Self-Defense; learned or acquired, and how to approach?

[bushido_man96]

This topic is another that sprouted from a passage I read in Grandmaster Hee Il Cho's book, The Complete One and Three Step Sparring:

Self-defense is not so much learned as it is acquired. You cannot learn a few good moves and then figure that you will be able to use those moves to easily defend yourself. You must master the physical aspects of the techniques you wish to add to your arsenal by practicing them over and over continuously, and then you must develop the mental fortitude to be able to use those techniques if the occassion demands it.

The emphasis is on the word use is Cho's. A few things I agree with here: continual practice, yes, and mental fortitude, yes. But, I don't think that learning self-defense necessarily takes as long as it does to actually master the physical aspects of the techniques. I think it should all come along together. Cho goes on to say:

This mental training is a long process, and usually comes best from the experience of sparring in a class situation over an extended period of time.

He goes on to point out that this exposure to sparring helps students to get over their fear of physical confrontations, which I tend to agree with. However, in the class room, sparring is much different than the approach will be in self-defense, and sparring helps more if it is geared more towards what self-defense will be like, and less like point sparring.

So, some things I think he hits on the head, and others, I think are off base a bit. What are your thoughts on this approach?

[DWx]

I think it's a very old school mentality. Essentially once you get to this level of proficiency then you can defend yourself. I do like how he says that knowing the technique is not enough and that you have to have a will and mental fortitude but I think it is important to be conscious of self defense application from the start and to develop this alongside learning the technique. It helps somewhat with visualizing and understanding what it is you are doing.

With regards to sparring, sparring should not be one thing. You should have many different types of sparring dependant on what your training goal is. Some days you might want to make it very much like self defense, other days maybe more sport like. Each has a lesson to teach.

[bushido_man96]

I agree that it tends to be an old-school mentality. I don't think its the case that it should take years and years to develop an ability to defend oneself successfully. Nor do I think one should stop developing said skill over the course of the years. But I think it can come sooner than what Cho feels is the case.

[sensei8]

SD, imho, is learnt and acquired; from within and from out. Btw, I always thought that I was always learning SD. I mean, I learn the MA, I'm pretty good at it, I think, therefore, I can defend myself, quite to the point if need be. If after 49 years I can't defend myself, well, I'm on a boat without any oars; I'm adrift!!

[jaypo]

I actually think the mental part is far more difficult to master than learning the physical tecnhnique. I, personally, have a tendency to "adrenaline dump" pretty quickly (think of UFC fighters that gas quickly- they hit an adrenaline dump, and their motor skills go to mush!). However, over the years, I've been able to mentally prepare for it by visuallizing certain situations over and over again. It doesn't stop it from happening. It just makes me able to "soften" the effects. For example, I was in church one day, and a drifter came in. At one point, me, and everybody else thought a very bad situation was about to unfold because of the things he did and the way he was acting. I had my daughter and 2 of her friends with me. I immediately had a huge adrenaline rush, but after that, my instincts took over, and I had come up with a contingency plan to get the girls to safety and to eliminate the problem! Thankfully, nothing bad happened, but in case it did, I was prepared mentally. However, there was about a 10 second period where I was (probably) physically unable to do anything until my adrenaline stopped overtaking my motor skills!

[bushido_man96]

I agree, jaypo, that training the mental preparation aspect of it is just as important, and can be the more difficult aspect of the training. You can give someone all the techniques in the world, but at the end of the day, if they are a sheep, they are a sheep. Training the mental aspect of it has to start early on, as well, along with the techniques.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The essential point that must be considered above all else is that the skills one does or does not develop are entirely dependent on how one trains as well as the focus and purpose of one's training. Everything else is mere detail.

To be able to defend against a violent physical attack, one must train for that purpose. It is very different than training to win a sporting match. There may be some overlapping, but the training and practise must fit the goal. Mentality is the main difference and is more important than physical techniques.

One simply cannot expect to become a tiger if one trains like a sheep.

[bushido_man96]

The essential point that must be considered above all else is that the skills one does or does not develop are entirely dependent on how one trains as well as the focus and purpose of one's training. Everything else is mere detail.

To be able to defend against a violent physical attack, one must train for that purpose. It is very different than training to win a sporting match. There may be some overlapping, but the training and practise must fit the goal. Mentality is the main difference and is more important than physical techniques.

One simply cannot expect to become a tiger if one trains like a sheep.

Those are very good points.