The Problems with Self-Defense Training and Teaching Methods

How many times have you been asked to show a buddy how to escape a headlock or how to escape this and that if you have taken a Martial Art's class before?  As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, people and friends are always asking these types of questions.  Some even wish to take private lessons in Jiu-Jitsu.  I have always had a problem with showing people one isolated Jiu-Jitsu technique and strategy to escape & resolve a conflict such as a choke defense.  Even if I show an escape technique and the person is able perform the escape effortless, this person will have another question the starts with, “What if the person does this next…?”  

The fundamental problem in teaching self-defense techniques of any Martial Arts style is if a student does not have background knowledge in a discipline such as Boxing, Karate, Kung Fu or Jiu-Jitsu, he or she will not be able to answer the difficulty that lies ahead after a successful or unsuccessful self-defense escape.  It is common that the escape technique can be flawed making the student needing a plan from there after.  In a short time, new students need to learn the essence of a discipline so they can develop background knowledge and learn to apply sound self-defense techniques and strategies that are based on street applications: not sport.

People from all walks of life enter into Martial Arts schools for self-improvement.  In the example of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy, if a student wishes to learn self-defense aspects of the art, he or she has three training directions to choose from: Self-Defense techniques training, Sport Jiu-Jitsu training, or "Vale Tudo" Anything Goes Training (Mixed Martial Arts Training) you name it.  Ultimately, a well-balanced curriculum will help a person discover his goal of learning how to defend oneself successfully.  However, in choosing either one of the three approaches in learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, this student will spent a lot of time and money to answer this original question.  When a student’s quest is to learn “a little self-defense” so he can take care of himself, why teach this person Sport Jiu-Jitsu, Vale Tudo or individual self-defense techniques?  He isn’t really into Martial Arts to pursue a Black Belt.  He doesn’t have time to train for months or years on end!

My answers to the problems above are in developing and applying a self-defense program and teaching method that instills the essential techniques and strategies of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that are not based on sportive aspects of the art. Students learn by developing background knowledge to understand self-defense based on a discipline first.  This approach creates, in a short time, a better picture in looking at how to handle oneself in a self-defense situation.  Moreover, students start by learning awareness, assessment and action skills to understand a confrontational conflict among a second party posing a challenge.  These concepts shade light on the psychology of the sucker punch.  In doing so, students learn to resolve a conflict before they have to use Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques and strategies that can inflict risk of injury to themselves or too the confrontational opponent.

The next time a person asks you what type of escape he should do if attacked on the streets, consider the fact that if he is attacked he will not know what escape to perform.  He will just have to perform something, and hopefully it is based on details that are successful and reflex.  If not, I want you to tell him he should have a discipline to fallback on if his performance is flawed.  And if his next question is: How can I learn this?  Tell him of take a self-defense course called the 3-7-5 System for Jiu-Jitsu from Brazil™ level 1 because everyone should learn a little Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! 

 "little" Tony Pacenski  

Find out more here: 3-7-5 System for Jiu-Jitsu from Brazil™ Self-Defense Program

 

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