Make a Decision

[Anonymous]

Colin Ferguson, December 7th, 1992 got on the Long Island Railroad and began shooting. It wasn’t until people took action that he stopped. He managed to kill 6 people and wound 19 with a Ruger mm pistol.
Who knows what the death toll would have been if the passengers on the train never decided to take action.

When people don’t take action, bad things happen. Virgina Tech, when students assumed the old “duck and cover” they were sitting targets for Seung-Hui Cho. 32 people were killed until he finally decided to commit suicide.

Self defense is self preservation. Self preservation involves making a decision a decision to live. You don’t have to be paranoid, just aware. You don’t need to go to boot camp, just have a little training and a plan.

The first thing people are told s to have a plan and escape. Training only solidifies the thought process. Training children involves identifying threats, escape and finding safe zones. The same goes for adults. Mind-setting and using your will to survive and focusing on your end game, no matter what the cost is what works.

When you take action good things happen. When you don’t take action, people get hurt and die, period. You don’t have to kick everyone’s ass in the room, but you do have to make a decision.

[Damian (Instructor)]

I thought this was an interesting video of making a decision:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVVNvxZ4ZTg&feature

The technique seemed simple and direct. On the other hand, many martial arts schools will probably try to teach something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8My36Iz … re=related

I guess all that training broke down to the windmilling and sucker punch.

[Damian (Instructor)]

The second clip was interesting. The prostulating actually freaked the one kid out pretty good. He started out with the thug mannerisms and then kung fu boy started his postulating and ya can see the thug lose heart immediately.

Bad part was he lost all senblance of fighting knowledge when it was go time. That being said he won. he scored a know out with a sloppy hook. Again he walked away from from a confrontation and thats all that matters.

[Damian (Instructor)]

It’s not a matter of who’s right…just who’s left.

BTW, the second clip “street fight”….maybe not. It looks like both of these kids were hanging out and got into an old fashioned school yard scuffle. Though even a push is dangerous, neither of these kids were trying to kill the other.

it was a real old fashioned “fight”…now I’m getting nostalgic.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Damian wrote:

It’s not a matter of who’s right…just who’s left.

BTW, the second clip “street fight”….maybe not. It looks like both of these kids were hanging out and got into an old fashioned school yard scuffle. Though even a push is dangerous, neither of these kids were trying to kill the other.

it was a real old fashioned “fight”…now I’m getting nostalgic.[/quote:2dvyynvf]

Ehaha! Yeah, schoolyard fights. A lot of people still maintain that schoolyard mentality long after they’ve left school, not appreciating the seriousness of fighting, focusing more on the embarrassment factor than the real danger of fighting, throwing a punch, or pushing someone around.

[Damian (Instructor)]

School yard fights and neighborhood roll-arounds are not life and death (they hurt a lot though).

A lot of “experts” in this industry have not been in a fight over the age of 15. Now, don’t get me wrong, fighting doesn’t qualify you as and expert…it just helps you gain some perspective.

I know GREAT street fighters who had instinct and a good right hand. Not much in the way of training, just some brass balls.

When we train- we develop the “stones”.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Damian wrote:

School yard fights and neighborhood roll-arounds are not life and death (they hurt a lot though).

A lot of “experts” in this industry have not been in a fight over the age of 15. Now, don’t get me wrong, fighting doesn’t qualify you as and expert…it just helps you gain some perspective.

I know GREAT street fighters who had instinct and a good right hand. Not much in the way of training, just some brass balls.

When we train- we develop the “stones”.[/quote:2els602h]

This is one my many peeves with todays martial arts scene. Instructors teaching folks how to fight the local water hole bully or the father of two street rager. There is nothing on the line here USUALLY as Damian said its the equavalent of fighting on a school ground. I already know how to handle that. I could handle that no sweat at 8 15 18 and today. Its when ya have a nut job in your house trying to kill your wife or rob ya etc. But I am prolly ready for them as well Your common man is not nor is your average blackbelt or Master for that matter.

I still remeber a guy on Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil was trying to help this family after the Family was assaulted in there hom by a crazy guy.

So this guy is sleeping in his bed with his wife.And all of a sudden his sixth sense or what have ya kicks in and he wakes up. At the foot of his bed is some dude with a big ass knife. The guy lunges at his wife with the knife the guy gets in the way and is stabbed. He tries to fight this guy off is stabbed like 20 some odd times in the process. Tells his wife to go out the window and get help at there neimbors. The assailent is getting the upper hand on him so he loses his nerve or is instincts for survival kick in and he goes out the window too. Runs next door as well. Problem is he leaves his two kids with the crazy guy and cant find the courage to go back in the house to protect his kids.

Luckly the nut left the kids alone and left. But as of the airing of the show hes scared from the attack and from his loss of courage and his inabilty to defend his family. So now he has to seek Dr. Phils help to try to put his life back together.

In my mind this type of thing is why one should train self defense and train it HARD! Ya dont want to be that poor bastard.

Side Note. They never caught the guy nor does anyone know why he attacked. far as anyone can tell it was random and in a well to do hood.
Food for thought.

[Damian (Instructor)]

You tapped into it. That technique of mind setting, which is simply thinking about scenarios over and over again.

But rather than focus on the specifics, concentrate on your priorities. We do a Family Safe fire drill (its the same for intruders). The priority check list is simple.

Get kids, get wife/husband/ get out. Kids get out by whatever means. In the Family Safe Program (coming out in June) we go over the details of the drill.
It’s simple and it sets your priorities. This way when you’re stressed you just act.

The good news is, you don’t have to practice a lot. Once a year MAX.
Set up a safe meeting place (neighbor’s back porch or the top of the street) and all rendezvous there.

A little planning and minimum training go a long way.

[Anonymous]

Well said Damian!

Time for a lot of people to make a DECISION and make a STAND, and a PLAN!!!

[Author]

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