We have been working the concept of Anger Management into Martial Art Schools. You may well be thinking – What does Anger Management have to do with Martial Arts?

Most people have a total misconception of a Martial Arts School is and what their function is within a Community but it can have such a positive impact on the lives of people in so many ways.

Martial Arts is Anger Management. From a Practical standpoint, Self Defence is about protecting one from harm and anger causes harm.

There are many Anger Management Organisations in Towns and Cities, it’s just that 99.9% of them are therapeutic. i.e Organisations that help people after they have a problem. It’s not Self Defense when it’s therapeutic but when it’s used as a preventative measure it certainly is. There are some simple tools that we can arm every child and every adult should they be in a place where anger runs the risk of hurting themselves or they could be in a position to hurt another person. To have the Tools already in your Toolbox can be a massive preventative measure.

Most people in the past have been involved in clinical profession, however, that does not need to be the case.

Why isn’t this taught to kids? Why isn’t this in Schools? Why aren’t people being taught these skills at an early age. Martial Arts Studios and schools are a perfect place to make this possible.

Managing anger can be applied to dealing with your own anger and also in dealing with angry people as these tools can be applied to diffuse a situation. That is so much about Martial Arts. This gives an organise method in which to teach these skills.

The 8 Tools of Anger Management

1. Managing Stress – The more stress people have, the more irritable and angry they are. Tools to decrease your stress or that of another person.

2. Developing Empathy – The ability to put yourself in another persons shoes, to see there world from their point of view from their perspective. An extremely useful skill.

3. Learn to Respond and Not React. Even if you have an angry trigger in your life, you have choices as to how you will deal with that situation.

4. Self Talk – What you tell yourself to dial down your anger

5. Assertive Communication – Learning to deal with people in a non-aggressive way that gets your point across and gets a different response from them unlike anger which escalates a situation.

6  – Setting Expectations – Distorted or wrong expectations can cause or add to the anger. Learn to adjust those expectations

7 – Learn to Forgive – Let grievances go instead of having a revenge and get even philosophy of life

8 – Retreat and Think Things Over – Step back before dealing with a situation, calm down, cool off and then deal with it.

Teach a kind of Martial Arts Education that everyone can use. These skills of Anger Management are Scientific, medically proven techniques and strategies.

Have a good look at the Anger Management Courses that are available

1 – Anger Management Consumer Course

2 – Learn to Teach Anger Management

Have Fun – Train Hard – Train Smart – Fightwize

Sensei Malcolm Bale

Home should be the Safest place in the world for your children, in fact for you and your whole family. If you cannot sit back and relax in your own home then where can you?

There are many steps that you can take to ensure that your home is the safest place it possibly can be and stays that way.

Steps may include fitting window locks, fitting door locks, viewing holes, lights in strategic locations, secure fencing, lights controlled by movement sensors, burglar alarms, smoke alarms, panic alarms and also knowing what items you have available in each room that could be used to defend yourself, should there ever be a need.

Do not make it easy for intruders to access your home, take some time to assess exactly how you can take a few steps to make it safer.

It’s another situation where people think that it would never happen to them, but believe me, burglary does happen and all too regularly. Statistics are uncomfortably high. If you live in a very nice neighborhood and think that it makes you safe, then think again as you are exactly what a burglar is looking for.

Burglary or a home invasion of any kind can cause total devastation to the whole family, don’t wait until it’s too late, start making a few changes now.

It does not have to be a very expensive project to safeguard your home, you will be surprised at how little can be spent on a few locks here and there.

It’s not only home invasion that you should consider either, it’s always a good idea to have smoke detectors and C02 (Carbon Dioxide) detectors in the house. You just never know so it’s not a bad idea to be prepared for the unexpected.

Also ensure that any potentially dangerous cleaning chemicals are inaccessible to children by storing them away in safe places.

The above are just a few general examples, each week we will give you a few simple ideas on how you can make your home a safer place.

At Alberta Self Defense, we have created another Free Self Defense Book.

It covers some great details on what we consider to be a part the essential elements – Targeting and Striking.

Knowing where to strike and how to strike is a critical skill, it can help you create the maximum effect possible. The ability to create a great deal of pain through effective strikes, can be a life-saving strategy on it’s own. You can be very effective in Self Defense, regardless of you size and strength but you do need to know how to maximize the effect of your strikes.

“Targeting and Striking” gives you the information to make that possible.

Sure, if you can avoid a physical response then do so but if you ever need to strike, you best know how to do it effectively.

Fill out the form below and I will send details of how to download your Free Self Defense Book:

What is the most important aspect of Self Defense?

I like to ask this question to Newbie’s attending group courses. The answers differ greatly from one person to the next, there is no one correct answer but what is important to hear is what’s important to that person at that particular point in time. The answers are relative as each person’s circumstances are very unique. What is important to one person is not always apparent to another person until they hear someone else’s story. Bringing this question out within a group always highlights many different and very valid points. It also gives us a chance to explain some of the pros and cons of the answers.

Be Aware of your Surroundings is a very common answer. To expand on that point, it is important to know where you are and where you’re going. Knowing any areas that should be avoided can prevent getting into trouble in the first place. Also being aware that muggings, rapes, attacks and so on do actually happen is important, people who are switched off and unaware become ideal targets.

Attack the Groin is often shouted out. The groin can be a very effective target; however it can only really be accessed successfully or effectively during a very close quarter fight. To try and access the groin from a normal punching and kicking distance is often ineffective. The body is equipped with lightening fast instinctive reactions to protect valuable organs such as the testicles and eyes. Close quarter strikes that come from out of view would be far more effective and much more likely to reach the intended target. Learn how to strike in these areas and practice striking. Use a groin Protector and Headgear complete with a visor in order to practice at a realistic speed, safely.

Run Away – is a common answer and is a very viable tactic but to expand on that point, if you are on your own and there are multiple attackers or an attacker carrying a weapon the running would be a sensible option. However, it is not always a possibility. Maybe you are simply not fit enough to run more than a few yards without getting winded or maybe you have young children with you. This could be one reason to stay n top of your personal fitness.

Avoid getting into trouble in the First Place – Avoidance is certainly a recommended practice, increasing your awareness through reading and research will increase your general Self Defense knowledge and help avoid situations before they happen. Maybe you will simply learn from the misfortunes of other people, maybe you will learn how people have managed to fight their way out of a situation. Maybe for example, its as simple as not walking down a dark alley at night which is obvious to most people. However, the downside on this point is that a situation may come along that was impossible to avoid.
Avoid, Escape and attack should be your options and in that order.

Stay in Groups – If you are out and about, there is something to be said for strength in numbers, as a group, you are far less likely to be the target of many types of attacker. Seeing friends home right to the point of getting into their home is very good practice.

All of the above are very good and very valid points but there are some other points to remember that people rarely bring up and we consider to be very important:

Have a Plan – Go through as many scenarios in your mind as you can possibly think of and figure out what you would do in a particular situation. This helps to avoid panic as you have a good idea of what you should do in a particular situation. When considering your options, keep in mind, avoid, escape and attack.

Know Your Limits - How far would you go in order to protect yourself? Could you stick your finger deep into someone’s eye if that’s what it required to save yourself? Could your pull chunks of hair out, tear an ear away from the head, fish hook a hole from the mouth through the cheek? Know what your own personal limit is. Many people find it hard to imagine carrying out such actions but any parent will know that if it was their kids that needs protecting then they would certainly do whatever they have to.

Finding Your Inner Strength – What is it that would make you get home tonight? Friends, Family, Pets, Your Home? Are you going to let your family become Fatherless, Motherless, Daughterless, Sonless, Husbandless, Wifeless, whatever it is? Absolutely not, this piece of scum standing in front of you, is not going to deny you and your family the right to be together -

YOU ARE GOING HOME AND YOU WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THERE

In Self Defense, it is essential that your strikes are very simple movements. In a high stress situation, after your body has reacted with an adrenal rush, it is not possible for most people to carry out fine or complex motor skills.

As with all Self Defense Techniques, the strikes must be very simple movements. Striking is just one part of a System, you should have your other pre-fight strategies in place in order for your strikes to be most effective.

An example of a pre fight strategy is being verbal with your set up. If you learn how to verbalize, you can lower your assailant’s guard. Strikes that are not expected are far more effective.

Being Pre-emptive, striking before you have been struck can be a life-saving strategy in many situations. In other situations there may not be a pre-fight stage such as a blind sided attack or ambush.

Fear Control is also an area that must be enhanced. If you are paralyzed by the effects of fear then your strikes will not even happen.

There are two distinct types of strike, distractions and power strikes. Distractions carry the perception of speed and are used to create an opening for other strikes or techniques. Power Strikes carry weight and momentum.

Let’s take a look at some simple strikes that can be used starting with punches. Punching is a great tool for many people but many other do not punch well to put it politely. The other downside is that punching to the head area could cause more damage to puncher than to the person on the receiving end. Catching a tooth in the punch can break the skin and allow the transfer of diseases or infections.

Punches to other parts of the body would be a much safer option for most. The solar Plexus for example makes a very effective target for such a strike.

Your Elbow makes a great tool for striking in a close quarter struggle. It can be used in a variety of ways and from various positions. Fast distracting strikes can be used if the elbow is the closest tool to the target but great power can also be generated by rotating the hips and shoulders into strikes.

Knees are very effective as a weapon too, obviously during a close quarter struggle too. Kneeing to the groin, inner thigh or outer thigh can be totally debilitating.

Simple low Kicks can be made to be effective by most people. Nothing has to be fancy about kicking. Kicks targeted below the waist are very effective. To give them names, Round Kicks to the thighs, Side Kicks to the Knees, Shin Kicks and Foot stomps can all be useful in a stun and run type of strategy.
Not all strikes are intended as finishers. Distracting strikes, whether with the hands, feet, elbow or knees will create an opening for power strikes. Let’s not neglect the close quarter strikes that can be made effective by anyone. Eye gouges, tearing at the ears, scratching to face and nose, throat grab etc.

One important point to remember is that force should parallel danger. Therefore, strikes that could cause permanent damage to the assailant should only be used in a life threatening situation. Take some time to attend a course or attend a Martial Arts class that is dedicated to Self Defense Training just like our own School “Jiu Jitsu Calgary“.

Train Smart – Fightwize