|
One question that always lingers in the minds of individuals whose
main purpose of studying martial arts is to defend themselves is,
“Will my stuff work in a real-life situation?” Another tacky
issue that must be addressed is the fact that not all martial arts
instructors have proven their mettle in real street fights. Must
“having been there” be a prerequisite to martial arts teaching?
I have tremendous respect and tend to gravitate
towards practitioners who “have been there” but it doesn’t
mean I am shunning other sources of information. I believe the
greatest lesson a martial artist can get from fighters who have
survived and won true life-threatening confrontations is the mental,
emotional and physical acuity required to get out of the situation
alive. On the other hand, some martial arts teachers, though with
zero experience in real fights possess keen technical knowledge in
sharpening your physical attributes as a martial artist.
Honoring one’s teacher, martial arts tradition
and style is commendable. But a martial artist must bear in mind
that he owes his allegiance first and foremost to his personal
safety. Considering that a martial artist is literally betting his
life on the fighting techniques he learned in class, he is entitled
to question the functionality of those techniques.
A good case in point is the nature of gross
motor skills (simple moves) and fine motor skills (complicated
moves) in connection to fighting skills. A student should raise a
question if he’s being taught a technique comprised of twenty-plus
moves to pull off and yet his instructor insists that it is
“practical self-defense.” A body under an adrenaline rush will
always revert back to gross motor skills. It’s a simple reason why
you lose all deportment when you’re scampering away from a mad
dog.
Use creative ways to test the skills you learned
from your instructor. I am particularly touchy on the subject of
knife defense because dubious information on this matter can get you
killed. A good way to safely test your empty hand defense against
the knife is for you to don safety goggles, smudge the edge of the
training knife of your partner with lipstick or red paint (you can
avoid the messy stain by using magic markers as a knife if you can
find one) and spar out. The result of this exercise that often
comprises of lines running from your groin up to your neck is
enlightening and humbling.
|
