Life Protection Arts

Isshin-ryu Karate: In the first half of the twentieth century, the art called karate (also called tode, kempo, te) moved out of the shadows of secrecy into the public sphere. But, it was presented to the nation as a way to train children in a discipline that would strengthen and harden them for military service. Because the art was taught to children, it was intentionally watered down for safety’s sake. As this was happening in the karate world in general, there were some hard core practitioners who did not want to change. One of these die-hards was Tatsuo Shimabuku. During WWII, he was quietly teaching karate to Japanese troops, teaching them karate as an art for surviving life and death encounters.

After WWII, Shimabuku became the first karate instructor hired by the U.S. military to teach American troops. During the Vietnam War era, he was also tasked with training U.S. black ops forces (Project Phoenix). Even though Shimabuku himself was 5’ 4” and weighed about 135 pounds – and many of his earliest students were well over six feet tall – he was held in high esteem (and more than a little fear) because of his skills.

The martial art of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) developed privately and in secret and was not available to the public. Then, in the early part of the 20th century, karate (as it later came to be called) was presented in a sanitized and watered-down version by teachers who were accustomed to keeping things secret and not at all inclined to share much of what they knew.

As a result, what was once a fearsome fighting art, is today primarily a children’s pursuit. Eight-year-old “black belts” proudly pose beside trophies taller than they while parents watch and applaud. But, the karate these children learn differs from the jazz/tap/ballet taught in the dance school down the street. Meanwhile, the old masters continued to guard their secrets while time threatened the ancient knowledge with extinction.

However, to protect their secrets from being lost, very few masters choose to share more openly what had been for so long guarded jealously. They shared the old fighting art, the original martial art of Okinawa. Known as Ryukyu Kempo (an almost generic name), this art might be called “Karate from when karate was still karate.”

The martial arts developed out of practical need – a village’s need to defend itself, a kings need for professional warriors, a community’s need for effective law enforcement, a caravan's need for security. And that practical need ultimately produced practical methods, means of fighting which are efficient, easy to learn and profoundly effective. As a result, every warrior tradition studied techniques for attacking the body’s weak points. Initially, the weak points targeted would be the obvious – eyes, throat, ears, groin. But, because these are obvious, the human body is particularly good at guarding and protecting them, so the arts needed to progress to the study of less obvious, but not less effective, targets.

As a result, ancient warriors adapted medical knowledge of pressure points (the same points used in acupuncture), into fighting methods, crafting specialized techniques which were unexpected and sublime. Pressure point fighting methods are widely attested in the histories of the martial arts, including marma adi (India), diǎnxué fǎ or dim mak (China), and kyusho-jitsu (Okinawa).

The name, Tai Chi Chuan, means something like “The Absolute Best Martial Art.” And in the past, Tai Chi lived up to its boastful title, producing fearsome warriors. Today, however, most people who perform “tai chi” are doing nothing at all of martial value. Drawn to Tai Chi Chuan as a gentle, low-impact exercise – and its usual association with meditation and peaceful pursuits – modern practitioners are oblivious to the fact that it is really a devastating and sometimes brutal form of self-protection.

In reality, the iconic slow movements are not for the sake of gentle exercise, but are intended to allow the practitioner to clearly picture the precise use of each action, and especially the exact manner in which pressure points are attacked. In this way, the mind is trained as the most important weapon (Tai Chi is the thinking person’s style). But, oblivious to the actual meaning of Tai Chi Chuan, modern players wave their arms in a dancelike parody of this great fighting style.

In contrast, the Tai Chi practitioners of the KJK treat Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art, plumbing the depths of practice for insights into the style as it was originally intended. Ironically, this emphasis on the original combative and defensive nature of the art, actually enhances its value as a form of beneficial exercise.

Most self defense courses are composed of martial arts techniques which work only for skilled athletes. Such methods are poorly suited for people of average strength and fitness levels. SELF DEFENSE RESCRIPTED emphasizes the use of core strengths, which represent the strongest possible physical actions, regardless of age, gender, or athletic prowess.

Most self defense courses emphasize the use of hard counter-blows, and force-on-force tactics to beat down a subject. In contrast, SELF DEFENSE RESCRIPTED applies techniques against the natural (but often unrecognized) weaknesses of the body in order to neutralize the disparities in age, size and strength. In particular, SELF DEFENSE RESCRIPTED uses simple, but sophisticated methods of neuro-dehabituation as a central method.

Superior H2H and Close Engagement Applications
Flux is a rapid acquisition curriculum of self-defense, defensive tactics and empty hand methods for civilian, law enforcement and military clientele. Flux Master Instructors tailor this innovative curriculum for the level of force and specific tactical needs of each community. Flux-Control is designed to provide law enforcement personnel with specialized skills for working the fine line between effective close contact techniques and excessive force.

Superior Learning Modality
Most Defensive Tactics and Close Engagement systems are presented as Scenario-Specific Tactical Solutions (SSTS) – an assemblage of “tricks.” As a result, persons receiving training in these courses have been taught, technique A is for situation X; technique B is for situation Y, and so on. A typical “fundamental” unarmed combat curriculum can contain dozens of techniques. As a result, reaction times are slowed, because personnel are left trying to match the right response to fit the situation. In contrast, Flux-Control is based on a sequence of four simple actions, which are then applied across an array of tactical problems. Reaction time is increased, and learning time is decreased, because every situation is solved in essentially the same manner.

Superior Kinesthetics
Most Defensive Tactics and Close Engagement systems are designed for use by young, large, athletic trainees. As a result, these methods are poorly suited for smaller trainees, and experienced officers whose fitness levels have declined with age. Flux-Control emphasizes the use of core strengths which represent the strongest possible physical actions, regardless of age, gender, or athletic prowess. For this reason, Flux-Control represents a significant advancement in effectiveness, while decreasing the chances of officer-injuries leading to costly Workers Compensation claims.

Superior Bio-mechanical and Neurological Principles
Exploiting weaknesses in a subject’s structure is at the heart of Flux-Control methods. Every technique is applied against the natural (but often unrecognized) weaknesses of the body. In particular, Flux-Control uses simple, but sophisticated, methods of neuro-dehabituation to overcome subject resistance. In extreme cases, these methods can even be used to instantly incapacitate a violent subject.

No one knows exactly how incapacitation using neuro-dehabituation produces the remarkable results it does; however, an examination of these methods – conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, and published in Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness – found no evidence that these methods cause harm, trauma, or injury. Persons who have received such techniques sometimes feel as though they were subjected to hard blows, but, video records show nothing actionable. Nor, is there any bruising or other lasting injury to be photographed or reported.

Superior Moral and Ethical Standing
The Flux-Control program comes with a unique moral/ethical vetting process: the designers include not only personnel from several Law Enforcement and Corrections departments, but also from the religious and healthcare communities. This broad representation insures that Flux-Control is consistent with the highest possible moral and ethical standards, and that it represents a truly humane approach to close engagement tactics. In this way, the effective and efficient techniques which form the Flux-Control curriculum not only protect officers from aggressive subjects, but also protect departments from charges of excessive force.