|
Learn Self Defense Techniques
Improve Your MMA Game with New Skill Sets
Everything you're looking for on one site:
- The most effective techniques for self defense
- The best mix of training methods
- Realistic applications for mixed martial arts
The 5 Best Techniques for Self Defense
Sombrada Explained
There are three essential components in both self defense and mixed martial arts: Techniques, Training Methods, and Strategy. In self defense an effective mix of these components is rarely found.
In mixed martial arts, training methods and strategies are often excellent, but techniques are usually limited to the sport styles of Boxing, Thai Boxing, Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. On this site you'll find all the components necessary for effective self defense,
and new techniques that can be applied to mixed martial arts.
Traditional Martial Arts vs. MMA
Practicing a traditional martial art is fine for enjoyment, exercise, or same style competitions, but not sufficient for the range of potential self defense situations one may encounter, or for MMA events.
Any single style from Tae Kwon Do to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is limited by its very nature. Tae Kwon Do doesn't prepare you to defend yourself on the ground, and most Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training doesn't prepare you to defend yourself standing up, and certainly not against a weapon.
When the first Ultimate Fighting Challenge was held in 1993 it appeared that BJJ may be the ultimate style. Very quickly though it became apparent that the best way to succeed was to learn a variety of styles to be well rounded in every area, thus the popularity today of mixed martial arts, MMA.
MMA vs. Traditional Martial Arts
In the development of present day mixed martial arts, techniques were primarily taken from sport styles that did relatively well in MMA events. Traditional martial art styles that didn't fare so well, such as Tae Kwon Do, Shotokan, and Wing Chun, were thrown to the curve and left there.
Today, techniques from some traditional martial arts that were not sport based are beginning to creep back into the mix.
Self Defense vs. MMA vs. TMA
In the not so distant past, most people thought traditional martial arts like "karate" were synonymous with self defense. If someone had a "black belt" people assumed they could defend themselves on almost super human levels.
When MMA competitions reduced many of these TMA practitioners to ordinary status, doubts about the effectiveness of traditional styles for self defense became more prevalent, and rightly so.
SELF DEFENSE IS NOT TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS OR MIXED MARTIAL ARTS!
Traditional martial arts are limited by their individual style, and mixed martial arts is limited by the rules of the sport, the lack of weapons in training, and the particular styles that are left out of the mix.
To be effective in all situations, self defense cannot be limited by styles, rules, or conventions. In self defense a practitioner can run away or beat an attacker with a hammer. Neither of these options is practiced in mixed martial arts nor very commonly in traditional styles.
Self defense must take the most effective techniques, training methods, and strategies from all styles, and use anything available to defend against attacks. In self defense, cheating is the rule. In MMA and TMA the opposite is most often true.
Hertao
Hertao is a modern self-defense system utilizing practical techniques and training methods from traditional and mixed martial arts. It was developed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with realistic self defense as the primary purpose, without the dogma, rituals, hierarchy, and competitive nature of the majority of other systems.
Self defense practitioners can learn to be more effective through Hertao and mixed martial arts practitioners can learn techniques that are most often beyond the scope of common MMA training.
The Hertao Difference
The following five principles set Hertao apart from most self defense systems, MMA, and TMA:
Footwork - There are no stances in Hertao, only footwork. With every offensive or defensive technique, we move. An opponent is not going to stand still, and when you attack him, whether you strike him or not, he is going to move.
No Counters - We strive never to block, then counter. Most martial arts teach blocking on the opponent's attack, and striking back on a second beat. This allows the opponent who is throwing multiple strikes the ability to continue his attack, likely hitting you with the second strike in a combination. We train to strike before, or during the opponent's attack, not after it.
Zone Theory - Every technique we use limits the opponent's ability to simultaneously attack or counter by means of footwork and position and/or covering and trapping. We will never stand directly in front of an opponent and punch him in the face with our head up, and other hand on our hip, for example.
Open to All Styles - We do not limit ourselves to only sport styles, only Japanese styles, only art styles, etc. We look at all martial arts and fighting methods to find the most efficient and effective techniques, training methods, and strategies. Nothing is off limits.
Self Defense Emphasis - Everything we do is viewed through a self-defense perspective. There may be multiple opponents, weapons, etc. We train to use modern weapons and anything in our environment to increase our chances of survival. There are no rules, and there is no such thing as cheating.
|
