| Far too many people who are training in the martial | | | | 'favorite' techniques and attack-methods, you will |
| arts or in a self-defense program - including police and | | | | actually be stringing several basic moves together in |
| security personnel by-the-way - take for granted | | | | a moment-to-moment, spontaneous flow. The trick is |
| that all they have to do is learn a few tricks and | | | | to know your techniques so well that you can do this |
| that's it. When, according to the reality and nature of | | | | in what appears to be an effortless flow from one |
| self-defense, no technique that you've learned in a | | | | technqiue or skill to the next. |
| martial arts or self-defense class is perfect | | | | Just as I pointed out in "The Karate-Myth" there are |
| in-and-of-itself for the unique situation and | | | | certain critical pieces missing from the vast majority |
| circumstances that you will find yourself in when you | | | | of training programs. And, it is those key elements |
| need it. And... | | | | that MUST be managed during a physical altercation if |
| ..that's okay. | | | | you are to walk away with most of you intact. |
| What's important to learn is this... | | | | So, if you really want to be able to use what you've |
| ..these techniques that everyone hold up as the "holy | | | | learned in a real-world self-defense situation... |
| symbols of their style,"... | | | | ..then you must be able to give up your attachment |
| ..were just passed down from past-generation | | | | to your "perfect techniques." |
| masters as "examples" anyway! | | | | Remember: The only people who believe that any |
| After you've been training for a significant while with | | | | given technique or skill is "perfect" or "unbeatable," |
| a focus on being able to handle a real-world | | | | has not been around long enough, or... |
| self-defense situation, rather than merely memorizing | | | | ..has deluded themselves into believing that training in |
| a preset string of moves for your next belt, what | | | | class, or competing in a tournament, is somehow |
| you'll find is that... | | | | equivelant to the all-out, adrenalin-triggering, |
| ..in your attempt to defend yourself in a given | | | | overwhelm that makes you feel like your heart will |
| situation and against a unique assailant with his own | | | | explode in your chest during the "real thing. |