Meet a self-defense genius

MON Tulfo, my valued friend, was on the line the other day to offer me something special.

“Want you to meet my friend, a defense genius, who has just finished another book,” Mon said.

Thanks, but he might be of better help to Chief Justice Corona, whose chief counsel was not feeling well the last we heard.

“No, this is John Savan, a self-defense specialist who’s promoting his new book, Counter Strike, a three-second survival system.”

OK, brod, please put him on.

* * *

John Savan is a martial arts instructor who specialized in the world of aikido in the Philippines in the mid-’80s. With a solid background in judo, aikido, taekwondo and muay thai, Sensei Havan turned to self-defense in 1990 while working in Thailand, where he trained in kickboxing. After an incident in the tourist bar district of Pat Pong in Bangkok, where he was attacked by a group of transvestites, he came to the conclusion that fighting by the rules (as in martial arts) in a street confrontation “was asking for a trip to the hospital or the morgue.”

* * *

So how is self-defense different from martial arts? I asked Havan through an e-mail.

“Self-defense is often confused with martial arts. This confusion often puts people off because they think that it will take years of training and a lot of money before they can kick like Bruce Lee or throw people around like Steven Segal. In fact, self-defense is a pared down version of martial arts: simpler and much practical.”

Kindly explain further, sir.

“Self-defense is for use in real life situations, where there are no rules; martial arts, on the other hand, are for demonstration or competition under a framework of rules and regulations. Self-defense is actually a catchall term that covers any action a victim consciously or unconsciously takes to survive an attack.”

* * *

Do you have a basic principle you could share with the layman?

“When in real danger, go for the eyes and the groin.”

Savan said Counter Strike is a real-life fighting system, not a martial art, not a combat sport.

This is detailed, with accompanying diagrams and illustrations, in his new book, which he also likes to call a manual on basic attacks, unarmed attacks and armed attacks.

“The book is about a practical form of self-defense against empty-handed attacks (kicks and punches), against a knife and a gun. Also included are chapters on rape and special situations, namely, attacks in bedrooms, in jeepneys, in hotel hallways, and other closed areas where there is not much room for maneuvering.”

* * *

After working and training further on self-defense starting 1990 in Thailand, Savan, a Frenchman, returned to the Philippines in 1995 and taught Counter Strike at the Makati YMCA, the Asian Development Bank, the Fort Bonifacio military base. He also trained a mix of upper income middle class professionals and young college students, none of whom had taken up martial arts before.

Counter Attack is published by the Booklore Publishing Corp. in Sta. Cruz, Manila, tel. 743-7323.

The sensei, a published novelist, invites everybody to his website (www.jhavan.com) where excerpts from the book can be read.

He welcomes personal inquiries by e-mail and holds walk-in classes every Sunday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at his home in Sucat, Parañaque.

May the Holy Spirit defend you all against evil this season of Lent.