Kanzen Karate Self Defence

What is Self Defence – the Legal Case

Under Australian and New South Wales Criminal law, self-defence is possible as a complete defence from criminal liability, and a person may be exonerated from criminal responsibility for causing injury or even death in defence of his person; or defence of property, or in defence of another person, if the action taken was necessary:

a) to defend himself or herself or another person; or

b) to prevent or terminate an abduction (unlawful imprisonment); or

c) to protect property from theft or destruction; or

d) to prevent criminal trespass, or to remove a person who is trespassing.

Reasonable Actions of Self-Defence

The Courts require the actions of self-defence to be ‘reasonable’; that you, as a person causing injury, had reasonable grounds to believe that it was necessary to do what you did in self-defence.

· You must have had reasonable belief that the act was necessary at the time it was committed.

· The belief must have been based on reasonable grounds, taking into account:

o the circumstances surrounding the offence and your own appreciation of the facts;

o the relationship between yourself and the attacker;

o prior acts or behaviour of the attacker;

o the personal characteristics of the attacker; their beliefs and present state of the mind

o proportionality of the actions or any weapons used by you; and

o whether you had a chance to AVOID the action but failed or refused to do so.

Essential Components of Self-Defence in Law

1. The law recognises the right of a person to act in self-defence from an attack or threatened attack.

2. It is for the Crown to prove beyond reasonable doubt that an accused’s act was not done in self-defence. The Crown may do this by showing either:

a. the accused did not believe at the time of the act that it was necessary to do what he or she did in order to defend himself or herself; or

b. the accused’s act was not a reasonable response in the circumstances as he or she perceived them.

Awareness and Avoidance

Modified from https://innerselfdefence.co.uk/awareness-and-avoidance/

Modified from ‘How to be your own Bodyguard’ Nick Hughes

Mind-set

What your current mind-set is towards self-defence? If you do not have the correct mind-set, then you will probably be taking all this information in, but you will not implement any of it. Make up your mind that you will not be a victim or just another statistic to mindless violence. Although this sounds like an easy decision to make, it can be quite a difficult one for some people. Some people will already have it in them to get angry and defend their ground or personal space, but the aggression needs to be controlled. The central message is to avoid conflict. However, I am encouraging you to appreciate your self-worth, and allow yourself to get angry with those who wish cause harm you. If every effort has been made to talk a situation down, or walk away, and they are still heightened tensions you must have a zero-tolerance policy already in place and be prepared for active self-defence. Be prepared to hit first, hit as hard as you can and make your escape. You are unique one-of-a-kind; no-one has the right to think so little of you as to become a victim of their violence. Note, however, that controlled aggression is not the same as being an aggressive person. Controlled aggression requires zero tolerance when all other options are exhausted, and then if aggression escalates to fight back like your life depends on it, as it could well do. Remember that you get what you train for, so work on the physical drills and hit that bag or pads like your life depends on it. That way you know it will be there if you ever need it. It’s critical to work on your mind-set, awareness, and avoidance tactics to make yourself a much harder target for potential attackers.

Awareness and Avoidance

If you are serious about self-protection, then awareness and avoidance are what you should be working on. They go hand in hand, without awareness you might miss opportunities to avoid situations before they occur. Awareness is not easy for most of us, but it really means being present in the moment. Many who study Eastern Philosophy treat Awareness, or being Present, as an esoteric condition somehow connected to Spirituality. In the application of Self-Protection, and ultimately Self-Defence, being ‘Present’ (zanshin) is more about being in tune with your current feelings, and the physical situations you find yourself in at a given moment. Being present is something that you need to continually work on, not just for self-protection but life in general. Practice present moment awareness regularly in your daily life. Awareness is ultimately far more important than all the physical techniques. You can arm yourself with all the best self-defence weapons and classes in the world, but one more important part of the equation is being aware; being aware of when and where muggings are more likely to occur.

Without becoming paranoid, we must accept that that there are some rotten eggs out there, and that one day you could be the target of an attack. We learn the art and science of self-defence for the same reason we put on a seat belt in the car. Not because you think you will have an accident, but because you know that there is the possibility that it could happen. So, accept and realize that when you go about your daily life, you need to have a threat awareness sense in place that’s appropriate for the situations or surroundings you are in, that you are present in the moment. Former US Marine Lt Col codified the states of awareness known as Defense Readiness Condition (DEFCON)

White Defcon 5

This level is being oblivious to danger, comfortable in your space, in a daydream, in a place where you feel completely familiar and safe. People spend most of their time doing their daily routine at this level, where they are unaware of their surroundings or other people, often because they are so familiar with them. There is nothing wrong with being in this state if you are safe and secure at home for example, but not if you are crossing a busy road or walking through the streets. In this state a predator could get close enough to launch an attack without you perceiving it.

Yellow Defcon 4

The second level is more of relaxed alertness, where we are consciously aware of our surroundings; a raised alertness by being switched on and observing the environment and people around you. This level is where you might be when you are walking on the High Street, something you do often, but you are observing others around you. You have no fears but equally you are not going to walk out in front of a bus! It’s the alertness associated with a knock at the front door when watching TV, or the reason you put on a seat belt in the car. You are staying in a state of heightened observance without worry or fear creeping in.

Orange Defcon 3

Orange is a heightened state of awareness; the potential threat has now raised to a state of evaluation to how to approach or avoid. The noise you heard outside wasn’t the cat, but maybe something else; you are out shopping, and the gang of teenagers are being disruptive and appear to be following your same shopping route. Putting yourself in a heightened level will help you access the situation; are they are following you or perhaps just coincidently taking the same route. You may be assessing avoidance options; for example, stop in a shop and let them go past; and will be more watchful and aware.

Red Defcon 2

Defcon 2 is fight or flight; the threat is considered immediate, so get prepared to run or fight. Active ‘avoidance’; e.g. running, is the recommended option but if not possible, then it’s time to be physical depending on the level of danger. In the above example one of the teenagers walks aggressively towards you. The level Red response is to put up a Fence and control the range. You would stay at this state of alertness until the threat is neutralized or you’ve had an escape. Remain in Orange or Yellow state until completely safe.

Black Defcon 1

This highest level is mortal combat. It is a level that you need to avoid at all costs as it will end badly for some-one. It arises when firearms or other lethal force is deployed. At this level you need to be able to use lethal force and unless trained to do so, as say a Private Security Professional, this level is not for you.

Practicing awareness

As with all things, awareness comes with practice. For example, an excellent way to train your awareness is to run a commentary while you are out and about or driving where you would talk through and describe what you see, inside and outside of the car. Note that it is quite taxing on the brain to do this, as we have evolved to ignore excessive information in order to allow the brain to deal with only what’s relevant. Try describing your environment out loud and consciously. Try not to be always looking for bad things, notice all things but always be aware of the potential danger. When you walk into a familiar bar or meeting place, note who else is there, are they familiar, what groups have formed, is the exits and access routes clear. This can be practiced, to become a learned behaviour, and you may come to enjoy the training. You are just teaching your brain to process information and raise your awareness to be present in the moment.

External awareness

What we are aiming for is to be more consciously aware of our surroundings and take in any useful and relevant information to aid our threat awareness. You are in town and you notice a gang of youths outside the sandwich shop as a potential threat. You evaluate and decide to find somewhere else to eat. Alternative, without being Present you fall back into daydreaming and don’t notice all the wrong things before you finish your external threat awareness. You are thinking about what’s for lunch and forget the gang of youths who are now on you as you walk into a narrow alley leaving no time for evaluation to avoid.

If I told you now that all muggers were 6ft tall ‘Hells Angels’ all you need to do to be safe is look for 6ft tall ‘Hells Angels’. You might be tempted to think, I need to look out for those people and neglect everything else and spend most of your time at White Awareness. Similarly, if you were told all males are a threat, then you would need to be in constant awareness since half the people you see would be a potential threat and you would constantly be at Orange level. These scenarios are equally ridiculous. By practicing awareness and being present, you will quickly learn to identify when things are unusual and therefore threatening. Only through conscious practice will learn to take in relevant information subconsciously. Think about how you teach your children to cross the road, and that Stop Look and Listen soon becomes subconscious in your children, as crossing the street is something we need to do regularly. You must remember not to be looking for everything terrible, look for good things as that is equally important. Teach your brain to process information regularly as part of your external awareness training. You need to be able to move between awareness levels if you are to detect and respond to trouble or potential threat. You need to keep your awareness wide, don’t have a narrow vision of perhaps keeping your eye on one person, or group that may be troublemakers. Keep a 360-degree wide awareness if possible, to avoid be caught un-aware.

Be aware of the people around you, the environment you are in, and the context of those people in the environment. Context is an important factor and often overlooked. For example, if you went for a jog in the local park in the daytime, there would probably be a few families there, kids playing and quite a safe place to run. However, take that same park; it’s now night-time not many people about, lots of dark secluded areas. The context of the park (environment) has now changed so now you must raise your level of awareness if you were to jog through the park at night.

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness is about knowing how you are feeling at any given time, even if you have mastered your external awareness. If you have not worked on self-control, you could easily be dragged into situations that you could have avoided. We are all different on a physical level, but also on an emotional level. Some of us are laid back most of the time while others are stressed; some people have more self-control while others are quick to anger. Ask yourself regularly, ‘What’s going on inside me right now?’ Whether overly stressed or too laid-back, you can easily find yourself in a challenging situation. Life can be challenging at times, all of us have things going on in our personal lives, that could quickly displace on to others if we don’t check in with ourselves regularly.

Exercise at a level that suits you, is always recommended as a way of keeping your emotions in balance as is taking time-out to meditate. This course is not intended to focus on those aspects specifically, but you will notice Exercise, Stretching, Breathing and Relaxation as elements incorporated into the course. After the completion of the Self Defence course I recommend you continue to work on exercise and meditation to develop Self-Awareness, or perhaps join a regular Karate Class.

Being Aware in different Environments:

o Be conscious of locking your house, particularly accessible windows that are not able to be viewed from the street; but please note: DO NOT deadlock yourself inside the house.

o Change the locks on a new residence or if your own keys are lost.

o Consider an alarm for your home as it can be a great deterrent if visible to a potential intruder or consider a ‘beware of the dog’ sign.

o Protect your valuable belongings somewhere safe and hard to find in your home.

o Never open your door without determining who is there (consider a spy hole). Never let anyone in your home that you do not know without an arranged appointment and confirm their identity.

o Be a good citizen. Without being nosey, be conscious of the regular comings and goings of your neighbours. In doing so, you will become aware of unusual movements.

o Join a reputable motoring organisation (eg NRMA) in case of breakdown. If you are stuck in the middle of nowhere call them straight away. Notify friends and family your location and avoid flagging down a stranger.

o If you are making a long journey alone make sure you have plenty of fuel, water and oil and tell friends and family where you are heading and how long you will be gone.

o When entering and exiting your car stay on Orange alert, take a 360-degree look before entering the car, have your keys to hand and immediately lock your doors once you are in your car.

o If someone approaches you wind your window down just enough to hear what they have to say, stay vigilant.

o Always park your car in sensible places if possible; that is not the darkest corner of the car park, stay in well-lit areas if you know you are returning to your car at night, remember to ensure all valuables are out-of-site.

o Keep a torch in your glove box (preferably a big heavy one that could be used as a weapon) also make sure you always have a phone and charger.

o Avoid picking up hitch-hikers. This applies to men and women.

o If you walk into an establishment and get that gut feeling that you sense trouble, listen to your instincts and leave, find another place where you feel more relaxed and comfortable.

o In any establishment, quickly scan the environment:

o Locate the exits

o Be aware of other customers particularly trouble spots

o Identify dark corners, entrances to toilets etc.

o If you see an aggressive situation it’s best not to get involved. It is surprising how quickly it can turn to chaos. Exercise restraint in your own activities and if possible, have a safe friend, for example the non-drinker who could identify potential trouble point to the group.

o Stay in the company of others. Most attackers prey on lone victims so if you are in a group you may be less likely to be attacked.

o If you are alone, try to stay in busy areas if possible, avoid walking down dark allies, or empty streets always trust your gut instinct, remain alert.

o I would always encourage you to call the appropriate people if there is trouble, most shopping malls have security guards, pubs and clubs have door staff and if not, then there are always the police. Think and access the situation before you get involved or at the very least be very prepared that it could turn on to you.

o It is admirable to aid any victims, but I recommend against intervening in the scuffle. Be prepared that the aggression may suddenly be directed at you, often by both parties, including the person you are trying to help!

o When on foot, avoid interacting with your phone as this significantly limits your awareness and exposes you to the unforeseen.

o Keep valuables safe and out-of-sight, particularly when on foot.

o If you feel you are being followed, stay in a busier area and avoid shortcuts. This will not always stop an attack, it’s less likely if you are in a busy place.

o If you exercise on the street or in parks, for example running or walking the dog, vary your regime and routes, so you are not always in the same place same time of day.

o If belongings are snatched do not chase after the assailant unless you know how to handle yourself. Your life is more important than any valuables. Self-defence is about defending your (or your loved ones) life, not your ego or personal belongings. Ask yourself, if you strike some-one to retrieve a stolen phone, will this be considered a ‘reasonable’ response.

S.I.V.A (Selection, Isolation, Verbal & Attack)

Imagine for a moment, the example of a natural predator (lion) seeking prey (deer). Typically, they will go to where the target collects like a watering hole. They will observe and select their target, which will be old and slow of movement, young and inexperienced, or perhaps partially trapped in the mud. Next, they will spook the mob, with the intention of isolating the target. At this point they may assert their dominance with a roar to frighten the target – the target may freeze, or behave irrationally, like running away from the protective mob towards a pride of waiting lions. Only then will they attack and take-down their prey. Human predators typically operate in the same way.

· Selection

After the assailant has the intent to commit, they will Select the victim on the grounds of whatever criteria suit the intent, whether that be a potential rape victim, a well-healed businessperson to mug, or an elderly person to con. They will start the selection where the target is likely to be – malls, tourist destinations, business districts (CBD) etc.

· Isolation

Whichever criminal type the next move is isolation from the safety of the herd. Typically, the target will isolate themselves; eg in a carpark, in a back-alley, or even separated from their cohort within a crowd.

· Verbal

Once isolated, the next step is called the ‘interview’. They may come on strong, screaming while brandishing a weapon. More often this is more sophisticated and intended to ascertain the resistance level of the target. It also may be a ruse intended to ascertain where on your person any valuables may be stored.

· Attack

If the assailant has intent, the attack will occur if you pass the interview, keeping in mind the verbal and attack might also come together if, for example, the assailant is using the interview to distract prior to attack.

The Pre-Emptive Strike

Modified from https://innerselfdefence.co.uk/the-pre-emptive-strike/

The pre-emptive strike is the last resort, should you not be able to escape or talk down a situation. The strike is secondary to your ‘Fence’ training and should be practiced from your ‘Fence’. In the course we recommend what we call a ‘Defensive Trigger’. This should be a loud and commanding shout of “Back Off”! or similar. This serves several purposes.

· Announce to all present that you are about to initiate self-defence

· Arrest control from the attacker and disorient them, if only for a moment

· Orient ourselves into fighting mode

Having made the shout, be prepared to be ferocious with one shot and from close range. A ferocious pre-emptive strike is your best bet to safety and should see you out of most threatening situations. If a situation gets out of hand and you feel there is no other choice, then you need to learn to strike without warning. Remember it’s going to be either you or them, so you must practice with training, not when it happens for real. If you hesitate you risk being the victim. In this course you will practice a small number of alternative strikes, but there is a lot more to it. The ability to subdue an opponent with force takes months and years of training. Japanese Samurai legend Miyamoto Musashi did not even believe you can entertain a technique until you have done one hundred thousand repetitions, once you go to this level of repetitions these moves will become part of you, and only then will you know it will work for you if you ever find yourself in a real situation. We will demonstrate techniques which you can choose to practice. If it gets you to safety, it doesn’t matter what technique you prefer to practice. Like the saying goes, it does not matter what colour the cat is, if it catches mice. Nobody is grading you or judging you on your strikes, make it your own, but it must be first, ferocious and fast.

One fear is that you strike and cause significant or even fatal injury. Week 4 of the programme is about striking. You will know from this that striking effectively is difficult and is only effective if delivered with the right timing and accuracy, and with intent. Significant permanent injury is extremely unlikely; striking only creates for you are opportunity to escape. If you are at the point where any striking is imminent, you are in trouble either way, you either hit first with all the risks associated, or you don’t and risk the possibility that you will be injured or knocked out. You need to decide NOT to be a victim, and you must decide that here in the training, not when it happens for real.

Here are some pointers why you should strike first.

· The human body is very durable, and it is not easy to stop especially when it’s charged with adrenaline.

· Hence, breaking of bones and worse are rare.

· Your attacker is highly likely to be far more violent than you.

· There is no fair fighting in these scenarios anything can happen if you hesitate.

· The law is on your side if the situation justifies it.

· I would rather be judged for my actions than risk lying in a hospital bed.

Knife Attacks

Modified from https://innerselfdefence.co.uk/knife-attacks/

In my honest opinion, unless you are wanting to be an ultimate warrior in all ranges of combat, then I feel that learning to defend against a knife attack would be wasting one’s time. Unfortunately knife attacks are nothing like the simulations you see in classes. There is a saying that a stabber rarely shows, and shower rarely stabs. This is not to say that you are safe if the attacker is waving a knife in your face. What it is to say is that if the attacker is intent on stabbing you, then unless you are particularly aware the first time realise there is a blade is too late. There is also a possibility the knife could be plunged into you, repeatedly again and again in a frenzied attack. This is not to put you off learning some knife defence, if you wish to spend your time on that area then I respect your decision to do so. Knife attacks are becoming increasingly common in some places, so it is quite a scary thing indeed for teenage boys especially. I suggest you work on awareness and avoidance over learning physical defence against knife attacks. If you are faced with an attacker with a knife or concealed hands identify or create an exit and run like hell. If this is not possible in the first instance, as with defence against an unarmed attacker you need to establish a ‘wall’ between yourself and the attacker. Lesson 2 talks about movement and you would do well to be reminded of the importance of your upper-body and shoulders in effective circular movement. If you happen to have something which can be used as a weapon, for example an umbrella, then direct a counter-attack at the hands, wrists and arms that are holding the knife, or alternatively as a projectile at the face. Without significant training you are extremely unlike to be able to disarm the attacker, and I strongly advise that you don’t attempt this. In Lesson 7 we will work on some of these defences and you will see just how difficult it really is.

Understanding the enemy

Modified from https://innerselfdefence.co.uk/understanding-the-enemy/

The world is a beautiful place, but unfortunately, there are always a few bad apples in every orchard. Mostly street violence is displaced aggression, aggression aimed at some-one else. However, attackers come with different motifs; for example, peer/group pressure, robbery, deviant sexual motivations, psychotic violence. This page will help you learn some typical types of attackers and their common rituals. If you know why where and how an attack is likely to happen, it might help you to avoid such situations or at least understand what to expect if you are confronted. If you are coded up and can handle the pre-fight effectively, including being prepared to be extremely ferocious then you are halfway there.

Below 4D’s are used by most attackers and are therefore the most important thing to remember and watch out for.

Dialogue

The objective is to briefly distract you, so you do not notice the accomplice coming up behind you or perhaps the weapon.

Deception

An attacker will use deception to appear perhaps harmless to a potential victim, although we should trust other human beings, be very cautious of this ploy.

Distraction

Distraction is used with deception, to give the attacker a window of opportunity to initiate an attack through some dialogue. The distraction momentarily switches off any instinctive physical response you might have.

Destruction

This is the actual attacker. The onslaught could be one vicious blow, a frenzied attack, or even worse.

For the reasons above, most victims are out of the game before they know they are in it. By understanding how attackers use these strategies it may help you spot them and stop an attacker before you are the victim, we can use it to neutralize a potentially violent situation before it happens, use our own tactics of Dialogue, Deception and Distraction to defuse the situation, or ultimately Destruction to execute our pre-emptive shot.

Although the 4D’s will help you understand typical patterns you might want to look a bit deeper into different types of attack as they will usually have slightly different objectives.

Pincer Assault

If there is more than one assailant a common tactic is to distract you while an accomplice moves to your offside. Watch out for it, stay switched on and try to keep a 360-degree awareness if you can.

Gratuitous assault

These types of people can be set off for no apparent reason; something as little as eye contact. These types stand out more by their actions and attitude towards other people, often they are loud, rude and arrogant and just looking for trouble. However, some can be quiet types who just have that ill intent in their eyes. This is something like you might expect:

1) The question, what are you looking at?

2) A physical approach

3) A reiteration of the question, what you looking at?

4) The challenge, you want some?

If you are able to, try and reason with him, do so, but watch out for single syllable challenges, like ‘yeah, so’, which are often precursors to an attack. There will probably also be arm splaying, finger beckoning, head nodding, neck pecking, stancing up, and then distance close-down. Do not hold the eye contact. Confidently try to disarm, with the first three D’s. Finally, when all else has failed use your ‘Defensive Trigger’ and fight back with every fibre of your being. Throw as many ferocious strikes to vulnerable targets as you can until you can see a route to escape.

The Mugger/Robber

The ideal victim for a mugging is unaware mentally and environmentally; awareness is your best way to avoid being mugged. Here are some interesting things to know about typical muggers.

· Muggers tend to abort if you are switched on and find another victim.

· Most muggers do not want to use violence as it adds to the sentence if they are caught. They may feign violence get what they want.

· If the mugger shows little sign of fear, then they have probably done this before! On the other hand, if they keep looking around, or nervous voice then they are concerned about being caught. Act accordingly.

· Beware if you can’t see both hands at all times; be alert to a potential weapon.

· Watch out for a pincer movement with an accomplice.

Rape

Rape, as an act, is complicated and requires detailed discussion that we cannot do justice here. However, although there is a sexual element, rape is an act of violence; ‘date rape’ aside perhaps, where the rapist will often not feel that they have actually raped their victim and that the resistance was part of the foreplay and can often ask for a date afterward. In any event, a potential victim is to use the usual awareness and defence strategies. Early detection and prevention are far better than a physical response as unless you are highly trained or very instinctive to fight back, then your chances of success are not good. Hopefully, you have worked on the mind-set to not be a victim. Rapist will attempt to use false promises to do what they want you to do, and you won’t get hurt. It might help you also to know that statistically, most rape victims who fought back did not sustain any more significant injuries than those who succumbed. It also stated that victims usually recover from the mental torture better if they fight back, even if not successful in preventing the full attack. Don’t be scared to share it with a friend or family member who may help you through it and encourage you to report it usually recover from the mental torture better if they fight back, even if not successful in preventing the full attack.

In 1984 a team conducted the Greyson Stein Study which analysed the response of violent offenders to video footage of a New York sidewalk. There observations include:

· People selected as victims had exaggerated stride, non-victims had a smooth natural gait.

· Victims tend to walk slower than the pedestrian traffic flow

· Victims lack fluidity in their movements and sway from side-to-side

· Non-victims move their arms and legs in a co-ordinated manner from their centre (tanden in Martial Arts)

· A slumped posture and downward eye gaze are indicative of weakness, submissiveness or lack of awareness.

The researchers were convinced that when people understand how to move confidently, they can be taught to walk that way and substantially reduce their risk of assault. We talked about target selection earlier. As a self-protection strategy, avoid being selected!

Natural Weapons and Targets

Modified from ‘How to be your own Bodyguard’ Nick Hughes

Natural Weapons

· Heal Palm (Shotei uchi) Close Range strike to face

· Cradle Hand (Toho uchi) à Throat Hold

· Fist (Seiken tsuki) Avoid targeting boney structures, chose stomach, solar plexis, or ribs

· Hammer Fist (Tettsui uchi) descending on head, or backfist to jaw or spleen/kidneys

· Knife Hand (Shuto uchi) to neck

· Elbow (Hiji uchi) to chin, or temple

· Fingers and Thumbs (Nukite) to face and eyes

· Slap (Haisho) to face or (Hiraken) to ears and temple

· Knees (Hiza geri) to groin, body or face

· Stomp (Kakato geri) to fallen victim

· Front Kick (Kin geri) to groin or thighs

· Side Kick (Kensetu geri) to thighs or stomach.

Targets

· Head/Face

· Eyes

· Throat

· Ribs

· Groin

· Ears

· Collar Bone

· Solar Plexis

· Kidneys

· Thigh

· Knees