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Press-Up Woes

Researching for my book lead me to discover many interesting things.
One of the things that I discovered was that the traditional push-ups we were made to do in school are not very good for your health.
If you think about this a little, it will soon be obvious why this is true.
Bend you hand back as far as it can comfortably go without assistance and you will see that it does not form a 90 degree angle with the forearm. 
Putting all your body weight on it to make it do so is not  a good idea.
Push ups are a good way to build upper body strength, but if you do them, invest in some push-up handles or use some asymmetrical dumbbells that you can grip without them rolling away.
Not only do push-up handles keep your wrist in a more natural position, you can exercise your grip at the same time.
Alternately, perform your push-ups using clenched fists, which will help configure your hands for closed-fist punching.

Today I came across this article in the British Medical Journal. A 23 year old kickboxer was performing a form of reverse press-up putting pressure on the backs of his hands. Not sure what the intended benefit of this variation is, but the result was he ruined a tendon along the outside of his forearm and needed reconstructive surgery and a transplant.

Very nasty, and his competition days are probably over for a few years if not permanently. 

In my book I caution against the common but dubious practice of punching with weights.

There are a lot of other exercises out there that can cause you more harm than good, so be careful.

Good exercise improves your condition, not reduces it.

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The Battle with My Terrible Enemy Continues!

….or in other words, I still have my cold. Actually it seems to be on the way out. Most of my colds in recent years have been mercifully brief, which I suspect may be due to the protocol I adopt. Since this blog is about keeping you out of harm, I will pass on what I have learnt:
“Feed a Cold” really is good advice. Recent studies seem to indicate food increases levels of gamma-interferon, which is useful in fighting viral infections.
Eat foods containing vitamin C. That taking vitamin C will prevent you getting colds is total bunk, but once you have a cold vitamin C will help you fight it. Usually I would caution you against drinking a lot of fruit juice since they are a way to take in lots of calories without feeling full. If you have a cold calories and vitamin C are what you need so go get a carton. Get some fresh fruit too for deserts and snacks.
Eat curry. Chilli and garlic are both very effective against colds. Turmeric has useful properties too and the onions are even a good source of vitamin C. I’ve been eating curry since this cold hit and it is already on the retreat. A high intake of garlic does seem to have some properties in preventing colds, but use a good deodorant too.
For those really nasty infections that hit your throat, take honey and garlic. Buy a pot of honey and a bulb of garlic. Peel, crush and chop the cloves and place in the honey. Keep in the cupboard until needed. Both honey and garlic have antiseptic properties so take a spoonful when you throat feels bad. It doesn’t taste as bad as you might think and is actually nicer than many throat medicines. Also can be used as a great glaze for grilled chicken, which is why it is in the kitchen and not the medical cabinet!
Oil of Olbas. This is fantastic stuff and a bottle is a permanent part of my travel kit. Sniff the stuff to clear your nose, but make sure it does not touch your skin directly, this is potent stuff! Sprinkle some on your bedcovers and pillow at night. A few drops on the dressing gown when sitting around. Run a hot bath and add a few drops while the water is running
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Phillosoph

Quadrants of Parrying II

My apologies if the last post on “Quadrants of Parrying” was below the usual standard. I was in the early stages of a cold and that is not the best time to try and wrestle with explanations. Some further thoughts on the topic, hopefully a little more coherent.
Which defensive technique you use against an attack will depend not just on what quadrant  it comes from but also from the relative position of the hand you intend to use. It will be recalled that the original description was in a book on knife fighting and the assumption was that the defender would start in the recommended knife-fighting stance, which for that author had the hand in line with the elbow that was the hypothetical intersection of the quadrants. You may not be in a perfect stance when you have to use your hands to defend yourself, so let us look at attacks from the four quadrants once again, this time with some consideration of where the hand begins:
High Outer Attacks. Most High Outer Attacks can be dealt with by the various high outward parries. The Karate Outside thrusting parry was mentioned previously and more circular parries such as the “wave” or “window wiper” can be used too. Parries with the radius side of the arm, such as the Wing Chun Tan Sau, using the hand in a palm up position can also be used. An inward parry might be used if the hand started in a low outside position but it is likely that to achieve this you would need to step back and would have avoided the attack anyway.
High Inside Attacks. High Inside Attacks can be dealt with by any of the inward parries mentioned in the previous post. If you hand was positioned well to the inside, such as near your opposite shoulder then an attack in this quadrant might be deflected with an outward parry.
Low Outside Attacks. Attacks to the low outside quadrant are dealt with by low outward parries. Very low attacks may be parried outward with the leg instead of the arm. As with all attacks, evasion and avoidance are better than contact.
Low Inside Attacks. The Low Inner Quadrant is occupied by a considerable proportion of the body. How to parry attacks to this quadrant will depend on the relative starting position of the hand.  If the hand is by your side then low attacks such as to the stomach or groin are deflected by the low inward parry. This is effectively twisting your waist so your forearm swings across, removing the intended target and knocking the attack across the inside gate to empty air. If the attack is at a slightly higher level then the Bong Sau type technique is used with the elbow raised and the hand hanging down. What is interesting about this is the bent elbow allows the arm to fold on contact, absorbing force but still redirecting the attack. If the hand was above the elbow when an attack was made to the Low Inner Quadrant then a low outward parry can be used to sweep the attack out into the low outer quadrant.

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Metallurgy

For this Friday’s humour, a cartoon from https://xkcd.com/1114/ dedicated to my gamer friends and readers. Thanks to Nate for finding this one.

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Phillosoph

Quadrants of Parrying.

It is interesting how sometimes just a turn of phrase or slightly different view of something can change your understanding of it. You may not know anything new about the subject, but how your understanding of how the different parts of what you know work together changes.
As I remark in my book, blocking/ parrying actions can be described as resembling a diamond shape. A parry with either limb is either inward/ high, outward/ high, inward/ low or outward/ low. Karate is one of the exceptions to this model since the direction of the defensive hand moves are better visualized as being either high, low, outward or inward.
Recently reading a book on knife techniques where the author comments that any attack can only come from one of four possible quadrants, which correspond to inward/ high, outward/ high, inward/ low or outward/ low. What was novel to me was that he visualized these four quadrants by imagining a vertical cross shape, centered on the elbow. I suspect this model may originate from some school of the Filipino Martial Arts. For any attack from a particular quadrant there was only one basic defensive move. A high attack on the inside would be met by an inward cut with the point of the blade up, a low attack on the inside by an inward cut with the point down. Attacks from the outside of the elbow would be met with outward cuts, point up or down depending on if the attack was high (above the elbow) or low.
What works with the knife often works with empty hand techniques. Let us consider attacks from the four quadrants (relative to the elbow) and how we are likely to deflect them.
High Outside Attack: Probably the most likely response is the thrusting or outward swinging action we see in the outward karate parry. The same fundamental action can be seen in boxing and many other fighting styles.
Low Outside Attack. Most responses are variations of the Karate low parry. Drop your hand and let it swing to your outside, turning your hips outward. With a knife you would make this as a cut, with unarmed you would deflect with the hand or forearm.
High Inside Attack. This body motion used to counter this attack has a number of variations. First we have the inward parry of Karate, using the forearm in an approximately vertical position. This is quite a strong technique and covers a good area. Secondly, we can use the hand to make contact with the attacking limb and strike or push it away. This has a little more reach than the Karate inward parry but is less forgiving when it comes to accuracy. Thirdly, we can punch or thrust past the attacking limb and make contact with our forearm. Which variant you use will depend on the actual attack and what you are most adroit at using.
Low Inside Attack. This is an interesting area, since in the Karate model all low attacks tend to be dealt with by sweeping them to the outside. Most attacks that come in under the elbow can be dealt with this way. It is also possible to deflect inward. With a knife this would be an inward cut with the point downward. The thumb will be low and the palm upward to hold the knife edge in the correct orientation. The little finger side of the arm would be the “leading edge”. With the empty hand the low inward parry is more likely to be made with the palm towards you and the thumb side the “leading edge”. Contact area is likely to be the thumb side of the hand or forearm or the outside of the forearm. Actual technique may also vary with the height of the low attack. The above assumes a relatively straight arm is used. For a higher low attack a variation resembling the Bong Sau (wing arm) of Wing Chun might be useful. Here the contact area will be the ulna edge of the forearm or its outer/ upper surface.
Can you defend with just four basic motions? Possibly.

This illustration from the book shows eight defensive moves from JKD and if you look carefully you see each covers one quadrant for either the forward or rare arm. Are the techniques the simplest/most efficient/most fumble-free for a quadrant? In the book I discuss how the P’eng Hinge stance can be used to deflect the majority of attacks with just and outward or inward rotation. There are parallels to this in staff or bayonet fighting too. But there will also situations when an additional technique or variation can do things more effectively. Attacks to the low inside quadrant are a good example of this.
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Phillosoph

Peeke at the Quarterstaff.

Posts are likely to be less frequent for the next couple of months as I have less time in front of the machine. I was intending to write about a technique I encountered while reading about quarterstaffs, but thought first it might be wise to set the scene with a classic true tale of the quarterstaff in action.
http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2001/jwmaart_docherty_0501.htm
http://martialhistory.com/2009/02/quarterstaff-vs-rapiers-peekes-three-to-one/
In the year 1625 England and Spain were at war and Peeke was serving in an English naval squadron, under the command of the Earl of Essex, which was attacking a Spanish naval stronghold. After heavy and accurate bombardment the English captured the fortress, whereupon, they sent forces ashore to carry the attack inland. In the wake of the English landings sailors were sent ashore to forage for food. Richard Peeke, of Tavistock in Devon, was among them. Unwisely he foraged alone and paid the price for his mistake when he was attacked by a patrol of Spanish musketers. After a furious fight, during which Peeke was wounded twice, he was captured and taken in chains to Cales ( Cadiz ). from there he was transfered to Xeres where he was put on trial. Present at his trial, which in reality was a miitary interrogation, were four Dukes, four Marquesses, and four Earls. After much questioning Peeke was asked if he thought that the Spanish soldiers present would prove such 'hennes' as the English when they landed in England the following yeare."
"No" replied Peeke. "They would prove to be pullets or chickens."
Peeke's insolent reply brought forth an angry response from the Spaniards.
"Darst thou then ( quoth Duke Mdyna, with a brow half angry ) fight with one of these Spanish pullets."
Peeke replied that,
"…hee was unworthy the name of an Englishman, that should refuse to fight with one man of any nation whatsoever."
At this Peek's chains and shackles were removed and a space was created for him to fight a Spanish champion by the name of Tiago. Both were armed with rapier and poinard. The ensuing fight continued for some time before Peeke, using the guard of the poinard, trapped the blade of Tiago's rapier and simultaniously swept the Spaniards feet from under him. Peeke's rapier, held to the throat of senor Tiago brought forth the necessary capitulation. Spanish pride had been sorely wounded and it was demanded of Peeke whether he would be willing to fight another Spaniard. Peeke replied in the affirmative provided he was allowed to fight with.
"… mine owne countrrey weapon called the quarter – staffe."
Upon this remark the Spanish unscrewed the head from a halbered to create a makeshift quarterstaff. Armed with the weapon of his choice Peeke stood ready to meet his next challenger. However the Spanish were clearly no longer so confident in the prowess of their soldiers for, to Peeke's consternation, two swordsmen stepped forward to fight him. Peeke sarcastically asked if more would like to join them. The Duke of Medyna asked how many he desired to fight.
"Any number under sixe". replied Peeke.
The Duke smiled scornfully and beckoned a third man to join the original two. Peeke and the rapier men warily traversed each other, all the while thrusting and warding, till finally Peeke gambled on an all out attack. His first blow a left one of his adversaries dead and his subsequent blows left the other two injured and disarmed. No doubt they also left the Spanish seriously questioning the wisdom of their invasion plans. Peeke's feat so impressed his Spanish captors that they released him and granted him safe conduct to England.
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Horseman's Hammers Again

Today’s post is a supplement to the previous one about Horseman’s Hammers.
It seems horseman’s hammers were used in EasternEurope as late as the 18th century, and that in addition to their cavalry role they were of such dimensions and weight that they could be used as walking canes too.

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How Not to Charm a Girl

I have talked about awareness often in this blog and my book. Not only is paying more attention to your surroundings a good defence strategy, it can also be educational and entertaining. Perhaps you have gathered by now I am something of a people watcher.
So, I am sitting in the pub last night, waiting for one and hopefully both of the exceptional women I have invited will turn up soon. Two girls join me at my table. One we will charitably call “cuddly”. She may have been carrying a bit more weight around the middle than was good for her, but her face was slim and quite pretty and she has nice ringleted hair. Her friend reminds me of Eileen Daly from “Razor Blade Smile” (below), which is no bad thing in my book. She wears a lace fronted top that displays aa very pleasant expanse of sideboob and upper belly. Their manners are pleasant too. We exchange a few words and jokes and chat a little before I let them resume their conversation. Basically these are two decent looking, pleasant girls and I might have paid them more attention if I had not already arranged to meet my other friends.

After a while two lads approach the table. I think I had nipped to the bar to get a drink so the girls appeared to be on their own. Trying to chat up a girl when she is with a man is of course generally a bad idea, irrespective of the actual relationship between them. You are effectively saying that man is a nonentity and beneath consideration. These guys had approached politely and respectfully and the girls were obviously keen to talk to them, I had my own company on the way so I sat back to enjoy the show. What was particularly funny was that this bar was very noisy and it became evident that the only person hearing both sides of the conversation was me.
Guy “We don’t want to interrupt!”
Girl “You need to grow up? OK!”
Things progress, or not, as the case may be. The Australian guy hits it off with “Ringlets” and before long they are side by side, leaning in towards each other and finding excuses to touch each other. Virtually textbook. On the other side of the table “Eileen” is obviously not doing so well. In fact I wouldn’t have needed my body reading skills, since several times she looked across, made eye contact with me and gave me as exasperated look. “Eileen” rolled a cigarette and announced she was going outside for a smoke. Trying to give this guy a bit of a clue, since he didn’t seem to have one, I asked:
“You not going to join her?”
“I don’t smoke” he said, oblivious to anything else. She was outside for some time so I try again:
“She’s been a while. Why don’t you check she is OK”
“Nah”
Either this guy was totally clueless or he was totally immune to “Eileen’s” charms, which were not inconsiderable.
Over the last couple of years I have often got to see just how bad the chat-up techniques of many men out there are. My girlfriend is a stunningly attractive woman and it is a rare night when if at least one guy does not attempt to hit on her while she is away from me. Some will try and hit on her while I am close by, probably assuming an old ugly guy like me cannot have anything to do with her. She has told me that I was one of the very few guys who actually offered to buy her a drink! I did see one guy offer her a drink, but he was clutching his phone in his hand like a security blanky, so he did not cut an impressive figure!
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Friday Funny

The cover is a joke, but the photo is apparently genuine!
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Apache Ring and Thing

Busy day today, had to be up early and did not sleep well. I have several topics to investigate but neither the time nor energy to do them justice today. So I will post a photo and link on these interesting ring and hand weapons that were allegedly used by the French street thugs known as “Apaches” (pronounced “ah – PAHASH”)

The item on the right resembles the more modern Comtech Stinger.
The Apache were known for a variety of nasty tricks and were a considerable hazard to public safety until the majority of them lost their lives during the First World War.