Free Pictures Of Self Defense Charts....

I noticed this thread on another self defense forum and I thought this was a very excellent thread in that it shows you why fighting is not worth it and to try and lead a peaceful life. Stay out of high crime areas, don't hang with bad trouble makers etc. Use your commonsense and live in a 100% safe neighborhood. Make good and wise choices. Avoid trouble as much as you can.

http://www.selfdefenseforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12510
 
I also want to say here that any right thinking and a very normal guy will have no desire or get pleasure from fighting.

A normal guy will seek to learn self defense but he will clearly have no desire to use these very deadly and dangerous techniques on anybody else because that normal right thinking guy also realizes he can also get hurt or killed in the process, not just the criminal but himself too.

A normal right thinking guy leads a normal, peaceful and a quiet life and bothers no one and avoids fights or agruements because he knows that is a wise and a smart choice to live in peace.
 
This is going to be on The History Channel. The American Tomahawk and reading scroll to the right and watch the 5 video clips. Very interesting and after watching these video clips and the t.v. program on the history of the American Tomahawk. You will have a better understanding of the tool and how to defend yourself. That is a very terrible but a very effective tool to be used in self defense or during a wartime situation.

I pray and hope you never are in that situation and the most, you ever will need with the American Tomahawk tool is to chop down a tree for campfire during the late afternoon while it is still daylight so you have a very good campfire burning really good during the night time for warmth or to work hard digging a row of holes to plant seeds for food in the sun and dig a long line of irrigration for water to flow to the food plants when it rains or there is a creek or a river closeby to help with growing the food.

http://www.americantomahawk.com/products/vtac.htm
 
Last edited:
You must regularly train. And you should train in a manner and method that is realistic.

Josephus, the Roman historian of the first century says the above keys are the same that led to the success of the Roman army:

“If one looks at the Roman military, it is seen that the Empire came into their hands as the result of their valor, not as a gift of fortune. For they do not wait for the outbreak of war to practice with weapons nor do they sit idle in peace mobilizing themselves only in time of need. Instead, they seem to have been born with weapons in their hands; never do they take a break from training or wait for emergencies to arise…One would not be incorrect in saying that their maneuvers are like bloodless battles, and their battles bloody maneuvers. “

Four hundred years later, Vegetius, a fifth-century writer on the Roman military said:

“Victory was granted not by mere numbers and innate courage, but by skill and training.”

Training is the key to self-defense.

The more you train, the more skillful you are. The more skillful you become, the more confident you are. The more confident you become, the more powerful you are. The more powerful you become, the less likely you will be attacked.

That’s a strange one. The more able you are to defend yourself, the less likely it is that predators will single you out.

Now, to be sure, there are times when the rank amateur, through a determined and ferocious response, can and has repelled an attack. But I contend that, while we might have the instinct to fight, we are not born with the know-how or the tools in offering us a way to fight. That we must learn.

I’ll grant you that visualization has a place in your training. Also important is the gathering of knowledge. But if your training only consists of the mental aspects of self-defense, you are at a huge disadvantage.

Find a school. Get some like-minded friends in a garage or park. But train. And train like your life depends on it. Someday it might!
 
Advice for real life self defense:

1. You must think quickly and anticipate the attackers’ moves.
2. Think in terms of striking targets that either stun or are potentially lethal. Consider striking the temple, throat, mastoid, spine, solar plexus, kidneys, groin, and knees. These targets maximize the effectiveness of your blows, thus conserving your strength and energy.
3. You must control your breathing to keep your anxiety in check and your energy level high.
4. Move fluidly with speed grace and balance plus aggressiveness to control the fight, if you can. Keep your distance and close in only when you have to and if he comes into your personal space then trap-hold him and beat him up as needed and escape saving your life.
5. Power can be increased by adding leverage, speed of delivery, and mass.
6. If you are fighting with your hands, be careful not to injure them.
7. Contact the police/EMS as necessary and get a lawyer for yourself.

You should not be looking to get in a fight. You should always be avoiding a fight. Stay away from bad people , bad situations, bad areas etc. Use your common sense and trust, obey your gut instincts as they usually help keep you out of trouble about 95 % of the time.
 
The following is a real brief rundown on the military h2h combatives used by WW2 OSS and British SAE commandos. This system is battle proven. It was later slightly modified and adopted as the standard USMC close combatives system until it was replaced by the LINE system. The replacement was political, however, and was due to the increased weapons-related platform of the fighting Marine.

The Fairbairn-Sykes-Applegate method (WW2 Combatives) was designed to be ruthless, efficient, and effective, designed for close h2h combat in self defense only.

Basic concepts - Forward Drive. Always take ground,move forward into the opponent. Most casualties in war and h2h combat are due to one side attempting to retreat. IF the enemy is being forced backwards, his brain is concerned with what's behind him. So move forward, press the attack, don't stop PERIOD.

Basic stepping skills - Stomping. Stomp. No fancy gliding footwork - it doesn't work on uneven terrain, will cause you to trip. STOMP. Stomp forward, stomp on his feet, stomp on his head when he goes down. Stomp everywhere, it aids aggression, is aggressive, and enhances aggression. Try it, you'll like it, especially with heavy work boots.

Using body weight - Drop stepping. This was the method used by the old bare-knuckle boxers. Step forward, allow your whole body weight to fall forward, strike a split second before putting your foot down (stomping, of course). This means your entire body mass is concentrated into the strike, much more efficient than using muscle power or speed alone. Practice it, it can be done very quickly and aggressively.

Hand strikes - Non telegraphic strikes from anywhere (practice them).

Chin jab - hold hand as if you are going to toss a shot put. Drive forward and strike under the chin, pushing forward. Use fingers to claw eyes. Once contact is made, push ahead, and rip back, clawing face. This if done properly will sprain the neck and can cause serious concussion due to the snapping of the head backwards. (This is also how the punch on the chin produces a KO).

Edge of hand blow - The famous karate chop. Aim for the throat, side of neck, collar bone, or back of neck at base of head. Secondarily, aim for the upper lip or nose. Some advocate keeping thumb extended, other advocate keeping thumb close along side of hand. Try it both ways. It really does amazing things. Use hard snapping motion with drop step to crush trachea, break collar bone, etc.

Elbow strike - need I say more?

Knee strike - straight forward into groin, or to head if enemy is bent over.

Shin scrape - Stomp on enemy's foot, but make point of impact at knee or just below and GRIND down the shin. Can be done forward with inside of boot, sideways with either inside or outside of boot.

Hammer fist - aim for nose, collar bone, groin.

Fist - not recommended, due to possibility of breaking or spraining wrist, fingers, etc. If done, can use vertical fist (as used in bareknuckle boxing). Do NOT punch the skull, aim for chin, nose, solar plexus, groin, other "soft" targets.

Kicks - use stomping motion to perform low line kicks to groin and knee, shin, ankle, etc.

Throws - avoid trying them, require fine motor skills in many cases and untrustworthy in a life or death battle. However, basic hip toss and "outer major reaping) aka back trip should be familiar.

Learn to stomp forward, chin jab, followed by a rear trip. Grab the throat, crush it, and push backward and down while knee striking the groin.

THIS IS ONLY FOR IN SELF DEFENSE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE AND THAT OF INNOCENT LIVES !

THIS IS NOT A SPORT. THIS IS FOR LIFE AND DEATH EMERGENCY ONLY!

IT IS BEST TO ALWAYS AVOID A FIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE! STAY AWAY FROM BAD PEOPLE, BAD AREAS, BAD SITUATIONS!

PLEASE STAY SAFE AND AWAY FROM TROUBLE AT ALL TIMES!
 
In a real battle against a trained and experienced enemy, everything will happen at extreme close quarters. It will be brutal, ugly and fast. Hand-to-hand combat typically occurs in 2 to 20 seconds. It is not a sport whose rules are designed to keep spectators entertained for long periods of time.

In this situation, and countless others that occur in true close quarters combat, Head-high Tae Kwon Do kicks will do nothing for you, especially when standing in a tiny aperture on a floor slick with blood and human tissue in self defense. What few realize is that with any system that teaches closed-fist striking most of the time you will break your hand on the hard bones of your enemy’s face, or his combat helmet.

When teaching hand-to-hand, it is quite effective to produce a wooden bust of a human head and ask anyone in the group to come up and hit it with a fist, as hard as he can. People will clearly refuse to hit the wooden bust and quickly see the logic with common sense that it is not good to punch a tree trunk which is the same thing as the human skull is no less dense or hard, and covered merely with a scant layer of thin skin and tissue.

To the Russians, what they train is not a martial art. Called simply, Systema Rukopashnaya Boya, or “System of Hand-to-Hand Combat,” it is a system of utilitarian capability, not balletic performance. If a technique is not functional, no training time should be wasted on it. It was originally developed by the warrior Cossacks as early as the 10th century as a combat system, and has continued to be evolved and improved for combat purposes since that time. As such, it is not steeped in obsolete traditions, and does not teach the use of, or defense against, weapons that have long since passed from usage. Its practical approach and constant improvement makes its experts shockingly adept and frightening.

The Russian Spetsnaz believe there is no such thing as a situation you cannot fight your way out of, and Russian doctrine teaches that there are only two types of unarmed combat:

Combat to kill and Combat to capture.

The difference between the two goals of combat exists only in the intensity with which the techniques are delivered, and whether the practitioner continues the attack, or alters it to prisoner control techniques, once the opponent is neutralized. Anything else is a sport or a martial art, and according to one Spetsnaz colonel, and one of their premier hand-to-hand experts, once you turn any combat system into an “art,” it has completely lost its combat effectiveness. Rules and aesthetics are restrictive, and to survive actual combat you can function with no restrictions. When called on to battle a trained, combat-hardened enemy it will be war, not art. If you have trained for “art,” and the enemy has trained for war, you are going to lose.

In this regard elite units like Russia’s Alpha Counter-Terror team understand the need to close and kill, and they train for excellence at that tactic. Good grappling skills are taught, and then the commandos are taught to use those skills to avoid going to the ground at all costs in a real battle, recognizing that tactical biting can neutralize the overwhelming majority of ju jitsu techniques. Striking is largely done with extremely high speed, continuous and whipping open hand strikes. Experience in CQB has taught the Russians that there is greater speed and therefore greater energy delivery with such strikes. This is like the difference between shot-putting a baseball versus a pitcher’s windup and throw. Stored kinetic energy is transferred from the body to the hand, and from the hand to the ball, just as it is transferred from the hand to an opponent on contact. The greater the energy delivery - the greater the effect of the strike. No one would be afraid to be struck by a baseball that had been shot-putted from someone’s shoulder, which is exactly the movement of a conventional closed-fist punch. But no one wants to be hit with a high speed, whipping, open-handed slap. Most of us men have been slapped by a woman at some point in our lives. Though in such instances that member of the “fairer sex” had no training, the strike truly rung our bells. There is a reason all of their instincts tell them to hit that way.

Other advantages of open hand striking are quick, single strike knockouts, and the ability to strike with two hands at once. The Russians target a minimum of 30 strikes every 4 seconds which has the effect of overwhelming an enemy. Unlike punching, once the hand is deployed, it does not have to be brought back to the shoulder to be “loaded up” before it can be used again, but continues in a series of elliptical blasts, gaining energy each time the hand rotates back toward the body. It is something that has to be seen and felt to be appreciated of the single most effective hand-to-hand combat technique taught : The open handed strike with a single relaxed, high speed slap to the side of the head or neck.

As well, transitions from striking to grabbing occur seamlessly and without thought, as your hand naturally closes on your opponent when contact is made in that fashion, and no hands are ever broken hitting hard parts of the body. Finally, if an opponent has superior reach, or a knife, you simply adjust your targets from his body to his arms. The superior speed of open-hand striking allows you to devastate his attacking arm while keeping your vital targets (your body) out of his reach.


But where an opponent has been well trained, and chooses to engage from some distance you lack the forward inertia of your enemy’s body to take advantage of. In such instances, the faster, whipping strikes of the Russian System brought to bear against the weapons of the attacker, i.e., his hands and arms will see them being withdrawn quickly. The pain to body parts that he never thought of before as vulnerable targets, will not only make him hesitate before striking more, but change his attack plan. In most instances you can advance behind a whirlwind of fast moving hands, ultimately grabbing him and taking him to the ground. When that doesn’t happen, the targeting of his hands and arms will see him switch the attack you’ve been waiting for, allowing you to quickly move him to the ground and neutralize his assault.

Likewise, kicking is used, but only the most effective low-level kicks. Kicks have only two purposes: to separate or to devastate. A single kick must create maximum distance between combatants, or drop an opponent with a single effort, as there is no point to being caught on one foot in combat, even according to U.S. Special Forces. As such, when delivered kicks must transfer maximum energy as well. With a few exceptions, the competent H2H combatant kicks with his heels. Weight is distributed onto the heel of the
base foot, and the kick is really a stomp, using the heel of the kicking foot as well.

The principles are simple: if you were asked to kick down a door or stomp someone on the ground how would you do it? You wouldn’t rise up on the toes of your base foot, or kick with the ball of the other foot. You would instinctively do it heel-to-heel. According to the Russians, we all know how to fight, it’s inside every one of us as part of our deepest memory as a species. It’s just a matter of learning to trust those instincts. Also, when it comes to kicking, the Russians do not believe in training any technique that requires time to stretch or warm-up before using it. The enemy will never afford you that luxury. The same is true of space or distance, by necessity unarmed combat will occur at extremely close quarters.

As well, Russians generally eschew even kicking in bare feet. The lack of foot protection that everyone will usually be wearing when engaged in combat, alters the manner in which you deliver your foot strikes. Rather than learning to tuck up the toes and front kick with the balls of your feet – which bare feet necessitate – you should practice kicking with those toes. When protected by shoes, combat boots or even light wrestling shoes, the sole and foot position creates a devastating spear-like strike the Russians call a Brik.

Movement is Life
The Russians also believe in constant movement during combat, and that means your feet. They do not believe in fighting stances, but teach you to fight from any position. Your opponent will not give you the opportunity to leap into a fixed fighting stance, and if you have to get in one in to fight back, you will lose quickly. The Spetsnaz recognize that a constantly moving target is the most difficult to hit (with anything), and so are forever altering body and foot position, even while inside an opponent’s grasp. They call this slipping away without breaking contact.

Remember, as the Russians frequently tell you during training: “Movement is Life.” But combat is not only about movement. They both do the identical types of leg movements. It’s just that one has trained that “movement” for a devastating combat application. Ultimately it is movement for combat, not movement for the sake of movement. If you move out of the way of a gun and the shooter misses that’s fine. But if you lack the skills to then move in quickly and destroy that murderer, he will eventually prevail.

It is with all of these skills that Russia’s special operators have gone into and come out victorious every single time. It is a constant threat in daily life that Russia has learned to live with especially with the high crime in Russia.
 
1. Eye Development: Most people are not accustomed to having punches thrown at them. When someone does throw a punch, it is sometimes difficult to see. In the beginning of your training, Does your opponent throws a punch; it comes slowly or quickly so your eyes become accustomed to seeing a punch. As you develop in your training the punches come faster, thus, sharpening your vision, giving you time to react or not and how to counter them ?

2. Condition Reflex: With punches constantly being thrown at you, you learn to move correctly (stepping and blocking). This repetitious training conditions your body to react automatically when attacked. Usually, if a person tried to punch you, your reactions would be sporadic and purposeless. Working out trains you to make your movements definite and efficient.

3. Accuracy: In certain conditioning and drill classes, do exercises that help develop speed. Everyone has a certain amount of speed but speed without accuracy just means you're fast at doing nothing. Working out allows your accuracy to develop properly. It's very important to hit your opponent correctly, in the right spot, to stop him from harming you. With this accuracy and your normal speed to fast speed, you can successfully protect yourself.


4. Knowledge of The Body And It's Response To Punches: It is important to know how the body will react when it is moved a certain way in training. Example: If you hit someone in training, he will bend over; or an open handed strike to the throat moves them back on their heel. This knowledge allows you to flow and continually move your opponent, without stopping and looking to see how he moved after each punch. The best way to avoid injury or possible death is to avoid his punches, kicks and open hand strikes from him and put him in a world of hurt and if his criminal actions require the termination of his life then you have no choice but to do it, either that or it is your life who is terminated and the criminal lives to see another evil day and you do not get to see another good day.

5. How To Move Properly: When you throw a punch, you must move in accordance with how you were hit but not always as you need to fight really dirty. Example: A strike to the kidneys arches your back. A hit to your right shoulder moves the right side of your body back. This movement provides a true workout for your classmate. More importantly, as you develop in your skills, moving correctly with a punch and not against one allows a proper counter to any movement.

6. Falling and Rolling: A good fighter knows how to fall and roll properly to avoid injury. Ironically, we all at one time fell and rolled correctly when we were toddlers. We need to re-learn this instinct as adults. The best course of action is to not fall or roll but if you do lose balance then it is a good skill to know how to fall properly, your head upwards off the floor into your chin and your legs doubled up for added balance and control. Proper training teaches once again, The simple technique of falling, eliminating the fear of possible self-injury or possible death due to improper techniques that can get you hurt really bad or killed in a real life self defense situation. He is the one that needs to be on the ground and not you. Stay off the ground and fight to defend your life!

Please seek out professional instruction on how to do these properly at a certified acamedy, prefereably , a military hand to hand combat club or a reality based training club in your state to learn these self defense techniques.
 
Last edited:
I got some very good advice today for doing physical fitness .....

Exercise Your Body, Not Your Patience.

( Your body will build the muscles itself as you relax and excersice, yes do alittle more challenging excerscies each time but don't over do it. Give your body time to rest also eat proper nutrition and water, get plenty of sleep. )
 
You may be wondering what does a chainsaw have to do with being in a self defense thread. Part of self defense is knowing how to use a chainsaw that you come across to use appropriately in an emergency. You will be glad you know how to use a chainsaw safely and appropriately. You could carve a wood canoe after yelling Timber! then cut off thick branches and shape them into wooden oars. There are many creative uses for a chainsaw in a survival situation. Of couse, you should learn and know how to use the old standby, The ax to carve wood for a survival emergency too as well. I will add an article on how to use the ax the right way and how to carve or build things with an ax in a future article. This one will focus on chainsaws.

SELF-RELIANCE TIPS

Chain Saws

So you now own a power chain saw! When you bought it, you not only acquired a very useful tool, but you also acquired the safety hazard that accompanies its operation. Here are some suggestions for safely using the chain saw at home as well as in the woods. Although the suggestions concern the power chain saw, other cutting tools, such as axes and splitting mauls, are needed to harvest timber, and they, too, must be used with caution.

Don't be afraid of the tools; just learn to master them and use them with caution and common sense. And remember that these suggestions are no substitute for experience. You may want to practice with your new saw, felling and bucking (crosscutting) or pruning only smaller trees until you get some experience. It is safer to use both hands to operate the chain saw -even if yours is light enough to use with one hand.

Preparation

Read the instruction manual that came with your saw. Your manual describes how to mount the guide bar and chain, how to mix the fuel and lubricate the saw, and how to start it. Most chain saws are designed to operate the throttle with the right index finger; the left-handed person who tries to control the throttle with the left index finger will have a limited amount of the front handlebar to grasp comfortably and safely, and the chain will be running closer to the body. This is a more hazardous position for inexperienced operators.

Some models have a hand guard that also operates a chain brake, a safety feature that promptly stops the chain from running when the mechanism is tripped. Learn how to shut off the saw instinctively without looking for the switch. You can ask the dealer about these points. Ask him to demonstrate the saw.



Electric-powered chain saws are rarely used in the woods; they are practical around the home, where they are used to fell, buck, limb, and prune trees. Special safety tips for electric-powered chain saws are listed at the end of this article.

Precautions
Protective Clothing

A hard hat is recommended, and goggles will protect your eyes against flying splinters and chips. Because a power saw is noisy, you should wear hearing protectors. Leather gloves, hard-toe shoes, and timber chaps would help protect limbs that might come into contact with the chain. Do not wear slippery shoes or baggy clothing that could catch in the brush and cause you to fall. Always watch your footing while working in the woods.

Refueling

Taking the same precautions that you would with your gasoline-powered lawnmower, stop the engine and do not smoke when refueling your chain saw. Do not spill gas on a hot engine. Use a filtering funnel or a gas can with a flexible hose to fill the fuel tank. Do not start the saw where you refuel it, and be extra cautious of fire during dry weather.

Carrying the Saw

Shut off the saw when carrying it from one tree to the next if working conditions are hazardous - heavy brush, slippery ground surface, or steep slopes. Carry the saw with the guide bar pointing to the rear, or point the bar to the front if you are going downhill.

First Aid

Even if you do not need an assistant, someone should be with you in case of an accident. Have the telephone number and address of the nearest emergency unit, and always carry a first-aid kit when you work in the woods. If someone is cut, cover the wound with a clean cloth and press hard to stop the flow of blood. Get the injured person to a doctor or hospital immediately.


How To Fell A Tree
Preparation and Positioning

You can fell large trees with the small, lightweight saws that homeowners usually buy, but it is a risky job for inexperienced, nonprofessional workers and demands extra caution. First, remove any wire or nails that are in the wood you plan to cut. Determine where you want the tree to fall. Look at the top. Is it unbalanced with heavy limbs on one side? How much wind is blowing? What about other trees, buildings, or power lines in the area? If these hazards exist, perhaps you should hire an experienced worker to do the felling while you limit your work to limbing and bucking the down tree. Examine the top to see whether there are any "widow makers" (dead limbs or branches) that may fall while you are cutting the tree.


Clear all brush, snow, and rocks from around the tree that might interfere with the use of the saw, or that might block your way to a safe retreat when the tree starts to fall.

Pick a safe place where you plan to stand when the tree falls. Remember that a gust of wind or a rotten place in the trunk may cause the tree to fall in the wrong direction. The tree may bounce, kick backwards, or roll when it hits the ground. You usually are safe standing behind a larger tree off to the side and away from the tree you are cutting. When trees are cut on a hillside, the saw operator must stand on the uphill side of the tree. (The same recommendation also applies to limbing the down tree or bucking the trunk into firewood or logs.)


Method

Assuming that the tree stands straight and has a balanced top, and that there is little or no wind, oil the chain, fully open the throttle, and undercut (notch) the tree on the side in the direction of fall (Figure 1). Cut the notch to a depth of about one-fourth to one-third the diameter of the tree.

Stand beside the tree with your feet well braced and comfortably spread for good balance. Put in the "back cut" opposite the notch (Figure 2). The back cut should be an inch or so higher than the bottom of the notch, square with the trunk, and parallel to the bottom of the notch. Then place the bumper spikes near the engine firmly against the trunk, and start cutting. Pivot the saw about the bumper spikes and into the trunk, using a fanlike motion and moderate pressure to feed the chain into the wood. It is not necessary to move the saw in a sawing motion: the powered chain provides the cutting action. Pivot the saw, then move the bumper spikes to a new location and continue feeding the chain into the cut. Draw the saw out of the cut slowly and with the chain running. If you must cut without the bumper spikes in contact with the tree, or if the saw does not have spikes, be careful that the saw does not jerk and throw you offbalance when the chain contacts the bark or wood.

On trees 16 inches or larger in diameter, you should make two extra side cuts to prevent splitting of the butt log (Figure 3).

Do not cut through to the under cut; be sure to leave a hinge (Figures 2 and 4). As the saw approaches the notch, slow down and carefully control the rate of cut. You should have your wedges and maul handy because you may need to drive a wedge behind the saw to prevent pinching of the cutter bar. Wood or plastic wedges should be used if there is danger that the wedge tip may hit the chain. Wedges also may be needed to adjust the direction of fall by "swinging" the falling tree to one side or the other. Leave some "holding wood" (hinge) that is thicker at one side of the back cut than the other (Figure 4).

If the tree is small enough (6 to 8 inches) that an assistant can push it, you will not need a wedge. Both persons must be alert, however, and plan to leave the area without stumbling over each other as the tree starts to fall.

Caution: Always make a last-minute check to see that other people are out of danger before completing the back cut. Yell "Timber!" when the tree starts to fall. Then stop the saw, quickly set it on the ground away from the stump, and retreat to your preselected place of safety behind a larger tree. Be alert to the possibility of kickbacks or bounces when the trunk hits the ground. Watch for failing limbs!

Lodged Tree

If the tree lodges in a nearby standing tree, its removal is a dangerous job. Proceed with extreme caution! First, consider the hazards involved. Has the lodged tree been cut free from the stump? If not, then free it with the saw or an axe. A pry pole, bar, cant hook, or peavey can be used to roll the tree off the stump and out of the standing tree. Sometimes the tree can be pulled free with a long cable or chain and a tractor. Be sure that no harm will come to the tractor driver or the equipment as the tree comes free. Be careful that the cable does not snap as it is pulled and hit the driver or a nearby worker.

As a last resort, a third tree may be fallen across the lodged tree, or the tree supporting the lodged tree may be cut. The latter alternative is a very dangerous job that requires experience; you probably should get professional help.

Trimming And Bucking
Positioning

Do not work too close to your helpers.

Do not hold the saw higher than your waist.

Trim the limbs from the fallen trunk while standing on the opposite side of the trunk. If the down tree is on a hillside, or if the trunk is likely to roll when some of the limbs are cut, stand on the "uphill" side.

Method

Start cutting the limbs from the down tree at the butt end and work towards the top. Limbs that are bent over and supporting the down tree should be Cut first on the under (compression) side, then on the top side; otherwise they may split lengthwise as the tension is released and spring back to injure you. If you are cutting the tree into firewood1, start at the tips of the branches and move towards the trunk, cutting the limbs into lengths of 16 to 18 inches. The branches will be flexible - be careful that they do not whip about as the chain comes into contact with them.

When the branches have been removed, start bucking the trunk into firewood or logs. Be alert to the possibility that the saw may pinch and kick back to throw you off-balance. To help prevent pinching, start sawing partway through the trunk (or limb) from the bottom, then finish the cut from the top side, or use a wedge. See that you have a safe place to stand while bucking the trunk and limbs, particularly when they are likely to roll or shift position.

Do not run the saw into the soil! It dulls the chain. Keeping your tools sharp and in good working order is part of your safety program.

Pruning
Caution: Never stand on a rickety ladder to prune a standing tree with any kind of saw. Pruning a standing tree from a ladder is very dangerous. Use a pole saw and stand on the ground to reach high branches. (If you must use a ladder, see that it is stable and well braced. Work without overreaching to the side. Use a hand saw for cutting smaller limbs, and use the other hand to maintain your balance on the ladder.) Hire an experienced worker to prune any larger limbs that may require a power saw.

Method

To prune low limbs of standing trees, stand on the opposite side of the trunk from the limb being pruned. Make the first cut with the power saw on the under side of the larger limbs about 6 inches away from the trunk, then complete the removal with a cut on the top side, starting a little farther out on the limb. This method will prevent stripping of the bark from the tree, which is especially important in the spring of the year when the bark cells are starting to grow. Finally, cut the stub close to the trunk. The smaller branches can be cut close to the trunk with one cut, starting from the bottom side.

Safety Tips Summary
Follow steps in the instruction manual for operation and maintenance of your saw.
Wear protective clothing; have a first-aid kit handy.
Observe precautions in refueling and carrying the saw.
Remove nails, wire, etc. from the trunk.
Check the top of the tree for "widow makers."
Determine where the tree will fall - be sure that no buildings, power lines, or other trees will be hit.
Select a safe place to stand when the tree falls.
Clear debris from around the tree.
Notch the tree on the side in direction of fall, then make corner cuts and back cut.
Yell "Timber!" as the tree falls.
Safety Tips for Electric-Powered Chain Saws
Read the manual supplied with your saw.
Use a heavy-duty, 3-wire, outdoor extension cord for power tools.
Be careful not to trip on the cord; disconnect it while going from one tree to the next.
Do not cut through the cord.
Do not use while standing in a wet area.

To see the pictures and measuring illustrations go to:
http://www.backwoodshome.net/nl/nl0605.html
 
These simple steps could save stabbing victims' lives

The principles now taught to all trainee surgeons can easily be applied by the public, says Harry Espiner

Wednesday May 24, 2006
The Guardian


In the account of the murder of Kiyan Prince it was stated that he "was stabbed twice, once in the arm and once in the stomach", and there can be no doubt that it was the latter which was fatal (Hunt for expelled pupil as school mourns stab victim, May 20). In the adjacent Medical View column, surgeon Dr Andrew Murday said: "Stabs in the abdomen and even the groin can be fatal too." The deaths of Damilola Taylor and Special Police Officer Nisha Patel-Nasri testify to the truth of this statement.

Yet the lives of such stabbing victims and others like them might be saved by publicising principles now taught to all surgeons in training, and which can easily be applied by any member of the public.
One event changed forever my approach to the management of life-threatening injuries. A brilliant medical registrar was shot in the right lower back by his spurned lover during a party in the mess of our teaching hospital. A group of fellow doctors carried him down two flights of stairs to the casualty department, where he died soon after from haemorrhage shock. The bullet had severed the main artery to his lower pelvis and right leg, and his abdomen was filled with blood. When I heard of this a few days later I could not understand why the doctors who rushed to his aid failed to take a simple step to control the haemorrhage. He should have survived.

An experienced surgeon will instinctively know how to deal with unexpected bleeding; first, gain control above and below the wound before proceeding to deal with the problem. The skill is in knowing just where and how to gain control in a single movement.

If a large artery is severed by a stabbing in the groin or upper thigh, the torrent of blood released under pressure will be obvious externally. It is simple to staunch the haemorrhage by applying very firm pressure just above the injury: the victim must first be pulled out flat; then, kneeling on the same side as the injury, the first-aider uses a clenched fist to apply very firm pressure just above the wound and on a line between it and the belly button.

A second fist, applied to the abdomen just below the belly button, pushing the belly wall hard against the spine, can also be used if the bleeding seems unabated. This action compresses the main artery to the lower body and both legs. A tourniquet or bandage cannot achieve sufficient direct pressure to control bleeding from the large artery in the groin.

Should the stab wound be higher in the abdomen, and a vital organ or large artery lacerated, there may be little external bleeding but the life-threatening haemorrhage will continue as the abdo-minal cavity fills with blood. The only thing a first-aider can do is apply the fist pressure as high as possible, just below the breast bone, and trust some control can be achieved until expert help arrives.

If more people realise they have the power to save lives, then these tragedies could be dramatically reduced.

The golden rule is to stop the flow with your immediate effort, and hang on, no matter how tired you feel or how much discomfort you seem to be causing. Your reassurances to the victim that he or she will not die will be based on a very real likelihood that this will be true.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1781505,00.html
 
It is always good to know how to strengthen yourself. This article will discuss the Roundhouse kick. While I would not use a roundhouse kick in a real life self defense situation. It is good for in martial arts touranment. The problem with a roundhouse kick in a real life self defense situation is you have your back to him for a few seconds and you also leave yourself wide open to the bad guy, that is if he knows what he is doing and is a veteran of the street himself.

Increasing The Power of Your Roundhouse Kick

The definition of the roundhouse kick for is a kick executed from a cocked knee position whose arc travels approximately parellel with the ground as the knee snaps straight 80 degrees to 90 degrees and travels across your centerline striking with the shin down to the top of the foot.

Most martial artists think this is one of their weakest kicks when it could actually be one of their most powerful weapons in their arsenal of kicks, punches, and other strikes.

If you're the average martial artist, you throw your rear-leg roundhouse kick from a front stance snapping your leg across your body depending on the weight of your leg and the snap of your knee for power. Power is a combination of mass (weight can be used in this example) and speed. Kinetic energy (energy of motion) is ½ mv^2 that's half mass times speed (velocity) squared. The more mass, or the more of your body you put into your kick, and the greater the speed of your kick (snap of your knee for example) the more powerful your kick will be.

If practiced correctly will increase the power of your roundhouse kick by about 30% minimum.

Let's make some more general statements about striking power.

The closest moveable joint to your center of gravity is your hips.

If your hips do not go towards the direction of your strike you are losing power.

If your non-striking limb on the same side of your body you are striking with moves in the oppostie direction of your strike, you will lose power.

Speed is a more important factor in striking power (kinetic energy) than mass

Antagonistic muscle groups are those muscle groups which hinder a wanted movement.

If the antagonistic muscle groups are tense during a strike the strike will be slowed down as well as more energy being consumed for future strikes.

If the strike is slowed down power will be lost.

Breath, held in the lungs, can get in the way of proper movement

So what we now see is that during the roundhouse kick, or any other martial arts strike for that matter, is we want to stay as relaxed as possible, use as many of our muscle groups as possible in the correct timing (gross coordination), and breath out as we strike.

We can also conclude from the statements above, that the roundhouse kick should not be treated as a solely lower body strike. Many althletic coaches will tell you that the sprint, for example, is at least 50% upper body work. The same facts applies to the roundhouse kick. If you can get the muscles of the upper torso involved in the strike, there will be a greater mass and greater intertia (basically follow through ability).

The Biggest Mistake Almost All Martial Artists Make When Executing the Roundhouse Kick is...

not getting a good upper torso rotation into the roundhouse kick. Remember this powerful fact ...?

If your non-striking limb on the same side of your body you are striking with moves in the oppostie direction of your strike, you will lose power.

Almost every martial artist executes a roundhouse kick whips his arm backwards in the oppostie direction of the kick. This means if you are throwing a roundhouse kick with your right leg towards your centerline to the left your right arm is whipping to the right in the oppostie direction. This, by its very nature, precludes you from getting your upper torso muscle groups involved with your roundhouse kick to your greatest potential and therefore, you lose power.

I've heard every excuse in the book for executing a roundhouse kick in this manner;

I won't be able to keep my balance.

Well you couldn't keep your balance the first time you learned to do the kick could you?

I see full contact fighters executing the roundhouse kick that way?

I've seen them get knocked out too. They're human beings just like you and me. We can all improve.

If I kick the way you are showing me I will over-extend myself and not be able to stop to throw another technique.

Not in the beginning because you will have more power and intertia in your roundhouse kick than you are acustom too. Practice practice practice.

It feels like my ankle is twisting off when I get I turn my shoulders into the roundhouse kick like you said.

Remember -

If your hips do not go towards the direction of your strike you are losing power.

Be sure to pivot your supporting foot as you execute your roundhouse kick.

You will be able to kick harder if you follow the instructions properly.

Increasing The Power of Your Roundhouse Kick Pivoting Drill

I would like to discuss a very simple drill with you to increase your power of your roundhouse kick with a very simple pivoting drill.

Pivoting and Power in Your Roundhouse Kick

Remember the statements I made in the previous article on increasing the power of your roundhouse kick?

The closest moveable joint to your center of gravity is your hips.

If your hips do not go towards the direction of your strike you are losing power.

The hip motion must follow the arc of the roundhouse kick so the hips must also rotate in a circular motion. A sloppy pivot will force you to land your strike during the eccentric phase of your kick. Eccentric motion is the slowing down phase or follow through phase of a motion.

All explosive type motions, should reach their peak at the release point or striking point of a motion in order to get the most power. Throw a baseball and attempt to stop your throwing arm motion at the release point of the ball. Notice how you slowed down before actually releasing the ball? Notice you did not throw the ball very far? The same thing happens with impact types of motions. If you slow down before you strike you will lose power.

It can basically be said the greater the pivot of your support foot (the further you turn your left foot counter-clockwise if you are striking with your right leg) the greater potential for power in your roundhouse kick.

Now let me give you three more powerful facts.

A stretched muscle is more efficient than a relaxed muscle. Thus the the wind up of a pitch, the back-swing in a tennis serve, and the chambering of the traditional reverse punch.

The further a limb travels the greater the potential for speed. See the same examples above. Some would argue that this point reduces economy of motion and therefore decreases the possibility of striking an attacker. I agree, but remember I am discussing facts of increasing power, not facts of combat for the moment. Similar examples can be made with the long jumper and pole vaulter who attempt to time their jumps at the peak speed of their run before fatigue sets in and slows them down.

The further a limb travels the greater the potential for more large muscle groups to assist in the motion. i.e. Gross motor coordination and yes the distance diminishes with repetition of proper motion.

Learning to Pivot Your Foot More for Your Roundhouse Kick

Okay so you now understand about power in your roundhouse kick and how to acquire power in your roundhouse kick, but the only way to to actually get power in your roundhouse kick is repetition of proper motion.

Let's try an experiment (experiment for you, I already know the outcome)

Stand in a front stance with your right leg back. Not too long, regardless of your style of martial art.

Now execute a roundhouse kick with your right leg sensing your pivot with your support foot.

Now execute a a roundhouse knee strike with the same arc as your roundhouse kick, again sensing the pivot in your support foot.

Which strike gave you the most pivot? That's right! The roundhouse knee strike did! Why?

A shorter lever, a larger muscle mass requiring less fine motor skills, fewer joints involved in the motion so less gross motor coordination is necessary.

Now you need to execute several repetitions of the roundhouse knee strike continuously sensing the pivot of your support foot.

After executing several repetitions of the roundhouse knee strike you will now execute several repetitions of the roundhouse kick. While you are executing the roundhouse kick try to sense the same amount of pivot in your roundhouse kick as you did in your roundhouse knee strike.

Is That It?

One more thing I want to add to this kicking drill.

Remember this statement and analogies?

A stretched muscle is more efficient than a relaxed muscle. Thus the the wind up of a pitch, the back-swing in a tennis serve, and the chambering of the traditional reverse punch.

And this statement and explanations?

The further a limb travels the greater the potential for speed. See the same examples above. Some would argue that this point reduces economy of motion and therefore decreases the possibility of striking an attacker. I agree, but remember I am discussing facts of increasing power, not facts of combat for the moment. Similar examples can be made with the long jumper and pole vaulter who attempt to time their jumps at the peak speed of their run before fatigue sets in and slows them down.

So something else I want to add so you can get the sense of the most power you can get from this particular kicking drill.

Put your right leg back in a front stance.

Rotate your left foot counter-clockwise as far as you can.

Rotate your hip to the right as far as you can.

Put as much weight on your right foot as you can.

You should now feel like a stretched rubber-band.

Now you need to execute several repetitions of the roundhouse knee strike continuously sensing the pivot of your support foot and the whip-like action you are getting from your stretched muscles.

After executing several repetitions of the roundhouse knee strike you will now execute several repetitions of the roundhouse kick. While you are executing the roundhouse kick try to sense the same amount of pivot in your roundhouse kick as you did in your roundhouse knee strike and the whip-like action you are getting from your stretched muscles.

Slowly over the weeks you will be able to minimize your gross motor movements and economize without losing power. Don't hurry on this kicking drill. Remember, it took you a while to develop other economized yet powerful strikes and it will take you a while to improve your roundhouse kick as well.

The goals will come as you practice.
 
Back
Top