The 20% Solution

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A play on words and the reader will find clarity as I proceed. As with all things, there are a variety of answers to the 20% solution, solution being how we process our training and practices to gain the maximum of experience before we experience the reality of aggression and violence. After all, isn’t that what martial practice is about, truly? 

Lets start with what I feel is the most important, when training and practicing karate for self-protection the practitioner, the dojo, must dedicate a minimum of 20% of training time to hitting and being hit. In self-protection our ability to hit and be hit, especially in a adrenal stress-oriented situation where we are surprised, unbalanced and our structure is gone, is important in overcoming the situation we find ourselves and coming back to stop the damage. 

Now, saying that I must clarify because this was how it began in the mid-seventies when I first took up karate full time, no dabbling as in previous years, full time continuous, dedicated and consistent training and practice of karate for self-protection. Today, even in karate, it has awakened its origins in all sorts of methodologies that are necessary to stop damage and end the attack. It is a lot more than just hitting and being hit. It is about falling and other methods that are used against us and toward our attackers. Control, restraints, falling, and other factors must be trained and practiced against others exposing us to the pain, damage and psychological factors of self-protection. I look at it as the physical actions of a reality-based adrenal-stress conditioned environment. 

Then we speak to the actual hands on training of the physical for self-protection/defense, i.e., the other 80% is about the study of self-defense law, handling first responders, handling lawyers, learning to avoid then deescalation then escape and evasion, etc., all prior to putting on the karate-gi and stepping out on the dojo floor. 

Then 20% as to the dojo floor is about techniques or methods but the other 80% is learning about the other three fundamental principles of theory, technique (not what you think) and philosophy. Adding in Self-defense defense along with the adrenaline chemical dump principles. 

As you can imagine what is needed to truly learn, understand and apply self-protection measures goes way beyond merely stepping out on the dojo floor and performing repetitive drills. The more you understand the self-defense and self-protection model, the more you find the technique-based physical practices hold a much lower importance in karate. 

1. Awareness of environment and situations that would allow criminal violence.
2. Avoidance is recognition of “tells” that allow you adequate time to miss being attacked altogether.
3. Deescalation is that ability to literally talk-walk-away leaving all with face to not use violence.
4. Escape and Evasion is recognition of traits and tells that allow you to turn, run and find safety and security without violence. 
5. Self-protection is that manifestation and application of principled-based adrenal-stress multiple methodologies and forces to stop damage; to stop the attack; to allow sufficient force and power to end it now.
6. Communications with first responders to sufficiently convey how you are within self-defense legal parameters in what you did to stop the attack and avoid the damage and violence of the legal system on your personal self, as to your family and toward your financial standing and future. 

No. 5 is that 20% while the rest achieve the other 80% of research, studies, analysis, training, practice, and application of skills, tools, and other to achieve success in self-protection through martial discipline. 

In closing, I would say, “I find that only 20% is about the physical but I have come to theorize that the reason we perceive and assume it is physical is because it is the easiest, fastest and most gratifying and satisfying part of karate. In short, quicker results; quicker gratification and easiest to test and get the coveted black belt.” - cejames

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