For some of you this is your first exposure to physical activity of any sort. Even for students who have experience with strenuous physical activites or competitive sports in their backgrounds it can be hard to face the unique challenge of learning how to deal with issues of violence and personal safety. It is a lot for anyone to confront, absorb, and work on. The only way to make lasting changes is to integrate them slowly and comfortably. Take your time and make your Krav Maga self defense training a natural and sustainable addition to your life.

Most of the time, if we stop and reflect on it, much of our discontent comes from self imposed ideas of where we should be but are not yet, or what we should have but don’t. Look around a class next time you come here, and you may spot a few people that are struggling with some things that now feel easy to you. They may be looking at you and thinking to themselves how they wish they could do a choke defense as well as you do. There will always be people who are ahead of us, challenging us, pushing us to the next level and providing an example for what we would like to become. Maybe you are one of those people to other students, and I’m sure you can think of someone who provides that challenge or example for you.

A great writer once said he had a hard time writing every day, so in order to do it he just lowered his standards. I take it to mean that we will not be at the top of our game every day, and in order to practice our craft, whatever it is, we just need to practice. Some days will be good, some will be a struggle, and if we persevere some days will be inspired, the kind of days that help us break through sticking points and feel joy with what we are doing. Don’t let self imposed pressure take away from the joy of training. Enjoy the process while you attain each of your goals.

Herein lies the problem; there are just as many inefficient actions that become automatic and ingrained. Human nature does tend towards the path of least resistance, this means some actions become lazier and lazier. We don’t notice some of them until they get in the way of performing effectively, particularly in situations that are new or stressful. Other habits become noticeable when they lead to degenerative conditions such as low back pain or carpal tunnel syndrome.

How does this relate to self defense and fighting? This is where automaticity and locus of attention can become your best friend and your worst enemy. To fight effectively, physical tasks related to footwork, posture, and breathing must become automatic to free up the locus of attention to be aware of a series of things: recognition and defense against the attack, where are the openings to deliver combatives, then escape. However, if your footwork is a problem and you begin to lose your balance, that will suddenly become your locus of attention and another movement you were trying to perform will go on autopilot or possibly not be completed at all.

How do we use this ability to to get better? Training and consistency is required to create new patterns of thought and movement. Habitual movements need to become the locus of attention long enough and often enough so that the new patterns become automatic. When fundamental skills such as posture, footwork, and general movement become automatic, you are free to concentrate on strategic and tactical functions during a fight. If you are confident that your body is operating under control and with efficiency, you will observe more and react more quickly to the real threats in the confrontation.

I asked Randy how he came to the idea for the TRX, and whether it had anything to do with the 14 years he spent rising to command a squadron in the most elite unit of the Navy Seal Teams. He gave me the brief background of what was truly an invention of necessity, and explained how the current product evolved.

SEALs, Randy told me, are perpetually on the road-whether for training or actual operations. Units deploy to hot spots and then wait long periods for diplomacy played itself out-often times without requiring their intervention. Meanwhile, these groups of superbly conditioned athletes: climbers, runners, swimmers, and general fighters are forced to stand-by, with no access to training equipment and yet a clear requirement to remain in top physical condition. Out of this environment was born Randy’s first simple Body-weight training device. It was initially geared toward the climbers, but as more SEALs became exposed to it, its modifications and uses rapidly expanded. As Randy explained, “When you have a bunch of world class athletes with strong opinions testing your idea, you get the best feedback possible-even if not always in the friendliest way!”

After leaving the service, Randy attended Stanford business school where he continued to refine the design of his product and enhance its features. There he created the strategy and pooled expertise for the company, which initially rolled out in summer 2004 selling the TRX as a travel exercise tool. The timing fit well with recent advancements in exercise and sports training that now emphasize core training and functional strength. Personal trainers became a big part of the initial growth, as they appreciate the variety and ease of use the TRX provides for their clients. It is adaptable to doors, overhead supports, or even trees, allowing users to access professional quality fitness anywhere.

It is often difficult for members to add strength training into their routines. Whether because of time constraints, a reluctance to fund multiple memberships, or the expense of making a substantial investment in equipment, integrating quality strength training is seldom easy. The TRX is a great solution. It is very affordable and works the entire body: combining core stabilization, functional strength, stability, and proprioception all into a single station.

What’s proprioception? From dictionary.com: “The ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts.” Sounds pretty darn useful to me, don’t you agree? Especially in a dynamic situation like a street fight, where unexpected movements and forces are being applied, the physical capability that the TRX builds is highly beneficial.

Starting in May, Krav Maga San Francisco members can check out the TRX System for themselves at zero risk. A pilot program of TRX group training classes begins Tuesday, May 3rd. The introductory program will consist of four 30-minute classes per week. This introduction will give students a great tast of what TRX body suspension training is all about and will provide a warm up for the KM class to follow. Beginning in June, the full-length classes will begin, offering a complete one-hour functional strength and cardio training session. TRX Combat, designed specifically for Krav Maga, will be offered four times weekly.

No one is telling you exactly what to do and you have no opponent. Managing yourself and your movements allows you to experiment and be honest with yourself. Don’t worry about looking awkward or hesitant, just mentally stay within yourself, and use imagination to experiment with various situations and sequences of movement. When you become comfortable with more movement sequences, the more smooth you become, and the more easily you can recall and rely on them in an actual fight.

Under stress, movement becomes restricted and tighter, and it is likely that the stress will interfere with the feedback loop between your mind and body. At these times it is most helpful to have good muscle memory, so that you can perform effectively even while stressed. It is also helpful to be able to remain focused on the task at hand; ie. survival, and continue to send commands to your body with the expectation that these commands will be fulfilled capably. Shadowboxing helps keep the mind focused and movements can be tried that over time become forged into new and improved muscle memory.

Here are some examples of how to use realistic movements in shadowboxing. There are several scenarios of movement you can expect to see play out in a fight. I’ve chosen 4 of them.

1: Circling and striking an opponent who is momentarily stationary.
2: Following and striking an opponent who is circling away.
3: Evading and striking an opponent that is charging in.
4: Evading attacks at an angle and turning back in to strike.

The only other one is following and striking an opponent who is going straight back, and you should work on this also but it is probably the easiest.

Using an “X” on the floor, you can set up and play out all of these scenarios of movement. Don’t forget to use a variety of evasive and defensive movements mixed together with combatives. Give yourself the freedom to be creative, use correct footwork and posture, and resolve sticking points in your capabilities. Focus on the task at hand. The more often you train like this, the more you can expect these results to carry over into your fighting ability.

Does the San Jose police force recommend any outside training for their officers? “No, but they do recommend that you do things to maintain agility. My agency is very short staffed, I’m by myself a lot of the time.” A lot of the officers in his jurisdiction are in this position, where it can take anywhere from 2 to 30 minutes to get help from fellow officers. “When you’re in those situations, it’s not only physical but the mental aspect of it, when you get hit, what are you going to do after you get hit? You have to condition your mind as well.” Sometimes the verbal aspects of the situation can be useful, but “in my job you run into a lot of people that just don’t want to listen to you. You get a call and they just don’t want to go, you have to force them.”

I’ve had Rueben in a good number of my srike and fight classes, and with him I’ve noticed a different attitude than a lot of people. Besides being a good fighter, he has a calm demeanor, and is very respectful of others. I wondered if it was from working in a stressful job? Was it family or upbringing? He replied, “I don’t know, isn’t everyone brought up to respect others?” I wasn’t so sure about that, at least in modern American culture, but it is nice to know that there are still people that feel that way. He went on to say: “In life you have to take risks, and I like to take risks. I’ve failed in a lot of the things that I’ve done, but in failing you learn where you went wrong and the next time you go at it, you can do better. I spar a lot with good fighters in this school.” He mentioned three in particular “that have knocked me down over and over again, but I keep coming back and trying to get better. That’s my outlook, no matter how many times you knock me down I’m going to get back up and try to correct it.” We agreed that the transition to sparring can be difficult. “I see people get frustrated sometimes. You might beat a guy one day and the next time he’s going to beat you, everyone fights differently and and they’re going to learn from you so whatever you do to adapt to them they are going to adapt to you. So its a cycle that just keeps going.”

What were some of the other risks in life he had taken? “I’ve given up things in life to do what I do, lucrative jobs, but I’m just not an office person. I wanted an exciting career where I could use body as well as my mind.” He was previously a business analyst, worked for Wells Fargo, and worked to thwart credit card fraud for Ebay, but “sitting in the office just wasn’t for me. I always want to be on the move. The 6 months of academy was not that hard, but giving up the money was a challenge.” Rueben had earned a degree in law with the intention of working for the FBI, but an internship with the US Marshall Service convinced him otherwise. “Going after the fugitives was fun, but most of the time you’re sitting at a desk doing paperwork, some research, some networking. In law enforcement everything you do has to documented, if it doesn’t get recorded, it didn’t happen.”

Rueben has been studying here for about a year, and as he works on weekends a lot, he has not been able to test up to any other levels. He is not in huge hurry to advance. “Knowledge and basically being able to take care of myself” is his main focus. I asked him if he had any advice to pass on to other students. “I see a lot of people trying to advance very quicky, and basically get their belts every month. The more they practice the more they will figure this out for themselves. It’s not how much you can acquire as fast as you can, because the real test is going to come when somebody confronts you. All you have learned in that short amount of time, are you really going to use it? So practice what you can, and then use it in a realistic sense. Sparring is the only way you can get close to the experience of a fight without getting into a real fight. You don’t know what’s going to work until you get hit in the mouth. You have to test yourself in all senses, not just learning the forms and movements, but take what you know and test it against another person.”

You are always displaying some form of body language whether you are aware of it or not, like it or not. It’s crucial to become aware of it, and very sensitive to it. Observe it in yourself and others. The beauty of it is that you can study this anywhere. We interact with people on a daily basis, at work, at home, while going about our lives. There are numerous opportunities to learn how human nature and situations affect people’s body language. Particularly in Krav Maga classes, we get to observe ourselves and others under physical stress while going through drills or simulating self-defense scenarios.

Typical forms of aggressive body language are signs of tension like closed fists, clenched jaws, raised shoulders, and encroachment of personal space. There are cultural exceptions however, so it is useful to gauge the overall affect of someone’s posture, voice, and the situation before making an assessment of danger based solely on one or two limited observations. It is like the barking dog with the wagging tail, which end do you believe? In addition to observing others, observe yourself to see what signals your body language is putting forth. Are you showing signs of tension that might escalate the situation? Are you showing signs of fear that might embolden your adversary? In some situations, it might even be useful to show compliance or docility with our body language to buy time, or to reduce our attacker’s awareness of our counterattack or escape. Most of the time however, a posture that is both confident and non-threatening is the way to go.

If you haven’t thought about this universal form of communication, start now. Body language is as old as humanity, even older in fact. We learned it from animals, and there are still common features of human body language we can observe in many animals. Use it to your advantage, use it for survival, use it to communicate what you want to others.

1. Of or relating to strategy.
2.
a. Important or essential in relation to a plan of action: a strategic withdrawal.
b. Essential to the effective conduct of war: strategic materials.
c. Highly important to an intended objective: The staff discussed strategic marketing factors.
3. Intended to destroy the military potential of an enemy: strategic bombing.

I think we can all agree that definitions 2a and 2c are the most relevant to all of us. Some of us are more inclined to be strategic thinkers than others, but it ought to be of some interest to anyone who is concerned about personal safety.

In order to avoid situations where your personal safety is threatened, or to get out of them as best you can, strategic thinking is a skill we all need to work on. It can be learned like anything else. Another factor that might motivate you is this: the people that are out to get us in some way or another, generally use some kind of strategic thinking to select their targets as well. Obviously this might exclude random un-premeditated attacks and sudden violent outbursts, but there are still some strategic elements to those types of scenarios as well.

An example of a basic criminal strategy could be this: an aggressive thief wants to rob people of wallets, and so he selects a part of town and begins looking for people who satisfy several of his strategic criterion: they must be alone, appear to have some money, it’s a plus if the potential victim isn’t paying attention somehow (on a cell phone, listening to headphones), and it’s usually going to be at night time to avoid detection.

We have to maintain a counter strategy to this risky scenario. So much of it is common sense, but even the most savvy urban citizens among us have probably found themselves in a tight spot before. We ought to know where we’re going, who we’re meeting and when, exactly how to get there, not walk home alone if we’re too inebriated, and all the other things we wouldn’t want our sons and daughters doing. However, it can easily get more complicated, as in the case of multiple attackers, or situations where you might be protecting a friend, a child or spouse.

You can use games to develop your strategic thinking ability. Probably the most prolific intellectual example is chess. Of course the are many others, and sports are included. A good activity will encourage you to plan several moves ahead, and be enjoyable.

There are plenty of books on the subject, such as ancient texts from feudal times like Musashi’s “Go Rin No Sho” (Book of 5 Rings) or “The Art of War”. Nowadays, doing a search on Amazon for “strategic thinking” nets over 9000 results, many of them about business but also some interesting titles like “Strategic Thinking in Criminal Intelligence” or “The Art of Thinking”.

It’s usually no more than planning ahead, but it’s worth considering how strategic thinking could be used by you to avoid situations that could put you or your loved ones at risk. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and as M used to say to James Bond: “Always have an escape plan.”

APA: strategic. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 01, 2006, from Dictionary.com web site: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/strategic

Self-awareness is a necessary basis for improvement in any skill. Some of us are in constantly monitoring ourselves, while other of us can go along content to be less acutely aware of how or why we might behave in certain ways. Teachers play a critical role in developing self-awarenes. They are the outside observers that can perceive and relate behaviors the student has that he or she is not yet aware of.

Self awareness has been localized into a specific area of the brain with magnetic resonance imaging. It can be observed when this area is active or inactive. When the brain needs to divert all its resources to carry out a consuming task, this area is inhibited, becoming “human” or self aware again when it has the time to process the input and make more rational decisions. Neurobiologist Ilan Goldberg suggests that this ability may have evolved as a protective mechanism. “If there is a sudden danger, it is not helpful to stand around wondering how one feels about the situation.” he points out. In survival situations it is necessary to switch this type of process off so “fight or flight” instincts can kick in.

However, the process of acquiring new skills is necessarily a process of breaking things down into components, and becoming aware of how we are doing things that may be inefficient or counterproductive to the skill we wish to learn. Training, being instructed by our teachers, and repetition become a basis for developing new skills that eventually become automatic responses.

As training progresses, there is an interplay between being self-aware, even self-critical perhaps, and then at times being able to lose ourselves in our activities. Some of us have had the experience in class or a sparring session, where we aren’t thinking of anything at all, just reacting to the movements of our opponent and perhaps even feeling like there is a sens eof control over the situation without knowing what is going to happen next. If you haven’t felt this way before, keep training and you will. As we acquire more skill and confidence, we begin to experience more of a sense of just being, rather than planning, plotting, or worrying.

This is the essense of self-defense. Eventually the need to feel defensive or constantly in a state of being on the edge falls away and can be replaced by a balance of self-awareness, awareness of our environment and others, and just being ourselves in any given situation.

Adaptation is the defining feature of the human species. In anthropological terms, it is a slow, many centuries long process of genetic modification leading to new and improved capability to survive and control our environment. On a day to day basis, and on a moment by moment basis, adaptation can be the key to becoming a victim or a violent crime or surviving or avoiding this fate altogether.

Here we are not concerned with the genetic modification process. We are not going to grow wings to fly away from muggers or develop eyes in the back of our heads in time, or any time soon I would bet. What we humans have made good use of to adapt to situations is our minds, our ability to project future events out of current events, using our memory and imagination together to predict what might happen to us if a particular course of action is taken.

In order to successfully adapt in time to a rapidly changing situation, it is essential to develop a sense of awareness, preparedness, and openness. Too often we get tunnel vision, a sort of narrow focus on what we are pre-occupied with, whether it is something that is bothering us at home or work, or just being focussed on getting somewhere within a certain amount of time. These are states of mind that can close off our ability to perceive threats or potential threats. It’s easy to lose context, like “Why is this man approaching me while I’m walking down the street talking on my cell phone, I’m busy right now!” This is the sort of self-absorbed activity that can make you profiled as a victim by an opportunistic criminal.

Krav Maga gives you the skills to be prepared, but all the physical skills in the world won’t help you when you get surprised. Most of the time we get surprised because we are not paying attention, and not thinking ahead in ways that will help us adapt to problems. The combination of developing physical skills, and developing an adaptable mind gives you the best chance of survival when you are confronted with threatening situations.

* The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

This is one of the tenets of the Bushido code, a code of conduct that guided the warrior class of Japan for centuries. This concept of the “ideal warrior” can be found as far back as 797 AD. Like the Greeks, the Japanese held that the fully realized man was a warrior-poet type, combining physical prowess with artistry and sound moral behavior. Honor codes are still used today in gangs. They are also used in many professional organizations as manifestos, company vision statements or in human resources documents on work place behavior.

A good samurai was admonished to choose death over life and consider himself a walking dead man. “If you keep your spirit correct, from morning to night… accustomed to the idea of death, and consider yourself as a dead body, thus becoming one with the way…” There are some merits in this line of thinking: it bespeaks mindfulness towards the fragility of life, and the benefits of maintaining one’s awareness. However, this was also the era of lords and retainers; the antiquated idea of “abandoning body and soul for the sake of their lord” meant life was cheap sometimes. There are numerous stories from the era relating how samurai willingly threw their lives down for their masters, or committed suicide for mistakes or social slights we now deem far less dramatic. Sometimes, it came from a greatly exaggerated sense of loyalty – in itself a wonderful thing – but of course the object of loyalty must be deserving.

The idea that we must accept our mortality is a profound one. We become more acutely aware that we have a limited amount of time here in this form, within the current framework that we identify as our selves and our lives. The consequences of our decisions become more meaningful, particularly in one basic overarching area: how do we wish to expend our time? This makes time – and life – more precious, and it means we must do what we can to act as if it is so. There is also much we don’t have control over; when it is our time to go, we will go, and acceptance will make it easier. Being confronted with our mortality can sharpen our senses and appreciation of every day experience. Nature, relationships, and activities that we enjoy take on a new meaning.

With any archaic wisdom, context is critical. Images of outdated social norms that gave women fewer rights than men, or put a much higher price on the life of a lord over the serfs can be discarded. The kernels that remain can be carried forward. For example, the Hagakure discusses how anyone, of any talent level or natural ability, can develop themselves through some basic moral constructs. “When your thinking rises above concern for your own welfare, wisdom that is independent of thought appears. Get beyond love and grief, exist for the good of man.”

Link to O’Reilly store page for “Beautiful Data”

The prototype

As you can see, Brady added some much needed polish to the application. For examples of Brady’s fine graphic and user interface design, you can go here www.lalalala.com.