

- 187
- Episodes
- 1
- Ratings
- 2020
- First episode
About Life Defense
Life Defense the self-defense for life. Save life, save time, save money Life Defense!
- Publisher
- Allen Hughes
- Category
- education
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 25 Feb 2020
- Latest episode
- 17 May 2023
Latest episodes
187 episodes in the feed.

17 May 2023
FOCUS on Outcomes Through the Pain
This week in Life Defense, we’re talking about focus. Specifically the FOCUS that comes from an arm bar. The technique executed from a standing position after an attempt at a choke, leaves the defender’s throat exposed. The arm is hooked with both hands, stepping forward with maximum weight and pressure to release the arm, and extend the arm, applying pressure to the elbow with the shoulder. This pressure is called an arm bar. This technique will probably not break the elbow joint, however, the focused pressure applied to the elbow through the shoulder all the way to the hand to straighten the arm might be enough for an attacker to tap out, give up, or strain the arm enough to temporarily distract the attacker and escape. The reason an arm bar works in any position, whether standing, on the ground, on your back, or any other position it can be applied from, is the FOCUSED tension put on a joint that is not designed to twist in that particular direction. The tendons and ligaments, being stressed send a signal through pain receptors to the brain that communicates whatever is causing this must stop immediately before further damage occurs Interestingly enough, the escape from the pain is an acceptance of the pain. Getting through the pain to the other side where your mind is not manipulated by the pain is where release occurs. Although counterintuitive as most Hapkido techniques are, the FOCUS facilitates the release. Although FOCUS alone will not stop a spiral break, the release requires FOCUS. In this case, reaching up and grabbing the elbow being stressed, at the point of pain, and pulling down releases the arm bar. In life and Life Defense, FOCUSING on the pain point, and manipulating a release at the pain point is a real thing. Instead of panic, screaming and dancing around it, FOCUS on the pain point, and do something about it. FOCUS… #allenhughes #lifedefense #focus Photo by Bahaa A. Shawqi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-s-face-583437/

1 May 2023
EXPAND Your Reach
Some self-defense scenarios require more than ourselves to actually complete. To be effective in a situation where someone has gotten out of control, you both have fallen onto the ground, and you're holding them down to keep them from hurting you themselves, or other people, mount posting is a solution. One of the common things that happen at social events, especially when alcohol is involved, is protecting a person from breaking things, hurting themselves, or hurting other people. Although they may not be a lethal threat, keeping your uncle Fred from smashing wedding cakes, ripping bridal gowns, or pushing someone's face into the punch ball is a real possibility. From this mount position, you will look like the aggressor, and he will inevitably be struggling with all his alcohol induced might to turn you over get on top, perhaps to show you who’s boss, or at least continue his aberrant behavior. Atop the fallen aggressor you EXPAND, or reach out with arms and legs leveraging the ground to keep them from getting up. As they turn one way, you focus your posted arm and leg out to the opposite side to keep them from turning you over, getting up, and wreaking more havoc. It always appears to the common onlooker that you are the aggressor. After all, aunt Susan turned around and saw uncle Fred on the bottom, struggling to get up, being controlled by you, with you on top of him, and the her first inclination might be to grab a folding chair and smash you over the back of the head, to save uncle Fred. ...EXPANDING by reaching out to leverage the ground with your arms and legs back-and-forth each time the actual aggressor attempts to turn you over and get up, that you speak to them, “Hey uncle Fred calm down. I gotcha, no problem I'll let you up in a minute. Just calm down, shhh it’s okay big fella.” It is also advisable to simultaneously address gathering crowd, “Somebody get some help. Somebody help me. I just wanna make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Can somebody please help me?” EXPANDING out with more than your hands, and using your voice, then becomes paramount. EXPANDING out to communicate what is actually going on, the struggle that is actually happening, and what you'd like to do to resolve it, is powerful communication. In life, and Life Defense, the act of EXPANDING beyond your own reach, and beyond what actually you can control, or do requires others to assist, and be part of the solution. In saving life, EXPANSION gives you ultimately all the power and abilities you need to do anything. Without EXPANDING, however, there is a good chance aunt Susan will take a folding chair to the back of your head. We all from time to time fail to communicate in life what is actually going on with us, the struggles we are having, and ask for the assistance required to resolve issues in our life, and our jobs, in the projects that we have at hand, including but not limited to our children. How many times have we wished for more assistance when it comes to our children thinking perhaps we are the only ones doing this, no one understands, and no one is coming to help. When in fact, many people are standing around, confused, and bewildered about how, who, or when to help. In my life I’m as much at fault as anyone. Being a man, I have trouble asking directions when my GPS goes bonkers, let alone asking for help in a personal situation, getting assistance in a conflict, or asking for understanding when dealing with a wayward child. Writing and producing this podcast is always a humbling experience for me as I am the one that gets the most from each episode. It is therefore my resolution to EXPAND my reach, not just before being taken out by a folding chair welded by aunt Susan. Rather long before, when the struggle is just starting, that I might be understood, assisted, and survive…. #allenhughes #expand #lifedefense Photo by Julia Larson : https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-coach-reaching-hand-to-woman-6456303/

25 Apr 2023
Stop Stoping and ALLOW
In self-defense we must always consider that an attacker is larger, faster, more skilled, and more aggressive than the defender. This week in Life Defense, and in our self-defense programs, we are studying the attack from a tackle. This attack when applied by someone who possesses these attributes can be devastating for a smaller, lighter, less skilled defender. Unless, they understand the simple principle of ALLOWING. Many of the defenses we use are counterintuitive. This is one of them. The first inclination of a defender who is untrained defending against a larger, more powerful opponent is to stop them. Meaning, blocking their pathway in the case of say a full frontal football, or wrestling style tackle. This almost inevitably goes poorly for the defender. Caught off guard, and back on their heels by a larger attacker thrusting forward intent on driving them to the ground. The counter intuitive defense that we suggest from a front tackle is to ALLOW the attackers energy to come forward, while pushing their legs back, removing the targeted legs and pressing weight on the head, neck and upper back of the attacker. This simple motion drives the attacker downward by using all of their body weight to drive the attacker face first to the ground as the motion of the tackle proceeds forward. In self-defense, and Life Defense, we call this principle ALLOWING. This counter intuitive technique ALLOWS the attacker to drive forward with all their might, all their speed, and all their weight. This utilizes their attack against themselves, typically driving their face to the ground with the defender’s weight reinforcing that motion. In Life Defense, we can see this demonstrated as people drive forward in an all out attack on our belief systems, our political stance, or anything we hold dear. The intuitive reaction to a direct attack is to stop the attack, push back from the attack, or fight off the attack. We see this every day in social media, in public forums, and legacy media. As the attacker drives in full force attacking what they believe are the core values of their intended victim, prepared with every counter argument that could arise, the defenders are caught back on their heels, and off balanced. As the verbally skilled, powerful attacker drives forward with their arguments, the defender loses balance, loses the ability to react, and just like a physical tackle is driven to the proverbial concrete, where their head bounces off the sidewalk, and unable to respond, are left defeated, and demoralized. The ALLOWING that happens in Life Defense might be a question rather than a response, a curiosity rather than a defense, or a pause, rather than an immediate knee-jerk response. These techniques allow for time, space, and contemplation, and require the attacker to actually defend their position over and over again. This over extension is not unlike the overextension of a body as it drives towards its intended target, overextended, and off-balance. It is not hard to see how this overextended off balanced attacker may end up face into the proverbial concrete as an overextended attack often does. All of this, because the defender was able to ALLOW the attacker to overextend themselves, to shoot all of their bullets at once, and become off-balanced. In life, and Life Defense, I choose to allow, and overaggressive attacker to overextend themselves, to drive forward with as much speed and aggression as possible, allowing them to seal their own fate, rather than fight, or attempt to stop their advance. In essence, when confronted on the field of battle, consider “stop, stopping and just ALLOW…” #allenhughes #allow #lifedefense Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/mad-formal-executive-man-yelling-at-camera-3760790/
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