Complacency vs. Reality

I had a very interesting talk with my Sensei yesterday when discussing a book that we are working on. It will be about HIS Martial Arts, and his seminal contribution to Reality Based Training – Kapap.
 
While talking we were discussing how some Martial Artists have gotten a bit away from the reality of what they are ‘training for’ and teaching others as the truth.
 
He spoke for several minutes about the efficacy of their goal. He’s found a very sobering and straightforward way to open their eyes to what they might really face. It’s nothing like what they think it is or will be – it’s reality.
 
His solution got me to thinking and I asked, “do you think that they’ve become to comfortable working with willing uke’s and the safe ‘sport’ rules adhered to in their training in their home Dojo’s, and the rules generally extended to visiting ‘teachers?’
 
Yes, exactly.
 
There’s nothing more sobering than seeing what the realities are of ‘your art’ when used in the capable hands of an untrained assailant – one that doesn’t follow the rules that you follow. The reality is that you don’t need to be an expert to prevail – it’s proven that un-trained people are every bit as capable or more so – because they don’t follow the rules.
 
Of course, this is nothing new, but over the last 9 years that I have been re-involved with MA, I had a gut feeling based on my reality -dealing with non-compliant types on a daily basis.
 

I may write an article to speak to this. Not to offend anyone, but to make those that continue to delude themselves stop and think. Think hard.

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The finished and complete article has been published in three installments at CRGI:

I had the able assistance of Matt Swartz in finishing and polishing these ideas off. Matt is a retired NYSP officer, whom I’ve had the pleasure of training with – both he and his wife Carla. Both good people and proud to know them both.