| Would you like a quick way to judge whether a | | | | the same time. Our hero successfully, locks, |
| not a move has any chance of working in a real | | | | disarms and throws his practice assailants. |
| self defense situation? | | | | Unfortunately, the sequence was not very |
| This is also a pretty good way to judge the | | | | realistic. Why? |
| effectiveness of a martial arts school. That is, if | | | | Because of the pauses in the knife technique. For |
| they are trying to teach practical application. | | | | example, the second attacker had to wait ... uh, |
| Of course, this is not the only criterion, but it's a | | | | pause ... until our defender dealt with the first |
| pretty useful way to perform what some call a | | | | blade. Without the pause, our protagonist would |
| "slice" or "blink" evaluation. | | | | get cut. |
| Bad Martial Arts Techniques ... | | | | If either attacker kept the knife moving, or |
| So, what are you looking for in a lot of bad | | | | stabbed for the openings, then our hero would be |
| martial arts techniques? | | | | lost ... or at least the demonstration would be a |
| Look for a pause. Specifically look for a pause | | | | failure. |
| between the attacker's motion and the defender's | | | | It's these kinds of moves that will get you |
| response. | | | | seriously hurt or worse, in a real street fight. |
| It's a pause that's needed for the defender to | | | | At least, now you know -- avoid the moves |
| successfully complete is martial arts move or | | | | where the attacker has a "polite pause." You are |
| sequence of moves. | | | | aiming for realism in your training, right? |
| As I write this article, coincidentally, there is an | | | | If an attacker wouldn't pause in a real street fight, |
| excellent example on the TV. The movie "Best of | | | | then you want to practice without the wait time, |
| the Best 4" has just ended. As they played the | | | | as well. It only makes sense. |
| credits, they showed the protagonist, dressed in a | | | | And if you are looking for martial preparedness in |
| gi, giving a knife defense demonstration. | | | | a street fight .... |
| The two volunteers both attack with knives at | | | | |