The Circle of Thorns

Project

A dissertation on practical concepts and principles for

personal self protection
By Arnold Kelly
 Warning!!!
DISCLAIMER: This book is for “informational purposes only”. The reader agrees and acknowledges that
he/she is fully aware of the inherent danger involved in training of this kind and will NOT hold Arnold Kelly or
anyone else connected to Mr. Kelly liable for injuries resulting from using information contained in this e-
book. The information in this book can cause SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH if used improperly. The author
encourages the reader to seek out a qualified self defense instructor to better understand these techniques
and concepts. If one isn’t available, then the author STRONGLY encourages the reader to practice with
control and safety, especially if you are practicing with a partner. Remember, fighting should ALWAYS,
ALWAYS be the “last resort”.

"Knowledge is NOT power...The ABILITY to APPLY knowledge IS."

-Unknown
 Ask ten different people what they think it takes for someone to be able to effectively defend
themselves and you’ll get ten different answers. Some will make sense, while others will be totally
out in left field. I consider this book to be no different. Some of the concepts and principles
presented here are of my own “interpretation” of the basic, universal concepts and principles of
effective self-protection. Some of the things presented here are in their original, unadulterated form
because I found that they were great just as they were. You will probably find that you are in
agreement with at least a few of the concepts and principles. You will DEFINITELY find at least one
thing that you disagree with…at least on some level.

This book is the culmination of a variety of things that have been written over the past few years.
Some are from me and some are from others. I always try to give credit where credit is due. So if
some concept or principle I write here belongs to another person, I will give them credit by
mentioning them as the “source”…if I can remember their name, that is. You’ll notice that there are
very few images. That is because the main goal of this book was just to get my thoughts and ideas
onto “paper”. Future editions will contain graphics and photo to illustrate the different concepts and
principles.

Ok! Let’s get started, shall we? First, I guess we should tackle the most important question of all:

What the HELL is the difference between a CONCEPT and a PRINCIPLE?

That is simple to remedy. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (www.m-w.com) here are the
differences between the two:

Concept: “an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular instances”

Principle: “a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption”

So what that means (to me anyway) is that a concept in the realm of self-protection is an idea that
has no specific technique (Jeet Kune Do is what some people consider a “concept-based” martial
art), while a principle is an idea within a specific area of self-protection that is based on either
extensive “testing” or scientific “fact”. Striking someone in the groin, for example, would be
considered a principle because it is based on extensive “tests” (hundreds upon thousands of people
have been struck in the groin) and scientific “fact” (anatomically speaking, the testes are fragile and
aren’t meant to take that kind of abuse).

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on. Next we are going to cover some basic
concepts and principles. These will be expanded on in future versions of this book. For now,
consider it an “overview” for you to use to help with your own training.
 Concepts and Principles

SEE, BREATH, MOVE and THINK – These are the four things you need to possess in
order to be able to defend yourself effectively. These are also the four things you need to try
and take away from your opponent so that they cannot complete their assault on you. If ONE
OR MORE of the four is missing, you or your attacker will be unable to attack/defend effectively.

The Flow – You should be able to smoothly and effortlessly move from one technique to the
next. Only then can you execute rapid, effective self defense techniques.

Simultaneous Attack and Defend – All defensive moves should be performed AT THE
SAME TIME as you attack. By attacking AND defending at the same time, you decrease your
opponent’s chance to respond to your defense and INCREASE your chances of successfully
defending against him/her. The attack and defense can actually be combined into ONE
technique, if needed.

ALWAYS move FORWARD – Your footwork should ALMOST ALWAYS carry you in a
FORWARD direction, toward your opponent. The only time you should move back is to give
yourself just enough room to clear a punch, a kick, or a weapon. THEN, you should
IMMEDIATELY move forward, pressing your counterattack onto your opponent. By moving
forward while you attack, you force the opponent to move backwards, making any attempts to
attack less effective and even cause the opponent to possibly lose his/her balance.

Maximum EFFECT, Minimum EFFORT – In order to be able to defend yourself

effectively, you need to focus your attacks on the vital points on the human body. The most
effective ones that require the LEAST amount of force are the eyes, throat, fingers, groin and
the ankle/feet. No matter how big and strong you are these points are going to be the most
sensitive and one of the most effective places to strike. Even a light blow to the eyes would be
enough to cause temporary blindness through blurred vision and excessive tearing of the eyes,
giving you the opportunity to escape or counterattack.
Keep It Savagely Simple – Effective, functional self defense techniques are as basic and
simple as they can be…..PERIOD! The techniques should use INSTINCTIVE, NATURAL
movements of the body (also referred to as Gross Motor Function). They should be movements
that can be mastered in a short time and then only require regular “maintenance” to keep up. You
should also focus on learning as few techniques as possible. As it was once said, “I’d rather have
10 techniques to work FOR me, than 100 to work AGAINST me”.

He who runs away… - Despite anything you’ve heard or read, running away from a fight is
NOT the act of a coward. Even the military knows when to retreat. Besides, your number one
concern in defending yourself is not to DEFEAT your opponent, but to SURVIVE the situation. If
jabbing your opponent in the eye gives you the opportunity to leave the scene….. THEN DO IT!
There’s no shame in trying to save your hide.

Circular or Linear? – A circular strike follows an arched path, while a linear strike follows a
straight-line path. While a linear strike involves re-chambering the strike, resulting in wasted time, a
circular strike generally does NOT require re-chambering and thus retains the power and
momentum of the strike. Which one should you use? In a word…..BOTH! You can follow a linear
strike with a circular one, and vice versa. By combining the two, you have the potential to create a
non-stop multi-attack pattern of strikes to multiple attack points.
 Self-Protection Skills for Children
There aren’t really ANY effective martial art techniques that will allow a CHILD to fight off an
ADULT, who is ALWAYS going to be BIGGER and STRONGER than the child. Does that mean
we need to keep our kids locked away, sheltered from the “cold, cruel world”? No, that would be
unrealistic. So what is the solution? There are some things that a child can do to prevent
themselves from being abducted. Here’s a list of what I think are the most effective. This was
originally part of an article written by Carl Cestari, a legend in the WW2 combatives arena.

You should emphasize the following:

1. NEVER, EVER, EVER GO ANYWHERE WITH A STRANGER!

2. RUN at the FIRST sign of trouble. Emphasize running in a "zig zag" pattern and using the
environment as a "roadblock".

3. SCREAM as LOUD and HYSTERICALLY as possible.

4. Wriggle, twist, turn, jump......ANYTHING to make the potential victim HARD to hold and
control. Then back to 1 & 2!

5. Run towards any source of HELP and SAFETY.

6. There are only TWO potential "physical" maneuvers even worth considering - jabbing,
clawing and scratching at the eyes with either one or both hands in a CONTINUOUS and
VIOLENT manner and BITING.

7. Anything the child is carrying: Knapsack, book bag, school books, etc. should be
TOSSED at the LEGS! Anything to make the attacker trip, maneuver to dodge,
stumble…ANYTHING that will SLOW him DOWN!

8. Always emphasize ESCAPE, above all else. If dragged to a vehicle (one of the many
ways an attacker abducts a child) seize the keys (from the ignition) at the first opportunity
and toss them, either out a window or into the back seat (the farthest, longest, hardest
place for the attacker to attempt to retrieve them).

9. If forced into a trunk, pull, yank, kick or smash out a tail light and shove anything through
the hole that will attract someone's attention.
 10. TIME is of the ESSENCE! Increase the TIME that the attacker is in PUBLIC VIEW and
you'll go a LONG way in FORCING him to abandon the attack and FLEE. DRAW
ATTENTION in ANY WAY possible to the scene IMMEDIATELY! NEVER give in a GO
with an abductor. WHENEVER POSSIBLE MARK HIM! Try to remember EVERYTHING
about the assailant, his vehicle, etc.

11. DO EVERYTHING to make oneself a HARD TARGET! Attackers want VICTIMS that are
easily dominated, controlled and done so in as SHORT an amount of time as possible.
MORE TIME, MORE EXPOSURE, MORE CHANCE OF GETTING CAUGHT!

Once again, DISTANCE as far and fast as possible is YOUR ALLY!

 The Unlucky 16
The Most Vulnerable Targets Which You Must Both Defend and Attack!

The Vitals
These targets are exposed equally on both the big and small alike. Attacking these targets
powerfully will stop any attacker in their tracks.

1) THROAT - Also called the Adam's Apple. Attacking this target can be fatal. Only attack when
deadly force is necessary. Can be struck, grabbed, or strangled. Lesson: if an attacker cannot
breathe, they cannot attack.

2) EYES - A very susceptible vital spot. Attack by puncturing or gouging with fingers or a weapon.
A strike with sufficient force may cause seizures or unconsciousness. Attacking this target can
maim for life. Remember that even The Incredible Hulk's eyes are just as vulnerable as everyone
else's. Lesson: if an attacker cannot see, they cannot attack.

3) KNEES - Stomp (through the knee and to the floor) from the front, sides or rear. Some of the
biggest football players receive some of the worst injuries to their knees. Attacking this target can
maim for life. Lesson: if an attacker cannot stand, they cannot attack.

The Primaries
These targets, when attacked with power, can produce unconsciousness and even death.

4) TEMPLES - Right behind the eyes, on the side of the head. Striking this target with enough
power and at the right angle can kill. Can be struck by just about any weapon (knuckles, elbows,
knees, head, etc...)

5) SIDES OF NECK (BRACHIAL PLEXUS ORIGIN) - Located about two inches below the ears on
both sides of the neck. A powerful blow straight toward the center of the neck can produce
unconsciousness. Striking with the blade of the hand ("karate chop") or hammerfist work splendidly,
though many other weapons would suffice.

6) BASE OF SKULL - Located where the spine meets the skull in the back. Strike using a 45
degree upward angle towards the center of the head. You can use your elbows on this target with
great results. A decent blow will produce unconsciousness; a very powerful blow could kill.

7) JAW - A powerful blow to the jaw can produce unconsciousness. The jaw can be struck from just
about any angle - from the front, sides, bottom or rear quarter. Palm heels or elbows can work
wonders here.
 The Secondaries
These targets, when attacked with power, can cause great pain and damage.

8) GROIN - Works best on males. Must be attacked quickly as it is usually instinctually defended.
Results can vary from immobilization and great pain to nothing. Do not rely on this target to produce
all required results - follow up with further techniques. Adrenalized attackers have been known to
shrug off powerful kicks to the testicles when in a rage. An effective target - but do not overestimate.

9) COLLARBONE - Strike powerfully downward and into the chest to break (takes very little force to
break). A broken collarbone can quickly incapacitate a determined attacker. The hammerfist or
elbows make great tools when striking this target.

10) EARS - Using the palms of your hands, collapse them suddenly on the ears of your attacker.
Damage is done by compression and rupturing of the eardrums. Ruptured eardrums can be very
painful and produce shock, nausea, inability to balance, and possible permanent hearing loss.

11) SOLAR PLEXUS - Strike into this nerve center powerfully to stun and "steal the breath" from
your attacker. A rear elbow strike to an attacker behind you can produce quite satisfactory results.

12) NOSE - A powerful strike onto the nose can easily break it. Even a modest strike can produce
great pain and uncontrollable tearing. This target serves well as a precursor to more strikes. Good
weapons to employ when striking the nose are the palm heel, hammerfist, head, or knee.

13) RIBCAGE - Striking into the lower "floating" ribs can cause great pain and incapacitate an
attacker. A powerful blow could break the ribs and even send bone debris into internal organs such
as the lungs. This kind of damage could possibly kill an attacker. Both the elbows and knees are
well suited to damage this target. Strike this target when it is opportune and follow up if necessary.

Joint break Targets

There are some styles which advocate attacking the joints of the body to either control the person or
to do damage by “breaking” (dislocation is more accurate) the joints. Joint locks aren’t good for the
average person to try in a self-protection situation. Leave that to the police because they have to try
and control the person before they can escalate their level of force. So that just leaves joint breaks,
which have a problem because in order to get MOST joint breaks to work, your opponent has to be
a “willing participant”. This is NOT going to happen in a self-protection situation. So in order to
effectively use joint breaks in a self-protection situation you have to do one of two things: either
“soften up” your attacker with numerous strikes FIRST then apply the joint break, or focus your joint
break on an area that is VERY FRAGILE. There are really only THREE joints that I advocate as
being viable targets. Here they are:

14) Fingers – This is probably the best target for a joint break because hyper-extending the finger
joints (bending the joints PAST their normal range of motion) will cause tendons to tear and
separate the fingers from the hand, causing it to become useless. I feel this is probably the most
effective joint break because you can’t make a fist or hold a weapon with your fingers peeled back
like a banana skin.
15) Ankle/Feet – This area is the next best target for a joint break, mainly due to the fact that a
person’s ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT is directly on top of the ankles. To break an ankle, just plant your
foot on top of your opponent’s foot and shove them either backwards or to the side. By “anchoring”
their foot to the ground, that causes the ankle to hyper-extend and just like the fingers the tendons
will tear and the ankle joint will separate. Also stomping the “Achilles” tendon (the tendon that
attaches to the heel of the foot) will result in severe damage to the ankle. They can’t chase you if
they have a busted ankle. Joint breaking the foot is a little different. There are several small bones
that make up the foot. So stomping down with a great deal of force will actually result in broken
BONES, along with torn tendons…in most cases.

16) The Shoulder – This is the only “major” joint that I think a joint break would be effective against
in a self-protection situation. The best way to accomplish this is hyper-rotation of the shoulder joint,
which just like the other joint breaks will cause the tendons (and ligaments) to tear from their
connecting points and causing the joint to fail. The move to accomplish this is fairly straightforward
and simple, but a little difficult to describe without pictures. So I will save that for future versions of
this paper, which will include photos of various techniques.
 The Universal Attack Points
The following images are ones that I did some time ago. They don’t show ALL of the points
mentioned in the previous pages, but you can add those in yourself if you want.

(front)
The Universal Attack Points
(rear)
 Universal Unarmed Combat Techniques
There are probably as many different techniques as there are people practicing them. So how do
you figure out what techniques work the best FOR YOU? There is really about only one criteria that
needs to be followed and that is that no matter the technique, it has to be EFFECTIVELY
REPRODUCEABLE UNDER STRESS. Meaning that you have to be able to do the EXACT same
thing and get the EXACT same result…EVERY time! For the majority of the human race, the most
effective techniques are going to be the ones that only involve gross motor function. This is any
movement that doesn’t require a high degree of dexterity to perform and in most cases can be
performed without even thinking about it.

Here is a brief list of what I think are the most effective unarmed combat techniques:

Hand Techniques – Palm Heel Strike, Claw Strike, Eye Jab/Gouge, Ax-hand Strike, Combat Slap

Foot Techniques – Front Snap Kick, Side Kick, Stomp

Close Quarter – Elbow Strike, Knee Strike, Head Butt

Defensive – The Shield, Parry

You’ll notice there aren’t really many “defensive” techniques listed. That’s because most defensive
techniques require TIMING, which I consider a fine motor function because it requires lots of
training to develop the necessary timing to pull off most defensive techniques. The Shield and
parrying are both based on the instinctive “flinch” that everyone does, so they don’t require as much
training to become effective.

For footwork, I recommend using the “clock principle” made famous by Ed Parker, the Founder of
American Kenpo Karate. The principle works like this: You are standing in the middle of the
“clock”, with 12 o’clock being directly in FRONT of you, 6 o’clock being directly BEHIND you, 9
o’clock is to the LEFT of you, and 3 o’clock to the RIGHT of you. By using this easy-to-understand
principle you can learn how to protect yourself against an almost unlimited number of attacks. For
the most effective way to advance (remember, always advance) is to use a WW2 combatives
technique called a “drop step”. The most basic explanation I can offer for the movement is to take a
“natural” step forward and as the foot begins to return to the ground you launch your technique, so
that your forward momentum from stepping forward is carried over into the technique. This allows
you put your bodyweight and forward momentum into the strike, thus increasing your striking power.
There is another variation which involves you sliding your rear foot forward until it is directly behind
the lead foot. From there, you pick up your lead foot and “stomp” toward your opponent. Just like
the first version of this movement, you launch your attack as the lead foot comes down. The benefit
of this version is that you are supposed to be able to use this on uneven terrain without fear of
tripping.
 The Concept of E.S.P.
Here’s a concept I came up with some time ago. This doesn’t have anything to do with “extra
sensory perception” (but I had a “feeling” that you already knew that.). Instead it stands for: Evade
and Escape, Stand Your Ground, and Proactive. Here’s how it breaks down…

E = Evade and Escape

This is probably the most basic of self protection modes. All you are doing is only what is absolutely
necessary to get away...no more, no less. This can be as simple as walking away. It can also be as
complex as using a martial art move to inflict minor to moderate injury so you can escape. Even so,
this is a mode that just about anyone should be able to perform WITHOUT any formal training. This
is going to be the most "legally safe" way to defend yourself. Remember what Larry Wick; the
creator of the Split Second Survival System says...The best defense is to buy them a drink!

S = Stand Your Ground

This is the mode that 99.5% of all martial artist train in. This is the mode where you aren't able to
"Evade and Escape", or you CAN but decide NOT to. You've decided you're going to "take them
down"...just as you were trained. Your attacker has initiated their move and you engage them in
what would be called "mutual combat". This mode is a "legal minefield". If you are successful in
defending yourself, you could actually face charges from the police for "attacking" your attacker. Or
worse, you could also face a civil suit from the attacker for injuries sustained by your hands. (Just so
you know, it makes it harder to defend yourself in court if it is brought to their attention that you are
a trained martial artist.)

You notice I said, "If you are successful in defending yourself." That's because there are MANY,
MANY factors that can change the situation, preventing you from being successful. If someone is
larger and stronger than you (which will be an EXTREMELY HIGH probability) then standing toe-to-
toe might not be such a good idea. The solution, in my opinion, in this situation (assuming you can't
escape) would be to acquire an "equalizer" of some type to better defend yourself. By equalizer, I
mean something that actually gives you the ADVANTAGE. You NEVER want to be on "equal
ground" with your attacker.

P = Proactive (versus Reactive)

This is a mode that very few people train in. Simply because it is VERY difficult to explain to the
police why you took someone out before they had a chance to violently act against you. With that
said, I feel that there ARE specific situations where a "pre-emptive strike" is the ONLY option for
you. A situation where you either TRIED Evade & Escape and it failed, or there was no chance to
engage in E&E. Also engaging in "mutual combat" would NOT be in you "best interest" (meaning
you feel you'd be seriously injured or lose your life). An example would be a carjacking. You give
them the keys, hoping they will just jump in and drive off. That would be an effective E&E. But
instead they now demand that YOU get in with them (this can be for anything from wanting to rape
you to wanting to kill you). Now the situation has become such that a "pre-emptive strike" would be
the best (and probably ONLY) course of action so that you can escape and notify the police.
Ok, you are thinking to yourself, how will this help me? I think this concept is good for a couple of
things. One, it could be used as a "research tool". You could read up on past crimes involving
violence on another person and figure out how the victim could have possibly changed the situation,
using E.S.P. It could, possibly, be used as a tool to help you create “tactics” for how you would
respond to the different types of attacks. Tactics, in my opinion, are one of the few things that aren't
focused on enough in self-protection training. Many "experts" will tell you that you CAN'T "plan"
how you will respond to an attack. Yet I feel that by using “visualization skills” you can improve your
ability to react to a wider variety of situations. It has been proven time and again that using
visualization can be used to improve yourself in countless ways.
 Spinal Reflex Vs. Pain Compliance
If you already train (or have trained) in some form of fighting, then I have a question for you. Do you
work with pain compliance techniques, or do you try for spinal reflex reaction? For those who
don't know the difference, I'll try to explain as best as I can:

Pain Compliance Techniques - This is pretty much self-explained. Any technique that allows you
to generate a response due to over-stimulation of specific nerve endings. Jiu Jitsu, Aikido and other
similar arts use these techniques frequently.

Spinal Reflex Reactions - This happens when a nerve impulse is sent to the brain and the spinal
cord at the same time. The result is a reflex reaction before the brain has a chance to respond.
Examples would be the "knee jerk" test, or when you touch something hot and you quickly jerk your
finger away.

So what does this have to do with self defense? In a word...LOTS!

Pain compliance techniques aren't very effective in a self defense situation mainly because pain is a
SUBJECTIVE feeling. Everyone has a different pain threshhold level. I personally have a
moderately high threshhold, whereas my wife will holler if I even poke her just a little too hard. But
at the same time, the threshhold level can change INSTANTLY in a person. Either through the
influx of adrenaline or just sheer willpower. I've seen plenty of patients where I work just decide that
they weren't going to let the pain stop them and just keep working...even though their level of pain
has NOT decreased.

Another reason is that when a nerve is overstimulated for an extended period, the body will begin to
"re-route" around that particular nerve ending. This results in the nerve endings no longer being
able to be overstimulated.

Does that mean that pain compliance is useless? Not really. It is useful for controlling, briefly,
someone who isn't really trying to do you any serious harm. These people are the ones that you
see being easily "handled" by a single police officer.

So where does that leave spinal reflex reactions? In my opinion, this is what you want to strive for
when you are practicing...simply because they can be applied with a CONSISTENT REACTION
everytime. An example would be the throat strike. Doesn't matter who it is or what they are
on...you pop them in the throat HARD and you WILL get one or more spinal reflex reactions.

Such as:

Their head will drop down to protect the throat...

Their hands will go to their throat, also to protect...

They will step back, even if it's just a step or two, to release the sudden pressure on their
esophagus...

Another example is striking the eyes. This target should give you the following spinal reflex
reactions:

BOTH eyes will immediately close...even if you only hit one.

The eyes will begin to tear up, resulting in blurred vision...

The head will move away from the source of the attack (your fingers) to protect the eyes...

The hands will come up and cover at least the eyes, most likely the whole face, to further
protect the eyes...

The GROIN will be “projected” forward, as a result of moving the head backward. This gives
you a new target to strike.

All of these reactions will give you the time to either run or to continue the attack.

So the next time you are practicing ask yourself this question:

"Could I FIGHT my way through the pain this technique generates?"

If you're answer is yes, then it may be time to re-examine how you are applying the techniques.
See if there is a way to generate a spinal reflex instead of pain compliance.
 Weapons of Mass Production

Any object that can be picked up and used by one to cause bodily harm to another can be
considered an improvised weapon. For common, ready-at-hand weapons, they can include:

• Common sports equipment (baseball bats, golf clubs, cricket bats, ski poles, pool cues,
croquet mallets, hockey sticks, dumbbells and their handles)
• Any object made of glass with a grip (beer mugs and bottles)
• Clothing accessories (belts or scarves for choking, walking sticks, umbrellas, finger rings
(used as knuckle-dusters), steel-toed boots, chain-wallets, spike bands; shoe laces and belts
can also be used as an improvised whip, a common form of domestic abuse, unlikely, but not
impossible, that one would have enough time to remove it in an actual fight)
• Tools (hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, chisels, saws, box cutters, hatchets, pick axes,
crowbars, nail guns, fire extinguishers)
• Construction materials (2×4s, pipes, rebar, chains, bricks, wood, ropes (for strangulation))
• Vehicular maintenance tools and parts (tire irons, bike chains, bicycle pumps, chain-style
bicycle locks, car antennas, windshield wipers)
• Kitchen utensils (knives, forks, meat cleavers, ice picks, frying pans, rolling pins)
• Musical instruments (cymbals, drum sticks, piano wires (for strangulation), guitars or any
stringed instrument with a long neck)
• Farming and gardening tools (pitchforks, axes, shovels, spades, hoes, machetes, pruning
shears, Kaiser blades, chainsaws)
• Nautical and boating equipment (oars, paddles, anchors, harpoons)
• Office, art and school supplies (letter openers, scissors, X-acto knives, pencils, rulers,
staplers, paper cutters)
• Cleaning and janitorial equipment (broom/mop sticks, plunger handles, dust pans,
squeegees, long thick handled brushes)
• Interior decorations and furniture accessories (fireplace pokers, curtain rods, candle holders,
pillows (for suffocation) chair/table legs)
• Personal grooming products (straight razors, scissors)
• Medical equipment (scalpels, syringes (if containing a poison or other harmful substance))
• Any liquid that causes pain upon contact with skin (Hot coffee, soup, boiling water, battery
acid)
• Natural debris (tree/bush branches (used as a primitive club or staff), rocks, sand (throw at
eyes)

As you can see, the list can be pretty much endless. Use your own imagination and experiment.

In conclusion, I’d like to thank everyone who inspired me to finally write down my thoughts and
ideas. I hope that this will turn into a great publication that everyone can benefit from.

Until next time!