The Vision

A different perspective on self-protection

Nearly two decades in, and I still hear the same thing about “self-defense” classes. Most people picture the white do-gi uniforms and a group of people shouting “kiai” at imaginary attackers while working out in comfortable martial arts studio that has pads and air conditioning. Some imagine an elaborate BJJ grappling match, and others talk about lightning-fast plastic gun disarms - the ones that have made Krav Maga classes an add-on option to family memberships at the Tae Kwon Do Academies around the country. These images are formed by unconscious assumptions - usually influenced by exposure to TV, movies, and internet “experts.” The question is, do any of these things that present themselves to be “self-defense training” really work?

The answer is yes, kind of… but not really. In general, they might work to give you a glimpse of what physical conflict can look like, and they might even teach you a technical thing or two that could save your life in a violent encounter. That’s the upside. More likely though, you’re probably buying a dose of false confidence.

It’s important to realize that the traditional self-defense paradigm usually works well under a specific set of conditions - ones that are present in the training scenario, either intentionally or unintentionally. Often, these conditions are not consciously analyzed, and might even be taken for granted. Moreover, traditional self-defense usually maintains a narrow focus on just a few technical aspects of conflict. In contrast, true self-protection is a dynamic concept that actively addresses the complex problem of non-consensual violence* (NCV).

Non-consensual violence is a complex problem because there are multiple, and often competing, variables that contribute to to the outcome of a conflict. Moreover, there are different types of variables to consider, and a given situation may be heavier on one type than another. I classify the variables that are within the control of one party or the other as Type 1; the variables that are in control of both parties equally as Type 2; and the variables that are controlled by neither as Type 3:

• Examples of Type 1 variables mostly include tactical advantages, like the element of surprise, initial positional dominance, speed of attack (or defense), precision & accuracy in delivery, superior physical conditioning, mental preparedness, etc.

• Examples of Type 2 variables usually include situational options like use of the environment, maneuvering & positional control, employment of available tools, use of escape routes, etc.

• Examples of Type 3 variables include weather, third-party intervention, the laws of physical motion, etc.

Often, this simple analysis of NCV is more than what is available in entire courses of instruction on “self-defense.” From experience, the self-defense programming that accompanies most traditional martial arts (TMA) curricula is not much more than a collection of isolated techniques that aren’t married to the broader concepts represented in the system.

Unfortunately, an entire industry of adult martial arts has sprung up around the memorization and recitation of extensive “self-defense sets” that propose elaborate counter-attack scenarios against a compliant opponent - each triggered by a simple and distinct assault pattern. The “If-you-get-attacked-this-way-then-do-this-specific-thing” programming makes for easy-to-teach classes, but it leaves the student poorly equipped to face the realities of violence in the street.

Worse still, the practical application of self-defense skills usually only represents a small portion of the grading criteria for rank advancement. It is rare to find a TMA school that actively considers the problem of NCV across a range of factors, and rarer still to find one that adequately prepares students with a purposeful training program for violence in the street.

Intuitively, we know that violence cannot always be controlled, much less stopped in its tracks, by the narrow-minded and linear approach that is taught in traditional self-defense classes. Examples of this truth are all over the Internet and Youtube. We’ve all seen videos of “martial artists” who are badly defeated by untrained assailants because the attacker’s approach didn’t fit into one of the pre-determined exercises taught in the victim’s self-defense class. So what’s the alternative?

Different variables can contribute to conflict outcomes at any given moment, and the answer is not always as simple as we might like it to be. In many ways, this perspective shift is the difference between understanding strategy and understanding tactics. We have to take a comprehensive approach and prepare across a range of factors, not just one or another. Structuring our martial training with these variables in mind is the first step down the road to a reasonable and well-formed self-protection strategy. The good news is that we can put the style debate to rest, once and for all. This analysis shows that how you train your style is even more important than what style you train overall (within reason, of course).

Yuuki Defense was borne out of traditional training, and the vast repository of knowledge passed down through TMA. There is almost unfathomable depth to the martial wisdom of the old masters if one is patient enough to find it through the study of kata and preserved writings. And, if a student is fortunate enough to have ever witnessed or learned from a true master, then there will be little doubt about their efficacy in individual combat. The paradox of our modern world is just how divorced this preserved martial wisdom has become from the common practice of the arts themselves, sometimes so much so that martial systems even can fail in satisfying their original purpose, which is generally self-protection.

All Yuuki Defense programs are based in long-standing combative traditions that have firm roots in time-tested fighting strategies and combative tactics. What we aim to do differently is to structure the delivery of this knowledge across a modern paradigm that openly addresses the reality of NCV - using the language of physics, instead of poorly understood esoteric terms that only create false mystique.

I’m hoping you’ll join us on this journey. Along the way, I know that you’ll also find the very best version of yourself - which is the real secret of martial arts that I can’t quite explain through words.

See you in class.

Train Hard & Train Often,

Brandon T, TSAC-F

Head Instructor | 5th Dan | RENSHI | NRA Instructor & RSO

* I’ve borrowed the term “non-consensual” violence from my friend Iain Abernethy, who explains it so well. You can find him, and learn more about the practical application of karate, at www.iainabernethy.com . Iain is also the Chief International Instructor of the World Combat Association, and one of the world’s leading experts on the practical application of karate. *