What happens when you train in the martial arts or study self-defense, learn techniques designed for damaging human beings, but never develop the master’s trait of self-control. This story is true and highlights how, through our own lack of self-discipline, we can cause more damage to ourselves than we ever feared from an attacker in a self-defense encounter.

Today, I have a high number of parents bringing their children to me, along with many adult students, looking for lessons in self-discipline and self-control. The reason is because, even for the uninitiated members of the general public, the image formed when you think of a martial artist or someone learning self-defense includes that of a highly disciplined person.

But, it wasn’t always this way. In fact, we still have practitioner’s today who have missed the lessons of humility, discipline, respect, and self-control as a part of their training. And, those who do talk about learning and practicing self-control, are usually talking about the discipline that makes them practice or attend martial arts classes on a regular basis. Watch one of the popular mixed martial arts (MMA) or other fight-challenge programs, and what you’ll see are people who brag about their abilities, bad-mouth other people, and routinely get themselves into fights outside of the ring.

The story that I’m about to tell you is one-hundred percent true. It actually happened to me. And the most amazing things were that:

1) The attacker was a black belt martial artist who professed to be learning self-defense, and…

2) I was an on-duty police officer at the time!

I kid you not!

You see, I was stationed in, what was then, West Germany with the United States Army. I was a military policeman working the night shift, when my partner and I got a radio call, dispatching us to a particular unit. The call was in reference to a combative soldier who was drunk and disorderly. Apparently the soldier was in the process of attacking officers and screaming racial slurs.

When we arrived at the scene, what we found was a soldier who was VERY drunk. The man was not only taller than me by almost four to six inches (I’m 5′ 6″), but he was also very muscular. The officer on-duty for that unit was trying to calm him down, and my partner and I were attempting to find out why he was ranting and raving when we arrived.

At the sight of two armed police officers entering the area, it was almost if a switch had been thrown in this man’s head – a switch that triggered the “bad-ass” personality. Because, as soon as he saw me, he locked on and headed straight for me. My partner was busy trying to get details from other witnesses so we could use the information in a way that would de-escalate the situation and get the man calmed down.

Before the soldier got within reach of me, he suddenly stopped and realized that I had shifted my position to prepare for whatever was to come. I never broke eye contact (never a good idea, especially against someone who is trying to dominate with their spirit and intensity), and when he saw this, he stopped and his demeanor changed.

Who knows, maybe it had more to do with the fact that I was wearing a .45 caliber pistol on my right hip and a two foot long nightstick hung from my left. Either way, and just for a minute, he seemed to reassess his situation and tone down his energy level.

I proceeded to ask him what happened to which he started to convey the story that he was out with some friends from his unit. They were out drinking to celebrate the fact that he tested for, and earned his black belt that day. His story, and his anger flared again when he told me that they were all screwing around after they departed the club when it got rough and his friends ganged up on him and threw him down on a gravel walkway.

I outwardly congratulated him on earning his black belt while inwardly thinking that it never a good idea for a black belt to get intoxicated. There’s way too many things that can go wrong and, with the alcohol coursing through your system, regardless of how “well” you feel, the fact remains that you simply will not have the same coordination, control, or focus should you be attacked. And besides, wouldn’t that be the perfect time for someone who really wants to take you out to attack – when you aren’t functioning at a hundred percent?

But, something happened. As he was describing the situation, his attitude changed again. As he was trying to describe the incident, he seemed to be dancing around exactly how things got started or why they got “rough.” As his agitation grew, he started to tell me that he was a black belt and didn’t have to prove how tough he was. He told me that, that was the point of training – to be disciplined, respectful, and in control of yourself so that you didn’t get yourself into messes like this.

As I was agreeing with him, he went into a sudden tirade about how tough “I” thought I was because I wore a badge and a gun – that I wouldn’t be so tough without the nightstick and the firearm. I attempted to calm him down but he seemed to lock onto the fact that I was armed and that I was trying to appear more “tough” than him in an attempt to intimidate him.

To this, I took a step back and assured him that I wasn’t trying to intimidate him. As he continued to point out the weapons, I told him that I’d hand my nightstick and helmet to my partner. When he continued on about the gun, I reminded him that, “the gun stays.”

No sooner did I hand over my nightstick and turn back toward the drunken soldier, he moved in on me, telling me how he didn’t need to prove how tough he was, but he was going to show me how tough I wasn’t!

Well, long-story short, I didn’t prove that I was tougher, but he DID end up, face-down on the floor in handcuffs. But, the worst was yet to come – for him. And, you know what… I really felt bad for him, for a minute.

What happened next should never happen to anyone – tough-guy or not. While we were trying to restrain the still belligerent soldier on the floor, who should walk through the door but… His wife and young son!

They had to witness their drunken, obnoxious, and out-of-control husband and father being taken away in handcuffs. And all I could do was look at the woman and move my lips to the words, “I’m sorry.”

This would be bad enough, if the story ended right here. If the worse that happened was that this new black belt and military soldier – this man who should have developed discipline from two different directions – lost his self-control after drinking too much and then lost his temper after his friends took advantage of his condition. If that was the worst, it would still have been pretty bad.

But you know what. As a cop, I saw this kind of thing all the time. It really wouldn’t have been much of a story if it weren’t so commonplace. But, this story wasn’t commonplace. It turned out to be nothing short of disgraceful.

We later learned that the soldier and his friends did, indeed, go out to celebrate his new promotion to black belt. However, the story that he told us from there, was anything BUT the truth.

It seemed that, once the soldier got some drinks into him, he began to strike and kick at his friends. They asked him to stop to which his actions became more aggressive until finally the friends took action and had to knock him down to get him to stop using his “karate-moves” on them.

After that, all hell broke loose as he felt like he was disrespected. In fact, what had happened was that this man never exercised good judgment in the first place when he decided to go out into public, bragging about his martial art rank and skills in the art of self-defense. He exercised even less discipline when he allowed himself to get drunk to the point where his childish actions cause his friends to attack him out of self-defense.

And finally, his lack of self-discipline and self-control caused him further humiliation as he had to be drug out of a building by police, right past his wife and son. They had to watch as he was arrested and jailed, not just for drunk and disorderly conduct, but for assault on a police officer, assault on commissioned officers, and for acts unbecoming a member of the armed forces.

All because he never learned the first lesson – the first level of self-defense – respect and self-discipline.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://www.articlealley.com/martial-arts-and-selfdefense-training-without-selfcontrol-1477559.html

Dogs are indeed man’s best friends, but they may also be your worst nemesis if you don’t bring them up right. It is important that you teach a puppy good habits the moment you bring him home. Old habits are very hard to break, especially among canines.

You do not have to hire a professional to keep your dog behaved though. I trained my dogs alone and didn’t have a single problem with them since. Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Familiarizing the Environment
Teach your dog the different spaces of your home as soon as he arrives. From my car, I make it a point to take my dog to the area where I want him to do his stuff, usually the front lawn is the most ideal spot for me. That should at least help me keep my mind of wet spots and more on my Howard miller clocks. If you have a crate at home, it is suggestedthat you take your pooch to the spot after he marks his initial territory. Try to associate your dog’s sleeping and feeding quarters by leaving a bowl of fresh water, together with chew toys.

Places that are off limits should be reinforced. The best approach is to give verbal commands that will alert your dog that he is entering forbidden territory. The only two places where I don’t allow Bruce is my bedroom and the library where I keep all my Mantel clocks. If your dog happens to enter off-limit areas, simply give him a “ssshh” or say no then take him out to the front lawn or his favorite place.

2. The meaning of No
Whenever you tell your dog “No”, it is important that you reinforce this so that your dog will associate the word with something unpleasant or annoying. For example, you may use a clicker then click as you say no whenever your dog does something you do not approve of. It is recommended that you only say the word once. Also do not say no together with your dog’s name always or he might associate it negatively.

A little tug on the leash or collar or firmlypulling back the skin at the nape is a good reinforcement action with no. You should be able to do this consistently so that the dog will relate the bad deed as a prohibited one.

3. The meaning of praise
Equally, you should also reward or praise your dog for good habits. That way, he can be more consistent in the good behavior. Positive reinforcement is very good. However, you should be careful not to give rewards too often like treats. The bestmethod according to experts is to simply pat him on the head and tell him “Good dog!” in an enthusiastic tone.

Give your dog lots of playtime and attention. Dogs that are give simulation often are usually the most behaved. In a matter of 2 to 4 weeks, you should have no problem keeping them off your Travel alarm clocks.

NB: Don’t forget to browse our outstanding Dogs Gallery for superb Dog Posters and Fine Art Prints.

Dogs are considered very valuable by their owners. Over the years dogs have gone from being just a pet to being a member of the family. Of all the pets out there, the dog is the most popular.

One of the reasons for this is that dogs are trainable. By just knowing some hand signals for dog training you can give your pet the proper training. Dogs are very smart, well maybe with a few exceptions, but if you teach your dog some verbal and hand signals commands they can easily grasp your message.

Dogs are very good at reading body language; if you have any doubt on that, just think about how your dog reacts when you are upset. Because of their ability to read body language they can very easily learn hand signals in addition to the verbal commands.

You will find that there are several different approaches for dog training from using punishment techniques to a more positive, rewards based approach.

There still remain many schools of thought when it comes to dog training, and a great many veteran trainers will use a specific system that suits them as well as their customers. The current trend is a move towards more of a rewards based method.

Another factor is your dog, and its background. Is it a puppy, or a rescue dog with their inherent concerns? What is your desired outcome from training–basic obedience, as a pet for the family, show, tracking, or any other dog activities?

Once you have established your training goals and you have your dog’s personality in mind, make a list of all the local dog obedience schools information that you can find. Then check out their web pages. You can check with other dog owners to see if they have a good dog trainer. Also contact your local veterinarian or kennel for suggestions.

Trainers who use positive methods are your best bet. Always check references of the trainers. Some trainers do work with you and your dog in your home, however your dog will be missing out on important socialization. You may want to observe one of the beginner classes. Do not go if they use any harsh techniques, such as, choke collars.

When you new puppy is still young, you should enroll him in either a puppy kindergarten class or a play group. This is because early socialization is key for your puppy’s development. On the other hand, if your new dog is a rescue dog who has developed issues with aggression, you may need to hire a certified animal behaviorist to help you rather than just a dog trainer. Aggression in dogs is an issue never to be taken lightly. It is best to address it immediately.

Although there is a small percentage of dogs that will require a pinch collar for training purposes, a “Gentle Leader” head collar is often just as, if not more, effective for most dogs.

If your dog isn’t required for his first training session, don’t be shocked — it’s a good thing! Clicker training (or any positive training) needs a training session for owners so you learn to properly use the tools and to communicate effectively with your dog.

These are just some of the dog training success tips that you can apply when training your dog at home. As trainer, do not be discouraged at the first try of training your dog, instead have enough patience and believe that you can actually train your dog and in doing so, ended up with a bunch of savings.Click the link to know more on Dog Training Reviews

If you’d like to browse through some great posters and prints of dogs, then a visit to our Dogs Posters and Prints Gallery is a must.