DUNBAR SELF DEFENCE

 

 

 

 

Geoff Thompson – (23/11/07)

 

 

Question

On the woma website I saw an interview with you and you said something about looking at scary places. What do you mean with that?What are you curent and future projects?

Kind Regards.

 

 

 

 

Geoff. 

My pleasure.
I get lighter by working in, as opposed to out (though I still work out also). This entails the internal jihad, getting rid of bad habits, addictions and wrong beliefs. A bit like clearing the hard drive of redundant programs and also getting rid of viruses.
Same as above N, internal work is always scary, but it is this that attracts me.
Currently working on films mostly, I am working on three features to be filmed next year, and three films made this year to be released next year.

Geoff

 

 

 

Question

In your opinion what is the meaning/purpose of life?I already know the purpose from the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, I just want to know your opinion of whats the point in striving to do anything.

Thanks,

 

 

 

Geoff. 

Thanks for the question. You know what they say, never ask to know the mind of Budha, or never ask the meaning of life. It is the one questions that no one knows the answer to objectively.
From a subjective view point (and this is completely personal); as far as the planet is concerned I would suggest that we are one of its many produce, so we contribute to the eco structure, we feed the planet and the planet feeds us.
For me personally Den, I don’t know exactly what it is all about other than the fact that I have an innate and overpowering urge to serve, I seem to do this best through language, written and spoken, through all mediums that will take written and spoken. I have learned that I am at my happiest when I strive and when I serve, I tend to be very unhappy (even depressed) when I do not strive and do not serve, so logically I strive and I serve as much as I can. I find this planet very exciting, I am not sure and cannot put into words very well why it is but I do love to learn, I am so hungry to learn, I feel like a starving man looking for sustenance, I find nothing better than facing a very difficult life situation and coming through it with knowledge that you could not buy if you had a million quid, I love the idea of getting more knowledge, and I have discovered through experience that the more I can master my base instincts (the fucking and fighting stuff) the more of the big stuff I am given, often in large chunks, and often is flashes of intuition. So in brief, striving fills me with joy. Conscious labour and deliberate suffering (anabolic, the kind that grows you) are the key to my happiness. Not comfort. Comfort kills. Not luck. Luck makes you lazy. There is no growth in comfort or luck.
Geoff.

 

 

 

Question

As you know from my email last week I’ve been off the drink for quite a while now. Drink was causing me a fair few problems and I am much better without it….I dont get depressed, I’m lighter and dont waste weekends being hungover.My problem is that over 90% of other people do drink and forever give me a hard time about it. Although I know that giving it up is right for me, I find even people who only have 3-4 drinks in an evening stick their oar in and try and make a big deal out of the fact I no longer drink.

I’m only in my mid 20s so I dont want to give up my nights out in the pub etc. but I always find myself in a bad mood from the pressure I’m put under by my friends and even the bar staff cant resist putting their ‘two pennerth worth’ in.

Any words of solace or advice would be fantastic.

Thanks Geoff,

 

 

 

Geoff. 

Revel in the discomfort of their judgement. Don’t miss the point. The point it that the growth is in the comfort, and all discomfort is just the same, even if it wears a different hat. And when this discomfort is gone, go and search for some more because that is where the gold is. That is where you need to grow. When their remarks no longer hurt you (or your ego, because if it hurts, you know it is an over ripe ego) you know you are a truly a free man. And don’t allow yourself any self pity N, you are on the mountain, and when you are on the mountain the air is thin. What I always tell myself if things are getting to me is this; if you want more air climb a smaller mountain.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

I was directed to your site after reading Watch My Back and feeling like I could totally identify with you.Im a 30 year old guy who is low on confidence, self esteem and scared of his own shadow. Well in an attempt to ‘toughen up’ Im attempting selection for the Royal Marines reserves !. Im not very athletic so I am training hard already to get up to standard and looking to do some boxing to get an extra edge.

My question to you is what is your views on people looking at military service given the current climate ?. I feel humbled and inspired when I see reports in the media of our lads but at the same time Im battling with the crippling fear of being killed or crippled and before that just being out of my comfort zones ! At the same time I am thinking why cant I be one of these elite people and can see myself carrying my posture totally different and looking feeling calm and confident from all the training I would do !

 

 

 

 

Geoff. 

I admire you. This is a great challenge with real threat. The growth you get from it will be immeasurable. If you want to grow, being out of your deapth is the only place to be. I am there all the time. I was talking with Rick Young once, we were doing some work with him in Edinburgh. I was going through a difficult time and I said to him, ‘do you ever feel out of your depth Rick?’ he said, ‘every day.’
Welcome to the club.
As for the climate. What climate? The British army have been at war all my life, in Ireland, in the falklands. As a soldier you are always at war, there is no such thing as climate.
keep seeing yourself as your best self and you will certainly only get your best self.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

just saw the ref to the new film - could you tell us a bit more about this? Is it a second feature length or a short? Where/when can I get to see it?

 

 

Geoff.

Romans is a film I have made the with brilliant directors Paul and Ludwig Shammasian. It is currently in post production, it is half hour long and it is based on a true story, taken from (slightly fictionalised) Watch My back. They have done an amazing job. I predict that it will go global next year. Once it is out and at festivals I will put the info on the geoff thompson site.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

how can I build my assertiveness to say no and mean it with people without going nuts on them?At moment I’m too scared to say no to people that hound me for favours then get angry I’m a pushover,

many thanks,

 

 

 

Geoff.

people pleasing was always a problem with me. I thought that people would dislike me if I said no. I realsied that it was a weakness in me, so I started to practice saying no, every day. People actually respected me more beucase of it. You can say no nicely, but firmly, it does not have to be aggressive. But you must practice. I have seen people literlally cripple because of their fear about saying no. So in a word, practice.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

I understand that was one piece of advice you gave to students recently - I gather that it was explained as meaning that we should strive for excellence in everything that we do.Say that I might be concentrating on following a particular dream – in my case that started with the desire to write, leading to a desire to become a published author, and goes through different stages to reach a point where that will hopefully become my fulltime occupation (you recently saw my first book Choose Life, so you know I’m on my way with this, but there is a hell of a long way to go).

Stating the obvious perhaps, but some of the potential barriers to succeeding can be time/motivation/energy/dedication and the need for a real focus on achieving this (not to mention putting the hours in).

With that in mind, although I can genuinely see why you might say that we should strive to be excellent in everything that we do, I can also see that this might conflict with concentrating my energies on a specific goal, and indeed distract me from that goal. Perhaps a vague question Geoff, so my apologises, but I just wondered what your thoughts were on this – a tension between two different approaches, or a misunderstanding perhaps of what you were saying?

 

 

 

Geoff.

To your question; What I find is that people try to become global on recreational time (please, no one say that they don’t have the time, we all get 24 hours and we all choose what we fill those hours with). If you want proffessional results, then you need to play like a proffesional. At the course people were asking how they could attract more students, better sales, better jobs, a better mate (better anything). My answer was that they should piss excellence. If what you do is excellent then you will stand out, you will attract more into your orbit more than you can handle. To piss excellence off course you need to marinate in your given subject, and to do this you have to be absolutely passionate about it, you have to live and breath it. You can get to the top in anything, but it will ask a toll, and that toll is everything. It will ask you everything. If you are not prepared to give everything you are unlikley ever to get into the higher echelons. I have found Paul that when you want something with all of your heart Time finds its self, motivation will come with the daily post, energy wil be abundant and dedication will not be in your vocablarly because it won’t feel like dedication, it will just feel like something that you have to do. I have discovered that you only need one thing to succeed in anything. Purpose. If you find the purpose the universe will conspire with you, it will talk to you. If you don’t find the purpose (and purpose is the personal holy grail that each of us has to find for our selves) then there will never be enough time. There will never be enough energy or motivation and dedication will, once again, not be in your vocablery.
Hope this helps.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

You have said before that you meditate on a regular basis, and find this a valuable way of staying connected with “the universe”, “god” or whatever term you might prefer to use.Did you initially find it difficult to keep a consistent approach to meditation, and if so how did you overcome this?

 

 

 

Geoff.  

In a word, practice. Find the purpose first, trust that what people tell you about meditation expanding your consciousness and bringing rich rewards is very true. Then practice every day until it becomes a habit that is hard to break. If it is uncomfortable, good, that is where we want to be.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

In my endeavours I find there is usually a natural roller-coaster which is great when the energy and enthusiasm is there in abundance, but really hard when I struggle for motivation and inspiration.Until recently I always assumed that I just hadn’t found the right approach to sustain my commitment in those ‘leaner’ times – I am now starting to feel that perhaps this was being a little hard on myself, and that rolling with the punches might be a better approach i.e. putting the hours in when the muse visits and really making the most of the ‘high’, but then allowing myself to have non-productive times without feeling that I really should be doing something.
Do you have these peaks and troughs, and if so do you find it better to force yourself through them, or to roll with it?

 

 

 

Geoff. 

This is a personal one, because lots of people become very productive in very different ways.
What works for me; Inspiration is like food, if you don’t keep taking it in, through books and talks, dvds, audio etc, you will run out of it, so top it up every day, go out and look for inspirational sustanance (I spend thousands on books that inspire me). Don’t wait for muse. She can be an unreliable bitch , just work, every day and she will be there, she hates to miss out on anything. Consistancy is the bast kept secret in all the arts. It is amazing how much work you can do if you are just consistant. I always work Paul, but I do listen to my intuition, if it wants me to rest from the writinng I might study, or train, or paint the house, or walk, but I am always doing something. With me though, when I don’t write I feel glogged, root bound, so I prefer to do something every day.
Geoff

 

 

Question

You said on the Know Fear video that you had left the really hard physical training behind you, which made me wonder what your training consists of these days? Is it all in the meditative/spiritual side of things, or do you still practice the physical side of the arts? And if so, what is the balance between the two?

 

 

Geoff.

 when I said I have left the hard physical behind I meant the brutal physical punching-each-others heads-in stuff. I still run and do the weights every day. I still hit the bag, i still teach the grappling. It is my foundation and whilst I remain in this corporeal space suit I do not expect or intend that to train. I love training.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

You are well known as a man who never gives up, and yet you have often said just how many times you have felt that your latest venture isn’t possible, that your work isn’t good enough, that no-one will want to watch or read it and so on.
My question is this – when you hit these lows and self-belief abandons you for a while, how do you deal with this? What do you do to try to work through this, or re-discover the self-belief as quickly as possible?

 

 

Geoff.

there have been many times. St Paul said, ‘when I am at my weakest I am at my strongest.’ When I hit lows like that it is when I find my greatest strength, becuase I look out of my corporeal body and find a rereve tank that is waiting for me, for just such times. I call this tank God. An dIt has never failed me.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

I am really looking forward to the release of Clubbed, just wondering how much involvement and input you had during production, casting, editing, locations, soundtrack etc.

 

 

Geoff. 

I was on it all the way, not so much with the sound track (although the director, Neil, did consult me), but certainly on the casting, locations, costume etc. I was actually on set for the full five week shoot (me and Sharon). I absolutely loved it. It was amazing. On the night shoots we actually worked night shift for two weeks (like a real job! My parents would be so proud). It was wonderful walking home through east London at five in the morning after spending the night shooting the film.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question
A little while ago, on a course, we had to write our own epitaph, something we’d like for other people to write for us.I came up with ‘He was always there for us’.

What would you like people to write about you?

 

 

 

Geoff. 

good question.
I’d like to perhaps go with what Spike Milligan had on his tomb stone. ‘I told you I was ill.’
Deffinielty not ‘he didn’t do much did he.’ Or ‘who?!’
perhaps on my stone; ‘What the **ck are you looking at?’
But in less jest ‘he never gave up.’
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

There seems to be a lot of the stories in the news at the moment of people confronting chavs/vandals that are vandalising their property and subsequently ending up on the receiving end of the “chip shop riverdance” such as the tragic case of Garry Newlove from Warrington who was kicked to death recently by 5 youths.My question is: how would you respond to this situation nowadays, and how would you have responded in your ‘wooly mammoth’ days? Would you phone the police, confront them verbally etc, given the leader a good hiding back in your bouncer days?

My second question is: Is Clubbed going to be shown in most of the cinemas in the UK when it is released, or just in a select number?

 

 

 

Geoff. 

in the old days I would have gotten involved physically, if necceassry, although I would have tried verbal first. These days if I was confronted by a volatile situation I would asses it first, if I thought I could handle it verbally I would, if not then I would probably call the police. My views on self defence have changed though, so I would not envisage this happening. Base level is physical self defence, top level, where I practice now is metaphysical self defence. In the latter you accept that you attract what you think about with strong emotion (or you create it). So you simply do not think about violence. This has worked for me for the last ten years. I do not think about it so I do not create it. This is what experience has taught me, but is is also written about is all the bibles.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

How is your latest project going ?
What else have you got in the pipe-line ?I write songs and poems and often hit a mental block.
Do you suffer from writers / mental block ?
if so,how do you overcome it ?

Sometimes I suffer from procrastination and I’m in a comfort zone too,any tips on ” cracking on ” would be appreciated.

Some writers get their ideas/inspiration from everyday things such hearing things in conversation down the chippy,pub,bus stop etc:
Where do you get your ideas/inspiration from Geoff ?

As you’re a Coventry lad,do you support the Sky Blues ?

Anyway Geoff,thanks for your time,I wish you and your family good health and happiness.

 

 

 

Geoff.

thank you for the very kind words. I really think the thanks should go to the amazing mods who are rhe heart and soul of this great site.
The three films we made this year (Pink, a half hour film with the Film Councicl, Romans and Clubbed) are all wonderful. I couldnt be happier. For next year I have three features in the pipe line, a new book (Eeverything that happens to me is 2 Good), I intend to re-release Watch My Back in conjunction with Clubbed, and perhaps I might bring out The Great Escape in Paper Back.
I don’t get writers block. I think it is becuase I ama lwasy writing. if I get blocked on something I move onto another project, then come back to it, or I might go over what I have written and polish it, but I am alwasy working on something.
get your bollocks on the table and work, life is too short for procrastination, we all go through stages of it, but you can’t afford to be there for long. Deliberatly lose the comfort in your life, set yourself demanding and uncomfortable conditions and deadlines and you will find more energy to work. Comfort is a disease to creative people. I lke my gym cold and my mornings early and my work hard. If you are not suffering you are not growing.
my ideas mostly come from experience, and I also love to sit and lisen to characters, I get loads from that, but I can read an article in the paper and an idea is born, they are all around us, just have to open up to them.
I don’t really follow the football, although I’d love Cov to get abck into the premiership, I think it is very good for the city.
thank you.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

I have suffered clinical depression for many yearsnow and have tried everything from self help to counsellors, any help offered most appreciated.Also could you sum up what success means to you?

 

 

Geoff. 

I got rid of my depression when I stopped running away from it. I realised that it was not really my enemy, it was a friend and it was trying to tell me something. Our body talks to us throuhg feelings. And everytime I ran from the feelings (because it is the feeelings that people are scared off) they just got bigger. And they will always keep geting bigger until you stop and look at them and find out what they want to tell you. Within your depression Den is gold. You just have to be brave and face the feelings. When you are not afraid of the feelings you are free.
Success to me is being free. I live the life I always wnated to live. My job is something I’d do for nothing, and everything that happens to me is good, espceially the bad stuff, because that bad stuff talks of change and growth and I think that is what we are here to do. Grow.
Geoff

 

 

Question
What I always am a bit warry of when writing things down like in an article is that after writing it I still learn more about the subject and as my understanding grows it becomes different then what I wrote. Do you have the same and if so do you feel the need to rewrite old articles and books?

 

 

Geoff.

I hope that what I write now does contradict what I wrote before, if it doesn’t then I will not have grown at all and that wwould be sad. Our job (as Ghandi said) is not to be consistant with the past, but to be consitant with the present, and that is always changing.
Geoff

 

 

Question
What’s your opinion on what is the most effective way of learning between autodicdatism and mentoring(academic or otherwise) taking into consideration the impact of formal recognition(like for example in a diploma)?

 

 

Geoff.

we all learn in different ways. I can only tell you what I have found;
I have always been a proud autodidact, the only potent knowledge is the knowledge that you have earned through experience, it is not true until you become the proof that it is true, that is why I encourage people to get out there and experience everythng. I have found that experience is the only real currency, and once you have it people will traverse the globe to meet you, becuase everyone wants to touch the hand of experience. I have always enjoyed mentors too, but my mentors have always been erudite, I personally am not attracted to the intelligentsia, and I don’t really care about formal recognition, it talks of the ego and wanting to belong, I am more interested in being an individual, being a free man. Although in my early days certification meant a lot to me. It was only when I stood on a nightclub door that I realised knowelge learned but not earned could get me killed.
I like to be inspired by other people’s maps, whilst knowing that they are not my maps, and that after all is said and done my maps are the only ones I should follow, and even then only for a while because they will keep changing.
Geoff

 

 

Question
At this point of my life I feel that I have a work overload.I typically work around 20 hours a week in the Canadian forces and take 5 courses in CEGEP(a Quebec equivalent to a transition school between High school and University).Going on an operational tour is very important to me,and have been bugging my mind ever since I was 16.It almost seems like its a moral burden on my mind that will not go away until my boots hits the afghan soil.

I have been seriously considering taking a year and a half off school to complete my military training to go to Afghanistan, as I have major difficulties in finding time to study.Hopefully afterward, I will be able to free up some time from the military and concentrate on my studies.

Question:
What is your opinion on pursuing several goals at once? What would you suggest in my case?

Thank you a lot for listenning and for this website.

 

 

 

Geoff. 

thank you or the kind words.
To your question; I am not sure what you should do, becuase this is deply pesonal. You may die if yoi go to war. You may kill someone. But if I may will throw a few of my thoughts your way;
You have to locate which of these dreams you want the most. And you have to be really brutally honest with yourself here, no room for romantic notions, no room to run from your heart (it is speaking to you). At the moment it sounds as though your two major goals, both might be worthy to you, but they are pulling you in oppisite directions. Which one do you really want? Which one is going to take you closer and quicker to your life goal. Look at the pros and cons of both. War, as a for instance; if you go to war, there is a strong possibiity that you will kill some one’s son, some one’s brother, some one’s uncle, some one’s daddy. This is the reality. These people are not Afghans they are people. Is killing some one going to take you forward? I understand war, and I am not judging, but please know that the lad that goes to war is never the lad that returns. Killing is a serious business. What I think you need to do is look at what war is then ask yourself if being in a war is going to take you to you life idylle. If it is, burn your books and do the military thing immediatly. If not, and if going to war is an easy distraction from hard study, then put it to bed and dig in with the academic.
Some more thoughts; not sure if I am right but mentate on them; There are one or two clues for me in your question. You use the words ‘burden’ and ‘bugging’ in regard to the war. This does not bode well for me. You say it is ‘very important’. If you are going to war is that enough? For me to go to war I would have to want it like a drowning man wants air.
If you don’t feel like that don’t go.
Ultimatly though only you can answer this one.
Geoff

 

 

Question

I currently have a student I train with, and grasping the concepts of striking for him is relatively easy. as well as other areas, though he has not done anything major yet as he is just learning basics and technique.The problem I am finding is even doing heavy pad work, he can not bring himself to hit all out, for a one shot knock out each strike. He pulls every single strike. He says its because he does not want to hurt anyone, I have told him time and time again, pulling punches will get the same result in a live situation. he understands this and yet he still cant bring himself to do it he tries and tries and automatically holds back at the last second I let him know he has to train like its the only shot he will get so be powerful and totally comit to the strike.

He understands the principle all too well. but it does not matter what way I explain it, clarify his questions, or place scenarios in front of him, he just cant do it.

Any suggestions as he clearly has a mental block on doing another human being damage. but id rather he learned the techniques and done it full on so I can see what needs to be improved and clear this block that he has to get the best from his training and his state of mind.

Basics look ok so far, but never seen him fully comit to a strike.

 

 

 

Geoff.

It is OK that he doesn’t wan to commit. Not everyone does. And I understnd that he does not want to hurt anyone. His problem is one of fear. You have to just keep inspiring him to overcome his fear, you have to find the language that he will respond to, something personal to him, that will trigger a release, and if he really does not want to commit to the technique that is OK, as long as you are brutally honest with him and tell him that as far as self defence is concerned he is throwing his money away on instruction if he does not want to take instruction.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question

I spoke to you a while back about losing people close to me friends to be precise, because of the route of career and life I have chosen, I have since given up drinking completely, and wont allow anything negative to pull me down. Since lost a couple more people who never seem to stay in contact. although Jayne does not like it, I am adament I am doing the right thing.I am not being mean, nasty or projecting my ideas and ideals down anyone’s throat, they just seem to disperse when they find out how I am changing my life now for a more positive one.

My question is, does this happen more and more as you progress and move into different arenas,? or are these people just ones who are not willing to move on for the better, or come along with me and see where it may lead?

they are by no means left out, but was left feeling the other day that i had done something wrong, when jayne asked why they had left and was it because I was changing and evolving in the areas which I want for myself and my family.

 

 

 

Geoff.

growing means leaving small pools for bigger pools. Rarely will people come with you before they are ready. you do not leave anyone behind, they just choose not to come with you. And that is OK, that is there right. It is hard, but as I have always said, we are not in the game of easy. But always be careful not to (as you said) tilt the lance at those who are not ready, or be arrogant abaut the fact that you are grwoing and they are not. my advise f to move forward quietly, don’t make big announcments, and many of the people will grow with you without even know that they are growing.
Geoff

 

 

 

Question
I saw there was a question about a writersblock… I find that when I write something and I am able to do it in one go from start to end it’s usually more flowing and doesn’t need so much editing as when I need to think about how to formulate things, wether things fit in or should better be left out and about what to write. The struggle makes me wanting to drop the project and try to start another different one. The ones that go well usualy had some riping for some time so all the thinking has been done before I sat down to write it.
How does it work for you?
Kind Regards,

 

Geoff.  

some times words fly out of me, other times they creep out, but as long as they come out I don’t mind. I think it can work both ways.
Geoff