Reality Based Martial Arts - the new decade sound bite, buzz word or buzz phrase!

"Reality based martial arts" is the new buzzword or better said buzz phrase, a sound bite that apparently is in vogue this decade. It seems every decade or so some new, perceived as new anyway, sound bite hits the martial systems circuit and whalla, many new ads and pushes to get the latest, greatest and absolute best "reality based martial arts" training ever.

What is reality based MA? The answer actually "depends" on many factors. The most important factor is the individual, how they perceive things and how they relate to the time, the culture and ethnic groups, the power relationships, the perceiving person, the sensory input modes (primarily sight, sound and touch), the perceptions of perceptions as to truth and accurate facts, and both the internal and external environments and now we add perception of movement; perception of body language which includes facial expressions, etc.

In martial arts, as to my perceptions, reality is simple and direct. Reality is that which has been proven by the many to be adequate for the few to deal with the reality of violence. It doesn't matter the mode of violence be it social or asocial/anti-social. It is a consensus and provability of what actually works to avoid, deescalate and the fight the fight as a last resort. (Avoidance-Deescalation-Awareness-Legal Considerations-Manners-Last resort know Body Mechanics!)

Reality based martial arts has nothing to do with actual waza, kata or kumite but those do often contain the type of training necessary to fit the reality based concept of training and practice. Unlike defining traditional and/or classical martial arts the "reality based" models are fairly easy to determine and implement into a system. It may be difficult to realize the end product of reality based martial arts simply because it involves foible human beings and their perceptions.

If one is bent on providing, training and practicing self-defense, fighting and combatives then they have no choice but to incorporate reality into their efforts, the type of reality that is that which has been proven by the many to be adequate for the few to deal with the reality of violence.