The Conditioning Corollary and Victim Selection
by Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas)
Slowly but surely the gulf between various unarmed camps is steadily decreasing. Traditional martial artists, mixed martial artists, and so called "reality based self defense" trainers (I've come to dislike that word) are taking tentative, small steps towards each other.
One of the major issues that abounds is the role of conditioning in combative outcome. I think we all agree that it's important, but the major disagreement seems to be on how important it is.
Matt Thornton, who has taken and given back his fair share of criticism on-line, has postulated that a formative process which transforms the individual into a superior physical specimen, combined with good awareness will probably be enough to preclude the "necessity" of carrying weapons.
Now what's interesting about his thesis, is that in a self-fulfilling way he's probably right.
For the most part, criminals look for the weaker prey and have a profile. An MMA enthusiast who can plyometrically kegel a 50 lb. kettelbell does not fall into the weaker prey category. That's a hard target and that's the last thing that a bad guy wants.
So the question then becomes is conditioning the way?
Personally I don't think so. I think guys who condition to the extent that their body becomes nothing more than a vessel for superior combative expression are on the extreme end of the scale. If guys like Mike Brown apply Tai-Chi violently they will injure someone badly. It really doesn't matter what they do, whether it's traditional MA, mixed MA, or eclectically blended combatives systems.
I think the vast majority of people probably don't or are trying to quite smoking, are not grossly obese but may carry 10-15 lbs, may have a gym membership that they utilize sporadically depending on whether it's soccer season or not, and are genuinely concerned for their safety in this cold cruel world we live in.
So knowing that most people aren't gym rats and don't have any aspiration to compete against modern day gladiators, how much "conditioning" should instructors preach, regardless of whether they themselves are extreme athletes?
You can contact Southnarc via his site: http://shivworks.com/
In case you missed my other Southnarc/Craig Douglas entries I've posted, please check out:
- SELF-DEFENSE: Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas) - A "Systems" Approach to Building a Profile
- SELF-DEFENSE: Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas) - Battle Glad and Strife Eager
- SELF-DEFENSE: Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas) - The Myth of Proportional Armament
- SELF-DEFENSE: Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas) - Training Structure & the Criminal Assault Paradigm
- SELF-DEFENSE: Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas) - Managing Unknown Contacts
- SELF-DEFENSE: SouthNarc (aka Craig Douglas) - Some thoughts on the "Default Position"
- SELF-DEFENSE: Southnarc (aka Craig Douglas) - Competition and Conversion
- Inktober Day #31: Craig Douglas' Pikal: Some points and stance
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