Krav Ma... Squirrel!!

All of my weekend social events had me thinking about how much we rely on verbal communication, not only for casual conversation, but also during conflict. It is an intricate part of interacting with others.

Have you ever known someone who can talk their way out of (and into) anything? Someone who has learned to weaponize their words to be persuasive or even deceiving? They can use their words to spin a spell that has a certain control over others.

It's a skill that is largely overlooked not so much in action but in TRAINING!

Most believe that you either 'have it' or don't...

And we both know that some folks seem to have been born with the gift of gab and others struggle...

However, you CAN learn how to do it!

So, in preparation for the LIVE On-Line PeaceWalker Conflict Communication Course coming in January, I wanted to start sharing some methods of using verbal communication as...

Another Facet of Defense

When most people train Krav Maga (or any self defense system), they pretty much just train physically.

Don't get me wrong, I get it... Aside from your kosher-warrior yell, it's not as sexy to add the verbal element to training. It substantially changes the feel of a normal training session...

However...

Real conflict involves talking. So, if you want to really be effective at defending yourself and managing conflict, learning how to control 'Tactical Space' verbally as well as physically is essential. Understanding how those two elements come together can be a very powerful combination to protecting yourself and others.

This is a large part of Living Life as a Protector...

There are many tactics to gain the advantage verbally. One of the methods that can be used to attain an advantage before you initiate a physical action is called a...

Pattern Interrupt...

It works like this...

We have certain patterns that we typically adhere to when communicating with people, These habits are difficult to break.  Further, if you know what they are, you can intentionally deviate and exploit them.

One of these patterns deals with the way we listen and respond to someone during a conversation.

It is kind of like a game of tennis, I hit the ball to you. You hit the ball back to me. We go back and forth. It develops a rhythm and an expectation that is predictable and can be used to gain a tactical advantage, if you know how to do it right...

Another way of thinking about it is playing fetch w/a dog...

You throw the ball, he runs, picks it up and brings it back to you to throw again. After doing it a couple times he is expecting you to throw it so he can retrieve it over and over... However, this time you pretend to throw it, but instead, you intentionally deceive him by feigning the throw, and secretly drop the ball behind you as you wind up for the throw.

It 'looks' like you threw the ball, so Fido chases what he thinks he sees, but there's no ball... He eventually figures it out, but in the meantime you get a little chuckle...

This verbal/mental trick works the same way...

There is a stimulus / stimulus response reaction that can slow down the physical reaction time allowing you to 'get the jump' on the other person.

We'll be covering a number of these tricks, but for today lets go over two...

Examples of a Pattern Interrupt:

1) Asking a question.

2) Initiating your action mid-sentence.

I. Asking questions is a good way to control the conversation (and gain data too). While the person is thinking about what to say, you can be using that time and distraction to your benefit.

II. Stopping mid...

...Sentence is another good trick to use to gain an advantage.

When we hear someone talk we are listening for their thought to be completed, so if the person talking doesn't complete the sentence, our brains typically hesitate a moment and then try to complete the phrase that was being communicated.

You can use this tendency to your advantage, by initiating your movement mid-sentence. So, while the persons mind is completing your sentence it gives you a split second to initiate your movement, forcing him to shift his gears mentally from the conversation to responding physically.

No, these tricks are not fool-proof, however if you smooth them out by practicing them, they can prove to be a valid way of distracting someone for the brief second that it will take to make your move (or escape).

Keep Going.

~Craig

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