Garth Barnard

I think any kind of relationship (Instructor/Student or Student/Student) is fine, provided it's kept sensible. As a tremendous plus side it makes rape replications/scenarios a whole lot easier as the couples/partners can work together, which is also good for demonstration purposes for others. Take care, Garth.

Sam, firstly, I apologise if you feel that I'm "talking down to you", that is not my intention and if you knew me you'd understand that I'm not that sort of person either. As for our own views on whether TKD is generally/predominantly a sport, I think we'll have to agree to disagree, but that's not a problem. Sam, please understand, this is NOT a challange, I come in peace; You are more than welcome to visit my Academy, as a guest, to test your skills at one of our monthly Pressure Tests where we have the facilities to push Self-Defence to the boundaries. Ego's are left at home and you'll be amongst friends with the same goals - Adrenaline Management. This is an open invitation. Take care, Garth.

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Take care, Garth.

By Pressure Test I mean that you are put under extreme pressure, and where you are verbally and physically intimidated to induce an 'Adrenaline Dump', by one or more padded assailants. Under the influence of the 'Adrenaline Dump' you soon learn what it really feels like to be in an aggressive confrontation, and you soon learn that many of the 'twisty wristy' fine motor skill techniques simply aren't processed by the brain. Regular Pressure Tests familiarise you with the affects of adrenaline and help to de-sensitise you. You will then be able to breathe deeper, lower your heart rate and use rational skills to verbally and/or physically deal with your aggressor. Adrenaline Management is a fundamental skill that is often overlooked in the martial arts world, certainly in terms of self-defence. Take care, Garth.

TKD IS predominatly a sport, especially WTF style! Learning scenarios, done correctly, are totally the opposite to "if he does this, you do that". A scenario/situation is set and the actions and reactions follow in a natural manner, which is a far cry from the normal TKD SD. Suprise me, I bet your TKD SD starts off with you and your opponent stood opposite each other. One of you will hold out one arm and the other will grab it. You are then instructed to perform a release from a wrist grab. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that doesn't happen in the real world! All SD must be performed with 'energy' and 'aliveness' to be realistic. Out of interest, do you ever Pressure Test your SD techniques? Take care, Garth.

Hi all, TKD does get a bad rap, some of it is justified, some of it isn't, but then TKD is predominantly a 'sport', especially the WTF style. The self-defence techniques learnt in TKD would be far better if they were taught and performed with 'energy' and 'liveness" and were Pressure Tested, but that is down to the instructor. As far as self-defence goes, it's the fight in the dog, not the dog in the fight. Take care, Garth.

Hi everyone, My name is Garth and I'm the new guy! I've been lurking for a while and decided to register. I look forward to offering info and opinions as well as learning too - always the student! If you're interested you can find more about me on my website https://www.bfmaa.co.uk Take care, Garth.