Research, Statistics and Validation - Oh My!

In recent postings and articles it has been written that a certain percentage of fights always go to the ground. It would seem as if certain research and statistics are sometimes used to validate a system such as ju-jitsu. Maybe it is true and then again maybe it is not true but the material seems to be "iffy" and more a means to promote a system rather than promote the knowledge that one needs to learn ground fighting for self-defense.

Any research can be manipulated toward a certain belief for validation. The researchers also would have influence on the research itself, the statistics produced by said research and their own perceptions, beliefs and biases as to the research and what is researched. All research is flawed from the moment it is placed in a research status for statistics to prove some thing or another.

One thought is that research often and and does provide misdirection that influences those who read and believe said research. The misdirection first influences a belief the person already has planted in the mind. We naturally gravitate toward such things because we all want what we believe and practice to be the best of the best. Gullibility is one word for this and it comes first from our desire to find things that validate us, what we believe and in martial systems those things we practice. 

I have come to believe only one thing regarding research, statistics and validations. I believe that it is merely information and use it only to gather as much information and knowledge as I can then I think about it, think some more and then I try to self validate it by first practicing it, studying it both physically and mentally and then making it work for me in life and in practice, training and applications. I don't assume either the research or the persons who performed the research are experts but rather folks with an interest in the subject who tried to gather and prove information as valid - for them. 

What I find valid for me may not be valid for you. Does this mean you should discard what I am doing, saying and teaching? No, it means you must research and validate it for - yourself! I may have certain traits and abilities that allow something to "work" for me but it is no guarantee it will work for you.

This post was inspired by a recent posting elsewhere about the statistics that a certain percentage of fights always go to the ground. This is a subject that will always be contested simply because of perceptions, beliefs and the culture driving all of it. It only validates for the person who believes in it and the system but will it work for everyone and in that percentage of fights? 

Fights are illegal so lets assume your goal is to avoid fights. If you find yourself focusing primarily on the physical and all the validations saying your way is the ultimate and only way in the self defense world you are, in my view, already down a point or two. You are bypassing what is truly important in the arena of defense - avoidance, deescalation, etc. 

The road to defense starts long before we ever get to the physical. My view, avoid the fight; avoid the ground; avoid the conflict. Use your awareness first then if you can't avoid the confrontation use your verbal defense to avoid and deescalate. Now, the "what if monkeys" are going to chime in now saying, "what if you are ???? ?" Remember that most folks will never encounter violent situations and those few who do more often than not allowed themselves to get caught up in it by not doing or doing something that promotes the scenario. 

As Marc MacYoung and Rory Miller often say, sorta, "violence and defense is a very complicated thing." It ain't as easy and straight forward as some might suggest. 

Think about it a bit .....