Self-Defense

Our NEW Personal Defense class starts Monday 3/21 at 11:00 AM and will run on Mondays/Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00AM until 12:00.

Night time class is available. Can also do Tuesday/Thursday and Saturday day time also.

This is an on going training program to teach you consistent behaviors of Personal Defense. Class will be taught by Dr. Dan Kelso.

“I have known Dr Dan for many years. He has been coming into my school since I have first opened it. We have had many long conversations about Martial Arts and Personal Defense. We have shared many stories and now it’s time for him to share his stories and knowledge with you.”

 Dr Dan Kelso with over forty seven years in Martial Arts, Decorated Special Forces Commander, First West Point Graduate to become a Doctor of Chiropractic, Head of the All Army Karate Team, Coach of the Pan Am Boxing Team will bring to you his brand of Personal Defense.

 We look forward to seeing you here at JAMA for this special ongoing training program.

 

Self-Defense

All self-defense options are predicated on the fact that you are in a bad place to begin with.  Things have already gone wrong.  Self-defense is not the goal, not the ultimate answer, nor is it going to "make things better."

It is damage control, pure and simple.  Self-defense is making sure the situation doesn't get any worse -- ergo damage control.  However, no damage control is EVER as effective as preventing the problem from happening in the first place.

Think             Attack            Get Away

This is the Basis of our Self defense program.

In order to understand what "self-defense" is, you must first understand what it is not.  "Self-defense" is not martial arts training.  Nor is it fighting.  It is not simply mastering a set of physical skills (e.g. becoming a kung fu killer ninja or combat shooting expert).  It is not getting in touch with your inner rage and channeling it into attacking someone.  Nor is it something you can take a weekend seminar for and then forget until you need it.  In our definition, self-defense is not a *specialized* skill that you only use in one context.  In our definition, it is part of a much larger set of "life skills."
 
Why do we take this approach?

Violence is an extreme.  What people don't tend to recognize about extremes is that they don't just "happen."  It takes time and effort to make such a long journey to this wild place.  Putting bluntly, you have to work to get there.

Furthermore, extremes are based on taking normal interactions, over-emphasizing certain elements, and intentionally deleting other -- tempering -- influences.  What that means is that any extreme is based on that which you already know.  It is just taken and blown out of proportion.  It is so distorted however, that you may not recognize it as such -- especially the part about tempering influences being left out.  There are several common reasons for this failure; the most common ones are anger, emotion, or stubbornness on your part.  These don't have to be on of your regular states, but giving in to them just for a moment can put you on the path towards violence.  Lose control of yourself with the wrong person and you will be shot, stabbed, beaten, or raped.

The "trick" for avoiding violence is recognizing what it is -- and the path that leads there.  By knowing the elements that are commonly used in this extreme -- and what their normal proportions are -- you will be able to see when they are being blown out of proportion.  It takes time to get to an extreme, when you see these elements being distorted -- even by yourself -- you will know you are on the pathway to violence.

Our approach is to acquaint you with these elements so you can recognize this distortion -- and its significance -- early enough that you can extract yourself from a situation without having to resort to physical violence.  It is far, far easier to stop, take a deep breath, turn and walk away than it is to physically combat your way out of an attack.

Trust us on this one; we have the scars to prove it.

Four tiers of self-defense training

1).  Common sense - Do you even want to go there?  (This point includes knowing what behaviors will put you into conflict and moral/ethical issues involved with use of force).  What are the standards you must abide by?

• Do you even want to go there?

• Be aware of your surroundings!

• Stay with a group.  "Safety in numbers" usually holds true!

• If you have to walk alone, how are you carrying yourself?

• Car/hotel check it out!  Ask for help!

2).   Diplomacy - Do you need to hit or can you resolve this another way?  In short, can you talk, negotiate, or trick your way out of it?  (This point also includes knowing the legal ramifications of hitting and weighing the repercussions vs. the need of the moment.)

• You can sometimes reason with a perpetrator

• Don’t jump into a fight

• Don’t argue

• Don’t look into their eyes

• Stay calm -- use a clear calm voice

• Whatever you do, don’t leave with them!  Try to stay as much in the public as possible.

• In a car?  Forgot to check your back seat?  Gun or knife to your head/throat? What is the best thing to do?

3).  Strategy - When and where to hit for maximum results appropriate for the situation (justifiable use of force).

• When to hit for maximum results.

• Where to hit!  How appropriate for the situation.

• Justifiable use of force.  How hard or lethal a blow do you need to use.

• How to hit and use correct physical application.

4).  Tactics - Physical application.

• How to use force without hurting yourself

• Running is my favorite form of self control ( Know where to Go)

• Run screaming loud (Make sure everyone can hear you)

• Get to a help source quickly!

Why must these layers be included?

There are several reasons.  First, you cannot focus on only one aspect and expect your "self-defense" to be effective.  For example, physical application is the most basic and simplest skill set.  It is also the last ditch, extreme response.  If a situation goes physical it generally means you have not applied the other skill sets correctly.  You have allowed the situation to develop to an extreme.  Unfortunately, physical force is also the most unreliable of responses and, since you are now in an extreme, if force fails, you are in deep trouble.  This equates to jumping out of a plane with only one parachute that has a 50/50 chance of failure.

The multi-layered approach enables you to have a back up.  To be more specific it means having options that prevent you from ending up in that situation.  Including, not going parachute jumping in the first place, but if you do, knowing how to pack your chute to ensure it will open.  By having these layers, you have control and influence throughout the process.  You re also able to recognize that the further down that path you go, the more extreme the danger, and the more likely you are to lose control of the situation.

Second, there is commonly an underlying assumption of self-righteousness regarding so-called "self-defense."  To begin with, there is a drastic difference between self-defense and fighting.  Bottom line, it will not be immediately apparent to the responding officer that you are the "victim" who was obviously only defending him/herself against this aggressor.  While police will often arrest both parties in a "fight,” they are almost guaranteed to arrest the "winner."  If you have successfully "defended" yourself, then that means you were the stronger/better fighter.  Furthermore, your claim of "self-defense" is going to be seriously undermined if you were an equal participant in the problem -- no matter how self-righteous or justified you felt you were.  As there are serious legal ramifications to this subject you had better make sure that you weren't part of the problem, and that you can prove it.

Third, the effects of violence will last a lifetime.  It doesn't matter if you are the victim, the perpetrator or even if you were just defending yourself, exposure to, and participation in violence, will change you --   often, not for the better. 

In the end, these higher levels will give you the coping skills necessary to deal with the changes violence will cause.  Your entire life is a long time to justify or self-righteously put the blame on another.  It requires more work than many people are capable of doing.  In other words, while in the short run self-righteousness and anger can protect you, over time guilt, shame, moral pain and trauma over what you did will creep in.

In the immediate, these levels will help you get through the emotional/adrenaline stressors that come with having to defend yourself.  Contrary to popular belief, an overwhelming majority people cannot just "flip an emotional switch”, find, and apply effective self-defense moves in a crisis.  Combat is a traumatic psychic "shift" – one that requires training and preparation in order to make in to defend yourself.

Fourth, they remove doubt.  If you have established, external standards to judge when you defensive violence is legally and morally justified then you will be able to act with grim, un-conflicted determination towards achieving the goal.  This is not an emotional or subjective reaction; it is reacting to a known and identified threat.

The fifth reason relates back to both the second and fourth reasons, but is a distinct enough to be its own reason.  By knowing and understanding these other issues, you will be in a better position to communicate with the police and defend your actions in a court of law.  Violence doesn't happen in a vacuum; legal repercussions can be as difficult to deal with as the physical assault.  This is why you need to understand that aspect and how to survive the court battle as well as the violent encounter.  If you cannot articulate "why" you felt it necessary to use physical force, the authorities may consider the situation a "your word against his.”  Unfortunately, as he is now "injured" the weight of the argument is on his side.  That in the eyes of the law may make you the aggressor (read: the guilty party).

Also, never underestimate how an attorney can turn your words against you.  You might have been utterly correct in your assessment that physical force was required to protect yourself.  However, if you cannot supply "articulate facts" defining the situation, the efforts you took to defuse the situation and your resulting decision to use with force, you may find yourself in legal quagmire.

The sixth reason is that the higher levels instill in you negotiating skills and conflict avoidance.  This doesn't mean that you run like a rabbit.  It simply means that you have a wider set of tools at your disposal to find ways to resolve potential conflicts and problems without resorting to extreme measures.  These are what are known as people skills.  The better you become at them, the less likely you are to find yourself in a violent situation.

Avoiding violence is the very least these skills can do for you.

 

Find out more by calling today
to tour our studio and meet our staff!!
268-2070