In our DVD products and at live self defense training sessions we make a big deal of the fact that most of what is taught about punching or kicking won't do squat for you in a real street confrontation.

You're far more likely to just piss off some thug until you learn that every punch or kick must cause an injury!

That's why you'll see we use the term 'Striking' far more often than either punching or kicking. In fact, we created an entire Striking DVD series around the concept.

Now, along with me, the other guy you see doing a lot of the TFT writing, especially for our manuals, is my top Master Instructor, Chris Ranck-Buhr.

Well, few people ever see it, but at the bottom of the very last, unnumbered, blank page of the Striking series Manual in 6-point type so small you need a friggin' magnifying glass just to read it, Chris managed to sneak in one of his pithy notes.

This one summarizes, in graphic detail, exactly what needs to happen each and every time you punch or kick.

To succeed in some unexpected & unavoidable physical confrontation you must ask yourself, "Is this what happens every time I strike someone?"

..........
THE FINE PRINT:

You swing the mallet with Calvin-like malice, as hard as you can. The mallet hits the ball under your foot and stops moving. The lucky red ball, however, zips away like a bat out of hell, over the fence and across the street, shattering the neighbor's window and knocking a space heater into the curtains, setting the house on fire.

This is what you want out of striking, every time.
..........

(By the way, since you may be reading this from a land far away and not understand, the "Calvin" he refers to is the kid from the famous comic strip of that name).

You'll see more of Chris' original thinking on this blog soon.

That's all for now,
Tim

http://www.targetfocustraining.com/

Labels: kicking, punching, striking

New classes, new locations, and a new format I'm testing for the first time.

Now there's no excuse for not learning how to disassemble some dim-witted thug assaulting you by quickly mastering the skills needed at a live TFT self defense training session this year.

Here's why.

I just rearranged my schedule to combine all 2007 training outside North America into one massive, multi-stop, 30-day 'round-the-world' swing from mid-November to mid-December.

I'll have details in the next week or so but for now it looks like stops in at least Hawaii, Australia (Sydney November 24-25), New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Africa, Italy and England (London Dec 8-9).

I'll update http://www.targetfocustraining.com/live_events.html with dates as finalized.

Given that, here's how North American training shakes out for the rest of 2007:

1-days come to the Northeast -- Finally

Normally I give at least 3 months notice for live training classes; often more. But two speaking engagements popped open options to add 1-day classes back east. So even though lead time is short, here's what we set up:

• Washington, DC, August 24, from 9-5.
• New York City, September 11, also 9-5.

If you haven't heard about how much we cover in one of these, check it out or register by going to: http://www.targetfocustraining.com/selfdefenseclass/1day.html

Because of the short notice, both these have minimum enrollment requirements. So if an eastern seaboard 1-day is your thing, lock it in by registering today. We'll make the go/no-go decision on both classes Friday, July 27 or earlier.

If either class bites the dust, you'll get an immediate refund that day or the opportunity to switch to the other session (or a different one if you like).

Brand New: The "I-Really-Want-To-Attend-But..." Class

If you've got a burning desire to learn all the TFT material quickly by attending a live training but haven't because, frankly, you were a bit intimidated... you're NOT alone.

Vonnie hears that a lot.

In fact, her comments spurred me to offer something I've never tried before... a class designed just for you EVEN IF you're out of shape, have physical limitations that restrict your movement, worry you'll be the only one without prior experience (or maybe just think you'll be expected to work with a bunch of ex-biker bar bouncers).

Whatever, if you've had a concern about attending one of these sessions, for any reason, this one is for you.

Understand it's a regular Fri-Sun class and will NOT be dumbed-down in any way whatsoever! We'll cover everything as usual, it's just that we'll proceed a tad bit slower... and offer more assistance where needed. I said anyone can learn TFT. Now we're gonna prove it.

There's only one of these, and it's coming up soon (San Diego September 28-30). Head on over and check out the details at: http://www.targetfocustraining.com/selfdefenseclass/special.html

We're expecting this one could fill very fast but since we've never tried it, there's no telling. So, same thing as with the 1-day's above: we'll pull the plug if there isn't the interest we expect. We'll make that call July 31 (and probably earlier).

Toronto & Dallas -- you're in too

The 1-day format lets so many more experience what it's like to walk out the door at the end of class knowing you can make some unsuspecting thug wish he'd never seen you, we've added 2 more in spots where we've not held them before:

• Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 12, from 9-5.
• Dallas, TX, October 26, also 9-5.

Toronto is the first TFT class ever in Canada.

As before, read about the 1-day classes or register by going to: http://www.targetfocustraining.com/selfdefenseclass/1day.html

A NEW 2 1/2 day in Miami, FL!

Finally, if you live in the southeast US and asked about a class in your neck of the woods -- it's here. November 2-4 in Miami.

Other than the special class in San Diego in late September, this is the only regular full-length session we'll host for the rest of 2007.

Register for this first-ever Miami class here: http://www.targetfocustraining.com/live_events.html

If you have questions about any of these, don't wait to contact Vonnie, as several are very time sensitive. Email her at: mailto:vonnie@targetfocustraining.com (preferred) or call her at 360-582-9578 (US Pacific time).

Until next time,

Tim
http://www.targetfocustraining.com/

Labels: 1-day class, Dallas Training, London England Training, New York Training, San Diego Training, self defense, Sydney Australia Training, Tim Larkin, Toronto Training, Washington DC Training

Violence is about injuring people. Period.

It isn't pretty. In violent conflict there are no rules. No part of the body is out of bounds and there are no gloves to soften the blows. Violence isn't like the choreographed dance moves you see on TV shows and movies. Each side doesn't take turns to swing and parry. One side strikes and the other side gets injured. And usually, the side that causes the first serious injury wins.

When you know how to use violence as a survival tool, you'll be the one doing the striking, the one causing the injuries.

There's nothing artistic about violence; it's an instinctive survival tool, like swimming. Once you've learned the basics, you're set for life. You don't walk around every day wondering what you'd do if you fell into a swimming pool: "Let's see, first I'd tread water, then I'd follow that up with a couple of neat butterfly strokes..." You know that if you fall in, you'll swim, and get out of the water.

An Olympic swimmer who trains every day will always be able to swim faster, further and with more grace than the average person who learned as a kid and only ever gets wet in the shower. But under normal conditions neither of them will drown. You swim so that you don't die. Violence is the same - a simple, utilitarian life skill. And as in swimming, the only arbiter of success is survival. If you make it out alive, you did the right thing.

Serious violent conflict rarely lasts more than five seconds. It doesn't take much to put even the biggest man down and five seconds is more than enough time to cause serious injury. On the other hand, that means you don't have the luxury of time to think or take up a fancy kung-fu stance. You get time only to act, cause an effect and continue to act.

You don't have time to be defensive in violence. If you're backing off or trying to block blows, you're not putting him down. If you're on the defensive, you're seconds from losing. And he's free to put the knife in you again while you're trying to block the previous stab.

In the end, you don't "win" in violent conflict-you survive it. It's not competition; it's destruction. The survivor gets to walk away. The other guy doesn't. And far more often than not, the one who's walking away is the one who was doing the violence.

It's only going to work out in your favor if you get in there and injure him. You have to put him down and keep him there. You have to throw out the rules and combine instinct with intellect.

Once you know how to use violence as a survival tool, you're no longer afraid of being mugged or murdered. You'll feel confident that if push comes to shove, you can put a man down and keep him there.

You'll know to survive in violent situations, just like you know how to swim.

All for now,

Tim Larkin
http://www.targetfocustraining.com/

Labels: self protection, striking, Tim Larkin

Welcome to the Target-Focus Training Blog.

I'm Tim Larkin the Creator and Founder of Target-Focus Training and I look forward to sharing some of the methods and priciples we feel are essential to effective self defense & personal protection.

Lets start with this concept: VIOLENCE AS A SURVIVAL TOOL

People have always used violence. They've fought over power, they've fought over resources, and sometimes they've fought over nothing at all. From the day humans learned that what they couldn't gain through persuasion they could win through violence, the strong have tried to dominate the weak.

This is the way it's been since time immemorial. And today, the strong and the violent still dominate.

The reason thugs are still using violence, and still winning, certainly isn't that they're smarter. It isn't even that they're stronger—many people who get beaten up and robbed on the streets every day are fitter and stronger than their drugged-up offenders. The reason muggers win is that they have power. They know what they want, and they know that if they use every violent means at their disposal, they'll get it.

• They know that if they pull out a knife, you're going to be scared.
• They know that if they put a gun to your head, you're going to freeze.
• They know that if they threaten to kill you, you'll give them everything they demand.
• They understand how to use violence in order to cause the effect they want to achieve.

Target-Focus Training changes the balance of power.

When you are proficient in the use of this simple system, instead of a threat from a violent stranger causing you to suffer pain, loss or even death, you will be able to cause serious injury to the man, resulting in his complete incapacitation.

You'll understand that if you injure a man in a certain way, you can precisely predict the result. Instead of doubt preventing you from taking action, you'll have the confidence to make the split-second decisions you need to stay alive during the most critical 5 seconds of your life.

When you've undergone Target-Focus Training, you'll have the power - the power to protect yourself and those you love.

All for now,
Tim Larkin
http://www.targetfocustraining.com/

Labels: self defense, self protection, Target Focus Training, Tim Larkin