i'm back

[gmtkd]

Now that I have one of those fancy phones, you'll be seeing more of me.

[Mekugi]

Cool! Let technology lead!

[Webmaster]

Welcome back Marcy! Thanks for your comments on the article BTW.

[Jonathan Randall]

Welcome Back!

BTW, I like your avatar pic.

[gmtkd]

I want to notify everyone that it's been brought to my attention (on another forum, actually) that I come off like I'm trying to market my self-defense stuff on the forum. I am most certainly not trying to do that. My self-defense stuff is for non-martial-artists. I've taken my self-defense info website out of my signature so it doesn't seem like I'm marketing it to you all. But, I still welcome your thoughts on any self-defense related issue, any of my newspaper columns, my videos, or anything else. If you want to get involved in suggesting things for me to write about, I suggest friending me on facebook (even if you don't actually like me).

[Jonathan Randall]

I want to notify everyone that it's been brought to my attention (on another forum, actually) that I come off like I'm trying to market my self-defense stuff on the forum. I am most certainly not trying to do that. My self-defense stuff is for non-martial-artists. I've taken my self-defense info website out of my signature so it doesn't seem like I'm marketing it to you all. But, I still welcome your thoughts on any self-defense related issue, any of my newspaper columns, my videos, or anything else. If you want to get involved in suggesting things for me to write about, I suggest friending me on facebook (even if you don't actually like me).

While I haven't taken it that way, I appreciate the gesture.

How about topics such as physical conditioning for martial arts, stretching, exercises to improve balance and range-of-motion, etc.? Also, I would be fascinated to read a thread about your personal journey through the WTF over the past decades. My guess is that you could also write some really good material on, say, improving one's sidekick, sparring combinations, etc. as well.

You obviously have far greater perseverance than 99% of the people who begin martial art's training. Why not concentrate upon your strengths? You could do very well, imho, and I would be thrilled to see you succeed.

Our KMA forums here could use some more participation.

[Mekugi]

Did that other forum have a lot of British participants?

[takadadojokeith]

I want to notify everyone that it's been brought to my attention (on another forum, actually) that I come off like I'm trying to market my self-defense stuff on the forum. I am most certainly not trying to do that. My self-defense stuff is for non-martial-artists. I've taken my self-defense info website out of my signature so it doesn't seem like I'm marketing it to you all. But, I still welcome your thoughts on any self-defense related issue, any of my newspaper columns, my videos, or anything else. If you want to get involved in suggesting things for me to write about, I suggest friending me on facebook (even if you don't actually like me).

I don't see anything wrong with having a link in you signature. Marketing or not, it's not very pushy. But judging by my sig, I guess my feelings are obvious.

[Eliz]

While I certainly admire your tenacity, I can see how one would feel you are using the forums to promote your ideas. Further, the link has subsequently been removed from your siggy but you are continuing to write articles and pass opinions on subjects that you have a very limited knowledge base. From what I have read, that seems to be the offending factor.

Jonathan said it best - stick to what you know.

Of course read books, attend seminars, and broaden your horizons. But please do not teach something that you have no real training/experience in

[Mekugi]

I'm looking for the other forum...where is this happening?

[gmtkd]

I'd rather not bring the names of other forums into this if you don't mind. I did notice that at least one has a huge amount of brits. I joined a few forums looking to talk about taekwondo stuff. But, all of the taekwondo sections are kind of dead. It's like the WTF people just want to talk about politics and then the non WTF people seem, in my mind, to be a whole different art. I'm writing a book about that actually.

[Don Roley]

I want to notify everyone that it's been brought to my attention (on another forum, actually) that I come off like I'm trying to market my self-defense stuff on the forum. I am most certainly not trying to do that.

You are talking about martialtalk. I have some friends there who e-mail me links. If a lot of people on two different forums are convinced you are suddenly making a lot of posts because you are selling DVD series and stuff like that, then what does that say? Either a whole lot of people are wrong, you are not being honest or you have very poor communication skills.

My self-defense stuff is for non-martial-artists. I've taken my self-defense info website out of my signature so it doesn't seem like I'm marketing it to you all. But, I still welcome your thoughts on any self-defense related issue, any of my newspaper columns, my videos, or anything else. If you want to get involved in suggesting things for me to write about, I suggest friending me on facebook (even if you don't actually like me).

This is kind of the problem. Instead of asking what you should write about, you should be asking what sort of studies you should go through so you don't write such silly stuff. Why on Earth would we want to suggest things to you when you seem to have so little knowledge about what you write? We are not here to help you sell newspaper articles to newspapers, sell DVDs or anything else to line your pockets and we are not going to give you suggestions for what to do in those venues until you show a willingness to actually learn before you ask others to take your word when you write about subjects.

Really, if you showed the proper attitude as a newbie to self defense topics, all the knowledgeable people here would be willing to help you overcome your ignorance. But when you ask instead of topics to write about in newspaper columns and DVDs you will sell, I don't think many people will be willing to help you be the blind leading the blind over a cliff.

[Mekugi]

You catch more flies with honey thanwith vinegar. Which is stupid, because who in their right mind would want to catch flies?

At any rate, forums are a place to share ideas, person to person. Being too aggressive on them, especially when you show up with a bag full of wares, can get one an entirely opposite reaction. It's better to back off this stuff for now and just participate. At least, that's how it seems to me.

[Chris Parker]

Speaking as a member of the other forum, and being involved in a number of the conversations being discussed, I'll just add that Don is right. It's not so much the "hard sell" (although another member did have a slight issue with that), it's the desperate lack of understanding, experience, insight, and knowledge that has been the biggest issue. Offers have been made to Marcy to help her understand where her shortfalls are (her claims of teaching Krav Maga being based on reading three books on the system, for instance), but she has been either unwilling, or unable to take such information on board. When she asks questions such as "What is the difference between a defensive and an offensive martial art?", stating that she doesn't get the question, so she "fakes" her answers, really doesn't instill any confidence in her writings, as it shows a willingness to simply make up stuff if she doesn't know. And, reading through a lot of her pieces, that really does seem to be the case.

Oh, but Marcy? It's things like adding at the end of posts "I'm writing a book about that" that make it seem like you're really just using the forum for advertising. But, for the record, that other forum has probably the most active KMA section around at present (slightly quieter right now, as a couple of the more, uh, corrosive elements have put themselves in self-exile, for a time...).

[gmtkd]

Thank you all for your thoughts. Contrary to what it seems some of you think, I do listen to what people on forums have to say whether they think I do or not. I am sure I have much more to learn in this life. I am sure I am not communicating my ideas as well as I could be. I think I should read Verbal Judo again.

I am sure I am too sensitive some times. If whoever once posted about a book they are reading about introverts and extroverts could give me the title, I'd like to read that one, too.

But, I am also sure that not everyone means exactly the same thing when they say an art is more offensive than another, or means the same thing when they use the term self-defense or the term martial art.

Having not read Verbal Judo again yet, I feel compelled to say one more thing about those people who think I am an idiot when I question what determines if a martial art is more offensive or defensive: As I interpret it, one person on that thread thinks I am crazy to not see that Shotokan is obviously offensive and another agrees I am crazy but considers Shotokan defensive.

Also know that, no matter how many other forums I rile up, budoseek will always be my first.

[Don Roley]

Contrary to what it seems some of you think, I do listen to what people on forums have to say whether they think I do or not.

Well, we don't see that. I see threads on two different forums giving you damn good advice about not trying to teach, or make authoritative statements, because you just don't have the knowledge. We don't see you changing your ways and doing what we advise, so how can we believe that you are actually considering what we write? All we see are justifications by you to do what you want, not what good people with a lot more knowledge and experience say would be best.

[Chris Parker]

Uh, Marcy... Whether an art is "offensive or defensive" is really pretty cut and dried. Yes, there are levels and degrees of just how offensive an art is, but there really isn't a lot of grey area where people mistake defensive arts for offensive ones. The simple fact that you're still unsure about that, to my mind, speaks volumes.

[wab25]

So, I see a dangerous situation here. Let me explain...

People in the general public assume that martial arts and self defense are the same. Even if you tell them otherwise, they still believe that.

Now, as an instructor, if I teach a student a cool, nifty, knife disarm... the worst thing that can happen, is that the student can come away from the class, feeling confident, in their new technique. How can that be a bad thing? Well, when the real bad guy shows up, with a knife demanding money. Before any training, the student would most likely give up the money and run. However, since I as the "Martial Arts" instructor taught them to disarm a guy with a knife... now the student may try to actually pull off a martial arts move, in a real self defense situation. First, he escalates the situation, then he gets killed, by the bad guy with the knife. As an instructor, I feel responsible, for encouraging my student to put himself in a worse situation.

This responsibility, belongs to any martial arts instructor and self defense teacher. You need to know what you are teaching and you need to make it clear to the student, about what they are learning and the very real ramifications of using this stuff.

I really don't mind if you look silly online... a 4th dan in 2 martial arts, being utterly confused by a question any yellow belt could answer, is looking silly. Hey, I have made myself look silly online (and in person...) as well. Thats no big deal.

But, when you present yourself to the unknowing public, as a "High Level Martial Arts Instructor and Self Defense Teacher," you become a danger to the public. People will believe you, they will do as you instruct them, only to find out that you were wrong. The really sad and dangerous part is that it is not you that pays the price for your mistakes, but the believing student.

Now, I realize, that we all make mistakes and are wrong at some point. But, we need to make corrections. We need to take our rolls seriously. We need to understand the effect that our instruction can have on other peoples lives.

I don't get the feeling that you understand the effect you will have on your students, who are looking for self defense advice. Take the advice of the experts, on all these forums. Please, respect your perspective students enough, to actually learn what you want to teach them. Realize, that if you teach them wrong, you will cause their death or worse, by encouraging them to use the wrong response. Like it or not, all martial arts instructors need to understand this.

I may be risking a point or warning... but I feel strongly, that this may become a dangerous situation for some trusting person...

[gmtkd]

Now, as an instructor, if I teach a student a cool, nifty, knife disarm... the worst thing that can happen, is that the student can come away from the class, feeling confident, in their new technique. How can that be a bad thing? Well, when the real bad guy shows up, with a knife demanding money. Before any training, the student would most likely give up the money and run. However, since I as the "Martial Arts" instructor taught them to disarm a guy with a knife... now the student may try to actually pull off a martial arts move, in a real self defense situation.

You are so right about this. I am embarrased that until about 5 years ago, I did not fully realize this so I taught my students knife disarms that I had been taught by my teachers.

Then, I began to study the whole issue of self-defense more and realized the importance of this and now I actually have students practice "throw the money and run" in simulated robberies as well as volunteering to leave territorial situations and de-escalating accidental confrontations, and brandishing improvised weapons to discourage an attacker with a knife if by some luck they happened to notice the knife with enough time and distance to do so.

[Chris Parker]

That's good, and essential as part of a self defence program when dealing with knives... but if that's all that's taught, it's still limited and open to danger for the students. What happens when the real bad guy turns up, and they're not after money?

To give you an idea of our knife defence (as I teach it), it begins with awareness drills, taking notice of whether you can see both hands of an approaching threat, watching when hands "disappear" to produce weapons (or potentially, at least), methods of maintaining distance if unsure, ways of checking if they have a weapon (verbal challenges, for want of a better term, essentially removing their sense of the element of surprise), all with the aim of not engaging in the first place. From there we deal with the appearance of a knife (or any other weapon), with a verbal recognition of the weapon (which ensures that you recognize it yourself, as well as ensuring that any witnesses see what's happening, and demonstrating to the attacker that there is no surprise anymore). Then, we deal with technical methods for handling an attack, starting with simple drills to ensure protective actions (jamming and blocking methods combined with movement "inside" the arc of the attacking weapon, moving on to controlling methods, then onto disengaging and disposal methods), then moving onto actual "techniques" against the attack. These all follow the same essential pattern, which is to commit completely to the action decided upon, whether an evasive leap out of the way, or moving in to control and counter; when moving in to ensure complete control over the knife arm immediately, taking into account the natural response of the attacker (which is to try to retrieve their weapon), before moving onto a disposal/control/counter.

As you can see, a safe escape is the dominant aim as soon as possible, but the training needs to take into account everything from seeing the threat early and escaping, to handling an attacking opponent, otherwise you're missing a large section of necessary skills. But when it comes to the disarms/techniques used, they need to be realistic, which means that you need to have a realistic understanding of knife assaults and defence. Within our traditions there are plenty of knife/short blade defences, most notably within Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu, and Takagi Yoshin Ryu (if you know where to look there....). Now, those techniques are great, however if taken just as they are, they don't work against modern knife assaults. The principles and tactics found in them, though, do. But the important thing is that our modern knife defences are trained against realistic (modern) attacks, with realistic responces from the attackers. Ideally, when done properly, the students won't have an inflated sense of security against a knife.... after training knife defence with my guys for a couple of months, I asked for some feedback on the way we were approaching it. The comments I got back were that the students hadn't realized just how scary, and dangerous, knife defence is. And that comes down to going up against realistic attacks.