ATTACK LINE

The attack line is created by linear movement between you and your opponent, and allows your opponent to attack more effectively. When faced with an aggressor, stay slightly to one side of the attack line, move back and forth across the attack line, or employ circular motion to thwart his attack. If you have the opportunity to initiate the move and use your momentum to knock your opponent off balance, try to stay on the attack line in order to focus your power in the direction of your attack. This does not mean that you have to operate along your opponent’s centerline; only that you should move linearly and in the direction of power.
Positioning Preparatory To The Takedown, Chapter 2.

CENTERLINE

The centerline is an imaginary line approximately five inches wide, running vertically on the front or back of your body. Striking the targets found on the centerline (nose, jaw, throat, heart, solar plexus, groin, base of neck, spine, and tailbone) is likely to cause serious injury or death. The centerline is also where your strength is focused. Any time a technique is not lined up with your centerline, power loss occurs. The closer you can keep your techniques to your centerline, the more powerful and effortless they will be.
Finger Locks, Chapter 11.

CENTER OF GRAVITY

This is your balance point. Any time your center of gravity does not fall above your foundation, you will lose balance. Understanding this principle enables you to unbalance a much stronger, bigger, or more aggressive adversary. When a person’s center of gravity is manipulated, he is unable to utilize his strength effectively. By understanding how the human body works, you can manipulate its many natural bends and balance points to take your adversary down. Defining Balance, Chapter 1.

COMBINATIONS

Whenever possible, attack in combinations. One strike or defensive move and counter-attack are not likely to end the fight. Think beyond the first move. When practicing unbalancing techniques, a combination should be thought of as any set of moves that places you closer to your objective. A combination could be comprised of a set-up or distraction, a gap closure, a softening technique, an unbalancing technique, and a finishing technique. Softening Techniques, Chapter 2.

COMPLETION OF MOTION

Any started motion must come to completion before you can reset your body’s balance. For example, if your opponent raises one foot off the ground to take a step forward, he is in a “balance inferior” position until he has again replanted that foot. This is a window of opportunity for you to move in with a takedown.
Defining Balance, Chapter 1.

DETERMINATION

Your determination may be the deciding factor between success and failure. Getting caught up in emotions and fears inhibits your ability to respond to a threat. With practice and increased confidence come determination and the ability to face a situation and follow through to a logical conclusion. An aggressive mind-set will more often than not help save your life. On The Chaos Of An Attack, Chapter 13.

DIRECTION OF ENERGY

If your goal is to take your adversary down, you must direct all your energy toward the ground. If your goal is to use body momentum to knock your opponent off balance, you must direct all your energy along the attack line. Power is derived from several sources working in harmony toward a common goal. Balance is an element of power. You must center your upper body over the foundation of your lower body and project all energy in the same direction. Power loss most often results from opposing movements in body mechanics.
Direction Of Energy, Chapter 3.

ECONOMY OF MOTION

In a high threat situation, it is imperative that you gain control and end the fight as quickly as possible. Use techniques that will do the most amount of damage in the fewest number of moves. When you waste time, you allow your opponent additional time, giving him a position of strength. A low kick, for example, may be more economical than a high kick, because it is closer to the target and requires less agility to perform. A neck manipulation takedown may be more economical than a wrist lock, because it requires less fine motor skills, and can be done through linear movement.
How To Practice Your Art, Chapter 11.

ENVIRONMENT AWARENESS

Use the environment to your advantage. Try to get something between yourself and the attacker. An obstacle can be used to unbalance your opponent or bar further aggressiveness. Don’t go empty handed against an armed attacker. Find something in the environment that can be used as a weapon. Be aware of escape routes and objects that may obscure your vision. Be thoroughly familiar with your most frequently visited environment (your home). Awareness Exercise, Chapter 2.

ESCALATION OF FORCE

Start with the least amount of force necessary to control the threat. Try to recognize and remove yourself from a dangerous situation before it requires you to take action. If action has to be taken, try to de-escalate the situation. In a verbal confrontation, this may simply involve talking to your opponent and resolving the issue without physical contact. If your opponent approaches you, don’t wait until it is too late to turn the situation to your advantage. When you decide to go ahead with your unbalancing move, you must pursue it with full force and intent. How far you go after you have taken your opponent down depends on the situation, your ability to get away, and the perceived threat. Never assume that a fight is over because you nailed your opponent with one good strike, unbalancing move, or joint break. We are driven by our mental determination, and many times when a fight should have ended, it might not because of added adrenaline. Once you decide to let go of your adversary, know that the threat may not be over. Consider how to reapply control or continue with a second unbalancing technique. You may need to escalate the force to a press and breaking technique against a joint or, if it is a matter of life or death, take a more lethal approach.
Is It Ethical To Kill In Self-Defense, Chapter 13.

EXHAUSTING THE MOTION

For a technique to be effective, you must take it to completion. When you have nothing left to drive forward with, the motion of the technique is said to have exhausted itself. For example, if you are attempting to push your opponent away but are unable to take a step forward, the only way you can push is by starting with bent arms and gradually straightening your arms. Once your arms are straight, the motion of the technique is exhausted, unless you can also step forward and keep pushing. When engaged in a confrontation that involves movement of mass, like a takedown or a grappling situation, be careful not to place yourself in a position that exhausts the motion of your technique. One way to avoid this is by keeping your opponent’s center of mass close to your own center of mass, and relying on movement in your body to unbalance him, rather than on movement in your arms alone.
Full Nelson From The Front, Chapter 6.

FINE VS. GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Fine motor skills involve the use of precise hand/eye coordination, whereas gross motor skills involve the use of larger muscle groups. Because of the way the nervous system works, you are physically stronger and faster when under stress, than you are in a low stress situation. However, you are also mentally weaker and unable to use precision or solve complicated problems. Gross motor skills are therefore more stress compatible than fine motor skills, which is something you should keep in mind when training for self-defense.
Attacking Your Opponent’s Arms, Chapter 5.

FIRST TOUCH

Use the moment of first touch as a cue to explode forward with a takedown. The moment you first make physical contact with your opponent, regardless of who initiates the attack, is your window of opportunity. Physical contact has a tendency to momentarily freeze your opponent or halt his advance. As long as you are aware of this, you can work to eliminate your own tendency to freeze.
Momentum And First Touch, Chapter 3.

FOOTWORK

Footwork can be used to create a gap or close distance. Perhaps the most important aspect of footwork is your ability to deceive your opponent. By constantly moving and switching direction, your opponent will have difficulty determining when within range to attack. Use footwork to gain a window of opportunity for your unbalancing move.
Defining Balance, Chapter 1.

FREEZING

When you freeze your opponent, you momentarily inhibit his ability to respond. You may be able to freeze your opponent’s advance through a distraction or the concept of first touch. The moment you make contact with any part of his body is a signal to move ahead with your unbalancing technique. When touching or slapping your opponent, his mind momentarily goes to the part of his body that is being touched. This buys you time to come forward with offense. You must also be cautious of your own tendency to freeze. Again, use the first touch concept as your window of opportunity.
Momentum And First Touch, Chapter 3.

INDUCING THE ATTACK

If you know in advance when your opponent is going to attack, you are at a great advantage. An armed attacker, especially, is likely to be tense and nervous, and will respond to any unpredictable move you make. You may be able to induce the attack by giving your opponent a perceived opportunity to commit.
Recognizing The Attack, Chapter 12.

INERTIA

Inertia is resistance to change in motion. A heavy person has more inertia than a lightweight, and a person moving at a great speed has more inertia than a person moving at a slower speed. This makes the heavy or fast fighter difficult to stop. However, inertia also applies to starting motion. Thus, a heavy fighter has more inertia to overcome when setting himself in motion than a lightweight. This bit of knowledge can work to your advantage when executing a takedown. If your opponent is heavy, once he hits the ground, he has to expend a considerable amount of energy getting back to his feet, which may afford you an opportunity to escape.
Scenario 6, Chapter 13.

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