Train the Fight not the Style.

The perpetual discussion among martial artists and self defense instructors is, "Which is better? Fighting from the ground or fighting standing up? Like religion and politics, each person's beliefs and passions are defined by their training discipline. Now, add in the context of, what is better to teach a girl/woman in a self defense scenario? Stand up or ground? Now you've got a bunch of alpha males all lathered up and believing that what they have to offer is the only answer.

Here's where I come in. As a female instructor in the self defense world, I offer the cold shower of reason. I have a unique insight into what girls/women are capable of in training and application in an assault situation. I have trained with some of the best instructors (and I do love alpha males...who listen) in Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Muay Tai, Krav Maga, MMA, boxing and Wing Chun. I've covered a lot of training ground and I will continue to do so, but why? Because these different disciplines offer a distinct advantage in either stand up or ground fighting. Again, which is better for a woman to learn and use for her personal self defense?

Each of the instructors that I've trained with fully believes that their method of defense is the best. For example: Jiu Jitsu trains fighting from the ground because that is where virtually all assaults end up. If a guy intends on raping you, he is taking you to the ground. If you are already on the ground in an acquaintance situation, you need to know how to get him off of you. I'm ALL for that, 100%. It is the basis for every program I teach. From the ground you are able to use your strengths against the weaknesses of your attacker. If you know how to get out of the worst position there is, the rest is easy. But, the argument here is, what if by going to the ground; I have put myself in a worse position? Have I given the attacker the advantage by going to the ground? I'l answer that later. For now, here are some good "what if" scenarios to apply.

Example: If you need to defend yourself against an attacker who has grabbed you from behind and thrown you to the ground before you can even blink? You better learn how to use your strengths against his weaknesses from the ground, to keep him or get him off of you and hurt him fast. Then get up and out of there.

Example: If you're with your boyfriend/husband and your shared intimacy turns into aggressiveness that threatens every part of you? Again if you're on the floor or bed with him, you need to know how to use your body to get him off of you and get yourself out of there safely.

Ok, what about learning how to defend yourself effectively standing up? What about committing to your feet, so that the threat of going to the ground never enters your mind? What if instead of having the defensive mind set of, "Back off, don't come into my space," you had the mentality of "There's no chance of you getting into my space because I'm already in yours attacking and defending at the same time?" Are you going to be able to react quick enough to get into that offensive mind set? Wing Chun prides itself on teaching the smaller person to be able to attack anyone's space regardless of size, immediately. It has the opinion that if the fight goes to the ground, something has gone fundamentally wrong. The argument to that is, obviously you're under attack, so yes, something has gone terribly wrong. Will I be able to stand my ground and hold up fighting upper body against upper body as a girl under intense circumstances?

Example: If you're at a bar or party and a guy grabs your body, or will not let you go from that unwanted hug, you need to know how to face him, and attack his space fast and hard to stop the actions before they escalate.

Example: What if someone grabs you by the wrist or by the neck and tries to drag you to another location, you need to react with an awesome stand up game and possible ground game that renders him absolutely useless.

So, what's my answer to the perpetual question? Train both! Mix the benefits of knowing how to face an attacker strongly and effectively both standing up and on the ground. Why? Because assaults are messy. There is no black and white. It is grey and confusing. You will only know what to do when you are faced with the reality of the attack. React and react strong. Through training, you will be prepared and empowered to win in any position.

Stay safe out there, and go find an alpha male and great female instructor to give you both of the perspectives you need and want.


Shannon Mahoney
Instructor, Izzo Training Systems
www.izzo-training.com

How long will it take?

One question I get quite often is, "how long will it take to get the basics of self defense?"

A lot of people think that if they take a 1 hour crash course in self defense, they will have the ability to protect themselves because they learned "the basics."

My thoughts (and again these are merely my perceptive thoughts) is that you cannot learn calculus from a 1 hour crash course for basics; therefor the idea you can protect yourself from a 1 hour self defense class is not practical.

This is not to say from a one hour lecture on self defense you will not understand better the ideas and concepts which govern self defense, however any learned tactic will not be useful unless trained over and over for muscle memory to program it into your arsenal.

That said, you need to know where and when this new memory filed tactic fits in your skill level. This can be done with training with another human and experiencing different sized people, different energy, different ranges, etc...all the things that makes fighting dynamic. Muscle memory takes thousands of repetitious movements to train into your body to become an automatic response.

This is where continued training in styles such as BJJ or Wing Chun excel. I will disclaim that I have no formal training in BJJ however, respect its flow of training and practicality. Having a 20 year background in grappling, I understand the ground game and the flow of training matches the flow of Chi Sau of Wing Chun. The brilliance of Chi Sau training is that it trains you to become reflexive, or automatic, to physical stimulus. This in turn makes you react in place of "thinking" about what tactic you will use in a circumstance. Chi Sau training also rids you of the flinching associated with sparring or fighting, as you become used to touch and physical assertive movement. But again, this is not something you will achieve in a one hour class...this is a process never perfected and takes years to train in. Wing Chun Chi Sau training is, however, fun and therefore somewhat discourages boredom in training, which makes ongoing training very pleasant.

Most self defense programs do not take this into consideration and only teach a technique and not the "time and place" for the technique. Time and place can only be experienced and "self taught" by physical contact with another human being in training...hence the need for repetitive training.

In my view, you need to take classes for no less than 3 months to grasp a better understanding on which route your training should take. Education in anything takes more than one hour.

Dominick Izzo
Lead Instructor
Izzo Training Systems
www.izzo-training.com

Think BIG, Not small...

This morning I had a couple of 13 year old girls in my kitchen asking about different ways to get away from the "bad guy". As only 13 year olds can, they giggled and created crazy "what if" scenarios and how to get out of them. As a Mom I laughed at the and then as a self defense instructor, who loves a good "what if" scenario, I started to answer their questions.

They of course mention the ever popular, "Just go for the eyes!" Or "Rip his ears off!" Or another favorite, "Stomp on his foot!" Now, remember, anything that you can do to stop the bad guy from getting what he wants from you, is the right thing to do. Anything. There are no rules when fighting for your life. But, I had to educate them about the ineffective "eye gouge" and other techniques that require fine motor skills and precision to make them work.

Let's remind ourselves what happens in our bodies when we are in an attack situation. As adrenaline is dumped into our blood stream, our heart rates start to climb, fast. With that increase in heart rate, fine motor skills deteriorate and your ability to think goes out the window. Let's focus on how your fine motor skills deteriorate. Your body is giving you signs that making precise movements with your fingers is not your best bet. So why would you try to place those misfiring fingers into two small eyes on the bad guy? Yes, the eyes are a soft and vulnerable target on paper. But, if a bad guy is really coming at you, he is dynamic. He is moving and using his force and momentum to take you down. Are you really going to be able to hit that moving target with fingers that are not working well? If he's a lot bigger? Smaller? Aiming is too important, and that takes time that you don’t have. Simply, the eye gouge is not my choice. Are you going to be able to use your hands/fingers well enough to grab hold of those ears and rip them off? I'm not so sure. Honestly, are you doing enough there to create enough harm and then space to get away?

So what about the foot stomp? Really? I can't believe I actually still see that as a recommendation for women to do. If a guy has you in a hold from behind, he is going to try to take you down, or to another location. He is going to be moving. How do you stomp on a foot that is moving and taking you with it? Bad guys are amped up plenty to shake off a stomp on the foot, trust me on that one.

When a bad guy comes at you aggressively, you must respond aggressively and effectively. It is always a dynamic environment that you will be fighting in; meaning everything moves and moves fast. Use your strongest assets. Not the ones that are small and physically impaired. Use your strengths, big movements and big body parts.

Lastly, there is something really great about that adrenaline pumping in your body that makes your heart rate fly. With this response, you enter an optimal state of being able to fight where your gross motor skills and reaction times are peaked. So remember, even with your heart pounding and your head swimming, that is your body telling you that you are ready to fight and fight hard.

Stay safe out there. And remember, in self defense, bigger is better.

Shannon Mahoney
Instructor, Izzo Training Systems

shannon@izzo-training.com

Elbow Range

Without a doubt, the elbow strike is one of the most powerful attacks in the Wing Chun arsenal of weapons. The biggest issue when using the elbow is the distance (or range) in which is it used.

To get the most out of the elbow, it must be engaed with the hips and legs, leaning forward while throwing the elbow will throw you off balance and allow your enemy to take advantage of the opening.

Don't "reach" your target with your elbow. Only use the elbow when you have control of the enemy's arms and a clear opening to use it. This will ensure a safer recovery for you if your strike is not as affecting as projected.

Practice elbow strikes in the air just as you would your Wing Chun Centerline Punch. Time the strike with your hip and engage the adductor muscles to control the shift and stopping power for balance.

Dominick Izzo
www.izzo-training.com

Personal Training...Highway Robbery?

I never understood how this industry (personal training) can stand to charge so much for a service that is absolutely needed in this country.

Personal Training on average is priced around $80 per hour.

Seeing as getting and staying healthy is a top priority, I can understand the free market supply and demand theory. However, in this economic state, not many of us can afford to hire and keep a trainer for that fee.

My goal is to offer a superior service at a competitive price. I offer the north suburban Chicago area personal training rates starting at $30 per session.

I work closely with nutritionists, dietitians, counselors and numerous trainers in the area. When you hire me, you hire a team of people to help you hit your goals.

Contact me at www.izzo-training.com to see how I can help you reach your fitness goals.

Personal Training is a must if you are seeking to get healthy. And getting healthy shouldn't be expensive.

Dominick Izzo
Self Defense / Personal Training
www.izzo-training.com
847-875-0458