Black Belt Blog

Parents of College Bound Kids: How Prepared are They?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:31:18 GMT

10tv News reported a rape at Ohio State University (see full story by clicking on the link below) on March 2nd 2010 where a woman had been leaving the McPherson Chemical Laboratory building and was attacked from behind. This makes seven reported rapes on campus since January 2009.

Self Defense training does not normally pop up on the College list of things to do and can easily get overlooked. Even if time is limited, some training is better than none. Even to know some preventative steps can make all the difference.

At Dynamic Self Defense we utilize the limited time students have to help train them basic, practical defense tactics without all the dazzle and complex maneuvers.

Whether its a one day session, to several standard classes, Dynamic Self Defense can meet any need. Contact us today for more information.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/03/02/story-ohio-state-campus-crime.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=102

Cardio - Self Defense - Relaxing Atmosphere - We Have it All!

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:44:57 GMT

The Dynamic Self Defense curriculum requires the student to rotate the entire body, including hips and legs, on every technique which creates a great cardio workout!

Classes include Air Shield drills similar to punching on a heavy bag but requiring the student to move around the room focusing on more than one target since we normally have the student attack two shields not just one. The curriculum also has ground defense, focus mitt targeting, and many more self defense drills that will leave any student at the end of class sweating and feeling like they went through a great cardio session while all along training on practical defensive tactics.

Stop by or call today to schedule a time to view one of our classes to see for yourself how effective Dynamic Self Defense can be for you!

A Self-Defense Course For Women With Little Time To Spare

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:41:25 GMT

If you're a woman that wants to be 100% safe, but don't have a lot of time to devote to self-defense training each week, read on...

In today's busy world not everyone has two or more nights a week to devote to self-defense training. That's why Dynamic Self Defense designs its curriculum to allow anyone the opportunity to gain real, practical knowledge for defending themselves.

Our Woman's Self Defense programs whether it be a one day session or four week course provides general knowledge and understanding of what to do in a conflicted situation. You may not walk out of there a Master of defense but you will have at least attained some basic tools of defense.

This is not one of those punch kick routines where you beat some guy in a red suit at the end but rather a preventive course that teaches to not get in a situation at all by being aware of what an attacker uses to catch their prey. You will find that course fees are very reasonable and are provided in a one on one session or group, taught at the persons requested location or our school and can fit into any schedule.

Much like eating healthy to keep a body fit, defensive training is a good way to keep the senses alert and ourselves aware of whats out there. Call, email or stop by our school for more information.

New Albany Middle School Bully Awareness Program Recommends Martial Arts

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:34:17 GMT

New Albany Middle School held an anti-bullying program back in January to make kids aware of the affects of bullying. The program centered around the story of a young girl that was driven to suicide after of years of bullying.

The sad part is that studies indicate that 1 out of 3 children will be bullied before graduating high school. The program made kids aware of the often untold cost of bullying and that different kids will respond differently.

As a solution to defend against a bully the presenter recommended that kids seek out a local martial art school for lessons. Specifically recommended was a self-defense program and it was mentioned that this would most likely require private lessons as most martial art schools don't teach just self-defense. He recommended that children learn how to "get an attacker in a submission hold on the ground in 5 moves."

While I would whole heartily agree with the presenter on the recommendation to participate in a self-defense curriculum, it was the specific recommendation of learning submission holds that concerns me.

Submission holds are very technical moves and are a lot harder to master than blocking and striking techniques. The issue is that moves that are mastered in a controlled setting (such as in a martial arts school) involve a willing participant. This participant often "goes easy" on the defender to minimize the risk of injury but also to provide the pace so that the student can learn the skill.

The problem is that when it comes to a submission, real attackers fight back.

It's very difficult for anyone, even a black belt, to execute a submission hold without creating an injury first. Real events never play out as they do in the classroom. Real bullying situations are random and chaotic. Bully's tend to be bigger and often stronger making it all the more difficult to execute a technical move much less a series of moves to gain a submission.

There is one other critical aspect of relying on just a submission to defend against a bully that was left out of the New Albany middle school presentation: Bullies come in packs.

Bullies rarely act alone. There is often a second or third orbiting participant around them. Assuming that a child is able to execute a submission on one bully what happens with the others as they see their buddy locked up on the ground? The same moves that lock the bully in submission also leave the defender tied up and open to more violent attacks by secondary attackers. In fact they now see the defending child as an easy target on the ground or with his or her hands busy doing other things.

At Dynamic Self-Defense we teach children that violence is rarely the answer. Violence can often be avoided. Bully's can be recognized and there are many non-violent options available to deal with them before a confrontation. However, in a violent confrontation, violence becomes the only answer. And a submission hold alone won't do much more than give your child a false sense of security.

I would invite you to schedule a time to visit our school right here in New Albany to meet our instructors and observe a class. Our entire training program is centered around self-defense. Children learn techniques that work in the random real world while gaining balance, respect and confidence at the same time. We train children in real world scenarios, make them come up with and solve real situations and they have a lot of fun doing it.

Free Sparring Can Kill You

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:24:21 GMT

I saw a news story in German media the other day that reminded me why free sparring - especially full contact - can lead to a serious disadvantage in a real survival situation.

The story involved a man that was confronted by 3 teenagers in the subway. They were asking for money and being a bit belligerent about it.

The man, becoming irritated got mad and punched one of the boys in the face. He preceded to get into his fighting stance expecting the kids to back down. Only they didn’t.

The boys went off on him. They didn’t have a plan and were not trained in combat skills. They simply went on instinct and after a couple of hits, the man was on the ground. This is were the teenagers, now in full rage, kicked him until he stopped moving.

The man later died due to blunt trauma.

The lesson here is that if you expect your opponent to fight fair you’re already at a dis-advantage.

The problem with free sparring is that you have to fight fair. If you don’t you or your partner won’t be around the next day to train again. I sometimes get asked by people if Dynamic Self-Defense engages in full contact free sparring.

They are often disappointed when I tell them that we don’t.

Sometimes they insist that it is the only way to really learn how to fight. I simply respond by asking them how hard they can get kicked in the groin. That’s how hard we’ll go!

Self defense is as much about targeting and positioning as it is about just hitting hard. The problem is that if you don’t train to shut down your attacker you’ll revert to fighting fair when faced with a situation like the man in our story.

At Dynamic Self Defense we have adapted the same training methods used by Police and elite military units. These methods allow participants to train the various components of self defense (positioning, targeting and power/penetration) without placing them in unnecessary danger.

We’d like to invite you to contact us to schedule a time to observe an adult or children's class at our New Albany school for yourself. We know you’ll like what you see!

The Karate Kid: Fact or Fiction

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:01:00 GMT

The movie may have a good morale behind it but are the training and defensive tactics involved really practical?

Sparring is for sport… defense drills are for survival

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:13:22 GMT

Just today I noticed that a competing martial arts (Jiu Jitsu) school had posted a couple of bogus reviews on our Google Maps listing. While that’s a pretty childish thing for another school owner to do, I realize that it’s possible for other schools to somehow blame DSD for their lack of business success or think, wrongly, that we disrespect competitive martial arts.

There was one point made that I feel I need to address… The person claiming to have been at our school (they clearly were not) posted that, "I did a free lesson at this place. This school doesn’t spar. No preparation for a real world event can be complete without sparring.”

So let’s break this down…

What is sparring?

The dictionary defines sparring as: "boxing using fairly gentle blows instead of hitting your opponent hard, either when you are training or when you want to test how quickly your opponent reacts.”

By this definition we actually do spar… but in martial arts or boxing sparring is generally thought of as two opponents going at each other in some fair manner (free sparring). Either one could win. The objective could be for training or for competition – to get points or a submission.

So sparring typically refers to sport.

Survival in a self-defense situation has nothing to do with sport.

When we train at Dynamic Self Defense it’s not with a training dummy. In fact, we don’t even own one. We train with real people and we use safety gear because things can go wrong and occasionally there are injuries.

We call this "defense drills.”

When we learn a skill or practice a technique we tend to work one on one with a partner. Slower for lower ranks a bit more intense for those with more experience. But we don’t face off evenly. A self-defense situation isn’t a fair fight where two people duke it out to see who wins. It’s where one person (an attacker) wants to cause serious bodily harm to another (the defender).

Our training accounts for this dynamic… sport training does not.

We then take it up a notch… because attackers statistically come in numbers and often with weapons. Our "sparring” isn’t one on one… it’s two, three or even more on one. This is the type of training that not only builds spatial awareness and positioning… it very quickly drives home the point that one-on-one sparring has limited use in a self-defense situation.

Sparring has rules… self-defense does not.

According to the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation sport Jiu-Jitsu has clear rules. Competitors are disqualified for "biting, hair pulling, putting fingers into the eyes or nose of one’s opponent, intentionally seeking to injure genitalia or the use of fists, feet, knees, elbows, or heads with the intention to hurt or gain unfair advantage.”

Gaining an unfair advantage is what we are trained to do!

When a 235 pound man is on top of you pounding his fists into your face while his buddy circles, fighting fair isn’t an option that will keep you alive. In self-defense no option is off the table and the objective isn’t to get him to "tap out.” The objective is to turn him off… leave him unable to function. Only in this state is his threat truly neutralized.

If you want to learn martial arts as a sport we’re the wrong school. We suck at sport. However, if you want to gain the confidence that comes from knowing you can handle "the bigger guy” and even from knowing when you don’t have to, give us a call. We would love to have you come by and observe a class for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Jujitsu Self-Defense Myths Exposed

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:44:00 GMT

My 12 year old nephew (DSD Green Belt) was watching the news with his mom last night when a story came on about Brazilian Jujitsu being the "ideal" form of self-defense for all people... especially women.

It didn't take him long to turn to his mom and tell her that this isn't very practical at all and wouldn't go very far in a real fight.

He's right!

Here at DSD we use a lot of Jujitsu moves in our ground fighting (grappling). Where we diverge is in the fact that the street and the ring are two very different scenarios - so they require very different goals and training approaches. Our goal is never a submission and we never waste time getting wrapped up with a single attacker.

In the ring you are often matched with someone of similar size and usually similar athletic ability. It's an athletic competition with clear rules and it pits skill against skill.

In self-defense there are no rules. Often your attacker wants to kill you or at the least cause serious injury to you. You don't get to choose the size of your attacker or whether or not they have a weapon. And many times there will be two or more attackers, not just one.

When it comes to joint manipulation or the next step, join breaks, Jujitsu is remarkably efficient. However, because the moves are often very technical, they become impractical for the average person. You see the more technical a self defense move is, the more you must train itin order to be able to use it.

As you watch the video below, consider what my young green belt recognized...

Attackers don't wear a Gi (martial arts uniform) and neither do you on the street. Jumping guard and other high athletic events just don't work like that when you are wearing street clothes.
Attacks never start in a clench (a stance where both opponents grab each others Gi) nor do they stand still and allow you to throw them or choke them out. While you are doing this they may be unloading a magazine of bullets into you or beating you into unconsciousness with a piece of re-bar.
Many Jujitsu grappling moves only work within a certain size differential. A lot of things change dramatically when your attacker is 50% bigger than you - something sport Jujitsu simply does not train for.
You will rarely face a lone attacker. Even if you are really good at Jujitsu, and you get a guy locked up, you yourself are locked up too. All another attacker has to do is kick you in the head or pull a weapon - you are an easy and mostly immobile target. Sad part is that I have heard this very scenario first hand at least three times - each case ending in very serious injury to the Jujitsu expert.
Jujitsu techniques have their place on the "street" but not in place of more practical techniques that assume multiple attackers and the fact that your performance will suffer from stress, fatigue and possibly an already sustained injury.

Sport and competition martial arts have their place, but they should not be seen a synonymous with self-defense. Unless you train extensively for self defense situations, you will revert to sport martial arts when in a self-defense situation. Statistically speaking, applying sport martial arts to an encounter where someone literally wants to kill you or do serious bodily harm, is like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

If you want to train in 100% self-defense (including practical striking, grappling and multiple attackers)... schedule a time to stop by our school in New Albany and see if Dynamic Self-Defense is right for you or your child.

VIDEO:
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Self Defense -- powered by eHow.com

Why Dynamic Self Defense Is No Good For Tournaments

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:29:00 GMT

There are probably thousands of martial artists that are more graceful and fluid than I am. There are better kickers, faster punchers and better grapplers.

But none of this matters when it comes to self-defense…

When you come home to find three thugs inside your home cleaning out your possessions (as happened to my neighbors in The New Albany Country Club recently), how good you look performing your Kata is irrelevant.

At that point all that matters is that you survive the encounter.

Self defense isn’t just about fighting (it has a lot to do with awareness and preparation). But when it comes down to an only resort, it’s about reacting reflexively. And this takes more than just reading a book or watching a video.

Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to fight to survive, thinking about your next move isn’t something you want to rely on.

Just last night after a strenuous Dynamic Self Defense class in New Albany my wife called me to ask me to pick something up from the store. My mind had a hard time even comprehending what she was asking because I was too exhausted to think clearly about new instructions.

The funny thing is that just moments before I was simply reacting to random ground defense drills with guys aggressively trying to pin me. In this mode I was actually relaxed and found holes to exploit for self-defense. But the only reason I could do that – even after an hour long workout - was because I’ve done it a thousand times before.

And that’s the real secret to being good at anything… practice. If you practice looking good, performing fluid Kata’s or for winning tournaments, that’s what will come out when you are forced to fight for your life. Unfortunately that probably won’t cut it in terms of making sure you survive.

At Dynamic Self-Defense we train for one thing and one thing only… surviving a violent encounter. If you want to win a competition or just show off your athletic ability, we’re the wrong school for you. If on the other hand, you want to gain the confidence that you can indeed handle any typical modern violent encounter – regardless of your age or present state of fitness – give us a call to schedule a time to observe a class for yourself.

Can You Prepare For The Random Nature of Violence?

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 13:42:47 GMT

A single punch to the face landed 59 year old Tian Sheng Yu in the hospital and on life support. Mr. Yu was shopping with his adult son when they were attacked by two unarmed punks in broad daylight in a reputedly safe area of town. [see full story]

Violence is random in that once attacked there are no rules, no set moves. It's chaotic and unplanned. Even in the selection of violence there's often no rhyme or reason. Last summer my neighbors 3 doors down were robbed at around 2 pm on a bright sunny day.

I was home that day and noticed the car with the 3 young men drive past. I live in the New Albany Country Club community on a circle, some things stand out as out of place. I assumed that they were landscaping contractors and went back to my business. What caused them to pick my neighbors house instead on mine is a mystery.

We tend to feel safe in familiar surroundings and in some sense we should. But thinking about the random nature of violence can leave you unsettled even in your own home. You don't need to feel like this...

One of the training elements we practice at the New Albany Dynamic Self Defense school is real life situations. Every Friday night the adult class provides scenario training. We look at real life events (or explore "what if" scenarios brought by students) and break them down to survivable events for students of all ranks - beginners to experts.

Looking at events allows students to experience the closest thing to the actual event in a safe injury free environment. It not only gets students past the morbid curiosity it allows them to test their skill set and principle strategy. What we find is that there are few situations that become actual challenges. I'm not saying that to be cocky, quite the opposite. Anyone can learn how to deal with the most common violent events with 100% confidence.

Situations like Mr. Yu are tragic and unnecessary. Even beginner DSD students would look at the story and find numerous places where the outcome could have been altered - even once punches were thrown. This involves awareness, reflexes and targeting - striking the right points on the body in the right order can literally shut down an attackers body leaving them unable to fight or flee. This type of defense is not dependent on body size which makes it perfect for anyone.

No other exercise program can help you build the skills and reflexes that may one day save your life.

Become Bully Proof - call or email today to schedule a time to watch an adult or children's class for yourself. Our instructors will answer all your questions and help you determine if Dynamic Self Defense is right for you.

When in doubt....Improvise!

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:57:04 GMT

I often get asked why I allow students to question the steps used to get out of certain holds rather than just excepting the instruction and moving on. The people asking this question typically have been in various other Martial Art schools and are taught not to question the Instructor as it is a sign of dis-respect. I simply state that not all people are built the same way and one maneuver may work for one and not the other. Therefore working out other options will better the possibility of survival and over all outcome of a situation. Most important though is to remember that there is always more than one way to get out of a hold and when it comes down to it, you want your reactions to be quick and swift without having to think about a long drawn out step by step method.

At Dynamic Self Defense, improvising is a key part of our training process as you progress through the ranks. This is not to say we ourselves do not have a set curriculum, but this is used as a foundation and not a means of "the only way" things should be done. We urge students to ask questions, get involved with training discussions, and work out optional tactics above the curriculum requirement. Stop by or call today and see for yourself why Dynamic Self Defense IS the most modern and effective style of Self Defense on the market today!

How To Switch Off Your Instinctive Fear Response

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:43:24 GMT

Most one-day self-defense seminars do little more than give the participant a false sense of security. Simply learning self-defense techniques is not enough to keep you safe when faced with an actual violent encounter. In fact, criminals count on it.

Combat training "is the only technique that will reliably influence the primitive, midbrain processing of a frightened human being" to take the action necessary to neutralize an attacker. According to former Army Ranger Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, author of the book "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society," conditioning in simulations enables a person to respond reflexively to emergency situations even when frightened.

Military and security personnel know the value of realistic training. They know by repeatedly training simulated situations that an operator may face in the real world they can change that person’s natural tendency to panic or shut down into a focused and effective response.

This is where one-day courses, books and video’s fall short. What you train is what you retain… and in an emergency, only training that has put you in a similar situation has any hope of being useful to you. Knowing techniques is one thing… but unless realistic and repeated mental and physical simulations accompany that knowledge, the chances of implementing those techniques with any effect will be slim.

At Dynamic Self Defense we depart from the tournament mentality of traditional martial arts to focus on building skills and reflexes from day one. As a student progresses they learn to improvise with the tools they have been given to create the outcome they envision, even when faced with random and unscripted situations. We continuously evaluate our student base to ensure that our training continually moves them toward our ultimate goal of being able to defend themselves in any situation.

Call today to schedule a free preview session. We’ll allow you to be the judge on whether or not DSD is the right activity for both your health and safety.

Can You Really Learn Self Defense From A DVD?

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:35:55 GMT

I was watching a few videos on YouTube the other day from people training in the style of Karate I used to train (Guju Ryu). One video in particular got me thinking that… you really can’t learn self defense from a video.

I’m not here to discredit other styles nor do I desire to critique every video I see. Some of what I learned in the past has a practical application and there are other styles I have great respect for. But honestly most of what I learned before Dynamic Self-Defense did not become practical until well into my DSD training.

When you watch a video, especially when it comes to traditional styles, you will often note that the defense to a technique thrown by an opponent can often become overly complex. In one video I watched two military guys demoing a Karate technique to block and counter a front jab. It was essentially a block and trap with a counter punch.

While the entire sequence looked impressive especially in near full speed it would be impractical in real life – especially in a combat scenario. The reason is simple…

It’s easy to block and counter when you know what the other guy is going to throw.

If you’ve ever watched an MMA match or one of the many "this martial art vs. that martial art” video’s you’ll notice that all the technical trapping and counter techniques fly right out the window. What you are left with resembles basic boxing and maybe basic grappling depending on what you are watching.

This is where it’s essential to understand the phases and purpose of training. When you train technique you need to work with a partner that’s clued in to the program. Otherwise someone is going to get hurt. In this mode your training partner gives you the opportunity to block, trap, counter, takedown or whatever you are working on. They don’t go too hard and they don’t mix it up.

This is where most traditional martial art training stays - basically in the theoretical state. Because you know what’s going to be thrown it’s easy to get complacent or fancy – working increasingly complex traps and counters. The problem is that this movie scripting doesn't even begin to work in the real world where the other guy has a brain and won’t play along with your plan.

When faced with a violent encounter you need to count on the fact that you will be at best half as good as on your average training day. You will instantly be under a level of stress that will push your limit. You will be in survival mode. In this state you will depend on your reflexes and the techniques you use will be the ones you trained 1000 times before. The closer your training is to simulate this environment the greater the odds that you will effective. This is where a DVD falls short. It provides you with no training environment and no expert feedback.

In Dynamic Self-Defense we don’t train complicated traditional techniques. What we train is as close to real life as it gets while still keeping a safe environment. In this controlled environment students first learn new techniques methodically but as skills and reflexes increase they learn to improvise based on the principles they have learned and the skills/reflexes they have developed. This type of training allows students to develop practical defense skills in a way that traditional martial arts simply cannot.

Schedule to preview a class at our New Albany, OH studio to see if our martial art is a fit for you. We are only 10 minutes away from Westerville, Gahanna, North East Columbus and Johnstown Ohio.

Is Cardio Kickboxing Dangerous?

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

With fitness clubs, community centers and even martial arts schools offering cardio kickboxing, it’s becoming one of the most popular workout routines around. But when it comes to self-defense it can be dangerous.

Cardio kickboxing is a great aerobic activity but many participants believe that they are learning something that has at least a little practicality. They believe that they are learning to punch and kick – techniques that could come in handy in a self-defense situation.

Nothing could be more misleading.

A typical cardio kickboxing class moves through typical martial arts techniques and even combinations. The moves are worked into swiftly executed combinations (for example: jab, cross punch, hook, uppercut, front kick). But as executed in this class setting they lack effectiveness in a real life situation and can even create injury in training.

The problems with cardio kickboxing…

Observing classes shows that participants execute techniques with a certain randomness – not under the eye of an expert. Routines often require the pulling of punches and the full extension (locking out) of joins. This robs even good looking techniques of power and increases the odds of injury to joints.

The focus of these classes is simply on the general movement. There is no focus on power, penetration or rotation. This training conditions the participant to throw techniques that deliver very little kinetic energy to their target and have little chance of creating an injury reaction.

As you train you will do. When faced with the sudden stress of a self-defense situation you will lose your ability to think your way through it. Your survival depends on your ability to react without thinking about the execution of a specific technique. Only a realistic training environment can condition you for this.

Dynamic Self-Defense provides all the intensity of a cardio kickboxing class yet delivers a safer training environment through biomechanically safe yet devastatingly effective techniques. And our realistic scenario training will condition your reaction for a real life self-defense situation. Intermediate and above DSD students, for example, know what it feels like to have someone holding them down, to face two or more attackers, or to face attackers with weapons. Once their morbid curiosity is satisfied they are free to train on their reaction – working on their knowledge of the principles, tools and targets of defense.

Call us today to schedule a time to observe a class so you can determine is Dynamic Self-Defense is the ideal fitness and self-protection program for you or your family.

How I Became A Reluctant Black Belt

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What's your image of a black belt? Young, male, fit? Yep - I had that same thought. I don't fit that image... Nearly fourty, female and a whimp. Here's my story - the story of the Reluctant Black Belt.

When I started with Dynamic Self Defense, it was to be involved in an activity with my husband. He had always wanted to get into a martial arts and liked the idea of earning a black belt. Me, not so much... I was somewhat reluctant. I wanted to be with my husband and learning self defense was just a bonus.

Over the first few months I got to know all the adults and to my surprise there were women there! Most of us adults were not the young and fit type either. I found a place that I could be comfortable, work up a sweat and have fun. As I progressed, I found a sense of confidence about the skills I was learning and I really impressed myself with these new abilities.

This doesn't mean there were times that I wanted to quit and be done with it - because there were many. Sometimes an injury would make me frustrated and achy or I would feel totally overwhelmed with the rest of my life and feel that I needed a break. But, I had the support of my classmates - all of them having similar issues and many of whom are now black belts too!

There was a point when I realized that I wanted that black belt. I determined that I was worth the struggle and I was going to push through and earn it.

Now, with a black belt around my waist, I look back at the 3 years of training and I am so proud of myself. I accomplished something I didn't set out to do but turned it into something worth doing for myself.

Weapons of choice!

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Normally when the word "weapon" is used its normally referring to a gun, bat, pepper spray, stun gun, or any blunt object. But what you hardly ever hear though, is the word "weapon" being compared to a foot, fist, or elbow, yet these things inflict, if used correctly, massive damage like those weapons stated above but with more control and practicality.

A knife, gun, pepper spray, stun gun, or any blunt object can cause injury however they have the ability to be taken away from you and used against you. To me, the odds are not worth taking that chance when a properly placed fist to the throat causing a person to choke, gasping for air or an elbow to the jaw fracturing it, causing massive pain and discomfort would end the confrontation just the same and with faster, positive results! The point is people feel they have no sense of defense and resort to carrying items when they have weapons of their own attached to their body they could use. The problem is people just do not know how to use these "weapons of choice" and would rather seek a path of least resistance.

Dynamic Self Defense trains students to not only use what they have but to be able to implement it on a reaction stand point causing MASSIVE amounts of damage with every blow while receiving minimal to no damage on themselves REGARDLESS of the situation. Call, email, or stop by and check out what makes our Self Defense style so effective!

Nothing is going to happen to me. I'm ok here.

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I watched a story on CNN talking about a missing girl being found dead and the Rapist\Murder responsible behind bars. The girl was found buried in a shallow grave along side a river bank no more than a few blocks from her abandoned vehicle. The story reports she had decided to go jogging along a familiar road by her home when she went missing. Unfortunately there have been many stories similar to this one about women being attacked while jogging.

I am all for exercise and one should be able to venture out into areas of choice to jog or run without being scared or nervous. However just like wanting to keep your weight down by taking proper steps, personal security should have the same mindset. By allowing a few moments of time to ensure a safe training regiment, the risk of becoming the next front page headline decreases dramatically.

Defense 1. Partner up! The number one best line of defense is to have someone come with you. Even having a dog by your side will make a predator think twice. If these options are not available to you, having a "walking stick or baton in your hand is better than nothing. Remember predators look for an easy target. Someone they can easily dominate without having to work for it.

Defense 2. Stay alert! Keep the headphones off! Head phones mute all surrounding sound and can be used to tie up the victim so the predator can work more easily. Also try and keep a good distance from tree lines and other areas where someone could surprise you.

Defense 3. Locations! I'm all for nature but real life is not what you see in movies or on post cards. Wooded areas, hills, back roads, and all heavily populated places with trees, bushes, and dense foliage are a predators lair. Most all attacks occur in these types of places. If you are unable to jog or run with a partner have another option available. Its just not worth taking the risk.

Defense 4. Know your limitations. I have been doing Self Defense training for nearly twenty years and I still do not over estimate anyone's abilities. Regardless of what you know or what you think you know, if you suspect a confrontation or your gut tells you to get away, DO SO!

Self Defense isn't just about blocking and responding to punches or kicks, its also on a preventive approach. By taking certain steps to ensure oneself from getting into potential confrontations is the best defense anyone can have!

How Fit Do I Need To Be?

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I was cruising the web today and came across another martial arts site that talked about how their black belt program was the toughest around. They made a point to talk about the physical challenge by pointing out that board breaks must be broken on the first try and that participants must be able to go all out for 30 minutes on air shield and focus mitt drills. This and the pictures of splits and high flying kicks brings up a common question...

How fit do you need to be in order to defend yourself?

Don't let other martial arts programs kid you. Self defense is a very simple concept... come home safe.

The easiest way to do this is by first avoiding being a target - and there are many way to do this (we teach them here at DSD).

The other option is the only one you have when you can't avoid a fight and that is to simply injure the other guy before (or more than) he injures you. Injury is simply a component of kinetic energy delivered to a target.

With most fights lasting less than 15 seconds, 30 minutes of fighting might proove you have extraordinary stamina, but it doesn't mean you'll be better at defending yourself. You might need that for an MMA match, but MMA isn't self-defense.

Yes it takes a certain amount of strength to be able to injure an attacker. A light hit, a slap or anything that isn't moving your entire body weight through your attacker isn't going to cut it. Cardio capacity is nice to have and we work at building it in our workouts, but it's not as important as strength. But it's also a lot more than just about strength.

Where you hit first, then second, third and so forth makes a HUGE difference.

For example...

The easiest way for me to break your knee is by kicking you in the groin!

Breaking a knee is hard. It's going to take more than just a quick kick. It's a big joint and it takes your full intent and body weight to make it snap. It's a lot easier to do when your attacker is reacting to another injury.

When you know what targets are the most vulnerable you can set up your defense in an efficient and devastating manner. This is something that DSD students learn throughout the curriculum.

If you want to learn how to defend yourself in any situation I would invite you to give us a call and schedule time to view a class for yourself. What you will find is a bunch of REAL people just like you that will prove that this stuff works no matter how old or fit you currently are!

Mr. Mulhollen guess what happened to me today?

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

7 year old Nicholas came in to the school with a skip in his step as he called out to me. " Mr. Mulhollen? MR. MULHOLLEN? Guess what happened to me today?" His father looked on with smiles as he helped Nicholas take off his coat. " Hello Nick!" I said "What happened?" Nick motioned for me to lower down so he can whisper it in my ear. As I bent down on one knee, Nicholas clasped his hands up to my ear and said "I had to defend myself against a bully today.
Can I share it with the class?" I smiled and assured him before class was dismissed that he would be able to tell his tale. After an intense instructional training session, it was time for Nicholas to share his story. I motioned for Nicholas to come up front so everyone could see him and with a clearing sound of the throat, Nick began to speak. "Today in gym class a bully came up to me and grabbed my shirt, before he was able to do anything else, I stepped into him and while grabbing him around the waist, I knee'd him in the groin and pushed him away. I ran to get a teacher while the bully was on the ground." Faces showed signs of approval as I peered over his fellow classmates as they all clapped for Nicholas doing the right thing.

It wasn't some fancy move or difficult maneuver that helped Nicholas but rather a few practical and effective techniques that Dynamic Self Defense students train on everyday. Practical, effective, and realistic: These words are the backbone of how we train. Stop by and see for yourself what Dynamic Self Defense can do for you!

Avoiding Injury In Self Defense Training

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Martial Arts is not a "no impact” activity. But that doesn’t mean that needs to be an activity riddled with injury and pain.

Most adult students realize that getting older means that things don’t work quite as well as they once did. We don’t heal as quickly after injury and we tend to get injured more easily.

At Dynamic Self-Defense our goal isn’t to injure students, it’s to prepare you to injure an attacker. With that in mind here are a few tips to help you prevent training injuries:

Strength Training: Research shows that moderate strength training can help prevent injury by building muscle mass and strengthening joints. When it comes to martial arts, we recommend working those parts of the body most commonly injured in training, shoulders, knees and lower back.
Go Easy On Joint Manipulation, Falls and Take-downs: Rapid shock to joints can extend injury beyond just the range of motion. For this reason remember to go easy when manipulation joins or practicing take-downs as these exercises can easily create undesired injuries.
Know Your Limits and Speak Up: Our training is supposed to make you stronger. Working an injury can prevent you from making progress. Be sure to let your instructor and training partners know of any injuries or issues so they can work with you and at a pace where you can improve.

For more on aging, weight gain and strength see: Why We Gain Weight As We Age