Defending self, but against what?

[Steve]

Mokuren Dojo: Defending the self, but against what?

for years I've billed my classes as primarily self-defense related. But then the question arises, "What are we training to defend against?" Some martial artists might claim to prepare you to beat up violent criminals or terrorists or the like, but I personally think that we are training to defeat different kinds of enemies.

So much to like about this blog post, and I agree completely. Opinions?

 

[JowGaWolf]

Many people who haven't taken a Martial Art before just assumes that it's all about fighting. This people are usually the ones who "draw a line in the sand." and say I don't need to fight or I have a gun. My wife used to be like that until she took a class she got a really good work out and she's noticing that the most difficult thing about Kung Fu is mental, focus, and coordination. She's learning that it's not always easy for the brain to do what you tell it to do.

Unfortunately so many people think Martial Art is just some violent activity that has no benefit in today's modern world.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you ask someone to do the following:

- rotate right arm in forward circle and rotate left arm in backward circle at the same time.
- punch right arm and kick left leg at the same time.
- swing right leg back up while bend down forward and touch right hand on left ankle.
- jump up, touch hands on the high wall, and pull body up above it.
- touch one hand on the low wall and swing your body over it.
- ...

You will be surprised to find out that most people won't be able to do it on their "first try". If MA training can help to do all these then you have already benefited from your MA training.

 

[JowGaWolf]

If you ask someone to do the following:

- rotate right arm in forward circle and rotate left arm in backward circle at the same time.
- punch right arm and kick left leg at the same time.
- swing right leg back up while bend down forward and touch right hand on left ankle.
- jump up, touch hands on the high wall, and pull body up above it.
- touch one hand on the low wall and swing your body over it.
- ...

You will be surprised to find out that most people won't be able to do it on their "first try". If MA training can help to do all these then you have already benefited from your MA training.

We have a block right arm and kick left leg at the same time that gets the students. I thought I had it down pat, until today when I realized that I haven't been doing it on my left side. So now I have something new to practice on.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Mokuren Dojo: Defending the self, but against what?

So much to like about this blog post, and I agree completely. Opinions?

Yes.

 

[Danny T]

Mokuren Dojo: Defending the self, but against what?



So much to like about this blog post, and I agree completely. Opinions?

Excellent. Thank you for sharing. And I agree.

 

[Buka]

That might be the best thing I've ever read on the subject of Martial Arts.

 

[ballen0351]

Nothing that hasn't been said in one way or another here numerous times. Steve even you have made similar points before

 

[crazydiamond]

Several of my teachers have mentioned that our MA (and others) helps fight of mental declines and related brain issues that come with aging. I started late... but I hope it does. It has pushed my mind using the "crossing" of stick fighting.

Oh - and I appreciated (as an older student) the discussion in that link on falling. I have not had much training, so far, in that other than backwards break falls. I will have to take a longer look at ukemi moves for forward falls.

 

[Spinedoc]

Great post Steve…most of the best, most practical lessons you can learn from the martial arts actually have nothing to do with fighting.

At an Aikido seminar a few years back in California, the Shihan asked the crowd (about 100 aikido) how many of them had actually used Aikido in a real fight, self defense situation, or physical encounter. OUT of the 100 people….maybe 10-15 hands went up. Most of them were bodyguards, prison guards, LE officers, etc. The Shihan laughed, and then asked how many people in the crowd had used their Aikido skills when they fell? Over half the crowd raised their hands.

Simple fact is this. Unless you are a complete a-hole, you really shouldn't be in more than 1-2 actual fights in your adult life. If you are, than you should really self examine yourself and your situation. However, as you grow older……you WILL ALL fall. It's inescapable.

I think one of the best lessons that martial arts can teach you is how to fall safely.

That's my opinion….

Again, great post Steve.

 

[Drew Ahn-Kim]

Pure unadulterated TRUTH in this one Steve. I have several bits of anecdotal evidence/people that support each point just off the top of my head.

Simple fact is this. Unless you are a complete a-hole, you really shouldn't be in more than 1-2 actual fights in your adult life. If you are, than you should really self examine yourself and your situation. However, as you grow older……you WILL ALL fall. It's inescapable.

I think one of the best lessons that martial arts can teach you is how to fall safely.

That's my opinion….

Yes, Yes, Yes! My friends who learn I've been training martial arts my whole life, and have won state championships in TKD before moving over to BJJ/MMA training always ask how many fights I've been in, and they get really disappointed when I tell them the single digit number (with none of them ending in any sort of KO, just control). Furthermore I tell them I'm far more proud of the much greater number of fights which I've de-escalated, and that I'd rather have this outcome then an actual fight any day. Of course, self defense is a different animal, but as martial artists we have nothing to prove in a mano y mano brawl, we're confident in our selves in that regard, and we actually understand the reality of what a fight is.

Great post!

 

[Buka]

Steve, I sent that link to a whole bunch of crazy Karate folks. They appreciated the heck out of it. Thanks.

 

[lklawson]

At an Aikido seminar a few years back in California, the Shihan asked the crowd (about 100 aikido) how many of them had actually used Aikido in a real fight, self defense situation, or physical encounter. OUT of the 100 people….maybe 10-15 hands went up. Most of them were bodyguards, prison guards, LE officers, etc. The Shihan laughed, and then asked how many people in the crowd had used their Aikido skills when they fell? Over half the crowd raised their hands.

Simple fact is this. Unless you are a complete a-hole, you really shouldn't be in more than 1-2 actual fights in your adult life. If you are, than you should really self examine yourself and your situation. However, as you grow older……you WILL ALL fall. It's inescapable.

I think one of the best lessons that martial arts can teach you is how to fall safely.

I've been saying this for years. It's like talking to a brick wall. I feel like I'm a broken record. Any time anyone comes in to Judo and is interested, one of the things I laud is how ukemi has saved faces, hips, shoulders, and wrists. Every one over brown belt there has at least one story about how knowing safe falling techniques has saved their body.

When winter officially hit, I taught one full class on safe falling in The Carport of Calamity right along with boxing & tomahawk.

But when there started to be an epidemic of falling accidents among my family, friends, and church family, I offered to teach a clinic on safe falling. Crickets, man, total crickets.

I tried to talk the Civil Servant on Base where I work to let me teach a safe falling clinic. Like talking to the Mona Lisa; it looked like the eyes followed but you never get a response.

<sigh>

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Buka]

I've been saying this for years. It's like talking to a brick wall. I feel like I'm a broken record. Any time anyone comes in to Judo and is interested, one of the things I laud is how ukemi has saved faces, hips, shoulders, and wrists. Every one over brown belt there has at least one story about how knowing safe falling techniques has saved their body.

When winter officially hit, I taught one full class on safe falling in The Carport of Calamity right along with boxing & tomahawk.

But when there started to be an epidemic of falling accidents among my family, friends, and church family, I offered to teach a clinic on safe falling. Crickets, man, total crickets.

I tried to talk the Civil Servant on Base where I work to let me teach a safe falling clinic. Like talking to the Mona Lisa; it looked like the eyes followed but you never get a response.

<sigh>

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

And you know some of those very people are going to fall. And the fall will be hard.

Keep trying, Kirk, maybe they'll listen at some point.

 

[elder999]

The primary benefits of Okinawan karate is longevity, and vigor into old age. Some even say that those are the reasons why it's methods were closely guarded at one time.

One of my friends, and a former student, studied jujutsu with me solely to learn how to fall, and related a story of how his grandfather had learned to fall in WWI, and had actually taken a fall off a curb, right in front of him-at age 93-lain there for a second, and gotten right up.....

Sure, there are lots of benefits to learning self-defense, and most of us aren't going to be attacked, mugged, beset upon or engaged in a bar-fight..........

.........but some of us are.