is having a discussion of scenario-training pros & cons in terms of too much too soon? I'm trying to contribute but I am a little handicapped in that I'm not sure what scenario training is. It's not a term that we use in my dojo. Here's what we do...

In class last night, we did a set of hold & grab exercises. For my group (the intermediates went through a different routine): we paired off and in I-go-You-go we attacked and defended each other as follows:

Warm-ups

1- single wrist grab, double wrist grab, cross-over wrist grab

2 - single lapel, double lapel grab

3 - front choke, side choke, read choke two types (both hands on neck, one arm around neck, the other behind)

Then we received a little instruction with demos on:

- when you are pulling someone forward with one hand behind the neck, be sure to keep your elbow in and down so that you preven them from being able to head butt or punch you. (Note the picture has the hand and elbow on the opposite side than the way we conventionally work but it's the only one that I could find)

- when you take them to the ground with a knee in the ribs and controlling one hand, be sure to keep your head up and back straight, otherwise you are easily punched or pulled over. Also, if you are going into an arm bar from there, stay really tight with your legs over him are pulled in and your body (butt is in tight). Also, careful with how/where you hold the arm. Otherwise, it's too easy to have an accident and break the arm accidentally in training.

Then we practiced as instructed (I really don't have the arm bar yet and until my back loosens up, I'm not going to want to go to the mat enough to practice it) and had I-go-you-go with about a dozen random holds and grabs on each other. We picked up the intensity and speed while shifting from one to the other.

Spotlight - Then, since next week is testing, those that are ready for belt promotion lined up in front of the class (we call it spotlight).. They picked blackbelts to be oukis. For the brown belts, they demoed their releases from three different choke holds (they knew what was coming). For the reds, same thing but all wrist grabs. Then, for the black belt candidates, they got eight arbitrary holds and grabs in front of the class. Last, the two candidates got two ouikis each (in front and behind) who did eight rapid random holds and grabs.

There was some hesitancy. I took the brown belt aside after class and asked her to pay more attention to holding and controlling her attacker. While her blows were fierce, her holding (both locking in the hand on the lapel grab and later when she grabbed my head from behind), her grip and control were weak.

Is this closely-related to scenario training or is that an order of magnitude different than these types of drills?