Welcome to Lesson #8 in your Self-Defense Basics Course! In this video, we discuss how to deal with someone charging you or shoving you backwards.
Along with Lesson #7, this introduces an old piece of martial arts wisdom that still works today!
Watch the video or read the transcript to find out what it is!
SELF-DEFENSE BASICS COURSE
Lesson #8 – Transcript
Hello again. Ando here from Happy Life Martial Arts. Welcome to Lesson #8 in your Self-Defense Basics Course.
In Lesson #7, we talked about scaring off a bad guy by getting in his space and in his face. But what if the bad guy gets in your space first? What if he gets in your face and knocks you back on your heels?
Don’t worry! There’s an old piece of martial arts wisdom that can help you ride out the storm. Here it is—
Push when pulled and pull when pushed.
You’ve heard about using someone’s strength against them? Well, that’s what we’re talking about here.
When someone is bigger and stronger than you, instead of trying to stop them from getting what they want, you’re going to give it to them… and more.
For example, maybe you’re being pulled by your wrist or your hair. Instead of trying to pull back and fight their strength, you step in closer. You use their strength to amplify yours.
It would be like someone asking for a taste of your soup… and you throw the whole bowl up in their face. Because you’re a giver. And self-defense is all about giving.
Be a giver!
Another example. Let’s say the bad guy charges in, knocking you backwards. Okay. Instead of pushing back to stop him, you grab hold and pull him closer. Now he’s charging in faster than he expected, maybe even falling forward, out of control.
By pushing when pulled and pulling when pushed, you’re actually letting the bad guy help you get in his space and in his face. So, if you want to use your attacker’s strength against him…
Go with the flow.
Yeah, yeah, yeah— that all sounds good. But what if you’re being pushed and pulled at the same time? Like if you’re being shaken? That’s pushing and pulling, isn’t it?
Yes, it is. So, consider this—going with the flow may not be a one-time decision. You may have to flow back and forth several times to gain the upper hand.
Maybe he charges in… so I pull him closer… then he steps back… so I step in to stay on the attack. Maybe he then pushes my face away… I grab that hand and pull him closer… he pulls his hand back… and I charge in after it.
None of that is wrong. In fact, it’s all completely normal!
You’ll see the same “push pull” game going on at the highest levels of combat sports, whether it’s striking, grappling, or both. But for basic self-defense, just remember that it’s the first time that you give the bad guy what he wants and more, the first time that you throw the whole bowl of soup up in his face, that’s going to have the greatest effect.
The first time you decide to attack instead of try to get away, that’s almost always going to be a big surprise and give you an advantage.
Okay. That all makes sense. But there’s still a problem. If you pull a bad guy closer to you, there’s a good chance you’re going to get run over.
Especially if he’s bigger than you, you’re probably going to fall back, smack your head, and end up flattened like a tortilla. Now my hair is messed up and my clothes are dirty—not cool!
So, let’s add a twist to the story. Literally.
Twist and Turn
Imagine being a bullfighter. When a larger, stronger animal charges in for the kill, what does the matador do? He or she holds their ground till the last second and then they turn. As the bull passes, that’s when they have a chance to attack.
Now, I’m not personally a fan of stabbing innocent bulls with lances and swords, but as a strategy to stop a bad guy from hurting you, I say, “Olé”.
So, let’s put Lessons 7 and 8 together. If I get pulled, or if I decide to make the first move, my goal is to push and turn them.
If I get pushed, or if they make the first move, my goal is to pull and turn me.
Either way, push or pull, remember— if you can’t get away, go with the flow, get in their space, and stay on the attack.
It’s like a tornado. If you stay outside of it, you’re going to get thrown around and hurt. But if you can somehow enter the eye of the storm, you’ll find a place of relative calm and safety.
In self-defense, if you can’t escape a storm, be the storm.
For the record, we’ve talked about movements on the horizontal plane—like sprinting, pushing, and pulling. We’ve talked about movements on the vertical plane—like dropping our weight. Now we’re adding one more dimension—circular movement.
Twisting and turning is important not just for adding power to many techniques thanks to hip rotation and pivoting, but it’s also crucial for making quick changes in angle and direction. It’s so crucial, I recommend that we practice it all by itself.
PRACTICE IDEAS
Start off just standing naturally and twist.
Focus on your upper body first… then pivot your feet.
Next, move into your stance and add a twist from there.
Now, let’s move like a matador. Step back and add a twist. Your goal is to get out of the way and to the side.
You can take one big step or a few small steps, just be careful not to throw yourself off-balance. Stay in your stance.
Oh—and practice both sides. Start with your right foot in front and your left.
Let’s take this back to the wall. Imagine that you’re on the attack and then you get punched in the face or shoved back.
Okay. Hold on to the pillow, pull, and turn. Now stay on the attack. Maybe a head butt, or an elbow, or some of those hammer fists from Lesson #2.
Whatever you do, remember that the goal is to drop the attacker, not the pillow.
So, just like you don’t want the pillow to fall off the wall, when you pull and turn, hold on to the pillow and stay on the attack.
Now, in real life, it’s impossible to predict exactly how far you’ll need to turn to gain an advantage. You might only need to turn 45° to get a decent angle of attack. But if they’re coming in stronger and harder, you might need to pull and turn 90°.
You might need to go whatever degree this would be. Or like the matador, you might need to step back and pivot a full 180° to let that bad guy swing past you.
So, when you practice with the wall, try it all. Imagine that you only have to turn a little. You go on the attack. Then you have to pull them and turn them again. Put them back on the wall so you have something to practice with.
Then imagine that they’re coming in full force and you have to turn all the way. Stay on the attack. But then they turn around to face you, so you have to slam them back into the wall and start all over again.
Remember that this is all up to you and your imagination. The more frightening a scenario you can create here with the wall then the more prepared you’ll be for the real world out there.
Of course, if you have a bag to work with, that’s great, too. Push in and drive to the side. Pull back and turn.
It’s important to point out another principle here. You’ll remember in Lesson #7 that when I push in, I’m trying to lift my attacker’s head up.
When I pull back, I’m trying to pull the attacker’s head down.
Pulling down not only keeps them close enough to attack, it also helps take them off-balance. So, if you can grab the hair, a hoodie, their shirt, even the arm, do that. Then pull it down.
Pulling and turning will be even more effective if you can drop your weight the way we practiced in Lesson #5.
Bending your knees, or even dropping to a knee under pressure, will help keep you stable and make the bad guy unstable. Heck, it might even lead into a very simple takedown.
So, pulling and turning? Great. Pulling, turning, and dropping? Well, that can be even better.
Okay, let’s wrap this up…
As always, there’s a big idea behind all of these physical techniques.
When you set a goal for yourself—any goal—the most effective strategy is to attack. Go straight at it and push as far as you can.
When you hit a wall or an obstacle—and you will… when life pushes back—and it will… then go with the flow.
Turn it around, find a new angle, and then go right back on the attack until you put that goal down on its knees. That’s how you win a fight and that’s how you succeed in life.
If you’re finding value in this series of videos, thank you for sharing them with someone you love. I’ll see you again in Lesson #9.
Until then, keep flowing and keep fighting for a happy life.
Thank you for sharing these lessons with someone you love!