Self Defense Has No "Ranges of Combat!"

I often get angry at the majority ofaggressor doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't
self-proclaimed "master close-combat instructors"matter to you, either, as long as you survive the
trying to make a quick buck by selling impracticalattack!
and dangerously ineffective "self defense trainingFor instance, kicking range is supposed to be the
programs" to the uninitiated. Although thererange where you are close enough to use an
certainly is some good material out there, itineffective long-range kick, but are out of boxing
seems to me that almost every time that yourange, or too far away to reach your opponent
see a self defense instructor trying to look like awith your arms. In boxing range, you are "allowed"
scientist and act like he really knows what he isby your instructor to hit your opponent with arm
talking about, he ends up just proving that he hastechniques, but not allowed to kick, because
no idea whatsoever about what he's trying to talkyou're supposedly too close to kick effectively. In
about!the clinch, or grappling range, you should only use
For instance, there's a lot of talk these daysthrowing and locking techniques.
about "ranges of combat." You often see anI don't know about you, but if I'm in so-called
instructor lecturing to his video audience about"grappling range," where I'm only "supposed" to
kicking range, punching range, trapping range,use wrestling techniques and I see the opportunity
grappling range and ground fighting. Then he goesto stomp on some degenerate's knee joint and
on to tell you what techniques you are allowed totear various ligaments and tendons, I'll certainly do
use in each range.so and be happy to have survived the attack!
What's wrong with that? Well, let me tell you asEven if that means having used what another
someone who has not only a lot of experienceinstructor would have called "the wrong technique."
teaching self defense, but also much experienceIf an aggressor goes to the ground, whether I
dealing with street violence myself that the lasttripped him or he simply fell, I won't hesitate to
thing you want to do is limit your students in theirkick him while he's trying to get up and attack me
way of thinking!again. Ask me if I care about having kicked
When I teach someone to fight, I show himsomeone in so-called "groundfighting range," where
where to hit to get immediate effects and II should have gone to the ground with him and
explain a few ways to effectively strike or crushtry for some submission hold. Why go to the
those areas. Of course, there's a lot of mentalground if he's laying and you're standing anyway?
training and tactics that are also covered, but oneTo give him the opportunity to stab me with a
thing that you will never see me doing is tellingknife that I wouldn't have seen coming from so
someone that he should not use a certainclose or to give his friends, who weren't aware of
technique from a certain distance!the fact that kicks aren't allowed in "groundfighting
Listen, there are no "ranges of combat" on therange" the chance to kick me into a bloody heap?
streets or in self defense. There's damaging anThe bottom line is this-if someone attacks you,
aggressor or aggressors and there's limitingyour only job is to injure him as soon as possible,
yourself as to how to damage an aggressor,without being injured in the process. And I don't
which results in giving him the opportunity tocare how you do it, as long as you get the job
damage you first, resulting in him winning and youdone!
being raped, injured or killed. How you injure an