Violent encounters, bravado and all that jazz - Paul Sharp

[** Serge **]

Violent encounters, bravado and all that jazz.
   

After reading through numerous internet postings regarding violent encounters filled with more bravado, mental masturbation and pre-pubescent chest pounding than I can handle…., I thought I would add my thoughts because what’s the harm in a little more of that stuff at this point?

In all seriousness, I would like to post a few thoughts on the issue of violence and violent encounters. First things first, if you haven’t sat through William April’s lecture on violent actors and violent actions…., fix that asap. William April gives the most detailed and easily understood breakdown on the violent criminal’s mindset and operating agenda of anyone I’ve ever heard.

First things first, a violent encounter is a life altering event. No ands, ifs or buts. You will leave a violent encounter a changed man or woman. Whether that change is in the form of physical damage, mental trauma or both, you will be changed. If you’re not prepared for the possibility that you might be permanently injured or worse, you’re not taking this seriously.

Here is a good example of how quickly a violent encounter can escalate from simple fisticuffs to the threat of serious bodily injury and/or death. http://youtu.be/2Ge5DuhsDls

Most have watched that clip; a simple traffic crash that turned into a physical altercation leaving one person unconscious on the pavement after taking numerous kicks to the head. How many kicks can a skull take before it breaks and/or brain damage occurs? I’m not sure and I don’t want to find out. Do you think that man was changed by the events that occurred that day? I’m going to say, probably. These are the types of events I think about when I read or hear someone boasting about what they would do in a violent encounter. The truth is, we don’t know. We train, we prepare, but once contact is made everything changes at a rapid pace. No two encounters are the same, what worked last time might not work this time. We can’t walk into a situation thinking we know the outcome because there are too many variables at play. If we have no choice but to step into a fray we give it our all, call on every bit of training we’ve ever engaged in and hope for the best. That’s about all one can do.

I’ve spent over 20 years of my life involved in combat sports competing in MMA, boxing, kickboxing, and submission wrestling. It’s safe to say these fights or matches occur in controlled environments. There are weight classes, rules, the fighters are usually equally matched and know something about each other. There is a referee and medical staff on hand as well as cornermen to help the fighters perform at their best in as safe an environment as possible. Even with all these controls in place guys still suffer serious injury. Brain damage, broken bones or torn connective tissue is a regular occurrence. I haven’t competed since 2006 and I still have aches and pains from fighting. I have friends that have permanent hearing loss, blurred vision and/or traumatic brain injury. These are life altering injuries as a result of sanctioned events with numerous controls in place. If an event with all of those controls in place is this dangerous, how much more dangerous must a violent encounter in an uncontrolled environment be?? Yet we read and/or hear guys bragging about their desire to engage in some sort of violent encounter….. No thanks dude. Obviously my views are colored by my experience which is spending my whole life, as long as I can remember, involved in physically violent sports. I’ve witnessed and experienced some hellacious injuries. In the sport world those injuries were always followed by a time-out or a referee stopping the fight. Outside of the sport world, those injuries would only serve to stop the injured party while giving a huge advantage to the opponent(s). That’s not a pleasant thought. I remember responding to the scene of a fight outside a bar. When I arrived I found a guy face down in the parking lot. I revived him and the first thing he said to me was, “that didn’t go the way I thought it would”. Yep, sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. Nobody visualizes themselves losing, suffering injury or worse. Everyone visualizes themselves the winner, saving the day and all that jazz. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you realize it just might not go your way.

At this point you must think I’m a coward and afraid of a fight outside a sport environment however, I think I’m more of a realist. I’m not afraid of a fight, I’m realistic about the nature of a violent encounter. Rather than afraid I would say I’m careful. I know once violence is initiated there is no predicting where things will go or how things will end. Knowing this, I’m hesitant to engage unless there are no alternatives. Imagine yourself sitting in a prison cell facing a 5-10 year stretch because someone was seriously injured or killed in an altercation with you. Think about the cause of the fight and ask yourself, was it worth it? Few things are. Having said that, I would offer this, once you’ve done all you can to avoid, defuse, and de-escalate the situation? Don’t hesitate. If it’s time to be violent then do so with audacity. Aggression will carry you even when outmanned. The old adage of hit first, hit fast and hit last applies here. Everyone has a punchers chance, including you so get after it and start driving straight shots right down their throat. As soon as possible, get out of there, look for an escape route and take it, don’t stick around.

Remember, a violent encounter is a life altering event. Once you’re in it, there is no getting out unaltered. Make sure you understand, I mean fully understand what you’re getting into and why.

http://sharpdefense.wordpress.com/© 2013

[Bomby]

Merci pour le texte et le lien, Serge !

En fait, tout ce que dit ici l'auteur (Paul Sharp, si je ne me trompe) est déjà largement connu... Mais il y a un certain nombre de choses que l'on connaît mais que l'on a cependant besoin de s'entendre dire et répéter par d'autres pour mieux les intégrer et les traduire dans nos comportements.

Souvent d'ailleurs, lors de la répétition du message, on sera plus ou moins sensible à tel ou tel de ses aspects particuliers.

Ici, ce qui me frappe personnellement, c'est en particulier la clarté de Paul Sharp et son insistance à propos du risque de blessures et de la fréquence des lésions dans les engagements violents :

I’ve spent over 20 years of my life involved in combat sports competing in MMA, boxing, kickboxing, and submission wrestling. It’s safe to say these fights or matches occur in controlled environments. There are weight classes, rules, the fighters are usually equally matched and know something about each other. There is a referee and medical staff on hand as well as cornermen to help the fighters perform at their best in as safe an environment as possible. Even with all these controls in place guys still suffer serious injury. Brain damage, broken bones or torn connective tissue is a regular occurrence. I haven’t competed since 2006 and I still have aches and pains from fighting. I have friends that have permanent hearing loss, blurred vision and/or traumatic brain injury. These are life altering injuries as a result of sanctioned events with numerous controls in place. If an event with all of those controls in place is this dangerous, how much more dangerous must a violent encounter in an uncontrolled environment be?? Yet we read and/or hear guys bragging about their desire to engage in some sort of violent encounter….. No thanks dude.

Souvent, ces aspects sont au contraire largement tus. Sans doute parce que, dans le milieu des sports de combats et AM plus encore que dans d'autres, il est mieux venu d'afficher ses forces que ses faiblesses, et qu'on va souvent même cultiver une image virile de combattant bravache et inaltérable ("même pas mal", "et si je tombe, je me relève", etc...). Ce qui est d'ailleurs en partie logique, puisqu'il s'agit de pratiques où l'on développe la combativité. Egalement aussi, certainement, parce que les promoteurs des disciplines et compétitions concernées n'ont évidemment guère d'intérêt à trop communiquer sur les séquelles des pratiquants.

Mais quand, de temps à autre, un expert plus lucide et sincère soulève le voile, on découvre alors l'impact réel des ondes de choc encaissées.

C'est ce qui donne à mon avis ici un vrai poids aux recommandations de l'auteur de laisser tomber la bravade pour lui préférer la prudence quand il s'agit de possibles confrontations réelles.

Cordialement,

Bomby

[** Serge **]

Ce qui apporte souvent ( mais pas toujours ) de la crédibilité chez Sharp sont sa profession de policier ( de longue date ) à Chicago et son engagement sur le long terme dans les MMA, le grappling et le soulèvement de fonte.

Mais, c'est également ce qui le limite  dans une spécificité un peu étroite par moments.

Pour les affranchis, chez TPI, Sharp, c'est Todd.
Et ici, par exemple, Todd pourrait être David, Fred ou Pépé.
C'est-à-dire très peu de monde, en fait.