| Law enforcement officers have no time to waste | | | | defense techniques for only one month. The only rule |
| with useless techniques in their martial arts training. | | | | I set to this match was that she was to use simple |
| What they need is something that works and the | | | | logical techniques to keep her safe and he was to |
| conditioning and stamina to execute these techniques | | | | use what he learned at the seminar. It took all but 30 |
| in a high intensity confrontation. | | | | seconds for this young lady to bring him to his knees. |
| I once enrolled a new student who possessed the | | | | So much for the seminar! |
| characteristics of the ideal student: polite, respectful | | | | I've seen students with world-class martial arts |
| and willing to learn. She told me that she was a police | | | | credentials, by this I mean lots of titles, trophies, and |
| officer who was looking to polish her defensive skills. | | | | medals. One gentleman said that he was the best |
| She had abandoned her membership in a competitor's | | | | and he only trained with the best. He boasted about |
| school because the classes lacked any practical | | | | paying his last instructor $18,000 for one year. |
| application. Nothing that was being taught was of any | | | | One day the class was doing a lot of two-person |
| use on the streets. The system was chock full of | | | | drills. The "best of the best" gentleman was paired up |
| flashy jumping and spinning kicks, which are perfect | | | | with a heavy student who could throw a decent |
| for the movies, but disastrous for self-defense. | | | | roundhouse kick to the leg. It took this student two |
| It is the obligation of a marital arts instructor to | | | | shots to the leg to hurt this world-class champion. He |
| prepare not only police officers, but also the general | | | | was too embarrassed to come back after this |
| public, for such unhealthy or life-threatening | | | | episode. It was obvious that the $18,000 he spent |
| confrontations. Unfortunately, some martial artists are | | | | wouldn't help him if he was a police officer. |
| making a lot of money marketing a lot of empty | | | | To many of the police officers we have worked with |
| promises. | | | | training is not about belts, trophies, or flashy |
| I had a new student who decided to spend $2,500 | | | | techniques; it is about survival. When choosing a |
| on a 4-hour seminar in California that promised a lot | | | | martial art school, choose the practical path. Ask |
| of fancy fighting techniques and a certificate of | | | | yourself, "Are they teaching me something that could |
| completion. When he returned, I was curious to see | | | | one day save my life?" If you haven't had enough |
| what $2,500 could buy in 4 hours. I asked him to | | | | experience to know the difference, find someone |
| show us. In order to do this, I had to find him an | | | | who has and bring them with you before you sign a |
| opponent. | | | | contract and turn over your money. Especially if |
| I looked around and decided to pair him up with an | | | | you're in law enforcement and your life depends on |
| 18-year-old woman who had been training real life self | | | | your training everyday. |