Does your System cover everything? Don’t panic – it can't.

[Van Canna]

Like many of us when we learn new things we see that it is not the physical attribute that is difficult to master but the willingness to actually pursue that path in the first place.

When we control our ego that process becomes possible. My students respected him greatly before this process, but developed an even greater respect for him as he rolled around on the mat with us learning new technique.

He was stimulated as a student and suddenly no longer considered himself a "master."

[Van Canna]

The following day I was again being beaten and submitted by boxers and grapplers much better than I. My fragile ego was no longer so fragile.

For that matter, it wasn't even an ego. Learning is growth and through introspection our minds and body can be released to ultimately learn forever.

The best learning is functional learning regardless our endeavor, athletic pursuit or path. On many occasions my path finds me tangled in discomfort and distress.

My mind, body, psyche, and yes, my ego are subjected to specific demands of increasing difficulty that directly overload and stress my combat development.

It is through such ego testing that I improve in the real world of combat. It is not a world of perception. Now, I get beat up on a regular basis.

It is done safely, and with excellent athletes and fighters. And occasionally my students remind me that they are getting better and yes, they can hurt me with very effective technique. Interestingly, my ego loves it!

[paulg]

Serious followers of Buddhism know that the third of the so-called Four Noble Truths (the Buddha's summary of his philosophy: Life is naturally hard. We make it harder because of our ego. If we can reduce ego we can live a simpler life. Follow the path of constant self-improvement) is to work on reducing ego. A lifelong and very challenging project! I recently reread Homer's Iliad and was impressed by how much ego turned out to be the fatal flaw of the heroes such as Achilles.

[Van Canna]

Good post Paul. I am sure that deep inside most of us would agree this is the best way to live life, especially when more 'reality education' points to the likelihood of our super ego[that develops thru martial arts training even more nefariously] being at risk to get smashed to bits in any confrontation, assumed skills notwithstanding.

You may recall what happened to Al Ford's son, Joshua, and his girl friend.

Josh had become a pretty good Uechi-ka...and very possibly had felt secure in his powers in this nasty world we live in, without any tactical training.

So one night in NY, out with his girl in some bar, he is befriended by another couple and then invited to their apartment to hang out for another drink after the bar closed.

You might remember that after their disappearance, they were eventually found cut to pieces wrapped in plastic bags and tossed into a dumpster down the street.

Look at some of the 'tough guys' who used to post on my forum over the last 20+ years...using it as a convenient platform to tell the world how tough they were...how well they could fight for real...how superior their 'system' was compared to Uechi etc.,
and how some of them eventually got pretty serious beatings just for being martial ass*holes.

Like I said, any martial art, has its own rapacious demons hiding/waiting to emerge and wrap their tentacles around the martial artist who thinks he has conquered his vulnerabilities because he can do a strong sanchin, or some other 'hit the Michelin man' moves.

For some people, and we all must be careful, the practice of martial arts is the same as practicing to die. And we have seen the so many examples of it.

[Van Canna]

What we all need to learn[from Rory]

Rory Miller’s work illuminates the most crucial part of what martial arts leave aside, violence and the context in which it takes place in the modern world.

I say the most crucial part because it’s not excluded because it’s irrelevant; it’s left out because it’s impossible shun safety / encourage violence without the practice devolving into a last man standing competition.

(FYI: If you’re saying, “Man, the martial art I study is completely street realistic,” then you need this book more than anyone.)

While it’s important to have safety in a training environment and, therefore, true violence must be prohibited (simulated, but not carried out), it’s important to understand violence so that one can prepare one’s mind for it and train oneself to recognize various types of violence so that one knows the best approach to avoid a bad outcome.

One doesn’t want to end up wondering “how could this happen” as one is bleeding out on the ground as martial artists from a range of styles have experienced.

I’m not saying martial arts aren’t valuable, and I don’t think Miller is either (he’s long practiced them, as have I.) While martial arts may not prepare one perfectly for a violent conflict, they move one in the right direction.

The only real downside is if one allows oneself to be deluded into thinking one is going to roll through waves of enemies without a scratch like Jet Li or Steven Seagal on the silver screen.

That’s why it’s important not only to read such a book as this, but to give serious thought to changing the narrative that plays out in one’s mind about the nature of violence so as to move it away from movie / sport fighting towards an approach that is most likely to get one and one’s loved ones out alive.

[Van Canna]

The book consists of seven chapters, plus front and back matter. The first chapter introduces two matrices as ways to frame one’s thoughts on the conflict.

The first, the tactical matrix, looks at different types of attacks one might experience (eg. surprise ambush through preemptive attack) relative to allowable use of force (can one legitimately injure or kill one’s opponent?)

The second, the strategic matrix, considers the various types of combative endeavors (e.g. self-defense, duel, sport, combat/military operations) and there goals, approaches, and dangers.

Chapter two is entitled, “How to Think,” and the emphasis is on “to think.” The central lesson is to not take ideas on faith, particularly ideas about the nature of violence from people who haven’t experienced it—particularly when those ideas seem to run counter to reality.

Because violence is such a rarity, it is a subject for which there is a great disconnect between expertise and experience. (i.e. Chances are your plumber has unclogged tens to thousands of drains, but also that the person teaching you knife disarms has never been in a single knife fight.)

The chapter considers the various fallacies and how they can be resistant to destruction. Emphasis is given to understanding your goals, making them realistic, and having a pragmatic path to achieving them.

The take-away quote is, “Do not let yourself be crippled by something that only exists in your mind.” The chapter ends by looking at decision-making at the speed of a fight, which is pretty quick.

[Van Canna]

The take-away quote is, “Do not let yourself be crippled by something that only exists in your mind.” The chapter ends by looking at decision-making at the speed of a fight, which is pretty quick.

This is a common problem we all experienced at the Lethal Force Institute when Maloney and me attended the 'duelatron' scenario with loaded.45 pistols and put through a variety of situations where even though the adrenaline kick occurred, it was nothing like it would be in a real situation where someone is trying to kill you.

And yet, even then we had trouble thinking and making the right decision...which on the street it would prove fatal...where you find yourself unable to think rationally...something else we , the 'High Coffee Dans' deny constantly.

It all looks good/sounds good/on a friendly dojo floor...but once you are out on the streets, and some punks decide to kill you...the person you were in the dojo has Just left town...leaving some pair of jeans tripping over trying to get into sanchin while you are taking a knifing.

[Van Canna]

Chapter two is entitled, “How to Think,” and the emphasis is on “to think.” The central lesson is to not take ideas on faith, particularly ideas about the nature of violence from people who haven’t experienced it—particularly when those ideas seem to run counter to reality.

It is a book that once bought it becomes part of your training...which really means you must read and reread it as you train ... especially if you teach self defense which essentially is what we do every-time we get on the floor.

The self defense implication of the style [any style] is clear as a bell.

And you don't want to sound like an idiot when suggesting ways to stay safe with what you are teaching...a macho BS approach without a strategic tactical of application...can be very destructive to students as we have seen in the real life examples you keep on reading on this forum.