DYNAMIS GYM
EDINBURGH
Personal Defence Readiness
S.P.E.A.R. System
The S.P.E.A.R. System™ has been defined as
“The scientific study of human movement as it relates to fear, aggression and violence”.
The S.P.E.A.R. System™ is not a what is traditionally known as a martial-art ‘style’ and is not a martial art in the popular sense. It’s a method of training for real confrontations - a combative science which is based on a genetic survival reflex - the startle/flinch which occurs when we are surprised by events in our physical environment.
The acronym S.P.E.A.R. stands for: Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response. Blauer analyzed flinches and evaluated their positions (pushing away, covering & leaning away, shielding and turning)and proximity to the threat that caused them (the bad-guy), and then he contemplated if they had any tactical applications (they did). So began the humble beginnings of the S.P.E.A.R. SYSTEM™ in 1988.
Because it is based on the body’s own survival mechanisms, the system is easy to learn and easy to retain and applies to everyone, regardless of age, gender or size.
We often see trainees come to the Gym and within one session, realise massive improvements in their confidence, capability and clarity about the nature of real-world aggression and violence.
Further to this, our coaching also includes, from time to time, elements of Physical Restraint and Intervention control tactics. These are derived from a number of sources including the SPEAR System and the nationally-recognised NFPS approved restraint methods. Our Police Service and SIA-badged members benefit from the inclusion of these streams of instruction and from time to time the Gym runs discrete courses on these methods. Our associated corporate training company can be found here.
Above all, legality, practicality and usability should govern tactical options and choices.
Developed by renowned pioneer and innovator Tony Blauer, PDR is an approach to personal safety which encompasses not just the physical aspects of self defence, but also the psychological aspects and the emotional aspects of confrontation.
Tony Blauer was mentioned in the March 2007 edition of Black Belt Magazine as one of the few people who may have “changed the face of the martial arts” through “deciphering the mental component of self-defense”.
Blauer developed a number of ground-breaking psychological and emotional models, alongside the terrifically effective physical elements of this personal defence system. These models and tools form the essential support system which a person, whether warrior or everyday citizen, can use to make the right decisions and act appropriately in dangerous situations.
A core concept of PDR is that the mind directs the body. Under conditions of high-stress, changes happen in the way the brain processes information and communicates with the body. These changes have a high impact on physical and mental performance and can hugely effect the person’s ability to respond appropriately to a situation.
Understanding issue of the mind’s impact on performance helps us to focus on the changes which happen in our physical-mental processes and to develop strategies and training methods which mitigate the risk that these changes cause.
Addressing the [mind] part of the mind-body interface helps us to improve performance when under pressure.
Most of the members at our Gym embrace challenges and risks in their lives with competence and confidence developed through hours of adversity training with their friends. This is the indomitable spirit - making difficult decisions and progressing in life, relationships and work
