Why I don't rely on pain and fear- at least not too heavily...

This video came up on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/djreminisemusic/videos/10152665556038869/

Those of you who have managed to train yourselves to ignore pain will know how these guys manage to take so many blows to the groin.

This actually reminds me of a lesson I have learnt as early as in high school.

Some of you might remember my post in memory of Wolfgang Goldner. It was in 1996 and I had a PR baton (over here we call it a tonfa as well, but I saw that people in the US use the term "PR". Can somebody be kind enough to spare me the googling and comment the meaning of this abbreviation? :D)

At that time I was very happy to show off this really cool arm-lock that I got from an issue of Terry O'Neill's Fighting Arts magazine. In it this guy called Massad Ayoob demonstrated self defence techniques for policemen (and there was also an article about how proper martial arts technique could have made the Rodney King incident less of the fiasco it was back then). 

But I am digressing now...

So- I show Wolfgang this move and asked him to grab me by the front of my shirt. Ever fearless (and ever ready to show that attacks don't work on him...) he grabs hold. I hooked the PR's side handle over his forearm and made the lever with my forearm as the magazine showed and pressed down...

Nothing happened. Wolf was just standing there with a blank expression. That's when I realised that the technique had no actual leverage over a person's body, but just caused a lot of pain that drove a lot of people downward. From that day on I have spent my time working of attacks that either caused actual damage or that could actually manipulate the opponent by sheer leverage and not just pain.

Sure- fear and pain are excellent deterrents and help to keep the peace by discouraging the majority of human beings from attacking us, but the minority that do feel up to the challenge are likely not deterred by pain and do not fear us to begin with.



On the reverse side I can also tell you that there are going to be a large number of attacks to which you become immune once you have mastered your own fear and pain receptors.

Train well, everyone!


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