Moderator: Van Canna
There are MANY experienced martial artists out there - there experience only lies within their own art and if it is an experienced MMA fighter then the only related experience is what was borrowed or taken from the style they learned and used in their situation, but again sport and just training is not the gauge to compare too real experience in a real confrontation.
And that is the only thing we are talking about not comparing apples to oranges which are a fruit but still very different in category, taste and texture.
On the other side of this.....There are MANY real life warriors with a few to many real life experiences who only have a great deal of experience in the situation they have faced, but again experience alone without the training is still falling short.
A skill level for survival which is what we are talking about not the sport, recreational, or feel good martial artist...just the real life warrior which is the real world we live in-
No disrespect to anyone who practices martial arts for any of those reasons and the many more who just love the arts...
The category I am addressing is the one for personal survival inside and out of the courtroom.
So with that being said.....to gauge ones own skill level - not their own B.S. Meter the two main factors are real world experience plus training experience will equal someone's own real world skill level.
Here is another example outside of this area. I am training 90 Marine State Officers in Water Survival - Many who are former Marines and other branches of the service....However after the first day of training 38 Marine Officers voluntarily dropped out of the training due to their own inability to complete objectives - on day two 20 more followed and after yesterday we graduated 14 students - All who are top trainers in their departments coming from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels - but very few passed all of the real world situations we gave them.
Do not get me wrong:
All are warriors
Dedicated Officers
Great Professionals to be around
except most let their own B.S. Meter hide their own actual skill which for some very minimal.
So to judge ones own real world skill level you add real world experience with training experience to get the skill level. That is what I am saying.
Most people never understand their B.S. Meter and only truly know it when the real world time comes. And sometime that is WAY to late......
_________________
Dave
Stay Safe, Stay Strong, STAY ALIVE!
The easiest way to explain seniority may be to use a military analogy. Seniority is fluid - one may be senior in age but junior in rank. One may be junior in age but senior in rank or position (in the military, a company, a dojo). So, respect is shown both ways.
A commander of a squadron may be a young man with a college degree and a commission. His "subordinate" is a high-ranked non-commissioned officer, an "old Sarge".
Lower in rank than an officer, but far more experienced and field-tempered. He knows his men and the assignment.
The Captain (or higher) relies on the lower-ranked but older man's expertise. The Sarge respects the commander for his rank level and position of authority.
He guides his commander and serves as advisor, and the commander makes the necessary decisions commensurate with his position of authority, and accepts the responsibilities that go with the position.
The lower-ranked person has seniority and "life experience" that proves invaluable to the younger commander.
The commander has the position of authority and responsibility and therefore the respect of the Sarge. One is senior in rank and responsibility, the other in age and career experience. Each respects the other.
It's very similar in the dojo, with some variation due to culture.
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