{"id":152,"date":"2017-03-28T16:27:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T16:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/?p=152"},"modified":"2019-03-31T03:03:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T03:03:51","slug":"tools-to-combat-the-issues-of-complacency-vs-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/?p=152","title":{"rendered":"Tools to Combat the Issues of Complacency vs. Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tools to Combat the Issues of Complacency vs. Reality
\n<\/strong>\u00a9 Copyright, 2017 tim boehlert w\/matt swartz, NYSP, Ret.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Seeds of Enlightenment
\n<\/strong>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 \u2013 Kapap.<\/p>\n

While talking we were discussing how some Martial Artists have gotten a bit away from the reality of what they are \u2018training for\u2019 and teaching it to others as the truth.<\/p>\n

He spoke for several minutes about the efficacy of their goal. He has found a very sobering and straightforward way to open their eyes to what they might really face. Reality. It\u2019s nothing like what they think it is or will be.<\/p>\n

His solution got me to thinking and I asked, \u201cdo you think that they\u2019ve become too comfortable working with willing uke\u2019s and the safe \u2018sport\u2019 rules adhered to in training in their home Dojo\u2019s, and the rules generally extended to visiting \u2018teachers?\u2019<\/p>\n

My sensei replied: \u201cYes, exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing more sobering than seeing what the realities of \u2018your art\u2019 are when used in the capable hands of an untrained assailant \u2013 one that doesn\u2019t follow the rules that you follow. The reality is that you don\u2019t need to be an expert to prevail \u2013 it\u2019s proven that un-trained people are every bit as capable and often even more so \u2013 because they don\u2019t follow the rules. They aren\u2019t going to follow your conventions, your body movements, your flow drills. They\u2019re going to kill you by using your ego and ignorance to this fact against you.<\/p>\n

Of course, this is nothing new, but over the last 9 years that I have been involved with Martial Arts, I had a gut feeling based on my<\/em> reality – dealing with non-compliant types on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

I write this article to speak to this unspoken and deadly issue. Not to offend anyone for the sake of doing so, but to make those that continue to delude themselves stop and think. Think hard.<\/p>\n

The Concept of Change
\n<\/strong>Think about this concept. You feel very strongly about a subject that\u2019s important to who you are. Using this subject as an example, I propose that you can change either side\u2019s viewpoint through education.<\/p>\n

There is a universal way to get a portion of the other side (differing viewpoint) to change their minds about this subject. If you are pro or con doesn\u2019t matter, it only matters that you can be persuaded to at least consider changing your stance. It won\u2019t take more than a minute or two to do this effectively. That solution is education.<\/p>\n

I can think of many subjects where this would be effective – hot topics all, but the method would work as effectively.<\/p>\n

Testing\u2026 testing… is this thing on?
\n<\/strong>I’ve read more than a few articles and books about de-humanizing people, soldiers specifically, but it could\/would work on most any civilian.<\/p>\n

To make change happen, sometimes it forces us to endure and experience things that make us uncomfortable. Viewing real violence makes us uncomfortable, and it can do so on many levels \u2013psychologically, and physically. It changes us, and we can\u2019t \u2018un-see\u2019 it. It may lie dormant, never to be seen again, or it may have an instantaneous effect. It may simmer for now and be triggered at a later date. But undeniably it changes us.<\/p>\n

Now the reality is that humans are very crafty and capable creatures – we can love and yet hate. We can create beautiful things<\/em> and yet be capable of destroying those very same things<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve had millennia of striving to become civilized, and yet we still possess the universal instinct of survival – it is after all what keeps us alive and allows us to propagate the species, and yet it’s not going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n

For too many years we have been spoon-fed another reality though \u2013 through the glass teat we know as \u2018TV.\u2019 For many years, Police agencies have had the daunting task of trying to wipe that slate clean in the brains of our young officer recruits. Think: Hollywood vs. Science. As an example I offer: When shot the bad guy always dies right away, but only after being forced backwards by the impact of the bullet(s). The reality is: it doesn\u2019t happen like that.<\/p>\n

Erasing Our Alternate-Facts Realities
\n<\/strong>I recently attended a Civilian Police Academy – the first of it’s kind in my area, to my knowledge. It was an invite-only affair, and the main qualification for this no-fee three day, 10-hour course was that you\u2019d agree to attend all three days. Class size was limited to 35 students, and we represented not only the curious and willing, but also a very diverse group of community activists, professionals, and just plain civilians.<\/p>\n

The primary objective was to educate the public – and I’d guess to turn their heads away from the misleading and outright deceitful rhetoric coming out of that TV and\/or in print or social media about the truth and facts of Police Use of Force Incidents.<\/p>\n

To their credit, it was always truthful and very enlightening. As you might not have guessed it was also open to any questions and the officers were willing to answer without hesitation. They did so in a positive manner and never once took it as you\u2019d face an opponent, but as you\u2019d face a partner. I would not have thought this possible. They were passionate and educated. The young officer that was the primary speaker had a depth of knowledge that was comforting to me. It made me curious, as I haven\u2019t spoken with too many people that possess that level of depth and knowledge about violence.<\/p>\n

My resources have brought me to a new level of education on violence, and I\u2019ve coupled that with more than 8 years of real-world violence interaction.<\/p>\n

Day One \u2013 Planting the Seeds
\n<\/strong>During the first night, Use of Force against a citizen was the opening salvo. One participant felt very strongly about the subject of shooting citizens, and spoke out – “why can’t you just shoot him in the legs?”<\/p>\n

And so the journey to enlightenment began. By the end of day 3, it wasn’t an issue anymore for this student. Her viewpoint had been changed<\/em>, not without a bit of effort, but changed nonetheless. She had been educated.<\/p>\n

Now think about what we as Martial Artists do. Many of us are equally indoctrinated into a specific way of thinking. I grant that much of this is due to and out of respect to ‘never question the sensei’, ignorance, and \/or personal moral viewpoints – pick your poison. We’ve all<\/em> done it, and likely continue to do it – until<\/em> we become enlightened. Until we see or experience that irrefutable evidence to the contrary.<\/p>\n

It may come in the form of being beat by someone smaller than you, or even at a belt level or two below you. It really doesn’t matter other than the fact that if it doesn’t happen, you will continue on your path until it<\/em> does<\/em>, and let’s hope that’s not too far down the road from and for you today. I hope this article at least convinces you to start down that path \u2013 to educate yourself, and to face the ugly truth. You have not been training for reality, but merely playing in a fantasy of what you think reality is.<\/p>\n

Indoctrination Principle
\n<\/strong>As an example, and getting back to my reading\/research, you may have heard of the word ‘othering’? This happens during indoctrination and it’s a way to change your viewpoint to create a precept for direct action against another human being in this case. We’ve all been indoctrinated in some form and at one time or another, but most likely we\u2019ve been exposed to indoctrination continually throughout our lives. It starts in childhood, and continues through adulthood. We go along with it until we no longer do so based on the reality of our experiences and or re-education.<\/p>\n

To make soldiers \u2018perform\u2019 better, it was determined that they needed to change their way of thinking and feeling \u2013 in order to become better and more effective killing machines. To do so, meant learning first what makes them tick, and then learning how to manipulate their thoughts and feelings about the enemy. Simple. But was it truly effective? It\u2019s hard to give a detailed answer. Because effective is also a multiplier \u2013 it may have helped with the math side, but the soldiers were broken. The numbers may have given them better results, but at what cost?<\/p>\n

During the Viet Nam War, the military machine expanded their indoctrination efforts of our soldiers to great effect. It was done so, but only after the research that was done after WII by S.L.A. Marshall as revealed in Lt. Dave Grossman\u2019s book titled \u2018On Killing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Our soldiers, young and old were taught to hate the enemy and to \u2018other\u2019<\/em> them using simple concepts, and by using very simple triggers \u2013 words and images. They were taught to treat the enemy as less than human. This type of indoctrination can be very effective, and its ramifications are far-reaching, and go beyond it\u2019s use on the battlefield.<\/p>\n

(I suggest that you locate and read Col. Dave Grossman’s book titled ‘On Killing’ for more background and education on this subject as one resource example that comes immediately to mind. It’s enlightening for several reasons.)<\/em><\/p>\n

What we learn in the typical Dojo environment are many new things: classical ‘respect’, classical kata, and yet we learn a lot of very bad habits as well. We train to control our power, to pull our strikes and kicks, to stop after a point is scored by your partner during sparring sessions, and even to hand over the weapon after you\u2019ve been able to seize it during weapons sessions.<\/p>\n

‘Train as you fight, fight as you train’ has become an all too common call to ‘arms’ for far too many Martial Artists and Self-Defense \u2018experts\u2019<\/em>. We have deluded ourselves by using titles to demonstrate our mastery of an art to the uninitiated. Think about this slogan. Tear it apart, and really read it. It’s a special kind of stupid when you really take all of the emotional and egotistical baggage out. \u2018Other\u2019<\/em> it. Let go of your personal viewpoint and just really get the<\/em> concept<\/em> of what I\u2019m telling you here and why the slogan really makes no sense. I hope you can, but many won’t take that challenge easily or willingly.<\/p>\n

Fear-Based Marketing
\n<\/strong>By teaching our students using slogans akin to this one – words that sound<\/em> cool and make great bumper stickers, or ‘wall’ banners for our social media pages, is it any stretch of the imagination to see the indoctrination principle of marketing slogans like this? “The most deadly art?”, “Krav Maga as taught to the IDF”, \u201cFight Like a Navy Seal\u201d and other juicy morsels that all have one thing in common – to separate you from your money. \u201cFear-based Marketing 101.\u201d<\/p>\n

In defense of slogans and marketing ploys like this, there really are some ‘systems’ out there that are better than others, yet it’s still all context sensitive. If you are a student that is in fear of what the world has to offer, you’ll likely get sucked in. There is no shame in that, and that\u2019s why it’s good and effective marketing. Been there and done that, for my own reasons, and yes fear is\/was a strong selling point.<\/p>\n

So what really is the likelihood that you’re going to draw your weapon on someone – let’s just say a gun? Have you researched the legal ability to do so? Have you thought about what it may cost you? Here I strongly suggest that you find and read Marc MacYoung’s book titled ‘In the Name of Self-Defense.’ Do it now if you haven’t already done so. It\u2019s going to not only open your eyes, even if you think you know it all – but it\u2019s going to change your perspective \u2013 for the better. It\u2019s what truth looks like, from the perspective of a real-life \u2018master of violence.\u2019 That\u2019s not his title, but it could be. Marc makes you look strong and hard at the ugly. He\u2019s seen it, and even done it. He\u2019s here to educate you \u2013 but only if you\u2019re smart enough to seek him out.<\/p>\n

Now go back and read ‘On Killing’ after<\/em> you’ve read Marc\u2019s excellent book. Explore your psychological ability to wield that tremendous tool against another human being. I caution you that reality is ahead.<\/p>\n

So, these are but two insights and references to get you more up to speed. Do yourself a favor now, and digest that for more than the time it takes to read it. Let it simmer for several days. Contemplate what has been offered up in these two excellent resources.<\/p>\n

I can point you to several other excellent reads as well:<\/p>\n