It’s 10:45 pm, a dark parking lot, two thugish looking men are walking quickly in your direction. You have an idea of what their intentions are. Will your martial arts practice get you through this?
You better hope so! Your friends and family sure hope so…
I’m proud to carry on Bruce Lee’s school of martial arts, namely his concept of Jeet Kune Do.
Bruce never intended for Jeet Kune Do to be a set system of punches and kicks where everyone must conform but rather a concept that the individual should use the most effective techniques for them.
Bruce was frustrated as he saw 40 year old Korean Tae Kwon Do Masters doing high spinning kicks with laser-like precision, trying to teach a 21 year old female college student to defend herself with these techniques…
I mean get freaking real! Are you serious?
Bruce determined that certain martial arts techniques lend themselves to some people more than others. Some of us are more or less athletic, taller, shorter, lighter, heavier, female, male, etc.
While person A can learn western boxing and be able to defend himself against these two thugs, person B who happens to be a 5’2″ middle aged female would have about as much chance of effectively using boxing as single handedly piloting the next space shuttle to the moon and back with no training.
The fact of the matter is that not everyone can pull off the majority of martial arts technique.
Now there is a lot of ego in the martial arts world, heck just as much as in the fitness industry and kettlebell world. Droves of instructors who demand conformity out of their students, they must do the technique this way, or they must use this technique in this scenario.
That is very selfish, egotistic and unrealistic.
I am a 6’2″ 200 lb strength athlete who has spent over 2 decades in martial arts. Do you think I might be able to pull off certain moves that one of my 85 lb 14 year old girls can’t do?
Her only chance of surviving a violent attack by two violent men might be to pull out a sharp pencil and stab them repeatedly. Or if she finds herself on her back with the men on top of her she will need to grab them as tight as she can and apply the Filipino art of Kina Mutai (the art of uninterrupted biting and eye gouging.)
Sounds pleasant right? Well we are talking about her very safety and possibly her life; so it is completely justified in this case.
Is grabbing a pencil and stabbing someone (in self defense!!!) true martial arts?
HECK YES IT IS!!!
What about biting and eye gouging?
YES!!!
True martial arts is not a belt, a uniform, an ego, some trophies and a “hi-yah!” It sure as hell isn’t a 9 year old kid with a black belt and a false sense of security.
Martial arts were designed as a means of combat. If you practice martial arts for discipline or exercise or to preserve the art then you are not practicing martial arts. You are practicing a system for sure but not the true sense of martial arts.
Martial arts are not for fitness. They aren’t a good form of exercise. They are an AWFUL form of exercise! Too much joint wear and tear, too many injuries.
Martial arts are for disabling, protecting, controlling and killing.
I suppose you could say for sport as well, such as Judo, Mixed Martial Arts like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, boxing, wrestling, etc. But these are controlled versions of real martial arts, they use the non-lethal techniques designed to win an ego based fight, not to protect the lives of your children when home intruders burst the door down and pull out knives and baseball bats.
If you go into a fight where you are playing by a system of rules and your attackers have no rules then you are already the underdog, you better be damn good at what you do!
So, where does Bruce Lee come into play here?
He believed that the person was always more important than any particular style or system. In fact here is one of my favorite quotes:
“Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.”
Bruce Lee
So if your martial art is heavy on tradition and light on practical application just be aware that you are unprepared for reality.
If your system of martial art demands conformity and you can’t pull off some of the moves that the other students can, and the answer you get is that you need more practice… you are at the wrong place.
Real martial arts is more of a mind set. A mind set that you WILL NOT BE A VICTIM. That you will make it home to see your spouse, kids, pets, TV or whatever is important in your life.
Once you have that mind set martial arts is easy. Do whatever it takes to win. No rules, no limitations.
“Have no way as way, have no limitation as limitation.”
Bruce Lee
As one of my clients we will find the most practical methods for you to defend yourself as is humanly possible.
