It's been a while!

I have not posted in quite a while. I've been working hard on a novel that I've just about completed. Time to get back to posting here and working on other projects. Stay tuned for more to come!

Alain

Pay Attention and Read the Safety Information Card

What do you do when you get on an airplane? After you have stowed your carry on, sat down, and buckled up? Honestly, do you listen to the flight attendant's safety instructions? Or do you go about your own business, reading, chatting, or what not and completely tune out the person telling you where the exits are, how to use your seatbelt, and where the nearest bathroom is located? Do you read the safety information card? Have you ever read the safety information card?

Let me share with you what I do. I always listen to the flight attendant's instructions. Always! The primary reason I've always done this, and will continue to do so, is because I believe it is impolite not to. As a teacher and speaker, I know what it feels like to be presenting to a group of people and have some not listen. I've always felt it is respectful to listen to flight attendants as they do their job, especially since they are doing it for us. It is the same reason you will never catch me going through a supermarket check out talking on a cell phone and ignoring the person helping me. It's just common courtesy.

I also always pull out the safety information card and read through it. I then look around and visually note where each exit on the plane is located in relation to my seat. I also try to pay attention to who is where on the plane. What kind of people are around; men, women, elderly, kids, people who need help, or those that look in good shape. I never like being anywhere that I don't know how to get out of, and who is around me. Just a habit I guess.

Okay, so some of you are saying, "Good for you Mr. Polite Awareness guy. Here's an extra cookie to go with your coffee for being such a great airplane passenger." I never really thought of this much before, it's just what I do, and I do a lot of things other don't. However, I'm currently reading a very good book called "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes And Why" by Amanda Ripley. In this book, Ripley shares a little about people who read the safety information card.

Ripley reports on Mr. Paul Heck, a survivor of the 1977 Pan Am accident in the Canary Islands. When the plane was hit by another plane on the airstrip while waiting to take off, 326 of the 396 people on board were killed. (583 people died total when you include the passengers on the KLM aircraft that hit the Pan Am flight) Many of those who died on the Pan Am aircraft would have lived if they had gotten off the plane before smoke and fire killed them. Paul Heck, sixty-five, reacted immediately and told his wife Floy, seventy, to follow him, which snapped her out of her daze, and led her off the plane. Others sat like zombies in a state of paralysis and perished.

This passage from Ripley's excellent book provides some very important information:

"At the time of the Tenerife crash, psychologist Daniel Johnson was working on safety research for McDonnell Douglas. He became fascinated by this paralysis behavior, which had been observed in other plane crashes as well. Floy and Paul Heck are both deceased now. But a few months after the accident, Johnson interviewed them both. He made an important discovery. Before the crash, Paul had done something highly unusual. During the long delay before takeoff, heck had studied the 747's safety diagram. He even walked around the aircraft with his wife, pointing out the nearest exits. He had been in a theater fire as an eight-year-old-boy, and ever since, he had always checked for the exits in an unfamiliar environment. Maybe this is a coincidence. But it is also possible that when the planes collided, Heck's brain had the data it needed to take action."

I'm not suggesting that I will survive an aircraft disaster before anyone else, just because I read the safety information card and pay attention to the flight attendants, but evidence shows that it just might help. Personally, I'm all for stacking the deck as much in my favor as I possibly can when it comes to survival. If Heck's story doesn't convince you to pay more attention, here is another example from Ripley's "The Unthinkable."

"The National Transportation Safety Board has found that passengers who read the safety information card are less likely to get hurt in an emergency. In a plane crash at Pago Pago three years before the Tenerife accident, all but 5 of the 101 passengers died. All the survivors reported that they had read the safety information cards and listened to the briefing. They exited over the wing, while other passengers went toward other, more dangerous but traditional exits and died."

Bottom line. I want to be as prepared and safe as I can be. Not paranoid mind you, but I will stack the deck in my favor whenever I can. Keeping oneself safe is not just going to the gym to practice martial arts and self-defense skills. It's not just going to the range to practice shooting skills. It is a combination of everything one does, with situational awareness being one of the most important ingredients. I will always listen to the flight attendant's briefing, out of courtesy and to be prepared. I will always read the safety information card, even on small planes I am very familiar with. I will always look around and make note of all the exits and the other passengers on board with me. You don't have to do the same, but I seriously suggest you do. It might just be the difference between life and death.

Crossing the Line in Self-Defense

The recent shooting of a criminal attempting to rob his store by fifty-seven year old pharmacist Jerome Ersland in Oklahoma City raises the question of what is justified in defending oneself, and what crosses the line. It also provides a good introduction to this article and an excellent example in the legal chapter of a book I'm working on. Ersland has been charged with first-degree murder for killing 16-year-old Antwun Parker, one of two criminals that entered Ersland's store. Parker's partner brandished a handgun before Ersland fired upon the two in self-defense with his own firearm. However, after hitting Parker in the head, rendering him unconscious on the floor, and chasing the armed criminal out to the street, Ersland returned, obtained another firearm, and returned to Parker, still laying on the floor, and fired five shots into Parkers abdomen, shots that the medical examiner states killed Parker.

Without getting into too much legalese for this short article, I want to address the very basics in that to legally defend yourself using physical force against another person, there must be three factors present:

1. means

2. opportunity

3. intent

At the beginning, it appears all three were present. The criminals interred the store brandishing a weapon. The one had a firearm so he had the means (tools or skills readily accessible to commit the crime). They had opportunity (the conditions immediately favorable to commit the crime) because they were right there in the store ready to rob it. From a reasonable standpoint, it sure looked on video tape they had intent (mental state at the time of the crime). Why else would you bust into a store waving a firearm (and I don't know what they demanded) if not for the intent of committing a crime?

From everything I saw on the surveillance video, it sure appeared that Ersland was justified in defending himself when the criminals burst into his store waving a firearm and demanding whatever they were demanding. Even District Attorney David Prater said Ersland was justified in shooting Parker once in the head.

However, Prater stated that the teenager was unconscious, unarmed, lying on his back and posing no threat when Ersland fired what the medical examiner said were the fatal shots.

In general, a person is only justified to use deadly force to stop the threat, and the threat must be one that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The force you use must be reasonable, which means the level of force that a reasonable person would use in a similar situation. That's the big question. What would a reasonable person do in the same situation?

I think it is reasonable to use deadly force, Ersland's firearm, when criminals burst into his store with firearms of their own. However, going back and shooting Parker when he was no longer a threat goes beyond the general rule of being allowed to use deadly force to stop the threat. This is why Ersland is being charged with murder, and this is where the legal system will have to determine, based on all of the evidence and circumstances, if what Ersland did was reasonable. If no plea bargain is entered into, a jury of Ersland's peers will determine the outcome of this tragic event.

I say tragic because I believe it is always tragic when people are robbed and people are killed. This incident affects many more than Parker and Ersland. I stand 100% behind people's right to defend themselves, that's why I teach hapkido and self-defense classes including firearm use. But we must also know the law and ensure what we do stays within those parameters set by our society. I want people to avoid criminal charges should they ever need to use empty hand or weapon skills to defend themselves or others.

If you practice self-defense or own a weapon to defend yourself or loved ones, and I believe everyone should do so because defending yourself is your responsibility because you are the only one that is going to be there in the dire time of need, then you must also familiarize yourself with the laws regarding justifiable use of force. You must know when you are justified and what use of force is allowable for different situations. By learning these beforehand, and incorporating them into your self-defense scenario based training, you will be better prepared to defend yourself from the bad guys and not have to defend yourself against criminal prosecution for crossing the line in self-defense.

Street Chin Na: Joint Locking and Bone Breaking Techniques for the Street - Review

"Street Chin Na: Joint Locking and Bone Breaking Techniques for the Street" with Willie "The Bam" Johnson is a good program on locking and tough training produced by Paladin Press. The DVD was not filmed in Paladin's studio, but rather in Johnson's school with Johnson and a few of his students. Johnson brings a lot of energy with his demonstrations and teaching, and the quality of production was high with clear sound and great visibility, combined with a very good DVD menu selection to assist the viewer in finding sections to study.

This is what the DVD covers:

Chin Na Warm-up: This section has a brief introduction as Johnson and students toss a bean bag around and then includes Johnson and his students performing various drills such as: Bean Bag Catch, Iron Body Conditioning, Tree Stump Catch and Roll, Long Staff Twisting Drill, Forearm Drill, Touch the Shoulder Drill, Punching Drill, Slap/Elbow Drill, Wrist and Arm Escapes. These drills can help toughen a person up and may be something you want to incorporate into your training, though I personally don't think I'll be teaching them in my classes.

Pressure Points: Johnson demonstrates various pressure points on a partner in this short chapter, but does not clearly show exactly what he is doing. For those of us already familiar with various points and weak areas of the body, it is not a problem, but for a novice, they might not understand just what Johnson was doing.

Hand Techniques: In another short chapter, Johnson, along with students, illustrates some basic traditional punching techniques. Again, it is more of a demonstration of these strikes as Johnson and his students "shadow box" with these techniques.

Chin Na Set: Johnson has two of his students perform a two-man "form" incorporating various Chin Na techniques. Johnson does instruct them through the form defining what they are doing and why.

Defensive Techniques: This section of the DVD is broken into 16 short chapters or techniques that include defenses against wrist grabs, cross wrist grabs, lapel grabs, front chokes, bear hugs, headlocks, finger pointing, punches, bear hugs from behind, and full nelsons. Johnson does a good job of teaching these and the program provides a decent sampling of locks and defensive techniques. I think martial artists from many styles could incorporate some of these into their training. One thing I did get a bit tired of while watching was all of the yelling. As I mentioned, Johnson brings a lot of intensity into his teaching, which is good. However, the partner (Johnson's son for many of them) he does the techniques to is constantly grimacing and yelling in pain. (Grimacing was okay, but the yelling got old) I've participated in and have watched many demos where the person taps loudly, yells, etc. for the demonstration. When teaching, I don't feel it is necessary to make my partner scream while instructing. The screams got a bit annoying and sometimes distracting from what Johnson was teaching. Yes, it is important to train with intensity, and the better you know your partner, the harder you can go. I just felt it was too much at times for an instructional program. Johnson has a lot to teach, so I hope his style does not prevent some from learning from him.

Chin Na Takedowns: This portion of the program focuses on 8 different takedowns that Johnson teaches. Again, it is a good sampling of various takedowns and Johnson does a good job of illustrating them. Many martial artists may find a new trick or two in these as well.

Jailhouse Workout: This is the final chapter of the DVD. The purpose of showing this workout is to teach the flow and intensity that Johnson brings to training, not to teach the techniques they use. A lot of the drills are again more conditioning, with the participants striking and kicking each other with a lot of force. I agree with Johnson that many places do not train like this, but that it is training that will better prepare you for self-defense on the street. This portion should motivate you to get to the gym and train with intensity, although some people might not like training with such contact.

I thought there were some good joint locking techniques in this program, but unfortunately there was a lot of time spent showing people do conditioning drills rather than teaching joint locks. I would have preferred more techniques and less conditioning drills.

The package also includes a bonus DVD titled "Chin Na/Street Combat Fusion." This is Johnson's take on traditional with a more modern approach. The program includes 18 various self-defense responses against different attacks. This bonus DVD is an hour long and contained more of what I wanted in the first DVD. When you add both DVDs together, it is a much better program and teaches more self-defense responses and techniques. It also concludes with some comments by Johnson that are poignant for any martial artist. Those final comments increased my respect for Johnson and his students.

"Street Chin Na" with Willie "The Bam" Johnson, produced by Paladin Press, is a good program. It does not contain instruction on as many joint locking techniques as I thought it would, but does contain some basic locks and a few different twists on some locking techniques. It also includes instruction on incorporating locks with other techniques which is very important. The program also emphasizes tough training, and if you are looking to make your workouts tougher, there are some drills here for you to use. I'm sure any martial artist that adds this DVD program to their library will find things to incorporate into their training.

You can see a 7 1/2 minute video clip of Street Chin Na and order from www.burrese.com

Review of Lock On Joint Locking Essentials vol. 3 Shoulder Locks

This review was just posted on Martial Warrior and will also be on Amazon and other sources. The Lock On dvds are sold through http://www.aikiproductions.com/ and are also available at amazon:

I'm asked to review people and things quite a bit these days. As the owner of http://www.martialwarrior.com/ I come into contact with martial artists worldwide. I'm sent video clips, research papers, DVD's etc, all asking for my opinion. Unfortunately, most of what I review these days is pure garbage, at least from a self-defense perspective. Fortunately, this time around, the person asking for my review was Alain Burrese and the product, "Lock On: Joint Locking Essentials Volume 3: Shoulder Locks". Why do I say fortunately? From talking with Mr. Burrese on-line and reading his published work I've come to expect quality, in this expectation I was not disappointed.

First, the technical aspect of the DVD. It was taped in a well lit venue with a blue background and flooring. This contrasted nicely with the white uniforms and allowed the movements to be clearly seen. This is a plus since being able to see the presentation is the reason for buying the DVD in the first place. Secondly, the sound was clear and crisp. No need to hit the rewind to try and catch what was just said.

Now on to the meat of the DVD. I should pause for a moment and state that I have no reservations in saying exactly what is on my mind. I've had on-line wars with net-ninjas and cyber-warriors. If something is garbage, I won't . . . and haven't been afraid to say so. With that little tidbit in mind, I was very pleased with what Mr. Burrese presented. Here's why;

1. He begins with a detailed explanation of the anatomy of the shoulder and the various balance displacement and mobility planes that exist in which to control movement or exploit its weaknesses.

2. In teaching a particular 'technique', he goes further into the principle behind the technique. As he aptly states early on, he can't teach everything there is to teach in one DVD or hope to cover all the variables. But by explaining the principles behind each lock the viewer can then grasp the concept and expand upon it during training. This is an important point because far too many arts have become 'cookie cutters' in there approach. Either due to the rigid inflexibility of the instructor or their lack of in-depth knowledge to expand beyond what they themselves were shown.

3. One of the most important things covered; in my professional opinion was the necessity of a gross motor skill block/interception followed immediately by a solid, gross motor skill strike prior to attempting the lock. Let me explain why this is so important, and why I'm so appreciative the Mr. Burrese covered this information. I've been in one uniform or another since 1985. Currently I'm a Corrections Officer with eighteen years on the job. I've been in over two-hundred uses-of-force against armed and unarmed, violent felons whose intent was to injure me, others or themselves. In that time, I've used more joint locking principles than I care to remember. Unless the circumstances are 'just right', a solid strike is going to be needed in order to facilitate a proper lock.

I often see, unfortunately, a complete lack of realism in modern training or even an acknowledgement for the need. Recently, I've been sent several video clips of martial artists who were of medium to high Dan rank giving seminars or demonstrations. In some, the choreography was wonderful . . . unrealistic, but wonderful. Other offerings were so awful it was beyond the ridiculous. But they all had a common thread. In each, the bad guy was basically giving his hand/wrist/arm to the 'master'. Or if there was a punch at all, it was a slow, half-hearted effort that wouldn't have pushed over a one-hundred year old great-grandmother. I'm not trying to be harsh on this point, but a real, live, aggressive attacker bent on causing you the greatest amount of damage in the shortest amount of time is NOT simply going to stick his arm out for you to grab. Nor is he going to give you a slow, non-effort punch that is aimed about three feet short of your head. Although is was 'neat' to see these 'masters' grab the wrist and throw the compliant partner all over the mat . . . in real life, based upon the types of attacks I've seen, they'd have ended up in the hospital trying to pull off that nonsense. Or the morgue.

That is why I was delighted to see Mr. Burrese expound on the necessity of some type of a strike preceding the lock. He was careful to distinguish between the difference of the partner offering his wrist so that the technique could be demonstrated properly in a learning atmosphere and utilizing it in personal combat.

4. The techniques and concepts demonstrated used sound principles of motion. Flow and use of body weight was explained as well as breaking the axis for balance displacement and take downs.

5. Mr. Burrese covered applications of both a defensive and offensive nature with the locks. This is important as the necessity of a pre-emptive strike is sometimes a critical factor of survival. As the saying goes, a good defense is a strong offense.

6. Different conclusions were discussed during the explanation of the techniques. Options were given for a range of conclusions from a take down and pain compliance to control an attacker to incapacitation if necessary to the situation.

7. Finally, Mr. Burrese was well prepared for his presentation of this material. This is a plus and allowed for the easy flow of information.

In conclusion, whereas lately I've been inundated with choreographed garbage passing itself off as a martial art, I was very pleased to watch this DVD and found myself nodding in agreement many times throughout. Mr. Burrese has done and excellent job and I commend him fully. Where some offerings make me wish I'd spent the time more constructively, like watching paint peel, I'd not hesitate to view the teachings of Mr. Burrese.

About the reviewer:Mr. David Schultz has been in the martial arts since 1975. He holds Dan ranking in Shuri Te Karate, master rankings in the traditional arts of Taekwondo and Hapkido and master ranking in the eclectic martial art of Taekido. He holds six Law Enforcement Instructor ratings in Defensive Tactics, Combatives, Aiki Jujutsu and Firearms. He has taught military, police, corrections, executive protection and private citizens since 1986.

Up Close & Personal: A Street-Smart Guide to Fighting from the Clinch - A Review

"Up Close & Personal: A Street-Smart Guide to Fighting from the Clinch" with Richard Nance & David Hallford covers an important area of fighting and self-defense. Many fights end up close and personal with one or both combatants entering inside and clinching. In this DVD, self-defense instructors Nance and Hallford teach you how to fight from and win when combat goes to the clinch.

The DVD is produced by Paladin Press, and was filmed in their studio in Colorado. As with other titles in Paladin's catalog, the lighting, camera angles, sound, and editing are all done very well.

Regarding the instruction by Nance and Hallford, I found it clear, practical, and well taught. It is a good program and I practiced some of the techniques with training partners and found the techniques to be sound. As with most self-defense programs, basic techniques are basic techniques, and you may be familiar with some of what the instructors teach. I was familiar with many of the things taught, but some things were done a bit differently by Nance and Hallford and I enjoyed trying their variations. One very good thing about this program is that it focuses solely on clinch techniques, and it is nice to have such a collection all in one.

After a short introduction, types of clinches are described. From there, the viewer is shown how to get into the clinch both defensively and offensively. Stance and head position are a couple of the things taught in the next chapter on body positioning. From there, the program goes into combative strikes which include various elbow strikes, upper cuts, and headbutts.

The next chapter focuses on the collar tie clinch, which is a neutral type position. Knee strikes are heavily used in this section as well as other places in the program. A simple pin and spin technique is taught from this position as well as an elbow lock ear smash technique. The next couple of chapters describe Overhooks and Underhooks with various techniques and strikes to use from these positions including arm drags, breaking the hooks and an eye gouge takedown.

The Muay Thai Clinch chapter has some simple practical techniques for this excellent infighting position. If you can grab your opponent's head/neck as the instructors describe for the Muay Thai Clinch, you will be able to pummel him with knees and throw him to the ground. I've done similar takedowns in real altercations and liked this chapter for its simplicity and practicality.

After the Muay Thai Clinch, the instructors discuss weapons in the clinch. A short explanation of deadly force is included which, as an attorney and self-defense instructor, I believe is extremely important and often lacking in self-defense programs. The instructors show offensive techniques when armed with both firearm and knife. The instructor believes it is important to have a weapon available on both sides and carries a firearm on his right side and a knife on his left. Basic instruction an employing either weapon in a clinch is taught. A short chapter on weapon retention is also included. This is an important consideration because in a clinch it can be easy for your opponent to take your weapon if you are not aware of this possibility and ensure he can't get at your weapons.

After teaching you how to employ your weapons, the instructors cover when your opponent is armed and you aren't. This is a worst case scenario, and the instruction is practical and basic and teaches how to smash your opponent before they draw their weapon. Follow ups such as stomps, kicks, and securing techniques are covered next.

And finally, the last chapter covers some environmental concerns and then has a short conclusion. The entire program is approximately 120 minutes and contains practical instruction with little repetition or filler material. It is a solid program focusing on fighting from the clinch and a very good addition to anyone's self-defense training library. The techniques are easy to learn and practice with a training partner and will enable you to better defend yourself when things get Up Close & Personal.

See more information and a video clip of this DVD on my main page under reviews or products. Click on the Burrese Enterprises Home link at right.

Street Stoppers: The Martial Arts' Most Devastating Trips Sweeps and Throws for Real Fighting by Mark Mireles and Loren Christensen

"Street Stoppers: The Martial Arts' Most Devastating Trips Sweeps and Throws for Real Fighting by Mark Mireles and Loren W. Christensen is a good book. I applaud the two for writing about a subject that has not been addressed like this, even though it is such a very important subject when it comes to fighting and self-defense.

Both authors are accomplished martial artists with impressive backgrounds in real-life violent encounters. In other words, they have been there and done that, and I recommend anyone wanting to learn more about the real-life application of martial art moves listen to them.

That brings me to my complaint about this book, and why I feel it is good, but maybe not great. I wanted more information from these two extremely knowledgeable men. The book is just over 280 pages, but the majority of the book is filled with pictures. As far as pictures go for illustrating throwing techniques, they are done well. They are black and white and clear enough to easily see what the author's intend for you to view in them. However, the accompanying text is fairly basic and minimal. And that is not just a complaint about this book, but any book explaining martial art techniques through pictures and text. Knowing a bit about publishing of books and videos, I understand the fine balancing act that goes on to ensure you put just enough and stay within the parameters of page length and so on. There are a lot of little things and finer points that make these techniques most effective that the authors did not have the space to include, or were not as detailed as I'd have wished they would have put in the written portions.

With that out of the way, let's look at the good things about this book, and there are many. It is definitely a book I recommend for your self-defense library, and one that I think you will learn some valuable information and techniques from. (That is if you actually get out and practice what the authors show, and feel how to do the trips, sweeps, and throws they illustrate.)

Chapter One: Mechanics of Trips, Sweeps and Throws discusses topics such as sport vs. self-preservation, 6 areas of attack on the human body, and some basic positions along with some other practical advice.

Chapter Two: Trips covers what the authors call the Navy Seals of martial art techniques, trips. They are powerful, masked in stealth and deception. After a brief description of physical and psychological aspects about 14 trips are illustrated through pictures and short descriptions.

Chapter Three: Sweeps covers a few standing sweeps, a few hand sweeps, and some ground fighting sweeps. Again, all of these are illustrated with photographs and brief explanations of written text.

Chapter Four: Throws features about fifteen variations of throws and how to execute them. All are shown with the same type of photographs with accompanying text.

Chapter Five: Spins is a short chapter illustrating a couple of spinning type moves that put your opponent on the ground.

Chapter Six: High Amplitude Throws: The Greco Roman Model focuses on a couple popular moves from Greco Roman wrestling. After showing how to train to do the back arch, instruction on the salto and suplex are shown.

Chapter Seven: Combinations is my favorite chapter of the book. Many times when you go for a trip, sweep, or throw, something goes wrong. Regardless if it is your fault or if your opponent is countering, being able to flow into a different technique is extremely important. Practicing the combinations in this chapter might just save your butt one day.

Chapter Eight: Falling had some good general information on falling for those that do not train in an art that throws and how to take some of those falls on the street. (I say for arts that don't practice throws, because if your art practices throws, you have most likely learned to fall.)

Chapter Nine: Law & Ethics contained a few pages on legal considerations and fighting ethics. With both authors having backgrounds in law enforcement, I expected this chapter to be a bit longer, but it still contained some practical advice.

There is a short conclusion and that is the end of the book. As I stated, I think this is a good book and deserves a place in your martial art/self-defense library. However, I do wish the authors would have included more text and explanations in some areas. I have a Judo and Hapkido background, so I've done my share of throwing and being thrown, and this includes real situations on the street. I do like that the authors covered the topic from the street and not competition, and even with my experience I definitely learned a couple new things from these two tremendously experienced instructors. I'm going to practice some from this book with training partners to make my throwing even better, and I encourage you to do the same.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice. Many more reviews, articles, and more at the main site www.burrese.com