SSD Class notes – 2026-09-24 Confederation

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ADMINISTRATIVE

We are halfway through the Fall season program already. It seems like having only six classes seems to be rather rushed. If you are ever late because of traffic or whatever the reason, do not be shy, please do still come in. If you miss a class, do use these notes – ultimately, it is more for you than it is for me. 🙂

KEY CONCEPTS

Inducing Pain

You are in a self defense class. While I aim to defuse the situation as much as is possible, it is important to realize if defusing the situation doesn’t work, you have no other option but to escalate.

The following is the list of options to handle the encounter (not all options are available in every situation):

  • Avoid being a target by projecting confidence, resourcefulness and alertness. Alertness gets you prepared for trouble.
  • Round up available resources. For example, walk towards places with people or where you can be seen, any keys or pens in your pocket? Don’t be shy or embarrassed about attracting attention.
  • Ultimately, there may be situations where you have to hurt him to get him to stop.
    – You must know what hurts,
    – You must make that tough decision, and
    – You must have the ability to cause serious damage.

Taking Impact

If you hit a fully inflated basketball, you will feel that it is hard and that it can hurt your hand. In contrast, a deflated basketball is soft and yields when you hit it.

When you are hit in the chest, you want to breathe out quickly and forcefully, allowing your chest and rib cage to yield as much as possible to the incoming force—similar to a deflated basketball.

Notice in the following animation how the rib cage appears to fold downward. This downward movement helps create the necessary space between your chest and the opponent’s attacking arm. This can be especially useful when you are pressed against a wall, where you cannot simply move backward to create space.

SKILLS & SCENARIOS

Wrist Lock Against Hand on shoulder

When you are facing your opponent and they place a hand on your shoulder, your objective is to get free while gaining control of the situation.

One option is to raise your arm all the way up. Your shoulder will naturally rise with the movement. Allow the shoulder to rise and press it toward your own face without tilting your head.

Your opponent hand will be retained in a vertical position between your face and shoulder. You will notice that their hand conforms to the surface of your shoulder and therefore vertically oriented, with the pinky finger toward the top. At this point, add your other hand to secure their wrist so that it cannot slide away.

You can then rotate their wrist while keeping the pivot point in place. This can create significant pain and stress on the wrist, so practice this very carefully and with minimal force. Your partner should be able to release or signal immediately if the pressure becomes uncomfortable.

Two-Handed Grip on a Single Forearm — Low

If the aggressor holds your arm with both hands, it can be difficult to get free using muscle strength alone. The common reaction is to yank backward. However, this can trigger his whole-body involvement, making it even harder to escape.

You can, of course, resort to punching and kicking, but that may not be your intent. Your techniques and choices should be scalable. Punching and kicking are not easily scalable: once you start, there may be no going back.

A much gentler option is to project toward the fingertips, use your wrist as a pivot, and lower your elbow using your entire body without moving the pivot point. The amplification ratio can be quite effective and should work against many people without requiring a great deal of muscular force.

Again, once you are free, take control and move to a strategic position.

2 vulnerable pain points

Sometimes, you may have tried every reasonable option, but the aggressor simply will not let go. At that point, we may need to introduce a higher level of pain as a deterrent.

There is an important distinction: minor pain may simply irritate an aggressor, while sufficiently strong pain can deter without necessarily causing permanent injury. The objective is to create an opportunity to disengage and get to safety, not to cause unnecessary injury.

In class, we explored two additional vulnerable areas besides the groin and eyes:

  • Solar Plexus — If you bend your index finger into a phoenix-eye fist and apply pressure to your own solar-plexus area, you can quickly appreciate how sensitive this area can be. If you played soccer as a child, you may remember that taking a ball directly to this area can temporarily make it difficult to breathe.
  • TMJ Area — The area around the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), near the corner of the jaw, contains sensitive nerves and soft tissue. The general target is the softer tissue beneath the jawbone near the joint, where controlled pressure can produce significant discomfort.

De-stabilize your opponent (via Pushhand / Tui Shou (推手) practice)

When a person loses their balance, their ability to attack is severely affected. Learning how to absorb force while simultaneously destabilizing your opponent is therefore a valuable training method.

This exercise of discovering your own balance as well as your opponent’s balance is often called Push Hands, or Tui Shou (推手).

We experimented with it a little in class and gained first-hand experience of what it feels like to destabilize someone without using a lot of force.

Guard Stance and Angles: By default, you should maintain an offset stance so that one side is leading. Keep the shoulders and hips aligned over the feet along a diagonal line, so that you are not facing your opponent squarely.

Both elbows should be bent to approximately ninety degrees relative to the upper arms. Keep your fingers pointing outward toward your opponent.

Tuck your chin so that your forehead is forward—not your nose or chin. Avoid allowing the elbows to flare outward, both to protect the ribs and to maintain readiness.

Target Movement vs. Blocking: The core defensive principle is to prioritize moving the target (your body) over blocking. Blocks may fail if they are initiated too late or against a stronger force. Even one inch of target movement can change the outcome.

Rotating the body forty-five degrees can redirect the force immediately and reduce its impact by 50%. If you keep your hands busy simply blocking, the aggressor faces no threat and therefore has less reason to stop or hesitate.

EXERCISES

Squat

A low squat can be quite taxing. Our version does not involve bouncing up and down, helping to reduce unnecessary stress on the knees. Instead, we stay in a deep squat position, with the thighs almost parallel to the ground.

Hold the position until you feel the muscles begin to burn and your legs start to shake. When you reach that point, begin a slow count of eight, then slowly return to a standing position.

This exercise develops the strength and endurance of the thigh muscles. We do not aim for a specific duration or number of counts because everyone has a different starting point. My strategy is to let your body tell you where that point is. When you reach the point where you are struggling but can safely persist a little longer, you are also training your brain’s ability to push a little further—sensibly and without forcing it.

Backward Crawl

Instead of simply crawling backward, this week we will keep the arms bent during the crawl. You will find that adding just this one detail increases the level of difficulty considerably.

Bicycle hands

Instead of doing it exactly as we did last week, this week we want the knees to remain bent. The power driving you forward should not come from simply taking casual walking steps, but from using the leg muscles while maintaining bent knees.

SIDE NOTES

You may find our Seniors Corner YouTube channel helpful, especially for topics such as fall prevention and what to do if you fall.

Please take a look, give the videos a thumbs up, and subscribe if you find them useful. It will help the channel reach more seniors.

If you have older parents or family members, please consider sharing the videos with them as well.

Seniors Corner – MartialGym

SSD – Class notes 2026-09-24 Bonsor

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DISCUSSION

  1. Target Movement vs. Blocking: The core defensive principle is to prioritize moving the target (your body) over blocking. Blocks may fail if they are initiated too late or against a stronger force. Even one inch of target movement can change the outcome. Rotating the body forty-five degrees redirects the force immediately and reduce its impact by 50%. If you keep your hands busy simply blocking, the aggressor faces no threat and therefore has less reason to stop or hesitate.
  2. Relaxation and Breathing to Create Space: Use exhalation and rib-cage “hollowing” to create internal space, like a balloon, reducing the transmission of impact. Relax the chest and shoulders so that force can dissipate rather than being resisted directly.
  3. Perpendicular vs Parallel Target Surfaces: If the target surface is parallel to the incoming line of force (for example, the direction of a straight punch), the impact is minimized. Avoid presenting surfaces perpendicular to the incoming force, as that will maximize its impact. Never offer an easy surface that is perpendicular to the incoming hit.
  4. Door-Stopper Principle: Aside from finding space from within your own body, a secondary contact to help misguide or stop the incoming force (“door jam/door stopper”) before yielding space, prevents the attacker from continuously occupying any retreat or space you give up.
  5. Staying Upright and Situational Safety: At this point, you are a long way from doing ground fighting. Therefore, stay on your feet and avoid going to the ground, especially when facing multiple opponents. Being on the ground severely limits your mobility and can increase the risk considerably.
  6. Rotation and Choice of Axes: Most people assume by default that all rotations should have the axis at the center. In combat, however, we may choose a horizontal or vertical axis. Aside from the central vertical line, we can also place the axis at the rear shoulder or through the front shoulder. Do you recall that for some of the wrist escapes, we rotate the arm around a horizontal axes through the wrist?
    You should also avoid turning from the waist only without support from the hips. While turning from the waist does increase upper-body power as oppose to using only arms, you gain greater structural power when you use the hips together with the rest of the body.
  7. Diaphragm, Rib Cage, and Spinal Mobility: Train diaphragm lowering, rib cage folding and expansion, and spinal mobility to generate protective “hollow” and structural adaptability; coordinate head turns without counter-rotations.

SKILLS & SCENARIOS

Taking impacts and guard

  1. Practice changing the surface angle to approximately forty-five degrees against a partner throwing a slow, straight punch. Prioritize breathing and body movement over blocking.Drill “guard as insurance”: keep your hands up, but focus on evasive movement first.Relaxation and Breathing to Create Space:
  2. Exhale to create internal space using the “balloon” analogy.
  3. Relax the chest and create space around the neck rather than tensing or compressing the area.
  4. Do not tense or curl the shoulders. Instead, focus on movement through the spine.

Rib cage “folding” technique

  1. Rounding the back/spine can create space. However, there are situations where this is not possible—for example, when your back is against a wall, when your back is already stretched and arched, or when you are lying on the ground.
  2. Exhaling creates internal space, allowing you to avoid rebounding when you are cornered.
  3. When there is no physical space available (e.g., when you are against a wall), exhalation and rib-cage “hollowing” create internal space. Relaxation reduces the transmission of force. Like a deflated basketball, a yielding surface prevents rebound and reduces impact. A relaxed chest also reduces the transmission of force.

Guard Stance and Angles: By default, you should maintain an offset stance so that one side is leading. Keep the shoulders and hips aligned over the feet along a diagonal line, so that you are not facing your opponent squarely.

Both elbows should be bent to approximately ninety degrees relative to the upper arms. Keep your fingers pointing outward toward your opponent.

Tuck your chin so that your forehead is forward—not your nose or chin. Avoid allowing the elbows to flare outward, both to protect the ribs and to maintain readiness.

Grip Release and Localization of Force: For overhand grips, localize your resistance against the smallest part of his body that you can effectively influence, in this case the thumb.

When you point your fingers, direct them toward his forearm rather than toward an area where he has enough space to move.

Apply the weight of your body and elbow rather than relying on arm strength. Avoid fighting directly against his larger muscle groups or body weight.

HOME EXERCISES

Breath out and hollow: Stand with your back against a wall. Exhale and “hollow” the chest/rib cage to create space without moving your feet or shoulders. Place your fingers on your chest to feel the movement of the rib cage. Your range of motion will increase over time.

Guard: Practice picking up your guard from a natural standing position. Check the angle of your body, arm angles, muscular tension, finger position, head position, chest tension, etc.

Projection: The power of the mind was demonstrated during class. Practice it daily because it is one of the most neglected assets you probably have never tapped into.

Establish your cardio and muscle baseline: While we favor effortless strategies and techniques, you do need a certain degree of fitness to be able to protect yourself and others. This includes being physically capable of handling simple but demanding situations, such as carrying an injured child to safety.

SIDE NOTES

Arrive slightly early when possible—around 15 minutes—to warm up. Warm up the spine, shoulders, legs, and hips.

Class notes are usually ready by Sunday evening. Jot down any questions and, when possible, ask them before class.

SSD – Class notes 2026-09-17 Confederation

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KEY CONCEPTS

Take the Target Away / Blocking Is Bad

For defense, if you try to block every attack one by one, you are bound to miss some. Furthermore, the blocking mentality is flawed because a significant part of the movement is non-productive until your arm actually makes contact with the attack. Even then, you cannot be sure that you will be able to move the attack away.

A more productive approach is to move the target away in any direction. Every inch of movement or turning contributes toward the goal of reducing the damage.

Make Yourself Smaller and Angle Yourself to the Front

Everyone knows that if the target is large, it is much easier to hit than a small target. As a general strategy, you should therefore tuck yourself in slightly and angle your body so that a straight attack will naturally be deflected.

On top of the angling, if you make unpredictable movements in different directions, it becomes even more difficult for someone to land a solid punch on you.

Conserve energy

When you watch a group of people walking normally, you will see differences in their movement mechanics. We generally don’t tell someone, “You are doing it wrong,” until they develop a problem, such as lower-back pain, knee issues, or balance problems.

In martial arts, as you age, you know that your muscle mass, speed, and cardiovascular capacity will naturally decline over time. It is therefore important to explore ways to make our movements more efficient.

In class, we experimented with a hopping style of leg switching. Everyone was panting within a minute or so. Then we tried it with a slightly different method: we “hopped” without trying to jump upward. Attempting to jump up not only uses more energy, but also slows you down at the same time.

Relax to absorb the incoming force vs tensing up to resist

When someone pushes you, most people’s instinct is to tense up to resist and fight back. However, because of leverage, you are actually making your opponent’s push more effective. You should instead relax, breath out and allow your body to turn or lean back slightly with his force. You will find that his attack is absorbed and you will be able to stand your ground without tension.

Relative speed

Having muscles do help you run faster. You must do conditioning consistently to raise your base level fitness. However, the bully is usually stronger and bigger than you and that is why he picked you.

To improve the probability of a hit landing on the intended target, your strikes need to be fast. The following are some of the things you can do “to hit faster than your opponent”.
– hide your start time, i.e. do not telegraph
– distract where possible
– shorten the distance where possible
– relax so that you are not working against your own body

Be prepared to pay a price

Even if you are a good fighter, there is a priced to be paid even if you do win. Given that in a street situation, you do not have time to warm up, or find out more about your opponent. If you are not 100% ready with a lot of unknowns, you probably may not be performing at your best.

In a world tennis event, you do not see 6-0, 6-0s all the time. While playing tennis means you lose a point or game, in fighting, the points that you lose be give you a bloody nose or whatever. Furthermore, have you thought of the time for the after-the-fight legal entanglements? All those are prices that you pay.

Given that it is not free even if you win and even worse, you are not guaranteed success, Before you escalate, you must decide if it is really worth it. Because of this consideration, do put more effort in avoiding a fight instead of flipping that switch on easily. And if you do fight, make sure you are 100% committed to ensure he pay a hefty price to pick on you.

SPECIFIC SKILLS

Bicycle Hands – This is a continuation of last week’s drills. Take note of the following common mistakes and points of emphasis:

  • Keep your chin down – hits will land on your forehead rather than on your chin or nose.
  • Start with single strikes, slowly. Check the correctness of each strike before moving on. Rushing takes away your opportunity for self-assessment.
  • Progress from singles to combinations. After practicing the singles, do them in pairs: pop-pop, pop-pop. Then move to groups of three: pop-pop-pop, pop-pop-pop, followed by groups of four, and eventually continuous strikes.
  • Progress from slow steps to fast steps. Start with slow footwork, but eventually you should be taking fast steps with the intention of chasing your opponent down.
  • Do not move your hands side-by-side. Practice the movement as hand-over-hand, so that one hand follows the other.

Leg switches – This is a good cardio as well as mobility exercise. Whatever duration you choose, try to do 3 sets with one minute of rest between sets.

Take note of the following common errors:

Pausing between switches. There should be no rest between switches. Switch as soon as both feet land.
Wasting energy by jumping up and down. Try to maintain the same level rather than unnecessarily moving up and down.
Keeping the body static. The switches should not be done with just the feet moving. Your hips should turn together with the leg switches.
Swinging the arms in the opposite direction to the legs. The arms and legs should turn in the same direction.
Landing one foot at a time. Both feet should land at the same time.

Zhan zhuang 站桩

Zhan Zhuang is a common exercise practiced by seniors for health and conditioning purposes. It is also used by Yiquan practitioners to develop power for martial applications.

In our lineage, we also use Zhan Zhuang for healing purposes, as well as for martial power development.

In our lineage, we also use Zhan Zhuang for healing purposes,as well as for martial power development. It is a good tool to develop and understand “sinking”, “structural force” and “one thought.”

Some key concepts and reminders to keep in mind are:

  • “Blow air into the balloon”
  • “Three balls”
  • “Sinking the elbows”
  • “Relaxing the shoulders”

SIDE NOTES

Class notes for Bonsor has also been posted. Go check it out. Can you understand it? Let me know what you think.

SSD – Class notes 2026-09-17 Bonsor

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DISCUSSION

Relative Distance

We experimented with changing the distance between ourself and the aggressor by having the aggressor pull while grabbing the wrist. We quickly discovered that when there is continuous tension through the grab, the technique did not feel the same. In fact, the change can be significant enough that you may find you cannot get out, or that you have to brute-force the technique to make it work. This is due to you not being able to maintain a constant distance you and the aggressor.

If however, you step forward or extend the arm to maintain the same tenson while the aggressor grabbed and pulled, then the “relative distance” and therefore the “tension” can be maintained . The escape technique will then feel more like how it was when you drilled with a static partner.

Relative Speed

It is not enough to simply move forward in response to the pull. You have to move fast enough to catch up with the aggressor’s movement. So, if the bully is stronger and faster than us, how can we compensate for the difference?

In self-defense, you do not have to be the fastest person on earth. You only have to be faster than the aggressor in that specific instance.

Furthermore, self-defense is not a sport, so do not feel embarrassed about “cheating.” The aggressor is the one creating an unfair situation by choosing to bully you. Use whatever advantage is available to you.

Here are some examples of situations where a person who is normally faster can be put at a disadvantage:

  • He is moving backward while you are moving quickly forward.
  • You do not give him advance warning, and you do something he least expects.
  • You have a shorter distance to travel.
  • He is distracted or in a position where he cannot move easily.
  • And there are many other possibilities.

SCENARIOS

Grabbed along, facing the same direction

The thumb plays a very important role in a strong grip. If you look at how a grip works, the fingers are all closing inward, not outward. Therefore, instead of resisting the expected way by trying to yank your hand out, you should press against his thumb in its weak direction.

Various Grip Escapes

We find that many of you still start an escape by “fighting” the grip, rather than first identifying the vulnerabilities of the grip you are being held with.

As the defender, you need to amplify your own resources while taking resources away from your opponent. For example, take away the space available for him to move and deflect; amplify your power by using good mechanics; and use your entire body to localize the effect onto just one finger, rather than working against his entire body weight and muscular strength.

Do NOT Lean

A lot of the time, we have the impression that if we lean into our movement, we are adding more body weight to our delivery. In reality, the mechanics work in the opposite direction.

Leaning your body at a 45-degree angle reduces the amount of your body weight that can be effectively delivered, similar to the way a hand truck or dolly is tilted when moving a heavy box.

If you keep your spine close to the vertical axis, you can use much more of your body weight in your delivery—potentially close to 100%—rather than allowing part of your weight to be directed downward or otherwise lost through your posture.

Responding to Pulls

If you tighten up when someone tries to pull you forward, you will be fighting directly against their force. You will lose if they are stronger.

Instead, you should “relax” your arm and body like a bungee cord, while guiding their force around you. The bungee-cord effect, combined with a change in direction, reduces the effectiveness of the pull because the force is no longer being applied in its original direction.

EXERCISES

Integrate training into everyday activities like going up the stairs, the push through the legs when you push the lawnmower, or walk long steps driving through every step. Do practice slow and be mindful when you are trying to learn new things or to change some old habits.

Use simple props to help you train – For example, push a static wall driving through the legs, squeeze hard with a pillow in between your legs to train your inner thighs, use a static object like the wall or a chair to see that you are not moving a pivot away from where it should be.

SIDE NOTES

Class notes for Confederation Park has been posted as well. Go check it out. Find any differences? Let me know what you think.

SSD – Class notes 2026-09-10 Confederation 

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These are the class notes for the self defense class at Confederation Park.

PRINCIPLES & CONCEPTS

The Three Elements of Power: True power integrates three sources:

Biomechanics (physical movement of muscles, bones and body mass),
Psychomechanics (how mental focus and visualization alter physical execution), and
Nature & Environment (connection to the ground for stability and using relaxed, focused force). Understanding these allows one to be effective beyond raw strength.

The Principle of Relaxation vs. Muscle Tension: A core concept is that an impact effective force comes from relaxation, flow, and mental focus, not brute strength. Tensing up leads to stalemates, while a relaxed, “flow” state disrupts an opponent’s balance and expectations, making techniques more effective even against a stronger person.

Using Leverage vs. Strength: This principle focuses on using the body’s structure and pivot points (like one’s own feet) to gain a mechanical advantage. By applying force far from the pivot, a smaller person can unbalance a stronger one without engaging in a direct strength contest. This is a key reason to avoid “Point-to-Point Fighting”—a direct, strength-on-strength confrontation.

Adding Power of the Mind: We tried two experiments: One is with a straight arm projecting past the fingers, the other one is heavy elbow. Both scenarios, we compared the difference between focusing on muscles working against an incoming force vs taking your mind off the muscles but focus on the effect you are trying to create.

Strategic Positioning & Attacking to Disrupt Balance: This is a tactical principle focused on moving to a safer, more advantageous position relative to an opponent (e.g., to the side to avoid direct strikes). The goal of an attack is often not to cause injury but to disrupt the opponent’s balance and control by targeting areas that create an instinctive, destabilizing reaction.

Pushing Mechanics, Leg Drive & Energy Leaks: Effective pushing requires driving from the large muscles of the legs (thighs, glutes) with a bent back leg, not just leaning with the upper body. In fact, leaning can half the effective body weight against an opponent or object just like the mechanics of moving dolly. Structural integrity must be maintained to avoid “energy leaks,” where a joint (like the wrist) bends backward, dissipating power.

Non-telegraphed Movement: This refers to eliminating preparatory signals before an attack. The goal is to integrate stepping and pressing into a single, seamless motion so that force is delivered simultaneously with movement, giving the opponent no time to react.

Adaptability & Practical Application:
The overarching philosophy is that survival and effectiveness come from adaptation, not brute strength. The principles of leverage, balance, and efficient energy use are foundational concepts applicable not just to self-defense but also to everyday physical tasks like moving furniture or pushing a heavy door.

SPECIFIC SKILLS

Wrist Release & Grip Escape Techniques: A set of defensive techniques to escape wrist grabs by using physics and leverage. The core idea is to manipulate the opponent’s grip by relaxing, creating stress on their thumb (e.g., by pointing fingers down), and using structural alignment (e.g., lifting the elbow) to break free without muscular force.

Bicycle Hands Drill: A continuous, chain-punching drill where hands cycle in an oblong motion along the centerline. It teaches how to maintain an offensive flow, clear an opponent’s blocks, and protect one’s center by keeping the elbows down and in.

The Pendulum squeeze. Just like a pendulum, the following concepts are applied: 1) Anchor the pivot. 2) Settle downward matching your Center of Gravity with the path of a pendulum bob. 3) Just as important, make sure there are no leaks.

Palm strike to the nose: When desperate and in-close, an upward strike to the nose of the aggressor can be very effective and if done with full body power, it can actually flip him up and backwards.

Finger stab to the throat: Fingers pressed hard against an aggressor even without stabbing hard can be quite unnerving. This technique has been used against bullies in real life scenarios.

SIDE NOTES

Please try to come to class 10-15 minutes earlier if possible since the room is available. We can use it to ask questions, warm up and even do some partner drills to see if skills that worked last week still works this week.

Do let me know if the you like the class duration being 1.5 hours or do you prefer the standard one hour slots.

Does the current start time work for you or you prefer a little later because of traffic.

We are planning for the winter session at confederation. If the classes are strictly for seniors, the possibility of having snow and ice on the cold winter nights doesn’t seem to make sense for me. However, looking at the class we have now, it seems like all of you are reasonably young and capable, I am wondering if I am worrying too much. Your feedback is much appreciated.

SSD – Class notes 2026-09-10 Bonsor

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DISCUSSION

Back from holidays

We have a couple of new participants and the rest of you may have been with me all the way. Thank you!

I hope you all realize that it is impossible to teach all sixty years of martial arts training in only 12 hours. Everything takes a lot of practice on your part as well as effort on my side. Remember that knowledge is like a good book, you need to read it multiple times to really enjoy it in different ways. This class is almost like the missing owner’s manual for your body.

I started the current season going through the 5 wrist grips and escapes. While all of you can verbally describe the moves required, not everybody can execute it correctly. Some of you are still yanking your hand back. Do remember we have to perfect the technique till you can do it without depending on strength and speed. During class, I taught a way to practice all these techniques anywhere, even without a partner.

Even though we don’t depend solely on muscles and speed, it is nice to have a good base layer. This season, we will emphasize on getting you stronger, improving your reaction time and making you move easily.

Explore details beyond just copying visible movements

Flashy techniques as in the movies requires a lot of preparation. Both actors know exactly what is coming and therefore is relatively safe. Even with such elaborate planning, things can still go wrong. In movies, they can do multiple takes of the same scene until it is perfect.

A lot of teachers teach movements by getting you to simply copy them. However, not everything essential to making a technique work in combat can be seen from the outside if it is not explained.

Some examples are:
– There are multiple ways to round the back – These may look very similar from the outside, but they produce very different results.
– How power is generated – The amount of power you can deliver when you are focused on muscle contraction is significantly different from what you can achieve when you use the correct visualization, such as projecting something outward.
– What stays still and what part of the body is actually moving – Once you know what to look for, you can see it. However, we are not naturally used to picking up this level of detail.
– Timing – We are used to paying attention to the starting and ending positions. We don’t usually notice whether a movement should be performed in sequence, with everything moving together, or with one part starting just before another.

SCENARIOS

5 grips to start – We start with 5 different grips to help you understand some of the key concepts of what “effortless power” means. The following are the 5 grips:
– low, across center line, hand-shake grip
– low, across center line, palms down grip
– low, on same side grip
– high, across center grip
– high, same side grip

A few key-points / concepts universal across all of the skills
– stay relaxed, using muscles and yanking escalates and usually make thinks worse.
– you cannot telegraph your intent to get away. So you must move and affect as an entire unit. You cannot prepare before you deliver.
– keep calm and while smiling, identify partner’s vulnerabilities (e.g. where is his thumb?
– project your energy from belly button through your arm and beyond the fingers to maintain intended shape or structure
– always remember the entire technique doesn’t end until you strategically reposition yourself.

Explore projection

There are three types of power: bio-mechanics, psycho-mechanics, and nature.

The projection experiment done in class lets you experience psycho-mechanics yourself, not just watching a demo. So it is very learnable and you don’t need to train ten years until qi is cultivated:
– Unbendable arm – Key-points are correct visualization of an endless stream of energy going from belly button through your body to the arm and past the finger tips.
– Heavy elbow – Key-points are relax the shoulder and imagine a force like magnet sucking your elbow down, take your mind off the muscles. Just focus on the necessary visualization.

EXERCISES

Do practice by yourself besides coming to class. For some of these grip-escapes, the following are concepts are very very important:
– Stay relaxed
– No telegraphs. Don’t give your partner any indication of what you are about to do.
– Identify partner’s vulnerabilities. For example: Where is his thumb? What parts of my body can I still move even though my wrist is being held?
– Identify what stays and what moves. Understanding this can make a huge difference in the mechanics and therefore how effectively you perform the technique.

SIDE NOTES

 1. Class Logistics and Participation: Arrive around 8:45 for the warm-up. Review the notes on this website beforehand, write down any questions you have, and bring them to class. These extra 10–15 minutes are for Q&A, warm-up, and sometimes partner practice.

 2. Course Focus and Audience: Training is practical, non-sport self-defense methods oriented towards females and seniors. You will learn non-escalating responses to aggressive grabs and yanks. The techniques are used as vehicles for teaching underlying concepts. The priority is developing conceptual understanding. You will gain the ability to identify and correct errors, rather than simply imitating techniques.

 3. Safety and Partner Drill Protocols: The emphasis is on reaction and understanding, rather than cardio or muscle activation. During partner drills, calibrate the intensity to your partner’s ability. Ask permission before increasing the force—for example, “Can I grab harder?” Avoid overwhelming your partner, and communicate about grip strength: “Is this too hard, or am I too soft?”

4. Functional Fitness – If you have never taken the Martial Gym Functional Fitness class, you should try it at least once. It teaches you how to manage some of the common problems we experience, such as shoulder tension, lower-back discomfort, and difficulty sitting down and getting back up. We also cover ways to release tension through massage.

The class also teaches you how to fall properly in order to reduce the risk of injury. Even with common exercises such as stretching, there are details that are often overlooked, which can reduce the intended benefits of the exercise.

SSD – Class notes 2026-06-18 Bonsor

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DISCUSSION

De-escalation Tactics

    – De-escalation Tactics

    – Avoid techniques that are overt and agitating, as they can escalate the situation.
    – Choose movements that are more casual and not obviously aggressive.
– Avoid moving the contact point where possible especially with tension or force because that signals that you are about to do something.
    – Close the distance while facing the same direction as the opponent, which is psychologically less confrontational than a direct face-off.
    – Always choose the non-escalating when the option is available..
    – Instead of showing agitation, sometimes talking calmly while smiling can have a calming effect.

“Yes, and…”

When asked about a product, an engineer will most likely stick to the facts and specs, e.g., “We are using the best material we can find…” or “The team spent 10 years developing the best process…” In contrast, a salesperson will establish common ground with the audience and address key concerns from the customer’s perspective. For example: “We have a 30-day money-back guarantee…” or “We will take away your old appliance, provide a morning or afternoon delivery window, and call 30 minutes before arrival…”

The way we communicate can easily change the outcome of a situation. If your goal is to de-escalate rather than engage in a struggle or fight, both your body language and your words can significantly influence the result. One example discussed was “Yes, and…” versus “No, but.”

Speed Over Power

We used the example of fire trucks. We may have the most advanced fire truck stationed in the UBC area, but if a fire breaks out in Coquitlam during rush hour, the building will likely burn down before the truck arrives.

This analogy illustrates that, when striking, people often pull their arms back in an attempt to generate a powerful punch. However, the time spent preparing allows the target to move or even hit first. It is critical not to telegraph your intent, even in simple techniques such as escaping from a wrist grab.

“Tagging”

Anyone who has watched boxing will be familiar with the concept of a “feint.” We choose to use the term “tag” instead, as it is broader and can encompass a wider range of similar ideas.

“Tagging” refers to any action that causes a momentary freeze or disruption in an opponent’s attention, intention, or movement.

This concept can be applied across all interactions, whether dealing with one or multiple opponents. The effectiveness of a tag depends heavily on timing and the smoothness of execution.

For example, you might apply a slight pull to draw your opponent toward you, then push sharply as they instinctively pull back to regain balance. In this case, the initial pull functions as the “tag,” creating the reaction that sets up the follow-up action.

SCENARIOS

What if…

When attempting to break free from someone’s grip, it is important to anticipate potential reactions and be prepared to adapt accordingly.

The scenario we worked on in class involved a “low, across-the-centerline natural grip.” As you turn your wrist and fingers to draw around the opponent’s wrist, the opponent may rotate their wrist in the same direction to maintain control.

You will notice that, even after the twist, their grip can remain tight. In this situation, you need to find a way to break free without resetting your position.

Hint: Adjust your “crowbar” by reinforcing it with your thumb and applying strength from a different angle.

EXERCISES

Thumb against the wall

Some individuals are naturally more flexible. When they “straighten” their thumb into a locked position, it may not point straight up. Instead, it can appear partially bent, with the first segment of the thumb sitting at an angle relative to the second segment rather than forming a straight line.

Strengthen your thumb to the extent that you can use it to poke at other people, you need to be mindful of your grip: the index finger need to support the thumb and the thumb should be squeezing tight against the index finger.

SIDE NOTES

Logistical Information / Communication Group Setup through WhatApp. Will follow up during the week.

SSD – Class notes 2026-06-11 Bonsor

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(Picture taken from an android phone when the tide was low at Parksville)

DISCUSSIONS

Yanking versus Pressing / Expansion / Extension

A key principle when applying pressure in self-defense—especially to escape wrist grips—is not to rely on simply yanking. Yanking is a withdrawal action that makes the angle between your forearm and upper arm more acute. Instead, you should be slightly expanding that angle.

By pressing, you reduce the space between your forearm and your opponent’s grip. This creates structural pressure rather than relying on speed or strength, making your movement more efficient and harder to resist.

Breaking the Support Structure

When working against a grip, it is critical to understand that pressing directly against your opponent’s support structure means working against their strongest line.

Once you identify his line of strength, you should instead choose a line at an angle to it and apply your body weight there. This allows you to compromise their structure rather than contest it directly.

Everything at once

You need to engage your opponent from the very moment you begin stepping, rather than treating the step as preparation for the “real” action.

By doing so, you deny your opponent any advance cues that you are about to defend yourself. The microseconds lost through hesitation or staging are often decisive in determining the success of a technique.

SCENARIOS

Stick Swings – A few of you were practicing the stick swings. A few very important corrections:

  • Grip Too Loose
    Yes, the grip should be relaxed, but letting the stick dangle with just two fingers is excessive. Maintain a controlled, responsive grip—loose enough for fluidity, but firm enough to retain structure and control.
  • Use Body Momentum
    Remember to put your body behind each swing. This not only increases the power of your strikes, but also keeps you mobile. By moving with your strikes, you become a harder target to hit, rather than remaining a static one.

Fine tuning and reviews

Same side low grab – Twisting action retains the axis while the rest of the body parts rotate. It is an important component piece of mechanics. In the “Same side low grab”, most of you still miss the importance of the palm twisting action. Furthermore, in the point to belly button move, most of you are bring your arm to your belly button instead of rounding the elbow out to press against opponent’s arm.

Examples of situations beyond the Basic 5:
– Instead of looking at the grip, learning to separate the different grips with eye closed
– Different two hand grips
– what are the similarities / differences besides the number of hands
–
– face to face upper arm grab
– side by side wrist grab
– side by side upper arm grab

Joint Locks
While I really don’t like applying wrist locks, it is important to understand why it can work and why it can also fail you.
While I generally do not favour applying wrist locks, it is still important to understand why they can work—and why they can also fail.

Variability in the Individual
Everyone’s flexibility, pain tolerance, and strength are different. A technique that works reliably in training can fail completely if your aggressor falls outside the “normal” range. Relying solely on joint locks assumes a level of compliance that may not be there under stress.

Understanding Joint Mechanics
Learning how joints function—and where their limitations lie—is a critical part of understanding the human body. This includes not only your opponent’s structure, but also your own strengths and weaknesses.

Joint locks should therefore be approached as a study in mechanics and control, rather than a guaranteed solution. They can be effective when conditions are right, but should not be depended on as your primary and only response.

EXERCISES

Same as in previous weeks.

SIDE NOTES

Some of you have expressed interest in meeting up informally at Bonsor (or nearby) during the summer break—whether to continue improving or simply to retain what you have learned this season.

I wholeheartedly encourage this.

Consistent, low-pressure practice is one of the most effective ways to build skill and understanding. Even informal sessions can make a significant difference in maintaining your progress and deepening your familiarity with the material.

SSD-Class notes 2026-06-04 Bonsor

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DISCUSSION

Structural alignment

During the escape drills, we highlighted that the position of the arms and fingers, the angle of the grip to your arm are all relevant details that must be followed for some techniques to work.

The “Heavy Elbow” Principle:

An effective downward force cannot be generated via brute force as is demonstrated during class. you have to transfer your entire body weight through the elbow without learning onto the elbow. This can only be accomplished by visualizing your elbow as “heavy”. By letting your body weight sag and apply pressure through the elbow, it creates a much stronger, more stable effect that’s hard to counter.

Engaged but not committed state

Maintain optimal contact by “resting” your weight on and towards the opponent, you effectively stay connected and influential without committing force or direction. This sensitive, adaptable engagement provides tactical advantage, unlike a hard, committed push that’s predictable and easy to counter.

SCENARIOS

Basic Arm/Wrist Control Techniques

Five essential techniques—three low and two high—form the foundation for breaking an opponent’s grip. Mastering these five solutions develops a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanics common to a wide range of escape techniques.

The thumb is a critical component in most grips. By learning to disrupt the structural integrity of the opponent’s thumb, you can escape the majority of holds efficiently, without relying on brute force.

Redirection of incoming forces

A physical and philosophical approach that avoids meeting force head-on. Rather than pushing back (which combines your force with theirs), redirect their momentum—relax and step aside—to neutralize the attack more efficiently than direct confrontation.

Key Points:
  – Do not meet force with force—redirect it
  – Pushing back against 100 pounds using 110 pounds yields only a 10-pound net.
  – Head-on collisions amplify impact, as both forces are absorbed directly through the bodies involved.
  – Redirection (e.g., stepping aside) minimizes impact and uses the attacker’s momentum against himself.

EXERCISES

Planks

We made a few corrections before class—keep applying them in your practice. Use your abdominal muscles to support and “hang” the hips and legs in position. Minimize reliance on the legs, and avoid using the lower back to hold the posture.

Focus on maintaining a stable, aligned structure driven by the core rather than muscular tension in the limbs. If you practice consistently over the summer break, you will return significantly stronger and more stable in this position.

SIDE NOTES

There are only two more classes after this week before we break for the summer.

It has been a pleasure teaching all of you. You’ve been supportive of one another, which has made for a great training environment. I’d also like to give special mention to those of you who returned to training soon after hip surgery—your commitment is impressive.

Learning to adapt your training to how your body feels each day is essential. Adaptation is a key component of any effective survival skill.

This session is also the first time that I taught stick techniques to seniors. It has proven its value as a training aid for arm speed and strength. Still a long ways to go but I hope you all had fun while learning.

It is great that all of you bought the newly printed LHBF (liuhebafa) martial gym shirt. If you ever wonder what LiuHeBaFa means, you can read more about it in my other blog https://www.mariolam.com/?p=2834

SSD – Class notes 2026-05-21 Bonsor

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DISCUSSION

Off Topic

I apologize for the late notes. Two things happened: my recorder ran out of battery, and on top of that, I was heading off on holiday the next day, so I didn’t have time to write everything down before I left.

Anyway, the bird photo above is one of the special birds I photographed during my trip to Alberta—a White-faced Ibis. I had never seen one in full breeding plumage in person before. In the Lower Mainland, they don’t show up often—maybe once every few years—and when they do, they are often juveniles, meaning they haven’t developed their full coloration yet.

Birding has taught me patience, as well as an appreciation for the laws of nature. I have seen hummingbirds harass eagles many times their size. I may have the best plans and intentions, but if a bird doesn’t show up, there is nothing I can do on that trip. Sometimes it’s not movement itself that scares birds away, but changes in movement patterns that trigger their danger-detection system. I’ve also learned that with advances in digital photography, you need to maximize and take full advantage of those moments.

Last but not least, I’ve learned to make use of every opportunity in front of me instead of thinking “it can wait”—because opportunities often fly away.

Now, how is birdwatching related to self-defense? Give that a try. 🙂

Technical Tension vs Technical Relaxation

We’ve talked many times about the need to relax in self-defense. However, that’s not how most of us have been conditioned throughout our lives. We lift weights, arm-wrestle, play tug-of-war as kids, and instinctively “try harder” when things aren’t working in our favor. It’s easy to assume that fighting effectively depends on muscular tension. Obviously, that’s not true.

Relaxation is not the same as being limp like overcooked spaghetti. Technical relaxation requires precision. It involves knowing which body parts should move and which should remain stable, where your focus should be directed, and how to maintain proper structural alignment.

If there is such a thing as technical relaxation, then there must also be technical tension. The projection technique we covered in class is a good example. It is relatively easy to learn, but more importantly, it allows you to experience the difference between relying purely on muscular effort and using an efficient mechanical system—one where both muscle and intent work together.

Rest/ Restore Cycle

When I was training for triathlons and marathons in my younger days, one of the toughest lessons I learned was the importance of proper recovery. At first, I believed that pushing harder and “toughing it out” was the key. Very quickly, I found myself becoming more susceptible to colds and flu when I didn’t allow enough rest.

We learned to build in structured recovery cycles. This included small “breaks,” where we reduced training volume or intensity once a week, and a more significant break once a month—a full day of complete rest. This approach kept me much healthier and improved my overall performance.

Let me explain what I mean by “small breaks.” In triathlon training, you have three disciplines to manage. It’s unrealistic to train all three at high intensity every day. Instead, we would focus on two disciplines per day. On the following day, we would rotate—training the third discipline more fully while reducing load on one of the others. We also varied the focus within each discipline, such as working on speed versus efficiency. What works best depends on the individual, but the key principle is variation to keep both the body and mind fresh.

What is active rest?

Rest doesn’t mean sitting on the couch all day. It means allowing both your body and mind to recover by engaging in something different and enjoyable. Active rest is a planned reduction in training intensity while maintaining light movement to support recovery without complete inactivity.

Examples include going to the beach and casually throwing a ball, playing on a water slide with family, enjoying a light game of tag with grandchildren at a park, or even participating in a relaxed social dance. The specific activity doesn’t matter—what matters is that it’s enjoyable and low stress.

I also use active rest as part of recovery after illness or surgery to gently reintroduce movement. The goal is to increase blood circulation without causing fatigue.

For seniors, depending on individual condition, incorporating active rest once or twice a week can be very beneficial. It helps maintain consistency while ensuring that training does not become a chore.

SCENARIOS

Shoulder shrug push

This exercise is designed to help you experience the difference between passive relaxation and functional (technical) relaxation.

On one end, there is the “limp” type of relaxation, where structure is lost and power cannot be transmitted effectively. On the other end, there is excessive tension—stiffening the shoulders and arms in an attempt to generate force—which often restricts movement and reduces efficiency.

The goal is to find the middle ground: allowing the shoulders to relax and move forward naturally while maintaining the structural integrity of the body and arms. This prevents “leakage” of power and enables force to be transmitted efficiently through the entire body.

By comparing these three states—limp, tense, and technically relaxed—you can better understand how to generate power without unnecessary effort.

EXERCISES

Remember to work hard and yet make sure your body do get some active rest once or twice a week.

SIDE NOTES

Tug-of-war may seem like a pure test of muscle power—the most direct form of strength against strength. But if you look closely, technique plays a critical role, and small details often determine which team wins.

Can you see it?

It’s not just about pulling harder. It’s about body alignment, timing, coordination, and how effectively each person connects to the ground and to their teammates. Teams that move as a single unit, maintain structure, and apply force efficiently will often outperform stronger but less coordinated opponents.

Even in something as simple as tug-of-war, technique matters.