I hate to use the above title, because it comes from the viral “self-defense” Guru, Dale Brown.
“Intelligent Options Increase Survivability.” -Dale Brown of D.U.S.T
He posts a lot of questionable training videos to sell his program to people. But the quote he ends most of them with, when he talks about being able to walk away from a situation unharmed, makes sense when it comes to training.
It’s what training and earning ranks do for you. It increases your ability to survive being attacked.
But it doesn’t make you invincible.
Anybody Can Get, Got
If you’re not familiar with the above urban vernacular, it means we’re all vulnerable.
Regardless of the belt color you earn or the rank you hold, you’re still a human being.
You can still be severely injured, or worse.
An old question I answered on Quora is what made me want to write this post. Here it is with my answer:
Someone told me I can beat anyone if I have a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, is he right?
Having a black belt in anything only lessens the chance of you taking a bad beating versus someone who does not train in anything.
I have a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I do not walk around with that mindset. Everyone is beatable, training only increases your chances of survival, it does not make anyone invincible. Those who believe they are usually find out the hard way that they are just as human as the rest of us.
I don’t think I can beat anyone, but I do not worry about being beaten because I don’t walk around looking for fights.
If anything, I try to avoid them.
Security, Not a False Sense of Security
The thing about committing to martial arts training is that, like anything, it has to be maintained.
You can take a seminar, but if you only do it once, chances are you won’t do whatever it is you were shown when you need it. That’s why there are classes and class schedules. It might seem redundant, but anything that is mastered is only done so through repetition.
Even with years of training behind you, ultimately, you want to be able to walk away.
That’s how you increase your survivability.
📚 Recommended Reading: Level Up Outside the Gym
Books that sharpen your mindset, deepen your technique, or offer insight into the martial arts lifestyle.
"Complete Krav Maga" by Darren Levine and John Whitman
Krav Maga has a lot of techniques that are suited for self-defense situations, good to drill, not really applicable in live sparring, but you can build the muscle memory better for it’s intended use if you know some of the moves.
📖 Read more on Amazon (Affiliate link)
"U.S. Marine Close Combat Fighting Handbook" by U.S. Marine Corps
Full of illustrations for the time-tested techniques used by the United States Marine Corps. Great for drilling.
📘 Get the book here (Affiliate link)
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Feeling generous? Forward this to someone training hard or just getting started. 💪