I just completed the LE / Military course. Excellent class and very informative and useful in the practical application. This is one of the best courses of its type I have ever attended!
Wow, this guy is breath of fresh air, when it comes to CQC. I haven't seen this guy until today. [This is after I saw the comment below]... We both said wow, that's how you know this guy is for real, we both were astonished by the simplicity of these tactics. Great videos
Great explanation of a very important phenomenon . Therefore , it seems just plain smart to train that Flinch-Response to use the right techniques in reaction - starting with a good On-Guard position . Interestingly , in classic W.C. they did not offer a " Shao-Lin " Salute before a fight . thank you for sharing this .
This method was taught to us officers in the UK. The SPEAR flinch is a really effective tool and at the same time isn't an aggressive move. Which improves the public perception.
This is the first time I've seen this video and I think this is pretty cool! I think its pretty cool because I wrote a blog several months back about the... shall we call it an infantile version of what you're talking about here. Basically, I was talking about the problem I felt in training only in ready combat stances and not in relaxed stances just like you described here. Pretty cool :)
As a military combatives/street self defense instructor (ARCS Self Defense & Combatives) and as a law enforcement officer, I have to say that this is some good stuff and I'm not easily impressed by vary many of my "competitors". Good stuff here guys!
Wow, this breaks with a lot of MA tradition! And yet it seems so basic. In your experience, have many MA instructors incorporated this regained knowledge into their teachings? It just seems so intuitive. I only heard of SPEAR yesterday in a book I was flipping through at a bookstore (forgot the title).
I've been to martial arts schools and most good ones emphasize that it is better to know a few things well than 100 things so that it becomes muscle memory and reflex. This is pretty much the mop of any good martial art. What makes his reflex superior I wonder?
"So if I have perfect timing, it looks like this." NO IT WON'T! Well, yes, since it is rehearsed, but no it won't in real life reaction times. I agree with you completely about the brain can not think of a variety of responses in such a short time, but you make it look like a flinch is so fast, it can stop a punch, not knowing when and where the punch will truly go. No way. Sure, telegraph a punch to me and I'll likely stop it, still, most won't. It is very hard to stop a punch with no tel'.
So if action is faster than reaction, I want to be he first one to strike. Correct? I’m not being stupid. I want to learn. If the first strike has already taken place (and I’m on the ground with a screwdriver sticking in my shoulder), then my “first strike” had better be a really good one. I should break something in him if at all possible to live. Correct?
Correct, this is why the better self defense classes now teach Offensive Defense, ie pre emptive striking. Check out UC videos for some great examples.
All of his techniques mirror martial arts, chinese Kung Fu in particular created long ago, just looks different to most people who don't know what there looking at. This is not a knock or negative comment- the course curriculum seems spot on and I am, sure is awesome and effective. More so, just painting a picture that all of these techniques have been around for a long time and if you are trained properly, and train with purpose, these are common skills learned and at your disposal if ever needed.
reaction is natural but if u havent been in many situations like fights ur insticts get rusty.u can get prety fast reactions but not always(like every single fight),personally i dont think a human can achieve that perfection,and as we talk in theory i think that if some1 has fast reactions some1 in the world will have deadliest actions its a matter of balance in the nature
So you’re blocking to make contact? or not get hit? Why not drop your back knee down and step back of the front foot, that seems like a flinch response too. I guess fighting off the back foot is harder but there’s less threat of different punches. Where is the whole video
@worryphree This is the issue: It's not that you WANT to Flinch, it that given the right conditions (stimulus introduced into your awareness too quickly) you will! We can't be 100% aware 100% of the time! Therefore we have evolved a genetically wired reflex that has kept us alive until now.
Well, ok but then you actually train the RIGHT way to EVOLVE yourself to what you are meant to be, which is not a stimulus-response animal, to a CONSCIOUS CREATOR, in other words, you ELIMINATE REACTION TIME. Could you be so aware and in tune with yourself and your environment, that just like Yoda taught Luke Skywalker, you trust your feelings so completely that you don't need to REACT because you are not a VICTIM, but the CREATOR?
I like Blauer and a lot of his material but the flinch is not faster than a speeding bullet. He is right people flinch, but they flinch in response to the gun coming up or bring their hands up in anticipation of the shot. Once the trigger is pulled, if your hands are down, you are not getting them up prior to the bullet hitting you.
MDAC1012 sure sure.. he is so stupid that he does not know that the fastest punch is less than 10% the speed of a typical bullet... suuuuuuuure. Whatever
+Daniel Skipp Dude, settle down, if you don't want to have a discussion them don't reply to a comment next time. I like Blauer, I am a fan of his work. But he says that people shot from the front have wound marks on their arms and does more than imply that their flinch reaction was faster than the bullet. HE said it, NOT me. I am pointing out that yes people flinch but it's not from the bullet it's from the pointing of the gun, that's all. If you want to have a discussion like an adult fine, but if you want to reply to comments like a 10yr old, then your on your own. Good luck and happy training.
MDAC1012 I am not the one pedantically embarrassing themselves. If you want to believe Blauer is so ignorant a self-defense expert he does not know the maximum velocities of arm and bullet feel free... I am taking it he is joking, using a bit of hyperbole to underline how quick the flinch is.. it is humorous marketing. Whatever... Really don't care. You have fun now.
To be fair, I don't think Tony Blauer has ever claimed to have invented this concept. He researched it, packaged it, and marketed it better than anyone else. I think in some vids, Blauer says he consulted experts in the area of human kinetics and neuromuscular response. He even has said that his motivation was when one of his karate students got beaten up in a fight because none of the complicated karate techniques worked under stress and in a non-karate context. Also, a common idea can independently develop. It doesn't necessarily mean that one person took someone else's idea. Think of a time you thought you had a great idea only to discover someone else already had it packaged and marketed. It's like kung fu people claiming all martial arts came from kung fu even though that's not true. Styles and systems often developed independently as a means of warfare and survival. The concept also is not new to martial arts. The old karate X-block is kind of like a universal block or shield. A parry is like a reflex block. Besides, you can't really patent something like a human reflex.
None of this is new, any experienced bouncer has already learned this. He might not be able to verbalize what he is doing but it is exactly what he does to toss douchebags every Saturday. In real life there is no such thing as a block.
Survivalsquid, Although I've never taken a SPEAR seminar, or course, I've watched pretty much every SPEAR vid on TH-cam and believe I understand Tony Blauer's approach. The SPEAR is not meant to be a block per se. In fact, although Blauer has an extensive traditional martial arts background, he pokes fun at traditional approaches to blocking a punch with a "wax on/wax off". He would agree with you that blocks don't work because it takes too much time to react and precise placement. The SPEAR is meant as an automatic reflex and as a head cover (like a shield) that is deployed with the innate human response similar to the moro reflex in all healthy new borns. It's also an abrupt shove or the natural human inclination to "push away danger" as he said. Shane Fazen recently posted a one hour vid with Blauer on his FightTIPS channel where 57 year old Blauer easily controls the much younger Fazen in a clinch and even shoves him several feet backwards with a slight pop of his forearm (the SPEAR). He teaches Fazen how to do it. It's also very entertaining as Blauer is a very funny guy. An example that Blauer gives is if you have ever accidentally reached for something on a high shelf and a bunch of stuff came falling towards your head without any warning. Your automatic reaction was to probably cover your head. It's a natural reaction and that's what the SPEAR is supposed to be. It's a human "air bag" that's automatically deployed when something is coming at it as Blauer calls it. I'm sure all of us have done it inadvertently where you're walking somewhere and someone would come around a blind corner and about to collide and you would automatically throw out a forearm in front. No fancy parry, no fancy wing chun block, no shuffle stepping away from their power side, or changing levels...no fancy martial arts moves. Just throwing an arm out as a brace against impact. It's a natural instinct. The SPEAR in itself is also not meant to be self-defence techniques. It's just a pre-cursor to give you that space and base to follow up with whatever else is necessary. Before you totally dismiss his theories, I would recommend you watch his guest appearance on Shane Fazen's FightTIPS TH-cam channel where he goes way more in depth into both SPEAR, and mental framing when confronted with an attack. Even if you don't believe in it it's worth a look. Interesting stuff.
I wasn't knocking it, in fact I was attempting to say that it looks like what I see experienced non-sport fighters do by habit. There is nothing new under the sun after all.
I just completed the LE / Military course. Excellent class and very informative and useful in the practical application. This is one of the best courses of its type I have ever attended!
Wow, this guy is breath of fresh air, when it comes to CQC. I haven't seen this guy until today.
[This is after I saw the comment below]...
We both said wow, that's how you know this guy is for real, we both were astonished by the simplicity of these tactics. Great videos
There is no one like Tony, his knowledge and his SPEAR system on this earth. Simply a brilliant!
We train in SPEAR for my job but this gives me the explanation that makes it sink in
Just completed spear very interesting techniques that work extremely well
Great explanation of a very important phenomenon . Therefore , it seems just plain smart to train that Flinch-Response to use the right techniques in reaction - starting with a good On-Guard position . Interestingly , in classic W.C. they did not offer a " Shao-Lin " Salute before a fight . thank you for sharing this .
This method was taught to us officers in the UK. The SPEAR flinch is a really effective tool and at the same time isn't an aggressive move. Which improves the public perception.
This is the first time I've seen this video and I think this is pretty cool! I think its pretty cool because I wrote a blog several months back about the... shall we call it an infantile version of what you're talking about here. Basically, I was talking about the problem I felt in training only in ready combat stances and not in relaxed stances just like you described here. Pretty cool :)
very valid points, and very clearly explained, too.
Where's the rest of the video??? How do I get it? Thanks.
Brilliant concept.
I think we got ourself a reader here!
As a military combatives/street self defense instructor (ARCS Self Defense & Combatives) and as a law enforcement officer, I have to say that this is some good stuff and I'm not easily impressed by vary many of my "competitors". Good stuff here guys!
Do you have the full dvd of the video here? If so can someone order it?
Wow, this breaks with a lot of MA tradition! And yet it seems so basic. In your experience, have many MA instructors incorporated this regained knowledge into their teachings? It just seems so intuitive. I only heard of SPEAR yesterday in a book I was flipping through at a bookstore (forgot the title).
All depends what arts you are training. The Hakka Chinese Arts work off the flinch method, but it's called shock or shock power/force.
Thanks for your comments guys!
Thank you!!! More vids please!
Last video I seen about stubbed man near ATM- no hands up, absolutely freezing. Also other person was freezed
I've been to martial arts schools and most good ones emphasize that it is better to know a few things well than 100 things so that it becomes muscle memory and reflex. This is pretty much the mop of any good martial art. What makes his reflex superior I wonder?
"So if I have perfect timing, it looks like this." NO IT WON'T! Well, yes, since it is rehearsed, but no it won't in real life reaction times. I agree with you completely about the brain can not think of a variety of responses in such a short time, but you make it look like a flinch is so fast, it can stop a punch, not knowing when and where the punch will truly go. No way. Sure, telegraph a punch to me and I'll likely stop it, still, most won't. It is very hard to stop a punch with no tel'.
So if action is faster than reaction, I want to be he first one to strike. Correct? I’m not being stupid. I want to learn.
If the first strike has already taken place (and I’m on the ground with a screwdriver sticking in my shoulder), then my “first strike” had better be a really good one.
I should break something in him if at all possible to live. Correct?
Correct, this is why the better self defense classes now teach Offensive Defense, ie pre emptive striking. Check out UC videos for some great examples.
There’s the reactionary response, reflexive and correct response.
Get to know all 3
All of his techniques mirror martial arts, chinese Kung Fu in particular created long ago, just looks different to most people who don't know what there looking at. This is not a knock or negative comment- the course curriculum seems spot on and I am, sure is awesome and effective. More so, just painting a picture that all of these techniques have been around for a long time and if you are trained properly, and train with purpose, these are common skills learned and at your disposal if ever needed.
" Don`t Bogart That Joint My Friend !"
reaction is natural but if u havent been in many situations like fights ur insticts get rusty.u can get prety fast reactions but not always(like every single fight),personally i dont think a human can achieve that perfection,and as we talk in theory i think that if some1 has fast reactions some1 in the world will have deadliest actions its a matter of balance in the nature
Good stuff.
01:02 The good news: The flinch is faster than a bullet... Bad news: but the flich won´t stop the bullet - Killer
So you’re blocking to make contact? or not get hit? Why not drop your back knee down and step back of the front foot, that seems like a flinch response too. I guess fighting off the back foot is harder but there’s less threat of different punches. Where is the whole video
One of the most common ways a fight starts is with a push and a Haymarket?What if the person throws a left Haymarket instead of a right?
step up? Head butt the guy (removing the head and using it as an attack)? I don't know. Whatever your training/reflexes tells you. Did I get it right?
This guys is ON the money 100%. Been thinking of this problem-then BANG-a man develops a n MA based on it. Wow
This is where Tony shines..the physical stuff is less than stellar
@worryphree
This is the issue: It's not that you WANT to Flinch, it that given the right conditions (stimulus introduced into your awareness too quickly) you will!
We can't be 100% aware 100% of the time!
Therefore we have evolved a genetically wired reflex that has kept us alive until now.
Well, ok but then you actually train the RIGHT way to EVOLVE yourself to what you are meant to be, which is not a stimulus-response animal, to a CONSCIOUS CREATOR, in other words, you ELIMINATE REACTION TIME. Could you be so aware and in tune with yourself and your environment, that just like Yoda taught Luke Skywalker, you trust your feelings so completely that you don't need to REACT because you are not a VICTIM, but the CREATOR?
I like Blauer and a lot of his material but the flinch is not faster than a speeding bullet. He is right people flinch, but they flinch in response to the gun coming up or bring their hands up in anticipation of the shot. Once the trigger is pulled, if your hands are down, you are not getting them up prior to the bullet hitting you.
+MDAC1012 facepalm... he was joking
+Daniel Skipp No he is not, because it's not the first time he has said it or claimed it.
MDAC1012
sure sure.. he is so stupid that he does not know that the fastest punch is less than 10% the speed of a typical bullet... suuuuuuuure. Whatever
+Daniel Skipp Dude, settle down, if you don't want to have a discussion them don't reply to a comment next time. I like Blauer, I am a fan of his work. But he says that people shot from the front have wound marks on their arms and does more than imply that their flinch reaction was faster than the bullet. HE said it, NOT me. I am pointing out that yes people flinch but it's not from the bullet it's from the pointing of the gun, that's all. If you want to have a discussion like an adult fine, but if you want to reply to comments like a 10yr old, then your on your own. Good luck and happy training.
MDAC1012
I am not the one pedantically embarrassing themselves. If you want to believe Blauer is so ignorant a self-defense expert he does not know the maximum velocities of arm and bullet feel free... I am taking it he is joking, using a bit of hyperbole to underline how quick the flinch is.. it is humorous marketing. Whatever... Really don't care. You have fun now.
If it's going to go that way, hit first.!!! Don't hesitate. And don't stop until they are down for the count.
An LEO cannot do that, nor can't a civilian do that, especially when you aren't sure the threat is imminent. He explains it at 5:02.
The idea here is a total rip off of Steve Morris startle response except Morris is far more effective and is a real fighter.
No it is not
To be fair, I don't think Tony Blauer has ever claimed to have invented this concept. He researched it, packaged it, and marketed it better than anyone else.
I think in some vids, Blauer says he consulted experts in the area of human kinetics and neuromuscular response. He even has said that his motivation was when one of his karate students got beaten up in a fight because none of the complicated karate techniques worked under stress and in a non-karate context.
Also, a common idea can independently develop. It doesn't necessarily mean that one person took someone else's idea. Think of a time you thought you had a great idea only to discover someone else already had it packaged and marketed. It's like kung fu people claiming all martial arts came from kung fu even though that's not true. Styles and systems often developed independently as a means of warfare and survival.
The concept also is not new to martial arts. The old karate X-block is kind of like a universal block or shield. A parry is like a reflex block.
Besides, you can't really patent something like a human reflex.
None of this is new, any experienced bouncer has already learned this. He might not be able to verbalize what he is doing but it is exactly what he does to toss douchebags every Saturday. In real life there is no such thing as a block.
Survivalsquid,
Although I've never taken a SPEAR seminar, or course, I've watched pretty much every SPEAR vid on TH-cam and believe I understand Tony Blauer's approach.
The SPEAR is not meant to be a block per se. In fact, although Blauer has an extensive traditional martial arts background, he pokes fun at traditional approaches to blocking a punch with a "wax on/wax off". He would agree with you that blocks don't work because it takes too much time to react and precise placement.
The SPEAR is meant as an automatic reflex and as a head cover (like a shield) that is deployed with the innate human response similar to the moro reflex in all healthy new borns. It's also an abrupt shove or the natural human inclination to "push away danger" as he said. Shane Fazen recently posted a one hour vid with Blauer on his FightTIPS channel where 57 year old Blauer easily controls the much younger Fazen in a clinch and even shoves him several feet backwards with a slight pop of his forearm (the SPEAR). He teaches Fazen how to do it.
It's also very entertaining as Blauer is a very funny guy.
An example that Blauer gives is if you have ever accidentally reached for something on a high shelf and a bunch of stuff came falling towards your head without any warning. Your automatic reaction was to probably cover your head. It's a natural reaction and that's what the SPEAR is supposed to be. It's a human "air bag" that's automatically deployed when something is coming at it as Blauer calls it.
I'm sure all of us have done it inadvertently where you're walking somewhere and someone would come around a blind corner and about to collide and you would automatically throw out a forearm in front. No fancy parry, no fancy wing chun block, no shuffle stepping away from their power side, or changing levels...no fancy martial arts moves. Just throwing an arm out as a brace against impact. It's a natural instinct.
The SPEAR in itself is also not meant to be self-defence techniques. It's just a pre-cursor to give you that space and base to follow up with whatever else is necessary.
Before you totally dismiss his theories, I would recommend you watch his guest appearance on Shane Fazen's FightTIPS TH-cam channel where he goes way more in depth into both SPEAR, and mental framing when confronted with an attack.
Even if you don't believe in it it's worth a look. Interesting stuff.
I wasn't knocking it, in fact I was attempting to say that it looks like what I see experienced non-sport fighters do by habit. There is nothing new under the sun after all.
I love this, very fascinating, am adding you to my list, so I can brief myself periodically