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Travis was alternating between viscous fists aimed at Rory\u2019s head, and getting him in a last minute chokehold to even the score card in the last few seconds of the middle weight, mixed martial arts, headliner fight. Rory however, had different plans. Each time Travis reared back he would buck his hips against Travis\u2019 mount position, knocking him off balance, and each time Travis would reach out for the choke, Rory would guard his neck using small DEFLECTIONS by making little circles with his hands.\nTravis all at once got really anxious as he glanced up at the timer, and saw he only had a few seconds left. He knew he was behind in points, and that\u2019s when it happened. Rory DEFLECTED Travis\u2019 hand away, bucked him up really hard, and escaped. Ding, ding, ding! That was it. The round, and match was over and Travis knew he\u2019d lost.\nStanding in center ring the referee took them both by one hand, and Travis heard the score, confirming what he already knew. He\u2019d lost. Rory\u2019s hand shot up, assisted by the referee, as the winner.\nTravis had actually been way more aggressive than Rory, and had still managed to loose. Truth be told Rory was just really good at defense, and had been especially successful at DEFLECTING everything Travis could throw at him.\nIn self-defense, and even in cage fighting, if strength, and speed cannot be overcome, a really great defense like DEFLECTING may be enough. Rory had been in just that position. Not as fast, now quite as strong, Rory had relied on his DEFLECTIONS to keepTravis\u2019 gloves off of him.\nIn life, we might find ourselves not fast enough to respond with much else, and yet DEFECTIONS of comments, like DEFLECTION of fists, might be enough. The key here is that DEFLECTIONS in self-defense work against chokes, and other DEFLECTING techniques against fists that are too powerful, too fast and too overwhelming to deal with.\nIn life it\u2019s much the same. Perhaps a colleague shoots off a verbal insult, not good natured, not well timed, just rude. As with all forms of bullying you can\u2019t just ignore bullies in hopes that if you ignore them they will go away. Studies show they won\u2019t. In fact bullies become more, and more emboldened at the first signs of weakness, and the situation accelerates, and intensifies.\nThis leaves us with either the standard, \u201cJust ignore him and he\u2019ll go away,\u201d the all too favorite solution of grade school teachers, throw out a quick comeback to start an inevitable fight, or files appeals to HR. Although HR should always be an option, still the comment might not be inappropriate, racial or anything really. Just rude.\nThe next time you find yourself in a fast, furious, flurry of verbal, or emotional fists or chokeholds consider DEFLECTING. DEFLECT!\nAllen Hughes\nWarrior Way Life Defense\n#lifedefense #deflect #allenhughes.\nPhoto by Bruno Bueno from Pexels