DUNBAR SELF DEFENCE

This is an excellent article by Jamie Clubb.

The anxiety a child faces when entering a secondary school for the first time is well known. Books upon books have been written discussing this key moment in the lives of young people.

The anxiety a child faces when entering a secondary school for the first time is well known. Books upon books have been written discussing this key moment in the lives of young people.

New children are on the bottom rung of the age ladder, ignorant of the new institution’s social and working structure and awed by its size in comparison to their primary school.
This all makes them prime candidates for bullying.

Therefore, it is small wonder that many of my new child students come to me at this stage in their lives either as a reaction to bullying they are experiencing or to pre-empt the bullying in the first place.

Much of what is written in magazines and books discusses the worries a child faces before entering secondary school for the first time is all focused on the first day. However, it is not always the first day or even the first week when the real problems crop up.

When a child first goes to a new school the initial experience is rarely as bad as he might think. The first day at a new school is all about acclimatization and learning new routines.

Teachers and even older children understand about the worries a new child faces and can be fairly sympathetic. It is later on that a lot of bullying tends to surface.

This is because the victim has been selected and it takes a certain degree of time for this to happen. What also happens is that the victim has lowered their defences by this stage and revealed potential weaknesses.

I remember seeing children at my secondary school that seemed popular and confident for the first few weeks descend into a miserable state of being persecuted over time.

One child, not the most likeable of people I have to admit, came across as a real extrovert in the first week and looked set to be the “class joker” for our year.

By the end of the first week he had become the target of the jokes and a campaign of bullying seemed to go in waves against him and occurred both in his year group and in his school house. He eventually left at the end of the second form (Year 8).

Another was an inoffensive little soul who not only appeared to have friends in his year, but also what appeared to be a degree of protection from the older children.

His bullying was a slow gradual process that only really surfaced in the upper school once all his protection had left the school and his passivity and small stature, not to mention certain physical characteristics, became perfect areas for bully exploitation.

Both these children fell into a false sense of security when teachers and parents were confident that the anxiety stage was over and the child didn’t need watching over.

Of course, this is a perfectly understandable attitude to take. If a child is going to be independently minded and be allowed to grow socially he or she does not need to be constantly watched and overdoing this only contributes towards lack of confidence.

However, this is also the prime time for the bully to strike and it is when a child will need to be able to prevent this from happening or to deal with it in a manner that will prevent future bullying.

It is because bullying can take on this form that I understand why “quick fix” solutions were never going to work at my classes at Woodlands School. Our training is as close to reality as possible and it is from this honesty that we derive a healthy mental and physical education in self-protection.

A key feature of our classes is the way we develop the individual, which is unlike most martial arts classes or even self-defence courses that make people conform to a set routine.

By taking this approach we train principles, which our students confirm through activities rather than learn by accumulating superficial techniques. This makes self-defence become part of a person’s character or personality.

A big area of ours is the development of attitude. It is attitude that will contribute more than anything else in the prevention of becoming a target. If, however, they do become the target of a bully it is attitude that will give them the fortitude to handle the situation in the best way possible.

In conclusion, anti-bullying is a question of character building. However, this character building is not created through gimmicky courses or quick bits of advice. Rather it is earned through a practical understanding of human behaviour both that of others and your own.

Jamie Clubb runs regular “Clubb Chimera Martial Arts” classes for children and adults at Gym 3, The Woodlands School and Sports College, Broad Lane, Coventry each Wednesday 5:30pm-6:30pm (6-14 years old) and 6:30pm-8:00pm (15 years old+). Classes include training in realistic self-defence and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).

Contact: jamie@clubbchimera.com
http://www.clubbchimera.com/

I go down to Norfolk every couple of years to see relatives.

Fortunately my cousin is the ex firearms officer for that area.

So with Sandringham, Bacton Gas Sight and ex prime Prime Minister John Major on his doorstep he has a natural interest in anti terrorist precautions, firearms and Close Protection.

And then, like me, he has an interest in history involving the Second World War.

This time down he took me to a museum, Muckleburgh Museum.

The museum some how has very up to date equipment on display from the likes of the Gulf War and Afganistan going back to the Falklands and the second world war.

Infact some of the older equipment was used in the movie “Saving Private Ryan”.

The museum is well worth a visit however give yourself some time as these places really need a couple of sessions.

Norfolk was one of the major strong holds set up to combat the German invasion.

Pillboxes, which are now under conservation order, are littered around the area and are even in gardens. One of them is now painted pink but unfortunately I did not get a picture of this.

The 202 Battalion (the Underground Army) was set up in this area and here is a drawing of one of their hide-outs.  They are open to the public and believe it or not some are still being found.

tSome of the knives and daggers on show.

  There were numerous of tanks armoured cars on display.

Teaching self defence – By Paul “Jagunco” Morton

Teaching self defence is a tricky concept to me in as much as techniques that work for one person may well not work for another. An example of this could be the use of open or closed fist. Some people do both, some people do one or some people do the other. Each has their own reasons for their choices.

          For a long while I’ve had the privilege to draw from a variety of instructors in both Combatives RBSD and traditional arts and have had the pleasure of witnessing many effective ways of delivering a variety of techniques. Having seen the wide variety of efficient styles that are available I changed my question from “What is effective?” to ‘What is effective for what person?’.

          For a larger person shoves and pushes would work in a different way than to a smaller lighter person. For a taller person head butts would possibly be more awkward than for a shorter person who’s forehead was closer to valid targets. Someone who has worked with their hands for a while and has developed grip may well find themselves more suited to punches as opposed to palm strikes.

          Other things to consider is what use will the training be put to. Is it someone who lives in a rough estate who is afraid of being attacked? Is it someone in a risky job who wants to be more prepared? Is it a soldier ? A bodyguard? a nurse or doctor? a secretary ? Could it even be someone with a passing interest looking for a new hobby. How much time have got or are willing to put into training. All this adds to the question, ‘What does the person want or require?’ and, ‘What does the person want?’

          I like to test my plans and sessions before I teach and so I asked for some volunteers from my Capoeira group. A friend (a large man in his mid twenties who is a good hand at Ju Jtisu) volunteered.  Happy though I was I knew using this guy for a test would be cheating considering his past experience.

          Another friend, this time a small young Polish lady, volunteered. Other than several months in Capoeira she had no prior martial arts or combat experience or training.

I had about two hours on a Sunday afternoon to teach her something she would be able to use by the time she left. Also because the mean length of time in one of my one on one sessions is about half an hour I wanted to see her progress in this time.

          I fell back on the tried and tested straight palm strike and drilled her in this using a boxing glove for a target, on the theory that it was about the shape of a man’s chin. I taught her the fence and then to pre-empt, then to strike as a reaction to stimuli (me batting her across the lug with said boxing glove as she stood with eyes closed or grappling with her) . And then to attack from a guard/cover position  This took about half and hour.

The rest of the two hours I send pressure testing and on knife defence.

          For the knife defence I used the GUN method I learned from Dennis Martin. Not only is it my favourite but it can be taught in a short time and remember.

          I was confident that she had an effective and usable weapon towards the end of it.

          My next student was even smaller. A 6 stone 5 foot tall female student. I really did have only half an hour here, also our training area was a field on University grounds. I fell back on the trusty palm heel yet again. I taught it as a pre-empt and then a four hit combo of it and finally to react with it from a strike a grab or a noise. We also used a basic cover and because we went a little into anti grappling. Lesson lasted about thirty five minutes and I was pleased with her progress.

          I have a friend and training partner. He is a large guy (18 stone) and powerful. Also he as some experience in martial arts (a little Muay Tai and two years Capoeira) and has even had a few real world experiences. Because of my experience he often asked me for training advice.

          I have more than half an hour with him. Also I know our sessions will carry on indefinitely so I need not stick to the very basics. Not only is he looking for a effective techniques but has an interest in training on a long term basis and fitness .

          Our routines normal start off with a average length run or cross fit session and then boxing techniques. Because of his grounding in Capoeira we run through kicks on the shield to bring out powerful effective technique already drilled in Capoeira lessons and add them to hand skills. On top of this we often drill the power slap on the bag for a good pre-empt weapon.

          Three completely different people who benefited from two completely different types of training session and time scales. Please note here I only go into detail on the physical training, all my students get basically the same awareness and avoidance training before I ever get into the physical side. I lavish time on this part in an interview with visual aids.

          Anyway feel free to visit my website.

          Paul ‘Jagunco’ Morton. 

           Whippet self defence

A Peaceful Warrior’s Journey Through the Martial Arts
By Dan Millman

       It’s been twenty-five years since my first book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was published. Now, with the publication of my new novel, The Journeys of Socrates, I decided the time had come to share some personal history to express an appreciation of the martial arts, and to share some perspectives I’ve gained since the day I first bowed in and stepped through the doorway of a dojo.

       Fifty years ago, my father took me a judo exhibition. I asked him if I could learn to do what I had seen. A week later, I stepped onto the mat with about thirty gi-clad students, kneeling quietly. Nearly all were Japanese, and the instructor said a few words I didn’t understand . . . I was a stranger in a strange land . . . but soon I learned to throw and roll and to fall with a well-timed slap, and how to tap out when I was choked or in pain. I got pretty good at tapping out. Thus, at nine years old, I began my training in the martial arts with the “gentle way.”

       When I was eleven, soon after seeing the first James Bond film, I discovered Karate with its blocks and kicks and strikes. This training intensified at thirteen, when I spent several years under the guidance of Sensei Gordon Doversola, studying Okinawa-te, which combined the linear movements of Japanese and Korean karate with the more circular styles of China. As my skills improved, so did a sense of confidence so helpful to a small teenage boy.

       Then life grew more complex and busy at school and at home. Meanwhile, trampoline and gymnastics training began to monopolize my time through the rest of high school and college. Eventually, I won the first World Trampoline Championships in London, as well as various national and international titles.

       Gymnastics, requiring focus and courage, became my Way for the next ten years. A motorcycle collision, shattered femur, followed by marriage and the birth of my first daughter pulled me out of competition and into the post-collegiate realites of making a living.

       Yet through all those years I never lost that special appreciation for the martial arts Way—that quest for harmony of body, mind, and spirit.  Many athletes strive for such a state, seeking the “zone,” peak performance, and higher awareness.  But no other sports share the lineage of the martial arts. The samurai warriors, like the knights of the round table, lived with their own codes of honor, serving a higher cause. Here the quest is not about scores or points, but a Way of life, a lineage of life and death, where practitioners live in the moment of truth.

So, after ten years away from the dojo, while coaching gymnastics at Stanford University, I began studying Aikido with Robert Nadeau (who had trained  for years with O-Sensei Morehei Uyeshiba, the founder).

Time moved on, introducing me to different arts. Over one summer I studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan with its slow-motion, fine-tuned attention to relaxation and balance, and refined movement.

As a professor at Oberlin College, I taught a course called “Way of the Peaceful Warrior,” which included basic elements of Aikido and T’ai Chi, and started an Aikido Club with sensei Frank Hreha. Later, I was awarded a shodan rank. (So now if I’m ever attacked on the street, I can whip out my certificate.)

Later I was exposed to elements of the Filipino art of Kali-Escrima-Arnis, and used some flowing movements with the knife as the foundation elements a personal development course I called The Courage Training. (Our motto: “The thrusting knife teaches trusting life.”)

       Over the years I’ve appreciated innumerable styles and multiple uses of the arts: there’s “movie martial arts” for stylistic stunt fighting—we all know that such crisp movements aren’t the most practical in a street-fight scenario, but such graceful and dynamic athleticism may inspire many youngsters to take up the martial arts, as did many of us years ago.

Martial arts today are also taught as forms of fitness training (exemplified by Billy Blanks and his “Tae-Bo” routines), and cardio-kickboxing and similar aerobic forms.

Some instructors have emphasized self-defense applications of the arts – for most of us appreciate that study of an art—and learning street defense—require different approaches and methods of training.

Many arts, such as Judo or Tae Kwon Do provide friendly competition for all ages. But whatever form our practice takes—whether competitive spsort, movement art, fitness form, self-defense, stage combat, or path to illumination, training in the martial arts encourages a more balanced, integrated, and peaceful way of life.

Whether one studies judo, kendo, aikido, karate-do, kyudo, all these paths have the suffix –do, which means a “way” or path to something greater than oneself. This, I believe is the heart of the peaceful warrior’s way—that innate desire to grow beyond . . . to embrace the great tradition of all those who blazed the trails, on whose shoulders we now stand.

People sometimes ask which is the “best” art.  I remind them that:
o There is no best art—only the best practice for a given individual at a given time.
o There is a martial art for any age, body type, or temperament.
o The teacher is more important than the style. A wise teacher transcends the techniques to transmit his or her level of awareness through training.

Ultimately, the study of martial arts is the study of oneself. Understand the art and you understand life—universal laws and gain cell-level wisdom.

I’ve never personally achieved a high level of skill in the martial arts. (I sometimes joke that I have a sixth-dan on the trampoline…) But I do understand that the practice never ends; it only changes form.

Recently, on the recommendation of an experienced friend and instructor, I looked into Systema, the traditional Russian Martial Art taught to the Russian Special Forces, the Spetsnaz.  I visited the school of foremost exponent Vladimir Vasiliev in Toronto, and ended up going to Russia to meet his teacher, Mikhail Ryabko, a gentle and devout man, and the most amazing fighter I’ve ever seen.

Inspired by my experiences with this art, I sat down to write my newest novel, The Journeys of Socrates. It relates a search for belonging and family, and finding one’s place in the world.  But most of all, it tells how a man became a warrior—and how a warrior found peace.

Along the way, young Socrates (whose real name is Sergei Ivanov), meets various mentors, including a courageous grandfather . . . a skillful Cossack . . . a fierce swordman . . . and another key teacher who must remain a secret for now. He learns that we have no friends; we have no enemies; we only have teachers.

       In our continuing practice of martial arts, of life, we each serve as students and teachers. This, to me, is one of the treasures of the martial arts, and great gifts of my life, in this fellowship of all those who practice the peaceful warrior’s way.
–Dan Millman

I decided to pay a visit to the war museum following messages from Phil and James about a new exhibit titled “Commando country”.

It’s a long time since I last visited Edinburgh castle but I must say that it is a superb setting for the National war museum.

First glance

This is what I say as soon as I walked in and I think that the first paragraph is as relevant today as it has ever been.

Killing Ground .1

Some of the first weapons displayed were trench weapons that were made or bought for use on the western front during WWI, such weapons were used by both sides during small scale “trench raids” intended to gather intelligence and to maintain the aggressive spirit of troops that were locked in military stale mate.

These would have been fearsome weapons to be struck with.

Killing Ground .2

In this section there are a large and varied range of firearms on display.

I was intrigued by this pistol, carried by surgeon J C Brown

of the Bengal medical service during the Indian mutiny 1857/58 and made in Edinburgh by gun-maker Alexander Henry.

Here we have a Webley WG army revolver, carried by capt. W Stewart 10th battalion black watch during WWI

The British army first began using revolvers made by Webley and Scott in 1887 and they remained in use until the 1950’s.

Browning type self loading pistols replaced the revolver for British military use in 1957, this model holds 13 rounds twice as many as the revolver making it a much more effective weapon.

Killing Ground .3

From the early 19th century the pace of weapons development increased dramatically.

From WWI sniping had become an accepted part of warfare this photo although not very clear shows on the left a snipers rifle with telescopic sight and wooden cheek piece used during WWII and on the right a Jungle carbine a shorter version of the standard rifle for use in jungle warfare in the far east, the lighter weight meant it had increased recoil so a rubber pad was built in to the butt.

Here we have the Bren Mk 1 light machine gun c1944, each infantry unit (approx 10 men) had one of these which gave covering fire as the section attacked

And shown on the bottom here the Mk2 Sten-sub machine gun c1942, although widely used during WWII it was never intended to be a highly accurate weapon but it’s rapid fire rate made it extremely effective at close range.

On top is the SA80 assault rifle designed to be conveniently short, light weight and effective at short range.

 Personal protection 

The Colt revolver (top of photo) produced in London during the Crimean war 1854/56, this type of revolver was the first issued to British forces.

(bottom of photo) Enfield No2. revolver issued to officers during WWII.

During WWII part of the Albion motor works in Glasgow was turned over to the production of the Enfield No2. and at the height of production in 1943 they were turning out 679 pistols each week.

This next photo shows a type of pistol often bought privately by officers for personal protection in the colonial campaigns of the 19th century, they had multiple barrels and a simple reliable mechanism.

The top gun has four barrels and the lower one has two.

Commando Country

On entering the commando country exhibit you are met with three large posters, the first depicts the special training centre at Lochailort.

The training developed at Lochailort became the blue print for the special training centres.

The next describes the commandos as the shock troops of the special forces, in 1942 commando basic training was brought together in a formal course at Achnacarry, a highland estate on the shores of loch Arkaig.

And finally the Special Operations Executive, S.O.E officers were sent to help resistance networks develop their communications, supplies and sabotage skills.

On show was a F/S dagger and Fairbairn books.

And this sabotage and shooting manual disguised as an agricultural product catalogue which was issued to secret auxiliary units.

There was also guest books from the Lochailort inn showing the signatures of famous actor David Niven and the infamous third man Kim Philby.

Here we have the Thomson sub-machine gun an American weapon issued in large numbers to the commandos, ideal for raiding parties.

The photo underneath is of Winston Churchill with a tommy gun.

Another interesting item was this “Deaths head” cap badge.

Designed by officers of No4. commando in 1940, unofficial insignia of this kind reflected the ruthless identity of the commando units.

This photo shows the famous female S.O.E agent Violet Szabo and the revolver that she carried on operations.

When Szabo was intercepted on her 2nd mission in France by the SS she fought a gun battle using a sub-machine gun but was in the end forced to surrender, she was interrogated and tortured but gave up nothing and was killed by a shot through the back of the neck at Ravensbruck concentration camp.

Of course not all S.O.E agents were British, also on display was this cap badge and shoulder title from our Norwegian allies of Kompani Linge.

The exhibition ends with a short film show.

Alan Beckett

Forward drive

The forward drive is something that we talk about all the time in training, I go on about it because most of your training is physical, that means that you are training for a situation that either has or is about to kick off.