FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
Self Control
Without self-control, a Close Combat student is just like any fighter in the street. Loss of self-control is disastrous both in sparring and personal affairs. Staying calm and focusing on your goals will always pay off with every aspect of life, but especially with self-defence, whether in the class or on the street.
Courtesy
Close Combat students should respect others, especially fellow students. Take care not to hurt training partners and always turn up to class clean and in the correct clothing, with no jewellery. Students should make a strong effort to listen to instructors carefully and take instruction seriously. Turning up on time for classes and informing instructors when you cannot attend is also an aspect of courtesy and respect.
Integrity
One who has integrity is able to define what is right or wrong and have the conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt and try to make things right. Close Combat students should strive to be honest and to live by good moral principles.
Indomitable Spirit
A true student of Close Combat will never give up, not even when faced with insurmountable odds. The most difficult goals can be achieved with indomitable spirit. Don’t listen to naysayers and always try to project confidence into everything that you do.
Perseverance
Perseverance means having patience. One of the secrets of becoming a Black Belt at Close Combat Martial Arts is to overcome every challenge through perseverance. Impatience in trivial matters can seldom achieve success, an enduring perseverance is required to master your skills.
LESSON PRINCIPLES
Environmental & situational awareness
Awareness of your environment and any situation that you might be getting into is crucial to preventing dangerous encounters, being aware allows you to know who is around you, where your exits are and who may cause you trouble.
Control, Speed & Power
Controlling ourselves is what we learn first, training slowly to master each skills movement, then we increase speed and power at a comfortable rate, so we are always in control of ourselves, our opponents and any situation.
Stance Awareness
Our stance gives us strength, making us harder to move and giving us the balance we need to win the fight.
Relative Position
Our position, relative to our opponents is what will give us the edge to defend ourselves, we must always be in the right position and use our opponents position against them.
Economy of Motion
Every movement our opponent makes shall be used against them and our own motion shall be used to follow through until we are safe from harm.
Balance Displacement
We must strive to put our opponents off-balance, using their weight and movements against them, whilst maintaining our own balance.
Threat Level Response
Our responses must be proportionate to the situation, if a child grabs us, we must use minimal force if they wont let go, but if we are grabbed by someone who wishes to do us harm, we must use the necessary force to get away from the threat.
Reactive Reflexes
We must train our flinch responses to work in our favour, so if and when we are attacked and under extreme pressure, our bodies behave in the way we want them too, we block when we need to and be prepared for the next strike, we must also strike back at the right time, avoiding being blocked and even pre-emptively striking if we see an attack coming.
Muscle Memory
We must train our skills so that they become second nature to our minds and bodies, committing our skills to muscle memory, so that we may do them easily and efficiently should we need too.
Body Follows Head
Control of the head is crucial and makes self-defence easy, our body will naturally follow the head because we always instinctively try to protect our head and neck, controlling the head will cause loss of balance and improve your own position, attacking the eyes, ears, nose or throat is the most effective way to force your opponent to release and retreat when being attacked.
Simulation vs Reality
Simulation is slow and where we can learn how to defend ourselves in a controlled environment without hurting anyone, reality is brutal where people can be seriously injured or even killed, so, once self-control is achieved, we must simulate reality as best we can in order to become proficient in self-defence.
Get off your back without giving up your back
If you are taken to the ground, you must never give your back, this is the position you have the least control over what happens to you and are least likely to be able to defend yourself, you can’t see your opponent or his attacks and are far more vulnerable due to not being able to block, you will learn techniques to get you off your back, without giving up your back.
Defensive Dissuasive Techniques
We must learn defensive techniques to prevent harm to ourselves and others, but we can also learn defensive dissuasive techniques to prevent the situation from even occurring, showing confidence without being arrogant, talking down would be assailants, having the right body language and demeanour and even knowing when to just give the money to an armed mugger, these communication skills will reduce the risk of harm, it is only when we must defend ourselves that we use the physical skills that we have learnt.