There a few things that create more commentary than instructional videos of self-defense techniques. The question of whether or not something works is hotly debated. These discussions/arguments rarely follow a logical order. Conclusions are not arrived at. Most comments are repetitive and reductive. The purpose of the T.A.B.B.E. Test is to enable the Peer Review … [Read more…]
Hopefully, this will be the last of the introspection posts for a while. But I committed to writing close to the bone: Another reason the new book hit me so hard was that the process (my life process for the last several years) has violated my own epistemology. My society has a common belief about … [Read more…]
There’s a difference between an ‘expert’ and expertise. One is knowing, the other is about being able to do. (A lot of people are experts about teaching about a subject, but aren’t actually doing what they’re teaching about). PART I How many self-defense experts have never used their skills? Nor are they in a field … [Read more…]
Kasey and I were talking about teaching, and teaching teaching, and about people. In any field there are some people that just don’t get “it.” Whatever “it” is for that field. There are some people who shouldn’t be cops. Sometimes because their emotionally vulnerability makes them unable to deal with manipulators, sometimes because their lack … [Read more…]
There’s a trueism in elite teams. You don’t create extraordinary operators in training. You discover them in selection. Then you polish them in training. Want to have a stable of extraordinary fighters in any martial art? Make the training tough. Make the training so tough that 90% of your people drop out. The people who stick … [Read more…]
Learning Leads to Various Degrees of Understanding, Part I In Part II, we will look at where different types of learning methods fit in to the three Modes of Conceptualize, Training, and Experience. Conditioning is another method of learning. This method can be thought of as part Training and part Experience. The Training part … [Read more…]
Learning Leads to Degrees of Understanding, Part II High understanding is the result of effective learning. Effective Learning is the result of the combination of Three Modes of Learning. These modes are: Conceptualization Training Experience Conceptualization is the mode where you are consciously thinking about what you are trying to understand. This is typically exemplified … [Read more…]
Question: How many martial arts/self-defense experts does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Ten. One to screw it in and nine to say “that wouldn’t work on the street”. One topic that is bound to get many martial artists/self-defense experts hot and bothered is the question of whether a particular … [Read more…]
Coming soon! Rory’s new book on teaching. Section 1: The Unique Problem of Self-Defense Section 1.1: Rarity Section 1.2 An Open, Not a Closed System Section 1.3 Surprise, Fear and Speed Section 1.4 The Problem is Longitudinal Section 1.5 The Problem Exists in the Real World Section 1.6 You are Teaching Students, not Subject Matter … [Read more…]
I’m in Germany. My normal arrest and control lesson plan is pretty practical. In eight hours we cover: 1-step Joint locks Take downs Leverage and leverage points Stance integrity Ground movement Pain (ethics and application) Lock transition to cuffing Momentum Using the Environment lds. All useful, all intuitive… Tuesday I found out some of the … [Read more…]