There are natural fighters and there are those that learn how to fight; a natural fighter doesn’t need to be trained to look for an improvised weapon he’s already picking a chair up, to smash across somebody’s back. 99.9% of those who come to the reality based self-defense systems and the martial arts, do so because they recognize they are not natural fighters (I exclude combat sports such as MMA and Boxing, where natural fighters are attracted by the chance to have their skills and abilities recognized as well as potentially make a decent living). Recognizing that you don’t naturally possess the mindset to survive and deal with a real world violent encounter, is the first step in developing it.

Often when people walk in to a school or studio for the first time, they look at the higher belts training and think to themselves that they want to be like them. They rarely consider that they want to be like the violent assailant who they are anticipating they may one day have to deal with. It is unlikely that you will have to deal with a trained and skilled martial artist in a real-life situation and much more likely that you will have to deal with some predator or thug, possessing the following characteristics:

  1. First Hand experience of violence
  2. Entitlement – believes it is his/her right to act
  3. No Conscience – Ready to act without hesitation
  4. Little/No Fear of the Legal Consequences of their actions
  5. Has a “Plan”

Consider this list, and match who you are and your experiences to it e.g. what are your firsthand experiences of violence? It’s likely that the character you will have to deal with comes from a totally different background and way of thinking to you. You may have a good job and a great family life and consider a lot of your actions in regard to the legal consequences of them – a mugger supporting a drug addiction is only thinking about their next fix.

We don’t simply want to emulate the Black Belt Martial Artist performing amazing techniques etc. but also start matching up our way(s) of thinking to the street thug and predator. We need to understand that we are entitled to act, that we – in that moment – should have no conscience regarding the person we are facing and that we should have behaved and acted in a way that when the time for physical violence comes we are not concerned with the legal consequences of our actions (because we have tried to dissuade, deter, disengage, de-escalate etc. beforehand).

Many people fail to recognize the purpose of adopting a de-escalation stance, believing it is simply a “martial arts” stance. Your interview stance should also be a physical reminder that you are entitled to act without conscience or legal consideration should somebody try and compromise it.

Predators and Thugs have simple, tried and tested plans that they have gained and developed from their firsthand experiences of violence. Most are based on intimidation and the threat of violence, rather than on any great athletic or martial ability. They expect victims and targets to respond in a certain way – by cowering and acting submissively, or by posturing – they rarely know how to deal with someone who doesn’t respond this way e.g. who smiles, and acts calm and confidently. Too many people get sucked into playing the criminals game rather than playing their own (we should match their mindset but adopt methods that counter theirs).

Their physical plans for violence are simple and normally involve a disruption of balance, followed by extreme pain e.g. a push or pull followed by a punch. It’s an effective system. They strike first, after disrupting a person’s ability to defend themselves. Our striking should be more powerful, more effective and our balance taking more advanced but basically we should adopt the same approach: take balance and hit hard. Having a simple, proven and effective plan for dealing with violence is far more effective than a sprawling, complicated plan involving many moving parts.

It is always worth taking note of how the “enemy” thinks and operates, and adopting the parts of their plan which prove effective.