OH SH*T!

At this week's Personal Defence Readiness™ Class, we looked at some Advanced Level training with some of the more experienced students.

Whilst in reality we generally want to avoid/defuse any violent confrontation, this week in particular, we replicated a scenario that you really hope does not happen to you!

The Scenario: Bad Guy (BG) shoves/knocks down the Good Guy (GG) onto the ground and then pulls out a hand gun and attempts to shoot the GG in the head.

The BG's intent was specific... he wants to kill the GG... not demanding for any valuables... just pure, brutal, cold execution!

We refer to this type of intent and attack, as an 'Immediate Action' Drill, as there is no time or opportunity to negotiate, distract or build rapport with the BG, as opposed to a 'Hostage/Threat' type scenario, when the BG wants something in particular and they will use a threat or cooperation from the GG to get what they want (valuables, etc.).

This Scenario blended some components from the Advanced Ground-Fighting and Weapon Protection aspects of the S.P.E.A.R. System™.

After analysing and dissecting the Scenario and identifying the Murphy Moments, we isolated parts of the scenario, such as incorporating the Startle-Flinch conversion, using the 3 C's principal when dealing with the Gun (Clear; Control; Counter) and the 'Elastic Principal'.

Then linking the individual parts together and adding verbal aggression, building up the speed and using the High Gear™ until the whole scenario was as realistic, as safely possible.

Everyone did a great job, putting 110% into the training this week. Excellent!

This was certainly a very challenging scenario to replicate and I think everyone gained some valuable insights into how better to protect themselves.

Training in the P.D.R. & S.P.E.A.R. System™ is all about training 'Off-Balance'. In other words, lets explore being in adverse positions and learn to fight back from there! This helps us develop creative, suitable and effective tactics that are pressure-tested and emotionally will stress-innoculate us.

Rather than... "Oh Sh*t!" This isn't supposed to happen! Why did I end up on the ground? Where is my fighting stance now?

It should be... "Oh Sh*t!" This HAS happened! However I've trained this before and it's familiar to me and I'm already fighting back!

Better to have the experience and not need it; than to need the experience and not have it!

If you would like an introduction into the Personal Defence Readiness™ & S.P.E.A.R. System™, feel free to contact Zeb:

zeb@safespace.org.uk

CROSSFIT VELOCITY & SPEAR

Here are some photos of the Personal Defence Readiness™/ S.P.E.A.R. System™ Intro Course held at CrossFit Velocity, Swansea, in Wales last month.

We had a great time as the group was highly energetic (of course.... they're CrossFitters!!) and everyone really engaged fully into the material and physical drills & skills!

A huge thank you to Matt, who runs CrossFit Velocity, for organising the event and hosting the course at his box. What a great place!

We wish them every success for the 'Divided We Fall' Games this coming weekend:

http://dividedwefallgames.blogspot.com/

We look forward to visiting them again in the New Year, to share some more training... probably Tactical Ground-Fighting or Weapon Protection topics.

Watch this space...

SHIFTING TO HIGH GEAR™

Shout goes out to Miles and Kevin for a job well done in this week's Personal Defence Readiness™ Class. It was their first time training in the HIGH GEAR™ Impact Reduction Suits!

Training in these protective suits certainly enables you to take training to a whole new level!

This week we focused on dealing with the ambush moment via converting the Startle-Flinch reflex and then using striking tools against a dynamic moving target (Bad Guy in High Gear) in a non-sparring like manner but with a 'street' emphasis instead!

Replicating probable street scenarios with real speed; real impact gives a 3 dimensional experience, allowing the Good Guy to fully understand the emotional, psychological and physical factors of a realistic confrontation.

This helps with Fear Management, boosts confidence and competence, and over time builds practical stress inoculation for aggressive confrontations and physical assaults.

BASEBALL BAT SCENARIO

Great work lads on this week's chosen scenario... Baseball Bat Attack!

After a 'Combat Calesthenics' warm up with S.P.E.A.R. System™ Drills & Skills, we isolated the P.I.A. (Primary Initiation Attack), analysing it through the 'Emotional Climate Training' filter.

This mentally records all the 'Pre-Contact Cues' throughout the whole timeline of the Baseball Bat Attack.

Then it's a matter of experiencing how it effects our 'Startle-Flinch' Reflex.

In the photos you can see a 'Primal' version (pure recoil & cover the head) vs a more 'Tactical' version where the Good Guy has seen it coming sooner, allowing him to move towards the threat!

The E.C.T. Drill develops clear recognition of the pre-contact cues of specific attacks, allowing the Good Guy a better chance of protecting himself, by converting his flinch into a Tactic quickly!

...Choose a Scenario, add some Bad Guy Role Play, with Verbal Aggression, Encroachment, Posturing, and the Attack... and you have a 'nice' BMF (Ballistic MicroFight™) to train.

"Experience is normally something you get AFTER the event!... Get it before through Realistic Scenario-Based Training!" BTS Maxim

CROSSFIT 3D GETS THE POINT

A big thank you to Karl Steadman of CrossFit 3D in Manchester, for inviting us up to run a Personal Defence Readiness™/S.P.E.A.R. Intro Course for his CrossFit members. He has a fantastic CrossFit Box and all the attendees were very motivated and friendly people! It was very enjoyable sharing the SPEAR research and training with such engaging athletes.

It's always so fascinating to see the connection between PDR/SPEAR and CrossFit. The functionality in both is so very apparent and it's enjoyable watching CrossFitters perform so well in the training due to the functionality of their fitness and determined mind-set that supports them in the PDR/SPEAR drills.

Karl is a great CrossFit Coach (Level 2) and he applies the same enthusiasm to spreading these Self Protection skills to others, so thank you for that! He sees and truly 'gets' the wholistic value to training in both disciplines. In fact, he got the bug so bad, that he spontaneously signed up to the first UK PDR Instructor Course in June and is now a certified Coach! Congrats! He runs a weekly class now, so if you're local it's a great opportunity for you.

http://www.crossfit3d.com

Also I'd like to say thank you to my Assistant Instructors, Karl Stone and Max Lobatto for their help and to Miles Key of CrossFit Hove for the photos, video and support.

Thanks again to all that attended for your energy and hope to see you again in the future.

Stay Safe

Zeb