SDF 2nd Dan Grading 24th March 2007

Saturday 24th March 2007.

I’m always wary of reporting on personal training events. The danger being that either you sound as if you are grandstanding and over-egging the pudding to satisfy ego or you under-sell the pertinent parts of the experience and you fail to capture the reality because of modesty or a desire to not appear arrogant and self serving.

Either way walking that particular line is a pain in the arse. To that end I’ll just write things as I remember them and any questions you have just fire away and I’ll answer as best I can..

The waiting is the worst bit. You know it’s coming, you know it’s going to hurt. You mentally list each injury you have ever seen in a grading. You examine your ability against those you have seen tested in the past. You remember the pain of previous gradings and each of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities come clearly into focus. The slow release adrenaline begins and the black dog starts barking well in advance of the date you have been given. I’ve seen what this stress does to some people and its not a pretty sight.

The first thing I will say is that you learn a lot about yourself when you are twisting another mans testicles.

That’s not actually as facetious as it seems. What we are talking about is self awareness and learning through taking yourself to a place that normal training simply doesn’t supply. Growth comes in the discomfort and there’s certainly very few things more uncomfortable than the next SDF grading. Each one is progressively worse than the last. That makes logical sense when the guiding principle is one of testing through pressure (the kind of pressure which most of us who do not work within the armed forces, law enforcement or the security industry wont experience on a regular basis. In fact, I have close friends in all of those professions and they rarely experience the kind of consistent and personal pressure an SDF grading represents but that’s a different conversation altogether). What you are being tested for is technical ability, spirit and wherewithal in the face of pain, fatigue and fear. Amongst other things.

For those who are interested in the ethos of an SDF grading you can split the testing ground into two fields. Technical ability and pressure. I cannot emphasise enough that the technical testing stage lasts from one grading to the next. Every training session, every seminar, each conversation includes a tacit evaluation of ability and experience with a view to understanding when the training party is ready to undertake the next grading. Your technical ability has been thoroughly evaluated before you ever step on the mat to grade. The fact that you have the skills to complete the grading is a given before you even make the attempt, the day of the grading is all about youre ability to apply, adapt and create while under pressure. To examine the desire of the person to progress and their ability to utilise their skills while under stress. All the skill in the world is of no use to anyone if you are not prepared to dig in at the point of possible failure and squeeze someone’s bollocks until they squeal.

The 2nd Dan SDF grading that took place on the 24th March consisted of seven rotations.

The first rotation was ten random attacks. Strikes, submissions, take-downs, throws and any combination of the same is allowed for the attackers. As a defender you handle the attack and work to a finish. At this point everyone is fresh and this is really a warm-up to get everyone switched on and firing on all cylinders.

At this point it is worth mentioning who the attackers were on the day. We had six of them. Gordy (SDF green belt and competitive Muay Thai/Kickboxer), Mick (Jiu-jutsu man with 20 years experience), Davey (SDF brown belt, retired SAS trooper), Pricey ( 3rd Dan Karateka, Brown Belt SDF), Trev (SDF stalwart and the ONLY man I have ever seen resist a Dave Turton facebar…I’ll say it again for those who know… RESISTED A DAVE TURTON FACEBAR) oh and Stu Cutty (3rd Dan SDF) our instructor and ring master for the day. Between them all a lifetime of experience in the armed forces and working the doors.

Not a weak link amongst em!

The second rotation consisted of the attackers grabbing and grappling. They chose the grab/hold they want and the defenders defend to a successful finish. Clinches, head-locks, lapel grabs. Etc. Anything that forces the defender to work from extreme close quarters and deal with a grappler. Here is when some bumps and bruises start to develop. You begin to feel the fatigue setting in and you go from being warm and capable to tired very quickly. By the end of this rotation you have faced twenty attackers in total and been forced to both strike and grapple to completion. At this stage you are switched on and you have been fighting at a number of ranges against a number of guys with differing areas of expertise.


Third rotation is the adverse situations. Ten attacks where the defender is at a disadvantage. These include sitting on your backside on the floor when an attacker comes in. Sitting in a chair with your back to an attacker, facing a wall while an attacker approaches from behind, eyes closed and covered (by the ring master) as an attacker approaches from any angle. The list seemed endless but in actuality lasts for ten attacks.

At this point I think I gained some kudos and extra points by throwing a chair at one attacker and a heavy bag at another. At this stage any semblance of control is largely out of the window. It becomes harder to cause serious and significant damage because you are fatigued and your attackers are stepping up to the task and feeling some strain of their own. This was the rotation where I pushed back the little knuckle of my left hand… again! I can see the point here, this is the “what if” rotation. The rotation that asks.. what if you are carrying bags, what if you are sitting down, what if you are standing at the urinal, what if you are tying a shoe-lace, what if you get blind-sided or judased. You have to be able to cope with them all.

Now to make things worse.. the defender who goes last in this rotation stays on for the next. No break just straight into the next ten attacks. I this case it was Andy who was stuck in the hot-seat. That's 20 attackers coming at you with very little chance for rest.

Fouth rotation is harder work again. Here you have to allow your attacker to take you down to the ground. Any take-down or throw they decide upon. From there you have to fight to a dominant position. It’s a killer, especially when you bear in mind that you have already faced thirty attacks by this point. To find yourself being taken to the floor by guys who know how to throw and take you down properly is a nightmare… and painful. Especially when they follow you immediately and are on you like white on rice. Not my favourite position to be in at all but that is the point. You MUST be competent at all ranges against all types of attack. Not just those attacks you prefer. Ten of them later and you are done.

Fifth rotation. Here the defender who was last in the fourth rotation stays on to go first for the fifth. Talk about heart-breaking! In this instance it was me as Andy had suffered through the third and fourth rotations. Here in the fifth rotation you are given a specified finish or technique that you must incorporate into your defence. (impact, submission, destruction, throw, take-down,) any of these or a specific may be asked for (choke, single-leg, power-slap etc etc) This is really to test your ability to bring forward required technique and apply concepts that may be outside of your comfort zone. You must be competent in all areas and you must be able to perform when fatigued and the dark clouds have narrowed your vision and imagination. The attackers have no idea what you are going for they just attack so there is no possibility of them “feeding” you something.

The sixth and seventh rotations are where it gets a bit hard.

Sixth rotation consists of ten attacks coming one after the other as quickly as possible. The attackers work as a unit so that the end of one defence rolls into the beginning of the next. All are waiting less than six feet away for their turn and they step in as soon as they are allowed to move. For example after the first three I was taken to the floor and had to finish my attacker there, before he was up and away allowing me to regain my feet my next attacker had run in and kicked me in the side then dropped on top of me. When I finished with him he held me down until my next attacker pushed him out of the way and mounted me sending shots down into me.

Here there is no chance to breathe, no moment to gather your thoughts just a solid procession of guys working together to deliver a beating. Someone once said that it is difficult for more than three guys to beat you at once, but six guys working together can kill you without breaking a sweat. I’m in complete agreement. By the end of this rotation I could barely stand up (in fact I’m sure I lost marks here because I simply couldn’t get to my feet quickly enough)

Seventh rotation is the mauling and is what most people hear about in the SDF and many people fear most of all. I’ve done a few of these over the years and they genuinely are horrible. Let me be clear, you have NO CHANCE of winning. Your success lies in survival and in not giving in. Your attackers surround you like a pack and at a given signal attack. Kicks, slaps, punches, chokes, submissions. Whatever they can get on you they will. They bear you down to the floor and beat you….then they pull you to your feet and throw you to the floor where the whole process begins again.

I’ve seen the footage of my turn here and I look like a rag doll being thrown around. Each time you hit the ground you are immediately descended upon. The crush is terrible and it’s not a place for the claustrophobic. Gradually all possibility of “winning” is taken from you. All control over the situation is given over to someone else and you are effectively powerless. BUT… that doesn’t mean that you are allowed to give up. A person could succeed in all of the other areas but a cry for mercy or submission at this stage would very likely be their undoing and failure. Once it is judged that you are not going to “crack” under pressure the attackers are called off.

That done Dave goes off and discusses his thoughts while making a decision on pass or fail. Fortunately both Andy and myself managed respectable passes. I say fortunately because I did NOT want to travel to Doncaster and go through the experience a second time! A minute or two later I went to clear my throat and started to cough.. immediately my stomach heaved and I exited to the bathroom to throw up. A combination of stress, exertion and relief that it was all over I presumed. Fortunately for Andy’s mats I made it safely to the bathroom before spilling what was nothing more than a couple of bottles of still lucozade. (curiously, a couple of hours later I did the same thing which led to what remained of the lucozade coming down my nose)

Let me be clear. I’m not some fantasist ninja wannabe nor am I someone who works in the security industry, armed forces or as an LEO. I knew nobody was going to try and kill me on the day... . The worst we have had on gradings is broken ankles, concussions and the like. I wasn’t fighting for my life but I WAS fighting with everything available to me.. all of my resources were spent and had I been fighting with more than a grade at stake I don’t know if I had more to give. I take my training seriously with sessions four days a week combined with at least four gym sessions a week. I was giving myself one day off a week, putting in hours each day either on the mats or in the gym in preparation for being on the mats. In my "down-time" I was visualising technique, working on mindset and anchoring.

I’ve trained extensively with members of each profession listed above and they ALL say the same thing… this stuff is the hardest test of their unarmed skills they have ever faced. That’s just right… so it should be! Many people do this stuff for the same reasons people climb mountains, run marathons, go sky-diving or pot-holing. It's DIFFICULT and it's a challenge. For me it just happens to be a challenge which also provides me with some field tested skills. As someone who is not a magnet for trouble or violence where else can you get such a baptism of fire?

I've seen gradings from first dan up to third and I can see a progression here. First Dan is a test of will, pile the pressure on and see if they crack. Second Dan is a test of ability to Apply, Adapt and Create, Third Dan is pressure and a testing ground for how they handle very specific and debilitating restrictions.

As I have said before. I fully intend to be the oldest 2nd Dan the SDF has ever seen ad I will take some of the favourable comments from my attackers to my grave!

Any questions just ask. Hope you don't mind me putting this in your section Dave .

cheers

Kudos to you, Chris!

Any chance of seeing the video to get an idea of how hard it actually is?
How would the punishment compare to playing rugby as an adult forward in a cup match, for example?

The SDF system is something I am interested in and would seriously consider doing if I was ever in one frigging place long enough from year to year to be able to train consistently. I hate doing things "half-arsed".

Hi Dave,

Not sure how to provide a comparison on the effort required and damage sustained. I felt like I had been run over by a truck for two days afterwards. Everything hurt, but I wasn't injured. I know from talking to Andy that he felt the same.

We're pretty well conditioned I suppose, used to taking knocks and being bounced about. We've both graded in other systems and Andy considers the SDF gradings tougher than his dan gradings for judo. As a benchmark I was running four milers with another mile of intervals prior to Saturday in preparation and I was breathing out of my arse within about 10 - 15 minutes.

I believe Andy has the DVD master-copy of the day. He might be able to sort something out but when it comes to media I am a complete novice I'm afraid.

A very honest and accurate review of the day Chris.. what he failed to mention is that I was teaching an SDF seminar from 10am to 12 noon with both Chris and Andy participating..

then the grading was 12.30 (all of 30minutes rest) to about 2pm

so they were already 'worked'

Chris explains and describes very well indeed (some literary aspirations there mate???)..

Presuure is the by-word of the SDF.. it comes in stages from beginner onwards.. it starts as 'discomfort and works it way up to Hell on Earth..

Chris and Andy are excellent examples of what we in the SDF strive for

I am smug and proud.. Stu Cutty should be 'smugger and prouder'

But Dave I read a letter that said you give grades away and none of your students can handle it for real

Now thats sarcasm

Well done to Chris you should be proud mate

chuckling merrily away here Si5 .. nice one

That's the primary reason I wrote about the day. I was more than a little peeved and insulted at what has been written recently, as were a number of other people I know.

Pisses you off when you work that hard and some no-nothing spouts off without the facts.

Chris wrote:
Pisses you off when you work that hard and some no-nothing spouts off without the facts.

Now, now, Chris - you know you're not doing a proper martial art like Shotokan! I bet the SDF stuff is barely oriental! You probably struggle to speak any Japanese and insist on giving things an English name!
Tcha! Amateur!

Oh if I said what I really thought Dave I'd probably have to ban myself!

Wonder if Mr Sykes would take any part of my comments into the letters page of his magazine??? All verifiable with DVD proof.

I loved Daves (long) reply in this months issue!
It rubbished all her arguments completley!

I cant wait for her reply, but she probably wont bother!
If she does she will try and talk her way out of it, I bet she hasn't learnt the heart of humility and apologising when you are wrong

Im fully prepared to show her how capable an SDF student is! As im sure most of us are!

Anyway a big point she missed...she does Shotokan, hardly a realistic approach to 21st century self protection

Top writeup Chris!


Scarey

Excellent review Chris.

My congratulations, to you and Andy.

Congratulations to both Andy and Chris.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to be involved with the grading
The pleasure bit was that it was you two and not me grading...
Thought I'd better stay on for it as you did ask for small attackers Chris
I was also impressed with the level of control that you both showed despite the physical and mental pressure

Well Done

Trevor

We both really owe you one for holding back and sticking in Trev. Not many want to get involved at that level and take those kinds of lumps or work that hard. Truthfully I think you were the most awkward customer of the day... in a good way.

All the lads were great, piling on the pressure like nobody's business which is just what they were there for.

Though one sneaky character did wear a cup during the festivities. Mentioning no names.

So how do I go about earning one of these Black belts??
Do you have to attend regular classes Dave?
Im nowhere near ready for a THAT black belt grading but I would love to work my way towards one!

My fitness is lacking, which is a combination of work, family and being lazy, but I have heart and can still hit the bag for 12 rounds consistently after sparring etc!

My knowledge is I would say..FAIR-GOOD in matters of self protection/defence, I seem to retain knowledge very well, and I do have first hand experience of violence (im not saying that to look hard-Im a quiet type of person in reality, but when I was younger i used to be a bit too ready too gob off or smack someone).

I learnt a lot from the SDF instructors course and I feel very comfortable teaching groups of people.

Ive done a black belt grading before, and it was hard, I had to do Animal Day (fought 5 times) Loads of techniques, Written exam etc etc, but I really want to work towards one of yours Dave it seems MENTAL!

So any further details on length of time till im ready and how to apply would be appreciated!

Chris

Re; ''though one sneaky character did wear a cup''.... and a very good idea it proved to be too

Trevor

Awesome stuff, Chris -- well done, and well written.

Chris, you are a star sir and I am proud of you.

Sterling stuff
Pete

Chris wrote:Saturday 24th March 2007.

I’m always wary of reporting on personal training events. The danger being that either you sound as if you are grandstanding and over-egging the pudding to satisfy ego

Don't be modest Chris, let it all out. You know you're good but just don't want to admit it.

si5 wrote:But Dave I read a letter that said you give grades away and none of your students can handle it for real

Now thats sarcasm

Maybe we should invite some of these people around and let the "beginners" loose on them.

A terribly belated, but utterly sincere congratulations, Chris.