Seminar in Boise - April 22, 2006

I'll be doing a seminar in Boise, ID on Saturday, April 22, 2006. The seminar will focus on Hapkido Joint Locks, Self-defense, and possibly cane techniques.

If you want more information, e-mail me at aburrese@aol.com and I will put you in contact with the host.

Slam 'em Against the Wall

One thing I have found effective in fights is to slam your attacker up against a wall, tree, car, etc. Pinning a person against an immoveable object can take away his leverage to generate powerful blows, so if he does continue to hit you, the shots will not be as powerful. You can still continue to land powerful blows to him while he is pinned. Additionally, if you slam him against the wall or car hard enough, that impact will do some damage too. In the right situations, slamming someone against something hard can be a very good move. - Stay Safe

SAFE Self-defense Techniques

Darren Laur has some very good information regarding self-defense and safety. In the book he wrote with Beth Laur, Total Awareness, he includes a simple way to remember basic principles self-defense techniques should follow.

Self-defense techniques should follow the SAFE principle.

Simple to use and easily learned and remembered over time.

Adaptable to any physical confrontation, be it walking, running, driving, sitting, or lying down.

Fast - the techniques taught must be designed to immediately incapacitate (stun) the attacker, thus allowing you a chance to escape (run). Your goal is not to win the confrontation, but rather to survive it, both physically and mentally.

Effective - the techniques taught should be 90% effective on 90% of the population 90% of the time. Nothing is ever 100% effective in self-defense. An instructor who claims otherwise is not dealing with reality and should be avoided.

The self-defense program should incorporate the psychology of combat into the training. The mind guides the body. If you fail to train your mind to cope and deal with fear, regardless of the physical skills learned, you will not be able to defend yourself.

Book and Video Reviews

The Martial Art and Self-defense book and video review page is back up on my website:

www.burrese.com

There are a number of book and video reviews there now, and I will be posting more regularly. Check them out, and if you are wondering about a book or video that I do not have listed there, send me a note and ask me about it.

Kickboxing champion Mr. Howard Jackson passed away on March 7, 2006

It is with great sadness to report that Kickboxing Champion and World Black Belt Founding Member Howard Jackson passed away 11:00AM, March 7, 2006 at the City of Hope hospital in Duarte, CA. He had been fighting Leukemia.

I had the pleasure of meeting Howard Jackson when I met Chuck Norris a year and a half ago. Very nice individual, I enjoyed talking with him. We just lost a great one. My thoughts are with his friends and family. - Alain

Hapkido Hoshinsul in top 10

My video Hapkido Hoshinsul made the top 10 out of tons of instructional videos.

http://home.att.net/~erik.mann/top10.htm

Check out the reviews!

Stay aware and stay safe!

Know the neighborhoods where you live and work. When you are out, do you know where the locations of police and fire stations are? You should. Where are public telephones, hospitals, restaurants or stores that are open late?

You should do a personal safety and security audit of the locations you frequent. When you go into a place, do you know where the exits are? What environmental conditions are present that may make the area or location unsafe? What can you do to increase the safety of the area or at least minimize any unsafe conditions?

You must be prepared to attack back if necessary, but your first and foremost means of self-defense is your awareness so you can avoid dangerous situations in the first place, or escape them when present. Thinking about these things beforehand will make you more prepared in the event you must act. Stay aware and stay safe!

Shugyo

Shugyo is a Japanese word indicating a kind of rigorous spiritual discipline. It can be defined literally as "conducting oneself in a way that inspires mastery." Many of the Japanese arts and ways can be practiced as a form of shugyo. Now days the combined kanji of shu and gyo are often translated as "severe or austere training."

The implication of this is that the person who follows the way of austere training can obtain the skill level of a "master." You can take this a bit further and infer that maybe the only way to become a "master" is to follow the way of austere training or shugyo.

I wrote about shugyo in Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, and I'll be writing more on this topic. Your ability to Attack Back is determined by a variety of things including mental state, overcoming fear, using the adrenal dump to help you fight or run away, and your physical skills and attributes among other conditions and factors. Severe or austere training can help you develop the mindset and physical attributes to help you attack back. It is a concept that deserves study and should be applied to one's training.