Techniques vs Principles

What makes an effective self-defense system? Is it the techniques that it teaches? Is it the 'dojo', with all of it's traditions? Is it the uniforms with all the cool patches and colored belts? Or is an effective system one that teaches the principles of combat, not just techniques?

All self-defense systems - including ours - will have specific techniques, of course. But practitioners should never mistake the technique for the truth of combat, which is principles.

For example, say you’re practicing against a hooking punch attack. Instead of trying to block the strike and then deliver a strike of his own, the defender intercepts the forward momentum of the attacker before the strike can reach its peak of extension. This stops the attacker in his tracks, exposing the face, throat, and lower limbs to a variety of strikes, kicks, knees and elbows.

This is an example of the R A I D Principle – Attack by Interception.

There are a number of excellent techniques that can accomplish the same goal…but they are only examples of the principle. Is one technique better than the other? No! The point is that you should not mistake the technique for the principle.

Think of combat training like building a house. Principles are like the blueprints for the house encompassing every aspect of how the house is going to be built, and techniques are the individual skill sets and tools required to get the house built.

If you train the principle as well as the technique, in the heat of battle you will be able to react instinctively.
Principles can be recalled under stress easier than just techniques. This mind-set will make you faster, more accurate and effective. It is impossible to remember one unique defense technique for every possible type of attack. Life just doesn’t work that way...

If you memorize 300 defenses against 300 attacks, as soon as you go outside, you’re going to be assaulted by attack No. 301.

Keep Punching!

Sport Combat Arts vs Street Combat Arts

The debate over which type of martial training is most effective for street defense has been raging for years. The question has always been, what is best...striking arts, grappling arts, arts that focus on weapons, etc. Add to the debate the recent popularity of reality-based martial arts, Brazilian jujitsu and mixed martial arts and the debate grows larger than ever before. The recently popularity of sporting events like The UFC are causing mixed martial arts schools to pop-up on every street corner across the country; but are they teaching skills that should be deployed on the street?

Let's take a look at the martial arts as they are practiced today within the fields of Mixed Martial Arts and Combat Sports.

This phenomenon has produced athletes of amazing levels of physical and mental prowess. Nothing can be taken away from these modern day warriors who practice mma, no holds barred or cage fighting. They are truly immense within the field in which they compete... but what they do is in one way or another governed by certain rules pertaining to a sporting event. Unlike fight competitions, in the Pavement Arena there are no rules, no referees, no coaches giving instructions, no cut-men to stop the bleeding and no time limits.

Sport fighting also lacks the three conflict stages of a real street encounter or attack.

Pre Conflict (before the attack)
Most situations can be avoided by ensuring one employs pre conflict awareness consisting of various factors such as situational awareness and hostile triggers. Countless hours of research has shown that most street attackers look for individuals that do not display the traits of confidence and awareness.

Conflict (the actual encounter)
The conflict stage has social and asocial violent components, which need specific attention such as multiple attackers, robberies, muggings, carjacking, weapons etc.

The importance of surviving a violent street attack can be directly related to the tools that are brought into action-focusing on the most vulnerable targets that are available- without being limited to tactics that follow the rules.

Post Conflict (after the fight)
These are the actions you will take after the confrontation/fight such as: first aid, escape methods, police involvement, attacker description, incident detail, etc. In the sport arena, when a fight is over it's over.

The outcome of a match or competition will dictate a winner and a loser, but neither are in no way a life or death struggle nor are they a matter of self preservation.

Sport is sport and street is street. One is real and one may be realistic but they are not the same thing and can not be trained in the same way.

Train Hard!