Podcast Episode 003: Interview with Loren W. Christensen

Loren W. Christensen is a retired law enforcement officer, veteran author, and martial artist with over five decades of combative experience. His background includes serving as a military police officer in Saigon during the Vietnam War and spending 25 years with the Portland Police Bureau. Holding 11 black belts across systems like karate, jiu-jitsu, and arnis, he has authored over 50 books, including his popular Solo Training series, providing highly realistic training advice for self-defense practitioners.

The Skype connection wasn’t great, so there’s a slight crackling sound on the line. Nothing we could do about that, sorry.

Episode summary

Wim Demeere interviews veteran martial artist and retired police officer Loren W. Christensen regarding his 51-year evolution in the martial arts and current training methodologies. Christensen details his six-day weekly fitness regimen and explains how high-frequency altercations in military and municipal law enforcement shifted his focus from traditional systems to functional street survival. The discussion covers practical adaptations for older martial artists, metrics for avoiding training injuries, and an overview of his current fictional and non-fictional literary projects.

Key takeaways

• Weight lifting for self-defense should be executed with explicit combative intent, visualizing each repetition as a functional application like a punch or pull.
• Novice martial artists should commit to at least six months of training to properly adjust their psychological response to physical contact and structural impact.
• Older practitioners must shift their strategy toward target selection and safe resistance training to stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibers while strictly avoiding high-risk, injury-prone movements.

Show notes:

1. Introduction and training regimen

• Some information about Loren’s background and his current training regimen.
• Loren .W. Christensen books and videos: http://amzn.to/22GGXK6
• Solo Training 2: The Martial Artist’s Guide to Building the Core for Stronger, Faster and More Effective Grappling, Kicking and Punching: http://amzn.to/2a2ouVM
• Remy Presas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remy_Presas

2. Training advice to young martial artists.

3. Training advice for martial artists in their 40s and 50s.

• Solo Training 3: 50 And Older: http://amzn.to/2a6OvDG

4. Which books Loren is writing now and what he has planned.

• Loren .W. Christensen books and videos: http://amzn.to/22GGXK6
• Old Ed: http://amzn.to/29UorIy
• Old Ed 2: http://amzn.to/2a6PkfU

5. Q&A Sports based striking techniques for self-defense.

• The Fighter’s Guide To Hard-Core Heavy Bag Training: http://amzn.to/2asj1V0
• The Fighters VIDEO Guide to Hard-Core Heavy Bag Training: http://amzn.to/2asiFhd
• Solo Training: The Martial Artist’s Guide to Training Alone http://amzn.to/2yem43G
• Solo Training 2: The Martial Artist’s Guide to Building the Core for Stronger, Faster, and More Effective Grappling, Kicking, and Punching: http://amzn.to/2k9z8ku
• Solo Training 3: 50 And Older: http://amzn.to/2aiX3UM
• Lawrence A. Kane: http://amzn.to/2aiWEld
• Self-Defense Against A Dog Attack: http://amzn.to/2atmyWo

6. On traditional arts and vital points.

• Brutal Art of Ripping, Poking & Pressing: http://amzn.to/2aIEDPR
• The Brutal Art of Ripping, Poking & Pressing Vital Targets: The Video: http://amzn.to/2aIFm3D
• Combat Sanshou: The Punishing Chinese Fighting Art, Part 2: Kicking (features the “bicycle kick”): http://amzn.to/2avBJOG

7. 90% of fights go to the ground?

• The myth of 90 percent of fights end up on the ground: https://www.wimsblog.com/2013/01/the-myth-of-90-percent-of-fights-go-to-the-ground/

8. Principles to use against multiple attackers.

9. When is his next novel coming out?

• Dukkha: The Suffering (A Sam Reeves Martial Arts Thriller): http://amzn.to/2avGjNb
• Dukkha Reverb: A Sam Reeves Martial Arts Thriller: http://amzn.to/2aRwNXa
• Dukkha Unloaded: A Sam Reeves Martial Arts Thriller: http://amzn.to/2auIXWf
• Dukkha: Hungry Ghosts: A Sam Reeves Martial Arts Thriller: http://amzn.to/2axP9KC
• Old Ed: http://amzn.to/29UorIy
• Old Ed 2: http://amzn.to/2a6PkfU

10. Final words.

• Loren’s site: http://www.lorenchristensen.com/
• Loren .W. Christensen books and videos: http://amzn.to/22GGXK6
• Loren on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loren.w.christensen

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