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My day job is to certify personal trainers/fitness instructors and when they come in for orientation on day one, each of us teachers give a run down of our experience and offer advice for those beginning their careers. The message I try to get across is that I’m here teaching instead of being a full timer in the industry because I’m not that successful in monetary terms. My whole journey for fitness & for self defence has not been what it could have because I assumed that if I went and studied and became super qualified in my field (with real knowledge), the rest would take care of itself. People would flock to you because of your qualifications, knowledge and training. Problem is this couldn’t be further from the truth. What people need to do & what they want to do in terms of training, are two different things. If you want them coming back & paying your bills you need to cater for the want not the need for the majority of the population. This is prevalent in martial arts as people are content with easy, with a lie rather than the inconvenient truth.
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As a former school teacher I’m the first to admit that bullying programs and initiatives in most schools are inadequate to say the least. Asking academics to write programs on how to prevent bullying is like asking an obese person weight loss advice, its kinda backward. Martial arts instructors think they have an answer, however in my opinion this is in the same vain. Too many parents don’t do their research and throw their kids in a class thinking it will solve their problems. But does it really? Lets look at a few examples of bullying aside from the obvious physical which in all honesty not too many address aptly anyway and make an informed decision.
I spent a large portion of my life studying two endeavours, fighting and basketball. From being an athlete to a strength and conditioning coach and lastly to a coach in both. The similarities between the two are eye opening to say the least. The more in depth I have explored them, the more parallels I see that are not only common to these two, but sports in general. I really believe we should be implementing more sport science into martial arts/self defence training rather than tradition and chi. Initially I used basketball as a replacement for my roadwork but in hindsight it’s clear it has contributed a lot more.
As a self defence instructor I often wonder if it’s a pointless pursuit. I mean we teach an array of concepts that are good in theory but when it comes to the crunch, are we actually presuming too much to expect our students to call upon our teachings? Do we have it all backwards? Will it only help certain people? Are we going against the human condition
,Knife defence training is probably the most difficult aspect of self defence that you are likely to encounter. So why are we making the solution appear easy? Why are we training it in a manner that doesn't do it a justice and why are we treating something we all know and believe to be of the utmost difficulty with a band aid approach
In almost every gym in Australia you will find the RPE table pictured below:
This is a simple chart that is used to give a subjective measure of exercise intensity based on the subjects own experience, how they feel both physically and mentally during bouts of exercise. As a trainer it gives the clients perception of how hard they think they are working as opposed to an objective measure such as a heart rate monitor. Problem is it is often doctored by the lazy exerciser who simply does not want to be extended beyond their comfort level. You know the type that grunts a little louder in an attempt to give off the impression they are working really hard. This has unfortunately crept into the self defence world where instructors actually perceive they are teaching effective techniques or sparring hard when clearly they are not. They are no different to the grunting exerciser, problem is that not many of us, from the general consumer to even seasoned professionals cannot see through this charade and its hurting the industry. The internet gives everyone a voice, sometimes this is a good thing, mostly it isn’t. Some people who do have a platform for being good at one thing should really think carefully before crossing into other realms, Kyrie Irving & his flat earth discussion springs to mind. A huge problem that it has created is that people are confused as to who to listen to and whose opinion is actually worth noting. This line has become very blurred in recent times. If I need some info I’m savvy enough to go to someone with credibility in their respected field, I’m starting to think I’m one of the minority, this could not be more apparent than in the martial arts industry.
Head movement is an under-utilised yet essential skill in Self Defence training. Its one that probably isn’t given the time & attention it deserves, particularly if you are training in a holistic manner. It is understandable that it isn’t covered in a short course but for those who are more than hobbyists it needs to be part of your arsenal.
Violence is a useful tool is the catch cry for many in the self defence /combatives industry and rightfully so. You’ve seen the inspirational memes posted everywhere.
Violence is often ugly but on the odd occasion its a beautiful thing when used in the right context, such as a kid fighting off a bully, a woman fighting off a would be rapist etc. There’s a term that I would put on equal stead however it is always regarded in a negative light in this industry and that is ego. I’m not shocked anymore from anything I see in the Self Defence/Martial Arts Industry. There is all sorts of crazy in it that it’s tiresome trying to change or amend it. One thing I’d like to address or challenge is the phenomena that I like to call the Milli Vanilli Instructors.
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