In episode 393 of the Whistlekick Podcast, “The Problems with the Way Self-Defense Is Taught,” Jeremy Lesniak talked about different exercises and training scenarios that he uses to test and develop the real-world self-defense skills of traditional martial artists.
Here is a great example: A group of students is divided into two lines, facing one another. The instructor selects one person to be the defender and turns that person around so he or she is unaware of who the instructor selects as attackers—typically half of the group. The job of the attackers is to perform one slow, safe, controlled attack (e.g., a kick or punch) as the defender walks past. The defender’s job is to defend against the attack to the best of his or her ability, then continue walking. The defender doesn’t know the identity of the attackers, when the attack will come, or what the attack will be. Compared to drilling techniques with a partner, or even sparring, that is a lot of unknowns.
After running this exercise with all kinds of students, Jeremy found that the majority of defenders, regardless of ability or rank, failed to execute their techniques because they were overwhelmed by their body’s reaction to the “threat.” In short, they choked. Although there was no real threat of physical injury, there was a threat of failure and the social embarrassment that comes with it. Aligned with this is the dent to your ego when you find out “I can’t do this!” These are a lot of psychological variables that most traditional martial art schools do not consider when teaching self-defense. Probably the most overlooked variable, however, is the stress response.
Fight or Flight
Most people are familiar with the stress response, otherwise known as the “fight or flight” (or freeze) response. It is triggered by physical stressors (e.g., getting punched) as well as psychological stressors (e.g., a job interview). Assuming freezing and running are not options, if you fight back, the physiological changes you experience (e.g., trembling, tunnel vision, loss of fine motor control, etc.) mean that you will sink to your lowest level of skill, not your highest, as Jeremy discussed during the podcast. In order to improve our self-defense skills, martial artists need to overcome (or lessen) the effects of the stress response. In other words, we must learn to demonstrate composure under pressure.
The simplest way to cultivate this is through exposure. That is, if we want to be able to defend ourselves from a sudden, violent attack, we must practice in conditions that closely resemble the real thing—and here’s the paradox—without putting people in actual danger. To ensure the safety of participants in self-defense exercises, everyone must use controlled movements. This does not necessarily mean the movements are slow; it means that even if a technique (like a punch) connects, it should not harm the person on the receiving end. Depending on the exercise, of course, students could wear safety goggles, boxing gloves, shin guards, cups, and so forth.
Anticipating the Variables
Inspired by Jeremy’s podcast, I started writing multiple self-defense exercises that play with different variables. In each exercise, I designate an “attacker” (the person who initiates) and a “defender” (the person who responds to the attack). Here are five scenarios inspired by everyday life, which I believe will improve your mental preparedness for defending yourself.
1) Dazed and Confused
The instructor chooses one defender and one or two attackers wearing boxing gloves. The instructor spins the defender around multiple times to make him dizzy (or the defender can spin himself using the old “looking down the broomstick” trick). After x spins, the attacker(s) will come at the defender in a controlled but convincing manner, using multiple techniques. The defender may have to shell up to take the hits and recover his equilibrium in order to counterattack.
This replicates having your bell rung by a strike or hitting your head on something in your environment. Most likely, the attackers are not going to stop at one technique; they are going to follow up with several more until you are incapacitated. Another way to make this drill more interesting is to blindfold the defender. Losing your vision is a big disadvantage that forces you to rely on your other senses, especially touch and hearing.
2) The Walk and Talk
This scenario comes from Jason Korol’s book JKD Foundations. A group of 5 to 10 students, including one attacker, stands on one side of the room with a defender standing on the other. The attacker starts shouting things at the defender in a hostile manner (e.g., “What are you looking at?!” “You think you’re tough?” “You can’t fight your way out of a paper bag!” etc.). This is the first test for the defender: Can she say the right things to de-escalate the situation? If someone is looking for a fight to test their mettle, the defender must take the wind out of the attacker’s sails (e.g. “I’ve never had a fight in my life and I don’t want to start now against someone like you! You’d beat me in seconds.”).
If the defender fails to do either of these things (walk or talk), however, the attacker continues the verbal barrage and either shoulder barges the defender or pushes her (in a controlled manner). This part will test the defender’s ability to control distance. Ideally the defender will make contact with the attacker before he steps into her personal “bubble.” If the attacker reaches a relatively close distance (i.e., within an arm’s length of the defender), he will swing a wide-arcing, controlled haymaker (the most common attack in street fights). This last part tests the defender’s timing (i.e., intercepting or dodging the punch).
3) My Hands Are Tied
In this exercise, the defender has one arm tied behind his back. He is surrounded by a circle of students, all of whom have been designated as attackers. The attackers each have a number given to them by the instructor. When the instructor calls out a number (“Five!”), attacker number five closes in on the defender and executes one slow, controlled technique (e.g., punch, kick, takedown, etc.). It is up to the defender to negate this and/or counterattack. This drill simulates having injured your arm during an altercation. It can be changed to simulate restricting the use of a leg, or a combination of limbs.
4) Curious or Dangerous?
The defender sits on a bench or on the floor. Another student approaches her and starts making small talk. The second student is concealing a weapon (e.g., a rubber knife, a marker pen, a fake gun, etc.). Based on the first person’s social skills, it is up to the second student to decide if they are going to keep this interaction friendly or mug them.
This exercise teaches us that the way we carry ourselves can have a big influence on the behavior of others. That is, when we appear confident (i.e., shoulders back, maintain eye contact, use a clear speaking voice, etc.), we are not seen as an “easy mark.” Secondly, it teaches us that not everyone is out to get you. Too many martial artists go about their daily lives in a state of “code orange,” hypothesizing the bad things that may happen at any given moment. While awareness is an asset, catastrophizing to the point of hostility or avoiding social interaction can have profound negative impacts. If practicing martial arts has evoked this behavior pattern, you may be better off fishing or playing golf.
5) Mo Money, Mo Problems
This exercise simulates using an ATM machine with someone waiting behind you in line. The setup: The defender stands facing a wall with the numbers 0 through 9 written on it. He enters multiple series of digits that are meaningful to him (e.g., birthdays, phone numbers, etc.). At any given moment, the person standing behind will attack with a specific technique or series of techniques (again, in a safe, controlled manner). The defender must counterattack and/or escape from the attack.
This exercise is designed to test the defender in several ways. First, his attention is split, so he is less likely to detect when the attack is coming. Second, the defender must recover from a poor initial position. (You almost never want to give someone your back, unless you intend to throw them or are in a scramble on the ground.) Third, because the attack is a surprise, the defender’s ability to control distance and timing is severely compromised.
Testing Our Stress Response
These exercises are designed to put the defender in confusing and stressful situations. They are meant to create some level of psychological and physiological discomfort. There are, however, methodologies (other than mere exposure) to attenuate the stress response. These include controlled breathing, positive affirmations, visualization, mindfulness, etc., which we will consider in a future article. It is important to note that even if someone “fails” during an exercise, he or she will still learn from the experience. Over time, it is hoped that the stress response becomes less prominent, and at the very least, students will learn to do something other than freeze in the face of adversity. Most attackers assume that you won’t fight back. That’s why they chose you in the first place, so you better make them think twice.
So there you have it: five exercises designed to test and develop real-world self-defense skills. You may be thinking, “This is ridiculous; my students would laugh at me if I introduced these in my classes.” The method of introduction and explanation will be key here. As a behavior consultant by trade, I understand that to expect a student to generalize a technique that they have only practiced under cooperative and predictable conditions into a fully noncooperative and random attack scenario is highly unlikely. This is why sparring and groundwork can form effective key components of successful self-defense training.
Knowledge is only useful when it can be applied. The same is true of martial arts techniques. They must be pressure tested to discover their worth. On the other hand, some of you may think that these simulated scenarios have not gone far enough! You can always go harder, more realistic, and so on.
However, we must caution here. The training style should reflect the requirements of the students. Some students may be doing martial arts to get fit or to tap into the amazing mind-body connection you can cultivate through dedicated practice. They may regard any self-defense scenario to be far-fetched. In addition, if you rush a student while wearing a balaclava, wielding a real knife, screaming at the top of your lungs, you may end up causing post-traumatic stress when it’s unlikely that the student will encounter this scenario in their everyday life. Herein lies the challenge: finding the balance between realism and safety.
To conclude, and to paraphrase Mr. Lesniak, never run the same exercise twice. Once students become familiar with an exercise, they will no longer experience the same levels of stress, and you are no longer practicing for self-defense purposes. Remember: we are learning to perform despite feeling overwhelmed. The good news is that you don’t need much to teach self-defense. But your scenario must include one or more of the following: creating unknowns (e.g., concealing the who, what, where, and when of an attack), confusion (e.g., blindfolding the defender; multiple, staggered attacks coming from different directions, etc.), disadvantage (e.g., size and weight mismatches; giving the attacker a weapon, etc.), and stress (i.e., increasing the frequency, intensity, duration, variability of the attack—or all of the above!).
So look around you. Get inspired. Let’s start experimenting!
Have you used techniques like these, or do you have a favorite self-defense scenario that tests the stress response? Share your own experience with me in the comments below.
References:
– Korol, Jason (2018). JKD Foundations. Martial Way Press.
– Lesniak, Jeremy (2019). “The Problems with the Way Self-Defense Is Taught.” Episode 393 of the Whistlekick Podcast.
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