June 26, 2009-- I was giving a class to police officers this week and a officer posed a question about how to respond to a certain kind of street attack. "What should be the response?" I like to talk about and have my students thing about self defense in 4 stages. A person can combine any system or use any technique against an attack if they consider this: You are being attacked.. what is the biggest danger?
Your response should follow the path of least resistance and respond to the immediate danger to alleviate the immediate threat. Then counterattack in some way to shock your opponent and draw the attention to the pain that is occurring in his/her body. The counterattack does not need to be devastating. Next, get to a point of reference (POR) that you can remember with any attack in in a stressful situation. This POR should control the attacker and allow you to deliver a number of different blows to overwhelm the attacker. Finally, finish to your objective. It may be to control the person, in the case of law enforcement; incapacitate the attacker in the case of an individual or terminate the attacker in the case of military or an imminent jeopardy situation.
In Israeli combatitives, I teach these very principals and I think that it is crucial that a person first considers "what is this attacker doing that will kill me- now?" Deal with that threat and then proceed to your next objective.
- Address the main threat (get out of the way of a punch, give your self room to breath in a choke, etc.)
- Counterattack
- Point of reference (delivering multiple overwhelming blows to the attacker)
- Proceed to your objective in the fight
"You didn't choose the fight. You were attacked. You must raise your level of aggression to win a fight and overcome it with a greater degree of violence. Don't ask yourself 'why' in an attack. Make the attacker a victim." ~ Robb Hamic
The author, Rob Hamic, is the president of Summit Self Defense and Israeli Combat Shooting. He is a law enforcement, military and civilian self defense trainer in many different disciplines. Contact him for class or seminar information. He delivers training locally, nationally and internationally.
Rob Hamic
Summit Self Defense
robb@summitselfdefense.com
Isn't that the truth! It doesn't have to be so confusing if you just think about it.
Posted by: Jess Gibson | June 26, 2009 at 11:27 AM