Just a little explanation of some of the what's, how's, and why's of the R.E.A.C.T. concept.

Filter your methods.

When considering the various ways you can counter a violent physical assault it's both logical and practical to assume your attacker will possess some type of advantage over you. Therefor it is imperative to filter the techniques and concepts you train in through that assumption. Simply put, you need to ask yourself if technique or concept 'X' will work for you against a resisting attacker who is larger, stronger or faster than you. Will it work if he is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and thus has an elevated pain tolerance? Will it work if he's armed with a knife or impact weapon, or has an accomplice? No one can answer these questions for you. You must pressure test your methods against live energy and active resistance. Ideally, test them against a training partner who is faster, larger and stronger than you. Perhaps against two partners. Test like your life depends on it because on the street, it does.

Non telegraphic actions.

One of Senshido's five principles is Non Telegraphic Motion.  In essence, it means one should not indicate to your attacker your next 'move'.  A prime example of telegraphic motion is chambering ( cocking ) your limb before striking.  You can blast an eye jab, palm strike, elbow or knee into your opponent from it's current location ( within range ) with impressive results.  Pulling back ( chambering ) so the strike travels a few extra inches betrays your intent, thus telegraphing it.  This also violates another principle know as Economic Motion, but I digress......

I'd like to expand on this concept for a moment and illustrate other actions you may take that will unknowingly telegraph your intent.  There are ( especially 'women's self defense ) instructors who teach women to counter a wrist grab by pulling against the weak part of the attacker's grip, while stepping back and shouting 'No'.  Ummm..... Don't do this.  Ever.  Why?  A couple of reasons:  You've challenged his ego, which is never a good move. It is highly unlikely the 'technique' will break his grip.  Even if it does, you'll earn a punch in the face for your efforts. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, you've just announced to him your intent to fight, or at least resist.

Another example of telegraphing your intent is your facial expression during a confrontation.  Your face can be a dead give away that you're going to fight.  I've had students assume a beautiful passive stance, but curl their upper lip, exposing teeth and stare like they were ready, and looked forward too feeding me portions of my own anatomy.  Their bodies said 'passive' and 'afraid'.  Their faces told an entirely different story.  It's far better to look scared, even terrified when using the passive stance.  There is no use in letting the attacker see, before he feels, the warrior inside you!

Throughout history, be it a war between nations or one on one combat, surprise has won more battles than overwhelming force.  The great Chinese general Sun Tzu once said " All warfare is based on deception ". Be the tiger, pounce from ambush. Employ non telegraphic action and keep surprise on your side.

Not this.

Not this either.

Much better.

The genius of the 'passive' stance.

That's right, I said it!  I didn't invent it so I'm not patting myself on the back.  Nonetheless, it's pure genius.  Read on and I thing you'll agree.......

    When dealing with an aggressor face to face, no other 'stance' offers the benefits the 'passive' stance ( referred to as PS for the rest of this post ) does.  In practice it's anything but passive.  Sure, it looks passive.  It's the universal sign of "I don't want any trouble".  Looking passive and or submissive could satisfy the aggressor's ego, and at the very least it doesn't challenge him.  If all the aggressor wants is to feel powerful, you might just avoid a fight by adopting the PS, verbalizing that he wins, you lose and you're leaving.  Congratulations, for a fight avoided is a fight won. This concept is displayed all over the animal kingdom.  Dogs roll over exposing their stomach,  chimps look away and show their backsides as a way of saying " I acknowledge your dominance, we don't need to fight ".  If however, the aggressor is a true predator, he wants more than to just feel powerful.  Your imagination can fill in the blanks here, but it's safe to assume he won't be satisfied until you're injured, raped or dead.  To a predator the PS indicates fear, which encourages overconfidence on his part.  Good.  Overconfidence breeds mistakes.

    If the aggressor has already decided to attack, the PS limits both physically and psychologically the angle he can strike.  By having your hands obstructing your center line, a hooking strike is inviting and a straight jab is discouraged.  A hooking strike moves ( and is often telegraphed ) more than a straight one and thus is easier to detect and defend against.  Using the PS allows for efficient reactions to the incoming strike via economic motion.  Very little movement is required to effectively protect your head by jamming or crashing the attack. Once you've dealt with the initial blow, finish closing the gap ( if need be ) and apply the R.E.A.C.T. concept ( aka: the shred ).

    If you are facing an attacker and you believe you must launch a preemptive strike, the PS is an awesome platform from which to do so.  Your hands are already up and normally VERY close to the aggressor's primary targets.  Combine verbal diffusion with economic motion, and the aggressor will have little or no chance at avoiding your strike to the eyes or throat. Again, close the gap ( if need be ) and get busy shredding!

The 'passive stance' is not something you can read about and consider it part of your street 'toolbox'.  You need to train it, to understand it, to feel how it works both defensively and offensively.  Once you do, you'll see what I mean......pure genius.

Making distance is a mistake.

I was adding a new video to our YouTube channel and while reviewing it some interesting clips showed up on the sidebar.  Being the curious type, I watched a few.  What I saw left me shaking my head and wondering 'why'? It appears there are many 'self defense instructors' who place a high priority on making distance during an attack.  Big mistake. No, it's worse than big.  It's a tactical error of Biblical proportions!  Let me explain........

    Being at kissing distance to your attacker offers several important advantages to you.  For starters, it allows maximum use of Tactile Sensitivity and Opportunity Striking ( two of the five principles of Senshido ).  Tactile Sensitivity is enhanced at this range due to the increase in body contact, so you're not just relying on the input from your hands.  You Judo, Ju Jitsu and Greco-Roman wrestlers know what I mean.  Being close enough to have hip or leg contact will help you feel which way your opponent  is going to step ( or fall ).  Opportunity Striking is enhanced by the increase in tools you can utilize.  At extreme close quarters one can use elbows, knees, head butts and bites.  These tools are simply not available in punching range.

    Another advantage of staying in close to our attacker is the psychological impact of the invasiveness  felt at this range.  Most people ( not all, as nothing is 100% in combat ) are between uncomfortable and flat out terrified of being intimately close to a stranger.  It's a survival mechanism humans have developed over the years.  Don't believe me?  Slowly make your way into kissing distance with a stranger the next time you're in line at Starbucks.  Watch what happens.....    If they freak out, make a scene, or call the police I'll deny any involvement.  The invasion of personal space in combat will hasten the Predator / Prey shift and intensify their  Condition Black experience ( See post above on Condition Black ) . Personal space in combat?  Really Rick?  Yes.  The attacker wanted to keep you in a certain range ( most likely 'punching' range ) for a reason.  They're confident and comfortable there ( perhaps they have a reach advantage as well ).  Anything closer is scary to them.  It becomes personal space because they suddenly feel vulnerable, and I assure you they ARE vulnerable.  Unless they have trained to fight at this range, and in my experience 90% of people have NOT, they can't deliver powerful strikes here.  Why?  Because 'distance' ( one of the three elements for effective striking, along with 'grounding' and 'torque' ) has been taken away and the attacker will instinctively know it.  Also, any reach advantage he might have had and depended on just disappeared. Once you're in close and utilizing a shred you attacker will be the one wanting to make distance.  Don't let him.  Keep your anchor and let the shred roll!

    To quote Senshido's founder Rich Dimitri: " distance creates opportunity, for your opponent ".  My street experience has shown this to be true.  I will add to that: close proximity denies opportunity to your opponent, while providing you with the tactical advantage.  So, why would you want to make distance?  You wouldn't.  Why is making distance being taught?  I don't know...........

The 'passive' shred?

I'm really not sure why it's called 'passive'.  There is nothing 'passive' about it.  Nothing.  Zero.  Nadda.  Zip.  Sure, it doesn't inflict the horrific trauma of a full on, balls to the wall shred, but 'passive'?  I don't think so.

    The 'passive' shred is performed like any other; same speed, same tactics, same targets.  What makes it 'passive' is the fact that when it's over no real trauma was inflicted because the shredder ( the person employing the concept ) chose not to. The primaries still work, the ears are still attached, the nose is not broken and the grapes aren't squished.  In fact the shredee  ( person being shredded....  is that even a word? ) felt little to no pain.  So why is he on the floor with that look of shock and confusion on his face?

    The simple truth is when you're on the receiving end of even a 'passive' shred, perception IS reality.  The brain perceives imminent damage to the primary targets and reacts to protect them.  The resulting flinching is ineffective due to the speed and delivery method of the shred.  Now panic sets in, also known as............ Condition Black.  Once in 'black' the shreddee is relatively easy to manipulate, to 'manhandle', to dominate.  Shredder 1, Shreddee 0.

    How can I speak with such confidence of the power of the the 'passive' shred?  I've done it for real on the street in the course of my duties several times, and it worked.  Suspects in custody and no injuries to them or me.  Win / Win.  And that look of shock and confusion I mentioned..... it's real.  Real funny that is.......

    So, I'm convinced the term 'passive shred' is a misnomer.  Perhaps I'll rename it.  How does the ' I'm gonna shut down your mind and win this fight, but don't worry you won't be injured shred' sound to you?  Or the 'physical trauma-less shred'?  'Shredder lite'?  'Diet shred'?  Never mind.  I'll stick with 'passive shred'.  However inaccurate and misleading it may be, it just sounds better.

Condition Black: Fear it. Love it!

The professional ( Law Enforcement, Military and related fields ) and highly trained readers can skip the next four paragraphs.  You've heard this before.  For everyone else, I'd like to discuss an extremely important, but often overlooked ( by 'self defense' instructors ) aspect of personal protection: your mindset.

    Lt. Colonel Jeff Cooper ( veteran of two wars and a legend in the tactical pistol world ) assigned color codes to the different conditions your mind can be in.  Condition white is where, sadly, most people spend way too much time.  'White' is defined as unaware.  Completely oblivious to the surroundings.  Being in condition white allows you to be surprised by a predator, and thus an easy mark. Make no mistake, two legged predators can spot someone in condition white a mile away.  Unless you're asleep you shouldn't be in condition white.  Instead........

    Your waking hours should be spent in condition yellow.  When you are in 'yellow' you are aware of what's going on around in you immediate environment.  Your eyes are up and scanning, not glued to your smart phone.  Your ears are listening for sounds that are JNR ( Just Not Right ), not ready to bleed due to the volume of your music.  'Yellow' is not paranoid, it's just aware.  The mind is actively seeking, and willing to accept information that may indicate a threat to your safety.  If a possible threat is detected......

    Now the mind should shift into condition orange.  In 'orange' you acknowledge you most likely have a problem on your hands, and now it's time to gather more information to solve it, preferably by avoidance.  It really shouldn't take too much to force the switch from 'yellow' to 'orange'.  You just returned home and you find your front door closed but not locked, and you know you locked it.  That same car has been following you for miles, despite several turns.  The snap of a twig coming from the woods twenty feet from where you parked.  The motion light by the garage keeps going on, and your little dog is pacing, looking at the door.  You can smell cigarette smoke as you approach your car in the deserted parking garage, but don't see anyone.  All these little things, that you might have missed in condition white, can indicate a problem and warrant switching to 'orange', and then perhaps........

    Red.  Condition red.  It's ON!  Fight or flight.  It's time to go primal.  Despite your best efforts to solve the problem by avoidance, a predator made his intent clear.  You're been grabbed, struck, stabbed..... it doesn't matter.  Stay in condition red until you've subdued the attacker or ran to safety.  In 'red' you stay mentally aggressive and willing to do whatever you need to.   This will help you avoid.......

    Condition bla..........wait.  Are the professionals back with us?  Yes?  Good.  Condition black.  This a state that is seldom discussed, but it should be.  'Black' is panic.  'Black' is brain freeze.  'Black' prevents any usable or meaningful action due to sensory overload.  The overload could be from surprise, fear, pain, trauma (even the perception of trauma, whether or not it's actually happened ) or a combination of all these factors.  If you fall into condition black you're going to lose.  Period.

    So how do we avoid condition black.  First and foremost, by living in condition yellow.  Doing so greatly reduces you risk of being surprised by an attacker.  Surprise breeds panic.  Another way to avoid 'black' is to focus on the task at hand.  If you're fighting for your life concentrate on delivering trauma to your attacker.  This will help you ignore any damage you may be receiving.

    I titled this post 'Condition Black: Fear it. Love it.'  So where's the love?  Here's the good news; putting your attacker in condition black is relatively easy. All you need to do is apply the shred.  Attacking the primary targets causes the brain to slip into panic mode.  The attacker will not be able to focus on you anymore.  His only goal will be to protect those primaries.  Human psychology and physiology ensure that.  The predator just became the prey, and it happened in a fraction of a second.  It happened by surprise, which as previously discussed, adds to his panic.  He is now lost in condition black and he's lost the fight.  Do what you must, then flee to safety ( or in the case of LEOs: control and arrest ). Easy to love condition black when you're the one exploiting it, no?

    Never in white.  Live in yellow.  Understand orange.  Use red if need be.  Avoid black for yourself, but be sure to introduce it to your attacker.

Remember: when in red, use the shred!!