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By Amaury Murgado
There is a void in
martial arts training that instructors tend to
ignore. We are very good at preserving the art
form and equally as good at teaching basic
self-defense; what we don’t teach is the
important bridge that connects training with
the real world. The structure of the bridge
consists of what happens with our mind-body
connection in a high stress situation. Our
body’s physiological changes define what works
and what doesn’t. Like it or not, there is a
big difference between our training in a
controlled environment versus the harsh
realities of a self-defense encounter. This
applies equally well to armed and unarmed
encounters regardless of who has the weapon.
Most modern day martial arts weapons training
does not revolve around self-defense; it
usually takes the form of discipline and
character building, tournament play, or what is
needed fulfill rank requirements.
What is easily
performed during training becomes very
difficult in a true combatives situation.
According to research on cognitive and
physiological effects found in books like
Warrior Mindset, fine motor skills start to
deteriorate when your response heart rate
starts beating at 115 beat per minute (Bpm).
At 145 Bpm your complex motor skills start to
deteriorate. Above 175 Bpm, you experience
irrational fighting, fleeing, or freezing. The
optimal rate for survival and combative
performance is 115-145 Bpm assuming you are
well trained and physically conditioned. Since
we can’t stop these physiological changes from
happening we can only hope to limit their
effects by focusing portions of our training on
what happens under real world conditions. In
doing so we can find ways to take advantage of
the physiological changes that occur and use
them to our benefit. In a fight or flight type
state of arousal, techniques that revolve
around gross motor skills will always be more
effective and easily retained for longer
periods of time.
A Primer on Physiological Changes During
Physical Conflict
There are
certain physiological changes that occur within
our bodies when engaged in a self-defense type
conflict. The intensity of that conflict will
determine the levels of physiological arousal
and subsequent capabilities of the individual.
Dr. Alexis Artwohl’s Deadly Force Encounters
was a ground breaking study providing
insight into what happens to people in combat.
For example, visual narrowing, loss of fine
motor control, accelerated breathing, and
reduced cognition are just some of the changes
that will occur. Selective attention and
inattentive blindness are also factors to be
considered (refer to The Invisible Gorilla:
And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us).
This attention deficit is caused when you focus
so hard on one thing you miss everything else,
even if it’s right in front of you. You can
find the original 1999 video on the internet.
You are asked to count the number of basketball
passes a small group of students make. The
problem is, when you focus on counting, most
people miss the man in a gorilla suit coming
right through the middle of the group and
pounding on his chest. Since the original study
was made, you can find other video variations
but you get the idea.
Because of the way our body reacts
in its survival mode, blood is moved to larger
muscle groups and for all practical purposes,
fine motor skills and dexterity are lost. In
other words the simple act of using keys to
open a door or texting a message on your phone
will become extremely difficult if not
impossible. Knowing about these changes and how
to deal with them can give you a significant
strategic advantage. Learning to work with the
physiological changes instead of against them
reduces the reliance on fine motor skills. They
also reduce the need for intricate maneuvers or
techniques that require strength for success
because these are prone to fail as well.
Of course, if you
have the dedication, appropriate instruction,
and time to train you can reduce the effects to
a more manageable state. By training
consistently and using high numbers of
repetitions, you can compensate for these
changes and work through them. Certain martial
sports enthusiasts, specialized law enforcement
officers and special operations units in the
military train to the point where they can
operate in an elevated state of arousal for
significant amounts of time and remain very
effective. The key word here is training;
quality training and a great deal of it. You
can’t train for four hours a month and expect
to have a major impact in your reactions; it
just doesn’t work that way. Lt. Kevin Dillon
(RET) a long time martial artist and
internationally recognized police combatives
instructor says it best, “Your body will
dictate your physiological changes during a
violent encounter; your training will dictate
your response.” There is no way to completely
get rid of the physiological changes that occur
within you so you might as well learn to live
with them.
Physiology and Weapons
The loss of fine
motor skills reduces the effectiveness of most
weapon techniques. Techniques that require
intricate maneuvers or multiple skeletal
manipulations are lost unless you have hundreds
of hours and thousands of repetitions behind
you. And even then most weapon techniques have
no real world application and should remain in
forms competition. If you have trouble wrapping
your head around that concept try this simple
exercise. Take a personal inventory of what you
use the most often from your combatives
repertoire. You may have learned hundreds of
techniques throughout your martial arts career,
which turns into thousands when you use
combinations. In real world terms however, your
arsenal is quite limited. I would venture to
say you only have eight to twelve techniques
you do with any unconscious competence. In
other words, you really only have a handful of
moves that you have practiced so much that you
can do with a high degree of skill at any one
time. Since a weapon is merely an extension of
your existing skills, by default your real
world applications with a weapon are limited as
well. For the average person placed under a
high state of survival stress, you can throw
out any technique that is fancy, intricate, or
requires fine motor skills. If it doesn’t
revolve around a gross motor skill, the average
person has lost the fight before it’s even
begun.
The Walking Cane in Self-Defense
Since the cane does not require
fine motor skills nor does it require thousands
of repetitions to become proficient, the
walking cane is an effective self-defense
weapon. At its most basic level, the
techniques revolve in and around gross motor
skills. You can easily hold a cane with one or
both hands to block, poke, jab, strike, swing
or push. The crook of the cane (depending on
its design) makes it easy to grab, hold, or
pull. Like any other martial discipline, there
is a difference between the art form, what we
teach for self-defense, and any real world
application. Therefore, in order to be
effective, you need the correct balance of all
three. The cane fits the bill; it can be used
for all three purposes. Let’s focus on
self-defense though.
For example, say you are taking a
leisurely walk around your favorite park. You
are suddenly confronted with an angry young man
demanding that you give him your wallet.
Remember, the same physiological changes are
happening to him as well (visual narrowing,
selective attention, reduced cognition) only he
doesn’t know it. You stop, raise your left hand
up in a semi-surrender position and start
talking to him; you ask him not to hurt you
what is that he wants. Your right hand remains
on the cane. As soon as he starts to answer, “I
said, give me…,” you flip your cane into his
groin area; when he bends forward (a natural
reaction) you grab your cane with both hands,
step forward, and deliver a strike to where the
neck joins the shoulder area in order to apply
a brachial stun; if this doesn’t take him down,
you follow up by planting the crook of the cane
behind his neck pull him down to the ground.
Because you split his attention, you delayed
his reaction time and in doing so, gave
yourself a valuable edge in order to prevail in
the encounter.
Enter Grand Master Mark Shuey
Grand Master Mark Shuey of Cane
Masters is probably the biggest proponent of
the use of the walking cane for self-defense in
and out of the United States. He is an
internationally recognized cane master and the
quality of his hand made canes is
internationally recognized. For example, Grand
Master Shuey helped create a special cane after
working with the design from Shi Xing De, a
high ranking Shaolin monk in the United States.
Shi Xing De is a disciple of the Song San
mountain temple located in northern China and
now teaches in Santa Cruz, California. This
special cane and its detail took three months
to develop. It was crafted by Cane Master’s
Sensei, Merle McAplin. The resulting Shark
Fin Cane was sent to China and was well
received at the Shaolin Temple.
The American Cane System is pure
self-defense. Its primary mission is not to
enlighten you but to help defend you. Let’s
face it, and as with most martial art type
weapons, you are not walking around the
shopping mall with a Tai Chi Sword strapped to
your side; but you could be walking around with
a cane. Though the American Cane System
incorporates more intricate maneuvers at the
intermediate and advanced levels, the core of
this program is designed to make use of the
mind and body connection I spoke of earlier.
The program bridges the gap between art and
real world application. All of the core
techniques can easily be applied under stress
where your physiological changes limit your
response capabilities. Many can be applied
equally well while standing or sitting.
Grand Master Shuey’s
newest program, Cane-Fu, is ear marked
for those over 50 or disabled. Grand Master
Shuey states, “We have created the Cane-Fu
system, which contains the most efficient and
effective exercises and self-defense techniques
from the American Cane System. The modalities [skill
sets] are easy to learn and will help instill a
sense of confidence, as well as a higher level
of health, to those who are willing to devote
the time to practice them on a regular basis. ” All
Cane-Fu techniques are simple to learn and easy
to retain. Because the techniques can be
executed using gross motor skills, they work
well within the framework of the physiological
changes you experience under a fight or flight
type situation.
Grand Master Shuey
considers Cane-Fu in this light: “Please
understand that these techniques are just the
basics, and that with a little imagination, you
can create your own techniques that will feel
more natural and reflexive. If this information
can help to prevent just one senior citizen or
disabled person from being a victim of a
violent crime, it will be well worth the time
and effort I have put in to create it.”
I think Cane-Fu is
very well thought out and includes many options
for its use. The techniques may be basic and
originally targeted for those over 50 or
disabled, but they create a core set of skills
which will be of interest to anyone wanting to
learn to use the cane in self-defense. Because
these skill sets can be easily retained, your
chances of prevailing during an encounter are
significantly increased. Once you get the
foundation, you can create your own
combinations or your own training forms. You
can easily adapt the techniques to your own
needs or limitations.
Though
there is a set curriculum for Cane-Fu and a
Black Belt rank structure for the American Cane
System, Grand Master Shuey doesn’t limit his
students by locking them in. Instead he
encourages continuing their education with the
cane as a lifetime passion. As with all good
teachers, he shows you a way, not the way.
He understands all he can do for a student is
open a gateway; it’s up to the student to walk
through.
As a long time
martial artist and police combatives
instructor, I can certify without hesitation
that just about anyone can benefit from this
training. I have been involved with the cane on
and off for more than 12 years and I have yet
to get tired of it. For those seeking more
advanced training beyond a core self-defense
program, you can continue training in the
American Cane System up to Black Belt or become
a certified Cane Master. The Cane Master
certification is highly distinguished honor in
and of itself. To my knowledge, though the cane
may be taught elsewhere as part of another
system, Grand Master Shuey’s programs are
equally as comprehensive as they are well
rounded. If you ever get the chance, I highly
recommend exploring the use of the cane for
self-defense and exercise.
Closing Thoughts
There are very
few martial arts weapons that have real world
applications outside the training hall or
competitive forms arena. More importantly,
there are very few weapons you can carry
legally around the world. Luckily for
those looking for a viable option, the walking
cane is readily available in many styles.
Whether your focus is strictly self-defense or
you wish a higher level of expertise with shock
and awe, the cane has something for everyone. I
would recommend that as instructors we include
training that revolves around the physiological
changes we experience under stress in conflict.
If you can’t do it under stress, it is of
little value to you in a fight or flight type
situation. I also recommend that you take a
look at the walking cane and offer your
students a form of weapons training that
clearly has a real world value.
I train in the American Cane System
by Cane Masters. I met Grand Master Mark Shuey,
in 1999 while helping him with a seminar in
Kissimmee, Florida, and I have had a love
affair with the cane ever since. Including the
walking cane in your weapons training will
offer something for everyone. Training with the
cane will open up new possibilities for you and
your students. You don’t even have to reinvent
the wheel; Cane Masters has already done it for
you.
About the Author
Amaury Murgado is a long time martial artist,
police combatives instructor, and a columnist
for Police Magazine. He is currently the
Special Operations Lieutenant for the Osceola
County Sheriff’s Office in Kissimmee, Florida.
He can be reached at murgado.a@gmail.com.
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