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

SHOTGUN ROBBERY

Some photos from a recent Personal Defence Readiness™ Class that focused on a 'Robbery Scenario' in a car park, where the Bad Guy uses a Shotgun as a tool of intimidation to try get what he wants (valuables/body/life).

The specifics of this scenario was that the Bad Guy wanted your car keys to steal your car, as well as your wallet. Handing over your keys and wallet may normally be a wise choice, but the murphy moment was that your family were waiting for you in that car!! Hence the motivation and probable choice to fight back right there to avoid risk to your family. The scenario dictates your response right!

Great work guys, that was intense!

PHYSIOLOGY FIRST

In an ambush moment, when we are surprised, we flinch!

It's not that we want to flinch, it's that we will... if we are caught off-guard!

In this flinch moment, there is only pure physiology! There is no cognition at this point, just the body's genetically-wired reflex of wanting to push away the danger. This is the fastest reaction we have and the most reliable. Our body uses gross motor skill stabilisation to effectively protect the brain and then only when there is more time and relative calm, can we use the more complex motor skills.

The S.P.E.A.R. System utilises this principal of physiology happening first in all our training drills. That way we are mirroring physiology that is likely to happen in a real fight. Learnt techniques requires 'muscle-memory', but without cognition there is no memory! Therefore no complex motor skills are accessible until we are back in some degree of control.

The sudden adrenaline spike caused by a sudden, aggressive and close threat creates an amazing kinetic energy that we can use through training.

This is our bridge to our next move!

WALL CHOKE DEFENCE

Here's Simon training the PRIMAL aspect of the Startle-Flinch response from a sudden, aggressive, one-handed choke attack. Soon to be converted into the TACTICAL aspect allowing various follow- up options such as STUN & RUN!

The S.P.E.A.R. System address reality by training OFF-BALANCE; ON-PURPOSE to develop Relative Calm in a real street attack. You can see how Simon is knocked backwards from the force and is having to deal with the attack from a dis-advantaged position. No fancy 'wax-on; wax-off' moves here!

RANGE ROVER

Another good Personal Defence Readiness training session at last

night's class. Well done guys!

We warmed up with some reps of the 'Close Quarter Form' (used for developing close quarter tools) solo and with a Bad Guy. Then basic SPEAR Strengthening Drills to develop the conversion of the Startle-Flinch response when ambushed. We then focused on a brilliant drill called 'Range Rover' which helps create useful Mental Blueprints for selecting effective tactics in various ranges of combat. The twist in this drill is that the Bad Guy controls the range, not the Good Guy!! Finished off with a BMF (Ballistic MicroFight), replicating the Big Bang moment of an ambush, surprise attack. The Scenario chosen was to approach, make contact and deal with a seated person who needed to be removed from the chair. The Bad Guy ambushed at whatever point in time he chose. The Good Guy had to weather the ambush and counter to enable disengagement. Some wore High Gear and some without.

Everyone is progressing well. Keep up the good work!