Monthly Archives: January 2026

SSD – Class notes 2026-01-22

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DISCUSSION

Concept of the Pivot

  • A pivot does not move. If a pivot moves at the same speed as the rest of the line, the action becomes a simple direct push rather than a push with mechanical advantage. A common example is the center point of a seesaw, which remains stationary while force is applied on either side.
  • The farther away from the pivot a force is applied, the greater the mechanical advantage generated.
  • If an opponent manages to rest a hand on your shoulder, they have effectively established the pivot of their mechanical system. In this situation, blocking at the elbow will be ineffective because the resistance at the shoulder is positioned farther back, giving it superior mechanical efficiency.

Generating Force Through Projection and Structure

Projection and visualization are functions of the mind in additional to the physical body. For example, you may move your body into a specific shape and reinforce the shape via the mind, you can also anchor certain parts of your body as pivots even though there are no physical bolts to keep you there, or you can put your arms as a circle and imagine your arms and the body form an expanding sphere. These mental constructs are tools that influence physical structure.

All of these methods rely on a single underlying principle: using intention and mental framing to alter the mechanical system in a way that shifts advantage in your favor.

Power of the Bent Rebar

A straight piece of rebar can be bent with relative ease. However, once it is bent, it becomes extremely difficult to pry back into a straight line.

This phenomenon explains why we do not keep our arms fully straight when punching or pushing. Instead, we maintain a slight bend so that the elbow joint does not become a structural weak point. The same principle is applied in certain anti-grip techniques, where a bent structure makes the “crowbar” effect feel significantly stronger and more resistant to leverage.

SCENARIOS

Many people push by relying primarily on their upper body while leaning into the target. This approach usually requires you to be physically stronger than the person receiving the force, which is inefficient and unreliable. The following principles address this problem:

  • Do not lean into your target. Leaning forward makes you vulnerable if your opponent suddenly moves away, causing you to lose balance and structure.
  • Do not apply force in a simple straight line, as explained during class. Instead, adopt pendulum mechanics whenever possible to redirect force and improve mechanical efficiency.
  • During a push, the arms should travel only minimally. The true engine of the push comes from the whole body, not from the arm muscles alone. While the arms must maintain structure, they should not be limp, nor should the entire body and arms become stiff.
  • You cannot take a preparatory step before pushing, as this signals your intention to your opponent and gives them time to resist or evade. Engagement must occur at the moment the intention to push arises—you must affect your opponent immediately, without telegraphing.

EXERCISES

Plank

The standard plank is widely regarded as one of the most effective exercises for engaging multiple muscle groups. Our approach is similar, but with a slightly different emphasis.

The focus here is on developing the ability to relax muscles that are not directly involved in maintaining the structure of the plank. You should learn how to “lock” your joints appropriately so that the correct shape is preserved with minimal muscular effort.

The goal is to experience what it means to use only the minimum set of muscles required to hold the plank. This skill—efficient structural engagement rather than brute muscular tension—will prove extremely useful later in your training.

Squat

Recent research indicates that seniors with strong leg muscles tend to live longer and maintain independence for a greater period of time. The squat is a fundamental exercise for developing leg strength.

In our training, we perform the squat as an isometric (static) exercise to avoid aggravating knee conditions, which are common among seniors. We do not prescribe a standard number of repetitions or a fixed hold time. Instead, our criterion is simple: hold the squat until your muscles begin to burn and your legs start to shake, then maintain the position for an additional slow eight-count while actively working to preserve proper structure.

This approach strengthens not only the body, but also mental resilience and focus.

Football

Stay in a squat position while you stomp on the ball of your foot alternating between left and right as quickly as you can to build leg strength, endurance as well as work your cardio. If you do the squat right (or vice versa) after this exercise, you find that your legs start burning very quickly.

SSD – Class notes 2026-01-15

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DISCUSSION

“Blitz” — a sudden, overwhelming, and intensive attack or campaign.

Most people will feel overwhelmed by a sudden, intensive attack, no matter how simple it appears. This natural reaction can be used to your advantage in counteraction. Rather than relying on a single punch at a time, overwhelming pressure—such as a rapid series of actions—can disrupt an opponent’s ability to respond effectively.

Body language is important

When someone approaches aggressively, the instinctive response is often to back away in order to maintain a “safe” or comfortable distance. However, this movement is frequently interpreted as submissive or fearful. Ironically, such defensive behavior can have the opposite effect—it may encourage the aggressor to continue or escalate.

You must avoid falling into this trap. Instead of retreating straight backward, move laterally. Sideways movement forces the aggressor to adjust their direction of travel. This adjustment may seem subtle, but it is significant in terms of fight mentality: the aggressor must momentarily “reset,” and the dynamic shifts from you being led to you asserting a degree of control.

Arm Position Is Important

Raising your arms to create a “barrier” between yourself and the aggressor should not appear threatening. Instead, make it part of a natural, non-confrontational gesture that supports verbal communication, such as:

“I’m sorry if I upset you, but could you stay where you are? I’m not comfortable with people coming too close. We can talk.”

Do NOT assume a stance that resembles a fighting posture, as this will likely be interpreted as a challenge and will almost certainly trigger a physical confrontation. At the same time, avoid folding your arms tightly inward against your body, which can project fear or submission. Your hands should remain open, relaxed, and loosely oriented toward the aggressor’s arms in front of you.

Distance Is Important

If you are too close and do not intend to initiate a confrontation, you cannot afford to react after a punch has already been thrown. An overly aggressive individual is often faster and stronger. By the time your brain registers the attack and attempts to respond, it is usually too late—the first strike has likely already landed.

Maintain a distance that keeps you just outside the range of kicks and sudden forward charges, such as a football-style tackle.

Because you do not want to retreat straight backward, your practical option is to move in a circular pattern, keeping the aggressor near the center while adjusting based on their speed. Ensure your movement does not unnecessarily expose you. Continue to “peel off” laterally while talking, rather than planting yourself in place.

Voice Control and Explicit Directions

Voice Control – Assertive, Not Aggressive

Speak calmly but assertively, clearly stating the action you want the other person to take, such as:

“Please stay where you are and don’t come any closer.”

If this direction is ignored, you must escalate appropriately by increasing the volume and firmness of your voice—without insults or name-calling—into a clear command:

“STOP. RIGHT THERE.”

A sudden change in tone and volume can startle the aggressor and may interrupt their forward momentum, creating an opportunity to de-escalate and seek resolution.

Do not stop moving while this is happening. A small step forward from an aggressive individual may be an attack, and you must remain prepared.

As you continue to move and verbally de-escalate, a raised and commanding voice may also attract attention from bystanders. This helps establish, through both words and body language, who the aggressor is—potentially discouraging further escalation.

LRT Principles (Listen–Resources–Target)

A core framework emphasizing:

Listen: Active sensory intake and interpretation—eyes, ears, and physical awareness.

Resources: Strategic use of time, space, positioning, and environmental factors. Accumulate strategic resources even during time of peace.

Target: Actively managing movement—both your own body and the opponent’s focus—to reduce risk and gain advantage.

SCENARIOS

Oncoming threats and shortening of distance

During the partner drills, you discovered that intellectually knowing what to do is very different from being able to respond correctly when someone suddenly comes directly into your space. When a threat closes distance quickly, the body often freezes instinctively before the mind can catch up with the preferred approach.

This is why practice is essential. You must train until you are able to move laterally instinctively while speaking naturally, maintaining awareness and control rather than freezing or retreating straight backward.

Single arm push with driving steps

In this partner drill, you observed that maintaining forward pressure while in contact requires practice. Driving forward while stepping must be supported by the correct level of tension in the lower body, particularly in the hamstrings and calves.

At the same time, the upper body must remain loose and mobile. Excess tension in the shoulders or arms reduces efficiency and limits adaptability.

Handshake review

Further experimentation was conducted on how to practice this concept independently. A chopstick was used as a simple training aid to simulate contact and reinforce proper structure, pressure, and awareness.

EXERCISES

Planks with tucks and extensions

We begin with basic planks. For your first set, perform the standard (vanilla) version. Once you start to feel the burn and your body begins to shake, hold the position for an additional 8 counts.

Next, move to the advanced variation. From the plank position, actively drag your feet forward using upper body and abs. Then reverse the motion by extending your body and pushing your feet backward. Alternate between these two directions. The body should not be sagging during any of these.

Continue moving back and forth until you begin to feel unstable or shaky, then hold the position again for 8 counts. All movements must be slow, controlled, and deliberate. At the peak of each direction, pause and hold for approximately 2–3 breaths before reversing.

Repeat the various movement steps from last week.

You can treat this portion as a form of cardio training. Efficient and unpredictable movement is fundamental to any self-defense method. There is no single “best” technique, as situations vary widely.

What truly matters is the ability to move fluidly in multiple directions and adapt to changing circumstances. Developing this capacity requires consistent practice.

Isometric Push Against the Wall

The body consists of many interconnected and moving parts. Being able to summon and coordinate all the necessary components instantly takes practice. More importantly, effectiveness and efficiency are not achieved through muscle tension alone.

You must learn to engage only what is necessary while relaxing body parts that do not contribute to the action. This selective activation conserves energy and improves overall performance.

SSD – Class notes 2026-01-08

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DISCUSSION

Quick reminder / introduction of a few key concepts

The following are 3 of the key elements needed in almost all of the skills –

  • Project – This changes the state of your arm so that energy flows outward as a continuous stream, rather than being generated by isolated muscle engagement in individual body parts.
  • Pivot – The pivot is the point that does not move. It is usually the point of contact—for example, where your wrist is being held. Leverage system requires a fixed pivot.
  • Move as one piece – When you move, you must engage your opponent instantly. Stepping without affecting your opponent effectively advertises your intent to resist.

Guiding vs Pulling Analogy

One of the clearest ways to illustrate our power systems is through the example of tugboats.

  • Large cruise ships cannot maneuver easily in tight spaces, so they often rely on one or more tugboats for assistance. These tugboats guide the larger ship rather than attempting to push it using brute force alone.
  • The large ship and the tugboat are connected by a chain, not a rigid steel bar. The chain allows the angle of connection to change freely without creating unnecessary torque.
  • Anyone who has driven an older car without power steering knows how difficult it is to steer when the car is completely stopped. Steering becomes much easier when the car is moving—even very slowly—while turning the wheel.

Common errors

  • Stiffening the arms creates a leverage system that your opponent can exploit. Your arms must remain relaxed and adaptable, while your focus stays on the target.
  • Instead of leading and steering with the hands and fingers, many people rely on muscular force to push through. This undermines control and efficiency.

SCENARIOS

Handshake

Escape a handshake squeeze by controlling specific joints:

  • Relax your fingers while minimizing movement in the aggressor’s hand. Secure control of the thumb and rotate it in the direction it is not designed to move.
  • Apply downward pressure combined with rotational force at the joint.
  • Practice this slowly and step by step. For example, develop a basic understanding of how the finger joints function. Instead of using a finger initially, you may use a pen or a chopstick to learn the twisting action safely and clearly.
  • Next, practice extending your arm while maintaining downward pressure and applying the twisting motion. After that, incorporate a step-around. Train each component separately, even when practicing alone, before combining them.

Tripping over uneven pavement, tree roots, stairs, etc.

Tripping over a seemingly flat surface is one of the major hazards for people of all ages. Younger individuals often recover quickly, but for seniors, a fall can have lasting consequences. This exercise is designed to improve your chances of avoiding or recovering from a trip.

  • Lean forward into a long step, placing most of your weight on the front foot, while keeping the back leg relatively straight.
  • Without rebalancing or shifting your weight backward, attempt to free the front leg by briefly yanking it upward into the air, then landing back on the same leg.
  • Progress from a straight upward yank to an “unhooking” action, allowing the foot to land slightly in front of its original position.

EXERCISES

During the previous season, we experimented with gallop steps and stutter steps. Each addresses different needs and answers different movement questions. This season, we will begin with the sliding step.

Before proceeding, it is important to understand that most people naturally move using a two-beat step. In the first beat, the distance between the legs increases; in the second beat, the trailing foot is brought in to return to a neutral stance. In a combat context, a two-beat step takes too long. It is far more efficient to accomplish the same movement in a single beat.

The sliding step achieves this by allowing both feet to travel in the same direction at the same time.

Required Variations to practice

  • Sideways travel to both the left and the right, using different leading feet
  • Leading foot switches from a stationary position
  • Leading foot switches while traveling left or right
  • Create variations of each of the above by changing between high and low levels
  • Intermix the sliding step with all other stepping methods

Common challenges

  • If you have hip issues, proceed cautiously. Experiment to see whether leading with one side feels more comfortable or stable than the other. Also explore different stance heights to find what works best for your body.
  • Ensure that the workload is shared across multiple muscle groups, including the abdominals, glutes, and inner thighs, in addition to the quadriceps and feet.
  • Be aware that if the step includes a phase where the legs widen before coming back together, it has reverted to a two-beat step.
  • Focus on sliding. Minimize or eliminate bouncing to reduce impact and unnecessary stress on the knees.

SIDE NOTES

You must put in consistent effort to achieve meaningful and rapid improvement. The following are my expectations of every participant:

  • Review class notes
    You are expected to read the class notes every week to ensure nothing has been forgotten. They are usually available by Sunday evening. Do use the time before class to ask questions before class begins.
  • Arrive early
    Although the official start time is 9:00 AM, the room is available beforehand, and I typically arrive at 8:45 AM. This 15 minutes can be used to warm up, ask questions, socialize, and practice with different partners.
  • Practice outside class time
    Practicing only during class is not sufficient. Physical training is essential for sure, mental training is equally important. Thinking and reviewing class notes is a form of mental practice and reinforces what you learn on the floor. All the skills must become reflexes.
  • Read all the notes from previous seasons
    I strongly encourage everyone to review class notes from sessions other than the current one. This helps you understand the larger framework of the system. If you encounter anything you do not fully understand, ask questions. Do not be shy.