DISCUSSIONS
Posture and Confidence Projection – The best defense is to avoid being picked as a target. Do maintain an upright, non-slouched posture. Project calm confidence without looking tense or aggressive. Stay alert yet relaxed. Good posture can make you less likely to be identified as an easy target and may help prevent trouble before it starts.
De-escalation and Option Retention: Prioritize de-escalation over escalation; retain choices (e.g., open palm, smile, “let’s go for coffee”) especially in settings where violence is not tolerated e.g. if you are in a long-term care center. Furthermore, eye pokes and groin kicks can be dangerous even in class doing it “slow” – accidents do happen.
Teaching Mindset and Class Philosophy: Every class matters because at a minimum, participants will learn that it is possible to defend yourself even when the other person is stronger. Students may face very challenging environments but knowing that you can make them pay will at least give you a bit of satisfaction. Understanding the principles behind different solutions is very important in my mind because the actual situation can differ a bit. You have to understand to be able to make the technique yours during those challenging times.
Mind and Body – Appreciate how you can work your body through the mind is like putting you in “turbo” mode. Our “Effortless Power” approach aims to deliver the most without the need to train 7 days a week.
If you count on just your muscles, you will need to be physically stronger than the attacker to win. However, we do not want to become professional fighters nor become Arnold Schwarzenegger. Up to now, you probably had not had many actual fights under your belt and you probably want to keep it that way.
My goal is to keep the classes interesting as well as practical. If you are never going to use what you have learned, is that being practical? I want to teach you things that can be used strategically BOTH in fights as well as in your daily life. I want you to understand everything so that you can adapt it to suit your purpose.
Relaxation is a multi-billion dollar industry for a good reason. Our techniques depends on your ability to relax and not based off tension. Knowing how to move your body structure efficiently, how to leverage off your body weight to generate more striking power, how to cause pain through understanding of human body, how to simplify coordination of so many body parts through right visualization and focus. Being able to apply what you have learned positively in your daily life is what I am hoping for.
SCENARIOS
Strategic Body Positioning: This refers to adjusting your stance and position relative to an opponent to gain a tactical advantage. The core purpose is to move from a confrontational face-to-face stance to a safer, more advantageous sideways position, changes the opponent’s focus while minimizing the effectiveness of their direct attacks like punches.
Wrist Lock Mechanics (Vertical Palm): This is a specific joint lock technique focused on controlling and applying pressure to an opponent’s wrist. The execution requires forcing the opponent’s palm into a vertical position (pinky finger up), establishing their wrist as a stable pivot point, and then using your entire body’s motion (raising your spine) to rotate their palm around that pivot, causing pain and control without needing to overpower them with arm strength.
Amplify your power using the feet as pivot and hip as engine: Treat the feet as the pivot point; and use your whole body to create an amplified effect through leverage against your opponent.
Neutrality and Timing of Delivery: Stay neutral until delivery is necessary; relax while absorbing or redirecting a push, then project force from the center with focused tension only during the strike or output.
EXERCISES
Back Rounding as Warm-ups: Warm-ups establish mobility and the ability to round the back appropriately; a straight, rigid back may create leverage against yourself, whereas controlled rounding supports absorb-and-project mechanics.
Body Curling for Reach and Delivery: Using a subtle spinal curl increases reach and improves force delivery by engaging whole-body mechanics rather than isolated limb movement; maintain a neutral center while projecting force through relaxation.
SIDE NOTES
I think there is value for you to read the notes for the classes in Confederation. Please give it a try and let me know what you think.
Practice Structure and Early Arrival: Arrive 15 minutes early to practice with different partners and materials, building non-natural relaxation skills and structural sensitivity through varied drills.
Safety and Hygiene Protocols: Use hand sanitizer and wash hands when using shared pads; ensure blocking or containment during squeeze tests to avoid sanitizer flowing through equipment.
Individual Variation and Partner Switching: Train with different partners to feel varied grips and tensions; if the easiest version of a technique doesn’t work, the harder ones likely won’t; switch partners to adapt technique.