I’ve had the misfortune to have to deal with people on PCP (phencyclidine), sometimes referred to as “Angel Dust” a number of times, and on each occasion it wasn’t pretty. Fortunately, I was always part of a team and had assistance; I’m not sure what the outcome would have been otherwise. On one occasion I saw someone who weighed about the same as a photocopy of themselves get the better of two semi-professional boxers who both went on to win commonwealth titles. There may be some reading this article thinking, “If only they knew Krav Maga” etc., however these were individuals who trained every day for many hours, which included live sparring, and so were fit, enjoyed a “fight” and knew how to hit and not get hit etc. That was their bread and butter.

PCP is a hallucinogenic, dissociative drug, that creates a sense of euphoria; a sense of being “alive”. Those taking it believe that they are unstoppable and their body allows them to believe this reality e.g., there is no inhibition regarding strength – their body will allow them to generate power that could potentially snap and tear tendons and ligaments etc. In terms of feeling pain those receptors are turned off. The only way I’ve seen to effectively stop someone who has become violent on PCP is to choke them out i.e., push a physiological button that results in unconsciousness, that doesn’t rely on pain, concussive force etc. It’s one of the reasons why I believe learning how to apply effective chokes is an essential part of self-defense training (FYI: I use chokes to refer to techniques/solutions that restrict blood supply to the carotid processes and strangulations to those that prevent air from reaching the lungs).

However, this article isn’t really about PCP, it’s about its effect(s) and what we can learn from that and apply to our own training when it comes to dealing with violence, and the main effect I want to focus on is that of being “alive” and “in the moment”. When MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) first arrived on the UK scene I competed in a few bouts/competitions, and I’ll be honest I didn’t particularly enjoy the experience; everything felt “awkward”, something that got ironed out as the sport evolved, but in the early days with few rules etc., things were very messy and skills and abilities were often negated by sheer brute force and aggression; something that the rules at the time seemed to promote. However, there were people/fighters in that environment who thrived. The environment allowed them to be “alive” i.e., they enjoyed the opportunity to experience “uncontrolled” violence in a “controlled” setting. When they entered the ring (the UK, at this time, was aware of “cages” but had yet to import/purchase any), it was if they had just taken Angel Dust. They were pain resistant and they didn’t care what you did to them; I remember putting an armbar on one guy, and – without realizing it -following through with it because he didn’t tap, and he kept on fighting (it popped back into position after I released the tension). In that moment all the person was thinking about – whatever the cost, including the pain, the potential injury etc., – was winning that fight.

Often when we think about training we compartmentalize, we break things down into component parts; to emphasize the elements we want to train  e.g., speed, timing, accuracy etc., however, it is only when these things come together that we are truly "alive" and acting in the moment. There is nothing wrong in training skills to develop certain attributes etc., and I would argue that often this part of training is neglected at the expense of learning “new” techniques etc. When I first started working door/bar/club security I had one striking combination that I used almost 95% of the time: I’d get a hand in an aggressor’s face, followed up by multiple hammer-fists to their face, before controlling them in some way. It was a simple combination that I used to get myself in the moment and made me feel “alive” i.e., it brought everything together, such as timing, power, accuracy and movement etc. All elements I trained separately but ones I brought together in the moment. It was also a combination that made me feel/believe I was unstoppable (like I was on PCP). Self-defense doesn’t have to be a complicated affair, made up of a variety of complex techniques etc., but it does have to be about being “alive”; bringing everything together in that moment to deal with violence that challenges who you are.

This doesn’t mean that you have to learn how to enjoy violence but rather that when an incident occurs you need to respond violently, with all of who you are, with all of your entire being, and without any questions in that moment. This isn’t optional, it’s a requirement and something that should be reflected in your training e.g., when you hit/strike a pad it shouldn’t just be mechanical it should be emotional; a strike/punch with emotion has more power than one that is simply clinically/technically good/perfect. This doesn’t mean that aggression is a substitute for clean technique – both need to be trained – but rather that the performance of good techniques is enhanced by aggression etc. If someone is telling you that aggression alone is the key, be wary. I’ve been punched by very aggressive individuals who lacked power and it was a green-light for me not to be scared by them; any hesitancy I might have had was immediately lost. However, it is important that at times in your training you don’t simply focus on one thing but that you bring everything together because it's not enough to be fast etc.,  you need to be alive in the moment.