Rick’s Blog December 17, 2013

My approach to martial arts is one of Personal Protection.

While the body mechanics (and more) can transfer to military, MMA, Law Enforcement or protective services they have different goals. Only someone who is in those professions can determine what applies best.

For instance training to defend against a knifing is different for a citizen than protective services. While a person in protective services does have to know how to deal with a knifing aimed at them their focus will be defending the protectee. This means if their knife defence training as always been assaults directed at them then they will not be well prepared for the different angle of attack when they are not the target.

Personal Protection is not taking part in the monkey dance duel outside the bar; in fact it is actually avoiding it. Again while the body mechanics and much more will be useful that is a mutually agreed duel situation (read as WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?) And it is only a “duel” until friends jump in or weapons are deployed.

Personal protection covers the period where the threat is detected to the legal repercussions should a physical defence be required.

Personal Protection takes place in the close quarters area of bad breath range of an aggressive assault not sport distance.

Personal Protection means preparing to get through the first moments of an ambush and passed or out of the freeze and to your art of defence.

Personal Protection means you must be able to work at any required force level.

I like to walk through the world hoping for the best but I feel it is only pragmatic to be prepared.

I heard somewhere that 3.3 % of the population is exceptionally dangerous (Sorry no idea of the statistic source.) Let’s round it to 3%.

Knowing that I have spent my martial arts career trying to prepare for the 3% I figure the closer I get to the 3% the more of the 97% I am ready for. I don’t want to be misunderstood here — there is no preparing for everything just increasing the odds of survival.

To that end I seek to constantly increase my efficiency and effectiveness.