About Us - Self Defense and Martial Arts in Vancouver & Richmond, BC
HIT and RUN (…it’s in the name) The name best describes the no nonsense, egoless and practical philosophy required for women, children and men to live a safe and happy life. It is about taking responsibility for the safety of yourself and your family by adopting simple practices into your daily routine that will greatly lower your risk of an encounter. It is also knowing how to summon your inner strength in a hostile situation and having the tools to verbally diffuse or physically address an attacker. Lifestyles and the missing table leg “Hit and Run” training aims to compliment and complete society’s goal of a well rounded healthy lifestyle. Every day you see media articles encouraging 3 pillars: Eating well (nutrition), Fitness (exercise) and strong Mind development (yoga/Pilates/meditation). It is however missing one critical element: Self protection and safety awareness. Like a table that needs 4 legs to be stable, the first 3 lifestyle benefits can be enhanced and protected with a program that builds self confidence, reduces fear, develops street safe awareness and provides self defense techniques that can be used by young/old, men/women and children. Without the fourth leg to stabilize the table, the first 3 lifestyle choices will be detrimentally affected or taken away completely by an attacker. Just Keep’n It Real Always train like its real and remember that practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. There is no value in training unrealistically. It should always be your goal to learn techniques slowly and controlled, but to later move with your partner to more challenging speeds that provide less reaction time (in order to represent a real threat). There are many self defense attributes to belonging to a martial arts club (speed, strength, overall health, etc.), unfortunately most rely on traditional training methods that can take years of weekly training to master. As schools also have a focus on point sparring or grappling (without greatly harming the person), they are severely restricted from training with the most advantageous strikes required (eye’s, throat, groin, etc.). For the other busy 99% of us that just want to live a safe life, we must focus on practical and highly effective techniques that come naturally and can be executed by even the smallest of people. The following are just some of the ways you should be training to ensure familiarity with a situation and subsequent proper reaction in the least amount of time possible: Clothing: A martial arts uniform is great only to avoid wear and tear on your favorite outfits. You should be also practicing in the style of clothing you most often wear. Dress suits can greatly restrict movement, ties can be used to choke you, heels can be used as a weapon, etc. Time Line: The first few seconds are the most critical and will set the tone for your escape. Any techniques that do not allow you to disable the attacker within seconds should be avoided. This is particularly critical when faced with multiple attackers. Techniques: Your fine motor skills will be almost nonexistent when faced with a dangerous situation. You must avoid any techniques or combination of moves that are too complicated or require strength. Techniques should be natural or even “flinch” response based. Those that are not must be able to be easily committed to muscle memory through repetition. Standing and Ground: Your goal is to strike with an effective combination that works best for your body type and then leave. Remember to stay standing at all costs. If you are taken to the ground (trip, aggressive pull, throw, etc.) you will still need to know what to do. Don’t panic, the ground can be a great ally, help distribute an opponents weight, assist with bone breaking leverage and accelerate finishing an attack with even some basic knowledge. Train both standing and from various disadvantaged ground positions to really round out your abilities. Improvised Weapons: Your training methods should include improvisation. One entertaining activity is to unexpectedly quiz each other. Ask a friend or family member: What in this room, at this table, in the car, right in front of you at this moment, etc. could be used as a weapon and how? You are going to find some creative ideas and get better and better at it with practice! "It is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six": There are different interpretations of this statement, but in a nutshell, we feel that if unprovoked physical harm is imminent, you are best to take immediate proactive action to ensure your safety. That it is better to have your day in court (explaining your actions to a jury of 12), rather than taking a risk of being carried away by 6 pallbearers. Learn how to protect your family and not be a victim! No one but …. You can do it!: Police officers do an amazing job in the most difficult of situations. They are trained in self defense applications and carry weapons for safety. The public however does not get to carry a weapon and they will almost never be there when you are attacked. People are murdered, abducted, assaulted, etc. every day. Will you be able to say you took some preventative measures and did what you could for the safety of yourself and your family? Has your strategy so far been to ignore reality and hope it just doesn't happen to you? The good news is that from the dawn of man and woman, we are genetically coded with a survival instinct to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Practice, techniques and the proper mental attitude to summon that instinct is all you require (not size or strength). You have it in you to effectively prevent or minimize a life threatening situation. Take action now. |
Reach us at 604.447.4357 or Email
Mayor Malcolm Brodie & Member of Parliament
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“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Eleanor Roosevelt
PRACTICAL • INTUITIVE • EFFECTIVE • EASY TO LEARN