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Protect yourself! A new self-defence system teaches how to recognise danger and avoid it. Words: Raymond Joseph - Journalist. rayjoe@iafrica.com Tel/Fax: 021 702 2603 This is the longer, slightly edited transcript of the article that appeared in Drum magazine, issue 525, September 26 2002. A shorter, edited version appeared in print. Growing up on the mean streets of Cape Town, where assault or gang violence were always constant companions, Lloyd De Jongh had to learn to protect himself from an early age. I was a mugging victim once too often, says Lloyd, 29, a highly qualified Internet Systems Administrator, as he prances around his garden demonstrating an aspect of the unique self protection system that he and several friends have developed over several years. Living in those areas the chances were good that you would, at some time or another, become a victim of violence he says. My brother was stabbed and I had to run or talk my way out of trouble more often than I care to remember. I often saw gangsters fighting and several times we had bleeding people knock at our door for help. His response was to take a variety of martial arts, ranging from Karate, Jiujitsu, Jeet Kun Do, Wing Chun, boxing and Parker Kenpo in an attempt to learn to defend himself. Not satisfied with what he had learned, Lloyd looked further and began studying the fighting styles of the ruthless gangs that ruled the violence-ridden Cape Flats. What he discovered came as a surprise: their fighting methods, often learned in prison, were based on a fusion of traditional Zulu stick fighting used with devastating effect by the impis of Shaka; and the ancient method of Silat knife fighting, introduced to South Africa by Malaysian slaves. There is a traditional African structure to the movements with a Malaysian influence in South African street fighting. Unlike the normal martial arts that often involve close contact grappling, most indigenous criminal fighting methods use hidden weapons, mostly knives, and involve a rip and tear motion, explains Lloyd. Once he realised this, Lloyd spent a long time coming to grips with the intricacies of these two methods, much of it learned from watching warring gangsters in action and attending traditional Zulu stick fights. I learned Zulu stick fighting was a very effective method of combat, honed on the battlefields of Zululand by fearless warriors under several great chiefs (Shaka Zulu). Now several years later, Lloyd is offering classes in his unique self-protection system.
Ultimately the Nike defence, "run like hell" - is the best option, explains Lloyd. We teach that an attack happens over five different stages. Much of the training involves understanding the first three steps and dealing with them, rather than engaging in actual combat. It's important to be able to recognise the signs, as most people cannot go from being
They also offer other courses in HACS (Hostile Awareness and Control System), a scenario-based method they have developed which teaches students how to deal with every day problems like bag snatching and muggings which can be learned in an hour, explains Lloyd. Research for this training included visits to mortuaries and trauma units to get an idea of the type of dangers assault victims faced. They found that 65 to 85 percent of all victims had suffered knife wounds on the left hand side of their bodies, between the kidneys and the crown of the head. Of those who had died of knife wounds, 90 percent of those deaths were through loss of blood due to neck wounds. Our defence system has been designed to take all this into account. But the Every Day Safe system is the most popular, with people from all walks of life joining their classes, often after they have been attacked or robbed. It is scenario-based, teaching actual things that can and do happen to people all the time. It is a very simple system that deals with every day situations and how to deal with them, and it can be taught in an hour. Most of what they teach is plain commons sense, says Lloyd. We teach our pupils how to be aware of violence, which, like anything else, is just a process. Anyone can learn, understand and interrupt it and, in many instances, you can remove yourself from the danger without resorting to an actual fight. From our perspective it is important to recognise and avoid danger; not stand and fight your way out when it actually happens. Only when that fails should you resort to a combat situation. There are several stages before a violent assault or attack happens: the trick is to
First, he explains, it is important to recognise the early signs of danger and avoid getting into it. Pupils are also taught how to avoid giving the appearance to a criminal that they a potential victim. If you give the impression of a victim, weakness and lack of awareness, he will pick up the signals. Keep your eyes peeled in places like a street at night or a deserted parking garage and avoid them where possible. You can easily spot how the attacker's attitude changes from casual to predatory. When you recognise this, trust your instincts and get the hell out of there. Interestingly, research done with hardened criminals in maximum-security prisons in the United States revealed that 8 out of 10 all picked the same potential victims. There is a victim selection process that takes places, so you need to act confidently and make eye contact, speak a non verbal language that lets him know you are not an easy victim and that you can look after yourself. Remember, 90 percent of the weapon that criminals use is psychology and they look for people who act like a victim (fitting the victim profile) says Lloyd. He (the criminal) is also concerned about the consequences of what he is planning and, if you can let him know that it will not be easy, most will back down and leave you alone. The next step happens when the criminal, believing that you are an easy victim, makes an approach. It is important, he says, to stop the criminal moving in on your personal space and to let him know you don't trust him by using the same mental and emotional tactics he is trying to use against you, making him think you know something he does not. If he thinks there might be a problem he will usually back down and rather wait for an easier victim. Equally important is that by being able to recognise and react to danger signs leading up to an attack, you interrupt the criminal. And, often, he will back away and wait for easier pickings. At that stage you must get out of the zone, remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible. But, if the attacker has managed to close the gap between himself and the potential victim, it has now become a hazard situation. At this stage you have two choices: be victimised and give him what he wants or attack as violently and as loudly as possible to throw him off balance. Fight like a wild animal, kick, punch, shout, scream, scratch, whatever it takes. Then remove yourself from the area as fast as possible. The final stage pupils are taught about, happens after an attack. This is how the criminal feels about what he has done. In the aftermath of robbing someone, he criminal may decide, on a whim, to shoot or knife his victim - despite the fact that the person has co-operated utterly and offered no resistance. In fact, it is often because there was no resistance and awareness from you initially that he feels no compulsion about using violence - you have shown yourself to be weak and easily victimised. Of all the reactions, one of the most consistently dangerous occurs among rapists. If the rapist feels that the rape did not empower him as he thought it would, he often turns violent and about 80 percent of women seriously hurt or killed by rapists are harmed after the actual sexual assault. There are no hard and fast rules about how to deal with this situation, says Lloyd. But it is important to try and remain calm and not let your emotions take control. You need a clear head, look for a chance to escape and don't challenge your attacker. It could prove fatal. |
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