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Read or Jump On
The Art of Fighting without Fighting
Introduction
I’m excited to host this article by Coach Martin ONeil from JKDIreland, that I had the chance to meet in each European Sigung Kimura’s Seminars.
On this article by Coach ONeil, you will find interesting tips to handle and interpret critical situation with the aim to avoid the fighting
As real Self defence and street fighting expert there’s the awareness that defense don’t must mean and bring to a physical fight where to many risk need to take in account.
Martin began training Martial Arts in January 1976
He’s a Full Instructor in Jeet Kune Do under Sigung Taky Kimura and Associate Instructor in Japanese and Filipino Martial Arts Guru Dan Inosanto
He’s a former Fighter and Bounce
Is a Self-Defence and Martial Arts Instructor with over 40 years experience
He was raised in a Northern Ireland Ghetto during what is called “the troubles” by the mass media
He got into fight in his younger days and he have taught martial arts from 30 years at Clann Eireann Youth Club in a very violent part of Northern Ireland; deeply affected by the Troubles.
He handle a Street Survival Self Defense Mindset Course on the website The Art of Survival
I wish you a good reading
More information about him at the bottom of the page
Street Survival and Self Defense
The following chapters are taken from part of my Street Survival Self Defense Mindset Course available on https://selfdefencemindset.thinkific.com/courses/Top-tips-for-self-defence
Martin ONeill, Full Instructor Jeet Kune Do
Keeping safe on the streets has hardly anything to do with being a good fighter.
Firstly, the majority of what keeps people safe has nothing to do with fighting.
There’s hardly any reason to get into a fight unless you choose to do so. The fact is that most people will not harm you.
Most of the violence in society is perpetrated by family members, boyfriends, spouses, stalkers, and friends. It’s mostly carried out by young men aged 15 to 25 years old.
it’s important to spot the people to avoid in the first instance.
Practical Solutions include:
- To be in physical shape and have a good base level of fitness just in case.
- Learn a few proven self-defense skills such as pushing, pulling, striking, and grappling, how to use a makeshift weapon, and keep skills sharp.
- Don’t look vulnerable or like a victim, by having good presentation skills and assertive body language and speech.
- Be aware of what predatory behaviour looks like and how violence, bullying, and sexual grooming can be used to gain your confidence.
- Learn some physical contact skills such as pushing, pulling and holding.
- There are a series of events that take place before a physical attack. If he creeps you out or touches you, say ” No” or “Don’t Touch Me” in a loud voice. Always maintain your boundaries.
- Pay attention to what’s happening now, use deterrence, and don’t get picked out.
- Manage the distance between you and him to attack you he has to touch you so don’t let him.
- Learn to fight back hard if attacked. Don’t learn fake martial arts as self-defense because it won’t work.
You can’t fake speaking Spanish or playing a musical instrument.
As visitor of my blog you have already reed some of this tips in my article regarding Training Vs Reality
It’s possible to win a street fight and lose your Liberty, Lifestyle, Job, Home
You may be charged with a serious assault by the Police.
Lose your liberty by going to Court and being convicted of a serious crime.
The conviction will follow you around for the rest of your life and you may have to declare it on job applications.
Be sent to prison for a long time.
Lose your job and your house, car because you can’t pay the bills, mortgage, or rent.
Lose your partner or spouse and get divorced.
Lose your savings and money by being sued for damages by the defendant.
Lose by becoming depressed and angry about what happened.
Have PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and nightmares or flashbacks about the assault
This remind me an example we have seen on the article about The regulatory framework
Develop A Healthy Relationship With Violence.
It May Sound Strange but You Need To Develop A Healthy Relationship With Violence.
It’s important to be able to use violence but to choose not to unless, in extreme circumstances, you or a loved one are in danger.
Learn and become familiar with controlled violence and develop some basic self-defense skills
Control your ego and impulses
Control your anger and fear and turn these into power
Use empathy when appropriate
Practice staying calm when under pressure
Learn how to engage in a confident way in conversation with someone who is testing you out
Learn how to say, “Sorry I Made a Mistake” to a “Gang Leader” without losing face and being respectful so that you avoid a beating
Don’t be manipulated
Learn how to walk away from conflict
You can delve deeper into the subject on the article AGGRESSION _ NOTIONS OF SELF-DEFENCE
A criminal is not dangerous
Hardly anyone is dangerous to you unless you are vulnerable to them. In most situations, a criminal is not dangerous unless he has control over you and can operate undercover
A big problem generally is the process of being persuaded that something is safe when it isn’t.
Remember that it’s ok to…:
Say no and be assertive
Ask for help
Describe the danger that your experiencing
To hit someone or injure them if you’re in danger
To shout and yell
To run away
To fight very hard and resist anyone who tries to take you somewhere against your will
Violence by a spouse in the USA
In about 75% of homes where there is spousal violence, there is also violence directed at the children living in that home.
Some Warning Signs
The woman feels that she is at risk
The man uses intimidation and bullying behaviour
He uses verbal abuse and threats
He has used violence in previous relationships
He uses and abuses alcohol and drugs
He refuses to take responsibility for his actions and blames others
He is jealous and possessive
(Protecting the Gift, De Becker, G 1999)
Assaults
Assaults in general and on women have increased in the past few years.
The UK has experienced an alarming increase in knife crime over the past few years, especially amongst young men.
In the USA events such as mass shootings are more common than in the past.
The “Lockdown” across the world due to the coronavirus appears to have increased levels of domestic abuse and violence.
In the UK there were 43,516 knife crime offences in the 12 months ending March 2019.
This is an 80% increase from the low point in the year ending March 2014, when there were 23,945 offences, and is the highest number since comparable data was compiled.
In the year to the end of March 2017, the Crime Survey for UK England and Wales (CSEW) estimated: 20% of women and 4% of men have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16, equivalent to 3.4 million female and 631,000 male victims.
The Law and Self Defense
This depends upon the country, and societies across the world may differ quite a lot in terms of culture, norms and values, and laws.
In most countries, a person is allowed to use reasonable force to defend themselves and their loved ones and possessions.
So you may ask what is a reasonable force?
It is a force that can be used by a reasonable person, so it’s not always clear what a reasonable person would do.
Such actions are tested in Courts of Law daily and to the public. They often defy logic, as the victim appears to be on trial rather than the perpetrator.
In learning to deal with violent aggression there is a danger of becoming a bully and out of control instead of becoming a person with wisdom knowledge and skills in self-defense
For example: If someone breaks into your home you may put up a fight to put them out.
However, if you then chase them down the street and beat them with a bat it is you who will be in trouble and may end up in court or jail.
In some countries such as the USA, a killing force may be permitted in self-defense in some States so it’s important to know the basic law of the land.
In other countries such as in Britain, assaulting a burglar may result in the homeowner going to jail and the perpetrator suing the homeowner for damages. It sometimes defies logic.
How things can go badly wrong
A man got into an argument and was challenged to a fight in a bar in the USA. He accepted the challenge and went outside to fight. He struck the opponent who fell and hit his head on a planter and the man died. The man was convicted of manslaughter and served 6 years in prison. His life was ruined because of his ego and pride so be aware of the decisions that you make and the consequences for you and your family forever.
Some Escalation issues
You don’t need to know the type of shark to recognize a shark attack
Marc Mac Young
Don’t be harmless, instead be dangerous but under control.
Harmless people are the prime victims of predators. Harmless people don’t fight back and are vulnerable and weak, they are preyed upon by wolves.
“Tells” First, learn to recognize differing body language and threatening situations.
Is it a verbal threat or perhaps a physical one?
Is it a bullshit threat designed to annoy you or is it real?
Is it a test or verbal beatdown or is it more than that?
If feeling threatened, can you simply walk away?
Can you engage in dialogue with a person and talk them down from an angry state? Do you know how to do this? Do you know when to do it?
Violence and Consequences
If physically attacked, can you deal with violence and its aftermath?
Such as adrenaline dump, any injuries handed out or received, PTSD, mental health and emotional issues, and flashbacks, the police, the courts, your employment situation.
Watch people and learn every day by looking at their body language. Their posture, facial expression, their eyes, how they move, and what they say and do.
People give away much of their intentions subconsciously and if you pay attention you can learn to protect yourself from those who would do you harm.
Every year in the USA about 256,000 people are seriously hurt in assaults with a weapon.
Trying to negotiate with someone who is drunk/drugged angry and intent on violence is pointless because he must win or think that he has won.
One tactic is to feed his ego, encourage him to think that he has won, so let him believe it if that stops the violence or threat of violence and get away from the situation.
Using verbal bullshit to get away is a valid tactic and well worth using if required.
A scenario might look like this:
Two men, one or both angry or drunk, one tries to give the other a verbal beatdown.
They start to argue and verbally threaten each other with “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to knock your block off, etc”
They get louder and more aggressive over something seemingly trivial, and each is now intent on winning and not losing face.
People are staring at them; phone cameras are now out and it keeps going and escalating until one lifts a bottle or pulls a knife and stabs the other.
Disaster:
The aftermath is terrible with perhaps a permanent disability, a colostomy bag for life or perhaps death, bereavement, anger, jail time, lost job and house, divorce, and ruin.
Escalation is about EGO
Escalation is about EGO taking over and with the “winner” walking away like a fighting cock, feeling that he was right and won the battle.
However, in the real world, the threat of violence is scary so if it’s going to happen you need to end it quickly either by walking/ running away fast or hitting him hard to finish it.
If physical violence is happening to you there is no point in waiting around and standing there as an easy target, the longer it goes on the more dangerous it becomes.
Become skilled at understanding the basic body language and attack patterns and respond accordingly because you’re not entering a fight of fisticuffs.
Your life may be on the line so end it quickly if you must.
Don’t wait around for a post-mortem as it could be yours.
Robbery and life taken
One Instructor described that his student (a professional military soldier on leave in a European city) was approached by two men who attempted to rob him at knifepoint, he pulled his knife and killed one of them.
He was not charged by the police because they saw it on video and decided it was self-defense, but a man was killed in the process. He was lucky that the video security camera clearly demonstrated the assault.
Stay safe and well
Martin ONeill
About Coach ONeil
Martin was raised in a Northern Ireland Ghetto during what is called “the troubles” by the mass media
He worked for many years as a welder across Ireland and London.
He moved to London to join his girlfriend. For 30 years his career was in Social works: spanning probatin work, child care, disability, mental health, adult care and he have ended up specialising in community development and social work.
Martin began training Martial Arts in January 1976 in the Karate style of Wado Ryu in Dublin, Ireland.
He gained a 1st Dan black belt in 1980 and was involved in fighting in many semi and full contact bouts and tournament.
In 1986 Martin enrolled as an apprentice instructor for five years with Steve and Mike Krause, who were instructor under Dan Inosanto. In the early 1990s he travelled to USA and trained with Sifu Lamar M. Davis II (well know instructor in JKD) becoming a full instructor in 2002
Since 2000 he have been studying with the Jun Fan Gung Fu institute in Seattle with Sigung Taky Kimura and in 2013 was accepted as a student on the International Instructor Programme at the Inosanto Academy (USA) to train under the guidance of Guru Dan Inosanto.
Martin is a Full Instructor in Jeet Kune Do under Sigung Taky Kimura and Associate Instructor in Japanese and Filipino Martial Arts Guru Dan Inosanto
In the meantime in 2008 he had an heart attack during a mass attack training session and he had to learn that he’s training needed to change as result of the problem.
He got into fight in his younger days and he have taught martial arts from 30 years at Clann Eireann Youth Club in a very violent part of Northern Ireland; deeply affected by the Troubles
Coach Martin ONeil is author of the “Jeet Kune Do Mindset” Martial Arts Ways for A Better Life
