A Martial Art for Everybody: Split Second Survival, Using your Body to Defend Yourself

Larry Wick
Split Second Survival
Master in Tang Soo Do
Although my blog’s title uses the term black belt, I don’t often refer to my martial arts training. I love it. I’m passionate about how it has changed my life. But I’m shy about my skills. I’m not Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris or even a reasonable facsimile thereof. I do instruct but mostly small children. Only occasionally do I teach an adult or an advanced class. So I don’t feel qualified to speak about martial arts.However, I’m going to break my silence to talk about an extraordinary (and fun) instructor, Master Larry Wick who will be coming to Southern Humboldt from his home in Alaska on Feb. 22 and 23. You don’t need to have any prior instruction in martial arts to learn from him.

He has been here several times before and he will take your breath away. He is a Master in Tang Soo Do, the style I practice but he also teaches a different style he has created–called Split Second Survival. He teaches these same skills to bodyguards, the FBI, and police officers. The online zine, The Martialist, raves about his program.

Here is a video in which Master Wick talks about his knife defense techniques. I’m having bandwidth issues and wasn’t able to watch but I’m sure he is as funny and informative as usual.

Friday night’s session will center around Body Logic and how that can be used for the most basic defense techniques without injuring the attacker (a teacher might want to use these with children who occasionally have violent episodes) or for helping elderly people move about safely.

Saturday’s session on Split Second Survival provides simple intelligent techniques that anybody can use to defend themselves as well as some incredible demonstrations of how someone who is advanced in these techniques can defend against 5 or more attackers. This is not, strictly speaking Martial Art in the sense of hand to hand combat but it is using your body to defend yourself so I still call it Martial Art.

Remember, you do not have to have ever had any training in martial arts to benefit from these classes! You will enjoy yourself. My husband and I had so much fun at the last class, we are calling the Saturday session ‘our Valentine’s date!’

The sessions are offered at Dragon Heart Tang Soo Do in the Meadows Business Park Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23 (9 am-6pm). If you pre-register before Friday the 15th, the cost is

$50 for Friday only

$100 Saturday only

$150 both days

Late Registration”

$70 for Friday

$130 for Saturday

The classes aren’t cheap but they are worth every cent.

If you have any questions, call 923-2886 or 498-3546.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

37 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

I was able to view the entire video (15 minutes). He didn’t use any humor, and basically what the video showed is what you cannot do successfully to an attacker with a knife at your throat. Hopefully that will never happen to me. I was hoping for the “split second” move that would save me, but I guess he is saving that for the live sessions.

Staff
Member
16 years ago

Ahh, I’ll be able to see it after 11 (my satellite internet server allows more free use after 11) so I’ll check it out. In real life, Master Wick is really funny. (I should probably call him Larry. He doesn’t like Tang Soo Do formality with Split Second Survival.)

Honestly, if you haven’t trained, a knife at your throat is pretty hard to deal with. He does give you techniques at the class but you would need to practice them. What he does is give you some very smooth and realistic ways you can protect yourself from the average attacker. Then he shows you what you could achieve if you were willing to work at it. I’ve seen him take 5 guys with guns and knives and “kill” all of them.

Kevin who is pretty skeptical was incredibly impressed. The stuff “Larry” (my Tang Soo Do training is screaming “disrespect” at me) teaches you is something you could use right away. It has to do with distraction and relaxation and sticking to your opponent–touching them. I’m going again for a refresher course because it is so easy to lose it all.

I think you would find the Friday night session incredibly helpful. The body logic is understanding using your body intelligently. By the time you are through you understand the strength in triangles and making your body work. For instance, your grip is stronger if you use your outer two fingers instead of your whole hand. And if you keep your elbows anchored to your side you are stronger than if you extend them.

Boy do I need a refresher course. This is why I don’t talk martial arts. I’m just beginning to understand ’cause I’m so not natural at the athletic part of life.

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

By “outer two fingers” do you mean pinkie and pointer, or pinkie and ring finger? He was alluding to using pinkie and ring finger as part of the “knife at the throat” protection. He also said he looks at the attacker and thinks “this guy is dead” instead of “oh oh I’m a goner”. That would be something I’d have to practice a whole lot. I think my risk of being in this situation is practically non-existent but then you never know.

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

By “outer two fingers” do you mean pinkie and pointer, or pinkie and ring finger? He was alluding to using pinkie and ring finger as part of the “knife at the throat” protection. He also said he looks at the attacker and thinks “this guy is dead” instead of “oh oh I’m a goner”. That would be something I’d have to practice a whole lot. I think my risk of being in this situation is practically non-existent but then you never know.

Staff
Member
16 years ago

Pinkie and ring- the ones farthest from your thumb. What I realize, looking at this video, is it comes somewhere in the middle of his instruction. He has already taught the basic being relaxed and the basic distraction. You can get some sort of idea of how slow and easy he takes things but he is much funnier in person and he starts with some basics.

Here he addressing people who already have training. Notice he talks about how martial arts classes go– “work with each other in class,” blocks, and holds etc. In the Saturday class, he’ll start at earlier point before knives and then work up to them.

Staff
Member
16 years ago

I just was thinking about what you said, “I think my risk of being in this situation is practically non-existent…” Aren’t you the lady who woke up with an intruder in your bedroom? Or are you thinking lightning doesn’t strike twice? …

Staff
Member
16 years ago

Almost every woman I know has been attacked in some manner (of course, a lot of women I know are martial artists and we tend to come to the programs because we’ve been helpless before and we don’t want to be ever again). Split Second will give you some tools to help. It isn’t a magic wand but every time a woman (or a man) learns a new tool to protect themselves, it makes the world and them much safer.

The first self defense class I took back at Redway School when I was a twenty something taught me the first tool. “I have the right and responsibility to defend myself. If someone is trying to hurt me, I can hurt them back.” I used to think that I need to be all Ghandi but there are times and places to hurt someone. Self defense not only teaches the tools on defense but teaches control so you only hurt when you absolutely must.

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

That intrusion was back in 1980 and I lived in an apt not far from HSU campus and I think this was a young college-age kid hoping to find money or expensive jewelry. Boy was he wrong! And he would still be wrong if he tried again today. 🙂

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

That intrusion was back in 1980 and I lived in an apt not far from HSU campus and I think this was a young college-age kid hoping to find money or expensive jewelry. Boy was he wrong! And he would still be wrong if he tried again today. 🙂

Heather
Guest
16 years ago

LOL! Yeah, all he got was a naked hysterical lady chasing him back out the door! 😉

Heather
Guest
16 years ago

LOL! Yeah, all he got was a naked hysterical lady chasing him back out the door! 😉

Staff
Member
16 years ago

See, you already have the first rule down. You have the right and responsibility to defend yourself! That is the hardest for most women to learn. Now you just need some skills to back up your courage.

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

My skills included yelling at him and chasing him. Worked for me! PS Heather, I was NOT hysterical! Just yelling loudly!

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
16 years ago

My skills included yelling at him and chasing him. Worked for me! PS Heather, I was NOT hysterical! Just yelling loudly!

Staff
Member
16 years ago

I think you should write that experience as a blog post. I know it was scary but I have a memory of laughing as you tell it until I roll around in the chair like a balloon with the air escaping. I would love to laugh like that again;>

Jonathan, Cho Dan
Guest
Jonathan, Cho Dan
15 years ago

Hello everyone I was a student of Master Wick for 8 years from the time I was 6 till I was 14. He is an excellent teacher and with what knowledge he has given me has helped me many times when I have been forced to protect the welfare of those around me… He definetly knows what he is talking about, and if nothing else watch those videos and seminars with an open mind, Great blog, just happened to Stumble upon it. Good Luck and God Speed

TANG SOO!

Jonathan, Cho Dan
Guest
Jonathan, Cho Dan
15 years ago

Hello everyone I was a student of Master Wick for 8 years from the time I was 6 till I was 14. He is an excellent teacher and with what knowledge he has given me has helped me many times when I have been forced to protect the welfare of those around me… He definetly knows what he is talking about, and if nothing else watch those videos and seminars with an open mind, Great blog, just happened to Stumble upon it. Good Luck and God Speed

TANG SOO!

Staff
Member
15 years ago

I really enjoyed my refresher class I had with him. I wish I had time to join some others around here who are practicing a couple times a week.

trackback

[…] class I help teach and the Black Belt class I take, is this Split Second Survival. Developed By Master Wick from Alaska but taught by local Marital artists Leland Solomon and Jac Hargrave, these classes […]

trackback

[…] class I help teach and the Black Belt class I take, is this Split Second Survival. Developed By Master Wick from Alaska but taught by local Marital artists Leland Solomon and Jac Hargrave, these classes […]

Martial Art Info
Guest
15 years ago

I was looking for several informations on martial arts for my website and I landed on this articles. The video was an eye opener for dealing with knife attack. Thanks for a valuable info.

Martial Art Info
Guest
15 years ago

I was looking for several informations on martial arts for my website and I landed on this articles. The video was an eye opener for dealing with knife attack. Thanks for a valuable info.

Staff
Member
15 years ago

Master Wick’s techniques are unique and incredibly sensible and useful.

Martial Art Info
Guest
15 years ago

I agreed with sensible and useful.

There aren’t a lot martial art practitioner nowadays that really train with technique that can be used on the street. In fact most martial art will only begin training their students on how to deal with real life threatening situations after they reach black belt.

Keep up the good work

Martial Art Info
Guest
15 years ago

I agreed with sensible and useful.

There aren’t a lot martial art practitioner nowadays that really train with technique that can be used on the street. In fact most martial art will only begin training their students on how to deal with real life threatening situations after they reach black belt.

Keep up the good work

SSS
Guest
SSS
15 years ago

If anyone is interested in taking Split Second Survival classes in the Humboldt county area you can contact either Jac or Leland at (707)223-6416 or (707)932-1113
classes are cheap and you can pay as you go
anyone over 18 is welcome to join

SSS
Guest
SSS
15 years ago

If anyone is interested in taking Split Second Survival classes in the Humboldt county area you can contact either Jac or Leland at (707)223-6416 or (707)932-1113
classes are cheap and you can pay as you go
anyone over 18 is welcome to join

Staff
Member
15 years ago

I highly recommend them. I’ve watched them teaching many times and both are excellent. I wish I could squeeze time out for classes!