Live training

[MasterPain]

It's come to the point that when you tell a prospective student that your school is mainly self defense oriented, they automatically look at you with suspicion. Why? Many self defense schools show technique, have you practice on a compliant partner, and call it good. Some even have the uke add resistance, and then call it good. That should be just the beginning.

The next step is to have the uke throw a random attack. Then you have to react with the appropriate response. Then have the uke feint before attacking. Now you have to deal with timing. Next try using what you've learned while sparring. Sparring not only tests and refines technique, it tests and refines you.

Imagine a basketball coach teaching offense and not having someone actively play defense. The first game would be a travesty.

[bushido_man96]

You are very right on here. When I was putting together ideas for Combat Hapkido classes, I was thinking of adding some nice headgear for the attackers to wear so they could actually hit someone with their distraction techniques. Also, adding a punch after being grabbed, so the defender would have to defend, then go into the techniques. There are so many good ideas out there, and I think the main problem is that many instructors don't go outside of their own class format, which is often inherent in a system, to find new ideas to teach new things.

[MasterPain]

Groinstrike used a kotegaeshi as a takedown grappling today. That's a great technique much maligned because of overly compliant ukes.

[bushido_man96]

That's cool. I do like that technique, but I much prefer my Hapkido method of application than I do the Aikido application.

[MasterPain]

Our usual method is grab the wrist, punch then in the face, kick them in the shin, punch them in the face, attempt lock, punch in face. It tends to be better as a disarm, the focus on the weapon hand helps facilitate the application.

[bushido_man96]

I like your punch to the face mentality. Its a very good one.

[honoluludesktop]

IMO it is impossible to practice self-defense against a equally matched partner that is not holding back. Self defense techniques are meant to violently hurt the attacker. Knowing that, the attackers only option is to put the defender down. Someone will get hurt. Practicing by kata is the only safe, however unrealistic means of practice.

Self defense has little in common with free sparring under supervision. Unlike baseball, self defense is not a game.

[bushido_man96]

No, its not a game. But with the proper approach and use of equipment, it is very doable. Is it possible to do it 100% every time? Maybe not. But is it possible to add enough degrees of realism to get as close to the real deal as possible? Sure it is. It may mean that at times you have to take some precautions into consideration; this may mean uping the contact levels but restraining some targets. It may mean wearing goggles to allow simulation of eye gouging. Maybe when grappling, if you get the chance, you can add a zerbert to simulate a bite (it may sound goofy, but it might be worth considering).

The point is though, it is possible to do. I agree that 100% full on contact to any available target without protection is not very viable. Its the extreme. Forms training is the other extreme at the opposite end of the spectrum. There is a happy medium in the middle.

[brickshooter]

A couple of years ago I visited a women's self-defense course given by affiliates of law enforcement. They gave self-defense instructions then used one instructor as a test dummy. He was padded up from head to toe, copmlete with face shield. And the ladies took turns beating him up.

Only problem was that the padding was so heavy, he looked like Frankenstein with very limited mobility and even less visibility. In other words, the intent was for him to simulate an attacker. But the result was that he limited to being a moving punching bag with legs and arms.

From that I realize that sometimes by eliminating one problem, we create others.

So while I think it's a good idea to use maximum protection to simulate a no rules situation, particularly from a marketing point of view, we shouldn't supplement nor lessen the drills of Kata.

[Sokusen]

The Blauer gear seems to be a good compromise between protection and mobility. I have never used it but saw some video where two people were geared up and were able to go at it with decent contact, but still have enough mobility to pull off submissions as well. Anyone ever use it?