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By Bradley J. Steiner, American Combato
The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word “overwhelm” as meaning: “To be too much to deal with”. Think about that. There are low-level scumbags who amount to little more than petty pains-in-the-ass. Many, if told firmly to do so, will simply leave the person whom they are bothering alone.
Others might require the application of some physical persuasion . . . but the low-level nature and intention of their bothersome activity is more annoying than it is dangerous, and at the first touch of resisting force they are sent running. We are not concerned with or about these types of worthless nuisance.
Our sole concern in American Combato is the preparation of decent people—to include law enforcement officers, military persons, security and protection professionals, and private citizens of any and every persuasion—for dangerous encounters with violent, predatory enemies, be they enemy soldiers, criminals, terrorists, street punks, gang members, home invaders, abductors, rapists, thrill-killers, or what-have you.
And despite the rhetoric advanced by many who purport to be teaching self-defense and combative skills, very, very few so-called “teachers” of the combat disciplines actually understand this serious level of violence, let alone prepare their charges to cope with it.
Violent offenders of the kind about which we are speaking are extremely tenacious, resilient, dangerous, destructive, determined, often experienced, and never easy to stop. They do not discourage easily, and they often are capable of assimilating considerable punishment before succumbing, and ceasing to be a threat.
A considerable disservice was done many years ago (unwittingly, we must say) by a journalist to many who purchased and read a book that he wrote on ju-jutsu. The terrific judo experts known as The Judo Twins (i.e. Bernie and Bob Lepkofker) assisted in some of the book’s illustrations. One photo showed one of the twins being held helpless in a wrist hold that was being applied by a diminutive young lady.
In reality even if the twin had allowed her to put that hold on him and crank on all of the force of which she was capable it is doubtful whether he would even have felt a mild annoyance! Either of the twins was so huge, so powerful, and so well-conditioned, that it more than likely would have required a powerhouse of comparable size and strength and skill to even stand a chance of applying the damn hold!
But doubtless readers of that book (which we will not name) felt that what they were being shown was nothing short of miraculous. This is (again we must say, unintentional) bullshit. Many people actually believe that a small, relatively weak person can clamp a wrist or other type hold on a huge, powerful man and hold that man helpless. Perhaps if the big man allows it; no way in hell if he’s determined to beat your head in and if he exerts his strength and aggression to thwart your efforts!
We’ve seen so-called self-defense demonstrations in which a defender deftly snatches a knife assailant’s weapon away from him with little more than the effort it might take to open a package of twinkies. Come on, please!
This kind of crap is not properly educating anyone about what actually can be done in self-defense emergencies, and what must be done, if in fact self-defense is to be effected! And on it goes. Students are taught pain compliance tricks, control holds, methods of blocking and countering, etc. that seem to be doable fairly easily and by anyone—against anyone.
This is misleading nonsense, and students of self-defense who really want to be able to defend themselves had better wake up to the reality of what hand-to-hand combat requires for victory. “And just what does hand-to-hand combat require for victory?” Very simply, overwhelming an adversary physically and mentally, and rendering him unable and unwilling to be a further threat.
Dangerous, aroused and determined human aggressors are not turned off easily! And forget the nonsense, bullshit, and crap you may be told or you may have read regarding the incredible possibilities of martial arts. You would probably be surprised if you knew the degree of punishment some violent types are capable of assimilating. In severe pain, injured, even significantly incapacitated, a truly determined aggressor can still be a threat.
Our purpose here is not to discourage visitors but to orient them to reality. It is not by pretending and by playing that one can achieve truly viable capabilities. Understand the enemy. Realize that he is formidable. Strive mightily thereafter to make yourself MORE formidable!
Determine to train so that in a crisis you do not merely “fight back”; instead be prepared to carry the war right into the enemy’s camp! Be determined to devastate any aggressor. When you undertake to defend yourself do so with an attitude that conveys rage, hatred, and the most vicious desire to DESTROY. Every instance of self-defense will not demand this . . . but some will.
And there is no way to predict which specific one you are now confronting when, unfortunately, it comes to you. No namby-pamby techniques. Let your assailant have it! Kick him in the testicles or break his knee. Inflict injury; and do so with all of your strength and with not the slightest hesitation. You want that extralegal scumbag who presumes to attack you as though it was some kind of “prerogative” of his to be flooded with shock, terror, and the agony and disability of serious injuries. You want that sewer rat overwhelmed.
Some tips to assist you:
- Practice serious, disabling blows that inflict real injury
- Learn to apply your blows the second you are attacked
- Do not stop attacking until the scumbag flees, is so badly injured that he loses the will and the capability of endangering you further, or you can escape safely
- Commit 100% once you realize that you need to stop an attacker
- Work in combinations, followup, and follow-through. No “one shot stops”. Attack like a wild animal
- Use anything at hand to assist your defense and use it with all of your ability. No rules. No holding back. No fair play. No decency. Just win
- Use the element of surprise when possible, and yell, growl, grimace like an insane person, as you attack relentlessly
- Expect to assimilate some punishment. Let that drive you into a frenzy of rage and hatred and determination to destroy.
- A violent offender delights in the torment, humiliation, fear, and confusion that his criminal acts impose upon the innocent. Learn to delight in overwhelming such a lump of sh—t should doing so ever become necessary for self-defense. Don’t worry about sinking to a level “like the violent offender”. Sink several levels below the violent offender, and convince him that he has made the most horrific error of his worthless damn life! Now you’ve got it.