This is the first post in a series of those, outside Kyushindo, who have influenced my journey.

I mentioned Geoff Thompson in an earlier historical post.

In the 1990s I read his book ‘Real Self Defence’ (now out of print) as it advertised itself as being unlike every other martial arts self-defence book.

The book emphasises that violence should always be avoided if possible, and it focuses on controlling the pre-fight situation through verbal dissuasion, maintaining distance using the “fence” concept, and intimidating posturing if needed. Thompson’s approach is grounded in his decade of experience working as a nightclub doorman in some of the UK’s toughest venues, where he had over 200 real fights.

The ‘Watch My Back’ series of books documenting his doorman’s career is entertaining and informative. For a replacement of the out-of-print ‘Real Self Defence’, I would recommend his comprehensive book ‘Dead or Alive’.

‘The Art of Fighting Without Fighting’ and ‘Three Second Fighter’ provide a more concise pair of books.

Thompson was the first instructor to extensively teach “the fence”, a technique that involves holding your hands in front of you in a non-threatening manner to protect yourself if a situation escalates, without provoking violence.

The true art of self-defence involves identifying the attack ritual in its initial stages to prevent a physical confrontation. Thompson emphasises that pre-fight rituals and dialogue precede most confrontations, providing opportunities for de-escalation.

The pre-fight rituals presented the most significant revelation to me during that period. This included both the aggressive build-up to confrontation and the friendly, distracting side, like asking for the time or directions. Friendly or distracting behaviour disarms you, reducing your effectiveness in countering sudden aggression.

My wife has become accustomed to my maintaining distance from her when several strangers are present, but only one is posing questions, which she likes to answer. This is to prevent us both from being caught off guard by the accomplices. I have only once thought I observed a signal between the strangers to move on from the encounter, likely due to the disruption of their element of surprise.

Returning to the book, it emphasises that if violence is unavoidable, the most effective survival strategy is a pre-emptive strike, followed by an immediate escape. If you honestly believe you’re about to face an attack, Thompson recommends striking first and then immediately fleeing.

The book rejects traditional martial arts techniques that don’t work in real street situations, focusing instead on what actually works when there are no rules or referees.

This may all seem obvious now, but back in the 1990s, there was still a widespread belief that dojo martial arts were all you needed for self-defence and that the solution was 100% physical.

There have also been notable influences from one of Geoff’s associates, namely Peter Consterdine, but in addition to self-defence, he specialises in power generation.