[Scronan]

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What she said. Awesome post Scronan.

Hi Nachtrafe

Sounds like you have lived to tale the tales as well, thank you for sharing your experiences. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I have always felt awareness is the most important aspect to train, next to your body. People sometimes think I'm crazy when they ask what moves will do this or that, and I say "anything goes"! Heabutts, biting, gouging eyes, slamming someone into a concrete wall, when your life is in danger, ANYTHING can be a weapon! However being a Taoist I'm also a preserver of life, and I avoid combat unless absolutely necessary. Even then, if I could resolve the situtation without hurting anyone too bad or talking them out of it, that's my first and foremost goal. I'm a lover and a fighter, heh. [img]smile.gif[/img]

When I was in high school people used to joke around and try and tackle me from behind, my answer for that was to just back into the nearest wall and use my weight (250 pounds) to smash them a few times. That's just one example that worked in a small room, but when you go into "the mode", you don't think about what you are doing. Its even beyond instincts, you just REACT and take whatever action the situation requires.

The basic point is to call on our primal instincts, ever wonder why there are so many martial art systems based on animals? Their senses are naturally honed to a degree us humans can only hope to achieve. My family used to have a 10 pound cat that used take out dogs that weighed over 100 pounds (Dobermans and larger), one swipe with her claws into their nose and it was all over. If a little furry feline can be that brave, so can we! [img]smile.gif[/img]

I'm not much for carrying firearms, but my dad was in Vietnam and taught me to shoot when I was pretty young. So while I do not carry guns, if I happen to have one, be it pistol, rifle or shotgun, I'm tend to hit what I'm shooting at.

Another thing I was thinking is that its very good to learn vital points to strike, but always remember to have a multitude of tricks up your sleeve. There are many people who can withstand a kick in the groin (myself for instance, it doesn't do much but make me angry, however the right amount of force there can kill if the paraneum is struck very hard).

The same goes for acupuncture points. These vary according to many things, the time of day, the seasons, the health of the body and other factors. There are many points than can cause serious injury or death at certains times with the right amount of force, but only about 20 or so that can cause a fatality anytime. Even then, some people, be they martial artists or just naturally tough, this may not work depending on your skill level and their health and hardiness.

I used to work with a retired police Sargent who used to tell stories about how mace, pepper spray and tazers worked. He said with some people, they'd literally "get knocked into the air", go into convulsions or just pass out from any of these weapons. However, he said he'd seen quite a few "300 pound men on PCP" where even the most high voltage tazers or most potent sprays didn't do a thing but "make them pissed off ."

I'm not trying to scare anyone here, just sharing a little food for thought. That's why I always say, have LOTS of techniques you can call upon, not just two or three. But it only takes one move used properly in the right situation to work for you, and this may something different for everyone.

Great thread here, be smart and safe everyone! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Best

Scronan