have you ever had doubt in your M.A. s effectivness ?

[KARATEKA911]

[tallgeese]

Sure. I think this a normal and healthy thing. My feeling on it are summed up in my post on this thread:

http://www.karateforums.com/doubt-vt45624.html

As martial artists, especially if we are involved in a combat art, we have to doubt. That leads us to testing. Testing is what validates what we do, refines what is not quite right, and leads to evolving our arts forward.

We can do this a variety of ways. We can construct smart, realistic scenario based training or experiments (see the link in the above article for an example of pressure testing tactics) to see how they function.

The other way is looking at how that art or it's tactics function when deployed by other artists in combat situations. The data isn't good on this stuff, but it's out there. Experience can provide good feedback on effectiveness. This can be yours or others.

The big question that comes out of doubt is what you do about it when you get your answers to the questions that it brings. If things work as expected, then it's easy. You're on the right path. What if things don't work?

Now you have a couple of options. If you're not in the art for fighting tactics to start with, this might not be a bad idea. Chances are; however, if you're asking the question at all then there is at least a part of you that wants this stuff to work.

So, based on how your stuff is working in simulations, or didn't work as the case might be, you'll need to figure what to do. That might mean something as simple (term used loosely) as a mindset shift. Or as moderate at how you deploy the tactics you're using (ranging, targeting, angles, ect.) but the core of the art is solid. Or you might have to look for something different altogether.

There's not right or wrong answer on this one when it comes to where doubt leads you. Only you and your specific reasons can decide how important each facet of training is to you.

[Hawkmoon]

Yes!

Years ago for all of my ability and wins in competition I was still only a small,thin, slight, skinny...(you get the idea) guy.

This only created a poor self image of breakable specifically at close range. I took up Ju-Jitsu to fill the gap to build my close quarter ability, it helped a little but the drain on me and my time was great ..something had to give...ju-Jitsu was dropped eventually.

For me to fight at 'full contact' was something I really couldn't do the pain memory was to much for me, the result was I had no desire do fight at this level.

As I got older I started to realize I was not so skinny anymore, but at this point the 'damage was done' the memory was much more in my mind than ever before.

[Wastelander]

I know that my art is effective--the question is, am I effective at using it. That's what pressure testing is for. Some people do it through competition, while others do it through their occupations, but generally the people with the most confidence in their arts are the ones who have pressure tested themselves the most.

[bushido_man96]

I've had questions in the past, and even some now, in regards to how I apply the art and its methods. The main issue I have through TKD is that we don't work on applying anything all too much. We spar, but we can only apply so much through sparring, especially with the limited rule set we use. One-steps can only take one so far.

When I was consistently training DT and Combat Hapkido, we did quite a bit of talking and training about how well something would work, or what it would take to make it work for us. In DT training now, we work towards it, as well.

[Harkon72]

Yes! The reality wake up when joining my present Sensei was profound.

[sensei8]

YES!!

Anyone with a minimum idea of what the MA is, and has to offer in the form of self-defense and the like will always have some doubt for one reason or another. In that, if what you've learnt hasn't been tested for its effectiveness, then one will never know, therefore, one will build up false securities that guide one down a dangerous road.

TEST..............................................and then some until you know for sure!!

[rucass]

Yes. After 12 yrs in isshinryu, a room full of trophies for kata and kumite, i moved and stumbled upon a reality based self defense group and realized i had wasted the entire time. I am only speaking of Isshinryu, but as a fighting style what is taught is mostly useless and unrealisitic. Bunkai, kumite no use outside of the doors of the gym. The katas and their applications are ridiculous and has led me to believe that a great hoax was played upon everyone by Shimabuku.

This is not to say that many of the techniques are not themselves valid. in their original form they are, but they are not being taught as such. I happened to fall in with people who were knowledgeable of the foundations of this style and of real, stress tested technique application, and even more the knowledge of the theory of combat.

The ridiculousness of the idea of learning multiple katas, and then expecting to instinctively pull out the appropriate technique form a particular kata, in a moment of extreme duress, was a revelation and a release from a false dogma of this particular style. I will cut it short to save you all from my droning on. But you get my drift....

[Aodhan]

Yes. After 12 yrs in isshinryu, a room full of trophies for kata and kumite, i moved and stumbled upon a reality based self defense group and realized i had wasted the entire time. I am only speaking of Isshinryu, but as a fighting style what is taught is mostly useless and unrealisitic. Bunkai, kumite no use outside of the doors of the gym. The katas and their applications are ridiculous and has led me to believe that a great hoax was played upon everyone by Shimabuku.

This is not to say that many of the techniques are not themselves valid. in their original form they are, but they are not being taught as such. I happened to fall in with people who were knowledgeable of the foundations of this style and of real, stress tested technique application, and even more the knowledge of the theory of combat.

The ridiculousness of the idea of learning multiple katas, and then expecting to instinctively pull out the appropriate technique form a particular kata, in a moment of extreme duress, was a revelation and a release from a false dogma of this particular style. I will cut it short to save you all from my droning on. But you get my drift....

This is not the fault of the style, but rather the application of the training within the style. An elbow to the side of the head is the same, whether you call it Isshinryu, TKD, Shotokan, WingDings Finger food or reality training.

You are probably learning bone breaks, elbows, in close fighting, groundfighting, etc. These are all things that can be gleaned in just about every art out there. It's how you apply the training in various situations that differs from style to style (and school to school).

Rather than say "Well, that was 12 years wasted", see what you know that can be applied in your current training regimen. If there is absolutely nothing that can be applied, then you either really did waste 12 years or your new training isn't as reality as you think it might be.

John

[BlackKnight]

No. I did at one time, but no longer. The hazards of the job.