While perusing the internet I come across various website and videos promoting traditional grab release techniques and escape tactics for women and children. These sites claim that these complex techniques are easy to learn and easy to use. The instructors also claim that the participants will not be "roughed up" during training and won't have to learn how to fight back as escaping is better and safer.

Let me be perfectly clear regarding this subject...anyone promoting these techniques over other more viable tactics is simply trying to make money by telling people what they want to hear.

I agree that escaping is better and safer. The fact is that if a person is properly trained they should be able to successfully escape the majority of potentially bad situations BEFORE they are forced to physically protect themselves. Any solid self-defense system will emphasize awareness and prevention over physical self-defense. However, with that being said, those traditional escape and release techniques commonly promoted for self-defense are next to useless when a situation requires the use of physical force. These techniques are generally practiced in a controlled training environment against compliant training partners playing the role of bad guys. This is all fine and good, until the people that are taught these techniques are forced to try them under the chaotic conditions of an assault.

Attackers rarely just grab an intended victim and then stand there waiting for a release or escape to be performed. In fact, if there is a grab it's quickly followed by a violent strike or a quick shove or pull in an effort to move the victim to a nearby vehicle or a more secluded location. This generally happens so fast that any attempt to just pull away will be quickly defeated by aggressive motion. Also, if the attacker is adrenalized it will most likely be difficult to out-muscle his convulsive grip. There is nothing wrong with learning grab release techniques as long as they are placed in the proper perspective and as long as they are combined with vicious strikes, explosive body movements, and proper mental conditioning. However, effective counter-attacks alone will likely reduce the need for the common release techniques that are erroneously being promoted as methods of defense without having to "fight back".

Just my thoughts...

Steve Zorn, ICPS