Crash, Smash, and Dash – KTC

In a modern day attack, we have no control over any of the variables, except one; our own response. But even that is impeded because of our limbic system, thrusting us into a mode of “fight or flight”, causing adrenaline to course through our bodies, making any sort of complex thought or movement extremely difficult. If you were ambushed from behind, and turned to find three attackers and one of them with a knife coming at you – your own biology would make it next to impossible to formulate a plan in that moment. It is because of this that we created a 3-step physical roadmap to follow in just such a situation – CRASH, SMASH, and DASH.

It is this skeletal frame that we attach all of our physical tactics to. Through our drills and simulations, we apply this roadmap to several different contexts, hardwiring us to respond in this way regardless of the stimulus.

CRASH

In most modern street attacks, when the assailant actually INTENDS to hurt or kill the victim, the assailant does not allow the victim to see the attack coming. This is called an ambush. The assailant has a significant advantage at this moment, and it is at this moment that it is crucial for the victim to remove further opportunity from the assailant to cause continued damage.

Author and self-defense instructor Rory Miller suggests a “golden standard” for a response to this type of attack in his book “Meditations on Violence,” which would:

1. Improve the victim’s position
2. Worsen the attacker’s position
3. Protect the victim from damage
4. Allow the victim to damage (or control) the assailant

In Urban Defensive Tactics, we have developed our “Trinity Block” (based on instinctive movements under threat) into a multi-tool that meets all of the criteria in the “golden standard,” allowing the victim to weather incoming attacks while crashing into the assailant, thereby beginning to flip the script in the situation.

SMASH

Using the Trinity Block to crash into the assailant and close the gap, we then utilize Urban Defensive Tactics’ uniquely applied Combative Controls as a means of gaining anchor points from which to apply our close-quarter offensive tactics.

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DASH

When sufficient damage has been done to the assailant such as to create a legitimate opportunity for safe escape, we run to a safe place where we survey ourselves for physical damage and contact the appropriate emergency services.

T.J. Kennedy

Kennedy Tactical Concepts

An Interview with T.J. Kennedy ||| HFM

T.J. Kennedy

Hybrid Fighting Method

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Benefits of Being a Self-Defense Instructor

When I first took krav maga I fell in love and immediately dropped out of school to pursue martial arts in a modern urban context. It was so amazing to me. Fast forward to 2005 when my love for self-protection and self-preservation burned in me and I wanted to understand as much as I could about violence and how I could most effectively prevent and counter it in my life -and then translate that via instruction to my students.

The best way to understand violence is to study it’s chief perpetrators – us.  So began my personal journey really studying everything I could get my hands on – a habit I still keep today: human behaviour, violence, sexuality, conditioning, sociology, evolutionary biology and psychology- the list goes on and on.

The human animal/machine is such a fascinating, often infuriating phenomenon, but the more I understood how this clock ticked the more I was able to mitigate emotional responses to non-physical threats in my life.  As I objectified them, and understood them in the context of an abused child acting out their traumas, I could even feel compassion for them.  Coupled with these fields was an interest in neuro-criminology, which is the study of brain anatomy and the effects of head trauma, brain mal-development, and other biological influences on the brain with respect to anti-social and violent criminal behaviour.  It also helped me objectify my prejudices and perspective to allow me more rational decisions under pressure.  Grouping these areas of knowledge together lends to a broad understanding of violence – which was my first goal – and that hunger grows and burns more every day.

Also gained were/are the social skills that are necessary to successfully navigate confrontational behaviour.  And at the end of it all, if my social skills failed, or in most cases of all-out attack, my physical skills were enough to do the required job at the time.  So being a self-defense and combatives instructor has really made me a better person all-around- and geez, you get to help people along the way, and help them find the same heights of growth you did.

Life is good.

–T.J. Kennedy

Founder, Hybrid Fighting Method

Kennedy on “What is Martial Art” : RTD 018

Bruce Lee said in his infamous television interview with Pierre Burton, that martial art is the expression of self. That, in my opinion, is what “art” is. When applied in a combative context, what component of the “self” is one expressing, exactly?

It is my opinion, that martial art can be defined as the following:

The articulation of one’s combative intent through the medium of human movement.

To have an objective in mind, and to achieve this objective using the only instrument one has – his or her body (and weapons, if present, as an extension of the body).

Each individual will articulate his or her movements differently, and will indeed choose different tools to perform different tasks. This is where individuality comes into play. Where the expression of self is seen. The differences in articulation are the result of differences in physiology, culture, personal ethics, etc.

The more one practices using their body to articulate combative intent, the more prolific and efficient they will become in their art. There will be a singularity – a cohesion of techniques and increased fluidity of movement.

That is the denotative meaning. However, there is a significant connotative interpretation of martial art that I’d like to discuss.

That is, the more one engages their mind to act in tandem with their body, the more centered and aware they can become. This union of mind and body can lead to expanded consciousness.

There is an ineffable quality to martial art. A difference in intent. A fighter will fight for status, for resources, etc. A true martial artist…..or warrior…..will fight to protect that which he or she values. Their motives may be love, justice, compassion, etc.

A “fighter” is a role, whereas “martial artist” is a way of life;

a state of being.

These are my thoughts on what “martial art” is. 

I welcome any comments.

T.J. Kennedy

Founder of the Hybrid Fighting Method

MORE ON ‘WHAT A MARTIAL ART‘ IS COMING SOON

HFM : The Rise of a Fighting Methodology

The time for self-defense is over. Self-defense is dis-empowering and it is NOT what we do in the Hybrid Fighting Method (HFM). We are a fighting method – not a self-defense system. What is the difference? Well, let’s first look at what ‘self-defense’ actually means.

Self-defense means “to defend one’s self”…. which leads you naturally to the question – from what? When you think of self-defense, what image do you conjure up in your head? If you are anything like me, you conjure up an image of someone attacking you – maybe punching you, maybe stabbing you with a knife, maybe someone pinning you down on the bed – usually trying to stop someone from hurting you. You are the recipient of an action – a helpless and hapless victim – doing your very best to assuage your own demise. You are only ever reacting to what is being thrust upon you; forever one step behind until it’s too late to help yourself.

That’s what self-defense is. The very idea dis-empowers you from the start. A successful combative methodology ENABLES you to action, it doesn`t DISABLE you from it.

When you think of fighting, what image(s) do you conjure up in your head? Maybe with the popularity of combat sports these days, you think of two combatants in a ring or cage fighting for sport. And that is partially the case. The leading definition of FIGHTING is: “taking part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons.” (Dictionary.com) A fight, for our purposes, can therefore be defined as A VIOLENT STRUGGLE.

Already you imagine yourself as a proactive part of your own survival. You are enabled. You are on the offense. You are a fighter…a survivor

What are you fighting for? A person who would attack you could want a number of things – your property, your body, your life. You’re not going to let them take those things from you, you’re going to fight! But how do you fight? That’s where we come in. Just like you need a specific tool for a specific job, you too need to choose an appropriate system for your life.

Are you a soldier? Carrying around an M16, dodging bullets day-in and day-out. Infiltrating terrorist cells and narrowly missing the end of your life due to IED explosions?

Are you a mixed martial arts fighter, training 4, 5, 6 or more hours a day getting in the best shape of your life for a title fight in 8 weeks? A fight with rules, a referee, a doctor on standby?

Or are you a normal person. You live in a house or an apartment or a condo, and you live your day to day life driving your car, taking the subway, working in an office, going shopping, going to the movies, and hanging out with your friends on weekends. It doesn’t make sense to learn how to fight like a soldier in a foreign desert. It doesn’t make sense to learn how to be a world champion athlete, when what you need is a way of fighting that was designed for an urban environment. Designed for your life. Designed just for you.

Military systems like Krav Maga or Systema, and sport combat systems like Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are great…..but you find yourself in elevators, in bedrooms, in line-ups, in coffee shops, shopping mall parking lots – and these are all places that attacks happen. In fact, the number one location in frequency for sexual assaults is your very own home. You will only ever be attacked in the place that you are. And you can’t limit yourself with the rules inherent in some of these “self-defense” systems, or you are already dead.

The Hybrid Fighting Method (HFM) was specifically designed in an urban environment for an urban environment. And at the end of the day, soldiers and cage fighters need to come home to an urban environment, too.

In HFM we begin by instilling a survivalist mindset – enabling you to overcome any mental obstacles that would hinder your fight. Then we teach you how to impose your will on a would-be attacker – shutting them down quickly and confidently in ways you never dreamed that you could. And make no mistake – you can! And finally, we teach you what are called “defensive tactics” – which simply means how to deal with what is being thrown at you while you shut your attacker down.

Learn the Hybrid Fighting Method and you will transform into an urban fighter – and also become the most dangerous person you know.

T.J. Kennedy

HYBRID FIGHTING METHOD