Terry's right about this, Manny, but remember something else: you can't do SD just by learning techniques. You can only learn SD by training SD realistically, and that's not very pleasant. You can only become good at street-effective counters to real violence by subjecting yourself to attacking moves which come as close as possible to that level of violence—that's what people mean when they talk about 'non-compliant' training partners. Otherwise, it's like learning the theory of some chess opening without ever playing even a single game against a skilled, aggressive player who's better than you are.
If you want SD for real—and from your posts in other threads that's what seems important to you, which is IMO a very healthy, practical view of the MAs and their fundamental purpose—you have to train against people who can simulate the typical acts of violence that initiate street attacks to a realistic enough level that you're being tested under serious pressure. The adrenaline rush you experience in a genuine violent attack is notoriously hard to handle unless you know how to channel it into effective ferocity, rather than becoming paralyzed by it. And you have to move in a way which is close to bombproof in real time, without thinking. All that will take a lot of very focused practice. Just being shown moves, no matter how effective they might be in principle, isn't nearly enough...
