Stomp the groin, mangle the fingers, break the arm, destroy the knee. These are all things we have heard when in combative and self defense training. Now of course all of these tactics are useful and should be known as an option but is it really good advice? From what I know of this group and those who participate in this group most of us consider our selves to be practicing a form of civilian self defense which originated in Okinawa. We enjoy the physical, mental and cultural practices of the art of Karate and most of us believe what we are teaching can be used in self defense. But my problem, returning to the tactics listed above, is that a lot of what people teach as self defense is over kill and often exists out side of the realities of violence. When I teach self defense I largely teach from a domestic violence stand point as I believe the most likely people to ever cause you harm are those who are closest to you. I believe the circle of violence starts with family or intimate partners and spreads out to colleagues, then to teachers and bosses, then maybe to the drunk in the bar and finally into stranger danger, muggers, home invaders and so on. This circle only changes when you choose to put your self in harms way ether by participating in sport, starting fights or taking part in government organizations such as the police or military. When we choose to place our selves in such a situation the tactics we need are very different however I often see the lines between the tactics you may want to use in the battle field and those that you would want to use in sport or against an angered spouse wielding a frying pan ignored or largely misunderstood. How do you deal with these different levels of conflict in your Dojo. Is it something you openly discuss with your students or is it something you are just now reconsidering?
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 00:31:14 +0000
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