There's a vital distinction here that a few people are missing - time and depth.
In the short term a few simple conditioned responses, a bad attitude (in the good way ) and single-minded goal-orientation are the way to go. You need high-percentage tactics that can be learned quickly and have a good chance of producing the desired outcome. I personally favor overwhelming force and massive damage for people at that stage of development. That's what has the best chance of keeping them in one piece long enough to pursue further training if they are so inclined. Fiery leopards and watery dragons will make you look stupid while someone is stomping a mudhole in you.
But later on the plain fact is that you can KISS yourself to death. It ain't simple. You ain't stupid. A robotic response will only take you so far. You need to explore your options, expand your horizons and develop things that take a little more time but make you more effective. Good body mechanics can take years to perfect. Distance, timing, the (applied) psychology of combat, adapting curriculum to meet your personal needs, et cetera ad infinitum take time. They take lots of time and effort. Things can get elaborate and over theoretical at that point. But if you have those fundamentals you'll be alright until you get through that stage to higher levels of development that will make you a better fighter in the end.
In the short term a few simple conditioned responses, a bad attitude (in the good way ) and single-minded goal-orientation are the way to go. You need high-percentage tactics that can be learned quickly and have a good chance of producing the desired outcome. I personally favor overwhelming force and massive damage for people at that stage of development. That's what has the best chance of keeping them in one piece long enough to pursue further training if they are so inclined. Fiery leopards and watery dragons will make you look stupid while someone is stomping a mudhole in you.
But later on the plain fact is that you can KISS yourself to death. It ain't simple. You ain't stupid. A robotic response will only take you so far. You need to explore your options, expand your horizons and develop things that take a little more time but make you more effective. Good body mechanics can take years to perfect. Distance, timing, the (applied) psychology of combat, adapting curriculum to meet your personal needs, et cetera ad infinitum take time. They take lots of time and effort. Things can get elaborate and over theoretical at that point. But if you have those fundamentals you'll be alright until you get through that stage to higher levels of development that will make you a better fighter in the end.