| A major pivoting point in my ninjutsu martial arts | | | | lose.So, what are these key moments or critical |
| learning process happened when I realized that there | | | | phases?They are...1) Your ability to assess your |
| was something more going on than just the punching, | | | | situation and understand what the assailant is doing or |
| kicking, and what-not, that makes up conventional | | | | attempting to do to you.2) Your defense against his |
| martial arts and self-defense training. In fact, once I | | | | incoming attacks. This is your ability to neutralize the |
| saw it happening, my mind shifted away from the | | | | effect that his attacks were to have on you.3) How |
| typical orientation toward this "style" or that, and | | | | you unbalance him in a way that prevents your |
| started looking beyond the techniques themselves | | | | assailant from going on with his own strategy and |
| to......what was being "done" by each move in a | | | | literally puts him in a position of weakness.4) The actual |
| technique string.The question I began to ask was, | | | | counter-attack that you use to knock him back or take |
| "what's the logic behind the moves?" And, "why are | | | | him to the ground. This is the phase where you |
| the moves where they are in this particular string?"And | | | | actually take the fight to him.5) Your ability to assess |
| THAT is what the book, "Controlling the Fight: The 5 | | | | the effect that your technique has had on your |
| Keys of Effective Self-Defense Strategy," is all | | | | assailant and what your next move (escape, restrain |
| about.It's about understanding and recognizing the keys, | | | | him, or prepare for another barrage of attacks) should |
| or bridges, between one phase......one strategic | | | | be.In my attempt to learn how to really be successful |
| moment......in a self-defense situation, and another.It's | | | | at defending myself and others, I was lucky enough to |
| about controlling the "pieces" of a fight-scenario that | | | | find some teachers who could point the way towards |
| must be strategically managed in the correct order, | | | | many of these answers. Unfortunately (or fortunately, |
| and at the correct time, if you are to be | | | | as this caused me to have to really look), we're not |
| successful.What are these critical moments within the | | | | talking about the step-by-step mechanics of the "style" |
| flow of the fight? Let me first tell you what they're | | | | here, as these can be taught by practically anyone to |
| NOT.They are not......when you're fist makes contact | | | | almost anyone else. What we ARE talking about is |
| with the surface of your assailant's body......when you | | | | something that cannot be seen unless you know what |
| lock his joints to immobilize him and prevent him from | | | | you're looking for. It's invisible to the naked eye but |
| continuing to fight......when you take up your "way-cool" | | | | there nonetheless.Just know this. Each of these critical |
| stance......the way with which you've been taught to | | | | moments - these keys - is an important, no crucial, |
| hold your weapon, or......a hundred other "things" that | | | | element in any overall defense strategy. But, where |
| most books, videos, and schools of martial arts and | | | | the book "The Karate-Myth" focused on the big-picture |
| self-defense focus almost exclusively on.But, they are | | | | defense strategy that lead from General Awareness |
| not NOT these things either. If you don't understand | | | | to Actually having to Deal with the Attacker |
| what I'm trying to point out here, you won't see | | | | (remember?), what I'm talking about here is the |
| it.Confused? Don't be.The point here is that, behind any | | | | little-picture strategy of phase 6 - "dealing with the |
| move or technique itself - the punch, lock, throw, etc. - | | | | attack."Where an overall general self-defense strategy |
| there is a "reason" that THAT particular technique is | | | | is ultimately designed to "avoid" dangerous situations |
| being done at THAT way, and at THAT particular | | | | altogether; this life-saving knowledge is all about |
| time. There is something that the technique is either | | | | effectively and efficiently handling one one you find |
| doing 'for' us or 'to' our attacker that gains, maintains, or | | | | yourself in it.And, when the "rubber-meets-the-road," |
| accentuates our control of the situation. In short......there | | | | so-to-speak......it doesn't matter how many way-cool |
| is something that makes a particular technique RIGHT | | | | techniques you know, so much as......what you can "do" |
| and APPROPRIATE for any given moment......and | | | | with them.Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and director |
| completely WRONG for another.And, make no | | | | of Warrior Concepts International in Sunbury, |
| mistake here. We are talking about a scientific | | | | Pennsylvania. He is the author of the "Foundations of |
| application of principles that work, and have worked | | | | Self-Defense Mastery" eCourse, which is available |
| for centuries. And, this science works......for whoever is | | | | free of charge to subscribers of his self defense |
| knowledgeable of, and in control of it in the fight!What it | | | | newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter at: He |
| means is this; if you know how to use this scientific | | | | is also the creator of the EDR: Non-Martial Arts |
| application and make it the logic behind your strategic | | | | Defensive Training Program, author of the book, "The |
| use of your skills and techniques, then you will probably | | | | Karate-Myth" as-well-as the powerful, "Danger |
| win. If you don't and your assailant does, you will | | | | Prevention Tactics" video. |