Practice for perfection, prepare for disaster
I watched a video recently featuring a well known self defence and police trainer. The focus of the video was defending against the knife. In the process of showing his trademarked knife defense the expert in question (EIQ) uttered a very common phrase, “If you think you are going to not get cut, you know, you have another thing coming because in a knife attack you are going to get cut.” And the EIQ proceed to prove that by getting stabbed multiple times during his demo. His theory being that eventually he would be able to grab the hand and stop the stabbing.
The phrase “You will get cut in a knife fight” has been voiced up so many times it has become clichéd. Even though it is clichéd, it is a very realistic view to have. One must be prepared deal with the possibility that you will get cut and force yourself to continue fighting regardless of this. However, the problem begins when people begin to accept that they will be cut and there is nothing that they can do about it. They begin to practice for disaster. If the best you can hope for in your practice is to be stabbed multiple times, what will happen on the street?
This acceptance has shown up in many areas of self defence training. When people began to realize that they could be taken to the ground in a fight they didn’t practice staying on their feet. They accepted that they would be taken to the ground and learned to grapple from their backs. Never mind that the ground is no place to be in a street fight, they accepted that they would go to the ground so they started learning how to fight out of the guard, gain the mount and finish their opponent with a submission hold.
The problem with accepting these things is that it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I have been attacked with knives twice and have not been cut either time, so it does occasionally happen that you will not get cut in a knife attack. I have been in fights that didn’t go to the ground until I knocked the other guy down so fights don’t always go to the ground. I am not unique; the fact that these incidents happened in the way that they did has nothing to do to my superior skill in self defence. The point is that street encounters are very chaotic situations. Street fights will go your way almost as often as they don’t go your way.
One must practice for perfection. The best case scenario for the EIQ mentioned above is that he will be stabbed a couple of times then grab the arm of the attacker. If he is lucky and not stabbed in any vital areas he will overcome the attacker and survive. If, for example, one practiced deflecting the arm with edge of the hand blows while circling behind the attacker, the best case scenario has him maneuvering out of the danger zone and dispatching his assailant with out major injury. Sure, Mr. Murphy could intervene and things could go downhill, but that is why you prepare for disaster. You accept mentally that you could get cut and you prepare yourself mentally to overcome any obstacles in your path.
The same could be said for grappling. If you have accepted that you will go to the ground, when the attacker rushes you and tries to take you down, you will fall into guard and start to ground fight. The better response would be to fight with everything to have to stay on your feet; if you lose that battle, you would then adapt and start to fight on the ground. Flopping to guard rather than fighting to stay on your feet is inviting disaster and limiting your options. The best case scenarios have just as much chance of happening as the worst case scenario, so why not plan for success?
Another clichéd expression is “You fight how you train.” If you train getting cut, you most defiantly will get cut. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be stabbed or cut, it hurts. If I have to deal with it I will but I will not accept it for no other reason then some EIQ says it going to happen. I will not flop to the ground and put myself in a vulnerable position because some EIQ says that almost all fights go to the ground. Why should I be like everyone else? Isn’t that why I train, to become better than the ordinary? If it happens exactly like I practiced, that is good for me, if it doesn’t I will adapt and overcome. Either way I will prevail. Whether I win with multiple stab wounds or I escape without a scratch, I will overcome. However, I prefer to practice for perfection, yet be prepared for disaster.