Martial Arts vs. Self Defense

[LenTesta]

So Len, are you saying that learning self-defense is the most important thing training karate has to offer??
Yes, but not exclusively.

If so, do you really think self-defense takes a lifetime to master?
Yes. I have been training in the martial arts for over 21 years. Do I think that I am a master of self defense? No. Will I be able to completely disable any attacker or confronter by physical means without getting myself hurt and him killed? I dont know.
Will I be able to survive an attack without getting killed or maimed? I believe so.

I mean,if you get a good understanding of the basic principles --aren't those the types of technqiues that end up getting used in a self-defense situation?
Yes and No. The fancy moves and anything with fine motor skills are definately to be avoided. But you cant prepare for all self-defense situations with just a few basic moves. You have to know which moves that you can perform the best and whether they will work in any given situation against any given attacker. Some may work and some wont. By trying the variables against different size dojo mates you can see if the basics will work on each one. Some will, some wont. If you perform the moves you do best with blinding speed and outrageous power you will fare better than most martial artists because you will be sending a signal to your opponent that you can and will hurt him. That is the only signal that most attackers will respond to. It doesnt matter how many times you hit someone. It matters if each hit will do damage. It takes many years of practice and muscle conditioning to be able to instinctively hit with enough speed and power to stop the average adrenalized attacker.

Doesn't the army expect folks to be combat ready in as little as 16 weeks?Yes. They are trained to kill though, with the use of weapons. We are not. No one is sent into combat without a primary weapon and a backup weapon like a knife. Also their weapon is not supposed to fail them and if it does they must learn how to do something or be killed. It is a no win or lose situation. No one will bring them to court if they kill their attackers while at war.

Why are we spending so many years on what the military spends only months?
It does not take as long to learn how to pull a trigger and slash as does to disable someone without killing them. They learn stances and balance so they will be able to steady their weapons to fire accurately. It doesnt take long to learn how to shoot those semi-automatic killing machines. If they had to rely strickly on hand to hand combat they would take a full martial arts course like the rest of us. And there is still no guarantee they will survive every confrontation.

If you want to learn self-defense, being a soldier is not the way to go either. You will not always be able to shoot every attacker in civillian life. And the little time spent on hand to hand combat is only slightly better than a two week self defense course.


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Len