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Ninjutsu Martial Arts Strategy: Key Moments & Phases in a Self-Defense
Situation
by: Jeffrey M. Miller A major pivoting point in my ninjutsu martial arts learning process
happened when I realized that there was something more going on than just the
punching, kicking, and what-not, that makes up conventional martial arts and
self-defense training. In fact, once I saw it happening, my mind shifted away
from the typical orientation toward this "style" or that, and started looking
beyond the techniques themselves to... ..what was being "done" by each move in a technique string. The question I began to ask was, "what's the logic behind the moves?" And,
"why are the moves where they are in this particular string?" And THAT is what the book, "Controlling the Fight: The 5 Keys of Effective
Self-Defense Strategy," is all about. It's about understanding and recognizing the keys, or bridges, between one
phase... ..one strategic moment... ..in a self-defense situation, and another. It's about controlling the "pieces" of a fight-scenario that must be
strategically managed in the correct order, and at the correct time, if you are
to be successful. What are these critical moments within the flow of the fight? Let me first
tell you what they're NOT. They are not... ..when you're fist makes contact with the surface of your assailant's
body... ..when you lock his joints to immobilize him and prevent him from
continuing to fight... ..when you take up your "way-cool" stance... ..the way with which you've been taught to hold your weapon, or... ..a hundred other "things" that most books, videos, and schools of martial
arts and self-defense focus almost exclusively on. But, they are not NOT these things either. If you don't understand what
I'm trying to point out here, you won't see it. Confused? Don't be. The point here is that, behind any move or technique itself - the punch,
lock, throw, etc. - there is a "reason" that THAT particular technique is being
done at THAT way, and at THAT particular time. There is something that the
technique is either doing 'for' us or 'to' our attacker that gains, maintains,
or accentuates our control of the situation. In short... ..there is something that makes a particular technique RIGHT and
APPROPRIATE for any given moment... ..and completely WRONG for another. And, make no mistake here. We are talking about a scientific application
of principles that work, and have worked for centuries. And, this science
works... ..for whoever is knowledgeable of, and in control of it in the fight! What it means is this; if you know how to use this scientific application
and make it the logic behind your strategic use of your skills and techniques,
then you will probably win. If you don't and your assailant does, you will lose. So, what are these key moments or critical phases? They are... 1) Your ability to assess your situation and understand what the assailant
is doing or attempting to do to you. 2) Your defense against his incoming attacks. This is your ability to
neutralize the effect that his attacks were to have on you. 3) How you unbalance him in a way that prevents your assailant from going
on with his own strategy and literally puts him in a position of weakness. 4) The actual counter-attack that you use to knock him back or take him to
the ground. This is the phase where you actually take the fight to him. 5) Your ability to assess the effect that your technique has had on your
assailant and what your next move (escape, restrain him, or prepare for another
barrage of attacks) should be. In my attempt to learn how to really be successful at defending myself and
others, I was lucky enough to find some teachers who could point the way towards
many of these answers. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as this caused me to have
to really look), we're not talking about the step-by-step mechanics of the
"style" here, as these can be taught by practically anyone to almost anyone
else. What we ARE talking about is something that cannot be seen unless you know
what you're looking for. It's invisible to the naked eye but there nonetheless. Just know this. Each of these critical moments - these keys - is an
important, no crucial, element in any overall defense strategy. But, where the
book "The Karate-Myth" focused on the big-picture defense strategy that lead
from General Awareness to Actually having to Deal with the Attacker (remember?),
what I'm talking about here is the little-picture strategy of phase 6 - "dealing
with the attack." Where an overall general self-defense strategy is ultimately designed to
"avoid" dangerous situations altogether; this life-saving knowledge is all about
effectively and efficiently handling one one you find yourself in it. And, when the "rubber-meets-the-road," so-to-speak... ..it doesn't matter how many way-cool techniques you know, so much as... ..what you can "do" with them.
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