Thank you Dave for your kind words_ coming from a true world renowned professional as you, they really mean much to me.
Most people in my travels who live in the "IF" then world think they will have time to "DO THIS TECHIQUE RIGHT, correct their own weakness, win that one time encounter, or survive that attack, "IF" the time comes and unfortunately more live in a place where this is not a matter of "IF" but "WHEN" this will happen to us, or around us, or to someone we know and love.
This is where we have seen 'recalcitrant cocooning' _as most people feel the “IF” outscores the “When” by 10,000 miles in their view of life.
And that’s fine with me. I know that you and I don’t spend our lives obsessing about a ‘when’_ and people who do karate without any thought to personal protection [although I have never believed that claim] have my blessings and my respect nonetheless, as long as they don’t step on my toes as a serious student of personal protection because of my life experiences, in particular_ the killing of my little cousin by home invaders.
Your forum and mine are about realities of self defense, and if they have no interest in defense, then they should ‘turn the page’ instead of whining about you or I offending ‘their sensibilities’ as we have seen in the past.
Anyone in the martial arts is aware of a ‘when’ even as they lock it up in the recesses of their minds.
What separates the smart from the obtuse is a willingness to learn as much as possible about the possible ‘when’ _ to safeguard their future from plunging into a nightmare they cannot even imagine, and to live up to their claim of self defense instructors, something that is implied by their teaching of a defensive art.
The very fact that what they learn in TMA has the potential to be used for self defense should be enough to motivate one to educate in the ways violence can affect them and their families in irrevocable ways. But they sweep this under the rug because it makes them feel inept or uncomfortable.
As an example_ for years I have discussed the importance of buying a personal umbrella policy_ but I bet that a very small percentage of the readers have in fact bought one. When a plaintiff’s lawyer files a lien on their homes, they will run to their insurance agents in tears.
However, the training drills or tactics have not been field proven, only placed in a book or power point and talked about. This adds to this equation.
This causes lots of angst in Uechi as you can imagine. You might recall the past discussions about Uechi drills.
And the discussions were not even about the drills being useless _ just the way they were being taught and what concepts they were embedding.
To wit
You know some people even have a hard time thinking or understanding that maybe, just maybe they are not training in the way that benefits them the most...(Most people only hear the word wrong).
Right on target Dave.
TMA training drills and dojo tactics have their place and serve a purpose, and they are fine to build certain attributes_ but to believe that they will suffice in ‘self preservation’ is sophomoric at best.
As you know, street violence or the kind of the ‘when’ violence that may befall one of us_ rears up so many unforeseen ‘enemies’ that boggles the mind. Thus the most compelling reason for a continuing education beyond the punch/block/kick mentality.
Look at people on these forums who are licensed to carry guns. Ask how many have invested a bit of time and money in attending specialized lethal force schools?
The gun they carry is the viper biding its time for a mortal bite to its owner/carrier.
However they choose to word it, it is WRONG, I have found that they have not progressed through the years, just maintained the same things through the years. This happens MANY times in training especially in the martial arts, military and our field.
They will chide you about ‘having confidence’ and it will all work out. Surely it might for some_ but at what cost? This is what they don’t seem to grasp.
Remember they will throw the ‘mushin word’ at you with anecdotes, refusing to look at the big picture.
VAN - Do you think the way UECHI-Ryu is NOW...Is the same as it was when it first started?...I would think not... even that has changed SOMEWHAT - either through being watered down from being passed from instructor to instructor, or changed through the understanding and or misinterpretations throughout the years, something.
I agree. I also believe that it is about apples and oranges, in that no matter what the changes or interpretations, Uechi is just a tool.
Putting this tool to work in real life, as formidable as it can be, it must follow modern rules of engagement lest practitioners be sucked into a black hole of physical, psychological, emotional, criminal and civil despair. This aspect is very hard to get across.
We have more violence in our streets now, then 30 years ago, more repeat offenders, more people living in the US then 30 years ago and it is growing.
Many readers, as George states, will scoff at this and could really care less. They are in TMA for the fun of it, for the exercise, that is, until the ‘when’ comes for them_ then they might write to you for help as opposed to writing to George now whining about being ‘dissed’ _
"WHEN" the attack comes, "WHEN" we need to survive the violence, "WHEN" this happens to us we will do this....So THIS takes on more of a reality then the "IF", because we know that this is a reality.
The problem I see, Dave, is that the many who complain about the way you and I write, have difficulty in admitting that there is more to self defense that what they have learned in a dojo under a teacher that goes beyond exercises, katas, prearranged drills, bunkai, free style sparring, and conditioning.
Not that there is anything wrong with this but that they refuse to see what’s beyond that simplicity, as effective as it might be.
They refuse to address the nature of the enemy and the definition of street violence with all the ramifications you point out in your posts.
And not that I really care to reach and ‘influence’ those people_ just as long as they stay on their muddy side of the river.
Believe me Dave, the honor is mine to write alongside you on these matters_ you reinforce the concepts I have embraced and facilitated on my forum for a long ten years in this avocation of mine, so I am no longer the ‘lone rebel’ _
What has worked for me in my life and career is; I try to never change a person's thinking; just speak the truth and eventually the truth will prevail, maybe not in our life time but it will prevail.
Well said, Dave_ to each his own.
Regards,