| The most surprising statistic that most karate and | | | | rush right out and get into a few fights? Should they |
| martial arts teachers discover is the one that tells | | | | go hang out in the seedier side of town and wait to |
| them "why most of their adult students quit shortly | | | | be mugged, raped, or beaten?No, of course not. But, |
| after enrolling." In fact, the greatest percentage of | | | | they can, like their students, go in search of real |
| adult dropouts from martial arts classes occurs within | | | | experts - people who have "been there" and who |
| the first 100 days!This has sparked some groups to | | | | can help them learn what they need to know in |
| investigate the reasons behind this phenomena. | | | | order to help the people who come to them for this |
| Surveys have been conducted both in the United | | | | type of knowledge.Of course, this may require that |
| States as well as in Canada. Additional inquiries may | | | | they suck in their pride and get a check on the old |
| also have been conducted in places like Europe and | | | | ego. But, as everyone knows who has been in an |
| Australia as well.What the researchers found was, to | | | | actual violent confrontation with a dangerous |
| them, incredible. They found that, by and large, the | | | | attacker, you need to "check your ego at the door" |
| number one reason for adult students dropping out | | | | if you're going to survive.Teaching self-protection |
| of their programs was......no real-world self-defense | | | | skills to others is a huge responsibility. And one |
| training early on in their training!"How could this be?", | | | | perhaps that's too great for a lot of people who are |
| was the question. The researchers were stunned. | | | | teaching for purely personal reasons.There is another |
| After all, they were martial arts teachers and they | | | | option available, however; just in case the primary |
| certainly taught self-defense as a part of their | | | | one is totally unacceptable. And that option is simply |
| classes.How could these adults say that they weren't | | | | to......stop trying to teach self-defense if they're not |
| being taught real-world self-defense | | | | qualified.By all means, an instructor can, and should, |
| techniques?Perhaps, the problem was not that | | | | continue to teach his particular style of martial art. |
| "self-defense techniques" were or were not being | | | | But he should stop trying to convince intelligent, |
| taught. Because, even after these studies were | | | | grown adults, that he knows what he's talking about |
| conducted and karate programs started to "import" | | | | with regards to surviving a violent attack if he |
| third-party self-defense packages into their product | | | | doesn't. He should remember that people are placing |
| offering, adult dropouts remained high.Maybe the | | | | their lives in his hands every time he open's his |
| problem was in perception. Maybe students just | | | | mouth, or demonstrates a technique. I'm not sure |
| couldn't see how the "stylized" movements of a | | | | whether or not many instructors have thought about |
| centuries-old system could be applicable against a | | | | this. But they should.After all, most martial arts |
| street attack against a stiletto or 'Saturday Night | | | | instructors teach honesty as one of the major |
| Special'-wielding assailant.It's certain that students | | | | tenets and character traits of a black belt master |
| were not seeing and hearing what they thought they | | | | and leader. Wouldn't this be the "honest" thing to |
| should in order to believe that they were getting | | | | do?The moral here is that, if a martial arts or karate |
| what they needed to survive such an attack. Even if | | | | teacher wishes to teach self-defense - if he or she |
| these students don't know what 'that thing' really | | | | wants to get and retain adult students looking for |
| looks like, their gut-level feeling was that, "this stuff | | | | this type of training for the long-term, they really |
| isn't going to work."Maybe the problem - what adult | | | | have no choice but to do what they must.They, like |
| students are looking for - is in something even more | | | | every other information-based professional, are in |
| crucial to learning self-defense against violent | | | | business to provide a service. They must decide |
| attackers. And maybe this "thing" was easier to | | | | what that service is and whether or not it includes |
| identify by novices than by trained instructors who | | | | real-world self-protection against violent attackers |
| had been indoctrinated into sport systems.Maybe | | | | who don't follow the rules of fairness and respect |
| what was lacking in all of these programs was | | | | found in martial arts schools and karate |
| something the real experts like to | | | | tournaments.They should also know this......no |
| call......Experience!Regardless of the subject, it's fairly | | | | company, whether it's a furniture store or a martial |
| easy to see when someone has experience with the | | | | art school, stays in-business very long if it can't give |
| information they have, isn't it? I mean, experience in | | | | its customers what they want and need. Their clients |
| actually applying that information to produce viable, | | | | and students may never tell them that they don't |
| proven results. As the old saying goes, "those who | | | | believe or trust them. But, rest assured that if |
| can - do; and those who can't - teach."And, what | | | | they're not getting what they've paid for, they're |
| adult students are looking for is someone who "can" | | | | gone.As a final thought, and one that I live by. What |
| AND "teaches" others how they can as well.Now, this | | | | if, some day, "I" must depend on one of my |
| isn't to say that most martial arts instructors don't | | | | students to protect me from a dangerous assailant |
| know their arts and the techniques and skills that | | | | for whatever reason. Wouldn't I want to make sure |
| come with them. Most certainly do. And these people | | | | that what he or she learned was really going to |
| are very good at what they do.However; there is a | | | | work?I know I would!Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder |
| huge difference between knowing how to 'perform' a | | | | of Warrior Concepts International, a |
| skill - any skill - and being able to apply that skill in a | | | | Pennsylvania-based company specializing in helping |
| particular context. And self-defense is no | | | | private, law enforcement, and corporate clients to |
| exception.No matter how hard they try, most martial | | | | develop time-tested and proven self-protection and |
| arts and self-defense instructors will not be able to | | | | personal development skills that work in the |
| convince most adults that they know what they're | | | | real-world. He is the author of the highly acclaimed, |
| talking about without the experience to back it up. | | | | educational video, Danger Prevention Tactics. His |
| Adult students are not children. They have seen far | | | | latest book, "The Karate-Myth" shows the reader |
| too much in there lives to let these less-than-able | | | | why most martial arts and self-defense programs |
| instructors slide.And with the new threat of terrorism | | | | don't work and how to insure your safety in today's |
| being added to the ever-present concern with crime, | | | | violent world. For additonal information about having |
| most adults have no desire to learn martial arts for | | | | this internationally-recognized expert as a guest or |
| purely ascetic reasons. They want - no, they demand | | | | keynote speaker for your organization's next |
| - and rightly so, that the person they place their trust | | | | meeting, or to sponsor a seminar with Mr. Miller, you |
| in, not to mention their very lives, knows what he or | | | | may contact him through his web site or by calling |
| she is doing.So, what's an instructor to do if he or | | | | WCI in the U.S. and Canada, at (570) 988-2228. |
| she lacks actual real-world experience? Should they | | | | |