Update: my blog entry below is a really stupid rant. This article from a Systema view is really quite awesome.
If you are looking for martial arts or self-defense training, just like when you are shopping for anything else, you should be aware of the kinds of marketing messages you may hear. When I read the marketing messages of martial arts schools, I am a little amused and a little irked. Other than being masters of a specific skillset, remember that these people are ordinary people like you and me. They are also sellers in a marketplace and so need to make some statements to promote their services. Now, they are not expert marketers who’ve invested millions in quantitative and behavioral research and in brilliant ad campaigns with slogans like “just do it”. As such, their messages are a bit crude and you should be able to see through them and think about what you really want from the martial arts training you seek. Here are a few ideas to help you examine these messages:
Reality-based marketing messages:
Scare tactics. Scary stuff can happen. You need “real” self-defense based on skills tested in the street, real combat, etc. We only teach stuff that can save your life.
What they don’t seem to acknowledge:
Who are they targeting? Law enforcement? Actual combatants (soldiers)?
Also, they often seem anti-combat sports, saying that those things are actually bad for you and fail to acknowledge they have many benefits.
Ask yourself:
Are the benefits you’re going to get from this training what you seek? Are you really in the same market niche? What does it matter what law enforcement or soldiers get from the training if you are not one of those people? If you want to know what works for combat, ask real combatants. Don’t just listen to one person trying to sell you something no matter how amazingly good his stories, tales, and legends are. We all love these stories but do they apply to you?
Self-defense is about emergency preparedness. How paranoid do you want/need to be on a daily basis? Or are you developing or indulging martial arts fantasy syndrome? If you are fantasizing about martial arts, you need to realize that. If you want or need self-defense emergency preparedness skills, you need more than physical, technical skills. Do they have training for awareness, simulating scenarios and threats, training in different environments, simulating fight or flight responses, e.g., with sudden loud music to create stress and confusion, how to get help, what to tell the police, legal ramifications of your actions, etc.? Perhaps you can take a seminar with local law enforcement?
Sport-based marketing messages:
Do techniques under pressure so you’ll be confident they work. “Deadly” and “dirty” tactics can work better on top of this base. You can’t train “deadly” or “dirty” tactics with your training partners because you won’t actually hurt each other in such a way or you can’t keep training.
What they don’t seem to acknowledge:
Some other training for emergencies that usually does not involve training with the “live” real thing is still valuable and needed: Fires: stop, drop and roll, practicing escaping a burning building (without setting it on fire, duh). Car handling: anti-skid maneuvers, tire blow out, how to pull to the shoulder, Life saving: CPR, Heimlich maneuver. Sparring may develop bad habits for these situations as the reality-based folks point out.
Ask yourself:
Are the benefits you’re going to get from this training what you seek? Fitness? Fun? Doing things under pressure? Are there other concerns you want to address? (See above about self-defense).
Conclusion:
Common sense should tell you there are some good arguments in both of these marketing messages and they are likely offering you something real that can help with what you seek, but the promoters can also take their own hype way too far. If they can’t calmly acknowledge the questions that aren’t really answered above, be careful of dogma. You are seeking some benefits, not to become indoctrinated in a certain dogmatic point of view. Not being able to see things “as they are” is supposedly a problem martial arts are supposed to help with, not exacerbate. Remember, the sellers are trying to make a buck and have a vested interest in their particular marketing message. There is no reason as a consumer you can’t carefully consider these messages without prior knowledge of the actual technical material. You should be able to think about the argument they’re trying to promote and whether it fits your specific needs/wants as a prospective consumer of their services. Perhaps you can take self-defense training with local law enforcement? (I have nothing to do with any providers of any of these services by the way). If you’re looking for more, perhaps you can study all of the above? Their training may be more compatible with the other approaches than they claim when they’re competing for students (and may assume students will only choose one route). Usually any instructor or school will let you have one or more free classes so you can experience for yourself what kind of training they do. Be aware of what you’re looking for and want and don’t be taken in and seduced by marketing messages. Don’t believe all the hype. Find out more and decide for yourself.
May 18, 2008 at 7:42 pm
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May 29, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Reality-based marketing messages:
Scare tactics. Scary stuff can happen. You need “real” self-defense based on skills tested in the street, real combat, etc. We only teach stuff that can save your life.
The only problem with your argument is that you FAIL to tell the whole TRUTH.
COMPARING the 3 Categories of Martial Arts
TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS to M.M.A.SPORT to REALITY BASED MARTIAL ARTS
Martial arts can be divided into 3 categories Traditional Martial Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, Reality Based Martial Arts. The problem is that thanks to movies, TV, Internet, youtub, Instructors, ect… is that there is no actual proof of any one method of fighting being completely dominant in all situations, Martial Artist have blurred it to the point of non-existence. While all have many overlapping elements, it is important for you to understand that each category is distinctively different and must be treated as such.
Traditional Martial Arts contains every style from traditional karate, Hapkido, Kenpo, Escrima, Aikido, kung fu, to the countless other cultural Traditional Martial Arts that have been developed throughout history. Some traditional martial arts systems originate from military combat experience and self defense needs for people. These systems have been tested and proven under realistic, condition back in the 500 CE era, when they FOUGHT with HONOR, but has not been PROVEN MODEREN DAY. Things have changed in this world we live in. But none the less all are fun to do, helps to get you in to shape and helps discipline you and great for kids. All are very interesting and all provide an education in world culture and Martial Arts theory. However, no cultural fighting art has any proof of dominant effectiveness in the modern world. That means that Aikido, Karate,Tae-Kwon-Do, Kung Fu, countless other cultural Traditional Martial Arts and even Israel’s “Krav Maga” is not proven, effective� combat or street application. Nor does it classify as proven, effective combative sport. Such as U.F.C. , Cage Fighting. So without an abundance of proof, it is only martial theory, not fact. Traditional Martial Arts are wonderful for exploring a method of self perfection, how pretty the forms are, but has no place in self protection. Don’t get me wrong all of these styles can possibly help you out of a tough jam. Because a scientific way of combat is better than NO way of combat BUT…. Instructors give there student a false sense of security.� Traditional Martial Arts DOES NOT TEACH Reality Based Scenarios, Material or Resistance training.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS/ COMBATIVE SPORT
M.M.A./Combative Sports include Olympic judo, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai kickboxing, all forms of wrestling, western boxing, M.M.A.(mixed martial arts) which has been popularized by events such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In combative sport you are forced to prove the effectiveness of your methods and skill in live combat. There is no guesswork, no debate. It either works and you win, or it doesn’t work and you lose. Everybody in the world saw Combat Sport Brazilian Jiu-jujitsu stylist Royce Gracie easily pick apart the cultural fighting art practitioners in the first few Ultimate Fighting. If you watch Olympic Judo, you’ll see the highest caliber athletes in the world competing in a sport that is symbolic of combat in that the entire basis is to establish a dominant position. Combative Sport is a very, very important component of testing the validity and effectiveness of a martial art, BUT it too is not reality based martial arts/combat driven. It is only a training and conditioning method for self-defense. Combative sport is what you use to train yourself to make sure that your self-defense works under sport conditions. Do you understand? A great example is simply that that the rules, regulations, and referees that are required in combative sport are NOT going to be there when someone is trying mug you, rape you or trying to hurt a family member or trying to kill you in a dark alley. SO NO, even today’s most popular training methods: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, etc. are not methods of reality based martial arts either.
(Training for self defense application yes, self defense no.)
REALITY BASED TRAINING/ MARTIAL ARTS/ COMBAT
“The definition of the term Reality-Based”
Training and survival skills based on modern conflict situations that the practitioner is likely to encounter in their environment
(their “reality”).�
Sounds simple right? The real issue is that there are a million-and-one different ways you can be attacked. Everything from a drunk tackling you at the local bar, armed mugging on your way home from work, a carjacking, to being caught in the middle of a military or terrorist operation, A.T.M. mugging in progress.Therefore,� Reality-Based Martial Arts has one purpose, and one purpose only; To survive. What we mean is that no sane person, soldiers, professional fighters, or trained martial artists truly want to hurt or kill a human being. But when it comes to bodily injury or kill or be killed situation , your natural survival instinct WILL take over and do whatever it can to save your life so you can go home to your family. Learning to properly defend yourself is much more than just avoiding injury, humiliation, or even death. Our greatest enemy of all: Fear & Incorrect Training. There IS no 100% answer to anything. But when it comes to matters of bodily injury or life and death or protecting loved ones, the smart thing to do is stack the odds in your favor.
May 29, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Good points. I agree with your comments 100%. My point was not to attempt to tell the whole truth. I don’t know the whole truth, I doubt anyone can and wouldn’t trust someone who claims to – another interesting marketing message. As you point out, there is no 100% answer. Other people subdivide martial arts into more categories. 2, 3, 4, 1, there isn’t a right answer. Most instructors, law enforcement, etc., do seem to agree self-defense tip #1 is awareness.
I’m personally not too interested in stacking those odds. How far does one take that? If you’re a soldier or security personnel or defense instructor, perhaps very far, but how about ordinary people? Everyone (such as seniors) should learn CPR, fire safety, water safety, a few basic self-defense skills. Not everyone should become an EMT, RN, Dr., etc.
My point was more to point out marketing message bullshido. Sort of like “these shoes will make me jump higher” or “this handbag will make me more attractive”.
May 30, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I’m personally not too interested in stacking those odds. How far does one take that?
Yes Sir you to have a GOOD POINTS.
not too interested in stacking those odds. How far does one take that?
How important is your LIFE? OR your son,mom,dad, ect…
will you then stack the odds?
Yes I bring to the table the WORST case but I rather be over prepared than under. Sometimes its like the army says over train over train and hurry up and wait.
I understand what you are saying Sir. But when one comes up against a mugger or rapist, serial Killer, your minds set is not at his level. mental or emotionally .
YOU have to do what its takes to SURVIVE.
I would want you to go home to your wife and kids.
I *bow* with respect and humbleness.
Thank you for a GREAT DISCUSSION.
September 8, 2008 at 12:42 pm
These are good points, but I think another martial arts related fantasy has emerged; self-defense debunking. It seems to have become trendy to say martial arts are not good for self defense.
What are we training for? I think it’s fairly obvious that nobody can tell the future. That’s the point. People who are raped, mugged, etc. do not have advanced knowledge of when or if these tragic events will happen. So we are training for a worst case scenarios that do happen to a lot of people every day. Saying that you might be raped, mugged, or otherwise assaulted is not fantasy or a scare tactic, this is a real possibility. Read the newspaper. Sure, it’s statistically unlikely, but violence does and always will happen.
Does training in martial arts guarantee your safety? Absolutely not. There are no guarantees for anything in life. Like a previous poster said, training MA is stacking the odds in your favor.
My personal opinion is that training any martial art from a reputable instructor will provide self-defense benefits, good physical activity, social interaction, and give you the joy of accomplishment if you stick with it.
If you are interested in martial arts, then go for it. Don’t listen to debunkers. Do a little homework, find a reputable school near you, and have fun.
September 19, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I agree – This is obviously a complex topic. I was ranting about marketing messages for a “product” not the “product” itself. I’d say any MA you like is the right one for you. I wouldn’t say martial arts aren’t good for self defense, but clearly “self defense” is a much larger, broader topic – ranging from swimming skills and fire safety to things like defensive driving, etc. One of the best stories of self and other-defense: Tilly Smith was a 10 year old British schoolgirl credited with saving 100’s of lives from the Tsunami in Thailand: http://www.thaipro.com/thailand_00/320-tsunami-tilly-smith.htm – what an awesome story. Beats the heck out of the typical “I kicked the mugger and ran away” self defense story.
For those of us who like training MA, it’s great. I do somewhat agree with the “realists” that some sport habits are not optimal (I currently train mainly sport oriented arts). Still, what would one do about training, say, one’s grandmother, who just isn’t interested in or possibly capable at traditional or sport MA? She could probably use “self-defense” skills more than those of us who are relatively young, fit, and athletic. In her case, not to debunk MA whatsoever, but she needs a “program” adapted to her specific needs. In that vein, Mokuren Dojo had a great article saying breakfall skills are the #1 most needed and useful self-defense skill from MA, especially in aging populations. The story about “cane fu” has also been going around.