Secrets of the Shredder:
Dirty Fighting Goes Legit!
Secrets of the Shredder:
|
|
Being able to employ “dirty fighting” in a violent encounter can spell the difference between life and death. The often-maligned category of moves includes gouging the eyes, raking the face, ripping facial features, pulling hair, biting, seizing the windpipe and delivering a variety of close-range blows. Many martial arts and self-defense instructors recognize the importance of these techniques, but few offer a realistic way of learning and practicing them—which is essential if you want to make them usable. One instructor who bucks the trend is Richard Dimitri, founder of senshido. He’s quick to point out that in most situations, dirty tactics alone may not be enough to save the day and may not even be appropriate. But for situations when they are, Dimitri has the recipe for victory: an onslaught of vicious moves he calls “the shredder.” It entails unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of attacks that flow from one to the next and includes various principles and methodologies designed to make it an effective part of your arsenal.
Dimitri began his martial arts journey 30 years ago with kyokushin karate, aikido and hung gar kung fu. But after working in body guarding, bouncing and security, he discovered that the traditional arts suffered from serious limitations. When a fight resembled a hockey brawl, he found that he reverted to gross-motor movements—despite his 12 years of martial arts training. Thus, his research began. Recognizing that violence outside the ring or dojo has psychological, behavioral and tactical dimensions that traditional arts don’t address, Dimitri embarked on a different path. It led him to study boxing and catch wrestling, as well as spend three years as an assistant instructor to Tony Blauer in the early 1990s before the two parted ways.
In creating his own system, Dimitri strove to make one that could work for everybody. “I’m not interested in training the next heavyweight champion,” he says. “My main concern is the housewife, the businessman, the child, the average person.” If a move didn’t work against a larger, stronger assailant, Dimitri deemed it impractical for self-defense. In this way, he focused on tools that didn’t require size or strength. He sought techniques that could cause maximum damage with minimal pressure, were gross-motor-based, and targeted soft tissue and vital areas such as the eyes and throat. While such techniques existed in other fighting systems, Dimitri concluded that they weren’t taught in a way that enabled students to use them during the chaos of combat. He set out to create a fighting technique that could bypass an attacker’s natural flinch and cover-up, one that would end the fight as quickly as possible. His guiding principle was simple: “As soon as you get ahold of the attacker, you want to immediately cause pain,” Dimitri says. An assistant likened the mechanism of the technique Dimitri devised to that of a shredder tearing up a sheet of paper. “Now imagine your hand being that shredder; keep attacking the vitals without recoiling,” the man said. The nonstop action immediately puts your opponent on the defensive and reduces his offensive capability by shifting the predator-prey mentality of the fight. Physical Application Successful application of the shredder hinges on several tactical and behavioral considerations. Because it’s a close-range weapon, its effectiveness is often enhanced when the defender reacts the way his attacker expects, thus drawing him in and encouraging him to drop his guard.
All the aforementioned weapons and tools are employed in such a way that one flows into the next with minimal delay, thus giving the opponent less time to react. The goal is to overwhelm his defenses by using different tools to attack different body parts. An essential component of the shredder is the “quarter beat.” Dimitri uses the term to refer to attacks that are effected without cocking or retracting the limb prior to launch. The foot or fist follows the shortest path to the target, thus applying the principles of economy of motion and closest weapon to closest target. The power of the strikes may be reduced, but the chance of landing one rises because the recipient has less time to move, cover or counter. Furthermore, many of the techniques that make up the shredder—specifically, the gouging, ripping and tearing moves—don’t require cocking, distance or momentum to deliver damage. The shredder doesn’t rely on any single blow or technique any more than a chain saw relies on a single tooth to rip through a tree trunk. Its strength lies in the nonstop manner in which it’s applied. The constant cycling between the various tools makes it more than the sum of its parts. To ensure maximum contact, Dimitri advises students to anchor their opponent so he can’t pull away. Grab an ear, a shoulder, the back of his neck or any other body part that will allow you to stabilize him. In all likelihood, the anchor will be fluid, meaning that you’ll have to move from one part to another as the fight progresses and the person moves. You may have to switch anchor hands, too. Avoid using clothing as an anchor, however, because it can tear and shift. The ultimate goal of shredding is to twist your foe’s head as you maneuver behind him and position your chest against his back. From there, you have complete control and can force him to the ground if need be. Footwork is important in closing the gap, Dimitri says. Keep moving as you jerk and twist your opponent around and use the shredder to keep him off-balance. In a multiple-attacker situation, you can use that controlled opponent as a shield against his cohorts.
Mastering the Movements Dimitri says the components of the shredder are so natural that you can easily access them under stress. However, to be applied most effectively, you need a comprehensive training program. A senshido maxim holds that if you don’t train it, you won’t do it. You begin learning the shredder by combining the various components in a flowing manner and practicing them on a partner. At no time does Dimitri teach set patterns; in fact, he warns against using them because only the dynamics of the situation can determine your best options.
Next come drills in which you acquire and manipulate your partner’s head, then twist it around, grab his ears and facial features, and simulate digging your fingers into his eyes. Practice that in a variety of positions, both standing and on the ground. Over the years, Dimitri has found that many things which seem easy in drills fall apart in the face of real aggression. So as soon as you learn the basics of the shredder, he says you should don protective gear for your head and face and engage in full-contact scenario training involving single and multiple assailants, both armed and unarmed. You’ll find that in some situations, the shredder isn’t the solution, and in others, the tension can be reduced simply by talking—and that’s the way it should be. As long as you’re in a clinch or in grappling range, you can apply the shredder while standing or on the ground. If you’re not close enough, you may need to strike, kick or use some other gap-closing method. Dimitri emphasizes that the shredder is not a stand-alone technique. In certain circumstances, you can use behavior as a delivery vehicle—provided that the fight hasn’t gotten physical. Dimitri teaches tactics for getting into position to use the shredder by manipulating your opponent’s behavior in the pre-fight stage when he’s acting suspicious or aggressive. One example starts with the ready stance. Assume a passive position that will enable you to attack if need be. Turn your body slightly with your hands at shoulder height and your palms facing forward. Although the stance appears submissive, it positions your body so your arms can jam any incoming attacks. Because the hand is quicker than the eye, especially at close range, you need a defense mechanism that will reflexively stop whatever your opponent throws—and that’s what this stance offers. Dimitri advises you to add movement to your passive stance, preferably in the form of seemingly nervous circles that give the impression that you’re intimidated. Such a tactic makes it harder for him to hit you and allows you to scan your surroundings to see if he has any friends nearby. Combine the passive stance with conciliatory words and nonthreatening body language designed to de-escalate the situation. If the aggressor persists, the stance will lull him into a false sense of security and set the stage for your pre-emptive attack. This behavioral element is the key to defeating a stronger and more skilled aggressor, Dimitri says. It enables an average person to avoid and, if necessary, defend himself by using and manipulating the behavior that’s already present in the conflict. About the author: E. Lawrence is a freelance writer who specializes in covering reality-based fighting systems. 
Jim Wagner at Trexpo West 2009!Darren Levine: Using Krav Maga Techniques to Survive a Knife Attack Jim Wagner: Behind the Scenes at Video Shoot for New DVD Series! Richard Ryan: Speed-Hand Technique | Mini-Seminar! Richard Ryan: Gun-Disarm Techniques Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Woman's Survival (DVD 9179) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Terrorism Survival (DVD 9169) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Crime Survival (DVD 9159) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Handgun Survival (DVD 9149) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Knife Survival (DVD 9139) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Ground Survival (DVD 9129) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Defensive Tactics (DVD 9119) Jim Wagner / Reality-Based Personal Protection - Knowledge Domain (DVD 9109) Mick Coup (Part 6): Eye Gouging - VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED Mick Coup (Part 5): Ear Vulnerability - VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED Mick Coup (Part 4): Strike Safety Mick Coup (Part 3): Target Selection Mick Coup (Part 2): Indexing - Opponent Application Mick Coup (Part 1): Indexing Kelly McCann: How to Handle "Handshake" Situations Kelly McCann: Jugular Notch Demo Video Kelly McCann: Time Lag in Combatives Kelly McCann: Lapel Grab / Chin Jab Demo Video Kelly McCann: Baton vs. Knife Demo Video Kelly McCann: Arm-Drag Takedown Demo Video Jim Wagner's Reality-Based Personal Protection: Series 2 Available Now! Jim Wagner: 2006 Self-Defense Instructor of the Year Mike Lee Kanarek: 2007 Self-Defense Instructor of the Year How to Adapt to Any Critical Survival Situation Richard Ryan Jim Wagner Ernest R. Emerson Mick Coup on Indexing in Reality-Based Self-Defense New Kapap DVD Collection Coming Soon! NOW AVAILABLE FROM BLACK BELT MAGAZINE VIDEO: Krav Maga Personal Protection: The Israeli Method of Close-Quarters Combat by Alain Cohen |
