One thing I’d add is this: don’t think about all the “what if”s. This is a common refrain amongst those interested in self defense. Being taller is just one of hundreds of possible advantages your target may have.

I think generally women have a better mindset towards self defense because they know going on that they have pretty much all the weaknesses, whereas men labor under the delusion that they have strengths.

Which is wrong because you have no way of knowing of what you think is a strength really is compared to the unknown assets of your opponent. Assume weakness, NOT strength.

Focus on principles which have the highest likelihood of working no matter what. No matter who. Even someone who’s strong and fast may have times when they’re tired or somewhat incapacitated.

Predators wait for weak points, they don’t call you out at high noon when the sun’s behind you. You must assume weakness in your approach. Men are far too arrogant in their approach. They assume strength which is a dangerous delusion. We are all weak. Face it.

Knowing this then helps quickly weed out the bullshit that’s low probability in effectiveness.

The one thing you must train obsessively is balance under all conditions. Tax it with chaotic and erratic movement as you attempt to hit chaotic and erratic targets.

If you train patterns and scenarios – like “what if”s – your brain will freeze up under pressure of it gets hit with a scenario it’s unprepared for. But if you train it to accept chaos then NOTHING will freeze it. It’s use to the unexpected. Whether the unexpected is a tall guy or a midget with a samurai sword.

They say that you fall to the level of your training. Not if you do it the way I just described. Then your brain gets used to improvisation and creativity on demand. You can’t plan combat. You just flow with it.

Then you will actually surprise yourself under pressure and do “moves” that you couldn’t possibly describe afterwards, nor did you ever practice. You only practiced balance and flow.

Chaos forces flow because you cannot predict or manipulate chaos. You must just let go and flow. You get used to feeling awkward and retaining your balance.

The drop step is by far the most important part of the system on this site. If you’re dripping with every strike and movement, you’re always retaining and regaining balance WHILE exponentially increasing power and speed.

The drop step allows you to not commit the great crime of striking which is winding up or loading up strikes. They just snap out of nowhere with incredible power because your foot’s striking the ground and ricocheting that energy into your target.

Consider that if you were floating in mid air you’d have literally no power. Zero. Which means what? It obviously means that ALL power comes from the GROUND, and NOT from YOU. So you develop this feeling that it’s the ground hitting your opponent with every strike, not you. And if you have to toss someone, it’s the ground tossing them over itself, not your muscles.

By always remaining balanced on…the ground…then the ground is always your friend. Lose balance and it will hurt you.

There is no single greater asset then balance. And balance is no balance if it’s not balance WHILE moving. Chaotically. Erratically.

My greatest lesson in “martial arts” came from playing football in high school as a tight end and defensive end. I was 6’3” 176 lbs at the time. Not good. My opponents were generally like 5’10” 225-250lbs. Believe me, my height was no friend. They had all the leverage and power.

But I successfully adapted. I discovered the principle of balance under pressure. My balance against their balance. NOT my height against their weight. This is a huge point.

“Balance is Power,” to quote the great Muay Thai fighter Samarta Payakaroon. Balance is also grace. Like a dancer. Who has better balance than dancers?

You’ll find dance in the background of many great martial artists. Even Bruce Lee. Not to say you have to practice dance. I don’t. Although my training is actually a kind of dance, now that I think about it. You have to practice balance while moving erratically and chaotically. Which means this: That really you’re practicing balance while moving CREATIVELY.

When you train creativity, and not patterns or “what if”s, then absolutely NOTHING in real life will freeze you. Just something else to flow with.

I’ve summed up all my ideas of martial arts in the visual statement “Running through the Trees.” Imagine sprinting through a heavily wooded forest. Branches hitting you everywhere. And you’ve got to smash all the tree trunks one by one. Imagine doing that. It’s going to be a flow, not a bunch of moves.

If you’re asking “what if” about possible scenarios and opponents then you’re operating from defeat already..

When shit goes down against an unknown target, will you really know what their strengths and weaknesses are? You have no clue!

Looking at height is like looking down on an obese person cuz they’re fat. It’s just the most obvious vice or characteristic. But there’s a hundred other vices and other characteristics which could spell death for you. It’s nonsensical to think about these things.

Maybe the guy’s tall, but like another Muay Thai gray e, Deiselnoi, he’s obsessed with only beating you to death with his knees. You have no idea what’s in front of you.

I do have an idea of what’s in front of me. A buffet of shit to destroy. On a decision making object. That’s all.