Erik Kondo – Page 4 – Conflict Manager

The Biomechanics of Motion Part II – Jari Peuhkurinen

LINEAR MOTION AND THE SPRINTER THEORY

I have surmised that there are 5 different ways to create mass motion in order to create force/momentum;

1. Shifting weight to the desired direction where we want to deliver force.
2. Taking a step that moves our mass to the desired direction where we want to deliver force.
3. Moving our mass with a linear jump to the desired direction where we want to deliver force.
4. Rotational movement of the body. (this will be explained later).
5. Combination of these.

The sprinter theory is involved when we are producing linear forward / upwards motion. Start by thinking about the way we walk, run or jump forward. Think about the way sprinter aligns himself before explosive start or think about American football player ready to tackle and takedown his opponent. By looking our normal way of moving; walking, running and jumping reveals a lot about the economic way for creating forward motion. If we look sprinters or long jumpers accelerate their body mass to maximum speed, one could say that it reveals the way to accelerate your body mass most effectively. All movements like running, sprinting, tackling and so on, produce the kind of momentum we want to create in self-defense also. There is acceleration and velocity of mass, which give us the force and momentum.

Acceleration and velocity are most effectively developed in linear forward motion. It can be directed in straight line movements like sprinting or straight punch. Upwards movements like long jump or stepping-in uppercut. How are legs and body positioned for optimal motion development? In my opinion body alignment for the optimal motion is crucial;

1. The skeletal structure of our legs and upper body should be aligned towards desired direction of the motion. This means that head, shoulders, hips and knees are aligned. If it would be more efficient to align skeletal and muscle structure for example sideways, we would see Usain Bolt doing sideways explosive starts in the Olympics.

2. Feet-knee-hip alignment is crucial for the engine to be able to work in its maximum capacity. Muscles and joints and ligaments of the legs produce the motion. Joint alignment should support the mass we are trying to accelerate and the direction the mass is accelerated to.

3. Joints and muscles have certain angles which enable optimal muscle force production. Think about sprinting again. Would you be able to do explosive start from squat position? Or could you do it if your knee joints where locked to extension? From those positions your start would probably not be the best possible. Optimal angle for a muscle to produce force in its range of motion is in middle of that range.

In example when moving forearm in its full range from extension to flexion, its range of motion is about 145 degrees. This doesn’t put the middle of the range in 90 degrees as taught in many systems, but instead the optimal angle is less than 90 degrees. This same principle applies to knee joint also. So when we want that explosive acceleration the angles must be less than 90 degrees and most certainly the joint can’t be locked, like taught in many traditional systems.

This alignment of the legs and body and optimal joint/muscle angles enable the explosive acceleration and creation of force/momentum we need to be able to produce and deliver to our opponent. We can develop acceleration and velocity to other directions too, like sideways and backwards, but not as effectively. This doesn´t mean that those motions should not be practiced.

But there is more to take into the account when we are talking about self-defense. This sprinter theory only describes the optimal way to produce acceleration. If you want to examine the chain further up, and think about how the force continues towards you opponent you need to take into the account things like, maintaining balanced position, spinal alignment and angle, shoulder-elbow alignment, motion-contact timing, short/long impulse and so on.

I was already talking about linear forward / upwards motion, but let´s look upwards motion more closely. Let’s examine the way to produce upwards force from standing still position, which in self-defense can be used in lifting, takedowns and throws but also in striking techniques and pushing movements. The movement can be just weight moving upwards without losing the contact on the ground or a take-off, it can involve also rotational motion.

Think about weightlifter doing a squat, or yourself picking up something heavy from the ground, or just making a jump straight up in the air, any type of movement that involves creating force upwards straight against gravity. You can find that once more that, if you want to be able put into use all of that muscle force you have and produce explosive movement those alignments need to be in order.

Joints in your legs need to be aligned properly with your upper body. Balanced position ensures that you center of mass is located between points of balance and so on mass is aligned with feet-knee-hip line. Muscle/joint angle works the same way as in forward linear motion, middle of the range of movement. So again there is the same principle involved, how you align your whole body to get the maximum force out from your system and keep that alignment so that you can deliver that force and momentum to your target.

Motion downwards introduces a new physical concept into the picture; potential energy. In physics, potential energy is energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position relative to others. So basically if we lying on the ground, on our backs, we don’t have potential energy stored to our body. When we stand we have the potential to use gravity and drop our weight down. So because position of our body relative to ground we can use potential energy to produce
force/momentum.

Every time we have the possibility to use gravity as “an assistance” we can also utilize potential energy. If we raise our body upwards, or have the possibility to drop ourselves to the opponent the force will be greater.
Some arts, like ITF Taekwondo uses this in a principle called Sin-Wawe movement. It basically teaches you to raise your body straight upwards as much as you can and when you start to deliver the punch at the same time you go forward and downwards. I’m not sure about the effectiveness of this particular motion, but the principle is sound. If you can, always create motion of your body mass to the direction where you are executing your movement, be it linearly forward, upwards or downwards.

ROTATIONAL MOTION

Rotational motion occurs around axis, that can be internal, like body parts rotating around a joint(s) or rotational motion of whole body, when spine acts as an axis. In here I’m taking a look into the concept of rotational motion in whole.
There are few physics terms that need to be explained. When taking about rotational motion we are talking about moment of force and rotational momentum to differentiate them from linear force and momentum. Same difference is with terms of speed; angular acceleration and angular velocity.
Rotational motion is used in several types of movements in martial arts. Most commonly rotational motion can be observed together with linear motion. This combination was called general motion; in forward linear motion body is also rotated strongly to cover more distance and produce that extra moment of force. The motion of body mass, shifting of weight or stepping in can be combined to rotational movement in all directions; forward, sideways or backwards, also to up/downwards. Only types of movements where rotational motion is not utilized are simultaneous movements with both hands in the same direction. Example when you are reaching forward with both hands.

To understand the production of moment of force and angular momentum you need to understand the relationship between axis and lever. Make a short test; stand straight, with hands relaxed at your sides. Now imagine that there is an axis running through the top of your head straight down to the ground. Now when you rotate your body around that imaginary axis the lever is the length of your clavicle to you shoulder. If you raise your elbow to the side, the levers length increases. If you straighten your whole arm, you have the maximum length of the lever you are able to use with your hands if there is no impact weapon included.

The moment of force is a simple concept; the lever arm travels certain distance depending how much you rotate your axis. If you rotate your body so that your hand moves from side to front, that’s 90 degrees, it is called rotational displacement of π2 rad. Distance the lever travels is shorter towards the point of axis and longer towards the end of the lever. Since it takes the same amount of time to the lever (arm) to travel different distances along the lever arm, this means that there has to be a difference in velocity. In the end of the lever the angular velocity is the greatest, so the conclusion is that because mass x velocity is momentum, the rotational momentum has to be greater in the end of the lever because the velocity is greater. That’s the magic of lever.

You can probably already see the numerous ways this can be used in self-defense and martial arts. To make matter at least little bit more complicated let’s think about how we can still produce great force with shorter lever arm. Think about for example short range body shots. The lever is not so long and still we can produce much moment force. The answer lies in the other variable; mass. When striking with straight arm, the mass of the arm is not that much (mass x velocity). Now when the lever is shorter our it is easier to utilize the weight of the body. Other variable also increases when the lever arm shortens; acceleration. It is easier to accelerate shorter lever than it is to accelerate long lever and as you remember mass x acceleration is force. In the case of rotational motion; mass x angular acceleration is moment of force.

How do we produce explosive rotational motion? Again because we want to get acceleration and develop velocity, we need to be able to utilize proper mechanics into the movement. If you take a look at athletics performances where powerful rotation is used, such as javelin throw or baseball strike, they use wide range of motion to create velocity. That is not a good mechanics for in martial arts. We need to be able to create rotation with shorter range of motion and not load our strikes or kicks. The degree of rotation is between 90 to 140 degrees, put even a shorter rotation does the trick of adding force. Note that I´m excluding the spinning type of movements that can be effectively used in sport martial arts, but are not recommended for self-defense.

Powerful rotation comes from the core muscles and is combined with weight shifting in the direction of target. Explosive hip movement functions as the engine for this motion.

So what can we do with rotational motion:
1. Increase force, by adding moment force in linear movement.
2. Increase reach by rotating body.
3. Produce moment force in ranges where linear movement is not possible.
4. We can also cause motion in our opponent by rotation, same as pushing. Rotation motion is usually combined with pulling, as in Thai clinch work for example.

“STATIC MOTION”

From the point of view of physics if there is no motion, no work is being done. Still in self-defense pinning someone against a wall or ground, is work being done by muscles and bodyweight. I call this static motion. This is very useful form of producing effect in many situations.

Closely related to static motion is another principle that I call the power of locked joint, these two work together very well. If you think back about what I have explained earlier, you can see that muscles, joints and ligaments are the engine that we use to create motion. Let´s take an example; if you lock your knee joint your muscles in your thigh are in full extension. So there is no possibility for you to produce more movement forward or upwards with that leg, until you bend the knee joint and the muscles are in flexion. So the muscles are weak when in full extension and can´t produce motion, but here lies the power of the locked joint. When the joint is locked, it is strong and this can be used in various situation to our advantage. For example, when pinning opponent against stationary object we can lock the knee joint so that it remains strong and does not give in even when there is pressure directed back at us. Same goes when trying to maintain distance between bodies or opponents arm and your body. Even when opponent is significantly stronger, the locked elbow provides a strong mechanism to maintain distance.

SUMMARY
It is easy to see that understanding our basic body motion is crucial in learning martial arts and self-defense. Everything develops around motion. Every technique, no matter what style or system involves motion. How effective motion is produced in those systems or arts varies, but what doesn’t vary are the laws of physics and physiology behind human motion. Like I said there are limited number of ways we can create motion what is limited by how our body is designed and there are limited ways to produce force, because of that design.

Beware the Backlash of Over-enforcement – Erik Kondo

Just as Under-enforcement breeds contempt, so does Over-enforcement (or the perception of over-enforcement) lead to a Backlash.

A backlash (overreaction, retaliation, revenge, retribution, reprisal) is the natural response that arises when someone feels that he or she has been over-enforced upon. This response is produced by emotions such as:

resentment, anger, outrage, bitterness, antagonism, indignation, spite, vengefulness, vindictiveness, rancor, and more.

A backlash can be thought of as an emotionally driven response. Therefore, it may or may not be justified. The important point is that a backlash stems from emotion. It is created when someone feels that he or she (or his or her tribe) have been unjustly treated regardless of whether it is true.

Many people realize that under-enforcement breeds contempt. Therefore, in an effort to not under-enforce, they place no upper limits on the magnitude of enforcement they use or advocate. These people tend to over-enforce. They don’t consider the destructive power of the associated backlash against them or their cause. Societal over-enforcement comes in many different forms. Here are a few examples;

Blaming all members of a tribe for the actions of part of the tribe is an over-enforcement.
Holding all members of a group “culturally” responsible for the actions of an individual member of the group is over-enforcement.
Shaming by making all members of a gender, race, religion, or occupation feel guilty about the action of members within that gender, race, religion, or occupation is an over-enforcement.

The shaming slippery slope argument comes into play here too. Someone decides that A leads to B and that B leads to C and then C leads to D. Therefore, following this argument, if anyone engages in A, B, or C, he or she is also guilty of engaging in D.

The problem is that people who have only engaged in A, B, and C, haven’t engaged in D. And shaming them for engaging in D is likely to lead to a backlash, especially from those people who have just engaged in A or B.

It is common for people who feel judged by others to feel resentment. When entire groups of people feel judged, their combined resentment can create a powerful backlash.

Nobody likes to be judged. Entire movements have been spawned by people who have felt judged by others.

There are many socially motivated organizations on both sides of the political spectrum whose social campaigns consists of creating “awareness” about perceived problems in society. To attract attention, these organizations paint many problems as “cultural” issues that are caused by everyone in a tribe. While this method is effective for gaining support from members outside the accused tribe, it inevitably creates a backlash.

If the accused tribe is small and relatively powerless, the backlash may be manageable. But many times, some social advocacy organizations take on entire races, genders, religions, occupations, etc. in their quest to expose what they consider to be “cultural” bad behavior. The result can be a powerful backlash that threatens their cause. Even if their cause is morally just, their methodology of widespread blaming and accusation against entire groups is flawed. They win the short-term battle of recruiting supporters while losing the war that is overall acceptance of their cause.

Over-enforcement is worse than just over-shooting a target. If you over-shoot to not under-shoot, you only miss. But you throw a ball too hard against a backstop, it may rebound harshly and hit you in the eye.

It is easy to talk tough when you don’t acknowledge or realize the possibility of a backlash. If it were not for the backlash, over-enforcement would most likely be an effective solution to many of the world’s problems. But the backlash exists.

But just as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, so does under-enforcement breed contempt and over-enforcement lead to a backlash.

Opposite reactionary backlashes also create a destructive feedback cycle where each backlash creates a larger backlash against it.

For a visual example, a skateboarder who goes too fast for his ability may get the Speed Wobbles. Maybe he hit a bump or something to set them off. What happens is the skateboard turns to slightly one side and the rider overcorrects. The board now turns to the other side. The rider is literally behind the curve; he corrects too late and too much. Each correction (backlash) results in a greater, faster, and more violent turn. What the rider needs to do is to relax and stop reacting. He needs to calm down and let the board settle itself. If he doesn’t do so, he is likely to crash.

The Speed Wobbles create fear. It takes courage to ride them out. This fear must be contained and reactions must be controlled for the Speed Wobbles to subside.

Another visual example of this destructive cycle is the harmonic feedback as seen in this video of the failure of the Tacoma Narrows bridge.

In conclusion, all enforcement actions need to take into consideration the possibility and danger of the backlash and particularly creating a feedback backlash cycle that spirals out of control.

I CAN’T DO THAT! – Terry Trahan

One of the biggest problems in self protection and teaching is a practitioner either doubting themselves, or not giving themselves permission to do what is necessary to survive an incident. Some of this is to be expected, especially when you start training, and as you progress, you start shedding the doubts and other things that hold you back just through changing mindset due to familiarity.

However, sometimes these things remain, or are encouraged, by the instructor. It can be due to the training model, or done because of the ego of the teacher. This last one is particularly insidious, as it sets you up to be subservient to the instructor, and worse, to fail in a real life encounter.

I have a simple thing I think, and tell my students, to overcome this.

Simply put, I train and work at this to save my ass. I don’t need anybody’s permission other than my own to survive. I don’t care what other students, teachers,or anyone else thinks, this is about my survival, not about tradition, ego, nothing else. I give myself permission to do anything and everything I need to do in order to survive and win. This includes in my training. I will listen to the instructions, and perform them the best I can, but I will do it with my goal of survival in mind, take advantage of how my body works, even if it ‘violates’ the form or way being taught. You should do the same, if your goal is surviving a conflict, and not just perpetuating a system.

Sometimes this is a case of not being confident in the material being taught, and sometimes it is a case of your subconscious knowing that what you are learning is not effective for meeting your goals. This is a case where you have to personally look at it, and probably get outside input from people that know personal survival. We happen to have a wide base of knowledge here on CRGI, and across the rest of the internet, so this has become easier over the years, but it still requires being honest with yourself, and what your goal truly is with your training.

Another way this comes out is questions about morality or legality in an actual confrontation.

Firstly we will discuss morality. In a bone breaking, widow making, survival fight, there is no morality beyond surviving. If you have gone through all the pre fight steps, tried to de-escalate, E&E, negotiate, and all the rest, and it is still being brought to you, your only morality is being the one that goes home to your family or tribe. This is NOT carte blanche to go overboard and be a murder ape on the guy, but it is a form of permission to do what you need to do to be the survivor and “winner” of the fight. Unless you are a stone psycho, you already have a moral compass that you have been exercising since you were a child. You, more likely than not are a decent person. This doesn’t automatically get flushed down the toilet when the adrenaline ramps up. If I accept someone into our tribe and start training them, that means that person has met the standards for our group. That means that I have faith that this person has a good head on his shoulders, and can make proper decisions, and not go Ted Bundy on somebody just because a fight happens.

Secondly, it always seems to happen, a question comes up about legality, whether it is a technique, or if it is a tool used. First, everything is illegal somewhere, the more effective a tool is, the more likely it is to be either illegal or heavily regulated.

This is something that you are going to have to make your decision about ahead of time, give yourself the permission to either use something or not beforehand. If you wait til the time is at hand, you will needlessly double clutch yourself. As with all things related to fighting, in the middle of a fight is never the time to make a decision about fighting. Nobody else can answer this question for you, and you need to figure out what you are willing to do too make sure you make it home if that moment happens. My personal choice may or may not fit for you. As I have stated before, my number one rule is I don’t give a fuck, I’m going home. That should tell you where I fall down on the question of legality. I will do whatever I can to avoid, escape, de-escalate, negotiate, whatever it takes, but once that switch is flipped, I will be the one sleeping in my bed with my wife that night. No matter what, how, or with what.

That is my decision, I am comfortable with it, and I am not a lawyer or legal professional, so I am not offering any advice here, I am just opening your eyes to this, and encouraging you to study and make your own.

Just remember, this boils down to our desire to make it home. You are already a good decent person seeking more information to educate yourself better. You have permission to win and go home, and you have the wisdom to decide what you will do to affect that.

Think about it, figure it out, and then go on with life, and don’t worry about it.

Hidden in Plain Sight? – Mark Hatmaker

Let’s see if we can pull off a thought through-line that moves from a concept in zoology called cryptozoicism to an incident in the history of Scottish warfare, to a passage from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to Tap-Out T-shirts and NRA stickers, and finally to some speculations on personal protection.

First…crypto-wha?

Basically it is the technical term for evasive movement or deceptive covering as in camouflage or bio-mimicry, in which a species has evolved or adapted/adopted a strategy of blending in with its environment or taking on the guise of a creature deadlier than the self in hopes of deterring attackers. We have the chameleon or octopus at one end of the spectrum blending with its environment almost instantaneously and at the other end the venomous and vibrant coral snake and the sneaky but similarly colored [and harmless] scarlet king snake and the need of the rhyme “Red and yellow kill a fellow.”

The following passage from The Outline of Science, Vol. 1: A Plain Story Simply Told by J. Arthur Thomson is probably all the explanation needed for the concept.

“For every animal one discovers while observing carefully, there must be ten unseen. This is partly because many animals burrow in the ground or get in underneath things and dip into dark corners, being what is called cryptozoic or elusive. But it is partly because many animals put on disguise or have in some ways acquired a garment of invisibility.”

Modern hunters and indigenous peoples for ages have adopted cryptozoic tactics to stalk prey, from modern camouflaged duck blinds to American Indians swimming submerged under a bundle of cattails attached to the head to snatch water-fowl from below.

It is no stretch to assume that mankind also adopted cryptozoic strategies when facing other men in battle. Despite the long period of vibrantly colored military uniforms and attacking in formation, we see cryptozoicism in modern Battle-Dress Uniforms (BDUs) and have countless tales of “stealth by disguise” being used as a battle tactic. Let’s look to one for illumination.

If we are familiar with Macbeth we will know the story of the Walking Woods of Birnam. If you’re not familiar, no worries.

Macbeth was based on an actual royal spat. Malcolm was gifted The Royal Forest upon his marriage to the Princess Ada in 1160. A portion of the Royal Forest is known as Birnam Hill. The treacherous Macbeth has designs on Malcolm and his property, and Malcolm is aware of Macbeth’s solid military skill so rather than meet him head-on he uses a strategy of camouflage to get close to Macbeth.

In Act V/scene iv Malcolm advises his men:

“Let every soldier hew him down a bough

And bear’t before him; thereby shall we shadow

The numbers of our host and make discovery

Err in report of us.”

Spoiler Alert: This bit of poetic cryptozoicism is successful.

Camouflage, bio-mimicry, and cryptozoic tactics are and have been so successful for many species, including man, for so long it is a point of curiosity that it is largely abandoned in the civilian sphere in some quarters.

I call your attention to the proliferation of Tap-Out t-shirts and other like garments or tattoos that proclaim some affiliation with martial prowess.

I call your attention to the adoption of military clothing or law enforcement tactical clothing by members of the civilian population.

I have had remarked to me by many friends in the military or law enforcement that most of the folks you see in the mall who just so happen to be wearing tactical boots or some other such accoutrement more than likely are not currently on-duty with the local police or military personal on leave. Rather they are civilians who have adopted the costume of the life-style.

I use the word “costume” for three reasons.

The first, it is correct. Any clothing we don is and can be referred to as a costume.

I also use it in the “play-acting” sense as anyone who dons the clothing or gear of a particular lifestyle is signaling that they wish to be associated with the dressed-for occupation. After all when we see a child in a Spider-Man costume we don’t assume he’s thinking Wonder Woman thoughts.

Now, to be clear I am not mocking adopting costumes, we all do it to varying degrees. We see sports jerseys and baseball hats galore on any given day and yet how many of these folks do we think are actually actively engaged with playing the advertised sport? I do not think sports paraphernalia wearers are attempting to make me think “Hey is that guy in the #12 New England Patriots jersey Tom Brady?” I think I’m supposed to assume he’s a fan and likes football.

But when we see the guy in combat boots, slate-grey cargo pants, and a clip-knife showing are we to assume cop who just got off duty? Or big big fan of law enforcement fashion?

Again, no mocking going on here—stay with me.

What may actually be occurring here [wittingly or unwittingly] is one of two things: True Signaling or Decoy Signaling.

The True Signaling Combat adopter may indeed possess the military and/or LE background we are seeing in the costume and we are simply noting an expression of that background. It is also signals “Hey, I just don’t wear the jersey I play the game.”

The strategy of the Decoy Signaler is similar to that of the benign scarlet king snake being mistaken for the venomous coral snake: “I may not be a high-speed/low-drag Spec-Ops warrior, but I look like one so watch yourself.”

In either respect of signaling there is no real value judgment applied-yet.

Here’s what we must ponder. Gang colors are also signals, often True Signals. To those unaffiliated with any gang, colors often let us know which part of town to avoid or when to cross a street. A sort of porcupine or skunk strategy.

To the affiliated, gang colors signal to members of other gangs “Ah, a target!”

Most gang members are killed by other gang members who recognize that they are gang members exactly because of conspicuous signaling.

A bit ironic and a seemingly unwise strategy.

Also ironic—military and LE tactical gear is designed to be cryptozoic, to blend in. Donning said gear outside of the environment they are meant to blend in with is the opposite of their intended purpose, which leads me to assume we’re back to decoy signaling as opposed to utilitarian adoption. A Desert Camouflage Uniform makes sense in many hot-spot war zones, but far less so while shopping at Target.

Again, I have no argument against such signaling, I myself have been gifted hundreds of t-shirts from fight gyms the world over. I’ve had the honor of being in some of these gyms for only a single weekend and I wear them not because I am “affiliated” with that gym but rather because they were gifts from kind folks, because they are comfortable, and because they are convenient. I assume that is why many such conspicuous signalers wear their costumes as well.

But…we do have to ask ourselves when some predators have actively confessed that they see such costuming as targets of first choice in spree situations [as in gang colors] is this piece of apparel always the wisest choice?

It may be, it is merely a question to be asked.

With cryptozoicism in mind, for the next week each time you encounter any costuming ask yourself what signal am I seeing here? And more importantly, examine your own wardrobe choices and ask “What exactly am I signaling?” And are there any drawbacks to the signal I provide?”

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Escape and Evasion – Randy King

Every self defense program I’ve seen so far has an escape protocol to it; it has some part in the curriculum that mentions that escaping is a great idea, how to escape, where to escape, and what to do. I find, though, that most people don’t actually train to escape, and this becomes quite the issue when it comes to conditioning-type training. If you are part of the relatively new school of conditioning-based training, operant conditioning, or response-based training to stimulus, it is very important that you give your students the opportunity to escape, and reward them for escaping when you’re training the drills. A lot of instructors pay lip service to escape drills – they say that you should have an escape plan, you should have an evasion plan, you should make sure you know what’s going on, you should be able to de-escalate – but then no training time is devoted to the skills of escaping, evading, or de-escalation!

What I find in of a lot of self defense programs is that they are still just a fight program. To use the paradigm that Rory Miller set up in his book Facing Violence, there are seven things that must be considered for self-defense. You need to understand the legal and ethical ramifications, you need to understand violence dynamics, you need to understand escape and evasion, you need to understand operant conditioning, you need to understand “the freeze”, you need to understand the fight, and then of course, the aftermath of all these things. On this paradigm, which I find is the best I’ve seen so far for self-defense, escape and evasion is in the first three things you need to learn! Everybody talks about it, but it seems nobody actually does it. So, when training with your students, you need to make drills where escape is the best option, and it is a rewarded option – running away is okay! Redefining a win becomes very important.

I want you to understand that most of the time, when people come to a martial arts/self-defense class, they expect to learn the fighting part of the situation. But if they’re only learning the fight part, it’s just martial arts, we’re just passing a system down. We’re just showing them that there are ways to deal with violence, but when people get into violent situations, there’s always a lead up, and then a follow up portion. Understanding the lead up to self defense situations is far more important than the self defense techniques themselves. Saying this, you might do every single thing right, you can pay attention, you can follow all the rules, you can know who the bad guys are in your neighbourhood, you can plan escape routes, you can know where the fire escapes are, you can understand where to run and how to run, you can have a great sprint time, and you can still get attacked. I’m not saying that this is going to make you invincible. Understand that there are times when the fight has to happen, but that’s not always the case, and in fact it’s rarely the case.

Getting your students familiar with the mechanisms ahead of time, making sure they understand how people attack, making sure they understand violence patterns, making sure they understand how to run, and where to run, is hyper important. It can be really hard to add this aspect into your curriculum, especially if you like the kicking and the punching and the choking and the throwing. It can be very hard to add some kind of escape drill, because maybe you feel like it’s not fun for your students, maybe you think just paying lip service to it is okay. I’m here to tell you that it’s not okay. It’s your job to build drills that use escape, or that give your students the opportunity to escape.

Something we talk about all the time is that 60-80% of human communication is body language. That includes task-based stuff, so if you say every day “Oh, and don’t forget to escape” but you never let your students physically escape, and you never wire their brains for escape, they won’t believe that escaping is a proper option. When the brown matter hits the fan, they’re going to have trouble going to an escape pattern, as opposed to an attack pattern. Attack patterns are important, but I think escape patterns are even more important, especially in the real world. Yeah, it’s great to be Rambo and beat the bad guy up, but almost every fight comes with hard-won knowledge. Every single fight you’re in, you might hurt yourself, you might break a bone, you might twist an ankle. All these things can happen, and they will affect your life outside of that fight. Most people focus on the thirty seconds to a minute of most violent encounters, where the outside surrounding part of it is much more important. So – how do you teach people to escape and evade? By building escape drills into your curriculum.

There’s only really four things you can do in a fight. You can escape, you can control them, you can disable them, or you can lose. Obviously losing is not on the table – you don’t want to train your students to lose, there’s no point in putting reps into losing. You can choose to lose, you can choose to submit, you can do that, that is fine. You can choose to curl up in a ball and get kicked, you can choose to let people do what they’re going to do to you, and that also can be a viable strategy. You may have been training them in disabling an attacker, you’ve been training them in kicking and punching, you’ve been training them how to restrain people, but you’re taking one-third or one-fourth of their options off the table if you’re not teaching them to escape.

You need to teach your students where to escape and how to escape, and how to map a pattern in time and space to get away from the attacker. You could build a drill where it’s “all right everybody, you’re going to do your counter ambush drill, you’re going to do your favourite setup and instead of going to your follow-up I want you to escape, and I want you to escape to a doorway.” The problem with this is, setting a fixed position for an escape is beneficial for the first one or two reps, but the human brain is lazy, it’s a pattern recognition machine. Its job is to create the most efficient pattern possible. As soon as you create one static place in your gym to run to, after two or three reps the brain is just going to have a pattern to do that and they’re no longer developing the skill set to escape.

You also need to define the parameters of escaping. If we’re escaping from asocial violence, we obviously want to run towards lights and people. More people means more witnesses, and more witnesses usually prevents asocial violence. Lights also mean more people that can see you. If you are trying to stop social violence, you are going to try and escape away from crowds, because if it’s social violence and I run into a crowd of people, and the other person’s trying to fight me and they’re trying to gain status in their group, the more people that watch, the better it’s going to be. So for social violence, you need to get away from the surrounding people, you need to create an environment where they’re not going to gain the social standing they need. Identifying the type of violence is a whole different article – there’s already a number of them in this publication about that. Just understand you need to define the parameters of escape, what escaping is, lights and people, or away from the people who are trying to fight you.

There is a drill I have created that rewards escape, and this is by far the drill that is most stolen from me by every other instructor who meets me, so I definitely want to give this drill to you. I call this drill the “High-Five Drill”. This is a great solution to the problems mentioned above.

For this drill, we start with a person attacking you, and you do whatever movement pattern you’re working on that day, if you’re working a pass or a sweep or a throw or whatever, doesn’t matter. After the student has done the technique, I want them to run, and they’re going to run to an instructor. Why we call this a high-five drill is very simple – the instructor is going to walk around the room holding up their hand in a high-five position, and they’re going to keep constantly changing position and moving around. This forces the student to actually look and find the person, to scan the environment so they find the safe path, and then they have to get to it. The bigger the group you’re in, the better this drill gets. The reason is you get every single person in the room doing the drill at the same time – it’s a “you go, I go” drill. So, my partner attacks me, I do whatever technique I’m working on, I put them on the ground, I do my counter ambush, etc. Then I have to scan the room and find the person who has the high five, and I have to get to that person as fast as possible in the safest way possible.

The rules of the game are simple. I have to find the quickest, safest way to get to the high five person. I have to do the high five from the front, not the side or the back, and this is for the safety of the person doing the high five, and I cannot bump or smash into any other person in the room. In this game, the other people are barriers, rather than people. In real life, you could obviously smash your way through people to escape, but for this drill these people are barriers, corners, alleys. We need to move around these “human pylons” in order to map a safe escape path.

In closing, what I want you to do is make sure your students have an escape pattern, have the parameters and goals of where to escape, and then have a training regimen that rewards the fact that they can escape, and then you’re teaching a true self defense program.

Blame, Responsibility and Agency- Tammy Yard-McCracken, Psy.D and Rory Miller

Vctim blaming. Taking responsibility. In assault, especially sexual assault, these are buzzwords that get people to quickly silo into prescribed emotional positions. We rarely find that useful.

In this article we will explore one tool for managing the aftermath of being a victim of violent crime. Our intent is not to present an emotional or political “truth”. This is about taking a situation that many people want to define by a set meaning and adapting it for the benefit of the survivor.

There are some truths we have to explore first:

1) All violent crimes happen within an interaction between the perpetrator(s) and the intended victim(s). Stranger assaults in remote places are relatively rare. Most people are victimized by people they know. There is a relationship. There is communication. The central crime is not the only piece of the interaction and the person cast in the victim role has a degree of control over the antecedents of the crime.

2) Events become violent crimes because of the intent of the bad guy. Looking at point 1— all interactions between any two or more people are interactions. Your morning talk over coffee. The stranger who struck up a conversation on the train. Your waiter taking your order. Any of those events that didn’t become violent stayed peaceful because someone lacked the intent. Bad events are bad events because bad people had bad intent.

3) The agency to affect the world exists. It is inherent in all humans. The perpetrator wants someone to play the victim role. Sometimes the disparity of power is so great that there is no way to evade the victim role. But one can choose the type of victim to be. Sometimes there is no good choice, but there is always choice.

4) Just as violent events have antecedents, they have aftermath. How the aftermath is managed has profound effects on the future of the individuals involved.

5) Mentally, humans are almost infinitely plastic. They have the power to change their views of the world and in doing so, actually change the world in which they live.

Blame, responsibility and agency.

“The person cast in the victim role has a degree of control over the antecedents of the crime.” One emotional response to this idea is that it is victim blaming. If the victim had control, he or she could have prevented it. Having failed to prevent it, the victim caused the crime. The cause of the crime is to blame. The victim is blamed. QED.

We used “QED” (quod erat demonstrandum) so the stance must be at least valid. Truth is another matter.

Our concern is not whether this statement is true or false. Our concern is that the statement is not useful, and this is key. When pointing out a person’s inherent power and agency becomes described as victim blaming, the net effect on any potential victim who listen is a decrease in agency. A decrease in personal power.

And an increase in the likelihood of future victimization

When the impact of violent crime is fundamentally a blow to the Target’s experience of control, decreasing this individual’s experience of agency and power by way of blame serves no one. Except future perpetrators preying on primed Targets.

In the aftermath of a violent encounter, you will play it over and over again in your head. You will wonder if you could have done anything different, if you could have changed the outcome. Here is the tool:

The more responsibility you take, the more agency you will have in the future.

People who have a violent emotional reaction to anything with even the whiff of victim blaming tend to have a strong reaction to this. But think it through. If someone says, “There was nothing you could have done,” this person is telling you, “There is nothing you can do in the future. If you are faced with the same circumstances again, the outcome will be the same. You might as well curl up and give up.” The message runs deep. If there is nothing you could have done, then there is nothing you could ever do. Nothing you can learn, no skill, no training, no wisdom will help you. The power belongs to the bad guys. Now and always. The statement profoundly destroys any chance at future agency, if it is internalized.

Aftermath or not, anywhere in your life, beware of anyone who discourages you from learning, growing, or training. The purpose of training is to become smarter, more aware, stronger, more powerful. If someone discourages that, they have a reason for wanting you ignorant and dull, weak and powerless. Why would anyone want you weak if they cared about you?

The opposite extreme: “It’s all my fault!” can be equally paralyzing. Fault becomes blame and blame becomes punishment. Self-flagellation is not a good place to grow from.

Mentally, humans are almost infinitely plastic. The words people use change how they perceive their choices and from the choices, possible actions. “My fault” breeds blame and self-punishment. “My responsibility” becomes an incentive to understand the variables in the precedents and increase the skills to deal with those variables. It increases agency and personal power. Pause. Breathe. “Responsibility” does not mean fault, does not mean for example, that the target of a rape wanted it, asked for it, or any other reflexive comment you might equate.

Look at the word. Responsibility. At its Latin root, it means to respond. It is on us to choose our response. In this choice there is strength.

We can state categorically that the greater the responsibility one takes in the aftermath of a violet encounter, the greater the possibility of strength. The greater the likelihood that one experiences Post Traumatic Growth instead of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But —

To push any agenda, to tell any survivor what he or she is supposed to do or supposed to feel or supposed to experience is to once again deny them agency. It is a second layer of victimization. Seeing the possibility of reframing blame to responsibility to agency is a tool, not a weapon. Something that a person can choose to use. But it must be a choice.

Situational Awareness – Toby Cowern

Situational awareness is mentioned frequently in Self Defense circles. As it should be, it is a vital part of self defense strategy and training, and used correctly can help avoid confrontations outright or significantly reduce their impact.

Unfortunately, many pay mere lip service to Situational Awareness, and barely ‘mention it in passing’, not lingering to look at the details of the subject. For me Situational Awareness is a term which has both breadth and depth, and warrants much more investigation. One of the things I will briefly touch on today, one of the ‘deeper’ aspects of Situational Awareness is what I refer to as Environmental Awareness.

Environment is defined as; the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. In contrast to ‘Situation’, where we are identifying and assessing the (potential) impacts of unfolding activities, Environmental Awareness is looking at the threats and impacts of the physical space we are occupying.

Living in an extreme environment, as I do, is one of the reasons I address this area in detail. Understanding copious quantities of ice being present on the ground for 1/3rd + of the year has a significant impact on being able to ‘stay standing’ during any type of altercation.

Also noting temperatures can drop to -40c have a profound impact not only on managing bleeding and other injuries, but even being ‘knocked out’ and left for a short time unattended takes on far more serious connotations.

Being without sunlight for up to 22hrs a day, greatly lengthens the preferable time for criminal activity AND means EDC items such as flashlights need to be used with much greater frequency, but also can be more susceptible to damage (A result of such cold temperatures)

Dealing with the cold also means dressing for the weather, having profound impacts on where, what and how you carry items on or around your person.

While I look into cold weather impacts, any other climate will yield it’s environmental specifics that need to be addressed (As I was VERY clearly reminded on a recent trip to Delhi, India)

I will be addressing this subject in much more detail, along with other ‘sub sets’ of Situational Awareness in future articles, but for today, wanted to introduce the basic concept to you.

What are some of the deeper ‘layers’ of Situational Awareness you give consideration to? If you have ideas be sure to share them in our Facebook discussions here

Back To Life: Back To Reality, Part I – Dave Wignall

The Martial Arts industry is many things. For a start it is very political. No news there really. It is also very changeable and, at times, even fashionable. A bit like the latest ‘Keep Fit’ download or DVD. “Train like celebrity X, you too can be like (insert name)” and all that hyped nonsense. That said, Martial Arts training is also very rewarding, educational, inspirational, confidence boosting, can help improve self esteem, improve on general health and fitness, instil a great sense of achievement and push us to our physical limits. There is indeed an abundance of good stuff that Martial Arts training can give us that would be hard to dispute.

However, sadly, it also breeds bad stuff. Bad stuff that welcomes greed, massages egos, produces inexperienced instructors, encourages ‘untouchable’ and unchallengeable individuals sitting high on usually self appointed pedestals, or offers a second income once you have taken a quick instructor course if you have the cash ready. Naturally there’s no experience necessary. In fact if you don’t have the money to hand, or maybe you don’t even want to put in any amount of work to achieve this superficial instructor level, you can always go online and buy a black belt certification of your choice with a shiny new black belt to match. You can buy a Karate 4th Dan, Ju-jitsu 5th Dan, or even an (ahem) Expert or (ahem) Grand Master level in Krav Maga and Voila! You are ready to teach anyone who wants to pay you their hard earned cash. No questions asked of course. I mean, what’s the point of credibility in an industry that has few governing bodies that rarely investigate, check and ensure that what is being taught to students is safe?!

The quite shocking and dangerous thing with these clubs and organisations is that once the metaphorical smoke and mirrors clear and break, what is left is the stark belief by many that what is being taught, inexperienced or not, is a self protection system that – when transferred to the street – will work. The harsh reality is, of course, it won’t. Well ok, it could have some level of success, but this is generally down to the individual resorting to their own ‘default’, which could be simply lashing out at the attacker and running away at pace. No skill in that and training is hardly needed, huh? Effective? Yes. Looks good? No. So why then do we see so much convoluted, fine motor skill based defences being taught when, in all honesty, they haven’t really got a chance of being successful? The answer? I believe it is because ultimately, very little is challenged. Techniques and concepts are just accepted and it is taken for granted they will work without question, and therefore the ‘parrot fashion’ learnt technique is duly acknowledged by all that ‘x’ is what you do when ‘y’ is presented. No margin for failure, no margin for error, no tactical application, no strategic implementation, just learn by rote.

I’ve found across my many years of teaching in this industry that challenging instructors is something that aggravates them and, to some degree, the students of these instructors can also be equally touchy. This shouldn’t be the case at all because we are all here to learn, right? Why they react in the way they do can be for a whole host of reasons. Challenge or suggested change can be viewed as a direct attack on their teaching ability, their Martial Arts prowess, or their precious discipline. In case it is overlooked, I will mention at this point that I don’t go in for the hero worshipping nonsense. We are all human beings and some of these people were in the right place at the right time. Years of training along a certain ‘pedigree’ does not automatically make that person right in what they say or do. Yes, they may be extremely good at what they do within a safe and controlled environment, but if it were possible to take what they are teaching out of the Dojo, place them in a violent, real life situation, and see how they fare, I think most would be shocked. All theoretical of course but to know what ‘reality’ is, you have to experience it or at least talk to people who know what they are talking about. You can’t beat experience. Mike Tyson once said “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. I tend to agree.

So whatever the reason may be for these challenges being taken the wrong way, there should never be anything wrong with being asked a question. I advocate it in my club. Are we not all here to learn together, grow together, develop together and in doing so, all remain that little bit safer? If a student of mine presented me with a defence/technique/response that seemed more effective, more efficient than one I was teaching, I would willingly break it down, work with it under pressure and if it proved to be a more practical approach than something I currently taught, I would introduce it into the club. No ego, no feelings hurt, no embarrassment, just being truthful and open. By not taking on board the views and opinions of others, by not even opening the door for discussion, we end up building a very closed and insular environment and culture in which we train. This has no benefit to the student or instructor alike yet sadly, experience has shown that when questions are asked and challenges put out there, illusions are disrupted, dents are created in fragile egos and comfort zones breached. Possibly the worst of all is that when a more efficient method is actually presented, and the instructor knowingly continues to teach the less effective option, the teaching becomes dishonest and as a result, is short-changing the student. “My bat, my ball, my club and I teach what I want to, even if my students are being lied to” is an attitude I have seen adopted by far too many people. It fast becomes more about the instructor than it does the student.

I’ve been actively involved in Martial Arts and Self Protection for 34 years now and have been teaching for around 20 of those years. During that time I have been privileged to have met and trained with some wonderful, experienced people who have been at the top of their game and who, as individuals, have taught thousands of students across the world. The thing is, as a student or a teacher, we have to be clear about the nature of our training. Is it a traditional Martial Art, for example, like Karate or Ju-Jitsu, or is it a sport like Mixed Martial Arts? Certain aspects of each of these can of course cross over into the street arena, but it is a dangerous path to tread if the training processes of the student instil a false sense of ability and security. There are exceptions to the rules, of course – there always are – but these are generally few and far between. When, within the realms of regulated competition, even professionals find it difficult to secure an arm bar or a choke, what hope would your average student – training once or twice a week – have against a committed attacker? If, when training in the Dojo, your fast, pressure-tested knife defence works perfectly against your partner – who helps your defence succeed by attacking half heartedly and then stops mid-flow to let you perform your well rehearsed defence – then I’m afraid that you, your partner and whoever is teaching you in the belief that what you are doing is ‘real’ are all being dishonest and naive.

If you are teaching or being taught Self Protection, you need to identify where the flaws are. If you don’t do this at all and simply accept that in ‘real life’ it will work, you are treading a very dangerous path and false train of thought. Imagine, if you will, trying a roundhouse kick against an attacker in the street. (I never teach these kinds of moves but for those who are not aware, it’s one of those kicks to the head you see in all Martial Arts films.) It works fine on a shiny polished floor with or without training footwear, but this time you slip over on a puddle of alcohol or something equally as slippery – vomit, grass, mud, gravel, urine, you get the idea. That kick could be the last mistake you make as you hit the floor and your armed assailant closes range and bears down on you for the kill. It works a treat in the Dojo, wins points in competitions, helps towards earning your next level for your grading, and looks great on your promotional videos. How on earth did it fail?

Well, the reality is that you have been negligent in your considerations. You have not realised the stark differences between the environment in which you train and the environment outside. You finish training, pleased that you have just learnt a certain technique, strike, weapons defence, lock, choke, takedown, whatever it is, but then open the door and walk back onto the street to make your way home. Back to life and back to reality. Your Dojo is a cocoon of like-minded people who don’t want to hurt you (well, not too much) and will aid you, unknowingly most of the time, in helping you succeed. That is a great and wonderful thing of course, and something to be welcomed. I am proud of all of my students, the mutual respect they show for each other, the understanding, the stories, the insights, the questioning, the laughs, the fun – mostly the fun – but we never lose sight of the fact of why we train like we do and why we train at all.

Dave Wignall

Chief Instructor – Simply Krav Maga Ltd

CT707 Israeli Krav Maga Systems Instructor

UK Representative CT707 Krav Maga Systems

www.simplykravmaga.com

train@simplykravmaga.com

Contact: 07971 838338

Benidorm and Social Reproduction, Part II – Garry Smith

The most powerful agency is the family, it is our earliest exposure to others and for most the bond is strong. Social reproduction takes place primarily within the family, here language, verbal and non verbal is learned and practised, behaviour observed and copied, attitudes and opinions formed and experimented with and all of these subject to positive and/or negative reinforcement from those who hold the power. In the family or tribe stepping outside shared values, norms and beliefs is a risky business.

We are no different than other families, I witnessed traits in my grandsons that I recognised from my granddad, little behaviours that have passed down through the generations. Perhaps the best bit of our holiday was the time we sat at table to eat, when our kids were at home we always had meals at the big family table, same here. Coming together to eat and talk is quality bonding time and it was wonderful to see our eldest grandson’s excellent table manners and the way he converses with confidence. Sustaining conversation needs a large vocabulary and the skills to use it.

How we talk, what we say and how we say it is usually a good clue to our personality and level of education. In his classic work, Class, Codes and Control 1971, 1973 & 1974, Basil Bernstein pointed out how linguistic differences work. He set out how different social groups use different modes of speech which he called codes; he divided language use into elaborate and restricted codes. I loved his work when I discovered it as an adult student in further and higher education, particularly as I could speak both codes. I felt my world expanding as I was exposed to ideas and knowledge that had hitherto been hidden from me. A couple of years ago I was asked on our local BBC radio to explain my love of Shakespeare as a working class man, Shakespeare being the cultural property of the educated chattering classes, I did so. A women who came on after me claimed I could not be working class because I was too articulate. Get that, an articulate member of the working class is not possible because my working class Sheffield accent was not expected to have a wide vocabulary and the ability to use it elaborately. The middle classes can be quick to shut down something they are not familiar with.

Bernstein was a pioneer in the work of sociolinguistics; he examined the relationship between social class and children’s acquisition and use of language in the family and school. He defined the restricted code of the working class and the elaborated code of the middle classes. Yes he stoked up a political shit-storm and was vilified by many more because he upset their beliefs and emotions and their political leanings. Well I loved his work, it explained my emerging bilingualism, as my wife said early in our relationship, you write middle class and talk working class, I still do, my friend Rory Miller has commented that I hide behind my working class accent or dialect as I prefer.

Most debate on the two codes gets bogged down in the detail and the political arguments, for me I am interested in how language, and the way it is learned and used, continue to produce and reproduce our social identities and the power structures this maintains. I follow where Bernstein led.

For clarity the two codes are both sophisticated, the myth that this is a deficit model has been countered, at the time of publication the identification of two codes and their cultural, social and political roots was a regressive step as seen by the left but as I stated earlier more for political and emotional reasons. Restricted code is particularistic in that it relies heavily on shared understanding between group members, much is not said, it does not have to be. A complex and subtle myriad of shared understandings underpin the use of restricted code. Partial sentences, often very short are all that are needed for participants to communicate fully and effectively.

Elaborated code is universalistic in that it is explicit and comprehensive, full not partial sentences are used so that hearer’s can quickly understand the speaker’s intentions. No opportunity for misunderstanding is allowed, explanations are included where necessary and clarifications of understanding obtained verbally.

Users of elaborated code listening to a user of restricted code will likely not understand what is being said as they do not possess the required shared meaning that underpins it, it is common they will perceive the user of restricted code as having a lower educational ability. Likewise a user of restricted code will likely not understand the speaker of elaborated code, it is possible they will perceive the user of elaborate code as having a higher educational ability.

Bernstein explains how this is brought about by the complex process of socialisation.

“Two general types of codes can be distinguished: elaborated and restricted … In the case of an elaborated code, the speaker will select from a relatively extensive range of alternatives … In the case of a restricted code the number of these alternatives is often severely limited … On a psychological level the codes may be distinguished by the extent to which each facilitates (elaborated code) or inhibits (restricted code) an orientation to symbolize intent in a verbally explicit form.

[W]e can expect … to find … elaborated code within the middle class … In the lower working class we could expect to find a high proportion of families limited to a restricted code” Bernstein 1971.

This was written in 1971 but still describes many communities in contemporary Britain. So as humans we are produced and reproduced in the social groups we are born into, we inculcate the values, norms and beliefs of those closest to us, for most of us this is our parents, we literally soak up our culture, beliefs, emotions and all like a sponge. We inherit our feelings, emotions and a huge raft of scripts for dealing with everyday life. These scripts and the underlying emotions that trigger them guide our actions.

“Language skills are a critical factor in social disadvantage and in the intergenerational cycles that perpetuate poverty. Poor language skills are the key reason why, by the age of 22 months, a more able child from a low income home will begin to be overtaken in their developmental levels by an initially less able child from a high-income home – and why by the age of five, the gap has widened still more.

On average a toddler from a family on welfare will hear around 600 words per hour, with a ratio of two prohibitions (‘stop that’, ‘get down off there’) to one encouraging comment. A child from a professional family will hear over 2000 words per hour, with a ratio of six encouraging comments to one negative (Hart and Risley, 2003).
Low income children lag their high income counterparts at school entry by sixteen months in vocabulary. The gap in language is very much larger than gaps in other cognitive skills (Waldfogel and Washbrook, 2010).
More than half of children starting nursery school in socially disadvantaged areas of England have delayed language – while their general cognitive abilities are in the average range for their age, their language skills are well behind (Locke et al, 2002)
A survey of two hundred young people in an inner city secondary school found that 75% of them had speech, language and communication problems that hampered relationships, behaviour and learning (Sage, 1998)
Vocabulary at age 5 has been found to be the best predictor (from a range of measures at age 5 and 10) of whether children who experienced social deprivation in childhood were able to ‘buck the trend’ and escape poverty in later adult life (Blanden, 2006).
Researchers have found that, after controlling for a range of other factors that might have played a part (mother’s educational level, overcrowding, low birth weight, parent a poor reader, etc), children who had normal non-verbal skills but a poor vocabulary at age 5 were at age 34 one and a half times more likely to be poor readers or have mental health problems and more than twice as likely to be unemployed as children who had normally developing language at age 5 (Law et al., 2010).”

Jean Gross, Communication Champion, September 2011, www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/

Over 20 years ago I used to teach a class in adult education called ‘Aspects of Social Inequality’. The root causes of inequality are multilayered and inter-related, they result in the continuation of virtuous and viscous circles of social reproduction. Erik pointed this out and then we have all the other issues around gender, race/ethnicity etc. However, the thrust of his article was how this leads to miscommunication and conflict mismanagement.

This article is seeking to tease out some of the intricacies and theoretical explanations to what are effectively tectonic plates of miscommunication that continue to rub up against each other causing continual friction and occasionally massive eruptions of conflict.

This article will be completed in the New Year, and on that note a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

Author: Erik Kondo