“The hands always move first”. There are certain ways to throw a strike on the street. One of the most common strikes in the martial arts community is the “Palm Strike”. In this short video, Coach Blauer discusses the subtleties of the palm strike and how to effectively use it on your opponent. Pay close attention to section 1:09 in the video, when PDR Coach and CrossFit Games athlete, Jeremy Kinnick helps Coach Blauer explain how the hand is always faster than the eye.
This past weekend, my certification partner and co-coach Tiffany Harrison (I call her than because we have been in the CF Level 1, CF Kids and now PDR Instructor Course together) attended the PDR 36 Certification Course ad CrossFit Rubicon.We have several of our CrossFit coaches currently certified and Tiff and I were excited to join them in helping advance our abilities to further change and effect lives.
If you’ve never heard of PDR or Personal Defense Readiness then you’ve likely not heard of Tony Blauer and the S.P.E.A.R System. Through the use of physiological tools EVERY human being is engrained with, the S.P.E.A.R. System is “a ‘behaviorally’ researched, close quarter personal defense method that utilizes the body’s natural flinches and reactions to fear or violence and then converts these reactions into efficient tactical choices.” For more information: Blauer Tactical Systems
I cannot overstate the importance and the simplicity of this course. There is no complicated fighting stance to memorize and learn. There are no new crazy ninja out of left field type crane voodoo series of movements you have to memorize. This is as simple and more importantly, AS EFFECTIVE as it gets folks. I enjoyed this course and I would recommend anyone who is interested or even curious, reach out to me or our experienced team at CrossFit Rubicon and see what it’s all about.
CrossFit Defense fuses fitness with effective self-defense, teaching physical and psychological strategies for surviving an attack or a tough workout. Hilary Achauer reports.
Many years ago, before kids and CrossFit, I was an amateur boxer. I competed from about 2001 to 2004, and during that time one of the most frequent comments I got was, “Wow, I bet if someone tried to attack you on the street, you’d destroy them.”
“Yeah,” I’d answer, “I totally would if I could first get my headgear, gloves and mouthpiece. They couldn’t hit below the belt or behind the ears.”
In other words, I have no idea how to defend myself.
Boxing is a sport. Other than the fact that I’m more comfortable than most women with the sensation of getting hit in the face, I knew even at the height of my boxing training I’d be fairly useless in a street fight. Boxing is not self-defense.
CrossFit is not self-defense, either. It certainly helps to be strong, fast and agile, but your 200 lb. snatch and flawless butterfly pull-ups are not necessarily going to help if you are taken by surprise in a dark alley.
That’s where the CrossFit Defense, taught by self-defense expert Tony Blauer, comes in. My boxing training had taught me how to throw a punch, and CrossFit had made me an athlete. It was time to learn how to defend myself.
Are you a self defense or DT instructor? Do you own a Martial Arts school or train in MMA?
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I have been involved in martial arts since a young age and have been teaching self defense for many years now. At first, it started as more of a hobby than anything. Just having fun with friends and family, learning new techniques and helping each other live a safer lifestyle. Over the years, I learned that many of the moves and techniques I learned in my martial arts classes wasn't really applicable in a real street survival situation. Sure, martial arts is great for fitness, foundation and skill set. It's also a wonderful thing to get children involved in to teach discipline, strength, mindset, and again skill set. BUT, after a certain age, you should start pulling yourself away from traditional martial arts and learn tactics that will save you in the streets. In today's world, crime is on the rise and bad guys are more trained than ever before. Do you really think your spinning round house kick, or favorite jujitsu technique will help you survive a violent attack on the streets?
As many martial artists do, in my free time I scoured the internet looking for different street related self defense styles. There were a few quality instructors out there, but most were overseas and of course out of my reach due to distance and expense. I heard about this instructor Tony Blauer and something called the SPEAR system. I researched, read some articles, watched a youtube video or two and it dawned on me that he might have something worth looking into. Come to find out, there was a school only 2 hours from me which taught Tony's curriculum and I decided to research deeper into the system. This was about 7-8 years ago. I signed up for one of their upcoming courses. It was an introduction to the SPEAR system for civilians and martial artists, titled PDR or Personal Defense Readiness. I registered for the course hoping to learn something practical that would actually come in handy during a street attack.
Well, I was FLOORED! The course was about 5 hours long and covered everything from the psychology of violence, understanding the bad guy and their wants, mindset, biomechanics, physiology and of course, physical drills and techniques(tactics). I had never taken a self defense course that was more in-depth and offered functional movement and practical tactics. Each and every minute that passed, I learned something new and by the end of the course I had pages and pages of notes that would be put to good use for the future. It was eye opening and jaw dropping experience because it showed me that you don't need to know a bunch of fancy moves and techniques to protect yourself in the streets. It also showed me that most of what I learned in all my years training in martial arts was never going to work in the streets. Sorry Mom and Dad for wasting your money ;-)
After that amazing course, I attended many more of these PDR seminars when they were offered in my area. I even took the same exact course a few times and each and every time I learned something new. That says a lot about the material covered. During these courses, you got to fight back against a bad guy in these black protective suits called “High Gear”, and drill different street scenarios. These scenarios were called BMF's - Ballistic Micro Fights. This was to show you how a real life attack would be, both mentally and physically. You were able to use any defense you knew how, but the end result was that SPEAR system was really the only thing that worked. After attending many of these seminars, I wanted more! I wanted to be wearing those suits. I wanted to be on the other end helping teach a class. I wanted to play a bigger role in protecting the world. I wanted to get back to teaching some realistic defense.
I WANTED TO JOIN THE TEAM and BECOME A BLAUER TACTICAL COACH!
I heard that BTS offered instructor certification courses. So, I decided to jump on in head first and commit myself to a course. I flew out to DC a couple years ago to attend my very first PDR Instructor course and never looked back. I got to meet Tony and learn about the entire system. How the SPEAR system came to be. How reality based self defense really is. I learned about the 30+ years of research behind what Tony teaches and how it can all be related and useful to any human walking this planet. We are all genetically wired with the skills needed to protect ourselves, but it's all about learning how to convey that message to the end user. This course really shed some light onto the coaching abilities I offered. I learned more in that 3 day course than I learned in all my life with traditional martial arts instruction and self defense classes.
They teach you how to become a true instructor. One of the biggest maxims that BTS offers is "Show your students what THEY can do, not what YOU can do.” As a coach, you are there for your students. It's not about you, it's about them and their safety. Over that 3 day course I learned so much and actually had brain overload when all was said and done. It was the most intense 3 days of curriculum I’ve ever had. I got to meet so many different people from all around the world who shared the same beliefs in self protection. I made new friends who I am in touch with on a regular basis and I got to study and perfect what I feel is the best self defense training on the market. I was able to hone my skills and practice many different real life drills and best of all, I became a better coach because of it.
Since then, I have attended many more PDR courses and moved my way through the BTS ranks so-to-speak, and I am now part of their core training team (MTT) and work directly with Blauer Head Quarters. Not only has this helped me as a coach for my students, it has helped me in many ways with my personal life. Many of the psychological tools you learn at this course can benefit you in everyday life. Google Tony Blauer's Cycle of Behavior and watch the videos, read the articles and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
I can't stress enough how much this course has helped me as a self defense instructor. Each an every time I go back and attend these courses, I learn more and more at every one. It will change the way you look at self defense forever. It will change your outlook on life and your mindset for completing your goals.
If you are an instructor and want to better yourself and your community, I HIGHLY suggest you research Blauer Tactical Systems and their Personal Defense Readiness Program. The next Instructor Certification will be February 8-10, 2013. There are two that same weekend -
If you are a CrossFitter, or civilian and want to take a 1 day end user course, visit CrossFit’s main site. There are courses booked all around the country in 2013. Find the nearest location and register: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/specialty_certs.html
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