Spheres

The sphere is a good metaphor for both life and self defense. There are many more spheres and curved lines in nature than straight lines which are largely a human invention. Spheres predominate in everything from cycles to planets. We use spheres here as a model to understand various aspects of martial arts. The following discussion covers the physical, mental, and moral spheres of self defense.

following describes the eight Spheres of Defense. Imagine a bubble surrounding you like a sphere. In the first sphere it is a very large bubble for example 200 feet and by the seventh sphere it has shrunk to a few feet. The spheres are shown below in white outline. They are fields of attention, sensing, and ultimately reach or physical proximity.

At every point in this chain of spheres there is an opportunity to exit the confrontation. The best defense is one in which an event never takes place. That is what sphere 1 is all about, proper planning so you are not in a situation where you can be attacked. In sphere 2, an attacker perhaps a stalker is still at a distance but your intuition says there is danger. A woman was in Central Park and being stalked. Instead of being overcome with fear she changed state, turned and starred at the stalker and screamed in a vicious voice at him. She mustered the energy from deep within that she would tear him apart if he tried anything. He could feel that and took off. He was not interested in a tough mark. Sometime just letting someone know you know they are there is enough to make them leave since their cover has been blown. Again this is an opportunity for exit.

The remaining spheres are close-in and confrontational. These are the training spheres for Integrated Martial Arts. We enjoy the close-in combat as an art form. It keeps you alert, agile, and in shape. Below are seven spheres and their descriptions. Most defense systems start at the 4th sphere, the actual attack. That is much too late. Real defense starts long before an attack. You should never, ever be in a position where the first thing you are aware of is an attack. These spheres will ensure that will never happen.

Sphere 1

This is the first and most important sphere. It involves planning and strategy, and sensing. Some questions to consider especially for women at night. What is the environment like? Did you park in a well lit area or on a dark street? Are there other people around or is it deserted? Are there escape routes or safe places? Do you have anything to defend yourself with, umbrella, noise maker etc? Can someone accompany you? These may neutralize a threat. This is condition yellow - caution.

Sphere 2

In sphere 2, you become aware of someone in the area. How are they moving? Are they following you? Are they carrying anything? What are their physical attributes; dress, size, age etc? Perhaps you don't see someone but sense someone watching. Can you take evasive action? Are there escape routes? If you move do they pace you? If they appear aggressive then it is time to get ready for fight or flight depending on the circumstances. This is also condition yellow - caution.

Sphere 3

In sphere 3, you are close enough that one step puts you in reach of the other person. This assumes you did not sense danger and escape depending on the circumstances. How is the other person acting? What do the voice, eyes, and body posture reveal? Do they have anything in their hand or concealed? Is there another person with them? At this point there still is a chance to escape from a confrontation by running. This is condition orange - getting ready. At this point Pattern Interruptions can be used to confuse an attacker if it looks like an attack is coming.

Sphere 4

Sphere 4 is the beginning of a physical attack. Notice that we have already gone through 3 spheres to get here. If someone finds themselves suddenly under physical attack they have been unaware of all the previous spheres. You have an opportunity to exit or divert aggression in all of the previous spheres. Attackers are looking for easy marks. In this sphere, you use the heavy artillery your legs to kick and drive off an attacker. This is the condition red - physical attack.

Sphere 5

Assuming you are under physical attack and the aggressor has moved past the kicks, you move to punches and strikes in sphere 5. Kicks are also effective in this range particularly to the legs. The idea is to be able to move seamlessly between all of the spheres. At this point there is no stopping until the attacker has been immobilized. Slaps at close range with cupped hand are very stunning. It is always best to run if you can after stunning the attacker.

Sphere 6

Sphere 6 is close-in fighting which is the most devastating and least known. This is zone of knees, elbows, and head butts. There is a good chance of ending an attack at this point. Your best bet is to push the attacker away from you if he is injured and exit. You do not want someone falling down around your legs and dragging you down, particularly if they are larger than you or have others on their side. You need to move seamlessly between these spheres. This sphere is black because it is a finishing sphere i.e. the end of the confrontation.

Sphere 7

The lock-up or grab begins another phase of the confrontation. You are probably going to the ground at this point. This is sphere 7 where throws, trips, tackles, and sweeps are used to put the attacker on the ground. With a good throw you can still exit. If you are locked up and must go to the ground then proper technique will ensure you end up on top. A good hard throw will also stun an attacker because most people do not know how to fall. Judo is very useful for this sphere.

Sphere 8

Sphere 8 is the ground fighting sphere which requires a whole new set of skills. This is the area where locks, pins, and submissions close the fight if it has gone this far. A trained grappler is hard to defeat. These skills take many years to develop. We practice all these arts because we enjoy working out. From a self defense standpoint it is best to finish the fight will standing and not go to the ground. In a real self defense situation fast, brutal, stunning force is required. This is condition black - finish.

A word of caution is in order. This will only work if you really learn the system. You cannot just dabble in a bunch of arts and expect to have results. However, if you do practice and reach black belt ranking in several art forms then integrate them you will find a step function increase in effectiveness. The whole will then be very much greater than the sum of its parts.

This is probably the most overlooked aspect of martial arts training. Everyone who joins a dojo dreams of that one day when they can execute some beautiful techniques on the street just like in the movies. The laws vary from state to state so you need to consult them for your state but there are some general principles that always apply. If you get drug into court for injuring another person the court will look at many factors. First of all did you try to exit and avoid the fight? If not you can be culpable.

Next, was the other person really a threat, were they bigger, did they have a weapon? These are test of proximity, ability, and intent. If any are missing you can be culpable for their injuries You cannot use more force then what was called for in the situation. This is particularly true for weapons. If you use a weapon, the laws are stacked against you. You cannot use deadly force unless the other person has a weapon and is intending grave bodily injury or death. In other words you need to be fearing for your life.

Martial artists are held to higher standards because they are trained and can apply deadly force with their hands and feet. The only place where weapons have some standing is when used inside of a home when an attacker has entered has a weapon and is intending harm. You can't even shoot them if they are on your property after breaking in but trying to run away. That does not pass the "coming at you with intent to kill or do grave bodily injury" test. A better bet than a knife or a gun is a non lethal weapon like pepper spray or high voltage zappers. At least you won't go to jail for using a deadly weapon.

The best course is to avoid the conflict and leave the nice techniques to the movies. Now that being said, if your life or your families is in danger and there is no chance of escape you must go full out and not stop until the threat is neutralized. This is a red-line state of mind, viscous, brutal, and stunning. Hopefully you will never have to go there. In emergencies, training takes over, that is why it is important to train. That is what all police, fire, and military do because they know you do not have time to think.

The above discussion of neutralizing aggression before it gets started is a high level indeed and not much seen in our everyday lives. The daily news if filled with aggression and violence. To bring this into context with the human condition from what I can tell all of the masters worked their way up the scale. They did not start at the top. Probably the best example of this is Morehei Ueshiba the founder of Aikido. He started out as a fighter taking on all comers in matches. As he progressed, his art became more spiritual and is now the most non aggressive martial art in existence. Mas Oyama, the founder of a hard system of karate, had such power he chopped the horns off of bulls with his bare hands. Later he went on to say that karate is not physical it is half mental and half spiritual. Again a case of working from the ground up. In practical terms, each of these masters were so good at regular combat that they evolved to a higher level. It is like having a lot of money in the bank, if you are really wealthy you do not need to flaunt it, yet you always have it there to fall back on. What does this mean for us? Train really hard and master the techniques then you will have the confidence to never have to use them and they are always there in an emergency. This gives you a lot of room because there is nothing to prove. You can even back down and feel good about it knowing you could dismantle the other person.

Martial arts have great benefits for the complete sphere of life. When we set goals for the year they are broken down into Body, Mind, Spirit, Work, Play, and Relationships. Martial arts helps all of these life areas as follows,

We have found that there is no end to learning in the martial arts and they can be practiced well into the later years of life. When I was on Okinawa, the Master of the Shorin-ryu system I was studying was 84 years old. Hohan Soken, 10th dan used to teach class and give demonstrations at that ripe old age. Martial arts continue to unfold and provide learning and benefits throughout your whole life.

Act without thought - like a branch in winter returning upwards after the snow has fallen from it - Myomoto Musashi

	Aikido makes great use of the sphere for self defense. A good image is that of a rotating ball that anything contacting it will be spun around its center or redirected in a different direction. Most Aikido practitioners do not emphasize linear motion like a straight punch or kick. In self defense and combat these are extremely effective, if fast and focused.
	A lot of traditional karate emphasizes linear motion. A good image is that of a ball as a projectile. A straight line is the shortest distance between two points and usually the quickest. Systems such a Shotokan and Gosoku-Ryu use freight train like charging motions. These are very powerful and hard to evade.
So what is the best? A combination of these two. Sometimes linear sometimes circular just like sometimes hard sometimes soft. The most flexible component of a cybernetic system will control the whole system. The more flexible you are with a greater number of options, the more chance you have of controlling the situation.
	While we are at it, let's add another image. This would be of bamboo stalk that bends and whips back. The energy of an attacker is absorbed or diverted with the return motion being a whip-like strike. This is yet another method for handling attacking energy. The metaphors could continue such as waves and blankets but the important thing to remember is that these fighting systems are continuing to evolve. We need not stay mired in a vertical fixed past. There is a wide range of possibilities. If you look at the work of Bruce Lee or Vladimir Vasiliev you will see good examples of evolving a system into something more than its original source.

Body	Increased strength, agility, balance, flexibility, reaction time, cardio and physical fitness.
Mind	Increased ability for memory, decision making, processing time, and stress release.
Spirit	Increased understanding of Eastern principles including Zen, Taoism, and Budo.
Work	Direct transfer of metaphors for staying centered, handling conflict, and work ethic.
Play	The joy of learning new techniques, freestyle forms, and humor.
Relationships	Sharing techniques with others, learning respect, and camaraderie.