What to learn first?

[Jay]

In your opinion which should you learn first attack or defence.

In JKD I learned the straight lead and shin side kick first. In BJJ and Judo I have learned mainly positional escapes first.

[Lupin1]

It depends. I would say defense is more important in most arts, but in a lot of them, especially grappling arts, you need to learn to attack before you can defend because you start out as the attacker having the more advanced ranks practicing against you. But I think if I were an instructor, I'd want my students to know how to defend asap just in case life gets hairy.

[brickshooter]

I would teach a little of both at the same time. The reason is that this isn't rocket science. One can reasonable teach both an attack and a defense in a 1 hour span. The other reason is that attacks and defense compliment each other.

And the last reason is that teaching one without teach the other may be confused for incompetency to which the student may walk out and never return. Students are students, but they're also paying customers.

[joesteph]

I first trained in the straight lead and roundhouse ("hook") kick in JKD, Jay. Then it became lead and rear hand punches, and front kick that turned into a side kick at extension. We did evading and parrying against punches just as I ended my JKD time (injured elbow).

If you teach someone to establish a fence, you've taught someone defensive first--even if it's not the same as a block, parry, whatever.

Incidentally, the JKD instructor who had us working away at parrying told us that the ideal would be to do what Lee was able to do. He could strike his opponent before the parry actually touched his opponent's punching arm.

[Lupin1]

I can't remember what I learned first and we haven't had any new adult students come into the class since I've been in it. I think we might have learn stances and the simple step and reverse punch and then maybe high blocks and low blocks. That's for the kids, though. Adults they would probably having them do whatever we were doing and just correct them as they go along. So it would probably depend on what the rest of the class was working on.

[JiuJitsuNation]

I was told "First you learn how to tap, then you learn how to make tap."

This doesn't really refer to the curriculum, but more so the process during the first year of rolling.

[honoluludesktop]

Attacking, or defending are circumstances that arise in combat. There should be no preference in placing one before the other. Ultimately, the goal is to stand your ground in a altercation.

[sperki]

Lupin1's description for adults is pretty much how I learned. Every class starts with the basics, and I had a senior student, or sensei, working with me the first few classes to make sure I had the form right (at least mostly). But we worked on strikes and blocks equally, with no preference given to offense or defense in class, ever, that I can recall.

[Wastelander]

Why would anyone teach one or the other instead of both? In the very first class of Shuri-Ryu karate we taught a punch, a kick, a block, and a fighting stance, and we developed all of them from there with repetition and drills, slowly working up to partner work and more advanced techniques and concepts. I guess it just never occurred to me that someone would say "Okay, I am going to teach you to attack. This is how you punch" and work on that for the next month before saying "Okay, I am going to teach you how to defend. This is how you block"

[bushido_man96]

I say attacking. I think too much emphasis is wrongly put on the idea that a Martial Artist should never throw a "first punch," and that should always be thinking defense first. It is a gross misconception to assume that one will be able to rely on blocking every attack, and therefore wait for it. Action is faster than reaction, so I don't see how it behooves a new student to be taught to block before striking. I'm not saying that I don't have faith in my ability to block, but I am saying there is a definite disadvantage to waiting for an attack to happen.

That is my view as far as the striking arts go. As for the grappling styles, I don't know enough about them, or have enough experience, to really be able to say that reversals and escapes are more defensive in nature or not.

I would teach a little of both at the same time. The reason is that this isn't rocket science. One can reasonable teach both an attack and a defense in a 1 hour span. The other reason is that attacks and defense compliment each other.

And the last reason is that teaching one without teach the other may be confused for incompetency to which the student may walk out and never return. Students are students, but they're also paying customers.

Great answer, and great points.