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What is American Self Protection?

American Self Protection ("A.S.P.") is a holistic self protection program including: unarmed/armed self defense, mind-body (psychosomatic) exercises, nutrition, urban/wilderness survival techniques, first aid, water safety, orienteering, and overall physical/mental fitness. American Self Protection (A.S.P.) was devised and developed by Evan S. Baltazzi, D.Sc., and D.Phil. and is the result of many years of rigorous research. Dr. Baltazzi is known throughout the scientific community as a leading researcher and has chaired major national and international scientific committees and symposia. In order to be practical, A.S.P. contains little which is vague or esoteric. Each one of its component parts are self contained and may be studied independently of the others. All the same, maximum benefits are derived when one follows step by step its progression.

A.S.P. is a holistic self protection program which is unique in terms of its training methodology as attested to by several leading physical educators from here and abroad. American Self Protection is a novel revolutionary concept for developing motion skills and training in the mixed martial arts and sports. It is not another "martial arts style", which are typically rearrangements of known martial techniques to suite ones individual preferences, but a scientifically developed method of mixed martial arts training and learning suitable to all persons.

A.S.P. is based on the systematic use of the five universal principles governing all forms of combat, without exception, whether one uses his bare hands or a missile, and a limited number of select elements of motion of great versatility. Through their use in a great number of techniques practitioners develop conditioned reflexes resulting in much faster learning, greater degree of retention, and safer practice.
Great emphasis is placed on mind-body coordination. A.S.P. methodology has been applied to a wide variety of combative arts, sports, and self-protective knowledge. A.S.P. also includes self-defensive aerobics, self-defense for people with disabilities and other areas of self-protection. Individual A.S.P. techniques taken out of context, while quite effective, do not demonstrate the A.S.P. approach and derived benefits. Only the progression within the system does.

"The main theory behind the A.S.P. learning methodology is not to teach numerous techniques, but to teach elements of motion and few techniques with broad applicability to different situations."

A.S.P. IS A SYSTEMATIC METHOD FOR DEVELOPING MOTOR SKILLS PARTICULARLY SUITED TO THE MARTIAL ARTS AND SPORTS. AT THE SAME TIME IT DEVELOPS MIND-BODY COORDINATION. A.S.P. IS NOT A CONCOCTION OF VARIOUS MARTIAL ARTS TECHNIQUES, BUT A SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ACQUIRE SAFELY ANY COMBATIVE KNOWLEDGE FASTER AND RETAIN WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED MUCH LONGER THAN WITH ANY OTHER METHOD. ASP TECHNIQUES TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, WHILE QUITE EFFECTIVE, ARE NOT ASP AND DO NOT DEMONSTRATE THE ASP SYSTEM AND METHOD.