The Unconscious Power Of Assumed Constraints

Assumed constraints – the unconscious power inside you!

Combat Training Principles — Secrets For Staying Alive When “Rules” Don’t Apply

People often ask me for the best way to “protect” them in some imagined criminal assault.

They want me to respond by giving some perfect technique that handles their particular imagined scenario.

They’re often disappointed at first when I don’t respond the way they want me to answer their question. They don’t like to hear the truth — that violence is random and thinking only in terms of “techniques” to use against a random act is a good way to get you killed.

The problem with practically everyone’s approach to dealing with violence is not that they’re incapable of learning techniques – it’s that they don’t understand this way of responding to violence — real asocial, maim, cripple, or “kill you now” violence — is seriously flawed.

That’s because when it comes to violence, we (meaning you and me, the productive, law-abiding members of society) live lives of ASSUMED CONSTRAINTS.

We are taught early on by parents, teachers, and our legal system that if we want the benefits of living in a society like ours then we need to constrain our violent impulses when things don’t go our way.

And obviously, this is a very good thing.

It’s the reason you don’t kill the obnoxious jerk that steals your parking place, you wait patiently for the light to turn green at an intersection, and you don’t shoot the neighbors Labrador for digging up your rose garden.

When it comes to the subject of violence, we are controlled by society much like circus elephants are controlled by their handlers.

These trainers know the most reliable way to handle an elephant is to “condition” it when it is very young.

They put a shackle on the baby elephant’s leg with a short chain that is held in the ground by a very long spike. The baby elephant tugs at the chain attempting to break free.

After a short while the elephant breaks the skin around the shackled leg and gives up. But the pain of attempting to break free is never forgotten.

Later on, that same method is used to control the now fully-grown elephant, even though the adult beast could pull the spike free with no more effort than you and I use to remove a thumbtack from a corkboard.

And the same approach is taken with all productive members of society regarding the tool of violence.

We are “shackled” at a very young age — first at home, later in ours schools, and finally at our workplaces.

When faced with violence, most of us respond SOCIALLY.

We attempt to communicate with our attacker in hopes of avoiding the use of violence. We may threaten to use this tool but we really don’t want to since that shackle is still firmly attached.

The sad part of ASSUMED CONSTRAINTS is that most martial arts, combat sports, and, yes, even most “reality fighting systems” teach you to respond — WHILE STILL SHACKLED!

It doesn’t work.

I learned long ago the first order of business is to teach my clients how easy it is to break those ASSUMED CONSTRAINTS when the threat warrants such an approach.

Because the real threat to society is when we run up against some “rogue elephant” that has never been “shackled” and has no problem using violence to get what he wants. And imagine how easy it is to fight someone if they have their leg shackled.

Remember first and foremost — violence is rarely the answer to most situations, but when it is the answer, it’s the ONLY answer.

Once you understood that (and as a reader of this newsletter you have heard me say it numerous times) you then must be able to rip off those ASSUMED CONSTRAINTS and free yourself so you can utilize the tool of violence when required.

I can assure you the methods and principles taught in Target-Focus(TM) Training Live Seminars and our various other products do EXACTLY that, allowing you your best chance to survive an asocial, violent threat.

Take some time to digest this message, read through it again — then look within to see if you can truly break free from your “shackle” if the need arises.

If you’re not sure — really sure — then get some help to do this because you don’t want to discover those shackles are intact with a 9mm pressed against your ribcage.

Until next time,

Tim Larkin
Creator of Target-Focus(TM) Training

Target Focused Training
TFT Human Weapon Defense System
Live Target-Focus Training
TFT Striking
Using Your Bodyweight as a Sledgehammer!
TFT Throwing Series.
The Art of Head Trauma:Dumps, Drops & Throws

TFT Weapons Self Defence.
Discover secrets for destroying anyone attacking you with a weapon!
Surviving The Next 5 Seconds Of My Life!
The Survival DVDs
Surviving the most critical 5 seconds of your life!
The Survival Book

Learning To Fight… Or To Dance?

Are You Learning To Fight… Or To Dance?

Why you should take a look at Target Focused Training

I saw a commercial for one of those dance instruction programs that guarantees you’d be able to dance as well as any member of the most popular boy-bands.

The program showed a group of students following the instructor step-by-step to learn some pretty complex moves, choreographed to perfection. The result was that by memorizing the steps and combining the moves you could mimic the formerly difficult routine.

It reminded me of watching a Wushu team practice their show. For those of you that aren’t familiar, Wushu is a Chinese martial art that is delivered via a stage performance. The fights are very elaborate and it takes a great deal of practice to put on a convincing show.

As I watched the team practice it was interesting to note that whenever someone wanted to screw around all they had to do was execute a move different from the routine. Literally you would be watching a fight scene you’d swear was pitting two highly trained fighters in mortal combat when all of a sudden one of the guys would move differently… maybe slap the other guy in the face like the Three Stooges used to do.

Everyone would laugh, then take a break.

But that slap also woke me up out of the dream state I was in as I watched the performance.

I realized that this was exactly the method in which most martial arts or combat sports are instructed.

Especially when they train “self defense”.

Basically there are set patterns you memorize in response to various staged attacks. Memorize those responses and you can look pretty impressive.

But what happens if you vary the attack?

Most students freeze.

Why?

*** BECAUSE THEY WERE NEVER TAUGHT TO FIGHT! ***

Nope, they basically were taught to ‘dance’ and as long as everything went according to the ‘routine’ you could do okay. But we all know things never go exactly as planned.

Fighting is no different — whether you are on the mat at your training center or on the street locked in mortal combat with the other guy(s). The only variation is that when you fight with your training partner you don’t actually maim, cripple or kill. You still target and simulate those exact strikes, just at a pace your partner can handle.

If, however, you’re operating in a ‘training’ mode where you are memorizing a ‘set’ response to an attack, you are learning nothing but a ‘dance’ move. In Target Focused Training such training is viewed as “coordination training” not fighting.

If you don’t know the difference, you can easily fall victim to the “now it’s for real syndrome”. That’s where you face an imminent attack yet hesitate… as your brain tries to accept the fact that “this is for real”.

Contrast this to the well-trained fighter who simply sees all this as merely fighting and proceeds to:

1) find his targets and
2) strike.

The only difference to the fighter is the fact he can now strike with full power.

That’s because the well-trained fighter never sees himself as ‘training’ — he’s always fighting. Understand this concept and you’ll always be prepared… no matter what the situation.

Until next time,

Read all about Tims stuff on his site: Target Focused Training

TFT Human Weapon Defense System
Live Target-Focus Training
TFT Striking
Using Your Bodyweight as a Sledgehammer!
TFT Throwing Series.
The Art of Head Trauma:Dumps, Drops & Throws

TFT Weapons Self Defence.
Discover secrets for destroying anyone attacking you with a weapon!
Surviving The Next 5 Seconds Of My Life!
The Survival DVDs
Surviving the most critical 5 seconds of your life!
The Survival Book

Target Focused Training London Session Report

Stefano Agostini from Italy attended the recent London Live Target-Focus Training
session and just sent in this comment:

“First, I am a professional instructor of martial arts and I have 40 years experience in martial arts, combat sports, and self-defense methods.

“In my opinion, 99% of the self-defense methods around are just a bunch of b#@%#t: the only difference among them is that some are more funny and more sellable than others, and that is all…

“I had read about Tim for many years, and I usually agreed with all he writes, but I was really doubtful that he could sell such intelligent stuff: normally stupid things sell well, while intelligent ones don’t.

“Well, the seminar in London was simply brilliant: it exceeded all my expectations!”

“If that’s how this professional with 40 years of experience rated the class, imagine what your reaction will be… even if you’re a complete novice.”

And don’t forget, you’re completely protected. On the mats with our 1-of-a-kind training format that lets you “fight for your life without ever risking it.” And with our complete money-back guarantee, the only one of its kind in the self defense industry. You risk absolutely nothing.

Read all about Tims stuff on his site:

Target Focused Training
TFT Human Weapon Defense System
Live Target-Focus Training
TFT Striking
Using Your Bodyweight as a Sledgehammer!
TFT Throwing Series.
The Art of Head Trauma:Dumps, Drops & Throws

TFT Weapons Self Defence.
Discover secrets for destroying anyone attacking you with a weapon!
Surviving The Next 5 Seconds Of My Life!
The Survival DVDs
Surviving the most critical 5 seconds of your life!
The Survival Book

The Ultimate Weapon

Combat Training Principles
Secrets For Staying Alive When ‘Rules’ Don’t Apply

The Ultimate Weapon

There is one weapon that trumps all others, if not directly then at least potentially. What is it, you ask, and where can you get your hands on one? Well, the good news is you already own one. But whether or not you know how to wield it is another thing entirely…

When training people I like to ask some specific questions to better gauge where their heads are at when it comes to criminal violence, and how best to handle it. One of those questions is:

“What weapons do you have at your disposal?”

The answers tend from the obvious (items they routinely carry with them, from pepper spray, to tasers, to handguns) to the improvised (body tools like elbows and boots, as well as briefcases, umbrellas, pens, etc.).

These answers come not just from the uninitiated, but from highly trained and competent military commandos and law enforcement personnel alike.

The primary difference between the operator and the civilian is that while the civilian tends to go for common, everyday objects, the operators will usually categorize the weapons available to them as primary (rifle or submachine gun) and secondary (sidearms, knives, etc.).

Click to read about Target-Focus™ Training

To find the real answer to this ‘trick’ question, all you have to do is figure out what all of the weapons named have in common–and, indeed, what all weapons, everything from a heavy club all the way up to a nuclear warhead, have in common.

If you answered, “They’re for killing people,” I appreciate the way you think, but you’re still heading in the wrong direction on this one.

The most powerful weapon–the one that the highly trained operator and uninitiated both fail to list–is the human brain.

That’s what every weapon ever devised has in common–a common origin point. All weapons arise from the ultimate weapon, the human brain.

Unfortunately, this ultimate weapon is often overlooked in modern martial arts and combat sports where the focus tends toward the ancillary tools used by the mind–the various fists, elbows, knees and feet and the many techniques that can be done with them. The flaw is not in the tool–a fist through the throat is going to be a great start to taking care of a bad situation–but rather in where this puts your focus. If you’re training to think primarily about the end of your arm, with drill upon drill for blocking and countering what the other guy is doing, your focus is racked to the wrong position. You’re not thinking deeply enough. You need to be thinking not about the space between the two of you where you’ll attempt blocks and counters, but through the man. You need to focus on shutting off his brain. You need to be thinking inside his skull.

Training for that middle ground–and ignoring the real problem–puts you firmly on a defensive footing. You’re going to be stuck reacting to what he’s doing. In other words, you’re training yourself to let the other guy call the shots. In competition, with rules, this can work out okay. In fact, the rules tend not only to protect the defender, but also work in his or her favor.

But when there are no rules–when that other guy is a killer–you could wind up dead.

While competitive play may favor the defensive, real violence favors the one doing it.

Click to read about Target-Focus™ Training

In the ring, waiting for your opponent to overextend themselves so you can take advantage can allow you the opportunity to counter. On the street, waiting to see what happens next gets you stabbed in the neck.

And in that awful situation, if your focus is stuck in that intervening space between the two of you, you’re going to get stabbed again and again and again as you try desperately to block or counter having just been stabbed. Here, being a half-step behind on a defensive footing makes you easy meat.

In criminal violence you want to be the one doing it to the other guy, not the one getting done. And in order to make that happen you need to train your mind to focus on ACTING instead of REACTING.

Instead of a defensive, ‘wait & see’ attitude you need to cultivate a constant state of attack. You need to shift your focus from countering what he’s doing to shutting off his brain.

Use the ultimate weapon to turn the tables and make him worry about what you’re doing. Make him go defensive and try to protect himself from you.

Until next time,

Tim Larkin
Creator of Target-Focus™ Training
http://www.targetfocustraining.com

PS. If you liked this update to our original email series and would like to receive it regularly just register below.

Creating Anarchy in the UK Media’s Self Defence Debate

The UK Media’s Self Defence Debate Continues

Hi Malcolm,

Seems I’m fast becoming the poster child for “Extreme Self Defence” in the UK.

The uproar in London continues over whether or not the tool of violence should be available to citizens.

The debate has attracted the BBC, the Sunday Times, 2 separate documentary filmmakers (for both the BBC and Channel 4) as well as numerous newswires and magazines.

My Sept 26-27 London Seminar is fast approaching capacity and I’m considering extending my stay to handle the media requests and offer another seminar (the Sunday Times will be in attendance and has the print media exclusive for this one).

I’m being called everything from a “refreshing breath of sober advice” to the “Billy Mays of Violence” by the UK media.

I think they were trying to insult me on that last one but I was a big fan of Billy Mays and if you ever watched the show Pitchmen you know why. He was a good guy who only backed products he truly believed in. And he was someone who never took himself too seriously.

The debate in England seems to rest on the misguided fact that, if citizens are well-versed in the tool of violence for self protection, it will somehow transform them into hardened criminals.

The media and public officials conveniently dismiss the fact that self defense laws in the UK haven’t begun to keep up with the heinous asocial criminal acts of violence occurring with alarming regularity there.

In fact, in many of my interviews, these folks seem committed to actually ignoring this fact! Uh, what is it they say about the ostrich with its head in the sand…

Anyway, why this irrational response?

It’s because I discuss the reality which many people choose to ignore. It’s simply the fact that we live in a physical world… something predators fully understand and readily exploit!

As a reader of my newsletter, I don’t need to remind you of my strict definition of where and when violence is ever the right tool for the job.

But it seems the UK media and government officials are dead set against opening this debate. Fortunately, I’ve got thick skin.

And if you haven’t been to a TFT Live Seminar and are waiting for the right one, wait no longer. After attending this Sept 26-27 London Seminar training I’m guessing you’ll agree… it was one for the books!

(Just don’t be disappointed if the mayor of Slough isn’t there as your training partner).

Taking violence with the utmost seriousness but myself, not so much, in honor of the late Billy Mays, until next time,

Close Combat Master, Tim Larkin
Creator & Founder,
Target-Focus Training

How Violent Does Self Defence Have to Be?

Maiming and Killing in Self-defence

I’ve just come back from working in Berkshire and was suprised to see the reaction to Close Combat Master, Tim Larkin who is giving one of his ‘Target Focused Training’ seminar in Slough. Now I’ve got some of Tim’s DVDs and quite like the real world stuff he teaches to the ‘average joe’ – but the do-gooders are up in arms!

Is violent self-defence the answer?

Tim comes across to the UK on rare occasions to teach sell out seminars. It’s his controversial seminar taking place in Slough in Slough that teaches maiming and killing in self-defence which has caused ripples of controversy throughout the town.

If you’re faced with a machete-wielding gang of thugs and your life is on the line, would you know how to protect yourself?

Would you want to know how to deliver a lethal move in order to save your own life?

However, the idea of teaching clients how to potentially maim and kill has led pockets of the Slough community to condemn the workshops.

The former mayor of Slough, Cllr David MacIsaac, told the Slough Observer that Larkin was “not welcome” and that while there are problems with violence in Slough, “it’s hardly downtown LA”.

The main reason for coming to Slough is to do with the training facilities there, at an undisclosed address, rather than an alarming knife-crime rate. The sessions will be held at the end of September 2009.
‘Violence shouldn’t be a taboo subject’

Tim, who trains a range of military and law enforcement clients as well as civilians, says that learning about using violence as a tool shouldn’t be a taboo subject, especially if you come across a life-threatening situation.

“Unfortunately violence is the 800 pound gorilla that’s in the room,” he tells BBC Berkshire.

“The problem is that we have told ourselves that by outlawing violence we don’t have to deal with it and it will go away.

“All we’ve done is we’ve made ourselves much more pliable victims for the a-social predators of the world.

“What I’m trying to do is tell people that there is no danger in learning about the tool of violence.

“It does not make you a bad person, it does not make you a sociopath, and it does not make you more likely to be a violent person.”

Tim says there’s nothing wrong with learning about violence.

‘You’re more likely to become less violent’

In fact, Tim says that his training leads clients to become less violent.

“When I train in the military and law enforcement arenas,” he says, “the units that have been trained in our methodology have less instances of excessive force.

“They negotiate a situation far better whereas maybe before they would have used a lethal force such as a gun, oftentimes they’re able to put the perpetrator in handcuffs and take them away.

“The more you know about lethal applications to the body, the less violent you are. You don’t go out seeking it, and you certainly wouldn’t misuse the tool.”

A concern from the naysayers is that clients can potentially abuse what they learn from Target Focus Training, but Tim dismisses this.

“What if the criminals come? They don’t come!” he says, “they don’t need to, they already know how to take a pipe and hit you repeatedly on the head until you die.

“They don’t need a lesson from me.”
‘Merely protecting yourself can be a failing strategy’

Tim’s lessons are specifically on how to “protect yourself through injuring the other person”.

He says: “Most people tend to focus their time in a self defence situation where their opponent tries to punch, stab or kick them.

“The focus seems to be to try and protect yourself from being hit, which is a pretty failing strategy.

“So the real focus is to learn where the vulnerable parts are on the human body. Basically we show everybody how to exploit those weaknesses.”

The idea of lessons in how to potentially kill someone could of course land you in jail.

Deputy commander of Slough police Chief Inspector Kate Ford told the Slough Observer: “Thames Valley Police will deal robustly with anyone suspected of an assault where more force than absolutely necessary is used, even in self defence.”

Tim however says that teaching clients when to use the ‘tool of violence’ is a key part of the seminar.
‘Don’t abuse the tool of violence’

“There’s a huge difference between the term kill and murder,” he says.

“We’re not talking about ‘hey punch a guy on the chin’ and hit them here, here and here’. We’re saying that systemic trauma upon the human body can have an effect and you need to be aware of that.

“I make it clear when and when not to use this information. You misuse it and you’ll find yourself in jail.

“This is not the information you use if you’re at the pub and somebody took your stool.

“When people go through the training it causes them to make better decisions in their life, there’s lots of things they don’t participate in anymore after they realise how fragile the human body can be.

“We try to tell people that once you cross the physical line and put your hands on somebody, you have to be prepared for it be lethal, whether you intended it to happen or not.

“I rarely get guys that come and be extremely aggressive and say ‘yeah I really want to fight’, because when they read our materials they realise it’s not that type of an approach.

“If I get anyone like that, as soon as I show them how fragile the human body is there’s a complete change. It goes from an ego-based idea of media violence to the stark reality of real violence.”
‘The lessons are for everyone’

The lessons are for everyone, including older generations and those less able-bodied.

“A predator might come up to you and get very close while they put the weapon to your neck, you’re able to have that one chance, and if you know what to do you’re probably able to effect an injury regardless of the fact that this person is bigger, faster and stronger.

“It’s a tool that’s always available to us, you don’t have to be fit.”

And what makes Tim think that his lessons are necessary?

“I understand the ideas behind all the laws behind the weapons, I merely want people to realise that the human mind can’t be controlled and you can outlaw edged weapons as long as you like, it’s not going to stop someone picking up an improvised object if they wanted to.

“I think it’s admirable to have an anti-knife programme, I just think you have to be realistic. The people that we’re talking about that would use these tools against us aren’t us, they don’t think like us.
‘You have no idea what your attacker is thinking’

“When a person has a knife to your neck and they’re asking you for your wallet, and you’re trying to imagine, if I pull my wallet out and I give him £20 he’ll go away because I wouldn’t kill anybody over £20.

“If you’re using that kind of rationalisation, you have to ask yourself, when was the last time I took out a knife, put it to someone’s neck and ask them for their wallet.

You probably have no idea what’s going through that guy’s head.”

Check it out…

Comments submitted.

Ryan
TFT is very scientific with detailed explanations of the trauma you are affecting to the body. The BEST ive seen so far.

Sal
Since you Brits are afraid to defend yourself against the Muslims, of course you guys are against this training.

Solomon Blake
I think this is absolutely brilliant. Laws are only valuable when people agree to abide by them, but when someone decides to step outside the rules, you need to know what to do because you might not have time to reach “the authorities”. Sad fact is that few people are prepared to truly fight for their lives.

Ted Schaghy
I am a huge TFT fan and practice violence daily. Everyone should learn this material. It just might keep you alive one day.

Gabe McCown
I’ve been through two of the TFT seminars and they do an amazing job. Anyone who is opposed to what they are doing is mis-informed on their teachings. This training is a life saver.

Ronald Marks
I took the course years ago. It is dispassionate and professional. Tim properly underlines that it is the deep-seated, almost irrational fear of violence within otherwise intelligent, civilized people that is the real social threat, since it severely compromises the ability to make rational social policy choices, either at the ballot box or in a back alley.

Lo.
I am female, forty, and regrettably not as fit as I’d like. I attended Tim Larkin’s seminars in the UK the previous two times, and I have to say that every person there was respectful, supportive of each other during training, and seemed only interested in protecting self and loved ones. We all left with great smiles, sincere hand shakes, and feeling more confident. To the lady cop from Slough: first, go to the seminar (in your job, you need this info); second, please don’t make statements based on a pre-judgment. What is excessive force when you are in fear of your life? There is no such thing.

Thiagan De Croos
many of us have tried to live a perfect life, worked very hard and have been blessed with extremely close knit and loving families, I believe these gifts are from God.i also believe that God will protect us. I also believe like many of us, that there is also a seamier, far more violent side in society. Many laws and law enforcement agencies have been set in place to curtail such elements. Unfortunately these asocial elements act when such agencies are not present. In short I believe being prepared is always an option we cannot ignore. This is the basis of Tim Larkin’s training. I fully appreciate his inputs into those who wish to live a perfect life as positively interacting and valuable members of society in general. Thanks Tim. Thank you BBC for this survey.

Pat T.
I have watched the DVD series TFT puts out and even though I shudder to think of killing another human being, if the choice is between me or an attacker dying I would rather it be the attacker. This program teaches you how to use violence as a tool. From what I have learned from the videos if you are in control of the situation you can choose NOT to kill the attacker, only to disable them.

bill lewis
It can save your life and it’s philosophy that violence is rarely the answer but when it is it is the only answer speaks for itself

russell
great idea hope tim comes to reading to do some lessons

Check it out…