Best method of training for self defence

Discussion in 'Self Defence' started by Tom bayley, May 11, 2017.

  1. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Lots of talk about the best arts for self defence but it has been argued that the way you train is as important as the art you train in.

    So what are the best methods of training in self defence ?

    I begin with one drill I use. Slow-motion attacks.

    Description : the attacker uses any unscripted attack in slow motion. The attack must use good mechanics, be on line, and on length. If the defender does nothing the attacker makes contact and strikes through the target. The defender should evade/control the attack then respond with a counter attack in slow motion.

    Learning aim: to get both the attacker and defender to use correct body mechanics and correct line and length for strikes.

    How outcome of learning is assessed : Leaning has occurred if students demonstrate mechanics in the class, and state that they are confident that they can reproduce the exercise at home.


    If you have any drills you would like to share could you also include what the learning aim is and how the learning outcomes are assessed. Thanks :)
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2017
  2. EdiSco

    EdiSco Likes his anonymity

    Whatever helps you learn how to hit incredibly HARD!
     
  3. PointyShinyBurn

    PointyShinyBurn Valued Member

    Learning to fight is counterproductive for "self defence", because any effective training is more dangerous than walking about without fighting skills.

    The best "drill" for self defence is "go run or lift weights instead, you're a lot more likely to die of heart disease than murder."
     
  4. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    I found your post deeply "unhelpful" in the context of this thread but it does raise an important question (albeit it irrelevant to this thread) so I have started another thread to discuss it. :D
     
  5. PointyShinyBurn

    PointyShinyBurn Valued Member

    Oh, if you prefer:

    "Slow motion" is a terrible way to drill for a number of reasons.

    There's no "correct mechanics" at a speed that makes the attack ineffective. The correct mechanics are the ones that are fast enough to make the attack work.

    Secondly no two people are going to "slow motion" at exactly the same imaginary time multiplier, you're going to have to really on extrinsic feedback to know whether you got a good rep or not, rather than intrinsic feedback if you just did the move correctly at the right speed.

    If you make a habit of this practise you'll also end up doing all sorts of silliness that only works if you can shift into bullet time.

    The correct answer for "make stuff easier to defend" is limiting the kind of attacks your opponent can throw, jab-only, jab-and-lowkick-only, jab-cross-lowkick-or-shot-only and so on.

    The only use for doing stuff slowly is demoing more clearly and sometimes the very first few reps so you can understand the basics of the movement, even then it's usually better to break it into smaller pieces instead.
     
  6. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    Not True.

    You'll be using stabiliser muscles a lot more in slow motion, but it does not stop you engaging muscular chains in the right order, keeping good posture as you would at speed, or any of the other considerations of form.

    Mirroring is a useful skill, two people certainly can match speed when the receiver is sensitive to their partner, and this is a skill that has practical transference when applied at full speed.

    Timing is a skill relative to your opponent. Being too fast can be as bad as being too slow.

    That's true. There must be a progression of speed and power to allow full pelt to inform slow practice.

    Can't agree with that.

    Always training fast isn't as bad as always training slow, but it does put limitations on technical progress.

    Mindful, sow motion practice is the only way to iron out extraneous minutiae in your technique. You need the time to gather sensory information from every part of your body and make considered corrections as you go through a technique to truly refine it. Then add speed progressively.

    Habits form without you noticing them at faster speeds, and I don't think anyone is above revisiting their basics in slow practice to make sure any extraneous habitual minutiae haven't crept back in.
     

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