Albert Einstein said- If you cannot explain it simply, then you don't understand it completely. The truth is this applies to everything, especially fighting and self defense. The problem is that there is no money keeping it simple.
In classes I always tell people that if you are practicing a martial art 3-4 nights a week in a dojo and suffer no serious injuries then don't expect what you are learning to work on the street. But these days with everyone wearing an Infidel Punisher t-shirt, there is a bigger market than ever for the five finger death punch and Spetznaz only tactics.
Complicated will get you killed. Too many choices will gets you killed. Hesitation will get you killed. People spend lots of time and invest considerable amounts of money learning things that have nothing to do with their application. If you enjoy being a Tactical LARPER read no further.
Experience tells us that you are much more likely to be punched in the face than be stabbed or shot. Experience also tells us that about 95% of the time that punch will come in the form of a roundhouse. But if you go to a dojo or double top secret Ninja camp you will find very little time being dedicated to effectively defending against a roundhouse punch. The reason is that the teacher knows there is no money in the fundamentals, and the student is interested in learning about the other things that "could" happen.
The other interesting thing is that usually when someone gets punched in the face they momentarily forget about the gun or knife on their hip. But training in those skill sets seems to make some believe it will stop them from getting punched in the face.
So the idea of this rant is to remember that everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face, so make sure the first time you get punched in the face is in training and not in the street. Once you realize how much it sucks consider learning how to effectively defend against it before moving on to fancy crap. Instead of adding more techniques, consider changing the conditions by defending against the roundhouse from the right and the left, from the flanks, after being spun around, while sitting, while getting out of a car etc. You will be surprise at how much you can learn while concentrating on fundamentals. Don't forget if both you and your training partner are not feeling it, you are dancing, not fighting.
In classes I always tell people that if you are practicing a martial art 3-4 nights a week in a dojo and suffer no serious injuries then don't expect what you are learning to work on the street. But these days with everyone wearing an Infidel Punisher t-shirt, there is a bigger market than ever for the five finger death punch and Spetznaz only tactics.
Complicated will get you killed. Too many choices will gets you killed. Hesitation will get you killed. People spend lots of time and invest considerable amounts of money learning things that have nothing to do with their application. If you enjoy being a Tactical LARPER read no further.
Experience tells us that you are much more likely to be punched in the face than be stabbed or shot. Experience also tells us that about 95% of the time that punch will come in the form of a roundhouse. But if you go to a dojo or double top secret Ninja camp you will find very little time being dedicated to effectively defending against a roundhouse punch. The reason is that the teacher knows there is no money in the fundamentals, and the student is interested in learning about the other things that "could" happen.
The other interesting thing is that usually when someone gets punched in the face they momentarily forget about the gun or knife on their hip. But training in those skill sets seems to make some believe it will stop them from getting punched in the face.
So the idea of this rant is to remember that everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face, so make sure the first time you get punched in the face is in training and not in the street. Once you realize how much it sucks consider learning how to effectively defend against it before moving on to fancy crap. Instead of adding more techniques, consider changing the conditions by defending against the roundhouse from the right and the left, from the flanks, after being spun around, while sitting, while getting out of a car etc. You will be surprise at how much you can learn while concentrating on fundamentals. Don't forget if both you and your training partner are not feeling it, you are dancing, not fighting.