Using Your Body's Hard-Wired Self Defense Modes

Contrary to popular belief, the human body has a set of preset, hardwired defense modes that can be used to in your defense in a self defense situation. In this article, I'll briefly discuss these modes and how they can be used to handle a dangerous attack.

To look at most martial arts and self-defense classes, you can quickly come to the conclusion that all you have to do is memorize a bunch of moves or techniques, practice until you can do them well, and...well, that's it. You're a master or self-defense expert.

But, there is one element that is generally missing from most self defense training. And that is the use of the emotional states as tools for defense.

In the past few years, systems and programs have emerged that focus on what's known as "adrenal response training." These programs, however, tend to concentrate on only one of these emotional states, or modes.

There are actually four of these modes that we can find ourselves in when confronted with danger. Each state is a natural response to many factors including things like your:

• 1. Perception of danger or level of threat
  
  
• 2. Personality type
  
  
• 3. Rules and restrictions that your aware of as a part of your job

And many more

Each of these modes is more than a mood, state, or condition that we can find ourselves in. They also control, in many ways, how we think, and even work to free or limit certain types of body movement.

The Four Response Modes Are:

• Stabile/Confident
  
  
• Adaptible/Defensive
  
  
• Direct/Aggressive
  
  
• Slippery/Evasive

As I said, each of these modes is both a response to the current situation, and a strategy for handling a situation in a very specific way. As a general outline, I'll briefly describe each mode from both a responsive and a controlling perspective.

Please note that the modes are in no particular order of importance, nor is one better than any of the others. Although you may find that one or two or more comfortable or "natural" for you, each should be seen as an option that can be employed in a self-defense situation. And, as I've said time and again, the more options you have in any given situation, the greater your chances of success.


Stabile/Confident "Earth" Mode. This attitude is marked by a general sense of relaxed calm. You really don't perceive a threat and you are in command of the situation. Notice that I didn't say that you were stubborn and forced a sense of command. In what I call the "earth-mode," you use superior positioning and relaxed strength to stop his attacks and direct your strong points against his weak ones, using leverage and crushing pressure to put an end to his assault.


Adaptive/Defensive "Water" Mode. Just like water, you adapt to his movements. You use long-range, defensive angling to avoid his attacks and then crash back in with powerful strikes and kicks to his exposed weak points. This mode is usually present when you feel overwhelmed by his size, strength, or other factors. You naturally want to create time and distance between you and your attacker so that he has to work harder to get at you.


Direct/Aggressive "Fire" Mode. Either out of fear, anger, or a need to get-there-first, you move in and take the fight to the attacker. In the "fire" mode, you are drawn by a sense of urgency and a need to get things over with quickly. When I say "aggressive," I don't necessarily mean destructive, but rather a direct, committed, "go-for-it" attitude that moves you directly in to meet the assailant before he can really get started. Again, this mode could be triggered by anger just as easily as it could be created out of a sense of being cornered and needing to take action right away.


Slippery/Evasive "Wind" Mode. This mode is marked by a very free, open movement with a sense of last-second timing to evade, avoid, and trap the opponent with his own attacks. The posture associated with this mode is very open and looks very strange when compared to the conventional martial arts and self-defense stances that you usually see. This mode could be caused by a desire to avoid the situation altogether. It could also be used in a playful, confusing manner as you easily slip your attacker's punches, kicks, and grabs only to catch him with your own attacks from unseen and confusing angles.


As I said, there is no one best mode. Each is a natural response that is hardwired into our systems and a part of our overall natural human defense mechanisms.

While each of us has leaned toward one or another of these modes throughout our lives, and see that one as being "only natural" for us. The truth is that, with training, each mode can be developed, enhanced, and honed as a very powerful strategic option for handling a real-world self-defense situation against a very real-world attacker.

Are you a private individual, law enforcement or security professional, member of the military, or corporate manager looking for real-world self-defense training that works?

Get the information you need to survive a real world self-defense situation.

Get three self-defense reports when you get my Self-Defense Super Library

Jeffrey Miller is an internationally recognized self-defense expert. He is the creator of the unique EDR: Non-Martial Arts Defensive Training System and teaches individuals, security professionals, companies, and organizations how to be more safe in Today's often unsafe world. Visit his web site at => www.warrior-concepts-online.com

Martial Arts: Are You Learning To Get Your Arm Battered In A Real Fight Or Street Attack?

When it comes to protecting our targets against an opponent's attacks, especially striking attacks, a martial art student focusing on real-world\effective self protection must be careful that you're not overlooking one. While this particular target may be practically invisible to most attackers, not to mention martial arts students and teachers, facing a skilled fighter who knows how to exploit this weakness can have you on the losing end with a broken arm, if not more, when everything is said and doneit's all over.

What is this target?

And how can an attacker get to it and you end up with a broken arm, or close to it, as a bare minimum?

Before I answer that question, let me ask you one.

Have you ever seen a boxer's stance? Have you ever watched boxers move around in a ring?

I'm sure you have.

Now, where are their arms?

Up. Right?

And they do it for cover - to guard their heads and faces from being pummeled by their opponent's fists, right?

Of course.

Here's another question.

Have you ever seen pictures or film footage of one of the old-style boxers? You know, like Joe Lewis, or even those before his time? Have you ever seen how boxers stood back then, or positioned their arms...before boxing gloves came along?

If you haven't, you really owe it to yourself to take a look so you can understand what I'm getting at. Especially if you're committed to the idea of being able to defend yourself against an assailant who's intent on beating, breaking, or even killing you.

To get to the point, I'll tell you a little about the old school, bare-fisted fighters. Even those who fought with gloves, didn't have the kind of padding that you see today. So, they held their arms and fists in very different positions than modern boxers.

Why?

Because they knew that holding your arms up and out in front of your attacker's fists, would get them beaten. They also knew that if their arms were hit while in this position, that they also stood the chance of punching themselves in the face with their own knuckles!

What does this have to do with martial artists learning self-defense. Simple. Because many programs are teaching their students to fight or defend themselves with their arms in this modern boxer position.

"So," you might be saying, "what's the problem?"

The problem is that not knowing why something is done, or why it works in one context, can lead you to believe that it works all the time. And, especially when we're talking about self-protection and not-dying at the hands of some crazy maniac, this is certainly important.

The reason that modern boxers can position their arms the way they do is precisely because of their gloves. Sport martial artists fighting in tournaments can get away with this too. It's because the opponent's knuckles are covered with padding that keeps your arms from getting damaged. So, these fighters never go for the arms as a target. They know that it's useless.

But, without gloves, the knuckles can deal a lot of damage to the narrow bones of your forearm. Something that's just not an issue in in a sport fight.

The point here is that, if you're studying martial arts to win trophies or to get belts, do whatever style you want and all the luck to you. However, if you're trying to develop the skills to protect yourself against a brutal assailant who will do anything to brutalize you, there are certain mistakes you can't afford to make.

So, regardless of what you've been told, avoid holding your arms vertically or at least turned with the thicker back of the forearm out and rely on distance to keep the bad guy from being able to damage your arms. After all, it's going to be very difficult to throw your own punches with arms that have been weakened or even broken because you put them out there for him to hammer on.

Are you a private individual, law enforcement or security professional, member of the military, or corporate manager looking for real-world self-defense training that works?

Get the information you need to effectively handle a real world attack.

Get three free self-defense reports when you pickup my Self-Defense Super Library

Jeffrey Miller is an internationally sought-after self-defense expert. He is the creator of the unique EDR: Non-Martial Arts Defensive Training System and teaches individuals, security professionals, companies, and organizations how to be more safe in Today's often dangerous world. Go to his web site at => www.warrior-concepts-online.com