What is Self-Defense?

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I asked this and a couple of other questions the other day to a group of martial artists. I asked, 

• Do you teach self-defense?
• Do you teach MA/Karate self-defense? then I asked,
• Define self-defense aline and on context with the first two questions.

So far, I only received four responses from two major MA/Karate groups. I have yet to ask the questions of other MA/Karate sources but hope that I can get some responses just the same.

I have to say that the first responder did present their perceptions of the above pretty much as you would receive answers from most karate and martial artists who teach including a curriculum of self-defense. Since one provided a perspective from their style as follows, “Also, , produced his style for real combat, so self-defense is a given.” Sigh!

I even had one professional who also spoke up about how they took a number of most basic attacks  and provided their students a variety of defense moves where they must know them all and ‘perfect’ (my emphasis with quotes) at least one. Then another simply stated the canned response of, “Goshin is in the kata.” They emphasized that understanding the kata application in real world scenarios is paramount … for self-defense. 

Then another reply spoke of, “Locks, chokes, restraints, takedowns, and knockouts and … , ‘KILL SHOTS’ (single quotes and all caps mine) as being in the kata for self-defense. 

Yet, there is still hope because the next comment came with some really decent and relevant information regarding self-defense so that when certain points were made that caused me pause (my unqualified perceptions here) I overlooked them because this person’s comment got the gist of it at least at a basic start level. 

Although he brought up excellent points involving a better perspective os SD he or she then dropped back into what I call, “canned,” response that goshin-jutsu is in the kata and why we train bunkai. 

Now, for my view, not one spoke of self-defense in ways the encompassed a full spectrum of understanding as to self-defense other than the physical parts with basics, techniques, and canned drills for responses to set attacks, etc. 

Let me say this, “I am not qualified with experience in violence other than what most guys like me experience, as I am an old fart, in limited ways in comparison to those who live a life in violent cultures or those who deal with violence as a profession (even tho I are a Marine with ten years experience as a Marine).” But, to my teachings of karate as self-defense I readily admit wholeheartedly that what I taught in the twenty years of karate teaching was NOT self-defense but “Fighting and a smidgeon of combative aspects.”  

Why ask the questions then, because in my studies of the materials from professionals who have a vast amount of experience dealing with self-defense and violence matters it has come to me that the industry is wholly unprepared and unqualified to teach self-defense. 

• Self-Defense is a complicated mess.
• Self-Defense starts in the classroom!
• Why? Because there is much you have to know and understand to know what you don’t know about the subject.
• Starting with NNSD, No Nonsense Self-Defense by Marc MacYoung. ( www.nononsenseselfdefense.com )
• Continuing with “In the Name of Self-Defense” by Marc MacYoung sold on Amazon.com.
• More listed in my bibliography.
• Martial Arts and Karate have great value in teaching physiokinetics but fall way short of providing a full spectrum of self-defense knowledge, understanding, ability and application of methodologies, etc.
• Most MA/Karate SD is relying heavily on students never being exposed to the true reality of violence, most will only, if ever, be exposed to social monkey school yard fracases rather than predatory process/resource attacks. 

There is much more but my intent is to first, discover for myself from responses of those in the MA/Karate SD trenches, i.e., teaching it on the dojo floor, to better understand the teachings of all those professionals listed in the bibliography. The shame is that most will not get this far and will vehemently deny and flame war my efforts because it goes directly against their current belief systems and for those who teach it commercially it means, no students and no income. 

I find this to be a crying shame and know that once you reach a certain level of social association with students that outside the physiokinetics those students could be exposed to SD full spectrum in seminars, etc. and that teaching karate and MA as is outside the realm of SD/Combatives is still viable while adding in the academic part of SD the follow-up with realistic SD is possible while maintaining enrollment is POSSIBLE and PROFITABLE!

Bibliography (Click the link)