| Ask any tough guy, boxer, wrestler, or martial artist the | | | | parry, you now have the opportunity to apply "secret |
| question, "What are the Goals of Self-Defense ?" | | | | principles of the Orient", such as off balancing, "heavy |
| What you will get are several answers ranging from | | | | hand", or Oriental pressure points – just to name a |
| "Don't get hit !" to "Beat up your attacker !" | | | | few. The goal here is to simply overpower your |
| Unfortunately, none of these answers presents any | | | | opponent with technique or knowledge, not strength or |
| value to the average person when dealing with | | | | muscle. |
| attackers in this modern day society. | | | | By not applying this 2nd Goal of Self-Defense, you risk |
| With the economic downturn of today and personal | | | | a second attack, or a third attack, and so on which |
| attacks up, the average person needs a more | | | | forces you to continually step to the side. Eventually |
| definitive, realistic, and easy-to-apply answer that they | | | | you will probably tire or make a mistake in which your |
| can really rely on when dealing with personal attacks. | | | | attacker will then take advantage of you by ending |
| Fortunately, I have provided such an answer for my | | | | your opposition to his attack. |
| students for well over ten years. This answer is in | | | | I have seen and continuously witness these two goals |
| the form of what I call, "The -3- Goals of | | | | being implemented by examples of other martial arts |
| Self-Defense". With some training, these goals are | | | | such as Aikido, Aiki-jitsu, Judo, and other fighting arts |
| easy to learn, easy to remember, and easy to apply. | | | | utilizing these same "secret principles of the Orient". |
| As we learned with the 1st Goal of Self-Defense, | | | | This 2nd Goal of Self-Defense proves its great value |
| "Avoid the Attack", there is wisdom in moving out of | | | | and effectiveness repeatedly in many self-defense |
| the way when being attacked and sometimes this can | | | | situations, by many people of all sizes, ages, and |
| be much more effective than blocking with the power | | | | physical prowess. In my self-defense classes, we call it |
| of breaking bones. By adding redirection with this | | | | "dynamic self-defense" – which uses little muscle or |
| wisdom, we find that we can be extremely powerful in | | | | strength, just technique and knowledge. |
| controlling our attacker. This now leads us to the 2nd | | | | In summary, when teaching others self-defense, please |
| Goal of Self-Defense, which is "Control the | | | | remember that the wisdom of controlling an attacker |
| Attacker". What does that mean? It simply means | | | | after moving out of the way and re-directing the |
| to "…prevent the attacker from attacking again". | | | | attacker will prevent the attacker from attacking you |
| I must say again, as I stated in the first of this series, | | | | again, and in some situations will completely stop the |
| the Ancients of martial arts have taught us that we | | | | personal attack. We do not have to punch out our |
| should NOT meet a force head on – you should | | | | attacker in order to win - we just need to control him. |
| avoid it. You do not stop force directly - it is easier to | | | | By adding the wisdom of capitalizing on this new |
| redirect it. By first parrying the attack as you move | | | | "window of opportunity" to leave this situation, we find |
| to the outside, you produce that exact result with | | | | that we can be extremely powerful and in control of |
| redirection. Upon the termination of the attack by the | | | | our world. Unfortunately, we are now getting into the |
| attacker, you now have the attacker in a position of | | | | 3rd Goal of self-Defense, which is "Escape". Watch |
| vulnerability, and you are now in a position of | | | | for it. |
| advantage. By keeping your hands open during the | | | | |