Part 2, The story of The N.D.A applicant that got admission into the Nigeia Defence Academy without a god-father - If he can do it. you can do it

Hello fans. I know you have read the Part one of this wonderful story. Here is the cont'd of the part 1. This story is a depiction that entails that those that are applying for the Nigeria defence Academy should never give up. They should remember that impossible mean I am possible. In the United States The Central Intelligence Agency  recruitment was highly competitive so is Nigeria too - The admission into the Nigeria Defence Academy very much competitive like the C.I.A and it have a lot of demand and sacrifices to make  so if you are applying for this year form. Buckle up and hold tight to your God. Let the story continue.

On his Arrival for The Armed Forces selection Board, Ola was searched amidst other candidate for Phones, Sharp object, and other Devices will be Searched for. Candidates that were caught with phone, their phone   condemned in front of their very eyes. But those smart enough were able to  smuggle it in . After the Searching Operation was Concluded. Ola was be asked to produce  his name then the NDA officials who are in charge of Candidates Registration for AFSB will have to confirm if his name if truly he  was shortlisted. After that he was  given a Chest number which occurs according to their name appears on The Exam List. It was be counted backwardly...This Chest number was his Identity.  After The Registration, Ola and others like him will be marched to the Drill Shed where Credentials Screening and Assessment will take place Immediately.(CREDENTIALS SCREENING)

When it was Ola turn his  Waec Scratch Card was be collected from him to checked his real grades whether it is different from the one he uploaded on their site

All your certificates and details from the day Ola reported was documented in a special file which later was passed on to the board men .Ola  eventually scale through all the elimination stages and he thank God for it. Then the Credentials Screening Result was  called after some days. So those found guilty with their Certificates were  sent Home...

(PYSCHOLOGICAL TEST)

This psychological test has to do with testing candidates reasoning and ability to think fast and have a good calculation of something. The candidates were provided with shapes, Lines, pictures to Analyze and Arranged. Ola  was faced with some personal questions. Why did you choose the army instead of the air force the screening officer asked .Ola too replied before he knew that he gave a stupid answer when he said Because Air service men have more probability of dying than Army personnel.  The screening officer shot him a dangerous look that made Ola re-strategize his next response to the next answer. Fortunately after few more questions, the psychological test is over and Ola is still in the List.

.The next was B.P Test(Blood Pressure) Medical test per say

 This stage seems easy and simple but Ola as damned scared he did his best to try and keep your heart calm, avoid thinking much especially from the day he reported for AFSB.  Height And Weight test Ola passed. Even when it was BMI(Body Mass Index) test Ola sucked in all the air he could grab and marched the weight testing machine with full force thus increasing his weight without the Screening officer knowing,

c. Dental Examination, Physical Medical check up. Electrocardiogram

 some electrical wires were be placed on his chest ,  legs and hands. Then the machine reads  to check if his heart functions well and if his breathing Rate is normal. This test is very critical because the result is hardly tempered with.  Ola knew those candidates with  godfather can't do anything thereto secure their admission  and here Ola knew  had no godfather except God who he believed created him. Ola did not even have it in his mind that his form indicating that his father was a war veteran could possibly grace him an admission all he knew is that He trust in God.

Oh!!! When it was the time for the 3.2 km race Ola did his best and he came fifth. Though that was simple to him due to his experience  in amateur martial arts. He is no new to sport or any vigorous activity. He also made two friend among the candidates. Umar and Wariboko  .

  Exam time came and Ola swung into action to unleash his genius potential on the answer sheets. Individual Obstacle Crossing time Jumping across obstacles, ducking under barbed wires with live rounds being spent above their head the process was tough and Ola once considered running away  from training. His mind drifted to the blog post he used to read about the vigorous Special force  training of the U.S Navy seals . His own training he is facing is not up to that yet he was complaining. However he summoned courage and built up his highest bid of morale to quench any thoughts of giving up.  

STEPS TO LIVING A DISCIPLINED LIFE

Every body believes the ambassadors of discipline are mainly men in the military, but I bet there are some strategies you can incorporate from the military to help you in your daily life most especially to the civilans,

Don't feel pressured to be the most disciplined person in the world on day one (does anyone like that even exist? OK,  doesn't count). Start by taking small steps instead. And once you finish one goal, go on to the next one until you feel more comfortable with the process. "Once you have accomplished the goal (getting to work early, avoiding the social media sink hole, being on time for meetings, writing a certain number of words a day), then give yourself a pat on the back and commit to one more day. Once you have been consistent for a few days, the behavior will start to become [a] habit. Humans are creatures of habit — and it won't take long for self-discipline to become the new reality. It may take work for the first few days/weeks, but eventually it will

2. Complete The Hardest Assignments First

Instead of avoiding the hardest assignments, try to complete them first so the rest of your day is easy breezy. "If you have many tasks to accomplish in a day, start with the one you want to avoid [the] most. This will make you gain confidence quickly and help the rest of your day roll down hill easy as pie. If the task is too big, chunk it up. Breaking down big goals into manageable parts help you stay focused and keep [you] from being overwhelmed. A common technique is to use a timer,"

3. Learn How Schedule Your Work

While it's OK to get sidetracked every now and then, try to create a system where you have a list of everything that needs to be accomplished so you don't lose track of what your goals are. "If you're working with long-term goals, use the ABC's to schedule [them]. A is for [it] has to be done today, B is for [it] would be nice and C is for if I were my most awesome version of myself. Update the goals before bed so you wake up ready to roll the next day," says Lloyd.

4. Get Rid Of Temptations

If you want to be more disciplined, you have to get rid of your temptations. Even though snoozing on the couch instead of running is tempting, or that social media app is addicting, keep them out of sight so you can focus on what's most important. "Put away the phone and close the Watsapp  Reddit and Facebook  tabs and make a promise to keep bringing your mind back to the task at hand. You don't have to finish it, just make it a priority. You'll end up getting more out [of] your brain as you hack your attention span. After 45 [minutes] most of us feel a little groggy, so if we stop before, we can gas up the tank before we're stuck on the side of the road,"

5. Do What Comes Naturally

If you have a hard time being disciplined, start with things that come naturally to you to help ease yourself into the process. "If you want to eat more vegetables start with something you're already eating and eat more of it. Use grandma's rule. Anyone most especially the Africans brought up by grannies know this rule that  - You will eat your dinner  if only you finish your breakfast in the morning or else grand ma will be giving you the same left-over fast later. So when [you're] at the gym, think about the body you'll have when [you're] done, or the vacation you'll take in August. Just don't reward yourself with something that backtracks your goals like a gallon of ice cream or a shopping spree that will drain your wallet.

6. Don't Overthink It

If you give up every time you mess up, then you won't get anywhere fast. Be kind to yourself and don't over think it. Ease your way into this new system and soon it may become a habit. You really have nothing to lose. "Stop thinking! Certain things are nonnegotiable, I really don't like going to bed early, but I also really don't like being cranky irritable and nonproductive. There's a great quote about this: 'Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.'

7. Hold Yourself Accountable

Even though you want to be kind to yourself, you also want to make sure that you hold yourself accountable. That means if you "accidentally" watched three hours of your favorite TV show, you should try to make up for that time by working your butt off the following few days. "It’s great to establish goals and create an action plan. However, if there is no accountability built into that process, the effort is likely to fail,” Who or what can help you accomplish the actions you’ve identified?’ What might stand in the way of your success (and how can you overcome those things?), and most importantly, how will you keep yourself accountable? The great thing about accountability in a coaching context is that you develop the method that works best for you."

So what kind of methods work? Some people prefer lists, others rely on trusted friends to help them achieve their goals. You decide upon and commit to use your own method of accountability. Your [career] coach will check in with you at each session to ensure that the process is working, and help you identify something else if it is not.

8. Write Down Your Progress

9. Create Healthy Habits

You will most likely feel better about trying to be more disciplined if you're taking care of yourself first. "When you make something a habit — a regular part of your daily routine — it actually frees up your brain. You no longer have to decide 'Am I going to do this today or not?' You just do it, and your brain is less stressed and freed up for other more important decisions, about creating healthy habits.

10. Remind Yourself Of What's Actually True

"Once you've proven what's true, it helps to remind yourself [why you need to continue to do it]. For example, if you've learned that if you get up and go for a walk when you're tired then you'll have more energy. Plus, [you'll] feel great because you exercised, then remind yourself of this fact. 'I'll feel so much better if I just get up and move' is a powerful way to keep yourself disciplined," . The only way you'll know something is true is if you continue to do it. Don't hesitate to do something that will benefit you. Tell yourself positive affirmations to help you stay disciplined and focused.

11. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals

"Set goals that are Specific, with details to help you achieve success. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant to who and where you are at the time, and Time-bound. SMART goal-setting can help you change the things that stand in your way . Because you're the only person who can alter your future, you don't want to stand in the way of it by making poor decisions. Use this system to set smart goals and make yourself more disciplined for a stronger, better you. You deserve it.

While it might take some time to be more disciplined, it's totally worth it. All you have to do is write down your progress, hold yourself accountable, and set smart goals. Trust me, you're stronger than you think. You got this.

You may read about those people who have built self-discipline especially those in the military. They get up at 5 am, meditate and plan their day, run for 6 miles, and then drink their tea and protein smoothie for breakfast. They do all of this before going to work at their startup, which they hope to take public next month. They never waste time, and their accomplishments are astonishing.

Yet, here you sit, surfing the internet, reading online politics, playing candy crush or temple run, and eating Tantalizer's ice cream straight out of the container.

Is this the life you really want to live? Or, are you searching for a life in which you will accomplish your goals and dreams, no matter what they are?

If this is your goal, the key to success in achieving your goals and plans both in your professional and personal life is to become a more self-disciplined person.

How can you build the kind of self-discipline that other people have? Discipline is critical to career success, so are there tricks to help you become more self-disciplined? There are. Here are eight ways to help yourself become more self-disciplined than you are now.

1. Start Small

You don't need to wake up as a completely different person. As a cultural event, people tend to make resolutions on New Year's Day: They say, this year will be different. Well, you can make this year different, but you don't need to change everything at once. For best results, pick just one thing.

Otherwise, you'll tend to overwhelm yourself with too many changes to make at once.

This defeats your intention of becoming a more self-disciplined person.

2. Identify What You Want to Do Differently

Do you even like kale smoothies? Do you want to? While drinking one may seem like the noble, healthy thing to do, it's not likely to make you a better person. It may make you an insufferable jerk, though, if you are only doing it to show how awesome you are.

If you're focusing on health, pick something that is practical and that will make a real difference in your life. That could be going to the gym, walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator or limiting the ice cream you eat.

If you want to make your career different and more successful, ask what would make a difference. Take a look at the performance of people who have the job you want. What do they do differently than you? Do they arrive early? Stay late? Work from home? Dress up, even though the dress code is casual? Do they respond to all emails within an hour? Figure out the characteristics that you are missing, pick an important one and build on that.

3. Remember You Are dealing with maturity

Matured people don't sit around and wait until someone tells them what to do; they just do it. That may mean giving up some of your downtimes at work, but disciplined people are the ones who succeed, and disciplined means that you keep going even when you'd rather not.

Again, you can start small. If you normally sit at your desk and play on your phone until your manager comes by and gives you a new task, set your phone time for 5 minutes. Then, when the alarm goes off, go find your manager and ask for something new to do.

The timer will help remind you that you are on the clock even if you don't have a task at hand.

Better? Work with your manager to establish such clarity about your goals and the expectations about your contributions in your job that you never have to ask your manager what to do. You just move on to the next task. (Perhaps you may never play on your phone at all. It's conceivable.)

4. Make a List

Part of self-discipline is knowing what you need to do and then doing it. When you're not used to behaving in a disciplined manner, you will sometimes struggle to come up with your next activity. Start your day with a list of tasks that you need to accomplish.

You can make the tasks work-related or plan part of your day for personal items. Everything from emails to laundry to stopping at the grocery store can go on the list.

Checking the items off the list can help you towards developing self-discipline.

5. Make Choices in Advance

If your goal is to pay attention in meetings, choose to leave your phone at your desk. Don't even put it in your pocket. You can't play with it if it's not there. If you want to become more self-disciplined about food, ask the waitress to box up half your meal before she puts it in front of you or choose to always eat just half of the sandwich.

If you want to get on top of your emails, decide how many emails you'll respond to before doing something else, whether it is 5, 10, or all of them. Just decide before the situation presents itself and you'll find it a lot easier to remain steadfast in the face of temptation.

6. Make Use of Technology

Technology makes people flighty—they can always check Facebook or Twitter or reblog something on Tumblr, not to mention playing games and texting friends. But there are also technological tools that can help you build self-discipline just like what this blog is saying.

One such tool is Zen Zone, a brain fitness trainer app that will help you achieve your goals in self-discipline training. Another is Coach.me which helps you form a new habit with their habit tracking app.

Additionally, you can set timers that limit the amount of time you spend playing a game, or on your favorite time-wasting website. Take advantage of these tools. You can use one that tracks your time to give you an idea of how you spend your time and then work from there to lower the number of hours you spend wasting time.

If your goal is a fit lifestyle with a healthy weight, regular exercise, serious walking, and a restful sleep each night, trackers exist to help you. Fitbit, for example, helps you track all of this. While you need to record some of the data, Fitbit connects with other devices to automatically capture, as one example of its capabilities, your weight from a synchronized scale.

7. Recognize Your Limited Temptation Capabilities

If a self-disciplined life was easy, everyone would practice self-discipline. But, it's not. However, did you know that every temptation you avoid improves your ability to avoid the next temptation? So, for example, when you make decisions in advance, you reduce your temptations. This also holds true for decisions in your personal life.

If you want to stay sober and professional at the office holiday party, decide in advance that you will strictly limit your intake of alcohol. If you want to eat healthily, go grocery shopping when you're full and don't buy bags of candy.

If you want to arrive on time for work, go to bed earlier so that you have time to get up and get out the door without feeling pressed for time. If you know that the drive to work varies between twenty minutes and a half hour, always leave expecting to spend thirty minutes on the road.

Figure out a way to make the things you struggle with less available. This will lower the number of times you are tempted to do something that hurts your self-discipline. This will also save your strength for unexpected temptations. For instance, if snacking on sugar coated is a disaster for your diet, don’t buy it. Keep only healthier foods in your cart if when you go for shopping. If you know that you will have a difficult time talking with your boss about a particular topic without rolling your eyes and saying something inappropriate back, plan what you’re going to say in advance.  Then, schedule the discussion for the beginning of the day when you have the most stamina against temptation.

8. Remember That Failure Is Always Part of Succeeding

Many people want to become self-disciplined and then they make a mistake in their hoped-for routine on day two and give up. You will not make yourself perfectly disciplined overnight, so expect some failure to happen along the way. But, if you plan for it, and understand that you will fail from time to time. one mistake won't derail your whole plan on your way to success.

At the same time, when you experience success, you need to celebrate. You accomplished all of the five goals that you had set for yourself this week. Reward yourself and celebrate in a way that won't undermine your success. (Eating healthily? No food rewards.)

Say that your goal is to gain new clients for your business. A bad reward would be to take three days off from prospecting. A good reward might entail lunch at a fancy restaurant with a friend.

Building self-discipline can help in all areas of your life. If you're ready to get started, pick one area and get going. Don't worry about perfection in all areas at once, and don't worry about failure, just worry about becoming better today than you were last week. Gradually, you'll become disciplined in that one area and then you can move on to the next.

          Have a nice day. Wish you a more disciplined life.

The story of The N.D.A applicant that got admission into the Nigeia Defence Academy without a god-father. Part 1- If he can do it. you can do it too.

The time says 5:30 am. Ola woke up at his newly appointed time to keep to the rules of preparing for his future for  his early hours of waking up at the  N.D.A dormitory. Even if he wasn’t guaranteed an admission yet. He still believe he will be admitted into the  N.D.A.

He stood up from his improvised mattress and gave a loud yawn. Wiping of his face that have been battered by the rays coming from the computer monitor of a cyber café he visited yesterday to continue his online registration.

Talking more of the registration. Ola was so grateful to God that he provided the money, 1 months ago while the form was just out he have wept bitterly because his Parents told him they can't afford the 3500 Naira for the form not to talk of the money to purchase a Jamb form because they have spent  and still spending their money on his elder siblings at the university.

Ola wept bitterly and Pray to God with even serious Fasting but no miracle happened. Well ! God prove he wasn't deaf or dumb and he answered his prayers when Ola had almost given up, Saying in his mind that he would wait for the following year form.

However God bless his dad with some cash he gained from a longtime forgotten shares and thus his Dad was able to generate the Money when the Form was just 3 months old.

Ola was glad and the day he received the money for the form was the day he dashed out for registration not knowing that his problems are just starting. The first obstacle was at the cyber café where he spent more than expected to access the internet. The N.D.A website was seriously slow like a snail due to too much traffic from other users like him too. He purchased 3 hours ticket just to generate a RRR code for his registration. He dashed to the bank to Pay for his code but he discovered the Bank Remita payment system was faulty. He went to 5 different banks to join a heavy queue  with deposit slip in hands which were he never used due to different outcomes. It is either a bank system says Remita isn't paying or another bank charging for additional charges for transfer or the queue was heavy. All these didn’t hinder him from his goals and he finally achieved it when all the total bank he visited was 5 in number, in addition he have spent more than expected in transport fare to visit those banks. 

The next day he visited the cyber café with his RRR code to properly sign up for the form. Luckily for him the traffic on the website reduced and he was able to register only his name and some other details with the exception of documents upload. He knew he the online form requires jamb registration number  so decided to choose some few weeks to work menial  jobs like sweeping for neighbors, clearing the lawn and running errands. He was able to generate half of the money for his jamb and then received half of it from his dad.

He spent the following week acquiring documents and  Educational background certificates from the institution he attended all these cost money and he have to go through hustling mode again to generate money , he thought his problems were over but he discovered there are many more stones to eat when the  N.D.A website was indicating error in each documents he tried to upload . Each time he upload a documents it shows Submitting form and then error. He was even happy the day one documents got uploaded and it indicated done but after he clicked on the uploaded files the site indicated nothing was uploaded.

He spent several weeks at the cyber cafe  to upload his documents 4 days error message until his birth certificate was uploaded, 5 days error message until his J.S.C.E  was uploaded and the took him weeks before his S.S.C.E  testimonial and  other documents were uploaded. Man!!!! You've got to be kidding . All his savings were gone, but at least he achieved his aimed and his registration got completed . He printed out his acknowledgement form, Parent attestation letter, State of origin attestation letter.

He joined facebook groups that are related to N.D.A and he received tips and made friend with a fellow aspirant whose father was a Rtd Navy commodore , Wow!!! That’s a great chance because the person mentioned was from his state of origin and that’s opened the way for him to get somebody to sign his attestation letter. He met the facebook friend live and they hook up to meet his dad for signing of the attestation letter. After all these he went to the court law  to complete his parent attestation.

Heavy Night reading followed up in preparation for his Jamb exam in which he was successful after he bagged 277 in his total score. He got selected for his the  N.D.A entrance exam and did all his best to top the board. All these are his past now and he looked towards the future when his named will be shortlisted an the armed forces selective board list.

Waking up now, He prayed a long prayer ever than before because of this day is the day the armed forces selective board will release the shortlisted names in the local newspaper. Brushed his teeth, did press ups, squats  and jump jacks , practiced some martial arts and then  took his baths. Have the house to him alone since his parent have travelled to the village to attend a wedding ceremony. He was glad he was the last born so he took breakfast and devoured the content of the cooking pot! A mountain of Eba he reduced to mere roads and push it down with an ocean of his tribal soup. 

Tension Time ! He strolled to the the local newspaper vendors . As he walked different thoughts attacked his faith. Different past conversation overshadowed his mind as he thought of the discouragement he received from senior friends that have applied for the  N.D.A course but were not chosen . They told him that without a godfather pulling strings for him  he can't  secure an admission there.

One conversation floated swiftly to his mind. The one he had with his school mates that took the previous year form.

Chike: Ola are you serious! Why will you choose to become a military man, you are even choosing the  N.D.A for that Matter!!!

Ola:  I don’t see anything bad there.

Chike: If you Join the Army . That will be a waste of potential.

Ola:  excuse me what do you mean.

Chike:  C'mon Olaboy we all know you. You the smartest kid ever you a genius You top exams all times and you are fit to be a professor .

Ola: How about  being a military professor.

Chike: No man! Did you know your life is involved. Ola!!! You are worth attending a normal university  and landing in a white collar job. Instead of  N.D.A!

Ola:  Don't try to discourage me, You also applied for  N.D.A course but you were not admitted ! Don’t you think of death when you are applying.

Chike: I am not discouraging you my friend. I am telling you the Facts . No godfather no admission

Ola:  Did you pray about it before applying

Chike: Prayer!!! Can Prayer cure the corruption in this our Country Nigeria . Corruption have eaten deep into the  N.D.A if you don’t know.

Ola: It's a lie our military don’t do rubbish like the police force. Did I hear you say corruption sir!

Chike:  Oh I can see! You are not yet matured. See let me tell you. My name got shortlisted for A.F.S.B  interview and I saw it vividly on the internet

             but the next day when I went to check my name it's no longer there, I discovered that my app. Number have been changed and my name replace with

  another applicants. I was shocked that my name have been sold to another person that have a strong god father. I wrote many letter of complaint to the       

  school board but they didn’t reply me. I tried all things to know why my name got erased but got no explanation.

Ola: Oh! I am sorry about that, You don’t have to give up.

Chike: After all the money and efforts I have put in it I should now apply for another form again! God forbid bad thing!

Ola:  It doesn’t mean .

Chike:  it doesn't mean!!! See your mouth. Shey bi you too have apply we shall see na . You can't get admitted

Ola: Get out of here Idiot! Why will you wish me bad thing. Enemy of progress you are jealous I applied unh.

Chike: (stood up and left angrily and said……………) Mark my words

The conversation drifted past his mind as he saw chike along the roadside. Ola increased his pace so as to avoid being asked of how he is faring in his admission process. Minutes later Ola was close to the newspaper vendor , he muttered a short prayer before giving the vendor money and took the Vanguard newspaper from the book shelf. His eyes surveyed the front page until he come across  a content which says : See Page 37 for the full list of candidates shortlisted for the Armed forces selection board interview. Ola Opened to the Page 37 and his eye scrolled down until he met his name there.

Ola gave a howl of victory and his shouts caught every one attention especially the vendor. Before the Vendor could ask what happen  Ola was already gone . He ran home with Joy unspeakable when he got home He took his phone to Call his parent to inform them about the good news.

This  Literary work is strictly prohibited to be copied from this site and reproduce into another means without the Admin permission. Though it can be shared through the Share buttons. © 2018copyrights.

 To be continued . watch out for part 2 tomorrow . Have a nice day

The most stupid war ever fought

Most wars are fought over serious issues like territory, resources or political freedom, but others arise from bizarre and even comical circumstances. Over the years, armies have mobilized and blood has been shed over everything from tragic misunderstandings and perceived slights to petty border disputes and even sporting events.

The Pig War

George Pickett—leader of American forces during the Pig War. (Credit: Getty Images)

The aptly named Pig War nearly saw an argument over a slaughtered swine lead to a full-scale conflict between the United States and Great Britain. The controversy began in 1859 on San Juan Island, a chunk of land located between the mainland United States and Vancouver Island. At the time, the island was home to American settlers and British employees of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and both parties had laid claim to its fertile soil. The first and only shots of the Pig War came on June 15, 1859, when an American farmer named Lyman Cutlar gunned down a British-owned black boar after he discovered the animal rooting through his potato patch. The ensuing argument over the dead hog increased tensions between the two groups of settlers, and Cutlar was eventually threatened with arrest.
After the Americans reported the incident to the military, the U.S. Army dispatched Captain George Pickett—later a Confederate general during the Civil War—to San Juan with a small complement of troops. Pickett upped the ante by declaring the whole island U.S. property, and the British responded by sending a fleet of heavily armed naval vessels to the coastline. An absurd standoff ensued, and the situation remained on a knife-edge for several agonizing weeks. The two nations would finally negotiate a deal allowing for joint military occupation of San Juan Island in October 1859, ending the Pig War as a bloodless stalemate—save for one unfortunate hog.

The Nika Riot

Circus and hippodrome at Constantinople (Credit: Getty Images)

In 532 AD, massive mobs flooded the streets of Constantinople, burning large parts of the city and nearly toppling the government of the Emperor Justinian—and all of it in the name of chariot racing. The races held at Constantinople’s hippodrome had soared in popularity during the sixth century, and fans had organized themselves into strict factions. These ancient hooligans acted more like street gangs than sports fans, and the most powerful groups—known as the Blues and the Greens—became notorious for their barbarism.
Conflict erupted in January 532, when Emperor Justinian refused to release two members of the Blues and Greens who had been condemned to death. In a rare instance of unity, the two factions banded together and began to riot. In a few short days, they had burned the headquarters of the city prefect, clashed with imperial guards and even attempted to crown a new emperor. Faced with a full-scale revolution, Justinian finally resolved to put down the rebellion by force. After bribing the Blues to gain their support, the emperor launched a devastating assault on the remaining hooligans. By the end of the attack, the riots had been quelled and some 30,000 members of the mob lay dead around the grounds of the hippodrome.

The War of the Stray Dog

Picture of Petrich incident from French newspaper (Credit: Getty Images)

In one of the most bizarre conflicts of the 20th century, a dog inadvertently triggered an international crisis. The incident was the culmination of a long period of hostility between Greece and Bulgaria, which had been at odds since the Second Balkan War in the 1910s. Tensions finally boiled over in October 1925, when a Greek soldier was shot after allegedly crossing the border into Bulgaria while chasing after his runaway dog.
The shooting became a rallying cry for the Greeks, who soon after invaded Bulgaria and occupied several villages. They were even set to commence shelling the city of Petrich when the League of Nations finally intervened and condemned the attack. An international committee later negotiated a ceasefire between the two nations, but not before the misunderstanding had resulted in the deaths of some 50 people.

The War of Jenkins’ Ear

Painting of the capture of Porto Bello

In 1738, a British mariner named Robert Jenkins displayed a severed, decomposing ear before the members of Parliament. As part of a formal testimony, he claimed that a Spanish coastguard officer had sliced off his ear seven years earlier as punishment for smuggling. Spurred on by this stirring testimony, the British had soon declared war on the kingdom of Spain. Thus began the outlandish “War of Jenkins’ Ear.”
In truth, a clash between the British and Spanish had been in the works since the beginning of the 1700s, and Jenkins’ missing ear merely served as a convenient catalyst. The conflict had its roots in territorial disputes over the border between Spanish Florida and British Georgia, as well as the Spanish of boarding and harassing English vessels like the one captained by Jenkins. Fighting began in late 1739, and continued for two years in Florida and Georgia, with neither side emerging as the clear victor. The conflict later merged with the more expansive War of the Austrian Succession, which would not end until 1748.

The Toledo War

Toledo, Ohio, in the late 1800s (Credit: Getty Images)

Michigan and Ohio might now be known their longstanding football rivalry, but the two states once nearly went to war over a border dispute. The argument began in 1803, when the newly formed state of Ohio took ownership of a sliver of land containing the town of Toledo. Michigan territory later disputed Ohio’s claim on this “Toledo strip” in the 1830s, launching a heated debate that teetered on the edge of violence for several weeks.
In what became known as the Toledo War, both sides wrestled for political control of the territory, and both raised militias to defend against a possible invasion by the other. Desperate for Ohio’s valuable electoral votes, President Andrew Jackson finally intervened in 1835, and by 1836 a compromise was sealed. The détente saw Michigan territory relinquish its claim on the Toledo strip in exchange for statehood and a portion of the Upper Peninsula. Many viewed the decision as a grave injustice, but some residents of the disputed region were quick to accept their newfound status as Ohioans. When one woman learned of the decision, she is said to have quipped, “Thank the Lord, I never did like that Michigan weather anyway.”

The Pastry War

Picture of the taking of citadel San Juan de Ulua. (Credit: Getty Images)

In 1828, angry mobs destroyed large parts of Mexico City during a military coup. One of the victims of the rioting was an expatriate French pastry chef named Remontel, whose small café was ransacked by looters. Mexican officials ignored his complaints, so Remontel petitioned the French government for compensation. His request sat unnoticed until a decade later, when it came to the attention of King Louis-Philippe. The king was already furious that Mexico had failed to repay millions in loans, and now he demanded they pay 600,000 pesos to compensate the pastry chef for his losses. When the Mexicans balked at handing over such an astronomical sum, Louis-Philippe did the unexpected: He started a war.
In October 1838, a French fleet arrived in Mexico and blockaded the city of Veracruz. When the Mexicans still refused to pay up, the ships began shelling the San Juan de Ulua citadel. A few minor battles followed, and by December as many as 250 soldiers had been killed. The famous general Santa Anna even came out of retirement to lead the Mexican army against the French, and he lost a leg after he was wounded by grapeshot. Fighting finally ended in March 1839, when the British government helped broker a peace deal. As part of the treaty, the Mexicans were forced to shell out the 600,000 pesos—no doubt a large sum for a pastry shop at the time.

Bye for now!

Have a nice day

Till next week.

Role of women in wars

Women in World War Two

As in World War One, women played a vital part in this country’s success in World War Two. But, as withWorld War One, women at the end of World War Two, found that the advances they had made were greatly reduced when the soldiers returned from fighting abroad.

At the end of World War Two, those women who had found alternate employment from the normal for women, lost their jobs. The returning soldiers had to be found jobs and many wanted society to return to normal. Therefore by 1939, many young girls found employment in domestic service – 2 million of them, just as had happened in 1914. Wages were still only 25p a week.

When women found employment in the Civil Service, in teaching and in medicine they had to leave when they got married.

However, between the wars, they had got full voting equality with men when in 1928 a law was passed which stated that any person over the age of 21 could vote – male and female.

The war once again gave women the opportunity to show what they could do.

Evacuation:

Young mothers with young children were evacuated from the cities considered to be in danger. In all, 3.5 million children were evacuated though many went with a teacher. As young children were normally taught by females, many of those who went with the children were women. The fact that women were seen to be the people who taught the youngest was something that had been going on for years.

The Women’s Land Army:

As in World War One, women were called on to help on the land and the Women’s Land Army (WLA) was re-formed in July 1939. Their work was vital as so many men were being called up into the military.

www.afomicworld.blogspot.com

In August 1940, only 7,000 women had joined but with the crisis caused by Hitler’s U-boats, a huge drive went on from this date on to get more women working on the land. Even Churchill feared that the chaos caused by the U-boats to our supplies from America would starve out Britain.

The government tried to make out that the work of the WLA was glamorous and adverts showed it as this. In fact, the work was hard and young women usually worked in isolated communities. Many lived in years old farm workers cottages without running water, electricity or gas. Winter, in particular, could be hard especially as the women had to break up the soil by hand ready for sowing. However, many of the women ate well as there was a plentiful supply of wild animals in the countryside – rabbit, hares, pheasant and partridges. They were paid 32 shillings a week – about £1.60.

In 1943, the shortage of women in the factories and on land lead to the government stopping women joining the armed forces. They were given a choice of either working on the land or in factories. Those who worked on land did a very valuable job for the British people.

Factory Work:

Many women decided that they would work in a factory. They worked in all manner of production ranging from making ammunition to uniforms to aeroplanes. The hours they worked were long and some women had to move to where the factories were. Those who moved away were paid more.

Skilled women could earn £2.15 a week. To them this must have seemed a lot. But men doing the same work were paid more. In fact, it was not unknown for unskilled men to get more money that skilled female workers. This clearly was not acceptable and in 1943, women at the Rolls Royce factory in Glasgow went on strike. This was seen as being highly unpatriotic in time of war and when the female strikers went on a street demonstration in Glasgow, they were pelted with eggs and tomatoes (presumably rotten and inedible as rationing was still in) but the protesters soon stopped when they found out how little the women were being paid .The women had a part-victory as they returned to work on the pay of a male semi-skilled worker – not the level of a male skilled worker but better than before the strike.

The Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS):

During the Blitz on London women in voluntary organisations did a very important job. The Women’s Voluntary Service provided fire fighters with tea and refreshments when the clear-up took place after a bombing raid. The WVS had one million members by 1943. Most were quite elderly as the younger women were in the factories or working on farms and were too exhausted to do extra work once they had finished their shift. The WVS also provided tea and refreshments for those who sheltered in the Underground in London. Basically, the WVS did whatever was needed. In Portsmouth, they collected enough scrap metal to fill four railway carriages……..in just one month. They also looked after people who had lost their homes from Germans bombing – the support they provided for these shocked people who had lost everything was incalculable. When the WVS were not on call, they knitted socks, balaclavas etc. for service men. Some WVS groups adopted a sailor to provide him with warm knitted clothing.

The Auxiliary Territorial Service:

In the military, all three services were open for women to join – the army, air force and navy. Women were also appointed as air raid wardens.

In the army, women joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). Like soldiers, they wore a khaki uniform. The recruiting posters were glamorous – some were considered too glamorous by Winston Churchill – and many young ladies joined the ATS because they believed they would lead a life of glamour. They were to be disappointed. Members of the ATS did not get the glamour jobs – they acted as drivers, worked in mess halls where many had to peel potatoes, acted a cleaners and they worked on anti-aircraft guns. But an order by Winston Churchill forbade ATS ladies from actually firing an AA gun as he felt that they would not be able to cope with the knowledge that they might have shot down and killed young German men. His attitude was odd as ATS ladies were allowed to track a plane, fuse the shells and be there when the firing cord was pulled……By July 1942, the ATS had 217,000 women in it. As the war dragged on, women in the ATS were allowed to do more exciting jobs such as become welders (unheard of in ‘civvie’ street), carpenters, electricians etc.

The recruiting poster for the ATS banned by Churchill

The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force:

Women who joined the Royal Air Force were in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). They did the same as the ATS (cooking, clerical work etc) but the opportunities were there for slightly more exciting work. Some got to work on Spitfires. Others were used in the new radar stations used to track incoming enemy bomber formations. These radar sites were usually the first target for Stuka dive-bombers so a post in one of these radar stations could be very dangerous. However, the women in this units were to be the early warning ears and eyes of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. For all of this, women were not allowed to train to be pilots of war planes. Some were members of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) which flew RAF planes from a factory to a fighter squadron’s base. There were 120 women in this unit out of 820 pilots in total. The women had fewer crashes than male pilots but they were not welcome as the editor of the magazine “Aeroplane” made clear : they (women ATA) “do not have the intelligence to scrub the floor of a hospital properly.” He , C.G. Grey, claimed that they were a “menace” when flying.

Secret Agents:

Women were also used as secret agents. They were members of SOE (Special Operations Executive) and were usually parachuted into occupied France or landed in special Lysander planes. Their work was exceptionally dangerous as just one slip could lead to capture, torture and death. Their work was to find out all that they could to support the Allies for the planned landings in Normandy in June 1944. The most famous female SOE members were Violette Szabo and Odette Churchill. Both were awarded the George Cross for the work they did – the George Cross is the highest bravery award that a civilian can get. Both were captured and tortured. Violette Szabo was murdered by the Gestapo while Odette Churchill survived the war.

Entertainment:

Women were also extremely important in entertainment. The two most famous female entertainers during the war were Vera Lynn (now Dame Vera Lynn) and Gracie Fields. Vera Lynn’s singing (“There’ll be blue birds over the White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when”) brought great happiness to many in Britain. She was known as the “Forces Sweetheart”. Gracie Fields was another favourite with the forces.

1945:

The war in Europe ended in May 1945. At this time there were 460,000 women in the military and over 6.5 million in civilian war work. Without their contribution, our war effort would have been severely weakened and it is probable that we would not have been able to fight to our greatest might without the input from women. Ironically, in Nazi Germany, Hitler had forbidden German women to work in German weapons factories as he felt that a woman’s place was at home. His most senior industry advisor, Albert Speer, pleaded with Hitler to let him use German female workers but right up to the end, Hitler refused. Hitler was happy for captured foreign women to work as slaves in his war factories but not German. Many of these slave workers, male and female, deliberately sabotaged the work that they did – so in their own way they helped the war effort of the Allies.

While in America

During World War II, some 350,000 women served in the U.S. Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. They included the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, who on March 10, 2010, were awarded the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal. Meanwhile, widespread male enlistment left gaping holes in the industrial labor force. Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home.

Women in the Armed Forces

In addition to factory work and other home front jobs, some 350,000 women joined the Armed Services, serving at home and abroad. At the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and women’s groups, and impressed by the British use of women in service, General George Marshall supported the idea of introducing a women’s service branch into the Army. In May 1942, Congress instituted the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, later upgraded to the Women’s Army Corps, which had full military status. Its members, known as WACs, worked in more than 200 non-combatant jobs stateside and in every theater of the war. By 1945, there were more than 100,000 WACs and 6,000 female officers. In the Navy, members of Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) held the same status as naval reservists and provided support stateside. The Coast Guard and Marine Corps soon followed suit, though in smaller numbers.
One of the lesser-known roles women played in the war effort was provided by the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs. These women, each of whom had already obtained their pilot’s license prior to service, became the first women to fly American military aircraft. They ferried planes from factories to bases, transporting cargo and participating in simulation strafing and target missions, accumulating more than 60 million miles in flight distances and freeing thousands of male U.S. pilots for active duty in World War II. More than 1,000 WASPs served, and 38 of them lost their lives during the war. Considered civil service employees and without official military status, these fallen WASPs were granted no military honors or benefits, and it wasn’t until 1977 that the WASPs received full military status. On March 10, 2010, at a ceremony in the Capitol, the WASPS received the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian honors. More than 200 former pilots attended the event, many wearing their World War II-era uniforms.

“Rosie the Riveter”

While women worked in a variety of positions previously closed to them, the aviation industry saw the greatest increase in female workers. More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, representing 65 percent of the industry’s total workforce (compared to just 1 percent in the pre-war years). The munitions industry also heavily recruited women workers, as represented by the U.S. government’s “Rosie the Riveter” propaganda campaign. Based in small part on a real-life munitions worker, but primarily a fictitious character, the strong, bandanna-clad Rosie became one of the most successful recruitment tools in American history, and the most iconic image of working women during World War II.
In movies, newspapers, posters, photographs, articles and even a Norman Rockwell-painted Saturday Evening Post cover, the Rosie the Riveter campaign stressed the patriotic need for women to enter the work force—and they did, in huge numbers. Though women were crucial to the war effort, their pay continued to lag far behind their male counterparts: Female workers rarely earned more than 50 percent of male wages.
The Revolution

The Revolutionary War saw many women marching off to war alongside their husbands. One of those was Margaret Corbin. When her artilleryman husband was killed at the Battle of Fort Washington, Margaret took his place on the firing line. For the rest of the battle, she “manned” his cannon, firing continuously while being hit in the arm, chest, and face.

The Civil War

Hundreds of women fought in this conflict, most of them disguised as men. One of them was Mary Galloway who, at sixteen years old, took a bullet in the neck at Antietam. She lay in a ditch for a day and half, refused treatment from male surgeons, and was finally saved by another pioneering woman, Clara Barton.

Cathay Williams, born a slave, was freed by the Union Army and pressed into service as a cook, traveling with the 8^th Indiana through the Red River Campaign and the Battle of Pea Ridge. She would go on to wear the Army’s blue uniform after the war, when, disguised as a man, she enlisted and became the first female Buffalo Soldier (that we know of!).

World Wars I and II

The twentieth century saw us stepping onto the world stage, but we did so from behind the safety of two oceans. That safety allowed the luxury of sexism. We didn’t deploy women in direct combat roles because we didn’t have to. Other countries didn’t have a choice. The most notable example in those two global conflicts was Mother Russia, who called on her daughters to save her.

In World War I, when the Russian army was crumbling, women stepped forward to fill the growing void. One of the new all-female units was known as the “Battalion of Death,” the members of which not only stood their ground under fire, but shamed their male comrades by charging past them into battle.

By World War II, women filled every combat assignment in the Red Army. There were tankers, like Mariya Oktyabrskaya, who would jump out of her T-34 to repair it under fire. There were fighter aces like Lydia Litvyak, the “White Lily of Stalingrad” who shot down a dozen Nazi aircraft. And there were snipers like Lyudmila Pavlichenko who scored 309 confirmed kills, more than any American sniper in any war!

Vietnam

While women weren’t officially allowed in direct combat roles, anyone wearing a combat action badge will tell you that there is no safe zone in a guerilla war. More than 11,000 women served in Vietnam. Some made history, like the US Navy’s Cdr. Elizabeth Barrett, who became the first female line officer to hold a command position in a combat zone. Some paid the ultimate price, like 1st Lt. Sharon Ann Lane, who was killed when her hospital was attacked by the Vietcong.

Today

Right now, half a world away, thousands of women are fighting ISIS as members of the YPJ, the Kurdish Women’s Defense Units. They are serving in the kind of sustained land war Americans haven’t seen since Korea. Make no mistake, these are frontline combat units, and they know what will happen if they’re captured. And yet, as one of them told the BBC, “One of our Women is worth 100 of their men.”

The Kurdish fighters facing off against ISIS clearly recognize the valuable contributions women among their ranks have to make. It’s time to make sure the American cultural narrative about women in direct combat roles reflects these contributions, too—both current and historical. Seeing depictions of women in combat action is an important step toward encouraging more women to join newly opened combat arms branches. As Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith recently reminded her followers on Twitter, “If I can see it I can be it.” Hollywood isn’t the solution. But it can and should be part of it.

So women out there in the Military.

You are not there by mistake . Go out there and make history.

Tell gender segregation to go to hell.

Have a nice day , 

 

Top martial art you should learn if you want to join the military.

There are countless reasons why one may decide to train in martial arts. That said, one of the top and most common reasons is so that they can learn moves that can protect them from harm – or even potentially save their life one day. Most especially those that want to join the military. Its gonna be easy for you if you have any martial art skills in handy.

If you are interested in taking up a martial arts discipline for its self-defense techniques, it’s crucial to understand that they are not cut from the same cloth. In other words, some martial arts disciplines are definitely more effective than others in fending off violent physical attacks.

 As a bonus, we’ve included short anecdotes of those who have experienced and/or witnessed the effectiveness of martial arts practice in real life situations. We hope that their insights will help you to decide on which discipline you ought to pursue. Read on!

KARATE

Developed in Ryukyu Islands (now known as Okinawa), Karate was brought to mainland Japan in the 20th century. After World War II, Okinawa became one of the most important US military bases and became popular among American soldiers. This martial arts discipline has since been widely practiced around the globe. Recently, it was also announced to be included in the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics summer games.

Translated as ‘empty hand’ in English, Karate is a predominantly striking art that makes use of punching, kicking, knee & elbow strikes as well as open hand techniques such as palm-heel strikes and spear hands. It emphasizes using the practitioner’s hands and legs as main forms of defense, making it one of the most effective to use for self-defense. 

Image credit: Islandeye.co.uk

Michael Miller of Millers Dojo and a 5th Degree Black Belt Karateka shares his story:

“For five years I worked as a bouncer at a sports bar on weekends. One night, I grabbed a guy who started a fight by putting my right arm around his neck into a rear naked choke position. It broke his balance by putting my left hand in the small of his back and applied some pressure. By breaking his balance I was able to escort him to the door and get him outside. Just after I let him go I saw someone in the corner of my eye throw a haymaker punch at me so I ducked under it, grabbed the guy, slammed him up against the building and put my forearm in his throat. Since I had stopped his attack, I let him go. He was no longer a threat. Just as I did, he grabbed me by my upper arms and tried to swing me around and throw me to the ground. I ended up hitting him with six different rapid hand strikes – in both shoulders, both biceps, and both forearms which got him to let go of me, and I finished with a rear leg front kick to his groin which ended the attack.”

Michael also adds that should you decide to train in Karate, the most important aspect of your self-defense practice is to get as good as you can at the basics. Seek to master Karate’s fundamentals (stances, blocks, kicks, punches, hand strikes, etc.). Train them hard and often.

KEYSI FIGHTING METHOD

The ‘youngest’ of all martial arts disciplines on this list, Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) was created by Justo Dieguez and Andy Norman. If you are impressed with Batman’s fighting style in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Night’ trilogies, you have these two fighters to thank.

Basing the techniques on moves used on Dieguez’s personal street brawl experiences back in Spain, it focuses on moves that can effectively fend off multiple attackers. On an interview with BodyBuilding.com, Justo explained “KFM is a pure blood born street fighting method that was conceived on the street and born in the fight.”

Similar to Muay Thai, it emphasizes on using the body as a weapon. With the understanding that many street attacks occur in close-quarters, what makes this style unique is that it consists of no kicks. Rather, it is designed to attack with sharp elbow strikes, head butts and hammer fists which often can be more lethal than kicks or punches in real life situations.

Keysi Fighting Method demo clip from ‘Batman Begins’. Video credit: ChaosEntRETURNS YouTube Account

“If a person wants to hurt you they are likely to do so with a crowd or with others. This is basic ‘pack mentality ‘and it is a successful ploy to use. So KFM does what no other martial art has done. It places this at the center of its training, "Ok. We are surrounded by a group now let’s see how we can survive". This mentality produces a great set of tools and training drills.

One thing that I do feel that is underestimated in the KFM training and hard to put into words is that there training cultivates 'fighting spirit'. They call this the predator/ prey mentality and their drills develop this attitude to get you  press the 'switch' in your mind that stops you thinking that you will become a victim and turns you into a ball of energy that is ready to fight.” – Andrew Holland of selfdefenceexpert.com

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU (BJJ)

Created by the Gracie family, BJJ first came into ‘fame’ due to the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competition where Royce Gracie was able to successfully defeated his opponents by only using BJJ techniques. Fast forward to today, BJJ is still the most popular martial arts discipline amongst Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters. 

This martial arts discipline focuses on teaching its practitioners to effectively defend themselves against a larger sized opponent using leverage and proper technique. Hence, it is as lethal when practiced by females as it is for males.

By combining modified moves found in Judo and Japanese JuJutsu, the key to this martial arts style is to gain control and positioning over the adversary so that its devastating chokes, holds, locks and joint manipulations can be applied. 

“I had been studying Judo all throughout high school. During my senior year, I went to a concert at a large outdoor amphitheater.  There was a guy next to me who kept slamming into me because he was trying to get a mosh pit going. The third time it happened, I gently grabbed his shoulder to get his attention.

I went back to trying to watch the show when I caught him moving towards me quick in my peripheral vision. Right as he approached I took a step backward and blocked his ankle as he went past. He fell to the grass in a flailing heap. When he got up he was pissed and threw a wild punch. I blocked the punch with my left forearm as I stepped in with my left foot, grabbed his shirt at his left shoulder with my right hand then stepped around his right leg with my right leg and threw him to the ground using O Soto Gari.

I grabbed onto his right wrist with my left hand during the throw for two reasons:

First, I could pull up on his arm so he didn't hit the ground full force after the throw. I also had him on the ground with his wrist in my hand so I could control him with it so he couldn't come at me again. I applied pressure to his wrist to make him realize his situation and asked him to let me enjoy the show. He finally got the picture and agreed to leave me alone.”  – Unknown (Sourced from a Quora forum)

TAEKWONDO

Recognized as an official Olympic sport since 2000, Taekwondo is a Korean martial arts discipline that combined many different martial arts styles which existed in Korea as well as some martial arts practices from neighboring countries. Some examples include but not limited to T’ang-su, Tae Kwon, Judo, Karate and Kung Fu. 

Taekwondo is currently one of the world’s most practiced martial arts with over 25 million practitioners spread across 140 countries. Despite its popularity, due to its ‘flashy’ showmanship, Taekwondo is often criticized as less than practical when it comes to self-defense.

That said, many of its practitioners would quickly refute this criticism. One reason is that more so that many other martial arts, it emphasizes kicking – more specifically high kicking. This move can be useful in a physical fight. If the practitioner can train their legs to be stronger and as fast as their arms, the kick can enable them to neutralize the opponent quickly and effectively end the attack.

Image credit: Survivallife.com

“In self-defense, I think, one of the most effective technique is the middle front kick. Of course, this means kick in the groin. This is the easiest kicking technique. And with those great variations of practicing method of kicking in Taekwondo, make it even easier to release the attack even under assault.” – Ryujin Takayuki (Sourced from a Quora forum)

JUJUTSU

Though it’s currently ‘losing’ in terms of popularity to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), you’d be interested to know that BJJ along with other martial arts styles such as Judo and Aikido are actually derivatives of this ancient Japanese discipline.

Originally developed as one of the foundations of samurai fighting techniques, JuJutsu is a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent where the practitioner uses no weapon or a short weapon. As it’s futile to attack an adversary who is armored, it focuses on using the opponent’s energy  & momentum against him.

Most of JuJutsu’s techniques consist of throws and joint locks. The combination of these two moves makes it a lethal and effective discipline for self-defense. 

Image credit: BlackBeltMag.com

“Traditional Japanese Jujutsu descended from the arts the Samurai used effectively in life or death battles. Other than the possible use of a gun, fights today are basically as they were hundreds of years ago.It’s still a good method of self-defense..I have been practicing Japanese Jujitsu long before it became popular in the public and it has been effective for me in several street confrontations.” – Doris (Sourced from a Yahoo! Answers forum)

MUAY THAI

This celebrated national combat sport of Thailand is a dauntingly ruthless martial arts discipline that work effectively when used as a self-defense system. Commonly found within MMA training, with precise moves using knees, elbows, shins, and hands to deliver bone-crushing strikes, it is all about using our own body parts as weapons.

Reportedly to be originated in the 14th century in Siem, Thailand, Muay Thai is referred to as "The Art of Eight Limbs" as it focuses on eight points of contact, as opposed to "two points" (fists) in boxing and "four points" (hands and feet) used in kickboxing.

In terms of self-defense, This discipline emphasizes on teaching its practitioners how to effectively injure/ attack an opponent to make room for a quick getaway. Muay Thai moves are not restricted to uses of fists and feet as it also includes elbow and knee strikes that can devastate an adversary when executed. 

“I use the Muay Thai stance whenever I’m in need of self-defense. To me, it has a TON of advantages. First off, you in more of a defensive posture, about 60/40 or 70/30 weight on your back leg. Also, your hands are open in a Muay Thai fighting stance.

This does two things: 1. open hands are FAR more brutal that closed fists, and it offers a wider range of techniques. 2. This stance, with hands open, gives the appearance, to an untrained attacker that you are scared or trying to back away. It’s great for the passive aggressive fighter.” – Unknown (Sourced from a Reddit forum).

WESTERN BOXING

Although those who are not too familiar with boxing would argue that boxing is not a martial arts discipline, its practitioners would beg to differ. There is much more to boxing than punching each other’s face until someone decides to give up.

In Boxing, you’ll learn to deliver a variety of punches from different ranges with precision as well as how to effectively block or evade an attack. Unlike many other combat disciplines, it also emphasizes body conditioning through sparring, preparing the body for combat.

Additionally, Boxing training helps to sharpen awareness. This enables boxers to be able to react quickly, make fast decisions and choose the right moves to execute during a fight. These are definitely skills that not only come in handy in the ring but also in the streets.

“I am an American boxer. Years ago, I was walking down the street one night in college and two guys walking toward me block my path and tell me to give my wallet. One is about 6'2", the other about 5'9" (I am 5'7"). I told them to leave me alone and tried to walk around the big one. He pushed me back. At this point, I backed up and moved laterally, putting the big one between me and the little one. (I only wanted to deal with one threat at a time and biggest came first) so without wasting any time I threw a tight right hook to his head, which put him on his knees. I threw a right shovel hook to his lowered head and knocked him unconscious. Now his smaller friend, in a panic, fell back on the ground. He started to hit me in the back of the head, which from his position just felt like raindrops. I postured up and locked my right arm against his left shoulder before dropping my left forearm directly on his jaw, also leaving him unconscious.” – Unknown (Sourced from a Reddit forum).

AIKIDO

Though this martial arts discipline is arguably less popular than many others on this list, Aikido is considered one of the most effective martial arts to use when one is looking to learn self-defense and survival moves.

A modern Japanese martial arts style created by Morihei Ueshiba, it does not focus on punching or kicking the adversary. Instead, it focuses on techniques that enable you to use your opponent’s energy and aggressiveness to gain control of them or ‘throw’ them away from you.

Image credit: Aikido Auckland Seishinkan

“I have a story that comes from a self-defense class that I teach. We were doing a simple version of kote-gaeshi , with myself as the "goon", who would attack the women in the class, so that they get a feel for doing things for real. Well, one of the students had learned it a lot faster than I thought and applied it a lot harder and faster than you usually see in regular Aikido classes (where I study, we usually "ease up" at the end, to allow our partner a chance to fall cleanly). She, of course, didn't ease up, because I had never thought to tell her she should. I managed to get about halfway into a break fall when I hit the ground, which just so happened to position the shoulder of the arm being twisted directly under the rest of my body. My entire weight came down on it, very hard. It ended up that I couldn't use that arm effectively for 2 to 3 weeks afterward.

I can only assume something similar would occur in real life, if you were to execute the technique at full speed, with the clear intention of ending the fight right there.Had it been for real, I'm pretty sure I would've chosen that moment for a strategic retreat. If she let me go, that is!” – David Green (Sourced from Aikidofaq.com)

Have a nice day, readers.