EXPERIMENTS AND ADAPTATIONS

Everyone was asked to walk quickly, and at an unexpected moment, they heard the command “STOP!” Some didn’t hear it and kept walking, while others tried to stop but stumbled. This simple experiment demonstrates how we are not always listening and how inertia acts like an invisible force, pushing you forward even when you intend to stop. Learning to counteract this force is crucial. Equally important is developing the habit of listening for verbal warnings like “On your right,” “Behind you,” or “Watch out!”

Next, we moved on to partner drills for the above technique. One person acted as a spotter while the other practiced responding to a gentle push from behind. As a spotter, it’s essential to:

• Understand the technical details of the skill. For example, push the hip back, fold at the hip, bring the arms up from below up close to your chest, etc. Ask if you are not sure.
• Position your hands correctly for support. For this one, one hand on the back while the other at the hip, if your partner stumbles, there is zero distance to catch him/her.
• Gradually increase the difficulty level, but only at the request of your partner.
• Stay close enough to provide assistance if your partner loses balance—without risking both of you falling.

These drills help improve reaction time, body awareness, and overall stability, making them valuable for real-world situations.

DISCUSSIONS

Acquiring resources (or getting help) – Some of us feel shy when approaching strangers, but overcoming that fear is essential. We should practice talking to strangers to build confidence. If you ever feel targeted, one option is to approach someone nearby, pretend to know them, and engage in conversation. This shifts the focus from you alone to a shared situation, making you a less appealing target. No matter how capable you are, you don’t have to face it alone.

Effectively faster by reducing distance or starting earlier – You may not have the same reflexes as a potential aggressor, but you can compensate by minimizing the distance between yourself and safety. One tactic is to cross your arms over your chest while subtly adjusting your hair or clothing. This keeps your hands up in a non-threatening manner, allowing you to react quickly without appearing aggressive.

Confirm intent – Sudden changes in speed, direction, or crossing the street unexpectedly can help determine if someone is following you. If you suspect bad intent, take action: call for help, move toward a crowd, identify possible weapons, and plan your escape route.

Disrupt their target or plan – Throwing an aggressor off their plan can deter an attack. Strategies include:

• Changing your stance to face the same direction as them instead of a confrontational posture.
• Asking a stranger for the time and walking alongside them.
• Creating the impression that you’re not an easy or cost-free target.
• Drawing public attention to yourself.
• Mentioning that you are expecting company soon.

These tactics make you a more challenging target, increasing your chances of avoiding a confrontation.

Limitations of any techniques – Self-defense depends on many variables, such as size difference, arm length, your ability to run, reaction speed, strength, intent, terrain, and your own physical condition and alertness. Like any system, if pushed beyond its limits, it may fail—just as an elevator has a weight capacity. Understanding these limitations helps you make better decisions in a high-stress situation.

SITUATIONS

Scenario – wrist grab (crossover center line grab e.g. right to right low grab with thumbs to the side)

Rub the aggressor’s thumb down and inward towards him. This is applying “the principle of going with the flow”. With a grab, the aggressor’s fingers are closing inward and he most probably apply strong arm and body weight on his palm. So go with it.

Scenario – wrist grab (same side grab e.g. left to right low grab with thumbs up)

Using the technique as described as “fire hose”, go “shoulder-to-shoulder” while hugging your hands together at belly button level.

EXERCISES

Lift heel without rising up – this is NOT intended to be a strengthening exercise. The goal is to improve mobility of the ankles and toes.

Increase the difficulty by tucking one knee up WHILE you are lifting the ankle. You should be able to do this without first shifting your balance before you can tuck the knee up. Everything has to be completed in a single beat.

Experiments and adaptations : Perpendicular and line of fire. We play with the concept of perpendicular, understanding the lines (strong versus weak) in a controlled manner, working of getting off the line of fire.

There is more than one way to move off the line of fire. A lot of people teach you a specific method and most take it as gospel. For example, some people teach you some fancy footwork, some teach you how to stand firm and just block whatever comes at you with your arms. However, this is a typical case where the cart comes before the horse. The most important thing is to understand WHAT you must accomplish and then determine if that HOW is the best way to get the job done. As an example, some fancy footwork without moving your head and chest won’t help you avoid a simple straight punch to the head.

Common mistakes to avoid: Looking away from the attacker, staying alert and taking more steps if necessary, body stiff throughout the steps, stop at some unstable position, only portion of the body moved away from line of fire.

Scenario – wrist grab (crossover center line grab e.g. right to right low grab with thumbs up)

Explained the reasons why this works nicely

• It does works even when your opponent is bigger than you are. Instead of tension, you relax instead.
• the technique does not involve violence at all and therefore most suitable in situations where escalation is not appropriate. e.g. care home, as a teacher helping autistic kids, little kids rough housing, handling a drunk boss, etc.
• After freeing your wrist, it is important to move to non-confrontational and less vulnerable position.
• Explained the use of words, smile and redirection without giving up strategic position

Common mistakes to avoid: fighting or lift from the point of contact, tension, staying in confrontational stance,

EXERCISES – calf and butt muscles – a lot of seniors do daily walks anyways. This “emphasis on pushing thru the toe” walk intends to improve on the quality of the walks to gain better balance and longer steps without needing to improve the pace.

Discussion: Martial arts and self-defense can feel like a lonely journey if you don’t have supportive partners. However, this is a two-way street—you must also be generous and provide the same support to your peers. A good training partner understands both the goal of the drill and their partner’s individual needs. For example, always start slow and gentle, gradually increasing intensity as your partner becomes more comfortable and confident in their technique. Remember, what works for one person may not work for another.

During the learning process, don’t focus on winning or losing. What truly matters is not the outcome, but whether you’ve made progress and improved.

Principle: Get off the line of fire – When faced with a gun, it seems obvious that the first priority is to get off the line of fire. However, when it comes to dealing with a kick or a punch, there is often endless debate about the best course of action. The appropriate response largely depends on the style of self-defense being practiced and the individual’s capabilities.

For seniors or those with limited training, our recommendation is straightforward: prioritize evasion. Simply moving out of the way is often the safest and most effective strategy. Attempting to block an attack can be highly unreliable, especially if you are slower, weaker, or less trained than your opponent. In such cases, blocking should be considered a last resort, to be used only when there are no other viable options.

By focusing on evasion, you increase your chances of avoiding harm while conserving energy and minimizing the risk of injury. Developing the ability to anticipate and move away from attacks is an essential skill for effective self-defense.

Principle: Perpendicular – Many people mistakenly believe that bigger effort automatically leads to a more effective strike. However, the effectiveness of a hit depends not just on the force applied but also on the angle of delivery. For maximum impact, a strike should hit the target surface at a 90-degree angle. At this angle, the force is fully transferred to the target. Conversely, if the strike arrives at a near-zero-degree angle, it merely glances off and loses its effectiveness.

With this in mind, you should avoid presenting an easy target to your opponent. This means not providing a flat surface for a straight punch or push.

When delivering a strike, focus on landing as close to a 90-degree angle as possible to maximize its effectiveness. Similarly, when defending, use movement and angles to reduce the impact of your opponent’s hits.

Principle: Human’s structural power is often directional : To illustrate structural power, consider the example of a toothpick: it is structurally strong when pressure is applied vertically along its length but weak when pressed horizontally on its wide side. This illustrates how structural strength and vulnerability depend on direction.

Humans, with their two-legged stance, are inherently less stable. This means that each person has a “strong line” and a “weak line” of balance. Applying force along an opponent’s strongest line requires significant effort. However, when you target their weak line, even a small amount of force can destabilize them effectively.

Principle: Harmonizing the relationship between steering and the power engine provides the best efficiency – When pushing a car that won’t start, it’s most effective to ensure someone is steering it toward the intended direction. Proper alignment between the steering and the effort minimizes effort by improving efficiency.

EXERCISES – Leg Strength – Leg strength is essential for many daily activities, such as climbing stairs, bending down to lift objects, and more. The same principle applies to self-defense. Strong legs enable you to lift, push, and generate power effectively, making them a critical component to develop.

Question: How is this class different from other program offerings:

1. The emphasis of the class is not on traditional forms, nor is it conducted as a sport. It is tailored specifically for seniors.
2. Punching and kicking are not taught as primary options. There is much to learn, even for the most gentle and peace-loving individual.
3. Memorization of long sequences of moves is not required because it is not essential in real life. Understanding the concepts, reasons, and limitations behind a skill is most important. The ability to adapt to different scenarios is key.
4. Safety during practice, contact drills and experimentation of force must be performed slowly. Be a good partner, help your partner improve at their own pace, communicate!

The 3 fundamental principles (LRT) of self defense:

Listen – listen to good advices, look and be aware of field of vision, let go of low priority things, fight only for things really important to you
Resource – Build resources such as strength and mobility through training. Take classes, identify people and environments that can help protect you, decide what possessions are important, learn to recover from workouts or injuries, learn to relax, and improve the readiness of your body and mind. Being prepared is crucial as there may be no time to warm up in real-life scenarios.
Target – Move the target instead of blocking, choose effective targets if you must fight back, maintain a safe distance from an aggressor, avoid being identified as a target, and redirect attention to other people or objects. Avoid confrontational stances whenever possible.

For seniors, the most likely attack is a surprise push to the ground. It is essential to minimize the impact and survive the fall. “Go with the flow and rebalance” instead of stiffening up is key. Stiffening up creates a mechanical disadvantage and increases the likelihood of falling. Training your body to remain relaxed as a natural response is critical.

Contact scenarios: pushed from the front, push from behind, side. Maintain balance and turn around.

Experiments: Explore how mental projection amplifies mechanics rather than relying solely on muscle strength. The mental aspect is as important as the physical, and these experiments illustrate how significant the difference can be.

Notes: This week marks the first time SSD is being offered as an ongoing program (fall, winter, and spring) anywhere. The class notes cover only the main points of the sessions. Detailed information is posted on the Bonsor website. Please note that the class is currently full. BTW, the picture on top is generated via AI.