Misdirection: A Vital Tool for Self-Defense

[Ninpo Ikan]

Picture the scenario: you're at a bar, a large guy, probably drunk, is trying his best to start a fight with you. You try numerous times to de-escalate the situation, but the next thing you know he's swinging a roundhouse at you. Here's the first way a man deals with it.

Defender A quickly strikes the man with an upper block and steps in, delivering a devastating punch to the man's solar plexus. When the man hunches over from the blow, Defender A quickly drives his knee into the guy's nose and puts him down and out. While waiting for the police, the guy is complimented several times on his training to which he replies "Guy never should have messed with a 3rd degree black belt in Shotokan (which is just used as an example, it could be any art)." Big surprise for him when he ends up in court, getting charged with excessive force. What happened?

Meanwhile, Defender B sees the punch and flails up his hands while shouting "Oh shit!" One of those flailing elbows accidentally clips the jaw of the guy and with a surprised look on his face Defender B grabs the attacker's wrist and twists him to the floor, falling down on top of him in the process. He then looks around and says "Someone help get this guy off of me!" and soon the attacker is subdued. When the police arrive, witnesses swear Defender B was just trying to avoid his punches and accidentally fell on top of the guy, then asked for help to subdue him. He gets off scot free, and ends up going back to the bar and scoring that hot blonde's number.

What's the difference? Misdirection. Defender A showed off right away he had fighting skills, which would immediately raise the awareness level of his opponent as well as others nearby who noticed that he could fight and was doing a real damn good job of it too. Defender B looked like he was simply trying to defend himself and it appeared he knew nothing at all. Yet there was a lot of subtle things he threw in there: the arms up to block the face lead to an "accidental" elbow to the chin which "accidentally" led up to a reverse wrist lock takedown. He "lost his balance" and falls onto the wristlock, further adding pain to his opponent on the ground and while calling for help was clenching a few fun pressure points just to really make the guy not have fun.

While Defender A surely might score some brownie points for kicking some ass, Defender B managed to make it look accidental, like he didn't know anything at all. And that's a big key to self-defense: looking unintimidating and nonthreatening. Who's going to raise your awareness level, a quiet guy wearing a polo shirt enjoying his drink or another guy wearing a Muay Thai shirt and talking about submission holds? Modesty and misdirection can go a long way towards successful self defense. Good luck and good training

[Tom Yum]

And that's a big key to self-defense: looking unintimidating and nonthreatening. Who's going to raise your awareness level, a quiet guy wearing a polo shirt enjoying his drink or another guy wearing a Muay Thai shirt and talking about submission holds? Modesty and misdirection can go a long way towards successful self defense. Good luck and good training

Good point on perception.

You can't characterize every muay thai fighter as wearing a muay thai shirt and doing submission holds when in a bar, but I could see it happening. It could be some guy who is just crazy about the sport and talks about it wherever he goes but that could be with a karate/ninja fighter as well.

There are professional fighters who are very low key.

[EmptyneSs]

some people think they can push others around. these people need to have their asses handed to em once in a while to humble them.u will prob be doing them a favor. these type of guys always in the end mess around with someone they shouldnt have, and instead of just getting beaten up, they get shot or stabbed. by kicking their ass u might be saving them, since they will be humbled and realize they cant go on pushing others around and expect no consequence. it sux that our government will try their hardest to send good people to jail for rightfully defending themselves when they face danger. i say if ur in a situation like that, dispatch the bastard and leave the scene immediately.

[Ninpo Ikan]

some people think they can push others around. these people need to have their asses handed to em once in a while to humble them.u will prob be doing them a favor. these type of guys always in the end mess around with someone they shouldnt have, and instead of just getting beaten up, they get shot or stabbed. by kicking their ass u might be saving them, since they will be humbled and realize they cant go on pushing others around and expect no consequence. it sux that our government will try their hardest to send good people to jail for rightfully defending themselves when they face danger. i say if ur in a situation like that, dispatch the bastard and leave the scene immediately.

I never said you couldn't teach him a lesson, you just need to work on subtlety Sure a roundhouse kick to the face that crushes the bones in his nose might be a good way to tell this guy to quit messing around with people, but you can get bashed with excessive force. You could also "accidentally" fall while holding the guy's arm and dislocate his shoulder in the situation given above. It's best to disguise what you are actually doing as then they can only say you were acting in self-defense and play off that you actually don't know a thing about the martial arts.

[EmptyneSs]

true, but if i was to mess someone up i wouldnt wait around for cops to show up. i would leave asap so i couldnt get nailed for defending myself.

[Ninpo Ikan]

A few reliable witnesses though and you're busted :P

[jubaji]

It's best to play off that you actually don't know a thing about the martial arts.

Well, that would be easy for you!

[koto_ryu]

thats some really good points, i saw that on FightTraining.com a while back (don't even know if thats still up) but it does bring in a lot of good points. perception is what its all about.

[Chilly Dog]

Picture the scenario: you're at a bar, a large guy, probably drunk, is trying his best to start a fight with you. You try numerous times to de-escalate the situation, but the next thing you know he's swinging a roundhouse at you. Here's the first way a man deals with it.

Defender A quickly strikes the man with an upper block and steps in, delivering a devastating punch to the man's solar plexus. When the man hunches over from the blow, Defender A quickly drives his knee into the guy's nose and puts him down and out. While waiting for the police, the guy is complimented several times on his training to which he replies "Guy never should have messed with a 3rd degree black belt in Shotokan (which is just used as an example, it could be any art)." Big surprise for him when he ends up in court, getting charged with excessive force. What happened?

Meanwhile, Defender B sees the punch and flails up his hands while shouting "Oh shit!" One of those flailing elbows accidentally clips the jaw of the guy and with a surprised look on his face Defender B grabs the attacker's wrist and twists him to the floor, falling down on top of him in the process. He then looks around and says "Someone help get this guy off of me!" and soon the attacker is subdued. When the police arrive, witnesses swear Defender B was just trying to avoid his punches and accidentally fell on top of the guy, then asked for help to subdue him. He gets off scot free, and ends up going back to the bar and scoring that hot blonde's number.

Nice sentiment, but to me it sounds about as realistic as the fight scene in your typical action movie. The idea that anyone can control a defense situation with a large, belligerent attacker at a high enough level to pretend to be inept in order to prevent legal ramifications afterward sounds like wishful thinking to me.

The first thing I would be wondering is whether that "rather large, probably drunk" attacker had a weapon. The second thing I would be wondering is what he knew. Either concern would lead me to try to finish the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. Even then, I've learned not to expect things to go as I plan.

Now, I certainly wouldn't brag about my success, nor would I advertise that I train in martial arts. My strategy there would be to continue to repeat that I was defending myself and was scared as well! However, at least I'd be alive to deal with any consequences. Under your scenario, my focus on "accidents" may lead to the most unfortunate accident of all -- a one-way ticket to the morgue.

I can hear the investigating officer now, "too bad he was such a vic. The witnesses said he panicked and started flailing around and crying for help. Don't people realize that you've got to learn to defend yourself in this day and age? Damn -- someone should have got him involved in the martial arts!"

[koto_ryu]

Now, I certainly wouldn't brag about my success, nor would I advertise that I train in martial arts. My strategy there would be to continue to repeat that I was defending myself and was scared as well! However, at least I'd be alive to deal with any consequences. Under your scenario, my focus on "accidents" may lead to the most unfortunate accident of all -- a one-way ticket to the morgue.

i've seen it happen actually, perception is what its all about. two of my instructors were shooting the shit with these drunk guys on one of our drinking nights, one of whom happened to be a state trooper off duty but still packing. one of my teachers had a switchblade on him with a pocket clip, and the other drunk guy snagged it out of his pocket. already it became a bad situation so what two of them quickly engaged the state trooper in a convo and told him to "check out that chick" or something similar and as soon as he turned his head, my other sensei stood up to go to the bathroom and fell on the other guy, and disarmed that guy before he knew what hit him. he then just shoved it deep in his pocket and went to go take a piss.

[Chilly Dog]

i've seen it happen actually, perception is what its all about. two of my instructors were shooting the shit with these drunk guys on one of our drinking nights, one of whom happened to be a state trooper off duty but still packing. one of my teachers had a switchblade on him with a pocket clip, and the other drunk guy snagged it out of his pocket. already it became a bad situation so what two of them quickly engaged the state trooper in a convo and told him to "check out that chick" or something similar and as soon as he turned his head, my other sensei stood up to go to the bathroom and fell on the other guy, and disarmed that guy before he knew what hit him. he then just shoved it deep in his pocket and went to go take a piss.

Yes, I've seen this, too. I think it was on "Walker, Texas Ranger"

Seriously, the situation you describe is nothing like the one in the example. In the example, it's not about perception, it's about coming out unharmed. The last thing anyone should be thinking about when defending themselves is appearing like they don't know how to do so. Before and after, sure, but during, no way. We all can probably recall seeing or reading about situations where people, even experienced martial artists, were seriously hurt or worse in an incident like the one described. A kid I went to grade school with got into a fight outside a bar that appeared pretty routine until he ended up dying. They were fighting next to a canal, the guy pushed him in, and he drowned. A good martial artist died in a similar situation when his attacker unexpectedly stabbed him very early in the confrontation. Who knows what can happen in these situations? I don't believe anyone should be worried about "misdirection" (other than Jackie Chan in The Tuxedo), until after they are out of immediate danger.

[gabbah]

Also, I think the guy showing off his martial arts like a macho man is the one getting the hot blonde at the end, not the one pretending to be helpless and winning by accident.
So it's really an easy choice between showing off and pretending to be helpless, isn't it guys?

[koto_ryu]

Also, I think the guy showing off his martial arts like a macho man is the one getting the hot blonde at the end, not the one pretending to be helpless and winning by accident.
So it's really an easy choice between showing off and pretending to be helpless, isn't it guys?

Yeah but who's more likely to get charged with assault? Think about it

[gabbah]

Yeah but who's more likely to get charged with assault? Think about it

Hey, that's what conjugal visits are for! Think McFly, think!

[Pastyti]

some people think they can push others around. these people need to have their asses handed to em once in a while to humble them.u will prob be doing them a favor. these type of guys always in the end mess around with someone they shouldnt have, and instead of just getting beaten up, they get shot or stabbed. by kicking their ass u might be saving them, since they will be humbled and realize they cant go on pushing others around and expect no consequence. it sux that our government will try their hardest to send good people to jail for rightfully defending themselves when they face danger. i say if ur in a situation like that, dispatch the bastard and leave the scene immediately.

If you're sooo confident in your abilities, why not face the music? I simply can't understand all you 'brave self defence experts' being so lilly livered as to be afraid of facing up to the consequences of your actions and explaining those actions to the police. If you are indeed the 'inocent party', what have you to fear? Being caught out in using your 'Art' in a manner which is unacceptable to the rest of society maybe? Fancy all you brave boys and girls skulking away like a thief in the night. Might be called cowardly even.