Picture this: you are shopping on a beautiful Saturday morning in your downtown shopping district. A protest is occurring nearby that you hardly notice as you go about your business. As you step out of a shop, you realize that the situation has quickly changed from a “peaceful” protest into a full scale riot. People are scattering all over, beginning to trample one another in mass hysteria and you’re stuck right in the middle. What do you do?
This is just one of many situations thrown into movies; it could be a riot, an earthquake, or a wave of zombies. You always see the star fighting their way through crowds to save the helpless child, but would that be you? Rioting seems to be happening increasingly often all over the world today. There are famous large riots you see on the news or read in the history books, but there are small ones too. If a riot broke out and you were in the middle of it, would you have the strength, agility, and knowledge to get through it?
The following are a few ways to build strength, as well as some methods of getting through large crowds. Just like most dangerous situations, the best course of action to reduce the likelihood of injury or death is by avoiding the riot altogether. These techniques are very impact-intensive and should only used as a last resort.
Cannonball
Here is the situation: a large crowd erupts and a riot is coming towards you. Unfortunately, you’re cornered and the only way out is straight through. How do you do it? The Cannonball. The Cannonball is a diving continuous roll that creates momentum and allows you to keep a low center of gravity to go through obstacles.
Performing the Cannonball:
- Start in a low squat with one leg behind the other and your arms out in front of you.
- Take a big hop-step forward and jump into a diving roll in the air
- Keep your chin tucked and rotate onto the ground over one shoulder.
- In the middle of the roll, bring your knees into your chest and hold onto them, keeping your chin tucked.
- Continue the roll; your body will look like a cannonball at this point.
- You may need to push a little with the balls of your feet on each rotation to add momentum.
- Once through the crowd or a particular distance, hop back up onto both feet into a standing position.
The Juggernaut & The Turtle
Now, let’s say you don’t have that space in front of you to start the Cannonball, you were caught in the midst of the group. How do you get through? How do you avoid getting trampled? Enter the Juggernaut and the Turtle.
Performing the Juggernaut:
- First and foremost, you need to protect your head, this is the most important part of your body, so lower your head and tuck your chin, keeping your arms up to protect it.
- Put one leg behind the other and drop into a deep squatting lunge.
- Once you are level with everyone’s midsection, lean forward while walking quickly.
- Make sure you stay in the low deep lunge while you walk and you lean your body forward, keeping your arms covering your head; use your forearms to go through the people.
- Keep your abs engaged and keep breathing to help avoid losing momentum, once through, start running.
- You can also do this using a person in front of you (pushing them forward to avoid any contact). Sorry to say, sometimes you have to think about yourself.
Performing the Turtle:
- If you start to go down here is something you can do to help you not get trampled. If you fully go down that is where you get stopped. First keep your arms in tight close to your head covering it, keep your head down and chin tucked.
- Then be down on your knees forward in a turtle like position. Keeping your abs engaged.
- In this position you can take the brunt of a lot of weight.
- Slowly using your forearms and knees begin to crawl forward (making sure to breathe).
- If there is enough space you can do small hops from this position to make it through quicker.
- Once through use your hands on the ground to hop up to standing position and get out of there.
Riot Strength Workout
There you have it, you can now get through crowds a few different ways. To help work on your “riot strength,” perform 3 sets of the following exercises, 25 reps a piece.
Performing Turtle Crunches:
- Start on your back in a star position (legs apart and straight and arms overhead)
- Curl your body in, bringing your knees to your elbows, chin tucked, and your shoulders and lower back off the ground.
- Push your legs and arms back out to a straight position, not letting them touch the ground. Then go into the starting position.
Performing Body Pushes:
- You can use a large heavy bag or a person for this exercise.
- Start with your left leg forward in a lunge position your hands in front of you.
- Have the person lean back, putting all their weight into your hands.
- Now go into a deep lunge while leaning back, so you can feel all of their bodyweight.
- Slowly push them up into a standing position and continue.
- Make sure the person stays on their heals so you will take the brunt of their weight.
- Perform reps on each side, switching the front leg; this will build up your pushing power
Performing Partner Off the Back Pushes:
- This is an advanced partner drill; make sure you have someone about your size (or a little lighter) to start.
- Start off on your back holding your arms and legs in front of you.
- Your partner will lean backwards towards you.
- Take hold of their back with your hands, and behind their thighs with your feet.
- Left them off the ground into the air above you.
- Lower them down and back up in a push up-like movement for reps then slowly and gently place them back onto their feet
- This will work your push power, abs as well as balance for both partners.
Article Information:
This article was featured in the Dec/Jan 2011 Issue of the My Mad Methods Magazine. “Riot Navigation: Gain the Strength & Knowledge You Need to Deal with a Riot" was written by the Anthony Eisenhower. Learn more about the My Mad Methods Magazine by Clicking Here
Contributor Information:
Brood 9 Martial Arts Head Instructor Anthony Eisenhower has over 15 years of experience studying, practicing and teaching martial arts including Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Coju-jitsu, Capoeira, Kenpo Karate, Gung Fu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Pankration. Anthony studied gymnastics at L.A. Valley College and dance at Loyola Marymount University with the purpose of increasing flexibility and endurance for competition. Find out more.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
