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Muay Thai for Self-Defense Requires an Exceptional Coach!
Self-defense has become more complicated these days. A street attack can likely be weapons based, perhaps with multiple attackers and street thugs have more experience in the fight game — some are even experienced in MMA. Defending yourself can also lead to a civil or criminal case against you. Simple self-defense skills are not enough anymore, learning how to fight can elevate your game. I think most people realize that you need both striking as well as grappling skills to be a well-rounded fighter. For passive or covert aggression I prefer to use grappling. When applying a restraint or a submission, especially at a public venue, there’s much less of a chance of being charged with assault. However if someone is overtly and aggressively attacking you, then by all means you are justified in striking him commensurate with the level of force he’s applying; and striking affords us a quick reply! The only two striking disciplines I feel worthy of mention are boxing and muay thai. Both are excellent, however, I personally prefer muay thai. It has a distinct advantage in that the shins, knees and elbows are simply much more devastating than punching alone. Muay thai is not only used in sport fighting but is also a great adjunct to self-defense training as well as fitness. The benefits of muay thai for self-defense are obvious; with concerted effort most individuals can be fully prepared for unarmed confrontations well within one year! The caveat is that many muay thai instructors teach it in one dimension – that is, for the sport! For self-defense purposes, especially for older students the instructor needs to be cognizant of tailoring the course work to suit their goals. Inasmuch as muay thai is now popular internationally, not all instruction is standardized nor of high quality. The general thinking by the public is “if this guy trained and fought in Thailand, then he must be a pro,” not necessarily true! Many amateur fighters train and fight in Thailand but never get anywhere close to an official championship bout. Official muay thai fights are held by the two main organizations, and all legitimate and professional fighters belong to one of these organizations, they are: the WPMF “World Professional Muay Thai Federation” and the WMC: “World Muay Thai Council” http://www.wmcmuaythai.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Professional_Muaythai_Federation Some of the very best muay thai outside of Thailand is in Holland and France. Unfortunately in the U.S. muay thai is lacking somewhat in top talent. It’s mainly because of the dozens of factions and associations and numerous amateur instructors representing themselves as professionals. There are however a few good training centers such as Fairtex and Master Toddy’s among others. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the top muay thai fighters and coaches in North America, Mehdi Pouroskoui. A gifted coach, he has fought and trained fighters for 17 years, and owns and operates KB-ONE Muay Thai, the premier muay thai academy in Vancouver B.C. Among the pantheon of the world’s top 4-5 muay thai fighter’s (along with a few from Holland) he is one of the select handful of non-Thai fighter’s in the world who have beaten the Thais on their home turf – not once but on several occasions. He is also one of the few Westerners to have fought an official muay boran match in Thailand. No one in the Americas has come close to his record. Mehdi retired from professional fighting in 2009 and devotes all his time to coaching now. Mehdi has expanded his muay thai clinics to Toronto and New York, and is planning to teach several clinics a year in these two cities. He recently held a muay thai workshop at the Vamos Bros. Jiujitsu Academy in Long Island. Interestingly, he taught one workshop that offered useful and functional takeaways to students of different levels and different interests. Mehdi will present several seminars in Toronto and NYC this coming October. More Links:
A Brief Overview of why Kung Fu is Ineffective for Fighting
The closing of Santelli’s in the 1990’s left a vacuum in New York’s fencing community. However a few years later, one of their former instructors started teaching stage fencing nearby and I jumped at the chance to learn. Inasmuch as the class was great fun, it was actually ruining my skills – I had to quit because my fencing skills were deteriorating.
That’s because fencing is based on small, exact and articulate movements in a few directions. In olden times, duels were far from the 3-Muskateers swordplay we are so familiar with in the movies. Actual duels contained minimal movements and ended quickly. Stage fencing on the other hand is based on wide and sweeping motions, directed so the eye can easily follow the actions on the stage or a movie set. These fantastic looking moves are the exact opposite of a real swordfight!
It was at this time when my “Eureka moment” came to me! I realized that kung fu was “stage combat” and NOT real fighting! Its wide and sweeping motions telegraphing every intent and purpose seems perfectly designed for the stage! Although it may look beautiful in the cinema, even inexperienced non-practitioners recognize “the kung fu paradox;” students study kung fu for years and years and can’t even fight?
Many of the flaws are quite obvious, these include: an adherence to techniques that look spectacular in the movies but don’t work in real life, a lack of solid balance, a fondness for acrobatic maneuvers, and an adherence to period costumes fit more for the stage than actual combat.
Obviously at one time kung fu had both gravitas and credibility. People fought and killed each other with skill and aplomb. But over time it degenerated into a past-time where the attainment of beauty and form became the end goal. Instead of pushing political correctness and shouting that all martial arts have equal value, it’s more important to understand the reason why kung fu devolved into a performance art.
The underlying reason why kung fu lost its effectiveness as a practical fighting system is rooted in China’s recent history, particularly the past 300 years when a series of “Black Swan” events began to erode the numerous styles and turned them into a nostalgic quest for a previous era.
Here are some of the event’s that helped to diminish kung fu from a fighting craft to an art form, I only touch on them briefly since each factor is a story unto itself.
#1. The diametric differences and incompatibilities between the dozens of unique kung fu styles; #2. The fall of the Ming dynasty and rise of Ching rule and their abolishment of martial arts practice; #3. The Boxer Rebellion, and the disastrous defeat of the Boxers;
#4. The division and control of parts of China by Western powers; #5. The Japanese invasion and occupation; #6. The Chinese Civil War; #7. Communist influence and control; #8. The influence and popularity of Chinese Opera and its transference into Wu Shu; #9. And the influence of Bruce Lee, who experimented with various fighting styles and left kung fu to create his own style.
Of course there are exceptions to every rule and I am not mentioning practitioners who have freely trained and mixed various fight disciplines. However I am a firm believer in the old adage, “You fight the way you train!” If you practice stage combat you will look good in the movies – but you won’t be able to fight!
THE NEW MIRANDA LAW
Most of us are familiar with the Miranda Law, having heard it hundreds of times on TV cop shows – “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be used against you”- etc.
However on June 1, 2010, the Supreme Court altered Miranda, and we should all be familiar with the updated version. Miranda was meant to protect a suspect from being compelled to be a witness against himself. Once a suspect invoked his right to keep silent the police were obligated to stop badgering him. If authorities failed to advise a suspect or ignore his invocation of his rights, the statements could be thrown out as evidence in a case.
In reality, contrary to what we have seen on TV, the Miranda Law was never foolproof. There have been more than a few cases that fell apart after a suspect produced a covert recording proving his side of the story. Bottom line, you cannot believe the police. If it’s a case of who said what, the court will most likely believe the police.
The New Miranda Law
The new law states that you must be assertive in invoking your rights to remain silent. There cannot be any uncertainties. However, be prepared to be ignored, they may still try to get you to confess to something. In addition, police no longer need to get a waiver from a suspect acknowledging that he or she is foregoing their rights.
General Tips (For the United States)
DO provide police your personal ID such as name, address, date of birth if they ask
DO NOT provide additional information beyond this, tell them you will NOT answer their questions without an attorney present
DO consent to a search of your person if you are arrested, or you will be resisting arrest Police have the right to search you for weapons, contraband etc. for obvious reasons
DO NOT consent to a search of your vehicle or home without a search warrant. If the police produce a warrant, do not resist them from fulfilling their duties
DO NOT believe the police, they will manipulate you to get a confession
DO be silent but first state LOUDLY and CLEARLY that you will remain silent
DO ask for an attorney (either your own or request one be appointed for you)
DO NOT try to explain your innocence, let your attorney do that
MYTHS ABOUT THE SAMURAI
In Western media there seems to be an over-enthusiastic apotheosis of the samurai. I’m not denying that the samurai were skilled and valorous warriors but let’s take a step back, remove the blindfold and evaluate them more objectively.
Myth #16 - The samurai were the greatest warriors in world history
False – Physically, samurai were not very formidable; unlike the samurai portrayed in the movies, most of them were extremely short and not well built. In the 16th-Century, observations by Jesuits and traders remarked about the small stature of the samurai being more akin to children than those of grown men. A visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Japanese armor display confirms this; much of the adult male armor reflects a diminutive stature of approximately 4’- 5” to 5’-4” in height. In contrast, the western armor exhibit in the adjacent room displays European knight’s armor of which the average wearer was between 5’-4” and 6”-1”. There were exceptions of course.
Myth #17 - Samurai were the bravest, fearless and most honorable warriors in history
False — Regarding the question of honor, bravery and fearlessness in the face of death; many warriors throughout history have all shared the same values: including a varying dedication to a set of prescribed virtues and/or principles. Whether it’s the Ancient Greeks, Roman’s, Crusader’s, Viking’s, American Indians, Napoleon’s “Grande Armee,” the Zulu’s or the U.S. Marines, there’s no lack of warrior spirit and/or deed among any of these groups. My vote for the top three spots in the category of “history’s greatest warrior’s” would be #1. The Spartan’s, #2. The Mongols, and #3. The Viking’s.
Myth #18 - As a group, samurai armies were the most formidable in history
Not by a long shot — The Mongols were history’s most formidable and successful conquerors, generating more terror and gaining more territory than any other people in history. Fortunately for the Japanese, the Mongols two invasions were unsuccessful due to a quirk of fate (both coincided exactly with major typhoons).
Every major western nation at one time or another has followed this example to a lesser extent. Early Japanese armies were never that large and battles for the most part consisted of skirmishes and one-on-one duels. Later, in the 16th and 17th Centuries, battles started becoming large affairs, but they were hardly the size of the great European wars.
Myth #19 - The Japanese sword was history’s most fearsome and dangerous weapon
Not by a long shot! — at the end of the day, a sword is a sword is a sword. In terms of techniques — Japanese fencing is not too dissimilar from European Medieval broadsword fighting. But the Europeans (especially the Spanish and Italians) evolved their methods to emphasize the more efficient point instead of the slash, and developed a more sophisticated methodology of swordplay. All things being equal, IMO, a samurai would be at a disadvantage against a Spaniard with a rapier.
Myth #20 - Samurai swords were the best made swords ever!
In terms of materials — modern steels are far superior to the best metals used by Japanese sword smiths. What is not widely known however is that Solingen, Toledo and Damascus steel was every bit as good as the finest steel from Japan. Recent excavations in China have revealed extremely well -made swords that have retained their edge to this day. Some rare Viking swords were also fashioned in the same manner as Japanese swords, hundreds of years before.
Myth #21 - The Japanese sword was considered the soul of the samurai
Not completely true – for a good deal of Japanese history the warriors of Japan did not emphasize the sword at all. The first samurai were highly skilled archers, especially on horseback. They were also trained to use the spear, sword and a multitude of smaller weapons. The sword really became more popular with samurai around the end of the Heian period (794 ~ 1191)
Myth #22 - Samurai have always been part of Japan
False — Although Japan had a warrior class going back to about 200 AD, the samurai class as we know them, began during the Kamakura period (1192 ~ 1336). These warriors believed in duty above all and received land for their service; very similar to European knights. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the samurai were removed from direct control of the villages, moved into the domain castle towns, and given government stipends. They were encouraged to take up bureaucratic posts. As a result, they lost a great measure of their earlier martial skills.
Myth #23 - Bushido was the standard code for all samurai for a thousand years
False — It did not become a standard code until the Tokugawa period in the 17th Century. After the Meiji restoration (1868), it was the basis for the cult of emperor worship taught until 1945. Inasmuch as the codes of Chivalry for European Knights were rooted in Christianity, the code of Bushido was born out of a combination of Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism. Never written but passed from generation to generation by word of mouth, it nevertheless was a guide for the Japanese nobility. The code was first formulated in the late Kamakura period and put into writing in the 16th century; the term “Bushido” however did not come into use until the 17th Century.
Myth #24 - Samurai were always steadfastly loyal and honorable to their lords
Nothing could be further from the truth — although many samurai were devoted to their lords, many others were treacherous and deceiving. Japanese history is rife with tales of betrayal. The most popular method of betrayal was waiting on the outskirts of a battle to see who was winning, then suddenly change sides if it was to their advantage.
Some noteworthy examples of betrayal included: Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, who threatened the emperor for the sovereignty to rule Japan, Taira-no-Masakadoa revolting against the Kyoto government, Matsunaga Hisahide rebels against Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu betrays Hideyoshi by taking the throne away from his son Hideyori. Samurai from the Choshu and Satsuma were responsible for overthrowing the shogun in 1867. When feudalism was abolished after the Meji Restoration, former samurai also took part in the Satsuma revolt under Takamori Saigo, in 1877.
Myth #25 - Ronin carried on the noble traditions of the samurai
Starting in the 17th Century, many ronin (leaderless samurai) became outright criminals, robbing and killing powerless townspeople to satisfy their own greed. One story suggests that the Yakuza was founded at this time, machi-yokko (servants of the town) to protect the locals from these “wave-men” (ronin). This is very similar to the rise of the Mafia in Sicily, in the 1800’s.
Myth #26 - Samurai were all macho, masculine and heterosexual
False — Homosexuality was an integral part of samurai life and was actively and cooperatively practiced. Although very few of the hundreds of samurai movies made in Japan hardly hinted at it; “nanshoku, the love of the samurai.” The indelible fact remains that one of the fundamental aspects of samurai life was the emotional and sexual bond cultivated between an older warrior and a younger (male) apprentice. Although women were deemed important because they continued the family line, many samurai preferred men for their emotional and physical relationships.
Known also as wakashudo, “the way of the youth,” it was a practice engaged in by all members of the samurai class, from lowliest warrior to highest lord. Indeed it has been said that it would never have been asked of a daimyo, “lord”, why he took boys as lovers, but why he didn’t.
Samurai shudo had its early beginnings in the Kamakura period in the 1200’s, and reached its apogee at the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 and subsequently declined as the country was unified and the importance of the warrior class diminished.
Myth #27 - Japan was already civilized when the West was still primitive.
Completely False – Japanese like to think that. Although primitive Japanese occupied many regions of present-day Japan, their civilization and culture started to form during the Asuka period (538 AD ~ 710 AD), when the Yamato polity gradually became a centralized state — 1,000 years after the height of Greek civilization Remember, Japan’s prehistoric/protohistoric age lasted well into the 5th-Century A.D. At that time, the Western Roman Empire had come and gone and the Eastern Roman Empire was thriving in Byzantium.
Myth #28 - The most skilled samurai lived between the 17th and 19th Century
False – With a few exceptions (i.e., Musashi, the Yagyu family, etc.) this was actually the worst period for samurai. There were no more wars, thus the samurai’s skills deteriorated. Most samurai at this time were given bureaucratic positions by the shogunate, and could only dream about their past glory. With time on their hands, many samurai of this time became scholars, studying poetry, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and flower arrangement. The code of Bushido was first written during this era.
Myth #29 - Samurai considered the ninja as warriors, like themselves
False — Every culture in the world has always used spies and assassins. Essentially, ninja’s (or shinobi) were Japan’s spies and assassins. These skills were transmitted to the Japanese through Chinese monks sometime between 600 AD ~ 900 AD. The best description of ninjitsu is that it’s guerrilla warfare. Overall, samurai despised ninja for their less than honorable methods but they also needed them. Ninja would do anything to accomplish their goals. Most ninja did not have highly developed fighting skills, rather, they used tricks and deception to escape.
Myth #30 - Yakuza trace their lineage to the samurai
False - Inasmuch as many Yakuza fantasize they are samurai and follow the way of Bushido, they actually don’t. At the beginning of the Tokugawa era, up to 500,000 samurai suddenly became unemployed. Many joined the merchant class but some of these ronin turned to crime and preyed upon small towns. To defend themselves against these masterless samurai from raiding their villages, the macchi-yokku (servants of the town) was born. Very similar in structure to the Mafia. Over time, like all gangs they began to prey upon their own people. Yakuza have no lineage to the samurai
MYTHS ABOUT THE MIND AND BODY!
There’s so much misinformation out there about the mind and body, how they relate and communicate with each other and the effects they produce, both positive and negative. Here is the latest information about this topic.
#1) When we Learn a new Skill and Perform it many times, it is Internalized by the Muscles — this is called “Muscle Memory”
FALSE: There is NO SUCH THING as MUSCLE MEMORY. For years fight practitioners (as well as other athletes) have relied on endless repetition to try to lock their body movements into memory. The name, “Muscle Memory” was coined for this process. But there are no muscle memory cells, and without being actively engaged in the process, the brain won’t remember any body movements. The correct term is “MOTOR MEMORY.” That is because it’s the brain that remembers the movements, not the muscles.
The best proof for this comes from people that have partial or total amnesia. Contrary to Hollywood’s take on the subject, in cases of amnesia, many individuals with high-level skills (in any field) cannot always access [those skills] and indeed will never know they have them until they regain their memory. So as much as notion of someone tapping into their hidden skills automatically as in the movie “The “Bourne Identity,” in reality, it probably won’t occur (however there are some exceptions depending on the amount of damage). The correct term for internalizing any skills is “Motor Memory;” and skills (i.e. fighting) that are linked to the body’s balance auto-response system are more quickly learned and retained than other methods.
#2) The Amygdala and Reptilian Brain provide the same Functions
FALSE: the small nut sized amygdala (there are two, one on each side of the brain) among other things is the center for identification of danger, (fear headquarters) and is fundamental for self preservation. When triggered, it gives rise to fear and anxiety (through the R-complex) which leadS an animal or human into a stage of alertness, preparing for “FIGHT or FLIGHT.”
The reptilian brain (also called R-Complex or Archipallium) is responsible for self preservation. It is there that the mechanisms of aggression, survival and reproduction reside. It also controls some involuntary actions and the control of certain visceral functions (cardiac, pulmonary, intestinal, etc), indispensable to the preservation of life.
#3) When we face Danger our Main Brain (Conscious Brain) shuts down and our Functions are taken over by the Reptilian Brain
FALSE: when we are in danger a message is instantly sent from our senses to the amygdala, the amygdala in turn alerts the automatic response systems (through the reptilian brain) and a few milliseconds later another message is sent to the cortex.
The first message communicates that there is danger and initiates the startle response. This first pathway does not tell us what the danger is, but gives us a few milliseconds for the body to prepare itself. The second pathway allows us to analyze the threat and respond appropriately to it. All of this happens in the space of a few seconds or less.
#4) We have two Cerebral units of the Brain, the Reptilian Brain & the Cortex
FALSE: we actually have three cerebral units to the brain, the Archipallium (R-Complex or Reptilian Brain) which governs self-preservation (vital functions) and reproduction; the Paleopallium (Old Mammalian) consisting of the limbic system and governs emotions; and the Neopallium (New Mammalian – or Neo-Cortex) and governs rational thought or intellectual tasks.
#5) When we feel Butterflies in the Stomach (signaling fear) this is an Intuitive way of warning us of Imminent Danger
FALSE: the feeling of butterflies in the stomach is not intuitive at all but physical, it occurs because our amygdala has sent messages to our body indicating potential imminent danger and our body prepares for this by emptying the blood from the stomach into the brain and muscles.
#6) Being in an Increased Adrenaline-aroused or stressful state over a long period of time (or many shorter intervals) is not really harmful.
FALSE: In short bursts, elevated adrenaline is not damaging or dangerous. In fact, that is what it is designed to do. But when sustained at high levels over a longer period of time, it can be very harmful. The most serious effect of elevated adrenaline, where it is persistent and unrelenting, is its damage to the heart and arteries. These include: An increase in the production of blood cholesterol; a narrowing of the capillaries and other blood vessels that can shut down the blood supply to the heart muscle; a decrease in the body’s ability to remove cholesterol; an increase in the blood’s tendency to clot; and an increase in the depositing of plaque on the walls of the arteries.
#7) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not a real illness, it’s just a Condition of Hypersensitivity in some Individuals
FALSE: PTSD is a real illness and anyone is susceptible if they encounter or live through a scary or near death experience. You can get PTSD if you have been in combat, been raped or sexually abused, a victim in a horrific accident, been in a hurricane or tornado etc. PTSD usually begins after three months of the event but sometimes starts years later. Some symptoms are scary memories, depression, trouble sleeping, or anger. PTSD can be treated with medicine and therapy.
#8) The Only Function of Adrenaline is to give us a Boost of Energy in times of Stress or Danger
FASLE: Adrenalin also has another function, that is, it engraves a fearful or traumatic experience into your brain. This provides a useful function for all animals/humans since it provides a memory or imprint of a dangerous event, thus if a similar incident occurs in the future, the brain will recognize it and react quickly. In some individuals this imprinting is hyper-excited beyond the control of the individual, necessitating the need for medical treatment.
#9) All people have the same “Startle Response”
FALSE: some people have a heightened or exaggerated startle response that does not shut off with because they are unable to recognize “Safety Signals,” the sense of relief that tells you there is nothing to be scared of or the danger has subsided. Due to some traumatic event such as combat, rape or other catastrophes, some people have lost the ability to overcome fear and the switch is always on the “On Position.” Exaggerated startle remains tightly linked to trauma related psychological illness. In fact, according to DSM-IV, Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is now the only anxiety disorder in which “Hyperstartle” is listed as a core symptom.
#10) Being “in the Zone” refers to an Intuitive Feeling that Athletes find themselves in, Just Before and/or during an Event
FALSE: The term “In the Zone” is an actual physiological condition that can be measured in a laboratory. When we learn something new, many areas of the brain are stimulated; but as we become more skilled, brain activity is more focused and memories [and shortcuts] are being formed that automatically signal the muscles to perform.
When an athlete is “In the Zone,” the brain structures that are essential to performing a task (e.g. competing in an event) are fully engaged and those structures of mental processes that are not essential drop out. An athlete can also be “Over the Zone,” that is, perform past his/her expectations and may overshoot their desired performance, which is not desired and in some cases can be dangerous.
