The other day on YouTube I comments on a video with reference to how very important Kata really is to self defense training. The reply I got was that "free sparring" was as close to the real thing as you will get. WRONG.
Now I will first say, anyone sends me a comment or a message without a REAL name I have ZERO respect for you or your opinion. I am not into cowardice. But now I will explain AGAIN why this view is foolish!
I had a student for many years who is a big man and was a bouncer in a local bar in his younger days. He questioned by methods and one night we had a long discussion about them. After we were finished he went, "yeah you are right." This changed his resistance to what I teach and made him very effective.
Why? First, self defense is NOT a fight! No one who is attacking you is going to dance around, circle you, or jab at you with a fist or a foot.
Now, that may be the pathetic reality for a bar fight or a high school ego battle, but NOT the reality of someone who is trying to kill you, rob you, rape you, or just kick the shit out of you for fun!
How to do I know? Personal experience and having long time students who have also had the experience and have helped as we designed systems to teach people.
Now the guys comment was "imaginary fights" don't work. I can tell you right now he has NO CLUE how to train a Kata! If you know who to do it, the movements can be programmed into the subconscious mind, and ALONG with PROPER Self Defense training, you can become very effective!
Sport and Self Defense are not the same thing. And I am very sure that there are very few MMA fighters who are attacked, called out perhaps, but that is a FIGHT, not an ATTACK. Self Defense is an entirely different animal! There are many great martial artists in the world with real life military training, and everyone I have ever talked with agreed completely.
There are many things that can help a student develop a well rounded approach to martial arts training for self defense. You need a solid root art and a GOOD to GREAT teacher. But any system you study that ADDS pressure points to it are always more effective!
If you would like to learn more I have 2 free courses you can sign up for. You can also opt out at anytime if it is not for you. Follow the links below!
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