Self-Defense Training for The Master of the Martial Arts

Self-Defense Training for The Master of the Martial Arts

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Something New

So I have been working on close range sparring lately.  Specifically staying off the ground, while successfully sparring in extreme close range.  It's something new for me.  It is still uncomfortable for me, and I get hit more often when I do it, than when I stay in my comfort zone.

That is what happens when you step outside your comfort zone.  Things are uncomfortable, challenging, exciting, and difficult.  If they weren't, we wouldn't call it a comfort zone.

Also, when you step outside your comfort zone, you learns.

There is only so much that can be accomplished by doing the same thing today that was done yesterday, and doing the same thing tomorrow that was done today.

So my challenge for today is for you to do something outside your comfort zone, try something a little different, break your routine.  It can be a simple little thing or a whole new project, as long as it is something new and different.

What is Self Defense?

I tell the kids in my classes that self defense is "how you keep you safe".  When most people think of self defense they think of either martial arts, or a concealed carry license, or pepper spray, or some other technique or device designed to disable an attacker.  The words "self defense" conjure up thoughts of the best way to release oneself from a headlock, or a bearhug, or a choke hold.  Yes, these things are self defense.  

These things are self defense in the same sense that open heart surgery is self defense in case of a heart attack.

If I were to have a heart attack, I am glad that there is a such thing as open heart surgery, just as if I am attacked I am glad that I've spent most of my life involved with martial arts.

However,

When it comes to heart attacks, I hope to never have to resort to open heart surgery.  To that end, I am practicing self defense.  I have cut down on red meat, nearly completely replaced the grains in my diet with 100% whole grains, increased the vegetable and fruit intake in my diet, I exercise daily.  All these things are intelligent self defense against a heart attack.

So why don't more martial arts schools consider the same approach to self defense against physical assault?  Sure there are some (very rare) unavoidable situations in which one must defend oneself, but true self defense training should encompass much much more than punches and kicks.

How do you keep you safe from physical attack?  Hopefully not by waiting until the attack happens.  Be kind to people, more kindness in the world will help.  Practice anger management.  Don't react without thinking first.  Avoid situations that are likely to put you in a physical confrontation.  Defend yourself with your mind first, (don't get in a fight and I guarantee you won't get hurt in a fight), your legs second (run, run, run), and your fists absolutely last.

Goals

There are a variety of goal setting methods that have been published to maximize one's ability to meet those goals.  The basics of goal setting seem to be fairly universal.

Be positive in how the goals are phrased.  Rather than "Try to stop being so lazy" phrase it, "I will improve my proactivity."

Be precise.  Rather than saying, "I want to lose some of this extra weight." say, "I will lose 15 pounds by walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week and not eating any more fast foods."

Record your goals and your progress.  Keep yourself honest.

Make your goals realistic and acheivable.  "I will become a better martial artist by training 30 minutes every day," is more acheivable than, "I will learn to walk through brick walls."

Set your goals, then reach for them.

Who Do You Love?

Think about the person you love most in the world.  Even if it is you, think of this person.  Now put this person in the form of a 12 month old child.  A child who has needs, but can't really meet those needs for themselves.  They need food and water.  They need loving companionship.  They need education/learning.  They need nearly total physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental support, and they need if from you.

What would you be willing to do to support this child.  Would you work two full time jobs?  Would you do whatever you could to insure they had the best education possible?  Would you do what it took to make sure they had healthcare?  What if they were starving, how far would you go to make sure they had food?  What if they were alone in the cold with no shelter?  In the middle of a war zone?  

Wouldn't it be nice, if everyone on the planet treated everyone else on the planet that way?  

Why don't we start treating everyone that way today?

Hurdles

While working on the requirements of my Ten Tigers Program, I am making all sorts of discoveries.  I have discovered that with a little practice, it is easy to do 100 pushups and situps in a day.  It is easy to do an act of kindness in a day.  It is even easy to find time to do 20 to 30 minutes of forms training in a day.  It is easy to make a blog entry once a week.  There are, however, hurdles to meeting these goals.

There are hurdles, such as, caring for a toddler, doing the necessary marketing to grow my business, going to work each day, yardwork, family schedules, insomnia, and the list could go on and on and on.  There are lots of hurdles, on some days more than others.  With all of these real hurdles to overcome it becomes very important to avoid the fake ones.

There are fake hurdles that get in the way too.  "I'm tired", "I don't feel like it today", "I'd rather play a video game, watch a movie, watch TV", the list could go on and on and on.  Imagine an athlete about to compete in the 400 meter hurdles.  In that race, the first hurdle is 45 meters from the starting line, then each hurdle is 35 meters apart.  Now imagine that this athlete has for some reason decided that there is another hurdle halfway between each of the actual hurdles.  For every hurdle his competitors jump, he will be jumping two.  What are his odds of winning, what are his odds of even placing when he adds these imaginary hurdles into his race?  

Why do we insist on adding these artificial hurdles?  Why are there days when "Good Morning America" takes precedence over my workout?  Why are there days that I put off the things that are good for my martial arts skill, my health, my mind, and my spirit until there is barely time left and energy left to do them?  Why do I insist on adding hurdles that aren't really there.  

Let's all make a commitment to start recognizing the artificial hurdles.  When you have a task to do, that you want to skip becuase you "don't have time", do it with a stop watch running.  Figure out how long it actually takes you, then remind yourself the next time you hear yourself say you don't have time.  When you tell yourself you are too tired, do one more pushup, or situp, or front kick, or wash one more dish or whatever it is that you need to do.  Then do one more.  Take note of how much time you spend aimlessly wandering the internet or watching TV shows that you could skip.  Let's make commitments to ourselves to use our time and energy more wisely.

We have enough hurdles in our lives.  Don't add any imagined ones.

Value

Try this out.  Find a martial artist who has been training for at least three years.  Ask them how many years of experience they have in the martial arts.  Then ask them if they would take $100,000 in exchange for all the knowledge, experience, skill, and fitness they gained from the martial arts.  If they say, "no", up the offer.  Offer $500,000, then $1,000,000.  When you find a price high enough that they take you up on your offer divide that total by the number of years of experience, then divide by 12.  You now have a dollar amount that shows what their martial arts training was worth to them.  

Personally I wouldn't take $10,000,000 for mine.

At that rate, classes would cost $33,333.33 per month.

You guys are getting a great deal!