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Old 03-26-2009, 08:39 PM   #32
eyrie
 
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Location: Summerholm, Queensland
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,126
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Re: Primary Techniques for Self Defense

If you look at the various statistics available, most of them seem to indicate that > 90% of potential situations and encounters can be avoided by simply being aware and taking preventative physical measures.

So, I would agree that spatial awareness and distance - especially distances that can be afforded by simply running away - would form the "primary techniques" (or more accurately, "strategies") of the majority of SD responses.

As far as "secondary techniques" (or more appropriately, "responses") go, the principles of "blending" and "redirection", as applied to psychological and verbal de-escalation, are far more preferable to any physical "technique".

Actual physical "technique" is usually the action of "last resort", when all else fails. Even then, I would certainly not show ANY "technique", much less, ANY specific Aikido technique, simply because ritualized movement, such as that being touted as "technique", is antithetical to the situational dynamics of any encounter.

Rather, I would layout the physical and bio-mechanical basis of the human body, and how its natural physical limitations and weaknesses can be exploited by simple and rather basic gross movements; movements which comply with basic physical laws that would at the very least enable one to temporarily disable and/or disengage from an assailant, to create an escape opportunity - and thereby create distance.

In any case, the legal premise and ramifications of physical self-defence, is sufficient to preclude, and in certain cases even invalidate, the use of many "martial arts" techniques as a legal defence.

Ignatius
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