| Law enforcement officers have no time to waste | | | | The only rule I set to this match was that she |
| with useless techniques in their martial arts | | | | was to use simple logical techniques to keep her |
| training. What they need is something that works | | | | safe and he was to use what he learned at the |
| and the conditioning and stamina to execute these | | | | seminar. It took all but 30 seconds for this young |
| techniques in a high intensity confrontation. | | | | lady to bring him to his knees. So much for the |
| I once enrolled a new student who possessed the | | | | seminar! |
| characteristics of the ideal student: polite, | | | | I've seen students with world-class martial arts |
| respectful and willing to learn. She told me that | | | | credentials, by this I mean lots of titles, trophies, |
| she was a police officer who was looking to polish | | | | and medals. One gentleman said that he was the |
| her defensive skills. She had abandoned her | | | | best and he only trained with the best. He |
| membership in a competitor's school because the | | | | boasted about paying his last instructor $18,000 |
| classes lacked any practical application. Nothing | | | | for one year. |
| that was being taught was of any use on the | | | | One day the class was doing a lot of two-person |
| streets. The system was chock full of flashy | | | | drills. The "best of the best" gentleman was paired |
| jumping and spinning kicks, which are perfect for | | | | up with a heavy student who could throw a |
| the movies, but disastrous for self-defense. | | | | decent roundhouse kick to the leg. It took this |
| It is the obligation of a marital arts instructor to | | | | student two shots to the leg to hurt this |
| prepare not only police officers, but also the | | | | world-class champion. He was too embarrassed to |
| general public, for such unhealthy or | | | | come back after this episode. It was obvious that |
| life-threatening confrontations. Unfortunately, | | | | the $18,000 he spent wouldn't help him if he was |
| some martial artists are making a lot of money | | | | a police officer. |
| marketing a lot of empty promises. | | | | To many of the police officers we have worked |
| I had a new student who decided to spend | | | | with training is not about belts, trophies, or flashy |
| $2,500 on a 4-hour seminar in California that | | | | techniques; it is about survival. When choosing a |
| promised a lot of fancy fighting techniques and a | | | | martial art school, choose the practical path. Ask |
| certificate of completion. When he returned, I was | | | | yourself, "Are they teaching me something that |
| curious to see what $2,500 could buy in 4 hours. I | | | | could one day save my life?" If you haven't had |
| asked him to show us. In order to do this, I had | | | | enough experience to know the difference, find |
| to find him an opponent. | | | | someone who has and bring them with you |
| I looked around and decided to pair him up with | | | | before you sign a contract and turn over your |
| an 18-year-old woman who had been training real | | | | money. Especially if you're in law enforcement and |
| life self defense techniques for only one month. | | | | your life depends on your training everyday. |