~In boxing we train to defend against another boxer. In karate or kickboxing we train to defend against a karateka or kick boxer. In Judo or wrestling we train to defend against another Judoka or wrestler. Even in competitive MMA one trains to defend against another MMA competitor.
~These are all fine in the realm of competitive sport and there are certainly some fine things in every sport that may sometimes be useful in 'unarmed' self-defense. But does this really qualify a competitive combat-sportsman as a self-defense expert? Does this qualify a martial artist as a self-defense expert? Does this qualify a professional ring fighter as a self-defense expert or military close-combat expert?
~In traditional martial arts it long ago became necessary to play to the dramatic and visually impressive stunts in order to attract public interest and bring in students. We see this quite often in the Asian martial arts. So much so that today much of these dramatic techniques meant for public performance are still taught as curriculum for self-defense.
~The truth concerning 'self-defense' as it relates only to unarmed and armed 'close-combat' is that IF one is not actively training against 'practical' attacks, from both trained and untrained attackers, as well as against criminal tactics, than are you really training for close-combat self-defense?
~If one is a RBSD instructor but doesn't understand criminal tactics or understand that there are indeed criminals with MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling and military combatives training so you only approach close-combat-self-defense from the perspective that you're going to defend against jabs and hay-makers from untrained criminals or violent attackers than your training to fail.
~If you're a sport based martial artist and only training oneself or one's students to defend against other sport-based martial artists, without any understanding of criminal tactics, that is absolutely fine but do not market your training as self-defense just to bring in more paying 'customers'. Because they're not really your students when one operates in deceit, but rather they're just customers. Which makes one a businessman more than a teacher.
~If you're a traditional martial artist but are teaching frivolous, impractical, defenses against both armed and unarmed attackers without any understanding of how modern criminals, street thugs (some whom are well trained and experienced) and violent gangs operate than one's curriculum either needs to evolve for modern close-combat self-defense or one shouldn't promote themselves and their art as a self-defense martial art.
~If tradition is more important than the safety and effectiveness of one's students than one is hardly teaching 'self-defense' martial art. One should be honest with both oneself and one's students. After all, we call some things traditional without understanding there were public performance displays incorporated into the founders' curriculums long ago. If they relied upon their art for income than most assuredly they had to play to the crowds and dabble in the dark arts of the charlatan.
~Whatever you're teaching or devoting your life and income to study/train understand the reality of what you're doing and why. If you're learning or teaching knife defenses would you be confident in using your techniques this moment against a muscular, strong, power lifter with a sharp dagger or against a strong, adrenalized, large, male, Jihadi with a box-cutter? What about two of them?
~Would you be confident in using your punch defenses against a stronger, larger, athletic, thug whom trained in competitive boxing his whole youth? Could you use your curriculum to defend against 'two' of them?
~Ponder these questions daily and meditate upon them, because they may change everything about what one does or how one does it. One may find that they're engaging in training for 'sport', for ego-masturbation, to earn rank and receive the prestige within their club (perhaps cult) or merely to become a successful business man whose interest is in money!
~If any of these are the case than own that, accept that and be at peace with that...But know in one's heart that it's not about close-combat, self-defense or surviving modern criminal violence.
AnDrew Soldier
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