A Path to Effective Self Defense
When does the quest to only study the most “realistic” techniques get in the way of defending yourself? How do you go about learning to defend your self and find those “realistic techniques? I think we can all agree that the martial arts in general have a lot of extraneous techniques that are limited, to say the least, in their combative value. I also think we can agree that, if self defense is our only goal, learning some sort of combatives or Reality Based Self Defense (RBSD) system is preferred. In fact some people will go so far as to say that if it isn’t a Combatives or RBSD program you are doing more harm than good. They contend that Martial Arts teach you bad habits that will get you killed in a violent encounter.
Now if you live in the town of some of the big Close Combat or RBSD “Names” (Carl Cestari, Kelly McCann, and Peyton Quinn come to mind) then your choice is fairly easy. But what if you don’t? Sure there are seminars you could go to but that can be a large undertaking that for a married man and (soon to be) father like myself. To go to Carl’s yearly seminar in NJ, for example, it would cost me around a thousand dollars after airfare, hotel, cost of the seminar and spending money are budgeted. Needless to say I can’t afford to do that every year (or even yet for that matter). So I ask again, what do you do?
I believe you need to do something. The plain facts are this; some martial arts or martial sports training are better than nothing and can mean the difference between life and death. In the absence of a reputable, experienced Combatives teacher, you must take the responsibility and teach yourself (even with a teacher the responsibility is truly yours). This article will help you along that path, the path followed by such luminaries as W.E Fairbairn, Peyton Quinn and to some extent Bruce Lee (although he created a Martial Art rather than a self defence system).
The first thing you need to do is get some instruction at a Martial arts school. Some one has to teach you the basics. If you don’t have the basics you are like a house without a foundation (remember this it will come up later). I truly believe that almost any art (with in reason, there are some real wacky ones out there, Caveat emptor) can give you that start but you must keep an active mind. You must remember that your goal is realistic self defense not artistic expression or historical re-enactment. You have to learn what techniques are simple and effective enough to be included in your self defense system. One good way is to compare them to the work of some of the people I mentioned above or others like them (via video, writings and even the precious seminars when you can afford them).
One you have been in the Martial Arts for awhile you will learn to weigh different styles. Do they suit your purpose, body style or mindset? Do they add what you are missing? Remember keeping your system simple does not mean leaving it full of holes. You will also learn to recognize the difference between techniques that work and techniques, which may not be workable, but teach concepts that are. An example of this is Sankaku no irimi nage (triangular entering throw) found in Aikido. I often get derided for preaching an Aikido concept because “aikido is no good for self defence”. However, the triangular entering step is one of the most powerful and effective pieces of footwork in the fighting arts. It is found in Judo, Silat, Kali, Kun Tao and a hundred other systems. I would probably have an easier time if I said I learned it from Silat but I happened to learn it from Aikido.
After you have been at this a little while and are starting to get a decent grip on the basics (remember the basics?) in all aspects of combat you need to start testing yourself. This can be in the form of sparring or padded assailant drills. Scenario based training is important at this level. The reason these are needed is to learn what works because the drill is set up for it to work and what works because it works. Sparring and padded assailants provide resisting partners to test your techniques on. Depending on the way they are set up, these drills can also provide a measure of the adrenaline one would face in a real self defence scenario.
While engaging in these drills it is important to analyze them and ask yourself questions such as, “Did this technique work because the rules of the engagement preclude my partner from using the most efficient counter?” Another important one is “Did my protective equipment allow me to continue where I otherwise may not have?” Equally important is, “Did it not work because I pulled a shot that would have damaged my partner or because the rules preclude me from performing the technique properly?”
One of the most important things to remember is that what you are after are the basics (yes I mentioned them again, it is that important). The basic techniques are not only the easiest to learn they are the easiest to perform under stress i.e. in any situation which would require you to use them. Many people forget that the basics are the building blocks of a system not just something to be done until you get to more advanced techniques. What would happen to a building if you discarded the foundation once you got to the upper floors?
The basics need to be practiced at least as much as anything else. In fact, I would argue that the basics should be practiced everyday regardless of what else you were learning. One of the things you will learn in your full contact sparring or padded assailant drills is that you can perform the basics more successfully then more advanced techniques. If you keep at this for years and years you may find that you can apply some of these more advance techniques but you will find that you will still be using the basics as much or more than any of the advanced ones.
Another important point is that you need to train. I don’t care where but you need to train. I have heard and seen it a thousand times: A person feels he needs to start preparing for self defence and he asks the question, “Well there is this traditional Karate dojo in my town, should I go there?” And you will actually hear people say, “No way, you are better off doing nothing than learning that crap.” As far as I am concerned they are dead wrong. Any training is better than no training. The difference between training with someone like Carl Cestari, for example, and the local dojo is that Carl has spent decades doing your work for you. He has practice with an active mind and drawn out what he feels are the most effective techniques for self defence.
Actually, I prefer the method in this article to relying on some one like Carl. As much as I respect what he does, I feel a greater sense of accomplishment and I trust my own skills more because I have researched them and I know they work. When some one like Carl speaks or writes something I automatically take it in to consideration because he has earned that kind of respect. However, I think that some people will find an Expert and they will accept their words without question. I am not saying they are wrong but when my life is on the line I would feel more comfortable with knowledge I had earned with my own blood, sweat and tears.
In my view, the ideal method is to work this stuff out for yourself. By all means accept advice and help from those who have put in the work before you but do not accept their advice blindly. Great men are sometimes wrong. For example, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity had a flaw in it. Overall it was correct but a particular piece of it was wrong. The man who corrected it did so because he questioned it and tried to prove its value himself. The end result was a more correct concept. The same goes for self defence. Questioning some ones advice is not disrespect; it is exercising your good judgment. It is your life on the line and you need to confident in the fact that what you are using is the right means to the desired end. After all if you are not confident in your skills you will hesitate in applying them and that could have disastrous results