Practice your Self Defense Techniques

At Ju Jitsu Rugby, we like to train in the most practical ways possible whilst ensuring the safety of our students so we alwats us effective padded equipment in order to do this.

Use a padded training aid such as a striking shield to practice your self defense strikes on a regular basis. You really can practice many techniques from simple kicks to punches, elbow strikes, finger strikes and so on. The shield is lightweight and small enough to allow your attacker to move around as you practice.

Round kicks, Front Kicks, Shin Kicks, Stamping Kicks, Knee Strikes, Elbow strikes, forearm strikes, punches, finger strikes and head strikes. It does not matter what strikes you use, choose whichever ones you find most effective for you.

Practice applying all of the strategies to maximize the effect of your strikes

Practice using Headgear

Use headgear, complete with a visor to practice those fast strikes to the face and head. Note that hard strikes can still render your acting-attacker unconscious, even with the use of headgear, so use this with care. You can also practice those close quarter strikes to the head, finger scraping, elbows, thumb strikes, head butting and open hand strikes.

Keep away from that standard fight positioning and get in close where you can strike with good effect using fingers, elbows, head etc.

Be aware of your closest tool to the closest target on the attacker to initiate your combinations of strikes.

Anything goes! Your strikes do not have to be fancy or look pretty. Elbows, forearms, knees, fingers and open hand strikes are all effective at close quarters. Practice combinations of strikes, practice doubling up the strikes, such as that open hand strike becoming fingers across the face or fingers to the eyes.

As your attacker is protected with the headgear, they will not feel the effect of your blows, therefore, they sometimes need to simulate a realistic reaction after being struck.

Training Alone

Punch Bag

A punch Bag or Punch Stand is an ideal training aid for practicing your strikes when you are training alone. Once again you can practice a full array of strikes.

Mirror

When you train alone, use a mirror to check your technique. Look at your stance, watch yourself practice the stances and techniques. Look for flaws in your technique and do your best to fix them. Are you maintaining a good stance whilst striking? Are you targeting primary or secondary targets? Are you rotating at the hips and shoulders to gain greater effect?

Visualize

Another good exercise you can practice, is to visualize yourself in different situations. Consider what your options are and see yourself carry them out. This helps you to become pro-active rather than reactive if you ever find yourself in such a situation because you've been there in your mind.

Visualization is very powerful, so ensure you do it both regularly and consistently. Imagine yourself in different situations and consider how you get yourself away to safety. Imagine the techniques that you would use. You can also change the levels of intensity of each situation in your mind.

Always ensure that you are successfully controlling the situation and achieving your goal as you run through each scenario in your mind. You are not looking for perfection every time but progression.

Visualization will really help you to become very confident in carrying out the techniques.

Train Hard, Train Smart, Fightwize!