Self Defence Seminar by Ed Torres 

When you think of New York City, you think of sky scrapers, good entertainment and plenty of things to do at any hour of the night. But despite the efforts of the latest mayor, crime is still at an all time high and there are always reports of attacks on people in the news. Most people that live here are always trying to find ways to survive and obviously since it’s not “The Old West” people are not going to be walking around with guns to protect themselves. (At least not the non-criminals)

So in a West Village Kung Fu school a very practical self-defense seminar is being taught by a Wing Chun Sifu named Jose Grados, who was raised in that same city jungle. Needless to say there were very sound, practical techniques shared with the 30 plus people in attendance and the effectiveness of what he was teaching proved itself because it was a very diverse group of people; some big, but mostly smaller average size people and small woman who by the end of the seminar were performing these techniques quite effectively on their larger counterparts.

Let’s take a look at some of the techniques:

You’re grabbed from behind in a bear hug:

1. Elbow to the ribs or stomach of the opponent and it opens up their grip. Then you circle your arm under theirs and apply a joint lock to their elbow as you press down their hand.
2. If the attacker’s grip is too tight to apply the elbow to their stomach or ribs; use the “Phoenix Eye” to press on the pressure point on the opponents hand located just below the side of the index finger big knuckle.
3. Sink down and throw the elbow
4. Use “Ginger Fist” to either strike the back of the attacker’s hand and dig it into the bone.

Attacker tries to wrap his arm around your neck from behind you:

Tuck your chin and keep the attacker’s arm from making direct contact with your throat, then you grab the attacker’s hand and twist it until it releases it’s grip. This technique was very effectively done by the women at the seminar.

Attacker tries to grab you from the front (high):

You break the line by firing punches down the center. You must first close the gap

Attacker tries to grab you from the front (low):

If he attacks low, pivot and step out using outside facing stance and control the head (almost like applying a Pak Sao to the head) and knee his face and punch. An important note here is that you must circle the person away from you as you control his head.

The Sucker Punch:
These are hypothetical situations of attackers trying to get the first punch in on you. This is where the Sifu’s experience really shows through!

1. Two people square off like their going to fight. The opponent sees that it may be difficult to hit you, so he acts like he’s walking away from the fight then he turns and fires a punch. Sifu teaches that the whole aspect is mental preparation. You must be alert and prepared as the opponent walks away and adjust your footwork and posture to wherever he is standing.
2. If the person tries to dance around, don’t stand there waiting. Instead take the fight to him. Go right in. Don’t play his game. You must use the footwork to eliminate his power by stepping in. By then you’ve eliminated 50% of his power.

If you are hammering forward with punches down the center and your attacker steps out to avoid your forward energy

You must first be sure to never over commit yourself into moving so far forward that you can’t easily and quickly change direction. You have to change and adjust to how the opponent is moving. At this point Sifu Grados used me to demonstrate his point.

Every time I threw a flurry of punches at him, I tried to step out to the side and hit him, he countered by turning his stance on his own axis and without wasting any motion he intercepted my attacks and struck me with a good, square, solid structure. It was here that Sifu Grados stressed that the further the opponent gets from you; the easier it is for him to defeat you. So stay close to him once you have closed the gap!

Attacker tries to grab you by the shirt with two hands from the front:
( I must say that these techniques were painfully effective)

1. Use double Tan Sao to open hands and double chop the attacker’s neck
2. Use double Tan Sao to open hands and use double Finger Jabs (Biu Sao)
3. Use double Tan Sao to open hands and use double Phoenix Eye to the pressure points just below the collar bones on each side of the upper chest.
4. Use double Tan Sao to open hands and use double Phoenix Eye to each side of the attacker’s neck.

During a parry of punches the attacker tries to slip down and grab you:

1. Step out and deliver a downward blow to the side of the neck
2. If you punch down and the attacker pushes the punch out of the way, use the running hand principle to re-fire the same punch that was blocked.

These are a few of the many techniques that Sifu Grados generously gave to all present. It was interesting to note that he said in passing that a lot of Wing Chun teachers believe that all these types of self defense techniques are implied in Chi Sao, but he disagrees. He continued to emphasize that footwork played a huge role in all of the techniques. He said that without the foundation of good footwork there is no balance and the structure is destroyed.

So as the seminar is winding down three and a half hours later to the sounds of the Beatles in the background the Sifu gives his final words and stresses that in order for your skills to work you must first stay relaxed in all situations and not freeze up. He says you must believe that what you learned is going to work. You must analyze and put work into the techniques, keep your mind open to everything and keep it simple. Stay focused and don’t be over confident and most of all (to coin a famous phrase) don’t take your eyes off your opponent!

By Ed Torres

Copyright 2001-2003 Grados Wing Chun