There are two abilities necessary for self defense. The ability to do a technique, and the ability to do the technique in a fight. Knowing how to defend yourself and actually defending yourself are very different.

Most Kobukai Jujitsu students can attest to this fact after attending their first Holiday Bash.  Many trained for months, but all first timers have under a year of training.  It is likely the students have 50 or more self defense techniques under their belt, and have participated in unrehearsed self defense as well as many rounds of newaza.  So they are not unfamiliar with actually having to defend against an opponent or practice offense and defense against an uncooperative partner while on the ground.  But year after year I hear “I couldn’t do anything!” and “I couldn’t pull off a single throw!”  Why is there such a difference between Knowing HOW to do self defense, and ACTUALLY Doing self defense?

Knowing how to do self defense techniques comes from learning.  Under a competent teacher, you will learn exactly how to move your body, feet and arms.  You learn how to respond to certain attacks.  Soon you have a repertoire of specific moves against specific attacks.  And that is great, because when you walked through the door of your dojo, you probably had few to no specific moves against specific attacks.  When someone now chokes you, you know what to do.  When someone punches, you know what to do.  If you are doing newaza and your opponent mounts you, you know what to do and can execute it.

But then reality comes along.  Whether it is in the ring, or at your Blackbelt test, or at the Holiday Bash, or in the Street.  It is not the same.  Because whereas knowing how to do something comes from Learning, being able to actually do it well under duress comes from Experience.  Just look at any of the cooking competitions you see on TV.  There is this and that chef who have written recipe books, or have a posh restaurant who fall apart under pressure.  They know how to cook, within a set of rules and parameters.  But outside of that comfort zone where the unexpected happens, they struggle.  It is the same with martial arts.

Why do so many martial artists get their asses kicked in a real street fight?  Because they have no experience – only learning.  They absolutely know what to do and how to do it – but only within the parameters of a martial arts class.  Nobody wants to beat them down in class.  Everyone follows etiquette.  Only certain techniques are used from their system.  But that is not the reality of self defense.  Self defense brings environment into play.  It may be dark.  It may be cold and icy.  You could be on a beach.  You might be sore and tired from the gym.  The other person wants to hurt you – alot.  The attacker does not know your rules.  And – it was most likely an ambush.  So basically – you are screwed!  Unless….

Unless your instructors and your dojo understand this!  If they do, your class will be very tough.  You will be exposed to very aggressive attacks in practice.  There will be events like the no-rules Holiday Bash in order to give the students a taste of reality.  There will be lots of unrehearsed self defense training with the instructors as attackers forcing students to perform under stress.  There will be testing that pushes you beyond what you think you can take.  And there should be training that takes you into other environments like in a parking lot, in a rail yard, or in a car.  The instructors will foster an attitude of “do what you have to in order to survive”!  If you have to grab a nearby camera bag and smash someone in the head with it (like Sensei Todd is doing in the photo associated with this post), then do it!  If you need to bite off an ear, hit someone in the groin with a rock, or push a carjacker out of your moving car – then do it.

Your training must be realistic, and you must train outside of the rules and in many environments in order to gain experience.  Time will also help with that!

Experience is the only way you will be able to overcome the battle of Knowing vs Doing!