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The SPEAR System (an acronym for Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response) is a close quarter protection system which uses a persons reflex action in threatening situations as a basis for defense. The founder, Tony Blauer, developed the SPEAR system in Canada during the 1980s.

History
The use of the flinch in the SPEAR System originated in 1988 during a training drill referred to by Blauer as the "sucker punch drill":
 * "The defender had a mouthguard and no offensive choices other than maintain a non-combative natural stance and he could evade, block or jam, but not strike. The aggressor (wearing 16 ozs. gloves) was allowed to taunt, gesture, point and launch a solo shot anywhere on the body at any time."

Blauer states that he observed during the drill that the defender's response to the sudden violent attack was almost exclusively a flinch, rather than a learned defensive technique. Blauer felt this was demonstrative of a significant gap between the techniques martial artists typically practice and the reality of violent attacks. As research has found that the flinch response to a noxious stimulus occurs in humans regardless of age or training, Blauer used the flinch as a foundation for a defensive fighting system that any person could learn rapidly.

Focus on Personal Safety
The SPEAR System approaches self-defense primarily from a social and behavioral perspective, teaching students to prioritize avoidance or de-escalation over physical combat. This manifests in the system's principle of the "Three Ds" - Detect, Defuse, Defend - an order of preferential action ranked from "most safe" to "least safe" under the following hierarchy:
 * 1) Detect and avoid any potentially violent situations
 * 2) Defuse confrontations before they escalate into physical violence
 * 3) Engage in physical combat to defend oneself or others from an attacker

Use of the Flinch
Blauer puts forth the assertion that an ambush or surprise attack (sometimes using the generic term "sucker punch") is the most dangerous moment of a violent encounter, as this is when a person is least likely to be prepared to defend themselves. The SPEAR System aims to leverage the startle response, which has been observed to result in rapid motor action that changes based on the location of threatening stimulus, as a method of defense from such attacks.

The hand and forearm movement in the direction of the stimulus (which Blauer refers to as "startle, flinch, push away danger") is the primary motor action the SPEAR System attempts to take advantage of. Through various drills, students train to convert the motion of their flinch response into an offensive and defensive tool, as well as to see the flinch as a trigger to protect themselves from an attacker.

Fear Management
Stuff about fear management and cycle of behavior will go here.

Crossfit Defense
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