Self-Defence

[dr1819]

This is from another thread. It retains relevance there, but I'm requoting it here, as here's where it belongs. I'll also be posting a link there, to here, as a redirect. In this day and age, occasionally the difference between being a victem and a survivor involve the following, and the key thing to remember is that SIZE DOES NOT MATTER. Only technique, and training. I've seen 134 lb aspirants take down 243lb football players on a regular basis. It's not "mind over matter," but rather, "physics over brute strength."

Because we tend to be different, we need to know the tools of our to defend ourselves, if the case arises. Fortunately, I've had that happen absolutely 0 times while wearing heels, but I have had it raised once while in sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt. Needless to say, I lost (they were better prepared than me). I lost $35, about 4 hours of consciousness, 2 days due to convalescent leave, and about the next 20 hours of on-duty time until my brain started working normally again. Even then, I had periods up to 8 months hence where I'd be overwhelmed, and it wasn't pretty.

Fortunately, the brain has a wonderful way of healing itself, provided the vitamins, nutrition, and mental exercise are present, and I test even higher on tests today than I did then.

Back to the story:

Stuff

To put not quite too fine a point on it, I was a diver (springboard) in high school, lettered in it, beat the crap (self-defense) out of the badass in school when he accused me of cheated in a game of no-pads, no-holds-barred football in the snow (he outweighed me by 35 lbs), but no one could tackle me (as I'd bicycled everywhere the past 10 years). He accosted me, I broke his jaw, and since he was the HS ringleader, I was never screwed with again. Wow - amazing what a 119 lb guy can do.

Same thing happened in college, exactly four years hence, but at a fraternity party, although the circumstances were merely my trying to retrieve the BYOB cooler that I'd carried into the establishment earlier. Instead of being helpful, the football player they'd hired as a "security guard" attempted to beat me to a pulp. He did lay three damaging blows on by backside before I a managed to break his jaw.

Folks, it's self defence. If he'd been concentrating, ONE blow from him could have ruined my day, permanently. A broken jaw heals. Ruptured kidneys don't fair so well.

He was fine and back in the game next fall (6 months later). It took me nine months before my right kidney regained normal function. One more hit on his part and I would have lost it.

I'm NOT a "scrapper," having been in just three fights in my 43-year-old life, one on Jr. High, one in College, and one that I lost (I was mugged) in a popular vacation spot.

All I'm saying is be prepared to talk yourself out of fights in the first place (perhaps 40 times), be prepared to run the other times (perhaps 4 times), and be prepared to take care of yourself the rest of the time (just 3 out of 47 times).

Taikwondo, is a wonderful non-agressive martial art which can protect you greatly without you having to learn how to break bricks with your fists. It's ideal is "protecting the attacker," and it's not about overpowering - it's about using the laws of physics to defeat his overpowering attack strategies.

And it works. After studying Aikido for less than a year, I encountered a guy who was a supposed black belt in Taikwondo, last summer, in 2005. Guess what folks, he was dang fast. I definately had a fight on my hands. He was actually upset that I interefered in his "acquisition" of another pilot in his outfit (she thought he was a creep). When he followed her home, I followed him, and when he accosted her, I intercepted and said in my unmistakable martial arts form, "Uh, no, I really don't think you ought to be going there with her."

The usual response with "why not?" and "Who do you think you are?" were replied to with my name and "her friend," and "please leave now."

The next few seconds are confusing, as his attack was with lightening speed, but as I had nothing to loose and everything to impress, I was somehow able to thwart his attacks, after which he asked me, "which martial art do you study?" I replied, "Aikido." He asked what belt I am, and I replied, "No belt, for I'm a beginning student." This really pissed him off, for he launched into another series of attacks, most of which I was able to slightly deflect, reducing broken bones to mere bruises.

He and I stood.

I said, "Take whatever sense of macho you have and go home. You're not going home with her. Neither am I. What's happening here is that you're going home intact, and so am I. If you can't accept that, I'm calling the police, and began punching in the code to the police on the cell phone."

He was a pilot under contract to the US government, didn't want to loose his job, etc., so he held up his hands and conceeded.

The bottom line here, folks, is that it takes a calm head to win a fight, and it certainly helps if you're properly trained. The best training is track, for if you run faster, or for longer than the other guy is willing to chase you, you've won. The next best training is in learning to deflect (not defeat) other means of attack, and for that, I recommend Aikido, as it's perhaps the best out there. This is particularly addressed to those of you who fear hate crimes because you, as a man, choose to wear heels. Always err on the side of caution, never believing your skills will keep you safe, for there are always ways of circumventing martial arts (guns...).

Instead, be smart, be safe, and be conservative. It'll never harm you to train in Aikido, as it's good for the bones without damaging the joints, great for flexibility, and is the one martial art which grants you the greatest liklihood of defending yourself to the best extend in the shortest amount of time.

Caveat - expect to study for a year or more before the results mentioned above are realized. But benefit also holds true - you'll be in much better shape and capable of defending yourself after a year than you were before.

[Guy N. Heels]

Well, martial arts is good for both discipline and training, but Christopher Colt developed the "equalizer" that seldom encounters further arguments after it "speaks". On the other hand, avoiding bad people, places, and circumstances will do wonders for your health! Then there the is the biblical admonition that, "the Angel of the Lord camps 'round about those who fear Him." In my personal experience, in almost every incident where I've had to defend myself I was either in some place where I really had no business, and/or alcohol was involved in some way. Avoiding alcohol alone will remove one from about 90% of all unpleasent incidents.

[5150PLB1]

Having an 'equalizer' no mater if it is a weapon or martial art, is not a substitute for common sense. The most dangerous of fools to himself and to others is a smart person without common sense.

[Guy N. Heels]

Having an 'equalizer' no mater if it is a weapon or martial art, is not a substitute for common sense. The most dangerous of fools to himself and to others is a smart person without common sense.

It is written: "Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly." Good advice anytime.

[RPMindy]

nice read!.. bottom line.. use your head.. be safe.. be in shape.. and know how to stay cool under pressure. i've seen women with no fighting skill stay cool.. use their head.. and overcome massive bulky fellas. just by thinking and acting accordingly. without loosing a heel either. good points. i only know that i can grapple.. born that way.. can't fist fight. i talk myself out of any harm i've ever encountered. figured my tongue is much better suited to handle the situation than grappling. i pray, head out, and thank the Lord for coming home safe RPM

[Fog]

You guys obviously live in a different world from me. What is this all about? I'm an adult, I don't get into fights.

[Guy N. Heels]

You guys obviously live in a different world from me. What is this all about? I'm an adult, I don't get into fights.

Please let us know the name and address of the planet yer on? The one I'm on has a very long history of wars and aggressions and is generally a very dangerous place to live. Just last month someone was shot to death less than 300 yards from my front door.

[Fog]

Please let us know the name and address of the planet yer on? The one I'm on has a very long history of wars and aggressions and is generally a very dangerous place to live. Just last month someone was shot to death less than 300 yards from my front door.

You know where I live, it says so by my name. I don't think self defence would have helped the unfortunate person who was shot. Having a less all pervasive gun culture might have though.

I also don't think wars do any good, apart from if you're a politician and that's not guaranteed. It helped Thatcher get a second term, and from that we can definitely say war's a bad thing.

[chris100575]

America's obviously more violent than the UK, I've never felt threatened while I've been out and about, and Manchester isn't exactly a quiet backwater. Chris

[Fog]

What I'm saddened by is all the macho attitudes coming to the fore on this forum. Perhaps it isn't the place for me.

[RPMindy]

Fog, sad you feel that way. about leaving that is. i think it's just this thread.. so stick around. as for you not having issues of fights...i know what you mean.. i tend to avoid situations that can lead to fights.. but if you want to include road-rage in the mix... i've seen it.. and i've once or twice had to leave the highway not to be an innocent victim in the mess unfolding in front of me. you may be one of the few kind spirits out there that never gets into a fight.. very possible in this modern time.. but you can also be an innocent victim too. Congrats on being a peacemaker.. I applaud you! there are more like you, but not nearly enough RPM

[Guy N. Heels]

What I'm saddened by is all the macho attitudes coming to the fore on this forum. Perhaps it isn't the place for me.

Well, I could go totally American macho and point out the fact that this nation won it's independence through guns and violence. This would, of course, be totally in character for me and my Scottish ancestery. (I'm wearing a kilt at the moment.)

On the other hand, it is written: "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword." The modern translation is: "he who lives by the AK47 (substitute whatever weapon of choice you prefer) dies by the AK47.

In my experience, there was never a good war or a bad peace. I think a little forebareance can go a long ways towards avoiding situations of violence and self-defence. But the plain and simple fact is that we live in a very violence-prone world. Even Gen. Charles Gordon, who carried only a cane, was killed in a violent death. The world is a very dangerous place.

[5150PLB1]

Sun Tzu in his book 'The Art of War' states: " He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious." and also: "And therefore I say: 'Know the enemy, know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. Know the ground, know the weather; your victory will then be total." History shows that the vast majority of those who lost battles tended to violate some of the most basic principals that Sun Tzu writes about in 'The Art of War'.

[Tech]

Hey Guys/Girls Hope you dont mind but I shall move this thread into the "general non shoe related discussion forum"? (Then ducks for cover and runs)

[dr1819]

Sounds fine, Admin. This is a better place for it. Fog, I do hope you stick around, knowing that the only reason I began this was because something happened to me. Thinking back, had I known Aikido then, I would have been better prepared, although I may still have been able to prevent it. The reason I chose Aikido is because I'm a peacemaker, not a fighter. Unlike the other martial arts where the aim is generally to disable your attacker, generally through intense pain or physical damage, the principle of Aikido is to "protect your attacker." You disable him through a superior knowledge, understanding, and practice of leverage and use non-physically-damaging holds which are quite painful (although only so long as the hold is applied - once you release, there's no more pain). Whether we like it or not, hate crimes and other crimes do happen, and usually to those who're different. Most often it's racially motivated, but gays have for years been the target of hate crimes, and as more men begin wearing heels, we may be targets, too. I intended my original post as an essay of my thoughts concerning self-defense, nothing more. I certainly wasn't out to insight riots, and I'm by no means the kind of person who tends to get into fights. I've only in four since birth, and all were attacks on me: Two in childhood, one in college, and one twenty years later as an adult. Some people never get into fights. Some people have been in dozens. I'd say I'm pretty average for an American.

[Guy N. Heels]

Hey Guys/Girls

Hope you dont mind but I shall move this thread into the "general non shoe related discussion forum"?

(Then ducks for cover and runs)

Yeah! Whats all this hand-to-gland combat stuff got to do with wearing heels?

[Fog]

DR - I take your point. This is might be too personal for the internet, but to cut a long story short - being small and slight - and having let's put it this way punishments at home that were more for the relief of my mother's anger than for my correction, my body language made me a target in school. Adulthood brought relief - and my usual way of avoiding conflict is to face down an agressor, knowing I might get severly thumped. It's only failed once, but it's generally very impressive. I won't go into the time it failed. Anyway - I'm glad I live in a relatively safe place, where most people don't have guns.