Close Protection: The Art of Evasion and Effective Action

I've always been surprised by the number of people who want to undergo bodyguard training but don't know any martial arts techniques. They've never done boxing, wrestling, have no idea about Eastern or Western martial arts, or contact sports. They simply decided that they are capable of becoming a bodyguard. Recall that in old Japan, only someone who had first mastered martial arts could become a bodyguard. And indeed, how can you hire someone as a security guard if it later turns out that they are not able to perform their duties fully?

Personal protection is the "art of evasion." If you cannot avoid a fight, you will have to fight for your life and the life of your client. You are unlikely to emerge victorious with only theoretical knowledge. Here, as always, practical experience is needed. On the other hand, I am no less surprised by people who are proficient in martial arts and believe that this is a guaranteed "pass" to the ranks of bodyguards. In reality, a person who has mastered the latter is nothing more than good material from which a real bodyguard can be molded. Effective mastery of hand-to-hand combat requires cleansing from various technical "husks" that are useless and even harmful in a fight on a dark street.

In self-defense, complexity is a guarantee of defeat. This is what we tirelessly repeat in our hand-to-hand combat classes. In 99% of cases, action prevails over reaction. An opponent who has approached you within arm's reach or with a knife will almost always achieve his goal. The same applies to a criminal armed with a pistol who managed to approach your client. In each of these cases, the attacking side uses the effect of surprise. The guard almost always only reacts. Constant vigilance toward events is the only weapon that helps to anticipate events and reduce the shock accompanying an attack. And conversely, if you are not aware of what is happening around you, you will always be caught off guard.

Street self-defense requires a different approach than defending against a robber you encounter. An attacker, unlike a robber, is unlikely to use distracting techniques - usually, conversation. Most likely, you will have to resist a swift throw, the target of which is your client, and you are nothing more than an obstacle that needs to be overcome or bypassed. If you have had the opportunity to look through the police manual on hand-to-hand combat, you might get the impression that it contains answers to all questions. But the main drawback of such manuals is the main assumption. It is assumed that the person who got into a fight has enough time to soberly assess the situation. After weighing all the factors, he calmly and effectively delivers a series of retaliatory strikes and takes control of the situation. Unfortunately, street fights quickly turn into a banal brawl. Training a real professional fighter is not about drawing colored arrows on a map of the theater of operations, but about learning to fight in any conditions.

In any circumstances, you will have to use the following factors:

• POWER
• SPEED
• BODY WEIGHT
• AGGRESSIVENESS

They are interconnected and inseparable. Power is a function of "force in motion," that is, the application of force. Potential power does not always correspond to reality. From a legal point of view, if you are sure that the client is in serious danger, you must react with all possible force. The source of power will be the correct application of techniques, allowing you to direct the flow of energy arising from the movement of body mass in the right direction. Therefore, you need to learn how to use your power.

To practice punches and kicks, pushes, and grabs, use bags, punching bags, paws, and protective shields. In practice, even bites are used to get rid of the grip. Speed of movement is an equally important element. Aggressiveness, assertiveness is the "glue" that binds all aspects of hand-to-hand combat. Brilliant technique, in the absence of pressure, always gives way to average technique, supplemented by an attitude to win. The aggression we are talking about is something you can "turn on" like an electric light with a switch. It will be an instant response to any threat or attack. When we talk about action and reaction to it, your first response should be aggression, while speed and technique are derivatives of it. This is a cold, sober, controlled aggression. There is no room in it for blindness and fervor. In the first place here are pre-worked techniques, and only then - the symptoms of anger and rage.

In hand-to-hand combat, fear is often inevitable. But it should be used as "fuel" for aggression. In any conflict situation, a person experiences a sense of fear, usually accompanied by a release of adrenaline into the blood, which motivates you to fight or flee. Use it, or you'll be in trouble. If you wait even a few seconds, the debilitating effects of adrenaline will begin. Don't wait, ACT!

If your opponent rushes at you, counterattack using your body weight. Forget about trying to hit the most vulnerable points of the body. In reality, you will need to either knock him off course, or throw him to the ground with all your weight when he gets close, or rain down a hail of kicks and punches on him. It will probably not go smoothly. Most likely, you will both end up on the ground. Taking the fight to the ground means that you have won because the rest of the team will immediately take the client to a safe place. Never forget that any attack can only be a distraction. After you get rid of the danger, rejoin the team. If you can overcome the opponent's resistance, try to "pin" him down a little, perform a chokehold. However, remember that you are on the ground and therefore vulnerable. You should perceive all the people nearby as enemies, and for self-defense, you have the right to use fists, elbows, head, and teeth.

If you knocked down the opponent, but you yourself remained on your feet, you need to quickly decide whether you will continue to cover the client or whether you should finally end the threat. If you believe that the opponent has not yet abandoned his intentions, it is best to deliver a strong kick, putting everything in its place. Under the circumstances, your actions are fully justified. All training should take place in conditions as close as possible to "combat."

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