To me there are 3 legends in the Martial arts that changed our perceptions. Bruce Lee that got the ball rolling on MMA The Gracies for ground but by far the absolute master was Geoff. I spent a fortune in the 80's learning garbish and not one instructor talked about, fight or flight, post match adrenalin dumps, controlling the fear or setting up a preemtive shot. I bought the book the fence after reading the brilliant Watch my back and the knowledge in there was worth every penny I had ever spent on learning cartoon techniques in the dojo. I have used his techniques many many times.
Another extremely good reality-based self-defense expert, is Richard Dmitri . And his style Shenshido, i’ve had the pleasure I’ve going to A couple of his seminars. He teach some great stuff like the shredder. If you get a chance check him out. Geoff is definitely a legend in Reality-based self-defense.
Anybody who takes traditional martial-arts training from a LEGIT instructor, and for an appropriately long period of time, must be doing something terribly wrong if he finds himself at a loss in a self-defence encounter. Traditional Dojo training is not "cartoon techniques", it is the basis of any unarmed combat scenario. Of course there are plenty who simply have not the discipline nor the perseverance to do the traditional, so they opt for crash-courses hoping to become like Bruce Lee (as in films!) in a matter of days.
You’re a great man and a great role model. The things you have achieved are all things that I want in my life too - writing, teaching self defence, etc.
Very informative. I know understand the fight or flight scenario. Along with the fence. Wish I'd of known this when I was younger. Would of liked to have trained with Geoff. The techniques and situations of modern life would be invaluable.
Met Geoff a couple times and trained under Matty Evans and John Anderson years back. All very nice and approachable people but you would not want to F with any one of them! My take on the people he refers to with initials are K.H method = Kev Houston from Coventry, as Geoff worked the doors opposite him and pretty much describes Kev (was on Kate Krays 'Hard Bastards' series in Coventry), J.A method John (Awesome) Anderson, probably the hardest bloke in Coventry. The J.G method = Justin Gray (the bloke in the video). Great video , thanks.
My old science teacher Mick Ford was on the doors with Geoff in the late 80's early 90's Mr Ford was one tough Bastard also a black belt he looked a lot like Geoff too ...These videos should be shown to your kids growing up it will save their ass one day for sure 💯💪
Treat everyone with respect and love. To do otherwise is a form of fear. What is fear? Love withheld. If someone wants to fight you it becomes beyond evident
You must be a lot of fun in the checkout line at the grocery store. Glad you arent a cop. Be a lot of dead people out there just going for the identification you asked about....
Can't tell you how thankful I am for you uploading these. Really. Couldn't even buy them if I wanted to, the material is old and hard to find. Thanks A lot buddy!! Cheers
Thinking about all the potential violent situations I’ve been in my life this is the definitive way to minimise problems . Some you learn the hard way, wish I’d seen this video 30 years ago 😀
This is real stuff. Three second fighter. Exactly. I saw it loads of times on the street. Took the fence premise into my training in a good no ego boxing gym. Reallllyyy great practice. Changed my whole outlook. Adrenaline dump wasn’t fear. No ego, respect and self respect. “What can you do against a knife, Geoff?!” “30 miles an hour the opposite way!” ...anyone know what he’s up to now?! No podcast or writing I noticed last google. EDIT: good to hear him again ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3oISeMKUdtU.html
The psychology of confrontation, read this guys book and he knows his onions is well respected among known doormen from he’s era working the doors he ain’t no joke, spend a bit of time listening to his real life defence techniques, hopefully you may never need to use them but they could save you some teeth and embarrassment one night
"It's morally wrong to attack first" . Had to laugh and morals go out the window when you need to protect yourself against scum who have no concept of morals . It's called a preemptive strike and remember the old saying - The only guy who ever bitched about a fair fight was the loser .
@@1gadena Cheers man for pointing that out, also enjoyed re-watching the whole vid, excellent. I think the left hook could work well as demonstrated, but you do have to lean in close, like if you’re slipping a right in boxing, but you could still maintain good control and neutralise their left if you were slipping to your left and get good leverage for the hook, plus they’d never see it coming (often the punches that aren’t seen result in a KO). But I find it surprising that each doorman had their ‘go to’ technique. I’m not a street or bar brawler, although sparred hundreds of gym rounds. But in a bar or something, where the set up is changing all the time, unlike a ring, tables and chairs and people etc I’d think you’d need a different repertoire of ‘off the fence’ counters, depending on space etc so that’s odd, maybe they mix it up but generally use the same technique. Like jab, right cross, left hook is my standard combo for sparring (or was haha but am considering getting back in the boxing gym although 50 yo I’d probably be a bit out of place but wtf). I also like his advise to really drill a single punch to perfection with force. There’s a good film Geoff Thompson directed I think, where this guy learns to be a doorman, and the trainer / bouncer spends a lot of time drilling just a single punch on the heavy bag. For the average guy wanting a simple way to defend them selves if needed, not a fighting person, just really getting the fence right and a single technique is a fast track to a comprehensive strategy that could save your arse or someone else’s you care about, if need be. Great vid, like the leading ‘question’ just before, interesting, especially as he said he ALWAYS asked a question, and he is said to have fought and won every one of his 300 fights, so can’t argue with that.
Thanks for putting this up Being switched on The Fence and being pre-emptive had saved my life countless times. Do you have Pavement Arena 2 ?Thanks again.
@Dawud Bryant Thank you appricate it . I have the whole collecting on vhs but not tech savy enough to convert or upload. So thanks for putting them up so I can enjoy them again .
I have no idea why you would use your head in any situation, defence or attack. Given most contact sport are determined to protect it. I hugely respect Geoff Thompson and thoroughly enjoyed this video. Cheers.
I wonder how this would work (or be modified) by a relatively short person against a relatively tall/lanky person. A taller person would potentially be able to hit a shorter person even with their ‘fence’ up. I’m sure there are some modifications that could make it still work.
If you can touch them with your fence then you are close enough to strike them just don't get caught in no man's land in their reach for their straight punches where you are out of range for your own. And maybe work on the angle as he shows here figure it out practice on a taller person
A well conditioned power punch, elbows and headbutts for preemptive strikes. Anytime you get jumped or they attack first I'm only looking to counter with eye strikes.
One also has to be able to asses who he is dealing with. To my experience only an untrained individual will come right into your face getting aggressive. The fighter (the one you should be cautious of) will keep his distance and close in when he is ready for the kill.
I dont mean to disrespect, but he says he has gone through hundreds of fights. That to me says maybe there is something he is doing to put himself in those situations. If your true philosophy is to avoid violence at all cost, then id say a couple of hundred fights are a pretty poor result. I have no doubt he is an extremely skilled fighter though.
This video is quite old I don't know the year but I've seen his recent more spiritual talks before his much older self defense videos and he admits he used to have a real chip on his shoulder because he was abused and he used to attract trouble most places he went and unconsciously led himself into fights. He is a great humble guy now with my deepest respects.
He worked on the doors of the roughest pubs in Coventry back in the 80’s , when it was the most violent city in the U.K , violence came with the territory
