Have you ever actually heard a bone break? Have you ever really slammed someone to the ground hard enough for them to not get up?
Yes, discussing subject matter like that makes one squeamish and potentially uncomfortable; but if you’re learning martial arts for self defense, it’s a reality that you might have to face one day. Keep in mind, what we learn can potentially seriously injure another person, or even kill them. Properly learned, it’s a lot of responsibility to hold in one’s hand…..but it’s also an energy that must be channeled properly if you want it to work for you.
One of my past instructors used to talk a lot about this subject. Some of you may equate it to a “killer instinct” or going into survival mode (depending upon the situation); but it is indeed a genuine part of most martial arts; and distinctly a characteristic of what the Japanese call the spirit of Budo.
I have another gentleman that I train with on a regular basis, and I was, on numerous occasions, asked to watch him spar. Granted, this instructor is one of the nicest people on the planet; and I actually pattern the way I teach children after him.
But if you watch him fight, you get a different person.
One of his older students once told me that as nice as he is, when he’s fighting, he has the ability to turn off all emotion and hesitation; and the person across from him becomes nothing more than the enemy. As scary as that sounds, I took that observation to heart and have been trying to cultivate it since then. Such spirit, I believe, translates to all forms of fighting, be it tournament or self defense.
There have been numerous cited cases of people with extensive martial arts training that had never done anything outside of the leisurely in-class practice that were beaten within an inch of their lives because they applied the rules of training-hall kindness to the mugger intending to do them harm. That’s scary. I’ve actually fussed at women I’ve trained with because they would not throw me to the ground hard to see what it feels like.
…and quite honestly, if you don’t know what it feels like, then it’s going to be difficult to execute in the street.
Developing the ability to turn everything off and do what is necessary for your survival is imperative. I used to tell my students that I have two different modes of fighting when it came down to in-class sparring time. I can leave that switch “off” and continue on as the instructor, teaching and coaching as we go along. The other mode I affectionately nicknamed “headhunting mode”, which pretty much meant that everything I hit you with will be with bad intentions.
Granted, I didn’t leave this as license for me to pummel students; but for those with the fortitude, it would give them a much more realistic idea of what it’s like to be in a fight. If you want to survive that mugging, then you really do need to know how to turn that switch on and off; and you also need to know what it’s like to be up against someone that wants to hurt you.
Tournament rules do not apply in self defense. There is no referee that will step between you and the other person when someone scores a point. There is no mat to cushion your fall. No one is wearing protective gear; and the opponent may have one or a number of unfair advantages, including weapons or even worse, friends. You have to be able to turn on the mindset to survive that kind of situation at the drop of a hat because it could happen when you least expect it.
Author BK Frantzis offers up a good explanation to cultivating this mode of thinking and training. In his book The Power of Internal Martial Arts, Frantzis makes reference to what he calls the three approaches in martial arts: namely,” animal, human and spiritual”. Without going off on a complete tangent by analyzing his words, suffice it to say that the animal is the lowest approach, where one reacts with the basest of instincts. The human approach invokes rationale, which can also slow down reaction; and the highest approach is seen as the spiritual approach, where the appropriate training simply takes over and the martial artist does whatever is necessary to take control of the situation. You can kind of equate this to the Japanese term mushin, or “no mind”. It’s regarded as a characteristic of the highest level of training.
To really understand what he’s saying, you really need to read the book; or wait for me to re-read it and do a review. 
Now, I used to be a huge fan of the animal approach; but the longer I practice, the more I can appreciate the spiritual approach because the training simply takes over (Bruce Lee spoke highly of this concept). The human approach uses decision making. That type of decision making, when caught up in the heat of battle, can fatally slow you down.
To further illustrate, John Perkins, in his book Attack Proof (which I have reviewed in my reading section), recounts a story about a well-trained kickb oxer that unfortunately applied the rules of the sport to an assault. It almost got her killed.
What I’m getting at is that it’s a mode of thinking. As a martial artist, you have to get past how gross it would be to actually break someone’s arm. I spent time in night club security to actually escape the confines of rule-bearing fights as sort of a social experiment. Believe me, it was very eye-opening. There are no rules and it involves a lot of blood-letting. Yes, it’s gross, but when it comes to your self-protection or the protection of a loved one, you really don’t have a choice. Cultivate that side of your training; and when the occasion calls for it, let that side out. It may save your life one day.
Master Wayne Boozer
Master Boozer,
You bring up wonderful points about the difference between “Training” and “gameday.” No matter how you train or what your martial art is, you practice and then you play. As Gray Cook puts it, “There is a reason the NFL plays only once a week and fine tunes and practices the rest of the week.
I just wish more people would explore that part of their training. One of the painful truths about martial arts these days is the false security that many students walk away with because of inflated beliefs in their techniques and unrealistic ideas about a real fight. Thank you for the kind words!
Great blog entry, Wayne. As you know I’m just a lowly beginner in Krav Maga, which is focused towards self-defense. In our training there is a lot of emphasis from the instructor on us not holding back (as safe as possible) when sparring…down to putting our meanest face and a lot of attitude. And that probably applies to any martial arts both during competition or during a self-defense situation. Like you said, when the time comes you want to count on your brain engaging and reacting quickly as your opponent will not give you any time to think, figure what form to use, no slack, no courtesy or sportsmanship…and there won’t be any referee or “tap out” to save you!
Good post, these days in dojos there is not enough of “keeping it real”. People are taught techniques and never really told about what they’ll be feeling if they ever had to do it for real. The training to do what you say is not physical, it’s psychological.
I’ve met some very dangerous people who have had no training in the martial arts, they just have that ability to turn everything other than getting out in one piece off. They just want to hurt you.
Whilst I don’t advocate being in that “I want to hurt you” state all the time, knowing, no, feeling it and understanding it is something everyone needs for effective self defense.
Shit hot technique will not save you on the street if you can’t keep your head together.