Fight Fast Blog

All great street fighters (or any kind of fighter) know the value of distraction. However, most average guys still believe in the ‘fair fight’ fantasy they have seen in movies or heard about in stories from our parent’s generation.

I’ve got some news for you. Those fair fights in the good ole’ days weren’t always so fair. And I can tell you for sure that today’s bar and street fights are never fair.

Okay so I’m sorry to ruin the romance about fighting, but what does this all mean for you. Well if the times have changed you have to change with them. So I’m going to tell you about one of the most useful little tools you need to have in your bag of nasty self defense tricks.

Ever noticed how it’s pretty hard to focus on more than one thing at a time? Have you ever seen that video where you are asked to watch the basket ball as several men pass it back and forth? If you haven’t check out the video below before you read on.

This video makes it pretty clear that our minds have a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time. You would be foolish to not use this to your advantage.

There are literally thousands of things you can do to distract an attacker no matter where you are. But to make it more clear I will go over some of the general ways to distract in a self defense situation, then talk about some specifics for each type.

Verbal Distraction: This kind of distraction is often used subconsciously by attackers. This includes yelling obscenities and heckling a person. It almost always forces the person being attacked to think about what is being said instead of focusing on what the yelling guy is doing.

If you find yourself in a self defense situation you can use this technique too. You don’t have to have something clever to say to make this work. Just yell something. Keep in mind that if a fight wasn’t eminent you have probably just made it eminent by yelling at the guy. So don’t use this unless you are pretty darn sure a fight is coming your way.

Also if someone tries to use this technique on you in a fight the key is recognize it early, ignore what is being yelled, and instead focus on the attackers body movements looking for targets etc.

The best part is, now that you are aware of this distraction technique it will be much less likely to work on you.

Physical Distraction: This is anything you do which touches a person’s body and causes their mind to change focus from you to whatever the distraction was. Physical distractions are great self defense tools because it is even harder to ignore a physical distraction than a verbal distraction, even if you know it is a distraction.

A great example is throwing your drink at someone. If you are in a bar and a guy is trying to fight you or you know a fight is coming, chuck your drink at him. If it is one of those thick glass tumblers, all the better, you might not have to do anything else (how’s that for quick and easy).

However, if you were not the pitcher of your high school baseball team you probably aren’t going to take him out with a glass to the face, but that really isn’t the point of this move. In fact winding up to chuck it is a bad idea because it lets everyone in the room (including him) know that you are about to throw your drink (unwanted attention). Instead toss it in his face from a relaxed position in front of your body.

I guarantee he will be distracted for at least a second, long enough for you to deliver good shot to the face or groin, or maybe kick him off his bar stool (always a classic).

I’ve got more great distractions to share with you all, but I would like to hear from you too. If you have any distraction techniques you have used or know of any great tricks please share them with the other readers by leaving a comment below.

I’ll finish this post up next week and tell you about the other distractions I know work well.

Alright I hope you learned something from this, other than the fact that moon-walking bears are hard to see. If you want to learn how to follow up these distractions with some vicious and effective finishing moves check out my home page or sign up for my free video course on the top right of this page.

Stay Smart and Stay Safe,
Bob Pierce
Head Honcho
Fightfast.com

There are a lot of martial arts masters out there proclaiming that their style is the best self defense martial art. This really bothers me because it is terribly misleading to most people. The truth is many martial arts can be taught in a way that is useful for self defense, but the vast majority of masters in most arts do not teach in a way that prepares a student for a self defense situation.

The “best self defense martial art” idea is a result of martial arts studio owners competing for customers by trying to make their style seem more applicable to today’s self defense needs. But when it really comes down to it the instructors and their teaching style make a style useful or not.

If you are searching for the best self defense martial art, don’t be fooled by advertising and outrageous promises by studio owners claiming their style is the ultimate style.

I have worked with masters from nearly a dozen different martial arts (some of them masters in several arts). What I have learned is that the master instructor’s attitude toward self defense and their own personal experiences have much more to do with the effectiveness of what they are teaching than the particular art they are teaching.

Here is what you really need to look for if you want to find the best self defense martial art:

First of all you need to find an instructor who has real world combat experience. For example try to find an instructor who has been in the military or worked in law enforcement. These guys know how to cut the crap and get right down to what you will need to know on the street. Experience as a bar bouncer is another great credential because bouncers deal with drunk a-holes trying to fight them all the time.

The best self defense martial art should be target focused. This means that you want to find an instructor who focuses more on where to strike an attacker than how to strike an attacker. The technique of how to hit is important, but where to hit is even more important. Focusing on the where shows that the instructor has spent time actually using the techniques in real life, and not just practicing in the mirror.

Finally the best self defense martial art should emphasize sparring. The best way to learn anything is to do it. Practicing punches in a mirror or in a class where everyone faces the instructor is not actually practicing punching (although this may be necessary to learn the basics). To really practice punching you need to be hitting a focus mitt held by someone who is moving around or sparring without focus mitts.

You may have notices that when I say ‘the best self defense martial art’ I have not been mentioning any art in particular. This is because as I explained above there are many martial arts that can be great for self defense, if the instructor is good. Here at fightfast.com we have instructors who are masters in Jeet kune do, Tai Chi, Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do, Hwa Rang Sul, Thai Kick Boxing, Kung Fu San Soo, Lameco Eskrima, Pankration, Comhrac Bas, and several others. They are all top notch self defense instructors. The key is that they all fulfill the criteria described above.

Stay Smart and Stay Safe,

Bob Pierce

Head Honcho

Fightfast.com

Legality is often a difficult thing to pin down, especially when it comes to self defense. Legality is usually complicated with people’s feelings, past experiences, personal bias, political leanings, and of course most importantly the cost of someone’s lawyer.

These factors can often outweigh the facts of the actual event which occurred. How does this have to do with the question “what are legal self defense weapons?” The fact is it has lot to do with it. A legal self defense weapon can be used in an illegal way, or in a way that someone thinks or can prove in court was an illegal way.

This makes it very difficult to decide what a legal self defense weapon is. In the most simplistic terms you can call a local law enforcement agency to find out what is legal in your state and county. Just because you see a cool self defense toy online doesn’t mean it will be legal in your area. Most companies will not ship a self defense weapon to you if it is illegal in your state, but this does not account for differences based on the county you live in.

The real answer to the legal self defense weapons question is determined by how you use the weapon. You are responsible for the weapons you carry and how you use them. You have to be smart about this stuff.

By far your best bet is to carry pepper spray, unless you live in a state where it is regulated (you can carry pepper spray in most of these states, but there are certain regulations and requirements). The states where pepper spray is regulated are New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, and Washington D.C.

The benefit of pepper spray is that it is primarily a defense weapon and does little damage. Most other self defense weapons cause more severe damage to a person making them more legally risky. When was the last time you heard about a guy going on a pepper spray attacking spree? Pepper spray is just not an offensive weapon, but it makes a great defensive weapon.

Many people like to carry a folding knife for self defense. This is a great option because most folding knives with blades under 3 inches long are okay (in most states) as long as the blade is not locking. This is not true in every state. If you are not sure about your state simply call a local police station. But in general pocket knives and folding knives are considered legal self defense weapons as long as they aren’t longer than 3 inches long.

Another great weapon which is generally unregulated is the kubotan. This weapon is a short aluminum dowel that is usually attached to your keys with a key ring. They are usually about 5 ½ inches long. They are used in the fist like a roll of quarters to harden the fist. They can also be used to jab sensitive areas or used to create leverage points for joint locks. Kubotans are considered legal self defense weapons in most jurisdiction (there are always exception so ask to be safe).

Other legal self defense weapons include improvised weapons which are not regulated by law. However if you are taken to court over the use of a self defense weapon that is not regulated you will still be at the mercy of the court.

The key to legal self defense weapons is the manner in which the weapon is used. In general to stay within the law you are only allowed to use the force necessary to end the threat to yourself. Any force beyond this can be considered an assault on the attacker.

If you own any of my instructional self defense DVDs you know that this is in general the philosophy of most self defense programs. When it comes down to it your goal in any conflict is to stop the threat and get out of the situation as soon as possible. The longer you stay in a conflict or a fight the greater the chance of getting hurt yourself.

The same rule of thumb applies to using legal self defense weapons. Use the weapon until the person is no longer a threat then leave the situation. This will usually keep you within the bounds of the law.

While we are on the topic it is important to understand what you are willing to fight for. If someone is trying to take your wallet and is carrying a weapon or is threatening you with serious violence which you cannot avoid by simply running, give that person your wallet. The amount of money the average person carries on a regular basis in not worth the risk of a fight. You can easily go to jail if you shoot or stab a person who was trying to take your wallet.

Deciding what you are willing to use violent force over is a personal issue which I cannot and don’t want to make for you. My only point in discussion this is to encourage you to make that decision before you are thrown into a violent situation.

I hope this has been helpful if you are trying to decide what weapon to carry or when you should use it. If you have any experience with legal self defense weapons please leave a comment below and share with everyone.

Stay Smart and Stay Safe,

Bob Pierce

Head Honcho, Fightfast.com

P.S. I am not a lawyer. My comments above are based on common sense and my own understanding of self defense law. I am not giving anyone legal advice. If you have any questions over what constitutes legal force or questions about legal self defense weapons please contact your local police or sheriff’s department.

Last week I received a comment from a Fightfast.com customer who pointed out one of the biggest problems with self defense. What he observed is something that has plagued our efforts here at Fightfast.com for the past 20 years.

How do you get people motivated to learn self defense skills before they are attacked. You see many of our customers only start to think about self defense after they have been attacked, mugged, jumped, or see that happened to a close friend or relative.

Learning self defense is kind of like buying health insurance (don’t worry I’m not trying to sell you health insurance). When you are young and healthy you don’t think you need health insurance, it seems like a big waste of money. But when you tear your shoulder playing football with some friends and suddenly find yourself stuck with thousands of dollars of medical bills insurance doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

With self defense the stakes are even higher. Most people never think they will be attacked. They rationalize their ignorance by foolishly believing that muggings only happen to people on the news or those who live in bad neighborhoods. The truth is it happens to regular people like you and I every day. Don’t wait until you are attacked to learn some self defense skills. The price of being defenseless is too steep.

Why do I care about self defense? I started this company over 2 decades ago with the goal of giving people the skills they need to protect themselves and their loved ones from violent crime. As you know we have many excellent instructors (the best in the business hands down) who can teach you everything you need to know about self defense and fighting. The general ignorance about self defense in today’s society is not due to a lack of information, anyone can find our products in magazines or online, the problem is most people lack the motivation to learn these skills (that is until it’s too late).

Every time I hear about a mugging or a violent attack on the news two things go through my mind. First I get really pissed off at the SOB who attacked an innocent person, then I wonder how that victims life may have been changed if they had only watched one of my self defense videos.

I know that my videos save lives. I get letters and email all the time from customers who saved their skin using the skills they learned from our self defense videos (by far the best reward for being in this business). That’s why it is so upsetting to hear about people with no self defense skills who are brutally attacked and victimized. I know I could have helped them, but they have to help themselves first.

I can’t make people watch my videos (although sometimes I wish I could). All I can do is try to get the word out that anyone can take your safety into your own hands even old ladies (I got a letter just a few months back from a retired lady who thwarted a purse snatcher with skills from one of our videos).

If you are reading this right now it’s probably because you are already interested in self defense, maybe you already own one of my products. This puts you in a unique situation. You are already part of an elite group of people who have taken your safety into your own hands, masters of your own destiny (I’m not kidding around this is serious life and death stuff).

Because you are ‘in the know’ you also have a responsibility to get the word out. You know how dangerous the world can be, you know than there are evil people out there who care little for anyone else and wouldn’t flinch at hurting someone for their own material gain.

If this is you talk to a friend about learning self defense. If you are a parent, talk to your kids (if you haven’t already). Teach your girlfriend or wife some of the key self defense moves you know. You will never regret teaching someone about self defense, but if they get attacked and you didn’t you will always regret not teaching them about self defense.

The best part is that you can easily find a training partner this way. Having a training partner will make both of you better fighters. Training with a friend can also strengthen a friendship. You really get to know someone when you train together.

Just one word of caution. Always practice self defense carefully. Always use floor pads and the appropriate protective gear. Never practice full speed without padding. Never strike the throat, eyes, or the neck instead use a focus mitt to simulate these targets.

Go out there and tell someone about self defense. If you aren’t quite sure how to do it just send them over to my facebook page. If you aren’t already a fan of my facebook page just click the like button at the top of this post.

Stay Smart and Stay Safe,
Bob Pierce
Head Honcho
Fightfast.com

All of the videos we produce here at TRS are specifically designed to teach you simple, effective, and easy to learn self defense skills. If you own any of our products you already know that by just sitting down and watching one of our training programs you will pick up plenty of nasty fighting tricks.

But…if you want to really nail down these skills, consider practicing with a training partner. Most of the techniques at FightFast are specifically designed to be learned quickly and used the next day if need be.

Yet practicing these moves will still be time well spent.

When you master the fighting skills we teach those skills will become a part of you. These techniques will become second nature to you. They will start to feel like reflex reactions. This is when these techniques get really cool.

You will start noticing targets on people as they approach you on the street. When someone grabs your shoulder from behind you time will slow down for a split second and you will begin the chain reaction of moves to put them in a joint lock. But at the same time you will be so hyper aware that you will realize (before it’s too late and he’s on the ground) that it’s just your buddy saying hello. This kind of confidence can’t be bought.

And it’s a good feeling let me tell you. Knowing all the time that you have mastered the techniques that can bring any man to his knees no matter how large or experienced he is puts you on a different level.

Anyways mastering self defense is pretty cool. But it takes a bit of work to get there.

By far the most important thing you can do to master any self defense system is to practice it full speed.

This is what separates the amateurs from the pros. One common problem many self defense students encounter is that they don’t think they can get this kind of full speed practice outside of a dojo.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. You can practice anywhere, with anyone.

How to Practice Your Martial Arts Skills:

• First of all you don’t need a special training area (if you have one it’s an extra bonus), the fact is you can practice inside of your own living room, garage, backyard, bedroom etc.
• You don’t need fancy equipment.
• You will need a training partner, but they don’t have to be into self defense training (although this helps). You can use a friend, girlfriend, parent, uncle, even your mom (okay mom probably won’t like our videos, but she may still might be willing to help you train).
• The only equipment you should really consider buying is a pair of focus mitts. If you have one of our video’s you probably already know what a focus mitt is (almost all of our instructors use focus mitts extensively while teaching). If you aren’t familiar with focus mitts I’ve shown some in the picture on the right.

Focus mitts are like mini punching bags you put on your hands like a glove. They enable you to practice all kinds of strike at full intensity without putting your partner into a lot of pain.

The cool thing is that although they fit on your hand they can still be used to practice groin strikes, kicks, knee strikes, elbows, and even head butts. Focus mitts are pretty universal.

Another great benefit of using focus mitts is that your training partner can move them around while you try to hit them. In real life attackers don’t usually stay in one spot.

The only way to make sure you know how to hit a moving target is to practice on one. You can also practice using different strikes as your partner moves the focus mitt closer and further away. This is crucial to simulating a real fight.

In real life you never know if your opponent will suddenly step back forcing you to throw a punch or if he will move in close enough for you to use an elbow.

Being able to decide which strike to use at what distance is a skill that is hard to learn from a video. Focus mitts teach you how to choose the right strike at the right time. This is really important stuff.

Finally using focus mitts will teach you what it feels like to hit something at full speed. Practicing strikes in a mirror is an important part of the learning process, but full speed practice is an absolute must of you want to developing balance and rhythm (crucial to any effective fighting system).

Hitting something full speed, feeling your weight shift, learning to not get off balance and learning how to follow up with more strikes are some of the most important self defense skills you can learn.

So if you want to step up your self defense and you do not have focus mitts to train with I would highly recommend getting some good quality pair of mitts to start training with asap.

The focus mitts in the photo below are a perfect for this kind of self defense training. Don’t waste your money on fancy, expensive focus mitts (trust me they won’t make you fight any better). These basic high quality focus mitts will get the job done and don’t cost a fortune.

Stay Smart and Stay Safe,
Bob Pierce
Head Honcho
Fightfast.com