Lesson Four of the Self Defense Mini Clinic

Click here to see Lesson 3.

Welcome to Lesson 4 of the Self Defense Mini Clinic. This lesson is about the 4 D’s of personal combat. It’s an easy to remember acronym for the most important principles of winning a fight.

Before we get into the lesson check out this video. One of the 4 D’s stands for Distraction, and this video teaches you some of the classic (but still effective) distraction techniques used by experienced fighters.

The “Four Ds” Of Personal Combat:

These “Four D’s” were one of my own biggest “ah-ha” experiences because they explain why some guys — even little guys (who may look like they’d have trouble winning a fight at a quilter’s convention), consistently WON real-world street fights against larger more aggressive opponents.

It boiled down to this. These guys were consistently good in four specific skills:

  • Deception
  • Distraction
  • Disruption
  • Destruction

This is exciting “meat and potatoes” stuff about actually winning a street-fight. The best part is, unlike “sport fighting,” these skills have very little to do with size, strength, and physical skill. Let’s take a look:

Deception:

Deception is not some wishy-washy theory, it actually WORKS in the real world.

Deception plays on simple human psychology. The idea is to trick your adversary into thinking one thing, then suddenly turn the tables on him. The result is confusion, hesitation, and panic.

Here are a few classic deceptions techniques that really work.

  • Verbal Deception:The idea is to deceive your opponent by verbally expressing the exact OPPOSITE of your real intentions. A LOT of guys commit the mistake of announcing their real intentions. Do NOT tell someone you’re about to “kick their ass” and make threatening movements if that’s what you’re really planning to do.A better plan is to tell him that you’re “not looking for a fight,” or “don’t want trouble,” or even that you’re “injured and can’t fight.” Say anything that’ll lull him into the comfortable belief that he is indeed master of the universe.The more he has settled into this mindset, the greater will be his surprise and panic when HE is suddenly under attack. Here are a couple of methods of verbal deception:

    Begging: “Please, don’t hurt me.” The more you can get him to believe he’s the guy in control, the more effective this deception stuff will be. The idea is to set him up for the “big surprise.” Then, put him on the defense, and “back on his heels.”

    Comply: At the very least you should act like you’re complying with his wishes. For example, if some guy asks you to “step outside,” you already know what’s up. So I ask you, is it really necessary to “step outside” and “put up your dukes”? No. A better strategy would be to act like you’re going along with it, then launch into an attack or simply escape.

    Sound unfair? Good… This is your life, use whatever dirty tricks you can muster to end the fight before you end up in the hospital or the morgue. The concept of “total commitment” means you are NOT fighting fair.

Distraction:

This principle hinges on another quirk of the human brain, its inability to completely focus on more than one thing at a time.

The good news is that you can take advantage of this human limitation by redirecting, or “distracting” your opponent’s attention away from you so you can catch him off-guard.

The bad news is that distractions are often only effective for a split second or so, which means that unless you have an immediate follow-up plan, the distraction is futile.

Here are some highly effective PROVEN distractions that’ll give you an opening to launch attack…

    • Cigarette: Flicking a lit cigarette into your adversary’s face will definitely distract him for a moment. The key phrase here is for a moment.If you flick the cigarette into your opponent’s face, then use the time to enjoy a good snicker while watching him dance around brushing off the sparks, well… your sense of humor will get the better of you. Deception and distraction tricks are to be used only as simple mechanisms to give you one or (at most) two seconds to launch your attack or escape.But when a typical fight only lasts up to 8 seconds, a second or two is a huge amount of time.
    • Throw loose change on the ground. Believe it or not, reaction to the sound of coins hitting the ground is practically hardwired into the brain and creates a major distraction. I expect the more of a tight-wad your opponent is, the better this works.This is mainly an audible distraction — so unless you’re fighting a stripper — tossing dollar bills (even twenties) won’t work. Oh… and don’t expect to see that 73 cents again. Consider it money well spent.
    • Spill or throw your drink. This is one Hollywood trick that actually works. First, there’s the shock of ice cubes and cold liquid hitting the face… and second, there’s the instant (and temporary) blinding effect. This can be the most effective method in giving you a couple seconds to do what you gotta do.

I’m sure you can probably think of a dozen more simple distractions off the top of your head. But you’ll need to keep an open mind and use what’s available to you at the time.

Disruption:

This is any tactic or technique that messes with your opponent’s plan of attack. Regardless of who your attacker is he’s threatening you because he “envisions” in his mind’s eye everything ending up okay for him. The movie in his head doesn’t show him being hurt or killed.

The point of “Disruption” is to make it clear to him that his plans of easy victory are nothing but a fantasy. You need to screw up his little plans, take away his options, and “convince” him as quickly as possible that this could end very badly for him.

Here are a few ways to “disrupt” his plans:

  • Surprise: The quickest and most effective method to surprising your adversary is to initiate the attack – i.e. “hit first.”As one world-class street-fighter put it, “you need to demonstrate, to your adversary, that you have a total disregard for his well-being.” This is a nice way of saying that you should try to hurt him. Why? Because the psychological effect is to strip away his will to fight, and get his “internal chatter” going.
  • Close the distance: If there’s no escape and you’ve determined that a fight is imminent, you should move-in (as long as he doesn’t have a knife).In a hand-to-hand situation, “moving-in” is a very effective tool to convince him he’s made a terrible mistake.You do NOT want to close-in, then pause and do nothing. You should move in with the 100% intention of attacking.By closing the gap, you effectively neutralize the attacker’s two main weapons, the left and right haymaker. This is a major disruption to his strategy and he’s forced to stop and consider a new strategy, while you’re busy attacking.
  • Forward pressure: My research has PROVEN that the guy who puts continued forward pressure against his opponent most often wins. You do NOT want to let up.Keep yourself in a fluid state and fire continuous shots at open targets, never “letting up” your attack until he’s been removed as a threat or you’ve had the chance to escape effectively.

Before we get into Destruction I want to share the following video lesson with you. This video comes from James Painter’s Rock and Roll Prison Fighting System. This move was designed to work in close quarters and cause lots of…you guessed it…Destruction.

Destruction:

This involves breaking down your opponent physically to remove him from the fight. This is not as simple as “kicking his ass.” The better you understand his vulnerable targets and the specific striking techniques to attack those targets, the more effective a fighter you’ll be.

The two most critical elements for effective Destruction are, 1) target selection and, 2) how you’ll strike that target. The key is to attack the targets that’ll give you the most bang for the buck (i.e. targets that’ll produce instant results with high-damage potential).

Even an unsuccessful attack on a high damage target “disrupts” your opponent’s evil plans.

For example, Fight-Fast instructor Tom Cruse points out that the “elbow snap” technique does not always break the elbow. But, the horrid reality that you attempted to bust his arm like a twig is so disturbing to your opponent that his “internal dialog” can turn him into a deer in the headlights, shutting down his ability to vigorously fight back as he unconsciously switches to a more defensive mode.

If you succeed (break his elbow for example) in most cases the fight’s over. On the other hand if you don’t succeed, the “Surprise and Shock” value usually triggers negative internal dialogue.

Want to Learn The Super Secret (& Blood Proven)
“Humiliate, Dominate or Kill” Tactics?

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237 thoughts on “Lesson Four of the Self Defense Mini Clinic”

  1. man im so glad i came upon your web site got a few discs now love the reality truth behind them learned some real gung fu in past and what you you really trach is real no holda bared true truth thank you for the truth in fighting when im done with these 9 ill be looking forwards to more seems like you have lol ty bob keep up the good work atTRS

    Reply

  2. Great Stuff Guys !! The Slap, Grab & Twist will be one that my wife will know forward and backwards – I’ve been looking for something simple that she can retain and use without a lot of practice and memory . She and I will begin the teach/learn session as soon as I get a CUP ! ! !
    Keep up the good work – there are folks out here that apreciate your effort, KNOWLEDGE and willingness to share !
    Regards,
    Marc H.

    Reply

  3. Good Stuff, I work security for a living and I am faced with aggressive situation all the time. This is what I needed to know so that I will not be somebody’s foot stool.

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  4. You know I enjoy what you have to offer. There’s a lot of good information here. This is adding some new ammo to training I had in the past and it’s much easier to learn.

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  5. Very good reality-based technique. As a correctional officer of 30 years I can attest and appreciate James’ view of a simplistic, brutally effective defensive move.

    Reply

  11. I really appreciate what I am learning in these blogs and videos.
    I think that even a “senior” female like myself would be able
    to execute many of these tactics–if not to win a fight, at least
    to give me a fighting chance (excuse the pun) to get away in
    one piece. Thanks so much for putting this all together. We
    live in an increasingly violent society. You are giving people
    very useful information to help them avoid being victimized.
    God bless you, Linda W.

    Reply

  12. I’ve had a situation. had his pants sagged.I tried grabbing it and I’ve realized.His pants sagged.So what do I do?

    Reply

  13. R.Woodley here new Hotlist member.I have received the free 15 fight enders and find the fighting techniques to be real world capable for taking a man down if need be.I will continue to absorbe this matieral and very soon order more.You have changed my life gentlemen for the future.Thank you.

    Russell

    Reply

  14. This is great no nonsense stuff that can be aplied in a bad situation , your course is going to save someone’s life one day great stuff guys

    Reply

  15. This move is OK – so long as you don’t have an homophobic nature – a lot of guys will be phased by this – so they’d be reluctant to try it anyway – from a humorous standpoint – if you’ve ever seen the film ‘clockwork orange’ the whole thing becomes irrelevant.

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  16. This stuff definitely works – I’ve been the victim of these kinds of attack myself several times. I’ve never really been a good fighter – but one move that’s definitely helped me a lot is one I saw in a gangster movie – some gang boss has a problem with a punk who’s getting in his face – the boss shoves his hand in his face & sends the punk reeling down a flight of stairs – I think most guys watching these self defense video’s will have seen this film – well i very rarely come out on top against more aggressive guys than myself – but I’ve since used this tactic 3 times & won the confrontation all 3 times – I was also able to capitalize on my attack – It’s amazing what this has done for my self esteem & confidence. People are just a little more wary of me now – not a lot – but just enough.

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  17. Just one more thing I’d like to add that some students may find interesting & can relate to – it’s a strange quirk of the human psyche that certain targets are more favored by subconscious brain – for some strange reason there are certain hot spots that our brains pick out automatically for no apparent reason – in my case it’s the back of some ones head – this part of the human anatomy is like waving a red flag at a bull – once this target presents itself – I become totally sadistic when sighting the back of someone’s head – and yet it has always been difficult for me to punch someone in the face – there’s a psychological block – that I just can’t explain. so there you have it – this stuff is definitely not bullshit – I would never tell people this stuff if it was.

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  18. I love this stuff…I was recently in a fight that was on loose “assfault” I say this because its like an ice rink! My ass is where i went, he mounted me and i was in defense mode not good…I blocked his shots and pushed him off BUT in doing this he was in better position still. As i tried to roll to my feet I took a shot from behind under my arm pit with his shin, his boot conected to my face. My face was ok some blood from a small hole BUT the shin bone to the ribs broke them. I was screwed!
    The deal is I learned more from this loss than every fight i had won when I was younger! I have no excuse for my loss but learned pay attention to what you are standing on ALWAYS…It had been years since my last fight I had become complacent, off my game. Im more on guard now like years before I do not intend on having this happen again. Thanks for your insite GOOD STUFF

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  19. I watch “Real TV” and it gives a lot of actual situations of how things happen. There is never any technology or sophistication to it but just swinging and flailing, blind anger and the idea you want to kill someone. I am a Dianetics Auditor and if you understand how the mind works and can use it against an opponent it is your best ally. You have a reactive mind and it is full of every time you were hurt and had lowered consciousness. It evolved with the organism to key in and warn you of danger so it would not happen again. Tell someone with conviction, “I’m going to kick your ass”! and you will key him into everyother time he heard that just before he got his ass slammed. And that is what “Fast Fight” is talking about…you introvert your opponent and key him in with a savage attack and intention without reservation. His postulate without technology is that you are his victim and your postulate with technology is that he is you victim. Normally in life it is the person against their reactive mind and gess how loses. In auditing it is the person and their auditor against the reactive mind, two against one, and gess who loses. DBH

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  20. Your lessons are invaluable and can certainly have the potential to save lives.
    An early experience taught me a lot about the subject; As an 18 year old, my close friend had come home on a leave from the 101st Airborne. We had stopped at a late night Dairy Queen to get a coffee when a car pulled up next to us with 4 -5 big young men in it and they had been drinking. When they saw my buddies uniform, they began to call him all sorts of derisive names (to be polite) and bragged about how they would “whup his ass if he had the balls to get out of the car”.
    My friend looked at me and said, I need to take care of this, so hold my coffee.
    He got out and the driver of the other car got out and he was a “big dude”, but before he knew what hit him, my friend slammed the edge of his open hand into his larynx and as the guy grabbed his throat trying to breath, a knee hit him in the groin and a hard right sent him to the ground puking and gasping for breath.
    My buddie then leaned over, looked in the car and asked, does anybody else want to fight?
    it was like “lightning in bottle”, the fight was over in around 5 – 10 seconds.
    I never forgot that lesson and the ones you are teaching add lots of infratructure to to that lesson.

    Keep up the good work.

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  21. thanx for the excellent tuition and video.These are “real world”self defense and not movie martial arts.I have im my years found myself in dangerous situations and have got through with boxing moves and luck.Your tuiyion is deadly and easier to learn than most martial arts.This is a dangerous world we live in and any help or advantage you can get can make all the difference.I am also training my 12 year old son to box,but will be adding your self defene moves mixed in.Thankyou from the uk

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  22. I have been more impressed with passed videos and other techniques. The distraction video is very basic and for those of you who think its something that can work, just go back to the mindset training. Always remember nothing works 100% of the time and you can’t stop for a second to see if its working. I’ve been a police officer for quite a while now, and remember drunks and guys who are high don’t always feel the pain compliance techniques such as the grab and twist. I thought it was a great move, however keep driving him into the dirt until you knock the fight right out of him.

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  23. As a long-time martial artist (KENPO SYSTEM) I want to thank you for posting this series of real world fighting techniques. I just received your 15 Brutal FIGHT Enders DVD (with bonus FIGHT Enders DVD included) and it’s some very effective, KICK ASS techniques to add to my arsenal. Great stuff – I definitely plan on investing in more of your training DVD’s!

    Reply

  24. HELLO BOB!!! I’M ONLY 5’6 & 128lbs. STUDIED SOME MARTIAL ART’S IN PAST!! BUT THE PROBLEM I HAVE ALWAY’S HAD, IS NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH, AFRAID THAT I KNOW I CAN REALLY HURT AND MESS SOMEONE UP!! THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO GET PUMMELED A FEW TIME’S!! I’VE JUST RECIEVED YOUR 15 BRUTAL FIGHT ENDERS DVD. SERIES!!! CAN YOU PLEASE!! SHOW OR TELL ME HOW TO OVERCOME THIS FEAR OF NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH WHEN CONFRONTED!! I WAS TAUGHT IT TAKES A BETTER MAN TO WALK AWAY FROM VIOLENCE THAN TO RUSH INTO IT!! HOWEVER!! WHEN I HAVE IN PAST I GOT SUCKERED AND BEAT UP PRETTY BAD!! YOUR TECHNIQUES ARE EXCEPTIONAL BUT STILL HAVE THAT DAMN FEAR!!! PLEASEHELP ME MY FRIEND!!! I WILL PRACTICE YOUR TECHNIQUES CONTINUALLY THOUGH IN THE MEANTIME!!! I AM TOTALLY DIABLED ON FIXED INCOME SO I CAN’T AFFORD YOUR OTHER DVD’S RIGHT NOW!!! THANK’S A MILLION FOR YOUR TIME!!! IN CHRIST JESUS!!!

    Reply

  25. Dear Bob,
    thank you for sending me this information. It has added more techniques, to my Kempo training, taught to me by Sensai John King 5th Dan.

    Yours sincerely,
    Richard Seomore.

    Reply

  26. I think the more brutal the almost instanteous response is to a drunk or someone who has chosen to punch your ticket, the more likely you will win. Even if he’s nuts, he can quickly determine that you don’t play by rules that start you off behind the 8 ball. My instructors always told me the best defence is two fast feet! If that isn’t posssible, leave him with a souvernier to remember you by. It can be summed up on very few words. “You should have left me alone!” A “Nice” fight doesn’t exist. Having his balls for a souvernier it the possible cause of him thinking you are an easy mark. My partner like to say, “Here! Hold this!

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  28. I’m a bit too old to seek for a street fight,but if someone forces me into a fight, the above techniques will surely come in handy. Although my wish is never to have to use them. thanks a lot for the tips which I intend to review every now and then to keep in memory.More power to you and staff on your teachings.

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  29. Great stuff, I recently pranked a young lady at a pharmacy by a hand in my pocket i said this is a holdup give give me all the money she looked at me i saw a frightened look.I then said this not real and took my hand out of my pocket.I was apologetic.There was a man standing in the doorway he heard me and said I will beat you down, and with confidence I told him I would not allow that.In truth a couple of days prior I watched the dvd and techniques. Bingo it popped in my head. Fantastic!

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  30. Having sustained spinal damage while in a car accident has limited my responses, these moves are great! The faster you end the fight the better! The saying “of a fair fight” there is no such thing, someone will always have an edge.

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  33. i work with in a school setting,whereby i teach and coach students,my question is how to detained students when they become irate or out of control.

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  34. Thank and g d Bless you
    After 24 years of marriage my husband has occasionally become violent to me.I have walked out of an abusive relationship when i was younger.At age 61 I really need the ‘know how; because I will not tolerate violence or abuse from anyone

    Reply

  36. l want to purchase your free 15 brutel moves for £3.95 do you post to united kingdom england many thanks sean .

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  37. To whom it may concern,

    Thank you so, so much for sharing such amazing and valuable knowledge with me.

    Kind regards,
    Clifford.

    Reply

  38. Great stuff. There always seems to be an emphasis on striking first, with which I totally agree. But doesn’t that open you up to devastating lawsuits/jail time down the road? I realize you have to choose your life over a lawsuit, but here in CA striking first can literally ruin your life. How do you justify striking first with this in mind?

    Reply

    1. That is the million dollar question. I justify using force when 1) I cannot escape or otherwise avoid the conflict and 2) I feel that either I or those I am with are in danger of serious bodily harm. If those two criteria are met force is necessary. Some quick options for making it clear to bystanders that you are the victim (even if you strike first). You can very loudly let the aggressive person know that they should not come any closer, or should get away from you. Also very loudly proclaiming that you don’t want any trouble, or simply yell for help while taking the offensive. This should help make bystanders/ witnesses aware of what is going on. At the end of the day nobody can make this judgment call except for you, and it’s rarely an easy one.

      Reply

  40. That’s what I was taught “there is no such thing as a fair fight, there are winners and losers”. But like LJ was saying about striking the first blow, anymore you can go to jail fast for that and wich is worse a fat lip or six months in jail w/a life long criminal record to where you can no longer even buy a pocket knife? Such decisions. What to do?

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  41. Great advice and great presentation. A few years ago I considered taking a Judo course but found that it would cost me £300. Your course is the best I have seen. Enjoying each email/video as it arrives. Thanks for all the advice. Neil

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  42. Great advice and great presentation. A few years ago I considered taking a Judo course but found that it would cost me £300. Your course is the best I have seen. Enjoying each email/video as it arrives. Thanks for everything. Neil

    Reply

  43. Dearest Bob at PRS,
    Just want to say still awaiting my free Day 5 blog..But i know will get it.Just been itching,cos all A+,(★★★★★-5stars) info & teachings here.
    I live in Scotland,just recently got your 15 Brutal Fight Enders & bonus D.v.d.’s.Being from Scotland i had to pay £11.95 postage charge.Completely worth it after watching disc1 alone.Cheers Bob+P, all trainers,reception & all at T.R.S.
    I FOR A SAFE LIFE, LOCHI.

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  44. Thanks for the reminder of the slap, grab, and twist. If any pussy punk ever tries this to me I will be prepared to give him some “finger magic” and break his fingers off his hand.

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  45. I was once a bouncer for a number of years and clubs. And after whipping allot of asses, and taking allot of risks I have found that in a lot of instances it was easier to calmly talk my way out of a fight by letting the opponent know all of the bad stuff that will happen to him if he starts a fight with me, even if he wins. Or getting in his face, looking him dead in the eye, like I was badder than he was, or completely out of my mind, and not scared (greater intimidation). All the while keeping my distance but yet still able to strike a good target, grab something and hit him with it, or escape in case he tries something. That usually will at least stall him while you think of a great back up plan or attack. For example, once a biker chick said something to her boyfriend to get him to pick a fight with me. Then, all I did was lie to him and tell him that his girl friend left with a different guy last night, and I described a guy that resembled one of his friends that wasn’t there that night. LOL, next thing I knew, he was beating her ass instead of mine. Like the bible says, the tongue is a double edged sword…

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  48. I was hooked on day 3. When you reach 65, more and more you are seen as a soft target. I don’t like it. I’m not living another day as a soft target. I hope that soon I will feel confident that I can protect myself and my wife when on the street. I think I will because of the proficient and professional way TRS conducts business. It didn’t take long for me to be convinced I had come to the right place. If me or mine are ever imposed upon, I want to be able to fuck somebody up. I think I’m going to be around their site for a long time.

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  49. Guy’s…. as a fairly experienced fighter, I simply want to tell you this.
    As someone who has seen my fair share of confrontation (and hope never again) I can tell you this: If all you take away from this video is the “change drop” and the “spit” you will be very glad you did.
    TALK ABOUT SIMPLE ! I have used the “change drop” in fighting situations as well as messing around with my friends. The craziest thing about the “change drop” is that within 30 minutes to an hour…IT WILL STILL WORK ON THE SAME PEOPLE !
    Try it…and also buy a few of BOB’S videos. I am a long time wrestler, and I have learned to use ONE SIMPLE TECHNIQUE (of many) from one of BOB’S videos. It is called “peek a boo”. I added it to my normal 45 to 65 degree wrestling stance. I promise you that when confronted and I go into my “peek a boo” at the correct angle….more than 75% of people will simply wave their hand (call me an idiot, pussy, whatever….and walk away)
    KEEP GOING BOB!

    Kevin Holland

    Reply
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