Why I am concerned about people learning 'self Defense' after 9/11.

[MonkeySlap Too]

I found a WTF training tape a friend gave me years ago and I never watched - out of curiosity and wanting some noise while I worked out this AM, I noticed some things about this very popular training method billed as 'the unltimate in self-defense'.

1.)The gun defenses are guarenteed to get you killed. Period. These guys demonstrated that they no nothing about firearms but everything about getting shot - and they don't even know it.

2.) They have no idea of how to deal with a Jab or Winding haymaker - the most common strikes you'll meet in the street. EVERYTHING is built on some guy standing there with his arm out.

3.) The style has no real body connection. They talk about full body power, but the posture, movement and kinesiology proves otherwise.

4.) Some of the techniques are passable, but how they are executed I find a little disturbing - 90% of it is based on backing up first - a suicidal move in a real encounter.

I could go on, and I do not want to sound like I am style bashing, but this stuff will get you killed in the street. WTF (hehe) is going on here?

[Royal Dragon]

What is "WTF"?? Is that "World Tae Kwon Do Federation"???

Basically, many self defence videos are like that. I have bought some in the past, and actually worked the selfdefence out with partneres Each time I re-enginereed vertually EVERY technique on the tape because they were structuarly unsound. Of course, I have also had to do that with many of my "Live" taught skills as well.


As for retreating, I have made that work many times, especially when over powered by an opponent. I often retreat, watching for "emptyness", and I then turn tables on my opponent. It works well, if you can pull back fast enough and then "Bounce" off the air behind you at the right moment. I seem to just be good at that.

Royal Dragon

[reemul]

When we have seminars on self defense my instructor makes it very clear that self-defense and martial arts practice are two different things.

Self-defense is the basic practice of certain techniques against the most common attacks, with the ultimate goal of escaping and not confronting your attacker. Its priciples are based on surprising your attacker and the development of defensive reflex training.

Martial arts is the practice of Warriorship, the ability to do battle in what ever situation you may find yourself, the ability to confront experienced fighters, and the development of advanced skill.

Usually when people go to self-defense seminars, they leave with knowledge that deteriorates because they don't practice. They view the information as tricks. Bothe Self-defense and Martial arts must be practiced in order to insure their effectiveness. In the end however, you are better off becoming a martial arts practioner as it will help to build greater skill and understanding of fighting.

I haven't seen the videos your talking about, but I'm sure I've seen many like em. It is a shame what people do to make a buck.