You might not like this page. Self-defense is a topic few martial art schools like to discuss.
Self-defense was once the core of martial arts training but now many schools are taught by teachers with absolutely no real life self-defense experience. They may claim to teach "street wise" self-defense but look at their classes. High kicks, kick boxing, choreographed movements, board breaking, acrobatics, point sparing- this is not self-defense training.
Donning a karate uniform and a colored belt is sometimes like dressing a sheep in wolves clothing. But bad guys don't care what belt you have.
Before I continue, let me be clear that Kodokai does not make fighters nor do we create violent students. In fact, our students understand that violence hurts. They do not experience martial arts as play to win medals or trophies. They experience real martial arts- not performing arts.
We have made many visits to Okinawa for this unique training. The methods we have returned with are old school martial arts- powerful tools for stopping violent assault. We teach them the same way they are practiced on Okinawa.
Let me share a few facts with you. The following information comes from the U.S. Bureau of Justice.
In 2008 the National Crime Victimization Survey measured about 4.9 million nonfatal violent victimizations of persons age 12 or older.
An offender was armed with a gun, knife, or other object used as a weapon in an estimated 20% of all incidents of violent crime.
Females age 12 or older experienced an estimated 182,000 rapes or sexual assaults in 2008.
In 2008, 57% of the rape or sexual assaults against females were committed by an offender whom they knew.
During a 12-month period in 2005 and 2006, an estimated 3.4 million persons age 18 or older were victims of stalking.
In 64% of female homicide cases in 2007, females were killed by a family member or intimate partner. In 2007, 24% of female homicide victims were killed by a spouse or ex-spouse; 21% were killed by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Of course, running or talking your way out are preferable to fighting your way out of trouble. But consider the victims in the above statistics. Do you really think they didn't try talking their way out? Or running?
If you want to learn self-defense select your school carefully. Put your training in good hands. Learn to avoid trouble spots. Learn to recognize behaviors that are clues to danger. Learn to fight back.
Here is a little about our point of view:
The strategy, tactics and techniques we teach were developed over a period of centuries. They are based upon successful experiences dealing with violence. Our philosophy also happens to be consistent with the opinions of many modern experts on violence.
Our tactics may sound aggressive but remember they aren't meant to be nice. They are meant to quickly end a violent assault.
Hands-on training gives the best results in the least time. If you want to good at hitting things you need to hit things. If you want to excel at throwing, you need to throw people. If you want to learn to escape you need to practice escaping.
We avoid practice of choreographed responses and artificial "attacks". A real assault, unlike a sparring match, is not controlled. We don't want preprogrammed reactions. In fact, we don't want to be reactive at all- we want to be proactive.
In a tournament, second place is okay. Your plastic trophy will be a little smaller but you won't be hurt. With self-defense, second place cannot be an option. You have to be the winner. Period. Tournament training is not self-defense training.
Regimented training does not prepare one for violence. Pre planned defenses can cause you to freeze when the attacker doesn't follow the script. With the right training, however, chaos can be to your advantage. Train to be better in chaos than your attacker is.
You must learn to take the initiative. If you don't have the initiative your attacker does. If you are not winning you are losing. You are being damaged and your ability to fight back is being diminished. You cannot end the assault without taking the initiative.
Defensive thinking gives the initiative to the bad guys. If your strategy is to block the attack and then counter, you are already at a disadvantage. We do not train people to think defensively. We have no movements to block a punch or to step backwards. Our defense is in our offense.
There are legal and ethical considerations when it comes to self-protection. Our philosophy is to subdue an enemy while causing the least amount of harm.
Many of our students have had to use the skills they learned at Kodokai. Some have stopped bullies, others have avoided stabbings. But violence is unpredictable. It is impossible to train for all circumstances. Beware of any teacher who promises you unbeatable self-defense abilities.
Learn how to use anything and everything to protect yourself.
Bad guys use weapons, they sneak attack, they use charm, they look scary, they look safe, they observe you and pick the time and place and nature of the assault. They lie. Kata practice and point sparring won't alert you to these things.
Violence is an uncomfortable topic. It's scary and it's not a place we like our mind to spend much time. But keeping your fingers crossed is a lousy strategy. The con artist, thief, or crack addict looking for a few bucks have shattered more than a few lives. Some of those people have come to me for help putting the pieces back together again.
We prefer to help you ahead of time. If regular classes aren't your thing at least take some private lessons. Make it a family event. Or mother/ daughter. Just don't do nothing at all. And stop delaying. There is no reason why you shouldn't call right now.
Many attempted rapes and other violent crimes are not brought to completion because the victim fought back. Learn how.
(401) 762-2201 175 Eddie Dowling Hwy. (Rt. 146A, Park Square) North Smithfield, RI 02895
