Can You Be An Expert?

[Tez3]

This is not for political discussion but an awful example of an 'expert' who got it terribly wrong. A man widely accepted as an expert makes a lot of erroneous statements, which to be fair he did retract but it should shake your faith, if you have any, in 'experts'. It happens to be a rather contentious issue he's discussing but that's not my point. My point is that he didn't actually know what he was talking about but went on to say something anyway. A lot of people are self professed experts.
Btw the twitter comments are very funny, there's a lot online too.
Video Fox News terror expert says everyone in Birmingham is a Muslim - Telegraph

 

[Steve]

This is not for political discussion but an awful example of an 'expert' who got it terribly wrong. A man widely accepted as an expert makes a lot of erroneous statements, which to be fair he did retract but it should shake your faith, if you have any, in 'experts'. It happens to be a rather contentious issue he's discussing but that's not my point. My point is that he didn't actually know what he was talking about but went on to say something anyway. A lot of people are self professed experts.
Btw the twitter comments are very funny, there's a lot online too.
Video Fox News terror expert says everyone in Birmingham is a Muslim - Telegraph

I appreciate the note, Tez3. This brings up some interesting food for thought. I don't know a lot about this guy, Steve Emerson. Whatever his credentials on the topic of terrorism, he doesn't seem to be an expert on the UK.

It seems to me that one lesson to be learned here is that expertise in one area doesn't make you an expert in all areas. This can go right back to the earlier points made about the distinction between being a martial arts expert and a bona fide expert on real world violence (in general or within a specific context). It is pretty easy for a 3rd degree black belt in a style of martial arts to begin pontificating on real world self defense without having any experience. And to a lay person, they may be pretty darned convincing.

 

[Matt Bryers]

Hello all, I am new here, saw this post and had some thoughts on "expert" martial artists.

In my opinion the world "expert" is thrown around too much. And from the outside looking in - most of you all would be considered experts by general civilians or people who don't train.

But - to call yourself an "expert" I think is poor-conduct.

Again, IMO - a martial artist is someone who never happy with their current "state". We're always looking to improve, enhance our skills, become more efficient and discover new concepts.

My current "mantra" or thought process is: "The More I Know... The More I Suck". Meaning, that I see martial arts as that a mountain that has no peak. If any of you have ever done backpacking, you'll know the feeling that once you feel that you're actually getting to the top, you realize that there's SO much more to go. Martial arts is the same. Once I have developed a skill-set, it now opens up a whole other area of learning.

So - for me, if someone calls themselves "an expert" - I tune out. If someone calls me or I refer to someone else as an expert - it's a compliment, but not something I would use for myself.

I think "Professional" is a better word. This means that I hold MYSELF to a higher-standard and act professionally in my school, with my students, with my training partners and in my life. I do not mean "professional" fighter. If you ever have read the book "The War of Art" (not "Art of War"). There is a good chapter in there about being a "Professional".

------------ sorry for the long post!

 

[Steve]

Great post, Matt! Are there people whom you would consider "expert" in a field? I think you make a great point about self perception and a drive for incremental and consistent improvement. It might be bad form to refer to oneself as an expert. But, isn't it just as poor form to knowingly fail to acknowledge the expertise of another?

I'm also very interested in your thoughts on the original question. Do you think it's possible to be an expert in something you've never done?

 

[drop bear]

The funniest thing about the one guy i would consider an expert in martial arts is he knows so much about the subject that he cant be certain he is right.

 

[Matt Bryers]

Thanks Steve!

To be completely honest, I don't think you can be proficient in self-defense or combatives without real world experience or fighting experience. I spent 9 years working at a the top night club in Hartford, CT. Without that experience, I don't think I would understand the true... Chaos of actual combat. Nor would I be able to understand the fear that is involved and learning how to control and use that fear. That understanding has better helped teach my students and get them trained. I also work with Police officers and SWAT team(s). And if you've ever worked with them you better know what you're doing and better be ready and able to "prove it".

The only other way to experience this is to actually compete in a competitive martial art such as Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, boxing kickboxing, etc. These experiences have also helped me further my understanding of a real fight.

Now - I am not suggesting that you must go get into a street fight to learn. But I do believe you need to train hard and fight hard to fully understand fear, chaos and the ability to fight and survive.

So, the final answer to the question would be... I believe someone can be proficient in reality-based self defense, but only if they have experience in real combat or their training / sparring closely resembles real combat.

For example in my Defence Lab DNA classes our sparring is rarely one on one. We do 2 vs 1, 3 vs 1 and sometimes 4 vs 1. We fight with someone seated, pinned against the wall, etc. Sometimes I'll quietly slip one of my students a training blade, a clubbed weapon or a replica handgun.

Just my opinion!

Great post, Matt! Are there people whom you would consider "expert" in a field? I think you make a great point about self perception and a drive for incremental and consistent improvement. It might be bad form to refer to oneself as an expert. But, isn't it just as poor form to knowingly fail to acknowledge the expertise of another?

I'm also very interested in your thoughts on the original question. Do you think it's possible to be an expert in something you've never done?

 

[Matt Bryers]

Also - Yes I do recognize experts in my field. I have a 2x world BJJ champion Rafael Formiga Barbosa who is the head BJJ instructor at my school. He teaches 6 days a week and I believe he is a true expert in BJJ.

I started training with Andy Norman from the Defence Lab about 3 years ago and travel to Spain regularly to train with him and his crew. He is a true combatives expert and innovator.

 

[marques]

No. Violence have too many faces. And it's bigger than anyone.

 

[Chris Parker]

And yet… that's not really what self defence is about… nor is it anything to do with being an expert in such (which, for the 107th time, is being a subject matter expert, which can contain practical experience or not).

 

[drop bear]

And yet… that's not really what self defence is about… nor is it anything to do with being an expert in such (which, for the 107th time, is being a subject matter expert, which can contain practical experience or not).

Being a subject matter except would be a crime statistician or something though. Not someone who has read books about punching.

 

[drop bear]

Expert. Spell checker got me.

 

[Chris Parker]

Being a subject matter except would be a crime statistician or something though. Not someone who has read books about punching.

And, again, the reality is missed. That is, bluntly, nowhere near what I was meaning.

 

[drop bear]

And, again, the reality is missed. That is, bluntly, nowhere near what I was meaning.

Ok what did you mean?

 

[Chris Parker]

I meant what self defence actually incorporates. I was referring to what it means to be a self defence expert, trainer, teacher, and so on. And this has been explained ad nauseam, so frankly, I don't expect that, even if laid out in intricate detail (again) you'd get it.

 

[drop bear]

I meant what self defence actually incorporates. I was referring to what it means to be a self defence expert, trainer, teacher, and so on. And this has been explained ad nauseam, so frankly, I don't expect that, even if laid out in intricate detail (again) you'd get it.

You don't own the term self defence. There are different definitions.

I would not consider a person a self defence expert unless they have walked the walk.

Or again are some sort of crime statistician.

 

[Chris Parker]

And frankly, I don't consider the opinion of people who have no clue about the area.

 

[drop bear]

And frankly, I don't consider the opinion of people who have no clue about the area.

Why should I consider someone who has not walked the walk a self defence expert?

 

[Chris Parker]

Firstly, you'd need to come to grips with what it is to "walk the walk of a self defence expert"… because it ain't being a "fighter". Then, you'd need to be able to recognise same… once you do that, you might start to realise who you've been talking with… and I'm not talking about myself here.

 

[drop bear]

Firstly, you'd need to come to grips with what it is to "walk the walk of a self defence expert"… because it ain't being a "fighter". Then, you'd need to be able to recognise same… once you do that, you might start to realise who you've been talking with… and I'm not talking about myself here.

Firstly, you'd need to come to grips with what it is to "walk the walk of a self defence expert"… because it ain't being a "fighter". Then, you'd need to be able to recognise same… once you do that, you might start to realise who you've been talking with… and I'm not talking about myself here.

You are being very mysterious. I cant really make sense of what you are saying.

 

[Chris Parker]

Then let's get blunt.

You have a particular perspective which is based in absolutely no grasp of what self defence is, self defence training, or it's differences to simple "fighting". Until you allow yourself to be open to actually listening to what you've been told (numerous times), no amount of explanation would help or get through to you… but the reality is that none of your preconceptions are accurate. You don't know what it is to be a self defence expert. You don't know what it is to "walk the walk" of such a person. You think it's all about fighting. It's not.

As a result, your considering of someone who has "walked the walk" is based in you not knowing what that means… so you miss who actually has. And it really has little to nothing to do with being a crime statistician, outside of the particular arena and context that you (the teacher/expert) are dealing with.