Tony Blauer Blog

Happy New Year Happy New Day Happy New Moment Happy

Tony Blauer — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:25:18 +0000

This picture was found on Facebook. There was no author or copyright attached otherwise I would cite the source. Kudos to the witty person who wrote it. – TB

About 20 years ago I stopped writing New Years resolutions.

I don’t even discuss New Years resolutions.

No judgment for those who love writing out their resolutions (check out the photo – thx Steph!!).

This update isn’t anything more than my philosophical POV, so take it or leave it

Here goes:

“This year I’m going to….”

Every minute becomes every day and every day eventually becomes, “Where’d the year go?

Those who are close to me know that I monitor my self, my actions constantly – every act, every word, every email, every post, every gesture….I strive to do what’s right, as i understand ‘it’ at this stage of my life, i don’t slack on personal standards, ever.

Every day I work to better manage fear, self doubt, hesitation, procrastination and more. Every day I try to improve my position in the game of my life.

I am always working on my mind and my body, always trying to better understand who I am and how I coach myself, my family, my team.

I am human so I get side-tracked, but my moral compass is always pointing in the ‘best-intention’ direction – the obstacles become lessons, the lessons become skill sets. This creates awareness, competence then confidence as the journey progresses.

So heres a thought, if we celebrated Happy New Day or Happy New Moment we’d create a massive bedrock of self-development and the discipline to continue that practice. It’s much more Zen-ish, offers much more opportunity to grow, the changes and transitions are manageable because they’re incremental and in near real-time and I believe much more fun. And, no hang over

Have a great day!

Tony

Attacking Yourself

Tony Blauer — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:17:57 +0000

“How would you attack you?”

When it comes to personal safety, we all have varying levels of awareness. Common wisdom suggests we watch out for bad-guys! [Scan the perimeter. Check the backseat. Lock the doors.]

We look-out for ourselves by looking out. I think we need to look ‘at’ ourselves for the real picture.

Now think about violent crimes committed in your community (rape, muggings, aggravated assaults, robberies, etc.) – what led to the crime? Opportunity.

The “How would you attack you?” POV is a complete paradigm shift that could change everything for you or a loved one.

Think about the concept like this: what in your daily routine makes you vulnerable? Inviting? How would an opportunistic criminal make his move? How can you adjust? By analyzing your lifestyle as a whole from the perspective of a criminal you may find holes in your personal safety plan.

Remember our Three D’s: Detect, Defuse, Defend. Detect & pre-empt.

Early detection improves perception speed which reduces reaction time.

Stay safe,

Tony

Theories of Victimization: Victim Precipitation, Lifestyle, Deviant Place and Routine Activities

Refernce: McGrath, Jenifer (2009). Theories of Victimization: Victim Precipitation, Lifestyle, DeviantPlace and Routine Activities. Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com, February 22,2011

A Dark Night Indeed – The Colorado Movie Shooting

Tony Blauer — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 20:08:13 +0000

So much has been written about the event. I was called, emailed, asked, what should people have done? What would you have done?

This isn’t the first time I’ve been in this position. On December 6, 1989, Montreal made international news when Marc Lepine waltzed into the University of Montreal and shot twenty-eight people before killing himself. I was on the news that very afternoon and had a panicked & sensationalistic reporter ask me what people should have done? What I would’ve done? My answer changed the conversation (and my future appearances on that station). I paused and said calmly, “How dare you ask that? How could anyone have a secret move, a technique, a plan for that? How could you ask me to ‘arm-chair quarterback’ this horror?” There was an awkward pause and very uncomfortable silence. I proceeded to explain that the only thing ‘we‘ can do is cultivate a relationship with instinct & intuition and to embrace an obvious ‘holy shit’ moment and somehow act decisively on it: engage or dis-engage

“The Cobra seeks to fix the eye of the bird, and in that moment of looking, predator and prey decide their own fate. The victim creates their destiny.”

Why did Dave Thompson & John Alfred Klang move towards the danger and wrestle the gun from Eric Hainstock in the Weston High School Shooting? They weren’t Ninjas! They weren’t the police! What made them risk everything? What made gym coach Jon Lane, volunteer as the hostage and take down Barry Dale Loukaitis in the Frontier School shooting?

After the Dark Knight attack, I was fired up, ready to write, I wanted to talk about my favorite emotional fuel: indignation. I wanted to write about & share 30 years of coaching & scenario-based training! But I was overwhelmed…with my 30 years of coaching

Fact: No one can plan for or predict how they will react in an ‘incongruent ambush‘.

What is an incongruent ambush you ask? It’s like an non-sequitor in a conversation, your brain’s reticular cortex is trapped like a deer in the headlights as your intuitive abstraction skills try to connect the dots. The delay is profound & obvious….

A congruent ambush is just that – it makes sense, that’s what smart fighters are supposed to do…you’re in dangerous places looking for dangerous people and you are ‘on point’; you’re a sentry, security guard, police officer, soldier, you’re hunting and your radar is tuned to the ‘what’s wrong with this picture’ channel and when shit happens, you’ve [hopefully] rehearsed the scenario and your pre-contact cue awareness assists in a decreased reaction time and you engage the threat as prescribed [well that's how it's explained during courses ]

The Colorado scenario was an incongruent ambush.

And the answerers aren’t as simple as so many experts portray.

One of my most experienced coaches wrote a very emotional and personal blog about the Colorado incident. I want to share it with you because it sums up everything I could & would want to write. It made me proud to read it, in many ways it’s better than anything I could’ve written, it’s a great example of how transferable our message is regardless of one’s background or experience and reading it will change you. Heres the link. Please give it a good read, as if your life might depend on it one day.

Seriously, stay safe,

Tony

If you’re a self-defense, DT & combatives coach or instructor please read this article from Black Belt mag 2005.

Interesting read on improvised interceptions of a spontaneous gun attacks

Training for the Ambush video

Reducing Reaction time Hick’s Law Video

RELAX DUDE…

Tony Blauer — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:03:41 +0000

Relaxation is often directly linked to FEAR. But not the biology of fear – the ‘psychology’ of fear (how you think about fear and the thoughts it pollutes your mind with). You need to define what you fear. Then you need to address those fears. This process will lead to what I refer to as ‘relative relaxation’.

Royce Gracie, was a master at this. No matter what he felt or thought, no matter if he was dehydrated, exhausted or bruised, he maintained a focused warrior’s demeanor. For the purpose of this discussion, he stayed relaxed. And that is what allowed him to dominate his UFC matches. He trusted himself and his system. Anderson Silva embodies this trait.

How does this relate to fear? In a controlled match, when you know what the other guy can do and if you are prepared for that, then you can relax and play chess. (The fight game is like chess with muscles at 100 mph.) This preparation provides you with a level of assurance & comfort that equals confidence. On the physical level, when you know the assets and liabilities of the opposition and you intelligently work on the counters, jams, Murphy plugs, then you can relax.

“The difference between to professional and the amateur is defense”

-An old boxing maxim

Remember, anyone can go on the offensive; it takes will & skill to be able to protect yourself and fight back.

But to truly excel, you need to move past the physical. So when someone is teaching you physical stuff or you’re practicing a new or improved approach, remember this slogan: JUST SAY KNOW. Often we practice through imitation, but much more can be learned and used faster when you really understand, really KNOW what and why you’re doing something.

So ‘relaxation’ is an interesting concept, because it deals with three distinct realms that influence or impact one another. To further complicate things, these arsenals are not well defined by most martial practitioners and are therefore often misunderstood.

For example, lets look at relaxation as it pertains to the groundfight:

1. physical tension (i.e. you exhaust yourself too quickly)

2. mental tension (you can’t think clearly or remember what you’ve practiced).

Tiring physically is about endurance and stamina, hyperventilating has to do more with your aerobic/anaerobic system and drawing a blank is of course related to your mental arsenal.

Then, perhaps the most important question is, “Is this a grappling match or a groundfight? ” I’m not sure anyone could (or should) relax in a real groundfight (with the threat of concrete, concealed weapons, improvised weapons, multiple assailants, etc., you’d want to get up ASAP and check your back.)

Analyzing and including these principles in your training sessions and de-briefs following a great workout with help you train with more direction. The more you understand…the more confidence you have, which in turn affects your self-control. This all leads to relative relaxation, which is the best we can hope for.

Check out this video on mind-set, fear, combat psychology I did for Jiu Jitsu Mania

Remember: “The mind navigates the body”.

If you want more on fear & mind-set check out our DVDs: Advanced Behavioral Concepts & our best-selling audio trilogy, The Mental Edge.

Train hard & Stay Safe!

Tony

Making Everyone Happy

Tony Blauer — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:45:57 +0000

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
Bill Cosby

When I started teaching back in 1979 I was told I wouldn’t succeed. I didn’t use ‘belts’ I didn’t have levels… I was told again in the mid 80′s that I wouldn’t survive ‘just’ teaching self-defense… Then again in the 90′s & into 2000 I was told my approach was too hardcore, that I swore too much, that I alienated other martial arts instructors, that I was elitist, I even had a [former] staff employee tell me “my standards were too high” – wtf?? So it was nice to read Seth’s blog “Do you have to pander?” 30 years after I made my move

Read Seth’s blog “Do you have to pander?”

After reading that, check out my article “Lowering the Bar”, published in 2004.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF STREET SURIVAL

Tony Blauer — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:38:32 +0000

Michael Joyce from Combative Corner contacted me and asked me if he could add a little pizzazz to an article I wrote back in the early 90′s – he assured me the meaning, content & context would remain in-tact…of course I agreed

To say I was pleasantly surprised by the make-over would be an understatement. Mike took a simple B&W document and turned it into visually effective online article.

Heres the before (click photo to enlarge):

Original manuscript

Click here for the after

Enjoy, give it a good read and drop us a line.

Stay Safe,

Tony

10 Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

Tony Blauer — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 22:50:47 +0000

I had the great privilege of meeting COL Drew Meyrowich during a recent visit to Ft. Jackson. COL Meyrowich is a warrior’s warrior and took an interest in how our program emphasized and valued the cerebral, cognitive, emotional & psychological facets of a warrior’s arsenal as much, if not more than the physcial attributes. The COL recently posted this on his FB profile and I was compelled to share it…

Enjoy this courtesy of Drew Meyerowich via Kent Keith.

“Been a while since I posted theses Rules I Live By. Learned these as a Young Wolfhound Major, helped me through tough times in Combat, and they continue to help me. Thanks Kent M. Keith!”10 Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership
by Kent Keith

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love and trust them anyway.

2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

6. The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

7. People favor underdogs but follow top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

9. People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.

10. Give the world the best you have, and you may get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world your best anyway.

Fear of Fear

Tony Blauer — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 18:16:50 +0000

If someone were to consistently demonstrate a ‘practice’ of non-commitment then what he or she is getting good at is ‘failure’. Whether it is failure, as in falling on their face or failure to follow-through, it is still failure, because the original goals are never being met. Whatever the explanation, typically, it will always comes down to fear: fear of something, whether its’ winning, losing, power, control, whatever. It’s all the same: fear of fear.

Read article

The Most Dangerous Predator In History…

Tony Blauer — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:10:24 +0000

Adam T Glass wrote a blog that I need to share here with you. Its provocative.

WARNING: ADULT THEME & CONTENT

The most dangerous predator in the history of the world is close by and possibly hunting you right now.

Never before has our planet seen such a cunning beast, one which is capable of incredible violence and wrath.

I am not taking about T Rexes, Great White Sharks, or Tigers.

I am talking about you. Me. Your next door neighbor Nancy. That nice old fellow who delivers you mail. The young girl who serves you coffee in the morning.

Here’s the full article

Thou Shall Not Fear, “Fear.”

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:47:40 +0000

Frank Herbert’s "Dune"

The mental side of combat is so vast and powerful that it quite literally determines your next move. Dan Millman wrote, “When faced with just one opponent and you oppose yourself… you’re outnumbered.” Powerful words. Your mind can be your ally or your most formidable opponent. Your thoughts can motivate you or they can create the Inertia State of psychophysical paralysis.

Psychological fear leads to doubt and hesitation. Unchecked it can devolve into anxiety and panic. Unsolicited, a “victim’s vocabulary” starts: What if I lose? What if it hurts? What if I fail? Thoughts like these must be eliminated from your vocabulary for you to perform at your peak. Your ‘self talk’ or ‘internal dialogue’ must be positive, assertive and motivating. Your inner coach must empower you to greater heights, to surpass preconceived limitations, to boldly go where…you get the picture. That is what it means to not defeat yourself.

Thou Shall Not Fear, “Fear.”

More dangerous than your opponent is your mind. If it doesn’t support you, you’re ••• beaten before you’ve started. There are really only two types of fear: biological and psychological.

Fear (biological) has been generally described as the “fight or flight” syndrome for most of our modern history. This definition does not serve us once the physical confrontation is under way and is really not pertinent to your success. Though the adrenaline surge created by your survival signals is a component of success, it is the mind that ultimately determines the action you will take.

Psychological fear, on the other hand, is an emotional state. Therefore it can be controlled and used to create action. However, due to the lack of good information on fear management, fear, as we feel it, usually creates emotional inertia: your body’s inability to move. Inertia or panic is created by psychological fear when the mind visualizes failure and pain. Understanding this process is necessary to conquer fear.

In our courses we use three acronyms, to help us remember that psychological fear is only in our mind.

1. False Evidence Appearing Real (External stimuli that distracts us; physical evidence: weapons, multiple opponents, etc.)

2. False Expectations Appearing Real (Internal stimuli that distracts us; how we visualize, images of pain and failure.)

3. Failure Expected Action Required (A trigger to DO SOMETHING!)

Cus D’Amato, a famous boxing coach, said, “The difference between the hero and the coward is what they do with their fear.” The next time you feel it, fight it. Challenge your fear. Attack your fear. Do not fear fear. We all feel it.

Tony Blauer