WHAT WE TEACH AT ROYAL TAE KWON DO

Presented by Royal Tae Kwon Do at the George Leach Centre

Discipline - Respect - Confidence - Patience - Honour

Royal Tae Kwon Do is under the leadership of Grand Master Son Myung Soo, 9th degree Black Belt.

Royal Tae Kwon Do North at the GLC is under the leadership of Grand Master Karl Jirgens, 8th degree Black Belt and operated by three 6th degree Black belt Instructors: Master Tom Kulmala, Master Bob Burns and Master Don Buchan.

SELF DEFENSE AWARENESS AND TECHNIQUES

• How to react to dangerous situations
• Theories of Self Defence
• At Hand Weaponry
• Practical Self Defence techniques
• Um/Yang Theory and Practice
• Blocks, Strikes, Breakfalls, Escapes

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

AVOID – ESCAPE – SHOUT – DEFEND

Attitude and Posture:

Maintain positive mental attitude, regular physical fitness, do not look/act/talk like a victim or easy prey.

Here are some physical signs of weakness or vulnerability:

• Eyes looking down at the ground while walking.
• Exaggerated strides – too long or too short.
• Nervous walking by lifting whole foot at once, not heel-toe.
• Upper body cross purpose to lower body, seeming disconnected.
• Unnatural arm and leg movements.

Be aware of what creates a dangerous situation around you. Learn to “read” a situation, anticipate and avoid problems, get out of danger zones promptly. Exploit the brief “moment of choice” to escape by keeping distant, moving away or if in conversation, changing topic.

Pause and try to defuse the situation by talking, moving or using an unexpected escape route. Don’t allow an attacker to turn you into a victim – “psyching you out” usually happens in the first 1-8 seconds. STAY CALM!

DISTRACT

• Deflect/defuse enemy: joke, relax, twist logic, show confidence, out wit.
• Reverse Logic: “You don’t want to do this” or “Why are you so angry?”
• Reason: “Would you do this to your mother, daughter or sister?”
• Guilt: “I saw someone watching us just now, they will know you.”
• Empathy: “I can relate, I want to help, I want to understand”
• Warning: “Listen! Stay Back! No! Fire!”
• Confuse: “You forgot something…” then attack/escape.
• Intuitive/emotive responses: When reason is not working, use your own intuition.
• Split second pause to size up level of danger, note if the attacker is alone, armed, look for escape routes. Then use full power response to strike, find objects for weapons, use leverage to escape.
• Confrontation: If confronted with a gun or knife or other weapon, pause briefly to assess situation then act. If running from a gun, run in zig-zag fashion to nearest public place.

GRABS:

• Use basic principle of join and spin; use alternate “line” to attackers.
• Remember escape techniques - wrist grab, arm grab, neck grab, full nelson, arm lock, bear hug ..
• If grabbed or attacked with weapon, whirl, escape using leverage, turn and run.

PHYSICAL RESISTANCE:

• Yin/Yang – judo style push me-pull you technique
• If threatened for car keys, throw keys under car and run opposite direction.
• If threatened for money, throw wallet away from you and run other way.
• Do not cooperate, resist 100% all the way – rip, bite, scratch, fight. Think of DNA sample.

PHYSICAL ATTACKS:

• Block and defend: Use blocks with arms and legs or anything you can grab nearby.
• Counter Attack: attack joints, “centre line”, groin, head, eyes, nose, mouth, temples, jaw.
• Attack Methods: Gouge, bite, spear, poke, slash, clap the ears, head butt, tiger claw, palm strike, punch, elbow or hit with available weapons.
• Knee Attack: to groin, thigh, ribs, head or nearest target.
• Bite: Nearest target
• Throw: Nearest object - furniture, appliances, coffee, sand etc
• Turn: Push, pull, spin away, escape, make loud noise.
• Falling techniques: Break falls, rolls, trip enemy, awareness of ground surface.
• Ground defence: Escape from mount position, roll over, attack groin, protect your head.

SHOW CONFIDENCE:

• Avoid arrogance or bravado (showing off) but DO show confidence particularly when alone or in small groups during a threatening situation.
• Do not get on an ego trip or argue with potential opponents but DO remain calm and withdraw from the situation as quickly and discreetly as possible.
• Remember, when it comes to matters of ego and pride, losing is winning. You have nothing to prove.
• If your task is to defend yourself and your opponent’s task is to attack you, then you will be successful if you can avoid the confrontation, whatever it takes.
• This is not cowardice, this is wisdom. If you see someone else under attack and you are not an experienced martial artist, then assist by getting help! (911, police, fire or others in the vicinity).

AVOIDANCE:

• Avoid appearing to be weak, available or vulnerable.
• Avoid being alone especially late at night at places serving alcohol. A large percentage of violent crimes occur on Saturday nights or early Sunday mornings, in or near drinking establishments or parties.
• Avoid out-of-the-way or sleazy places even if prices are low. If alone, avoid dark areas inside or outside of bars.
• At night, be sure your car is in a well lit place, have your keys ready or be sure you have safe transportation home.
• Do not accept rides or escorts from strangers.
• Avoid getting overly drunk and friendly with strangers.
• Observe if anyone is following you when you leave bars or parties. If so, and there is a perceived threat, return to the establishment immediately and report to the manager or host.
• Do not accept food or drinks from strangers.
• If annoyed by someone in a public place speak out loudly and tell them clearly to “leave me alone!” Do not be afraid to make a scene.
• Do not give personal information to strangers.
• Know your liquor capacity.
• Avoid underground parking lots, short cuts through alley ways, rough parts of town or any place where you can be easily trapped.
• When confronted, don’t panic, remain calm. Try to talk your way out the situation. While talking, look for possible avenues of escape.
• Assess whether or not the attacker has a weapon. If so, plan accordingly. For example, if this is an attempted rape, then try to make yourself as undesirable as possible, try to gain sympathy, tell the attacker you have menstrual cramps, VD, cancer or other illness, or say you are ill and need to vomit, go to the bathroom etc.
• If the attacker continues to approach and has a weapon, keep a close eye on the weapon. Keep in mind that if the attacker is solo, then it is difficult for him to undress himself, undress you and keep a weapon on you at the same time.
• Wait for an opportunity to escape – it may be brief but USE IT to get away! If you are in a populated area, yell “RAPE!” or “FIRE!” repeatedly to get attention and help.

COUNTER ATTACK AND ESCAPE:

• If you are under attack try to think clearly, cover up! Avoid being touched, grabbed or hit as much as possible.
• Keep moving away, keep placing obstacles between yourself and the attacker.
• Keep trying to talk your way out of the situation, e.g. “This is a mistake, you’ve got the wrong person, you don’t want to do this, what would your mother think” etc, anything you think might affect the psychology of the attacker. Try “Someone saw us come in here” or “Do you have a mother, sister or niece? Would you do this to her?” If reasoning through words does not work then keep retreating and cry for help loudly and repeatedly.
• If in an isolated area, call “Fire! Or Police!” If in a bar situation, yell for help from anybody. Tell someone specific to call 911.
• While under attack, keep covering up, protect your head, neck and spine, for men especially, protect the groin area.
• If your life is in danger and resistance is the only path, then defend yourself quickly and viciously. Put everything you have into the counter attack including use of nearby everyday objects as weapons.
• Attack the vulnerable parts of the opponent – eyes, throat, nose, groin, mouth, ears etc.
• Use any weapon you have – nails, teeth, knee, elbow, fist, foot. Show absolutely no mercy!
• If the situation is truly dangerous such as attempted rape, and you feel your life is in danger, then if possible, severely hurt or disable the attacker – don’t just anger him. You were chosen as a victim because you appeared vulnerable – prove this to be wrong!
• Different strategies may apply, for example in a rape attempt, you may seem to cooperate and when the genital area is exposed, attack the area aggressively.
• If under this sort of attack (rape or attempted murder) then resist with as much power as you can and use any moment that you can to escape.
• If raped or attacked severely, inform police immediately – not only to aid in the capture of the attacker but to prevent other attacks.
• Report as much detail as possible since it may help convict the attacker.
• Get medical attention immediately including an internal exam for the protection of your health, to check for transmitted diseases and to provide evidence of the use of force. Pictures may be taken as evidence. Seek counselling or group support to deal with the trauma.