What Constitutes a Reality Based Self-Defense System?
By Soke Dr. LeRoy Hines, Jr.
Founder of The Afrijitsu System of Self-Defense
When looking for a martial art or self-defense system there is a wide variety of choice. However, your needs should dictate the style or system that you choose. Some systems place emphasis on self-defense, other on sports, and others tradition, others developing harmony and inner peace, Zen meditation, etc...
A term that is becoming widely and in many cases WRONGLY used is 'reality based martial arts' or 'street effective martial arts' or 'street effective self-defense'.
What are reality based martial arts and self-defense systems?
A reality based martial art or self-defense system is one in which the over ridding emphasis in training is self-defense that will actually work in a real life on the street situation.
Although many styles and systems claim to teach reality based martial arts, most do not, there are a number of important criteria to be used if a martial art system is reality based.
1. There must be an overall emphasis on self-defense and conditioning for realistic confrontation.
2. The self-defense must be simple, quick and effective. Not an intellectual diatribe of where to place your feet or mathematical calculation on where you should be standing in a real confrontation, etc…
3. The self-defense must be able to be used against an 'angry' person, not just someone who is going along with the technique in the dojo or training hall.
4. The self-defense must use 'fail safe' techniques. High kicks, sweeps, fancy throws are NOT 'fail safe' and therefore not reality based. No technique has a 100% guarantee, but simple strong techniques such as elbows, knees, groin shots, eyes shots, palm strikes have a far greater chance of success then a jumping spinning kick or an aikido wrist throw.
5. The training MUST involve a high percentage of bag work. Punching and kicking into air will not develop strength in the technique, nor will it show the student what happens when he or she actually hits something.
6. The self-defense should not just rely on delivering pain to an attacker as the only means of defense. Self-defense must also include, surprise attacks and training on areas that are seen on the peripheral of self-defense such as balance, senses, mobility.
7. The classes should include training in the areas of street and confrontational psychology. A person can have all the self-defense techniques in the world, but if the self-defense minded psychology is absent form the student, then all of the training will go down the drain.
Reality based systems make up only a small percentage of martial classes available in United States today. If it is a reality based system that you wish to learn you will have to shop around and ask questions of any prospective instructor.
TEN Tell tale signs that the class you are in or watching is NOT a reality based system.
1. Students standing in lines practicing techniques into the air for a large proportion of the class.
2. Deep immobile stances.
3. Unrealistic attacks during self-defense practice, for example the attacker uses a big solid reverse punch from a deep stance to attack; or some one repeatedly requesting another student to “throw a punch at me”. In the streets, you can’t order your attacker(s) to come at you as you desire them to.
4. Unrealistic defense during self-defense practice, for example the defender removing a larger attacker's grab to the collar by striking the forearms and the attacker just letting go.
5. Emphasis on high kicks and complicated techniques for self-defense.
6. Emphasis on forms (kata), patterns, drills etc during class. Reality based systems often use forms or patterns for some technique practice or as a cool down or warm-up for around ten to fifteen minutes in a class, not as a major basis of training.
7. Emphasis on training for tournaments. Tournaments have rules, the street does not.
8. Any self-defense against knives, any other weapon or multiple attackers that DOES NOT involving seeking a means of escape as the first line of defense. The best way to defend against a weapon is not to be there when it arrives. When talking about knife/weapon defense. If an instructor does not advocate escape and the FIRST means of defense "get away from this person"; FAST.
9. The promise of “this will always work”. Real confrontation is dynamic and changes quickly, usually going from bad to worse very quickly. NO one technique or series of techniques are guaranteed to work, reality based training teaches a student to adapt, improvise and overcome.
10. Any instructor or system that claims to be the best or to have all the answers. Reality based instructor are always studying, learning, changing and developing their systems.
And one more for good luck,
11. Any class that combines adults and children (especially those under 14) in the same class. How can an adult train for the realities of a street fight, when he/she is training along side a 7 year old.
Each person has different needs and desires for their martial art training. As I said previously shop around, but here are some guidelines.
1. Find out what martial art experience the instructor has.
2. If the style claims to be reality based or a street effective system, find out what reality based experience the instructor has or what experience the head of the system (he or she who decides what will be taught in the system) has.
3. Ensure that the instructor(s) is viewed by the martial arts community as legitimate. This can be accomplished by asking other martial arts instructors about a particular instructor(s).
4. Ensure that the instructor has all the necessary accreditation to be an instructor.
5. Remember, don't be afraid to ask questions to satisfy any doubts that you may have, professional and competent instructors will welcome your interest.
For more information on reality based martial arts check out our website (www.afrijitsu.com) for articles on the subject.
