| Is there a difference between mastering a martial art | | | | you will have to process and the more likely you will |
| and learning self defense? Yes, there is a BIG | | | | get confused and freeze at the moment you are |
| difference. A martial art like the name implies is an art | | | | confronted with your first real street confrontation. |
| form, a vehicle of human expression that can take | | | | Point # 2 - Do You Really Need A Black Belt To Be |
| on countless permutations and combinations to | | | | Able To Effectively Protect Yourself? - Look, all of |
| execute. There are many katas or forms to learn. | | | | my reality-based self protection teachers have black |
| There are many belt levels to scale. And there are | | | | belts, and all of them will be the first to tell you that |
| many years of ever increasing levels of difficulty to | | | | the only thing a black belt is good for is for holding |
| master. This is a martial art, and like any art, be it | | | | up your pants. It is admirable that you have achieved |
| fencing, boxing, dancing or ballet can and should take | | | | the black belt status and it is a reflection of your |
| many years to study. But you say that you just | | | | dedication and knowledge as a teacher. But out on |
| want to know how to effectively handle the mugger | | | | the streets, nobody cares what color belt you have. |
| or the assailant who attacks you while walking to | | | | It all is about the last man standing and the most |
| your car. This is what I call reality-based self | | | | street savvy. |
| protection, and the mastery of a martial art is not | | | | Point # 3 - Are You Paying For Self Perfection Or |
| necessary. | | | | Self Protection? - A martial art is about perfection of |
| There are 4 points that I would like to make to | | | | execution of technique. When done properly, it looks |
| support the basic theme of this article. | | | | pretty. Street fighting is ugly and never |
| Point # 1 - It Only Takes A Weekend To Learn To | | | | pretty-looking. Street fighting moves, when done |
| Defend Yourself - After studying martial arts for | | | | properly in a real street fight, look chaotic and sloppy. |
| years, learning hundreds of techniques and ways of | | | | However, as long as a technique gets the job done, |
| doing a simple thing, I discovered that I learned more | | | | it was by definition, done correctly. |
| in a reality-based training camp in 2 days that I had | | | | So, if you really want to learn effective combative |
| learned after having studied Chinese kung fu for | | | | techniques and it is taking you many months and |
| years. When you learn a few highly effective | | | | years, and you are still led to believe that you are |
| techniques that you master, it becomes second | | | | not yet ready to fight, hey, don't get mad at your |
| nature and ingrained in your DNA. The more | | | | sensei. You can't blame him. He has to feed his |
| techniques you try to cram into your head, the more | | | | family, and to pay the rent too. |