Self Defense for Radicals

A to Z Guide For Subversive Struggle

PM Press

LET'S IMAGINE ...

Let's imagine you step outside to get some air and see one of your friends lying on the ground. Standing above her is a large, menacing man with bad intentions and clearly, he has incapacitated your friend with a surprise blow. Her eyes meet yours and indicate she needs help.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

You could pray. You could meditate. You could chalk it up to bad karma. You could ask your friend to recognize that the attacker is a human and tell him that she loves him. You could blame patriarchy, the Republicans, or gangsta rap. You could ask yourself: What would Jesus do? What would the Dalai Lama do? What would Oprah do? You could try to remember that excellent saying about non-violence you got from your Pilates teacher.

OR:

You could stomp your foot to draw his attention downward and promptly whip out a finger jab to his eyes. When he brings his hands up (too late) to protect himself, he leaves his midsection exposed. You kick him in the balls — doubling him over — then grab him by the hair and bring his face down into a powerful knee blow. Then you grab your friend and get the fuck out of there as fast as you can.

It's either that or chanting. The choice is yours.

Learning how to fight and/or defend yourself is not the same as promoting belligerent, anti-social behavior. We live in an exceedingly violent society. Our films, books, TV shows, and video games glorify mayhem and carnage. Our leaders (sic) solve most of their problems through aggression ... or the threat thereof. While talk of non-violence is understandable and the struggle for peace has never been more essential, let's face it: the odds are, that sooner or later you're going to end up in a confrontation that may escalate into physical violence. So, why not be prepared?

AWARENESS

Don't worry ... I'm not talking about that kind of awareness (see below). Instead, our opening letter refers to how we navigate the terrains we encounter. If someone is planning to attack you, odds are that the plan hinges on taking you by surprise. Thus, if the first line of self-defense is prevention, your safety just may depend on how aware you appear to be. Not paranoid, not afraid ... but rather, a levelheaded state of alertness.

SUGGESTIONS:

• When walking or jogging alone, don't wear an iPod

• Vary your normal routes and routines

• When asked for directions by a driver, maintain a safe distance from the car

• Don't allow your gas tank to get too low. Running out of gas in an unfamiliar area is an unsafe situation.

• Avoid poorly lit areas

• See section entitled "Weapons" for possible weapons

• If a car circles or passes you twice, let the driver know that you've noticed. Make eye contact and perhaps pull out your phone. The same goes for anyone who makes you nervous — driving or walking.

On another note: Everywhere I hear about the need to raise that other kind of "awareness." So much so, that awareness and consciousness appear to have become ends in and of themselves. If only we were conscious of "what's going in Darfur" or aware of how "prevalent cancer has become" or whatever else we need to recognize, it seems most folks would be mighty satisfied.

My question: When exactly does all this goddamned awareness translate into productive action and tangible change?

We're aware of global warming and its causes, factory farms, war crimes, environmental degradation, political corruption, fixed elections, the health care crisis ... blah, blah, blah. We know about it. We talk about it. We write about it. We complain about it. We hold meetings, talks, seminars, and classes about it. We march about it. We make signs about it. Nothing changes.

LESSON#1: Awareness is overrated

LESSON#1: The current patterns of dissent in America are long overdue for re-evaluation and overhaul. The powers-that-be have long ago figured out how to either marginalize or co-opt dissent. Until our tactics evolve, we remain accomplices to the perpetual global crime we call civilization.

BITE

You don't have to be Mike Tyson or Bela Lugosi to appreciate the might of the molars. A well-timed and well-placed bite can take a chunk out of any attacker's confidence. Anyone who chooses to assault you is fair game for a flesh breaking bite ... so open wide and dish out the pain.

If this sounds too harsh, consider the obvious: the life you save may be your own. (Image 2.1)

CHEAT

The ideal scenario, of course, would be to stop a fight before it occurs. This could happen if you developed (or faked) a rep and thus intimidated your opponent(s); if you talked your way out of the situation; or if you simply ran like hell. But, if none of these reasonable options work, it makes a whole lot of sense to land the first shot.

Back in my juvenile delinquent days, there was a guy we called Ratt who earned hero status as a fighter thanks to one straightforward tactic — landing the first shot. At the first whiff of trouble, Ratt would snap out a hard right hand and I never saw anyone recover sufficiently to win the fight. This is not to say you start tossing haymakers every which way but loose, but there's a glorious logic to taking the offensive when all other options are denied. Plus, you send a powerful message to your opponent(s) when you demonstrate that you're willing to take things to the next level.

Some may derogatively call this method a "sucker punch" or "fighting dirty" but when you're in a scrap, there are no rules. The best street fighters I've known have under-stood this reality. I'm thinking specifically about a guy named Steve, a massive football player with freakish strength who taught me some great pugilistic tricks. I remember watching him play handball with some guys from another neighbor-hood. An argument ensued and one of the strangers foolishly called Steve out. His next move was even more imprudent. The guy, who had a good physique and wanted to show it off, started to remove his shirt. Steve waited until the shirt was covering the guy's face before launching a sledgehammer right hand. The fight was over in a matter of seconds.

Ironically, I used an analogous ploy on Steve's younger brother, Paulie. Everyone thought he could take me so we ended up having a somewhat "play" fight in the school-yard. I was holding my sneakers at the time (gym class was looming). As Paulie neared me with mayhem in his eyes, I tossed the sneakers at his face. When he ducked and covered his face, I pounced on him and got him in a headlock. The nuns broke it up but Paulie never bugged me again after that.

Another option (in case your running shoes aren't handy) is to keep plenty of change in your pocket. This way, if cornered into a fight you did not seek, you can reach into your pocket, grab the coins, and give 'em a hard toss at your enemy's groin. Like clockwork, he'll lower his guard to protect his sensitive parts, leaving his cocky mug wide open for a devastating opening salvo.

Of course, there are plenty of "dirty" tactics to employ when landing that all-important first shot, e.g. foot stomp, finger jab to the eyes, and the old reliable groin kick (as Bruce Lee sez: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times").

DALTON'S RULES

In the 1989 film Roadhouse, Patrick Swayze plays James Dalton, head bouncer at the seedy Double Deuce Club. Dalton is armed with a PhD in philosophy from New York University and three rules:

1.Never underestimate your opponent

2.Take it outside

3.Be nice until it's time to not be nice

Note to those striving for justice and enduring social change:

It's time to not be nice.

ELBOWS

There's a reason why elbow strikes are against the rules in professional boxing. Even for such a brutal sport, this pointy weapon is considered too dangerous.

Aim those elbows at eyes, temple, throat, jaw, and groin. Be sure to get your hips and waist into it to add some power to the strike. And why stop at one? If your elbow lands cleanly, follow it up with a few more strikes if the opening remains. (Image 5.1)

THE F WORD

What is feminism? My favorite definition comes from the inimitable bell hooks: "A movement to end sexism, sexual exploitation, and oppression." This description not only exposes any non-feminist as the dogmatist he/she is, it also dovetails nicely with the concept of self-defense.

First, there are the three iniquities feminism seeks to abolish (sexism, sexual exploitation, oppression). So many physical attacks are essentially oppressive gestures spawned by a perceived ability to exploit a weaker (sic) gender. Therefore, any struggle to eradicate such gestures is by definition self-defense. Whether the per-son fighting back is female or male is not the point. However, the vastly greater number of female targets (see section entitled "Statistics") consequently creates more female fighters.

Second, bell hooks uses the word "movement." In a literal sense, self-defense requires movement: evading attack and then getting away from the scene as quickly as possible (see section entitled "Run").

Fighting back is feminism in action.

GOUGE

The vulnerability of a body part often depends on the attacker's physical make-up. For example, if a man has thick legs, he may not be the best candidate for a groin kick — a strike that requires a certain amount of precision.

However, the eyes are almost always available as a target. Even glasses usually can't prevent the attacker from reflexively raising his hands to his face. A man can be large. He can be a trained fighter. He can be in peak physical condition. He can be mentally unstable. Regardless of any of this, his eyes remain vulnerable.

Like "B" for "Bite," this entry is a tad stomach churning but remember: you didn't ask to be attacked. Therefore, you are free to do whatever it takes to defend yourself. To eschew this powerful weapon is to drastically reduce your chances of survival.

HEAD BUTT

Here's where being thick-headed pays off. So many attacks begin with a man grabbing you from behind. With his arms wrapped around you, he cannot protect his eyes, nose, and mouth. Nod your head forward, then drive it backwards forcefully into his exposed and vulnerable face. Then do it again.

And then one more time ... just to make sure.

INDIVIDUALITY

"When there is freedom from mechanical conditioning, there is simplicity. The classical man is just a bundle of routine, ideas, and tradition. If you follow the classical pattern, you are understanding the routine, the tradition, the shadow — you are not understanding yourself."

— BRUCE LEE

There is purity in the street fighter. He or she reacts without the "benefit" of organized training. Every punch, every duck, every kick, every block, every action — for better or for worse — is an expression of self, uncluttered by memorized forms and moves. This is precisely why many seasoned martial artists stand no chance against a confident bar brawler. A self-aware fighting stance is much more true to life than the lessons our teachers attempt to pass on.

BRUCE LEE SEZ:"All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns."

Enroll that same street fighter at your local karate school and you will witness a dramatic change. Too much time and effort is now dedicated to remembering what one is "supposed to do" instead of just "doing." What was once automatic becomes robotic. Ask a room full of fifty humans to write a story about love and you will get fifty unique tales. Walk into a typical karate school and you will watch fifty students being taught identical techniques. No two people write (or draw or sing) the exact same way, why should any two people fight the exact same way?

Toss an object at someone and they will instinctively block it or duck. No energy is wasted figuring out the right tactic to employ. It must be this way ... for how can we expect to defeat a fearsome, ruthless enemy if we are unable to adapt to changing, fluid situations?

BRUCE LEE SEZ:"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it."

Fighting skill comes full circle when someone who is able to maintain the beginner's mind of a street fighter combines that freedom with the conditioning and skills learned in a more formal setting. Zen writer Suzuki sez: "In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few." The enlightened fighter who instills fear and respect in the heart of his or her opponent is the fighter not troubled by labels, titles, credits, or rankings. The primary concern is results.

To emerge victorious when facing down the challenges our violent society will inevitably present, we must heed these words of Bruce Lee:

"Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than anyestablished style or system."

JUSTICE

For a while, I worked the night shift in a midtown Manhattan corporate gym (cue the shame and self-loathing). One night, I was wearing a Yankees t-shirt with the name "Justice" emblazoned on the back, for former Yank David Justice. An older woman (read: maybe in her late sixties) named Mary asked me if I was a Yankee fan. I told her yes, I was ... but that my real reason for wearing the shirt was all about the word "justice." She smiled and declared that justice was a "noble idea." I braced myself for the inevitable "we need to show those towel heads some justice," but instead, this woman told me — albeit in a whisper — she was going to Washington to march against the war.

After this confession, Mary looked genuinely nervous. Had she gone too far? I leaned closer and said: "Don't worry, I'm with you."

Mary and I proceeded to talk each time she came to workout. The company eventually phased out the gym but just before my last day, I saw Mary and complimented her on how hard she was training.

She leaned close to me and whispered: "When the revolution comes, I'll be ready."

KNEES & KNUCKLES

The elbow (see section entitled "Elbows") isn't the only pointy bone in your toolbox (see section entitled "Toolbox"). A fist gives you four sharp knuckles and most of us have two knees. That makes two elbows, eight knuckles, and two knees: ten weapons to be used without hesitation or remorse. (Image 11.1)

LEFT HOOK

"A great left hook consists of a bunch of precise separate movements that come together and appear as one smooth movement."

— JOE GOOSEN, PRO BOXING TRAINER

POWER FROM THE LEFT:

I first learned the power of the left hook at City Star Kickboxing Gym. I trained there — well before cable TV turned kickboxing into a spectacle — with some contenders and some champions. I also helped Enrique, the owner and head trainer, put out a pretty good kickboxing newsletter for a while ... but like everyone else, I had to prove myself in the ring.

Early on, I got matched to spar with a guy named Phil. He was well liked, a little bigger than me, but I didn't think much of him as a fighter. Insulted to be regarded in his class, I circled Phil deftly and waited for him to make a move. Once he committed, I evaded the strike and took advantage of the subsequent opening ... putting him down with a short, sharp left hook that bloodied his nose. I took a second to gaze at my gloved left hand in wonder while everyone in the gym went nuts and Phil struggled to his feet. They stopped it right there. A good moment ... in that macho, twenty-year-old sort of way.

BRUCE LEE SEZ: "A smaller man who can swing faster may hit as hard or as far as the heavier man who swings slowly."

Contrary to popular opinion, cinematic fisticuffs, and fighters with poor fundamentals, the hook is not a wide, looping punch that originates some-where in left field and leaves the puncher exposed. They call it a "hook" precisely because your arm position should resemble a hook: a 90-degree angle at the elbow with your palm facing down at the point of impact.

SOME BASICS:

• Tuck your chin down into your left shoulder.

• Pivot your hips, waist, and front left foot in the direction of the punch: torque your whole left side. This will generate power without expending too much energy or movement.

• The hook can be thrown as part of a combination (e.g. jab-cross-hook or jab-hook) or as a single punch to catch an attacker.

• Mix up your targets: hook to the head, the body, or double up.

When using a left hand leading stance, your left hook is essentially thrown outside of your opponent's vision. (Using a right hook in such a stance can leave you wide-open for a counter.) The hook is an economical blow that, when executed properly, brings the full force of your body weight with it and is awfully tough to see coming. A knockout blow, it can stop a charging opponent in his or her tracks and change the momentum of any battle.