Random Thought: Reality Based Self Defense

[Anonymous]

Reality Based Self Defense? I guess the opposite would be FANTASY based self defense…. that may be one for the D&D crowd. I’ll just refer to it as self defense. I stopped added extra verbage to my life when starbucks started making me speak a different language. I’m still a small, medium and large guy.

So its martial arts, combat sports and self defense.

Martial arts are the cultural fighting arts (Aikido, Kung Fu and all)
Combat sports (MMA, boxing, wrestling, judo, sambo, kick boxing and all)

Self defense is….us .

Damian

[Damian (Instructor)]

Good Day To You Sir,

Even though I consider myself a combative survival skill instructor I still am inclined to agree with you on this one(from the reality point of view) at the end of the day whether it is all about recognition, response and personal protection; props to you.

Secondly, got the first module today and I was impressed right away for a very simple reason. Your perpendicular line brings to bear the fact that it is almost certain that when two individuals square of in non-spontaneous situations they literally square off.

So props on that also because that is the first thing we all need to install into ourselves and our students (if we have them).

Next thing was the fact that you point out the futility of blocking and that SD is more about covering and attacking. While I whole heartedly agree I am also a big fan off cover/striking (to use your terminology) or what we call aggressive strike/blocking.

Hopefully, we’ll catch some of that in later module’s but again props.

The next thing was your point on footwork and momentum. Great idea with the boots (as long as I have been using the BOB that one escaped me). The drop step as a momentum/acceleration builder was perfect (easy explaination by you for the unaware) props.

All in all very good job-kind of brought back some memories of all the military training I went through prior to my indoc to lerdrit.

So since I can see that your all business and no fluff consider me all in for the entire course.

I will enjoy it, enjoy the added twist to my training, and am sure I can build and integrate with your SDT course.

Good Job Sir

P.S. You are a credit for continuing Mr. Cestari legacy.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Johnny,

Thank you very much, some guys get it while others….oh well.

Damian

[Damian (Instructor)]

It all depends on who is teaching it, how it is taught, and what the purpose of the teaching is.

All traditional martial arts ultimately teach reality based self-defense after students become competent in the basics of the system they are learning, so naturally it’s a good progression.

The only concerns I would have is the level of training, preparation, and repetition that the students would have access to. Without continuous repetition and constant refinement, skills are rarely effective or useful, thus if the class is only limited to a short amount of training time, it would be limited in it’s effectiveness.

It really doesn’t matter what martial art you take up, all will teach you something valuable and any true art will be able to work with you no matter what your physical stature or limitations.

The most important thing is not the style/discipline, it’s finding an instructor/s you trust, a group of students you actually look forward to training with, and a program that fits within your financial and schedule limitations.

[Damian (Instructor)]

It needs to be drilled into “students”, “clients” or “grasshoppers” that they absolutely must train at home as well as at the training hall. They simply will not progress as well if they only train in a class setting. Bags and dummies are not that expensive and your living room can do quite well as your gym. I live in a small apartment, no living room furniture and Bob gets hit in the mouth every morning when I open my little peepers. There are no reasons not to train other than injuries. All else are excuses. So you must impress on your people that they need to train on their own as well as with partners or in class. Good subject, Damian.

[Damian (Instructor)]

MD, on the money.

Even though you go to school and take classes a few times a week, you still have to do your homework. If you just showed up to class once a week or watched the self defense training system once and did nothing, what grade do you think you’d get?

You would fail miserably because life doesn’t grade on a curve.

[Damian (Instructor)]

I do agree that all martial arts and combat sport trainings have positive attributes. Where I differ is this:

They psycho-physiological realities of violence on the uninitiated are chaotic at best overwhelming at worst.

To train them in the finer points of any art, style or system before we train them to survive is like the milk man putting his cart in front of the horse and expecting to successfully make all his deliveries.

Not going to happen…

All aspects of martial combat have value but combatives are based on strategy, tactic’s and easy to use techniques that are learned quickly.

Cognitive approach

Physical approach

Dynamic approach

Put the horse in front of the cart and allow the darn horse to do his job than add the horse blanket later if your so inclined.

Just a simple survivors POV of course…

[Damian (Instructor)]

You hit that nail on the head pro1. Perfectly stated.

[Author]

Posts