10 teachings from the movie Taken
To view this content, you must be a member of 6 Dragons Kung Fu from WHITE to BLACK BELT Course’s Patreon at $1 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.
Self defense
Self-defense: assess the dangerousness of an aggressor
On the street: how to know if someone is able to fight First of all, it must be stressed that the mere fact of having followed or not a generic martial arts (or self-defense) course is not automatically indicative of a dangerous or innocuous opponent. Note – This article has been asked by one of […]
3 self-defense striking techniques you must know
The always-working techniques In terms of combat, in self-defense, the first premise is that there are no secret / smart moves able to guarantee us: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert […]
How to know if I am being followed (walking)
Why is it important to be able to tell if someone is following us? As we said many times, a big part of self-defense is made by prevention (read Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method). The fact of becoming able to understand if someone is following us could avoid us to face bad situations like: Attempts […]
8 teachings from the movie Birth of the Dragon
An epic movie but… was Bruce Lee really like that? In the martial arts movies’ environment, the figure of Bruce Lee has been (and is) at the same time hated and loved: Loved because of his incredible skills and fan following (that has passed the decades) Hated because of his contrasts with the traditional martial […]
SELF-DEFENSE: HOW to DEFEND Against a GUN
To view this content, you must be a member of 6 Dragons Kung Fu from WHITE to BLACK BELT Course’s Patreon at $1 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.
Caught off-guard: a self-defense lesson to learn
The self-defense scenario In this article, I will describe the more frustrating personal defense situation that happened to me (Kongling), returning home after going out with my girlfriend. Note – These articles have been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu […]
Self-defense: how to defend against knife attack
How to face a knife attack In this practical self-defense tutorial, we see what to do when someone tries to stab us and especially how to prevent it. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung […]
Self-defense: how to face a dog attack
How to defend against a dog attack In this practical self-defense tutorial, we see what to do when a dog tries to bites us and how to prevent it. If on one side the scenario of the real attack represents a rather rare occurrence (in a civil context), the statistics of the Center For Disease […]
Self-defense: how to defend from a punch
How to defend against a front punch In this practical self-defense tutorial, we see how to face one of the most common (low-level) types of aggression: the classic backward overloaded front punch (the one that we see in all the camera-caught self-defense situation that we can find on the web). Note – This article has […]
Self-defense: how to defend from a push
How to defend against a push In this practical self-defense tutorial, we see how to face a low-level type of aggression: the classic frontal push to the chest. Even if it does not appear a dangerous attack, the possible consequences, as we will see, could be very serious; in addition to this, the push is […]
Why and when self-defense does not work
Self-defense: when it works and when not What is self-defense? It is something very difficult to teach and to learn, it is the art of self-preservation (read Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method) It is not the way to learn to beat someone, it teaches us how to preserve ourselves (nothing more, nothing less) … A […]
2 things you should never do before a street fight
Not always is possible to avoid the physical confrontation The most effective self-defense technique is always prevention (read ) but in some cases, it could happen something that we cannot avoid (or even imagine). Unfortunately, there are situations where the only option is to accept to fight, for example: When facing improvise and extreme violence […]
Self-defense: 2 drugged guys trying to extort money
The self-defense scenario In this article, I will describe a personal defense situation that happened to me (Kongling) walking on the sidewalk of an (apparently) not degraded residential area in England (a lot of years ago). The background (in short): My friends and I went to spend a study holiday in the south of England […]
How to simulate realistic self-defense scenarios
Self-defense simulations The most important things we must understand about self-defense simulations is that: They make sense and are useful only if accompanied by a serious daily training (read How to start practicing from scratch), they are completely useless on their own (read Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons) No artificial situation can […]
Self-defense: a desperate escape
The self-defense scenario In this article, I will describe a personal defense situation that happened to me (Kongling) in front of a KTV (a Karaoke club). As I have done previously (read for example Self-defense: brawl in front of a grocery store), I will not go into too much detail (in order to protect the […]
Self-defense and mental preparation: what they do not tell you
What risks run those who do not have a solid mental preparation? In a serious self-defense path, mental training starts before the physical one. One of the most important (but undervalued) aspects of self-defense is the psychological preparation for the stress to bear in an unexpected dangerous situation. Martial arts do not teach you how […]
9 teachings from the movie Batman Begins
Can a Hollywood movie transmit something useful in terms of martial arts? Everything can teach us something, the discriminant is the interpretation we give to what we catch through our senses. A good martial arts practitioner should always be: Openminded enough to catch even the smallest lesson from the most unexpected circumstances Rational and smart […]
Forget everything you know about multiple opponents fighting [MINI-GUIDE]
A free mini-guide about multiple opponents fighting In pure terms of self-defense, even the mere fact of being attacked by a single aggressor automatically puts us at a disadvantage and the reasons are 2: The first is that if he / she has chosen us, he / she is probably inclined to think that he […]
Self-defense: brawl in front of a grocery store
The self-defense scenario In this article, I will describe a personal defense situation that happened to me (Kongling) in front of a grocery store. Unlike what I have done previously (read for example Self-defense: aggression in front of a supermarket), this time, I will not go into too much detail (in order to protect the […]
Self-defense: which martial arts are effective?
The big problem: few people understand what self-defense is Since there is a lot of confusion on this subject, it is important to start with some distinctions: Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: […]
Self-defense: the types of aggressors
Know your enemy As we have repeatedly said (read Best martial arts for self-defense), in no case self-defense, even the most advanced (serious training, sparring, psychological factors, prevention, etc.) is able to: Magically put ourselves away from danger Guaranteed to prevail in every situation Anyone who claims otherwise is either naive or more likely a […]
Martial art and self-defense: what are the differences?
What is the difference between martial arts and self-defense? Self-defense is (should be): A way to avoid / limit, as much as possible, violence (read Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method) A way to preserve us, our properties (and, possibly, also the integrity of all the involved people) A way to solve problems with intelligence (in […]
Self-defense: how to avoid street robbery
How to prevent an assault for robbery The self-defense scenario We are alone in the street and we see in the distance, on our path, one or more unknown people: In physical and / or numerical advantage Who look at us from afar and sideways, with quick and elusive glances (or looking everywhere but in […]
Best martial arts for self-defense
Illusions are more expensive than we can imagine As we said in Self-defense: why 90% of martial arts does not work: the vast majority of martial arts are not suitable for self-defense. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study […]
Self-defense: why 90% of martial arts does not work
The limits of martial arts and combat systems Even if saying that 90% of martial arts (in terms of self-defense) does not work may appear exaggerated, there are some crucial aspects on which everyone should reflect. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to […]
Use of legs in a street fight
Should we use legs in a street fight? Let’s forget for a moment our legs and let’s imagine talking about a bazooka. Does it make sense to use a bazooka in a battle field (against similar war machines)? Of course yes, but only if: We are able to use it in the right way It […]
Self-defense: evaluate the opponent’s preparation [MINI-GUIDE]
Is it possible to instantly assess the dangerousness of an adversary? In a self-defense scenario, is it possible to recognize the preparation level of a potential aggressor only looking at him / her (his / her stance, way of moving, etc.)? No. We cannot be sure. We can try to read some of the most common […]
Self-defense: aggression in front of a supermarket
The 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s S.A.F.E. method applied to a real aggression in front of a store This article contains a report (as precise and informal as possible) of what happened in a real self-defense situation experienced by me (Kongling). Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on […]
Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons
Self-defense: when the problem occurs, it is too late to understand In most self-defense situations, 90% of martial arts (both traditional and modern), do not work as we expect. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung […]
How to deal with a taller opponent: 12 functional tips
In this discussion, we want to mention some specific tips on how to beat a taller opponent in a street fight (not a heavier one, nor a stronger one, we will see these later). Before starting, it is important to emphasize that we will not repeat the general tips mentioned in the past (for example, […]
12 tips on how to survive in a brawl
The self-defense scenario: a brawl Given that we should never be the ones to start a fight, it can happen that we are (inevitably and involuntarily) involved in a brawl with which we have nothing to do. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how […]
Combat: overcome perceptual limits of body and mind
Perceive the fighting scenario When in self-defense we talk about constant attention (read How to develop the constant attention), we refer to the collection, analysis and processing of the information that governs the scenario within which we are. Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see […]
Practical examples of emotion control
Rationality and instinct can and must work together to help us achieve our goals in combat, in training and especially in our everyday lives. To fully understand what it means to subdue emotions to our purposes, however, we need to go more into practice by exposing active / passive examples of emotional development. We start […]
SPARRING Type 4: MULTIPLE OPPONENTS
Try what it means to face more opponents The fourth type of sparring we study is strictly related to self-defense. It has been created not only for training purposes but also to allow us to understand how hard is to face more adversaries simultaneously. Note – This article has been asked by one of our […]
Recognize the opponent’s preparation level
Collecting information is fundamental Assuming that accepting to fight for any reason is wrong (read The 6DKF’s diagram about the use of violence) and silly (read Martial art and self-defense: what are the differences?), if there are no alternatives, it is a very serious mistake to accept fighting without thinking: We can not entrust our lives to […]
Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method
The 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s S.A.F.E. method for self-defense Reconnecting us with the discussion about the use of martial and psychological abilities in terms of self-defense (read The 6DKF’s diagram about the use of violence), we want to share a method that, in many cases of danger, can be easily applied (once acquired the correct mindset). […]
Personal defense: parry the first attack
Self-defense and the first attack The scenario A sample context: We are in the middle of a quarrel (read Self Defense: 10 Things to avoid in a quarrel) We have already tried to apply the first steps of the 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s S.A.F.E. method for self-defense (read Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method) The situation is […]
Always be ready to fight: extreme conditions
How to fight in extreme conditions After seeing how to handle with the mental (read Always be ready to fight: the mind) and physical limitations (read Always be ready to fight: the body) typical of every self-defense situation, we continue with the condition in which we are absolutely less willing to fight: the one in […]
The best way to hit first: a little trick
How to hit first without attacking first In self-defense it is fundamental to do not be the first to use violence against some other: Due to legal reasons – In the vast majority of cases the law blames those who attack first (moreover, it is always better to avoid legal risks and costs) Due to ethical […]
Always be ready to fight: the body
Is it possible to be ready to fight at any moment? After dealing with the psychological aspect of mental preparation to combat (read Always be ready to fight: the mind), we move on to the rudiments of the physical aspect. Before proceeding we need to do a small premise, if 0 represents the worst possible […]
Be ready to fight: preparation
To view this content, you must be a member of 6 Dragons Kung Fu from WHITE to BLACK BELT Course’s Patreon at $1 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.
Always be ready to fight: the mind
As we have seen in the previous article of this series, the first challenge to be faced in order to be ready to face a combat in any time and in any conditions is to accept mentally the (sudden) idea of having to fight: Why now? Why against this adversary? Why here? How do I […]
Personal defense and psychological tricks
Resuming the personal defense speech during a quarrel (first level, no use of violence), let’s take a few steps forward in the 6DKF’s program introducing the concept of psychological deception. Let’s imagine that we are trying to negotiate in a straightforward and honest manner a peaceful solution to the ongoing controversy, but we have not […]
How to always be ready to fight
Self-defense: the difference of preparation that only a few understand The fact of being always in the right conditions to fight is not automatic at all (read for example Self-defense: aggression in front of a supermarket): this is one of the crucial preparation differences that intercurs between: A martial arts athlete A warrior Read also […]
Self-Defense: 10 tricks to handle conflicts
How to manage one or more persons in the grip of anger A note by Master Kongling – The only warrior able to subdue the opponent without even having to touch him is the one who uses intelligence. Continuing the speech of the first level of personal defense (the most “bland”, read Self Defense: 10 […]
Self-Defense: 10 things to avoid in a quarrel
Having a plan means to be ready to act As we have stated (read Self defense: how to behave), to deal with the first level of self-defense situations (the ones that do not involve the use of violence) it is important to prepare ourselves mentally. Note – This article has been asked by one of […]
Self defense: how to behave
Reconnecting us to the article “The 6DKF’s diagram about the use of violence”, we want to reopen the discourse about the personal defense to go deeper in real contexts. We have to imagine to be in a common situation, caused for example by: A reaction to a overtaking of a motorcycle / car A look […]
10 errors of intermediate fighters: solutions
To view this content, you must be a member of 6 Dragons Kung Fu from WHITE to BLACK BELT Course’s Patreon at $1 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.
10 common mistakes of intermediate fighters
To view this content, you must be a member of 6 Dragons Kung Fu from WHITE to BLACK BELT Course’s Patreon at $1 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.
Study the opponent: concepts and applications
After seeing something about the opponent study, we see now some specific applications and elaborations of the data that we may collect about him. Here is a series of concepts to think about in the configuration of our strategy and tactic preparation: Knowing the pace of our opponent allows us to predict where he will […]
Study an opponent to use his errors
How to exploit the opponent’s errors Continuing the discussion about fighting strategy (read How to study an opponent) we start to talk about how to use our enemy’s errors against him. There are endless ways to use at our advantage the opponent’s: Mistakes – Everything he fails to do, he does wrong, etc. Habits –Â Even […]
How to use martial arts in a real fight
The necessary and sufficient conditions to implement martial arts for self-defense What the unprepared (or dishonest, read Recognize a good / bad master: 5 characteristics) instructors do not say is that in a real fight (read The 6 types of martial clash), martial arts are not automatically effective. Note – This article has been asked […]
10 most common errors in combat: solutions
After seeing the 10 most common fight mistakes (for a novice) we continue the discussion exposing the relative solutions: A low guard may be a personal choice, a tactic or a preparation to a technique, a guard “lowered” for distraction or superficiality is the worst error we can do; for those who are not very […]
How to study an opponent
Understanding who we are facing The wrong approach to an unexpected self-defense situation Let’s imagine a street scenario where an unknown aggressor wants to beat us: many (bad) self-defense instructors tell us to do not waste time and to attack in the most rapid / aggressive possible way: is it correct? Note – This article has […]
Which guard stance choose
How to choose the right guard stance After introducing the concept of “guard stance” in 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read The guard stances in 6DKF), we will now review some of the most important questions that we have to instinctively answer when choosing the position to be taken. We will never stop to repeat it: […]
The 10 most common combat mistakes
When the fight is real, everything changes In the street (read Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons), the difference between a good fighter and a novice, dies in the ability to control natural behaviors like: Panic Adrenaline Instinct … Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners […]
The guard stances in 6DKF
In 6DKF there are no single / fixed guard stance. Positions are several (moving, standing, on the ground, etc.) and change depending on: The practitioner (aptitudes, defects, etc.) The Environment (soil, freedom in movement, etc.) The situation (danger level, type of aggression, etc.) The opponents (the difference in height, style, etc.) To help of the […]
Ground fighting: advanced techniques
After seeing how to prevail in the ground fighting, we want to go deep with some more advanced tips about the combat tactics (“advanced” because they require some skill, concentration and experience that a novice normally does not have). Here are some ideas / points of view (almost always valid) that can put us in […]
The fundamental concepts of the fallings
What is a breakfall? Learn how to fall properly is (should be) at the base of every serious martial art training. In this article, we are going to explain the most important concepts related to the contact with the ground. In particular, any martial artist should be interested in ground contacts as a result of: Projections […]