Self Defense - (Hosinsool)

 

Self-defence applications are an important part of any martial arts system. In Tae Kwon-Do this involves the teaching of techniques used to disable an armed or unarmed attacker. The techniques taught are of a more practical nature and involve releases, locking, throwing, striking & disarming an attacker. These exercises teaches timing, self control, & techniques which can help them in a dangerous situation, it also gives the student a lot of self confidence. In Self-Defence the format is similar to One Step sparring. However, the attacks can be any technique, and come from any direction, e.g. a grab from behind, the side or in front etc.. Such attacks to any individual can be narrowed down, in the main, to four fundemental approaches which are :

Techniques to defend and counter in self defense are more direct and not flamboyant. The primary aim of self-defence is not to get hurt. Firstly that means avoidance but if necessary it means doing just enough to ensure you can get away. The instructors at Bassetlaw Tae Kwon-Do are well versed in practical street defense techniques and are able to give honest, realistic advice on how to react and deal with situations, around the following 4 types of situation. Before any self-defence throwing technique is taught the student is shown & taught how to fall properly by means of break falls. This part of a class is taught on crash mats and the students work in pairs.

Environment Awareness - This is discussed but not practised and is the everyday ability to sense where you are and see problems developing and not putting yourself in danger in the first place. E.g. don’t go into a rough pub where fights are common, don’t walk alone across a park at night.

Retreat - This is again discussed but not practised. It is when you thought you were safe but in fact a situation is developing and you retreat. E.g. you go into a safe pub and there are non regular people in their looking for trouble. Leave before they start on you.

Break and Escape - This is practised and is a range of simple techniques to break away from a half hearted assault (such as a drunken grope) and make your escape. Examples are breaks form wrist grabs, someone grabbing your clothing etc.

Break and Restraint – This is more advanced and should only be practised by senior grades, and is where an assault is attempted by an attacker against the student, with the student then using various blocks, break techniques and joint manipulations to restrain the attacker to ultimately either force the attacker into submission, or to restrain the attacker whilst help is sought and/or the Police. 

Combat - This is the final type of self defence and must only be used in extreme circumstances where you have no other option but to fight. Techniques taught are brutal and destructive but effective.

There are two main concepts in Taekwondo self-defense. An experienced Tae Kwon-Do practitioner needs to be versed in both as, in a real life combat situation, either may be needed:

Linear Techniques

These include mostly punching, kicking, headbutts and other striking maneuvers. Force is met directly with force and all four limbs are involved in stopping an adversary. Tae Kwon-Do kicks give superior reach, meaning that an adversary can be stopped at a distance. If the technique is done correctly, adversaries may be incapacitated with a single blow. This is particularly important when fighting multiple opponents, where prolonged grappling would leave the Tae Kwon-Do practitioner open to further attack.

Circular Techniques

This is where an adversary's strength is used against them - the harder they attack the greater the pain they will feel. By intercepting and redirecting the force of an attack, the adversary can be manipulated into a position whereby a lock, stranglehold and/or finishing move can be applied. Grappling techniques are used in the linear approach to self defense both as a means of securing an adversary and freeing oneself from an adversarie's grip. The advantage of soft self-defense techniques is that damage to the attacker can be limited and, in many cases, no permanent injury need be inflicted. A properly applied stranglehold or joint lock will quickly convince all but the most psychotic of attackers that further aggression would be futile.

In training one person is usually designated the part of the Tae Kwon-Do practitioner, while another student(s) takes the role of common street aggressors who attack from various angles with punches, kicks and grabs common to street brawlers. Weapons may also be used, as Tae Kwon-Do has specific techniques for dealing with armed adversaries.

Self Defence Methodology

Pressure point applications. The body has many sensitive areas that are susceptible to precise attack, these are known as pressure points or hyel in Korean and are precise access sites along a bodies energy meridian. There are three types of pressure points identified in Tae Kwon-Do - pressure points which induce pain, those which induce paralysis and those which cause death. Nerve clusters can be attacked with fingers or grabbed and compressed in order to immobilise an opponent or cause so much pain that he loses the will to fight.

Throws - too sul, the student uses an opponents force to their own advantage to throw him to the ground. Once on the ground the student has greater control over his adversary and can follow up with subsequent controlling or finishing techniques.

Joint Locks. - kwan jyel sul, these are particularly useful against armed attackers. Typically the attacking limb is grabbed and then manipulated to cause immense pain in the adversary. Joint locks can be applied on any joint in the body and are particularly useful for controlling an opponent who has been thrown to the ground.

Termination techniques. These are a range of strikes applied to an opponent downed by a previous throw or strike. Powerful downward travelling kicks and hand strikes are used to make sure the opponent stays down.

Choking techniques. In Chil sik sul, the idea of applying a stranglehold is to deprive the attacker's brain of either oxygenated blood through the carotid artery and/or oxygen for the lungs through the trachea. In Tae Kwon-do, a student uses leverage from their arm whcih also sometimes involves the attackers clothing in applying pressure to the sensitive neck area. Choke holds are particularly dangerous and only taught to higher level students, as over exertion can crush the trachea or cause sudden death.

Freeing techniques - Paegi are taught so that students can quickly free themselves and neutralise the danger of being grabbed by an attacker. The science of Tae Kwon-do is equally concerned with defense as attack so proper freeing techniques must be learnt.

 

 

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