I have certain amount of respect for RBSD crowd were you see effective and common sense courses. I honestly believe that in any martial arts or self-defense course you get out what you put in. You don't have to be a "ninja master" or black belt in martial arts to defend yourself and even if you are, you can't "karate a bullet." Video Courses come in three basic types; Rank by Mail, Distance Learning & Combination Courses...
Type I: Rank by Mail...
This is nothing new to martial arts. Count Dante had so little respect for the real abilities of martial artists compared to the urban legends of their skills he sound a pamphlet which included the Kata Dante and a few other 1 to 3 step drills. The basic idea was provide knowledge and make someone an "instant black belt." Why? Because martial arts in the 60s was a huge joke... Most Karateka in the US in the 1960s studied kata and were "too deadly to spar" so they didn't engage in contact sparring but point fighting were contact could disqualify the fighter... So Count Keehan, sold rank and membership in an attempt to make fun of "average martial artists" of his day. When you look at the idea of Karate in the 1960s; no contact sparring, heavy focus on kata and "tradition" we come to understand the meaning of Count Dante/ John T. Keehan's words in his essay Karate is for Sissies
"It is indeed unfortunate that many of the martial or fighting arts of today have become no more than form practice or ineffective movements. This does not just refer to karate, but also to most of the other sport, fistic, grappling or self-defense arts of the East and West. It is common knowledge of those "in-the-know." even though they rarely admit it, that the present-day karate, judo, gung-fu, boxing, wrestling, aikido, ju-jitsu, etc., as taught today, are not really geared for practical application on the street. The effectiveness of the present-day fighting arts is too cramped because of the many unnatural controls the Orientals exercise over the politics of these arts." -John Keehan 1970
Since then, people have all launched various courses in rank by mail. I had a friend who engaged in a Jujitsu by Mail Course were the student gained rank by buying courses for each rank. When you completed the courses and the written work sheets you were given a certificate for each rank. Sadly my friend couldn't fight his way out of paper bag. Oh he knew history, the Japanese terms and the names of a few hundred techniques in Japanese and English. I tried and quit a VHS Karate Course back in the 90s, 97 I think, which was basically American kick boxing and Shotokan mixed. It focused on knowing Kata and a certain amount of techniques for each belt level. To be honest, there wasn't much difference between the Karate in a Dojo, were we did some work on the heavy bag, learned and practiced kata. Oh yeah, there was a big difference sparring...
Rank by mail courses don't account for the actual training you need to do to develop yourself as a fighter... and it takes more the a "judo chop to the side of the neck" to defend yourself, certainly more then just knowing how to do it. Even grappling arts have done this, the Gracie Combatives and Gracie Jiujitsu video course the most well known. A friend of mine in high school, had a Greko-Roman Wrestling Course but it didn't rank you. Since Greko-Roman wrestling is a sport the end goal was developing knowledge and we'll talk about this in the Type II breakdown. So what does one get with rank? The Prestige of having a rank certificate to wave around... No one gives a damn about your martial arts but you. If you start bragging you know Karate your gonna get challenged and called out to fight by someone. So welcome to the real world, it doesn't matter what style punches you in face. It only matters if you can take or not.
For the many martial arts schools full of "too deadly" to spar arts, you are going to be in a world of hurt outside your comfort zone of the Dojo. For people who attend schools & gyms were you are in a world of hurt inside your comfort zone, well outside your comfort zone is a world full of hurt for you... You are just better prepared to deal with it. If you want rank and bragging rights, you have a world full of people trying to sell you rank by mail... just be careful who you brag to.
Rank is only as good as the person wearing it, a General who can't lead an army worthless... Yes even if he is a General. A Private who can shoot a rifle and follow orders is always gonna have a place, even it is as a hitman for the mob. Meditate on that for a minute, rank is meaningless.
Type II: Distance Learning Courses...
Distance learning courses reward you for your knowledge. They certify you for knowledge gained by you presented by them to you. This isn't limited to martial arts but various online and by mail courses such as art classes, college courses and vocational training. The idea of certification for learning the trade or skills is not a certification on how well they can perform them. Time and experience cannot be learned in a school from a book or DVD course. But you can gain knowledge, how you train (a process of trial and error) is just practice for those skills...
So what are you saying Ron? What about what all those people who learned taking Martial Arts by mail courses, is their knowledge of no value?
What I am saying it to keep all things in context... Yes and no, to the second question. Yes... if you have no ability to fight (i.e. Defend Yourself) when you are basically hold a certificate that means you wave it around to feel good about yourself or maybe justify opening a school, like the many other dojos and dojangs were people do the same. If you make an effective business out of these types of martial arts, most effective for teaching children in a form of "karate themed daycare" (no one calls it this but, that is what it is) then... No, the knowledge has value.
My friends VHS collection of Greko-Roman Wrestling Techniques provided knowledge which served him to both wrestle in high school and to fight other kids. However, the wrestling practice in high school served him more then just the knowledge alone and we all used to wrestle each other in the back yard. The knowledge it provided gave us a chance to practice and build on it, many technques were added to our skill sets for Wrestling in High School. Which ranked us solely on our ability.
Type III: Combinations...
There are of course good distance learning courses that provide rank as well, as a combination of both Rank by Mail and ...
The Black Dragon Ninjitsu Home Study Course is intended to be a combination course. One that provides ranks to you and that provides knowledge. The whole of the first DVD is based on the idea of ranking you solely for the introduction knowledge it provides.
Because the basic focus of the course is based on the evolution of one's fighting skills... We begin at Striking Range where distance, ukemi and the need to develop and understanding of distancing, speed, power and core techniques matter most... Here one earns the rank Jukyu or 10th Kyu and becomes a "white belt." Then one learns basic striking techniques, the basic concept of blocking and counter-striking (counter punching) in one motion fired out from the hip rotation of the core of the body, the concept of double blocking a 1-2 punch combination so that you can use a double ear slap or double knife hand strike to the side of the neck to gain head control in clinch. All of which sets you up for learning infighting techniques like elbow strikes at clinch range. This all builds up for you to learn to position yourself inside an opponent's striking range. So that you are acquainted with the concept of moving from striking range to infighting range as well as, the basic strikes such as punching and kick. Allowing you to become a "Yellow Belt" at 9th Kyu. At 8th Kyu you are only learning basic open hand strikes, for which striking techniques like Koshi Tsuki, Kata Tsuki and Tai-Tsuki are only a delivery system for the open hand strikes, the basic 55 Target points of the Body. The basic idea of escaping a wrist grab, combined with movement and positioning yourself behind an opponent has nothing to do with How to Choke someone out. It is all about how to use movement and positioning to benefit yourself... All this is a foundation, for gaining knowledge and developing a means to put that knowledge into practice. It becomes more complex and difficult as you progress...
By 7th Kyu, you would be in a position to start sparring and would need someone to train with to learn the basic grappling techniques, throws and (yes) choke holds. At this point, simple sparring would be the focus and so I offer anyone the opportunity to enroll others with them (no Course purchase required) and establish training groups (limit 4 persons, including whoever bought the course) all they have to do is pay the Monthly $25 Membership Fee, submit the weekly "testing videos" and $50 Rank Processing Fee when promoted. So friends can enroll in the same course, chip in money to buy the DVDs and even sell their DVDs to others who can use them gain knowledge and rank. Of course, a sub-forum of the Shadow Warrior Publishing has been set up for those in the course to discuss and work with other distance learning course students... and myself.
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