This blog no doubt will upset the die-hard traditional
practitioners but the content of the blog does have a serious point to it and
that point is do old bugei martial arts systems have real practical use in a
modern world?
Arguments on this very issue have raged for many years
now and the internet forums for the martial arts are a blaze with arguments on
who and what is the best way to deal with physical violence. I am going to
avoid the subject of weapons; the reason for not discussing the weapon arts
comes mainly down to the fact that the majority of mature adults know that it
is illegal both to carry and use weapons in public, that said there are a few idiots
out there that think they are the exception to the rule.
To continue the blog I’d like to use an issue that is
always hotly debated amongst martial artist and instructors alike: joint
locking. Now we’re not going to use a particular martial art in general as an
example as there are far too many to discuss from all cultures, not just
Japanese. I have met instructors who are adamant that effective joint locking
will work with the use of good evasive foot work and control of the aggressor
rendering the attacker immovable and in great pain.
Having been on the receiving end of many a sankyo and
nikkyo both in ju jutsu and aikido I can agree with the claim of effective
pain, however I would like to mention that these techniques were performed in
the dojo under controlled conditions, with the ever present thought of the
insurance policy in the back of your mind if the technique is performed wrong
or too brutally and the fact that as an uke I am allowing the technique to be
applied freely so tori can study the technique.
As a former doorman I have never gotten a joint locking
technique applied to control an unruly customer; there are a few reasons for
this: one, we usually worked as a team or group to deal with violence and two,
the environment is totally different from a clean respectful dojo with an
insurance policy. Outside the dojo there are no rules and the average
aggressive person that is pissed off through drink, drugs, you spilt my pint
and you’re trying to get off with my bird will not be compliant or respectful
to you; also keep in mind that we are discussing controlling one person here
and not multiples.
Over the last six years I have been invited to teach on
many courses and on all these courses we have always taught simple and direct techniques
in a controlled, aggressive manner. These techniques range from elbows, head
butting, knees and one of my favourite techniques, biting but to be totally
honest this would only be used in the extreme.
Now I am not condoning violence as something to be
proud of or that these techniques are an answer to all threats of violence;
believe me, I have been on the receiving end of a good kicking so nobody is
infallible.
All situations are different and have unique problems that
have to be dealt with at the time but I like the techniques I have used in the
past; I would use them again in the future, such as pre emptive striking,
closing the distance using atemi waza and then control the aggressor if it is
needed using joint locking.
In this modern day and age I believe that the only real
use of joint locking outside of the martial arts should be by law enforcement,
prison guards and the military etc. The reason I state this is because they
usually work as a unit and not a singular person when trying to subdue and
control an aggressor; how many times have we seen half a dozen police officers
trying to control someone to get the cuffs on? Now this comes down to the law
and rules of engagement they are bound by; even so I have witnessed quite a
number of police officers used to finally control an aggressive drunk when a
good old fashioned right hook or elbow would have solved the issue much
quicker. Many say the police have their hands tied and I agree having read the
police manual on the use of force to detain a person, in my opinion it all
comes down to covering backsides and insurance.
It is not my intention to use this blog to promote our
particular way of training or use of technique, nor do I claim that what we do
is the be-all-and-end-all in the self protection world. Indeed there are many
more experienced people out there than I and deal with these issues on a daily
basis in a variety of employment situations. That said, I have stood in line
and learnt from these people and I personally agree with their methods and
approach, many would not.
I was motivated to write this blog having read the
statements and articles by Sensei Taran McCarnum and Sensei Dave Thatcher. I
will admit to only knowing them through the martial arts community but their
honesty and candour was something I was immediately drawn to, further more I
also agree with them on the issue of the amount of total rubbish being taught
as safe practical defensive techniques in a combative situation.
Thanks to YouTube every man and his dog wants to be on
the big screen to strut his stuff and make his claim on what is effective to
deal with violence and let’s be honest there is some total crap out there; everything
from rape prevention to gun stripping an opponent. There are a lot of issues
usually not discussed on these videos such as terrain, emotional state,
environment, one or more aggressors, weapon involvement, drink, drugs and
adrenaline etc. Also none of us are psychic so no-one can predict how any given
situation will turn out and no amount of training will solve that but it does
give you an edge providing it is practical and hopefully effective.
On recent courses up and down the country I have
witnessed absolutely abysmal training standards and techniques been taught to
deal with violence; this training came across as a corporate product guaranteed
to work one hundred percent of the time, all the bells, whistles, badges,
certificate of attendance and more gold on a black belt than black. The
instructor was extremely confident in his verbal delivery skills and motivating
the group but the content taught was in my opinion total rubbish and not a true
reflection of what I have in the past witnessed on many occasions.
Teaching gun disarmament to a society that does not use
guns personally on a daily basis and the fact that the average person is not
desensitised to firearms is both dangerous and fool hardy; even I could not
tell you how I would react to a gun shoved in my face, then again I am no body
special either. The knife work was impractical and the attacks were slow and
controlled from the attacker; real knife attacks are fast, aggressive and in
some case not seen until you have been stabbed. This course was a classic case
of a classical martial art being used to sell a product and give false
confidence to those that attended. No doubt the instructor knew his art inside
out but was using it in a foolhardy way.
For the most part if I attend a course and think a
particular technique is total rubbish I just don’t take it on board; I have met
some really arrogant instructors laying down the law on the rights and wrongs
of effective self protection and why they are right and the rest of the world
is wrong.
I have had the privileged to have trained with what I
consider instructors at the forefront in dealing in effective training methods,
not just techniques but training the body and the brain to deal with violence. The
one thing that stands out with all these instructors is the practicality of technique
in the given situation; simple techniques delivered in a brutal manner if
warranted. The guys have been at the hard edge of what most of us will never
have to see or deal with and personally I agree with their methods.
Complicated techniques such as joint locking may have their
place on the ancient battlefields for the use of stopping a samurai drawing
sword but I personally have never had my wrist, elbow etc. grabbed in a fight
and I am certainly not going to ask a person to grab my wrist just to try out a
technique when I can drive an elbow to your face or stick in a good head butt.
At the end of the day all of us will do what we want to
do with regards to training and practising our chosen martial arts or modern
training systems. However it is my wish that “you” having read this blog at the
very least question yourself, your training and methods of training. There are large groups of people training
that do not spar hard so how can they know if they can take a punch? Not to
mention those that train only in a pure art but never train to use it
effectively or adapt it for fighting.
Quality effective training or disillusioned week in
week out rubbish sold to you as a product? Only you can make the choice, I hope
it’s the right one.
To find out more about Evasive Self-Defence Combat System visit http://www.esdcs.org or e-mail John Barrass at: john@kurinami.wanadoo.co.uk
