In a recent Personal Defence Readiness™ Class we replicated, analysed, dissected, explored and trained how to protect against a rear choke/strangle with a garrotte.
This is an advanced evolution of training and not for beginners due to the high level emotional impact factors.
However for students that have a fair amount of exSPEARience, this becomes a very interesting scenario/attack to train and replicate.
The attack itself is obviously of high risk to the Good Guy (GG) due to:
- High likelihood of severe harm (unconsciousness/death)
- The speed of the effectiveness of the attack
- Because the attack is from behind.
As the attack is from behind, meaning relatively ‘low GG awareness’ the challenge is great, as the SURPRISE aspect is so high.
Many people will promote the idea that as a ‘WARRIOR’ we must be 100% aware, 100% of the time. Ideally… yes! Realistically… doesn’t happen ALL the time, depending on the scenario. Also not everyone has a job as a police officer, military, bodyguard, etc. so naturally an average person’s awareness is perhaps lower. Does this mean we can’t protect ourselves if we are surprised or ambushed? Of course not, we have a highly developed, genetically-wired protective mechanism via reflex actions that ensures we survive most of the time.
“It’s not that we WANT to Flinch, it’s that we WILL!”
So… we train the MURPHY MOMENT (the what can go wrong) so that we are more prepared and also more likely to survive, if something in our general Self Protection STRATEGY goes wrong.
When training this attack/scenario, it can become a highly emotional/psychological experience and one of the main objectives when training this, is the benefit of the ‘STRESS INOCULATION’ (acclimatisation) that happens on an emotional level.
On the PHYSICAL level, we are not concerned with a TECHNIQUE that is complicated, complex and ‘cute’, that although we could make happen in training, if the BG was non-resistant and not truly fighting the GG, with real speed and aggression.
We ARE concerned with SURVIVAL, by using simple procedures, based on ‘what your body wants to do naturally’ (Genetically Wired; Behaviourally Inspired™). In this situation, keeping it simple and gross-motor skill based, so that it is more likely to be successful under stress in a real attack.
The STARTLE-FLINCH factor is so important here and we aim to develop the ability to use that reflex response to your advantage, so that you fight back very quickly. The reaction time here is very critical, as you have a very short time to prevent yourself from going unconscious (3 secs or less).
A good friend of mine is a Police SCENES OF CRIME OFFICER, who has seen forensic evidence of how people actually try to protect themselves from this type of attack, due to the ‘defensive wounds’ and other forensic signs.
To summarise this information would be typically those that died… PANIC! There is a loss of focus on knowing what to do first (to prioritise) and lack of knowledge and experience on how to achieve that goal quickly.
There is no MAGIC martial art TRICK here, just trying to use your physiology to your advantage. If through training you create a MENTAL BLUEPRINT (plan) for dealing with this attack, then at least you have a RESOURCE to rely on, rather than a PSYCHOLOGICAL VOID’ where you have to figure out a best response whilst under extreme duress (NO RESPONSE).
Conditioning this PHYSICAL response of converting your Startle-Flinch into something Combative is Part One. This is a physical plan and resource.
Part Two is learning to use this response under a gradually increasing more realistic replication of the attack, with increased tension, speed, strength and aggression. This helps create that EMOTIONAL RESOURCE to counter the effects of the SURPRISE AND SHOCK from such a savage and dangerous attack. This is probably the most important stage of the training.
The guys in class will probably be in agreement with me here, that it is often ‘uncomfortable’ training this particular attack, when pressure-testing it. However, it is a case of ‘becoming RELATIVELY more comfortable, with being uncomfortable’ and staying on track to ensure you protect yourself, as best you can.
Personally to me, it is a similar experience to CrossFit workouts, where if you are training with intensity, they always suck! However, you do get used to being in that zone/state and dealing with it, whilst being grateful of the BENEFITS of becoming fitter.
What are the BENEFITS to PDR™ / S.P.E.A.R. System™ training?… You are much harder to kill! AND you get home to enjoy your family and friends!
Also, like CrossFit it may be challenging but it is FUN too!
Train hard, stay safe!
Zeb Glover
