BS and Fairy Dust- The business of making the simple complex

[mercop]

​

Albert Einstein said- If you cannot explain it simply, then you don't understand it completely. The truth is this applies to everything, especially fighting and self defense. The problem is that there is no money keeping it simple.




In classes I always tell people that if you are practicing a martial art 3-4 nights a week in a dojo and suffer no serious injuries then don't expect what you are learning to work on the street. But these days with everyone wearing an Infidel Punisher t-shirt, there is a bigger market than ever for the five finger death punch and Spetznaz only tactics.




Complicated will get you killed. Too many choices will gets you killed. Hesitation will get you killed. People spend lots of time and invest considerable amounts of money learning things that have nothing to do with their application. If you enjoy being a Tactical LARPER read no further.




Experience tells us that you are much more likely to be punched in the face than be stabbed or shot. Experience also tells us that about 95% of the time that punch will come in the form of a roundhouse. But if you go to a dojo or double top secret Ninja camp you will find very little time being dedicated to effectively defending against a roundhouse punch. The reason is that the teacher knows there is no money in the fundamentals, and the student is interested in learning about the other things that "could" happen.




The other interesting thing is that usually when someone gets punched in the face they momentarily forget about the gun or knife on their hip. But training in those skill sets seems to make some believe it will stop them from getting punched in the face.




So the idea of this rant is to remember that everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face, so make sure the first time you get punched in the face is in training and not in the street. Once you realize how much it sucks consider learning how to effectively defend against it before moving on to fancy crap. Instead of adding more techniques, consider changing the conditions by defending against the roundhouse from the right and the left, from the flanks, after being spun around, while sitting, while getting out of a car etc. You will be surprise at how much you can learn while concentrating on fundamentals. Don't forget if both you and your training partner are not feeling it, you are dancing, not fighting.

 

[Woobie]

Good read, thanks for that

 

[downrange72]

Tactical Larping.....I'm using that George

 

[mcjon77]

...Experience tells us that you are much more likely to be punched in the face than be stabbed or shot. Experience also tells us that about 95% of the time that punch will come in the form of a roundhouse. But if you go to a dojo or double top secret Ninja camp you will find very little time being dedicated to effectively defending against a roundhouse punch...

I quoted this because it almost PERFECTLY described the first time I started seriously training in the martial arts during my freshman year in college. I was studying a guy who taught "traditional" Japanese karate, and claimed that it was great for self defense. Although I was far from a thug or bully, I had wrestled a little in college, had a few fights, and had seen many more. Mercop's roundhouse comment was pretty much exactly what I had seen.

After 6 months of training in this style of karate I asked the instructor about defending against a round house. He explained that this was an intermediate technique that we would learn when we reached the purple belt level. In this school, purple belt took about 3 years. So I was supposed to study for 3+ years before I would learn a defense against the single most common attack on the street. Incidentally, that 3 year/purple belt mark was when the assistant instructor said that we would know enough to be able to defend ourselves. I think that I went to 2 more classes after that before dropping out.

I wound up checking out our college Jiu jitsu club. The first day I wound up grappling with a girl that I easily outweighed by 100lbs. She choked me out in about 2 minutes. I joined the club that day.

 

[ChalupaCabras]

Tactical LARPing... sounds like fun. Where do I sign up?

MP5 unspec'ed does 2D6 damage right?

Nice intro... you told us just enough to draw us in. I'm supposed to sign up for your classes now right?

 

[mercop]

Most people are never going to train with me, that is not why I write. This was a rant. When we moved to PA from MD there was no place for my kids to play Judo so we checked out a Tang Su Do dojo. I told the guy if he gave my kids a few free classes I would do a free intro to MCS course one night and maybe we could do an ongoing weekly course. After the class he said he loved what he saw but from a business standpoint he could not have me teaching it there because I showed them more in an hour than they would learn in months of belt progression. I respected him for that. We did not return anyway, my daughter a two time state Judo champ said it was not tough enougth But it just does so happen that I am teaching a class in Indy at the end of the month and there is some room left.- George

 

[cosermann]

Nothing like mainstream martial arts factories stringing people along for years dangling the carrot of self-defense "secrets" in front of them to keep the income stream going.

 

[rhino]

Nothing like mainstream martial arts factories stringing people along for years dangling the carrot of self-defense "secrets" in front of them to keep the income stream going.

Well, at least they get to something useful at some point. The worst are those that never actually get there, yet the tests and different colored belts still keep a-flowin'.

 

[mercop]

Most of them were kids. I have to bite my tongue when they introduce me to 10 year old black belts. Heck, even I don't have a black belt, never stuck to one thing long enough and could not put up with Rex Kwon Do. As long as parents put their kids in these programs with the understanding it is good for discipline, and not self defense it is OK. But too many people fail to have that conversation with their kids and the kids have it in their mind that they will use what they are taught if someone tries to hurt. IMHO and what I teach is that up until 10-12 the best physical defense a kid has against an adult is biting.- George

 

[Brian Ski]

The other interesting thing is that usually when someone gets punched in the face they momentarily forget about the gun or knife on their hip. But training in those skill sets seems to make some believe it will stop them from getting punched in the face.​

Interesting... I was in a bit of a fight the other day. I am not much of a fighter, nor have I been in many fights in my life. The guy stole the keys out of my hand to my work truck. He came up to me asking for help. Before I could do much he grabbed the keys from my hand and ran to my truck. He was a lot younger and faster. I chased him around and managed to stop him from taking my truck. In the process he got a few head punches to me. I didn't even notice he hit me until later. The thing going through my mind was do I pull my knife and take out his throat??? Or just slash him good??? It kept going through my mind. (I never did take out my knife) Of course after it was all over I found out he was on parole, committed several felonies and was currently being chased by several police. It was interesting the things that go through your mind. I guess I was running on instinct, one of those things you would always know what you would do if something happens, but no one really knows until they are into that situation.


​

I wound up checking out our college Jiu jitsu club. The first day I wound up grappling with a girl that I easily outweighed by 100lbs. She choked me out in about 2 minutes. I joined the club that day.

I hope you sure got her number!!!!!!!!

 

[actaeon277]

Most of them were kids. I have to bite my tongue when they introduce me to 10 year old black belts. Heck, even I don't have a black belt, never stuck to one thing long enough and could not put up with Rex Kwon Do. As long as parents put their kids in these programs with the understanding it is good for discipline, and not self defense it is OK. But too many people fail to have that conversation with their kids and the kids have it in their mind that they will use what they are taught if someone tries to hurt. IMHO and what I teach is that up until 10-12 the best physical defense a kid has against an adult is biting.- George

If you're in a fight for you life, never underestimate the power of a bite.
Fingers in eyeballs
Twisting fingers backwards.
Whatever it takes.

 

[actaeon277]

[video=youtube;VlvQMPtqCnw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlvQMPtqCnw[/video]

 

[TWalker]

remember that everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face,​

One of my favorite Mike Tyson quotes, although he says mouth.

 

[rhino]

What exactly happened in the video? Did the karate guy get a perfect hit on the pimp's brachial plexus?

[video=youtube;VlvQMPtqCnw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlvQMPtqCnw[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

What exactly happened in the video? Did the karate guy get a perfect hit on the pimp's brachial plexus?

Pimp probably has a "glass jaw".
Whatever it was, it was funny.

 

[rhino]

Pimp probably has a "glass jaw".
Whatever it was, it was funny.

That is fact!

 

[bradmedic04]

Yep, well said. I find that after getting punched in the face, I usually just need to stop doing whatever offended my wife in the first place.

 

[cosermann]

... never stuck to one thing long enough and could not put up with Rex Kwon Do. ...

Or Master Ken. - https://www.youtube.com/user/EnterTheDojoShow

 

[spec4]

Two of my grandsons are 3rd degree black belts in karate. Studied since they were about six. They look like normal young guys, not bulked up but it would be very foolish for someone to take them on.

 

[mercop]

There are two things going on with the pimp slap. One is a central nervous system strike of the brachial plexus, the second is circulatory strike of the barrow receptor on the side of the neck. The BR is what controls your BP like a thermostat. Think of it like the carnival thing where you use the hammer to hit the thing to go up and ring the bell. When it is struck your body goes "oh sheet our BP just skyrocket" so within a millisecond it bottoms it out to attempt to regain homeostasis....and you see the effects. We teach it as a strike and pinch for different applications.- George