Do You Know What Kind of Self Defense Techniques and Training You Need to Defend Yourself?

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make in learning to defend yourself is to just take someone's word. Regardless of whether the person you're talking to is wearing a black belt around his or her waist, is a 600th degree poo-bah in Tic Tac Toe, or is the creator of the latest, greatest, "kill-'em with one finger" self defense course, you must take responsibility for insuring that you get the kind of self defense techniques that will actually save your you-know-what, when the time comes!

This article sheds some light on one piece of knowledge that you should have so that you can make sure that you're not trying to learn self defense from some guy who just has a few "ideas," but has never really "been there" to prove that his stuff works! I can't guarantee that, after you read this, that you'll be able to spot a "wanna-be" from the real thing, when it comes to self defense experts. But, you will at least know where to begin to insure that your are learning the kind of self defense techniques that will match the types of attacks you are most likely to encounter!

And, before I go into this lesson any further, let's set the record straight that...

Self defense is NOT the same thing as "fighting!"

It's funny but, when I was a cop and I was pulling two guys off each other, every single time both of them would tell me that they were just "defending themselves!" Funny. You both looked like you were fighting. That means that neither of you looked like you were trying to get away from the other!

And, that same mentality is prevalent in the self defense world. Every guru seems to have a "self defense" book, video, or program. And yet, when you look closely at the lessons being taught, what you see are lessons for fighting - for beating someone down - not escaping.

But, if we're talking about self defense, we must include the context in which we are defending ourselves. We must also look at things like why we're being attacked, by whom, and with what kind of attack or weapon.

What I mean is that, to understand and therefor be able to look for the right self defense techniques for you, you need to ask the question, "under what condition or circumstances am I likely to be attacked?"

Here are several types of self defense paradigms. Each one comes with it's own set of needs, strategies, tactics, and purpose. And, these things in and of themselves, determine what "kind" of self defense techniques you need.

1) Self Defense for police officers and armed security personnel.

2) Self Defense for body guards and executive protection specialists.

** The above two types require almost the exact opposite when it comes to training, by the way!

3) Self Defense for the average citizen. (This is subdivided and can be further broken down to include self defense for women, rape defense, and self defense for children)

While there are general principles and concepts that are universal, regardless of which group you are in, the fact remains that if you are really going to learn the types of self defense techniques that you need to be able to defend yourself against "your" most likely attacker, who's throwing his most likely attack...

...you MUST begin by knowing who and what that is BEFORE you even get started!

Effective self defense requires more than just a few "karate moves." It involves the ability to think strategically, and understand how to defend yourself with as little wear-and-tear on you as possible.

If you really want to know what most people don't know about how to master self defense and how to survive a real street attack, read my newest self defense book: "Fight Smarter - Not Harder!" It's available free at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/street-fighting-self-defense-book.html

Jeffrey M. Miller is an internationally-known self defense expert. Each month he teaches literally thousands of students through live seminars, corporate training events, and his online self defense courses, the lessons to be able to survive in Today's often dangerous world.

Defend Yourself - Knowing and Using the 5 Ranges in a Self Defense Situation!

Everybody and his brother seems to have their own "style" when it comes to teaching you how to defend yourself. But, the reality is that a real-world self defense situation is very different from a rule-laden, sport-oriented "fight."

This article describes the 5 different "ranges" or distances that you might find yourself in, relative to your attacker. You may have your own preferences and favorite techniques, but if you can't be effective at the range dictated by your assailant - you just might find yourself having the same fate as someone who hasn't learned anything at all!

I'm telling you this because my background is not limited to having earned a black belt in this or that martial art. My education in the "school of hard knocks" started when I was a kid growing up in the big city, and continued into my career as a former federal police officer, undercover investigator, and executive protection specialist.

Now, I'm not telling you these things to impress you. However, I AM telling you these things to impress upon you that my knowledge and perspective comes from years of having "been there," on the street - dealing with the same threats and dangers that you're trying to learn how to survive.

No belts. No "favorite techniques." No empty, unproven theory.

That being said, let's take a brief look at the 5 combat ranges in a real life, street self defense situation against an honest-to-God attacker who really wants to beat, break, or kill you.

Sound like something you'd like to be able to learn and use?

If not, perhaps you're reading the wrong article!

Before I outline these different distances, or ranges, it's important to understand that training with only one of them is not enough. And, it's also important to know that these ranges are not always something that you have control over, or choice in deciding.

Here's an example of range, or distancing, using several different self defense situations. Please notice that these situations are based on attack-type - NOT your style, favorite technique or strategy, or theory about what you "would, could, or should do" in any one of them.

If I am dealing with an unarmed assailant who's trying to punch, grab, or kick me, I have a greater choice as to distance relative to my attacker. But, if I'm up against an aggressor who's armed with a weapon, things begin to change.

If I am...

facing a knife-wielding attacker, ideally I'd like to be "too far" to get cut. But...
looking down the barrel of a gun, I need to be very close to my attacker. And...

If I'm the target of a sniper on a rooftop...

...I'd like to be visiting my friend in another town!

Can I choose a different range? Sure. But, if I want my self defense strategy to be the most effective, with the least amount of effort on my part, each of these is optimal for taking advantage of the weakness inherent in either...

My attacker's perspective
The effective range of the weapon, or...
The dynamics required by the weapon in order for the attacker to have maximum advantage.

Sound confusing?

I know it can seem to be, and I'd be lying if I said that self defense was easy - like so many salesmen in the world - online and off - trying to convince you that you can learn to be a deadly weapon in 30 seconds if you just learn this "one trick they learned in prison!"

I'll take a look at the reasoning behind the different ranges against weapons that I mentioned above in another article. But for now, let's take a look at the 5 general ranges or distances,as they relate to an unarmed situation, that you must be able to control - and operate in - if you are to able to consider yourself a self defense expert:

1) Too Far - This range is exactly what it means. You are outside the effective "reach" of the attacker and his chosen weapon.

2) Long Range - In an unarmed situation, this is kicking distance or one that requires the attacker to step in order to reach you.

3) Mid-Range - This is typically the distance where the attacker can punch or grab you without stepping to do so. Here, jabs, cross-punches, as-well-as single and double hand grabs are easy for both you and your opponent.

4) Close Range - This is the distance where techniques like elbows, knee strikes, and head butts are delivered. Your attacker might lead off with a shove from this distance to create more room for a different technique. Or, conversely, he might pull you into this range after having grabbed you from farther away.

5) Very-Close Range - This is the range where it can feel like there is nothing to be done. At this distance, we are wrapped around our attacker or enveloped by him. Body grabs like "bearhugs," wrestling take-downs, and other ground fighting positions fall into this category.

Contrary to the focus of different martial arts or fighting styles to choose one of these ranges over all the others - none of these ranges is more advantageous, or better than any of the others. Each has it's own strengths, weakness, power, and disadvantages.

The point is not knowing them, but rather to be able to insure that your self defense training includes techniques, tactics, and strategies for being able to be effective in each should you choose to, or find yourself in, any one of them.

Are you looking for more than just step-by-step techniques or being limited be a set self defense "style." Do you want to have the advantage over any attacker and be able to defend against, and survive any attack? How? By learning the critical lessons and skills that have been time-tested and proven to work in real-world self defense situations - against real-world attackers.

If you're serious about learning what it really takes to be able to defend yourself, then you should read my newest self defense book, "Fight Smarter - Not Harder!" It's free and available for immediate download at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/street-fighting-self-defense-book.html.

Jeffrey M. Miller is an internationally-recognized self defense expert and the creator of the unique, EDR: Non-Martial Arts defensive Training System. Each month, Jeff teaches literally thousands of students - including private individuals, groups, and corporate employees and management - how to be safe in this often unsafe world. Jeff says, "If you're really serious about getting the training you need to be able to defend against and survive a real world attack, then I can teach you what you need to know to be able to defend yourself against any attacker - guaranteed!"

Why Thinking You Know Self-Defense is Not the Same As Knowing How to Defend Yourself

It's amazing how many theories there are about self-defense. Especially here on the internet, where anyone can freely distribute information, regardless of the truth or value of that information. Do you know what I mean?

It's true that there have always been self-proclaimed "experts" who could take advantage of the ignorance or naivity of a prospective student, even before the advent of the world wide web. However, back then, a student had to find one of these people - you had to leave your home to get with one of these so-called "experts.". Today, merely searching for self-defense using a search engine, puts you within easy reach of many more possibilities and potential huksters, than ever before.

Of course, in the age of the internet, there has also been a significant increase in the number of people who believe that they can merely sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen to learn everything they need to protect themselves in a real-world self-defense situation. Long-gone are the days when you had to actually go to the store, buy the book or video, and bring it home to read or watch. Now, all you have to do is to do a search on the phrase "self-defense," and the next thing you know, you're reading or watching something for little to nothing at all.

And, this includes...

...time ACTUALLY doing the work of learning.

Contrary to popular belief, the study of self-defense - of actually being able to protect yourself in a dangerous situation - requires more than simply reading something or watching someone else perform for you. You simply DO NOT get the same understanding that you do when you are actually participating.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you can't learn things from books and videos. What I am saying is, self-defense is not, say, math. In a dangerous encounter with a brutal assailant, you can't rely on a mentally memorized formula and then set out to answer this real-world problem like you can when you're learning to solve a math problem in school. With math, it doesn't matter what numbers they put in front of you or how the equation is laid out, you're not going to end up with a broken body part, or worse, if you get the answer wrong.

Not true with self-defense!

You must remember that, in a real-world self-defense situation, you will be punished for every mistake you make. And, never forget how high the stakes are.

What I'm talking about here is the difference between what many believe to be the same concepts. If you look up the word "knowledge," in a Thesaurus, you will also find words like "information," and "widsom." And yet, these concepts are very different. And, having one, doesn't necessarily provide you with the others.

Here's what I mean...

In the grander scheme of things, information - data - is just that... Information. It's what you get when you hear, read, or learn something for the first time. It is not, by itself, "knowledge" - the skill and ability to use that "information" - born out of practice - to where you don't have to think about it.

An example of this is tying your shoes. When mom or dad provided you with your first lesson about tying your shoes, you didn't suddenly know how to do it. It was still just information. You had to remember each step, in order, or it wouldn't work. You didn't know "why" the knot was tied that way, only that you were told to do so. And you certainly couldn't do it in a rush - under pressure - if you had to get your shoes on in a hurry because the family was running late.

Now, you "know" how to tie your shoes. You can tie your shoes quickly and even tie other people's shoes for them. In fact, you probably have "knowledge" about several different types of knots, and... You now know why you couldn't just tie the knot any old way - because you didn't want to have to grab a fork to pry it open!

But, there is a level beyond knowledge - a level where the person knows more than just "how" something is done, but "why," "when," "where," etc. This is the level of wisdom. The wise knot-tier know which knot for what job - and why that knot is best. He knows what makes for a good knot and what doesn't so he can actually combine knots or make up his own.

But, the wise person didn't get where he is by simply reading a book, did he? No... He actually had to break out the ropes and work with the knots - tying, untying, retying, dealing with mistakes, confusion, and the like. Hours upon hours of practice. And sometimes, he had to seek out someone who knew how to make the knots better than him - he had to actually put his knots to use, to know if he were really doing it right.

My point here is that, if you're really going to be prepared for what you MUST be prepared for when a situation arises, you must be able to do more than remember what you read or saw in a martial arts book or self-defense video - you're going to have to act!

Here's a brief list of what simply reading or watching a video about self-defense CAN'T give you:

1) Experience with handling the raw emotions and sheer animosity that will be coming at you in a real self-defense attack. In a good, solid, and well-structured program, there should be drills and exercises - aside from technique training - that will simulate some of this real-world energy.

2) Knowledge about what a technique feels like when it's being applied correctly. Many actively training students will tell you that, what they think they see their teacher doing from the angle they're watching from, can often be VERY different from what is actually going on.

3) Direct experience with how another human being is going to act and react to your technique. What you're seeing outlined in the pictures or video... Is the IDEAL - the technique happening with NO PROBLEMS.

4) Feedback from a qualified teacher. No matter how many times you read the same book or watch that awesome self-defense video by Sensei Joe-Cool, and no matter how well you "think" you're perfoming the technique in your self-training sessions...

...that teacher can't give you pointers or tell you where you're going wrong.

We can often think we get something, but we have to remember that, without a proper foundation and accurate knowledge about that "thing" already, we have no way of knowing if we really get what's being taught or conveyed.

I could go on and on about the benefits of getting off your duff and actually training, but I think you get the point by now. Sometimes, as in the case of learning self-defense, you can't rely on guess work and a lazy or know-it-all attitude.

Sometimes you actually have to get up and get moving. Otherwise, you're never going to know if you actually know what you think you know. And...

...thinking you know self-defense DOES NOT mean that you know how to defend yourself!

Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder of Warrior Concepts International. He is a highly sought-after trainer, consultant, and expert in the areas of self-defense, workplace violence defensive tactics, and personal protection. He is the author of several books, and videos, including: "The Science of Self-Defense," and the dvd, "Danger Prevention Tactics: Protecting Yourself Like a Pro," and is the co-producer of the self-defense & martial arts podcast called KUDEN. For more information and to download your free self-defense report entitled, "Fight Smarter - Not Harder" visit his web site at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com