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Article Title: The Reality Factor
Author: Peter Vermeeren
Word Count: 1613
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?id=4678&ca=Sports
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Looking around at different martial arts and the practitioners
there is one thing that surprises me very time. Many, may
people don't have an R-factor in their training and techniques

You see people who get almost punched in their face and they
just stay standing up with a big smile on their face. Others
get almost kicked in the groin and keep moving on as if nothing
happened and their "parts" were made of steel. Even worse are
those who tell you to go with the flow...???

all these people a lacking an important part in their training:
the reality OR reality factor (R-factor)

If you get hit in the face you won't be laughing, your head
will be propelled back or sideways, you will lose balance
because your body follows your head. The kick in the groin will
make you think your stomach wants to come out and the floor will
be very close by. Those who practice"flow jutsu" are rather
hilarious. Who to make a street fighter to go with your flow.
Will you tell him who to catch you, hit you or how to roll? Oh
and tell him also he can't resist because if he resists your Ki
can't flow.

These are only a few examples but take a look around. You will
be surprised how many people are lacking the r-factor. no
matter what martial art they practice Even high ranked
practitioners often make these mistakes on seminars you can see
them teaching elaborate techniques of 10 different combinations
who lack every sense of reality. They will give you some
explanation like this one: "First you block his attack, you
kick him in the groin, break his right at while you stick your
finger in his eye, than you turn around, kick his right knee,
enter on the opposite side , break his neck and throw him head
down. subsequently you go and sit on top of him, pull his head
back by grabbing his hear and applying a lock to his arm."

This looks very macho but not realistic. If you block and kick
someone in the groin, than the fight is over. He will go down
so fast you can believe it. If you kick would miss the target
than you can break his arm as a secondary option.

There are really very few people willing to continue a fight
with a broken arm. If this too misses I suggest you review your
techniques and train more because there is something lacking in
your execution of the techniques or the martial art you
practice.

A true fight doesn't take long, all is over and done with in
just a few seconds. Give it 2 OR 3 seconds more between 2
equally experienced fighters who know how to counter and block
but it's over before you know. The first one to make a mistake
will loose.

The 2 things that have most influence on the R-factor are the
teacher and the martial art. as a practitioner you must clearly
distinguish between martial arts and martial sports. Martial
sports are as the name already suggests a sport. Based on
martial art but with rules, regulations, protection and
competition.

The forefather of these sports, Martial arts has no rules ,
protection or competitions. Therefore the mind set, techniques
and approach is different So ultimately their goals are also
completely different. Whereas the sports oriented martial arts
give their practitioners a chance to demonstrate themselves and
their skills to others , martial artists on the other hand can
only fight with themselves and every real confrontation with
another person results in big damage for one of the two or
both. Martial arts are more realistic oriented than sports
because of their different goals. So let's focus on them. Those
who claim to be highly effective in true cases.

Be carefully with those martial things who claim to be martial
arts (on the outside they look LIKE martial arts) but who
surround themselves with a vail of mysticism and special
powers. (these special powers may exist but they will be
accompanied by a very special personality) Those martial things
are easy to recognize : no intense physical training, a lot of
talk about Ki, their masters and instructors hardly get
involved in training, and you need many years of practice to
develop these special mental powers. During these "many Years"
you will be brainwashed and teaching this mystical martial art
yourself to other people in order to make the NEXT generation
of "flow-kas"

Until you meet reality on the street...

The other risk factor is the teacher. as a basic rule you can
tell his R-factor by his Macho behavior. The more macho he
acts, the less R-factor he holds. His macho behavior will tell
you all. Why is there a need FOR a teacher to act macho? Who
does he have something o prove to? What does he need to prove?
If his techniques are ANY good than they will speak FOR
themselves, no need to prove this to people with no OR little
experience. OR maybe he has to prove his poor students that he
is the best? (Keep in mind that there is always someone better
than you are) This points more to a weak character rather than
a martial
arts master

some masters are very professional and perfect teachers but
they feel the urge to test the affectivity of their techniques.
This is very understandable and unfortunately this occurs many
times. How ELSE can you know if your techniques are ANY good?
The problem is not to be found in the fact that they want to
test their skills but in the fact that they use there students
to do this.. The students who are already convinced of the
affectivity of the techniques and impressed by the teachers
authority usually don't resist the techniques. off course this
will make the techniques work perfect. If they dare to resist
than there are 2 possibility's: 1) the technique works just
fine. 2) the technique must be forced.

This is the cause of technical quality going done the drain.
when USinG a lot of physical force most techniques can be
forced upon a weaker opponent but onLY by superior technical
skill you will be able to EXECUTE your technique on everyone. A
perfect technique needs a balanced use of skill, speed and
force.There is no need to be a superman to be a great master.
The best way to test your techniques is to do this with someone
of your same skill LEVEL/grade. This apply's for both students
and teachers alike. Both will learn a lot from this type of
training.

How can you bring the R-factor in your training as a student?

one of the problems is the great amount of techniques to be
found in the Genbukan Ninpo Bugei system. We have over 300
techniques from 10th kyu up to 1st dan. How do you cope with
this? First of all you must understand that as a kyu grade you
are learning to write and read so to speak. ( kyu waza) some of
the kyu waza are taken out of their context, other look useless
in true cases. Other look like old fashion and the last group
of techniques seem to be very effective. Which one do you
train? The answer is very easy:

All techniques must be trained...

Useless and old fashion looking techniques will teach you
concepts or moves that will result of the highest importance
later in your training. Out of the effective techniques you can
take 15 or 20 techniques and repeat them thousands of times
Until they become a reflex. This is what I call your F.H.T.C.
box (first help in true cases) Training the basic form though
is not enough. Try to do your techniques in another form.
Against a body grab, wrist grab, attack from different sides,
sitting on the floor or in a chair,. etc...

Soon you will be very skillfully in defending yourself. But a
warning is in place here: This training must only be done under
a master instructor with many years of experience. If I have
enough with 20 techniques , why must i train hundreds and
hundreds of techniques?

Because techniques are not the final goal. They are only a way
to... We use them in the same way we use mathematic formulas to
solve complex questions and get to the core of the technique.
Those 20 techniques won't save you when confronted with a
specialist. Especially noT if you don't understand the
underlying principles behind each and every technique. Ma-ai,
metsuke, kuzushi, etc... are only a few of them Every technique
and kata you learn will teach you a lot about the essence of
combat. to discover them you need a good teacher and lots and
lots of training. 3 hours/week is not enough. You need daily
practice to be able to discover the secrets within the
techniques. Every discovery will make the R-factor go up and
up.

During all these century's the way to make war has changed
enormous but the CLOSE combat, man to man fight is still the
same. A punch is a punch and a kick a kick. We didn't grow 3
arms or legs suddenly. The same principles and concepts
discovered in century's of wa and man to man combat are still
actual and highly effective. The world changes but man is still
the same man he was 2000 years ago.


About The Author: Peter Vermeeren is a martial arts
practitioner and teacher for over 30 years and runs the martial
arts and fitness information portal called Kamikaze :
http://www.kamikaze-portal.com , home of the magazine called
RENSHU. Peter teaches traditional martial arts and self defense
all over Europe. Here is his personal site :
http://www.takaharudojo.org
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