Question

[DeadCell]

A friend sent me this, what do you guys think:

 

Also I am in no way trying to dirrespect any style.

This special report was written for both the experienced

 

self defense/martial artist as well as the total beginner.

 

In writing this I know that I will wrinkle some feathers. This

 

is especially true of the hard core martial artist types who

 

have set beliefs about their training (dojo/dojang mentality).

 

After nearly 37 years of training in both the martial arts as

 

well as self defense I have come to believe certain things. This

 

is based on what I have seen in the dojo (training hall), the

 

street as well as our specially designed adrenal stress trainings.

 

It is my belief that most of what is being taught in probably

 

ninety percent of martial arts schools, seminars and videos just

 

will not work on the street.

 

I came to this realization quite a few years ago. A master instructor

 

who I had the opportunity to train with helped me (very graphically)

 

understand. He taught me and showed me why simplicity wasn't just

 

important, it was essential.

 

I had learned this hard lesson after many years of traditional training.

 

By the way, I am not knocking traditional training. Not at all. In fact

 

I am a strong believer in the merits and benefits of traditional martial

 

arts training. I teach full time at my dojo. Martial arts is one of the

 

very best things you can do for yourself.

 

Just understand what it is and what it's not! Traditional martial arts

 

training helps build character. It conditions both the body and mind.

 

It helps improve concentration, self discipline, self confidence and

 

a host of other very important life skills.

 

What it doesn't do for the most part (there are exceptions) is teach

 

effective and realistic street self defense. The old saying is that

 

"knowledge is power". I believe that incorrect knowledge is not only

 

not power but very dangerous. Someone thinking they can really defend

 

themself (but really don't have a clue) can get themselves into big

 

trouble.

 

After my "experience" with this master instructor I made a point to

 

modify, simplify and improve every aspect of my self defense program.

 

This required years of searching, experimenting, going to seminars,

 

studying books and videos as well as searching out the best instructors

 

and methods.

 

I really felt we were on the right track and them something quite

 

sensational happened. I call this true story...

 

"Fighting the Bulletman"

 

I was sitting in a national martial arts convention. This guy was

 

up on stage talking about adrenaline stress response training.

 

I had never heard about it at the time. The instructor was talking

 

about the effects of fear induced adrenaline on the mind and

 

body during an actual street attack. I was intrigued.

 

A little later in the demonstration they asked for

 

a few volunteers. Several men and a women were chosen to go up on

 

stage. The next thing that happened had most of us feeling the effects

 

of adrenaline, right in our seats.

 

Another instructor comes out in this weird looking

 

suit. He has football shoulder pads and some obvious groin protection.

 

On his head he wore a huge piece of headgear which I found out later

 

was a professional football helmet with four layers of special density

 

foam padding wrapped in silver tape.

 

They called this ‘monster' the Bulletman, obviously

 

because of the silver round headgear that looked like the top of

 

a bullet. One of the volunteers was asked to come out. The instructions

 

were to try to maneuver around the Bulletman without getting too

 

close. If the Bulletman attacked they could strike him full force

 

into the groin and head.

 

The action began… The Bulletman starts screaming at

 

the guy. He shouts obscenities at him. He taunts him. He faints

 

attacks as he threatens the guy. I could feel my gut shaking just

 

sitting there. Then suddenly the Bulletman attacks. The poor guy

 

attempts some foolhardy kick which embarrassingly misses the mark

 

by about a foot. Next a punch that had less impact than my eight

 

year old grandson could muster. After a few more minutes of this

 

hideous display a women instructor blows a whistle and the whole

 

thing is over.

 

A few more volunteers and about the same result. Now

 

here is the interesting part. Everyone of these volunteers were

 

experienced black belts. Some were school owners with a dozen years

 

or so of experience. So whey did this happen?

 

They fell prey to the natural effects of adrenaline

 

on the mind and body. Adrenaline is the natural result of fear induced

 

aggression. It really can't be stopped but it can be focused and

 

used. These black belt volunteers had tried to use their dojo (and

 

dojang) techniques. What they hadn't anticipated was that the adrenaline

 

had dulled their senses. It minimized their fine motor skills, it

 

gave them tunnel vision and even affected their cognitive thinking.

 

With out taking this adrenal rush into account, effective

 

street self defense cannot be accomplished. To be effective, each

 

technique must be simple, direct and not require fine motor coordination.

 

 

 

Additionally, the techniques should build, one upon another so

 

that a minimum number of total techniques (regardless of the type

 

of attack) need be learned and practiced.

 

Within a few months we brought this instructor and

 

his system into our school. We not only took the seminars but learned

 

to teach this technology. We had many chances to see what would

 

work against a fully armored, attacking opponent, that we could

 

wallop full power into his vital areas. Besides being a lot of fun

 

we sure learned a great deal.

 

Next we went to work to adapt, modify and overhaul

 

our system of self defense to employ this new found and proven knowledge.

 

Unfortunately only a very small percentage of martial arts instructors

 

and self defense "experts" have ever really felt the tremendous effects

 

of full adrenal dump while trying to execute their techniques.

 

I have no doubt (believe me I have witnessed this many times during

 

our adrenal training seminars) that many of these black belt

 

instructors would be shocked to find what they are teaching their

 

students, would never work under real world conditions. Why?

 

Beacause I realized the same thing myself. Mind you, this was after

 

decades of training!

 

Fear is very powerful. The adrenal "dump" has severe effects on

 

us both physically and mentally. Here are some of things that happen:

 

* It is doubtful whether most could remember more than a

 

handful of technques under duress. This is due to the loss

 

of some or most of our cognitive (reasoning) thinking.

 

* Our fine motor coordination is minimized. What's left is only gross motor

 

skills. Many of the techniques taught in many

 

martial arts schools and self defense programs require pinpoint targeting or

 

wrist or joint manipulation. This probably isn't

 

going to happen under a strong adrenal rush.

 

* We lose peripheral vision. Our field of vision tends to tunnel

 

in. Things sometimes appear much larger than they really are. The

 

more one stays focused in one line of vision the worse this becomes.

 

* We feel weak at the knees or develop body shakes. Breathing becomes short

 

and

 

rapid. In fact studies have shown that if the heart beat gets high enough we

 

can

 

become totally "frozen in fear".

 

* Adrenal Stress Response Training experts say that most people

 

will not be able to recall or more importantly execute more than four or five

 

techniques or steps to effective self defense while under the duress of an

 

attack.

 

Because most self defense instructors have not experienced this while

 

trying to execute the techniques they are teaching, they really have

 

no way of knowing whether what they are teaching could actually be

 

done by the average person, while under duress.

 

Again, I am not putting down other instructors or their systems. I am

 

merely saying that most have not put their systems to the test while

 

under the strong influences of adrenaline. Something that is inevitable

 

while under a real attack.

 

We are currently working in new venues, learning and fine tuning our

 

verbal, spatial, as well as physical defenses. Always with directness

 

and simplicity in mind. As well as always testing them out in our

 

adrenal stress seminars where a strong adrenal dump can be elicited.

[SevenStar]

The issue is not with traditional arts. The issue is with the training methods they employ. That applies to krav maga and all other arts as well.

[italian_guy]

Nice post DC. What you say reminds me what Bruce Lee said about reducing the unessential.

[VinnieDaChin]

actually sevenstar, i think, and i may be wrong, that the issue is what 'traditional' martial arts have become today, at least in america; and i guess how they stack up to the more hardcore arts like muay thai.

 

although, i have to throw in my two cents- lots of things taught in say, kempo, are either innefective, or at least inferior techniques compared to, again, muay thai.

[jedimc]

I didnt read the whole thing but im sure ive read that article somewhere before, to tell you the truth it sounds alot like those guys trying to sell you videos of a martial art thats that they say is unbeatable and you go on the website and it has heaps of peoples talking about how good it is. eg

 

"this new style is unbelievable I cant believe i wasted 40 years of my life doing these useless martial arts"

 

jedimc , some place in the USA.

 

lol

[Sasori_Te]

I'm always wary when I see someone try and paint everyone with the same brush like these folks are doing. This is obviously a very poor sales technique.

 

I'm not saying that what they claim isn't true, at least on some level. It's just not as wide spread as they would have you believe.

 

I'll tell you my experience. I've been inseveral circumstances some mentioned and others not, on this board. I find that the techniques that are truly ingrained, the ones that I've practiced most will happen without any conscious recall on my part. This has never failed me so far. Situation arises, techniques happen and the situation is contained enough to allow me to leave. This is where all of those repetitions come in. You can train a complex technique through repetition as easily as you can train a very simple basic technique.

 

It seems to me that you could control this adrenal response after a short period in this situation because you would realize subconsciously that you are in no real danger. You are still in a training situation. This seems like another gimmick to instill false confidence to me.

[Gumbi]

Original Post:

 

"* Our fine motor coordination is minimized. What's left is only gross motor

 

skills. Many of the techniques taught in many

 

martial arts schools and self defense programs require pinpoint targeting or

 

wrist or joint manipulation. This probably isn't

 

going to happen under a strong adrenal rush. "

 

EXCELLENT POST- This is what I try to convey to people who claim about using eye gouges and numerous other pressure point techniques in a fight.

 

Its also nice to point out that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu's techniques rely on gross motor movement as opposed to fine motor movement.

[Mr. Mike]

I agree for the most part with waht he's saying. We train wtih fully padded Blauer Tactical suits so students will get the crap scared out of them, and WILL get hit, as well as the chance to experience hitting something other than the heavy bag or air with full force whilst being scared. Still if you are training this way, a person gets accustomed to it, and when the street issue happens, they run the risk of buckling under the pressure.

 

I disagree your Kempo comments, Vinnie, but then I would becasue it's my style, and has worked very well for me. But again, I train differently than many others. In regular line drills, if I don't get it right, I get hit...HARD! So, I wear some protective padding...I compete every chance I get to get the human element involved...I go to the mat with other students in submisson matches...and there is no substitute for knowing what to expect in a streetfight. I've been in too many...mostly when I was younger, but I know I can take a hit, and most importantly, I know that I won't be overcome with the adrenalin...it's just like another aspect of my training, but I don't have to change out of my gi afterward, i have to get outta dodge.

[kickcatcher]

I agree with the original post, right down to the generalisation that 90% (I'd say 95%) of what is taugfht won't work on the street.

[Cactusjack]

couldn't agree more. Next time your at your school ..look around. Theres going to be some 20 yr old kid..who's too skinny, with a hesitation to him- brown belt. Next is a 40 yr old house wife...out of shape..no muscular power- red belt. Theres the guys whos 45 yrs...way too fat..smoker...black belt...never trains outside the club.

 

They know there's kicks and moves...there Kata, and there #'s in Japanese...but they have never been tested. They have no idea if they could land a punch- what it really feels like to be hit ect. 1st time in the real *..panic will set in. Happens to all of us. They will doubt themselves...when the adreniline causes them to feel fear-/fight/flight.

 

Unfortunately....in most schools to survive in this day age...Instructors must balance the school for all who attend.

 

Only constant exposure to reaching the fight/flight stages...and learning your weaknesses 1st hand, can really prepare you. (along with proper training of course)

 

Again exc post!