| The most surprising statistic that most | | | | actual real-world experience? Should they |
| karate and martial arts teachers discover is | | | | rush right out and get into a few fights? |
| the one that tells them "why most of their | | | | Should they go hang out in the seedier side |
| adult students quit shortly after enrolling." | | | | of town and wait to be mugged, raped, or |
| In fact, the greatest percentage of adult | | | | beaten?No, of course not. But, they can, |
| dropouts from martial arts classes occurs | | | | like their students, go in search of real |
| within the first 100 days!This has sparked | | | | experts - people who have "been there" and |
| some groups to investigate the reasons behind | | | | who can help them learn what they need to |
| this phenomena. Surveys have been conducted | | | | know in order to help the people who come to |
| both in the United States as well as in | | | | them for this type of knowledge.Of course, |
| Canada. Additional inquiries may also have | | | | this may require that they suck in their |
| been conducted in places like Europe and | | | | pride and get a check on the old ego. But, |
| Australia as well.What the researchers found | | | | as everyone knows who has been in an actual |
| was, to them, incredible. They found that, | | | | violent confrontation with a dangerous |
| by and large, the number one reason for adult | | | | attacker, you need to "check your ego at the |
| students dropping out of their programs | | | | door" if you're going to survive.Teaching |
| was......no real-world self-defense training | | | | self-protection skills to others is a huge |
| early on in their training!"How could this | | | | responsibility. And one perhaps that's too |
| be?", was the question. The researchers were | | | | great for a lot of people who are teaching |
| stunned. After all, they were martial arts | | | | for purely personal reasons.There is another |
| teachers and they certainly taught | | | | option available, however; just in case the |
| self-defense as a part of their classes.How | | | | primary one is totally unacceptable. And |
| could these adults say that they weren't | | | | that option is simply to......stop trying to |
| being taught real-world self-defense | | | | teach self-defense if they're not |
| techniques?Perhaps, the problem was not that | | | | qualified.By all means, an instructor can, |
| "self-defense techniques" were or were not | | | | and should, continue to teach his particular |
| being taught. Because, even after these | | | | style of martial art. But he should stop |
| studies were conducted and karate programs | | | | trying to convince intelligent, grown adults, |
| started to "import" third-party self-defense | | | | that he knows what he's talking about with |
| packages into their product offering, adult | | | | regards to surviving a violent attack if he |
| dropouts remained high.Maybe the problem was | | | | doesn't. He should remember that people are |
| in perception. Maybe students just couldn't | | | | placing their lives in his hands every time |
| see how the "stylized" movements of a | | | | he open's his mouth, or demonstrates a |
| centuries-old system could be applicable | | | | technique. I'm not sure whether or not many |
| against a street attack against a stiletto or | | | | instructors have thought about this. But |
| 'Saturday Night Special'-wielding | | | | they should.After all, most martial arts |
| assailant.It's certain that students were not | | | | instructors teach honesty as one of the major |
| seeing and hearing what they thought they | | | | tenets and character traits of a black belt |
| should in order to believe that they were | | | | master and leader. Wouldn't this be the |
| getting what they needed to survive such an | | | | "honest" thing to do?The moral here is that, |
| attack. Even if these students don't know | | | | if a martial arts or karate teacher wishes to |
| what 'that thing' really looks like, their | | | | teach self-defense - if he or she wants to |
| gut-level feeling was that, "this stuff isn't | | | | get and retain adult students looking for |
| going to work."Maybe the problem - what adult | | | | this type of training for the long-term, they |
| students are looking for - is in something | | | | really have no choice but to do what they |
| even more crucial to learning self-defense | | | | must.They, like every other information-based |
| against violent attackers. And maybe this | | | | professional, are in business to provide a |
| "thing" was easier to identify by novices | | | | service. They must decide what that service |
| than by trained instructors who had been | | | | is and whether or not it includes real-world |
| indoctrinated into sport systems.Maybe what | | | | self-protection against violent attackers who |
| was lacking in all of these programs was | | | | don't follow the rules of fairness and |
| something the real experts like to | | | | respect found in martial arts schools and |
| call......Experience!Regardless of the | | | | karate tournaments.They should also know |
| subject, it's fairly easy to see when someone | | | | this......no company, whether it's a |
| has experience with the information they | | | | furniture store or a martial art school, |
| have, isn't it? I mean, experience in | | | | stays in-business very long if it can't give |
| actually applying that information to produce | | | | its customers what they want and need. Their |
| viable, proven results. As the old saying | | | | clients and students may never tell them that |
| goes, "those who can - do; and those who | | | | they don't believe or trust them. But, rest |
| can't - teach."And, what adult students are | | | | assured that if they're not getting what |
| looking for is someone who "can" AND | | | | they've paid for, they're gone.As a final |
| "teaches" others how they can as well.Now, | | | | thought, and one that I live by. What if, |
| this isn't to say that most martial arts | | | | some day, "I" must depend on one of my |
| instructors don't know their arts and the | | | | students to protect me from a dangerous |
| techniques and skills that come with them. | | | | assailant for whatever reason. Wouldn't I |
| Most certainly do. And these people are very | | | | want to make sure that what he or she learned |
| good at what they do.However; there is a huge | | | | was really going to work?I know I |
| difference between knowing how to 'perform' a | | | | would!Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder of |
| skill - any skill - and being able to apply | | | | Warrior Concepts International, a |
| that skill in a particular context. And | | | | Pennsylvania-based company specializing in |
| self-defense is no exception.No matter how | | | | helping private, law enforcement, and |
| hard they try, most martial arts and | | | | corporate clients to develop time-tested and |
| self-defense instructors will not be able to | | | | proven self-protection and personal |
| convince most adults that they know what | | | | development skills that work in the |
| they're talking about without the experience | | | | real-world. He is the author of the highly |
| to back it up. Adult students are not | | | | acclaimed, educational video, Danger |
| children. They have seen far too much in | | | | Prevention Tactics. His latest book, "The |
| there lives to let these less-than-able | | | | Karate-Myth" shows the reader why most |
| instructors slide.And with the new threat of | | | | martial arts and self-defense programs don't |
| terrorism being added to the ever-present | | | | work and how to insure your safety in today's |
| concern with crime, most adults have no | | | | violent world. For additonal information |
| desire to learn martial arts for purely | | | | about having this internationally-recognized |
| ascetic reasons. They want - no, they demand | | | | expert as a guest or keynote speaker for your |
| - and rightly so, that the person they place | | | | organization's next meeting, or to sponsor a |
| their trust in, not to mention their very | | | | seminar with Mr. Miller, you may contact him |
| lives, knows what he or she is doing.So, | | | | through his web site or by calling WCI in the |
| what's an instructor to do if he or she lacks | | | | U.S. and Canada, at (570) 988-2228. |