Contact Flow Sparring: An Excellent Foundation Training

The clip above depicts John Perkins with different students, demonstrating the "contact flow" quasi-sparring method of training. Perkins is the developer of the "Attack Proof" method of self defence.

Notice how the speed of interaction can be varied depending upon the level of expertise, control, and familiarity with the techniques and the training partner.

Slow contact training of this sort is safe, and an excellent introduction to the balance and dynamics of actual physical confrontation. Several years of this type of training, beginning at a young age, could lend a significant amount of dangerousness to any child.

An entire set of video clips

Perkins emphasises "what works and what doesn't work." Many of the classical techniques of defence taught in traditional martial arts classes are not likely to work on the street. Perkins -- a former law enforcement officer -- focuses on what works.

Another approach to practical no-nonsense street level defence comes from the American Combato system from Bradley Steiner. Four years of free newsletters are available at the American Combato website. More free how-to articles from the same source are available here.

Both gentlemen mentioned above teach their systems as a business, but offer a significant amount of information online free of charge.