Master Dave,
I have seen more realistic applications of the Pal Gae (TKD) patterns first hand. When I say more realistic, I refer to other than the basic banging of arms and legs first taught to beginning students.
In the modern climate of the litigation happy public, my teacher realized early on, after coming to the U.S., that it was too risky to have even senior students practice some of the more volatile versions of the patterns. He stuck with teaching the "soft" version of the forms, even for the senior ranks, up until recently. I am a senior rank at his school and I started finding things on my own. I then politely pressed the issue by asking for verification of proper interpretation. He finally agreed, but he was / is not fully comfortable doing so. I in turn agreed to not get careless and end up injuring a fellow senior when practicing the apps. found / shown.
From a marketing stand point, I know, through my own experience, that most people wanting lessons just don't want to practice things that present more risk of injury. They, for the most part, want to learn some basic self defense and improve their health through the exercise involved. I would estimate about 1 in 30 coming in the door would stick around if the school became more focused on joint breaking, sweeps, pressure points, etc. People get sore and don't want to come back. Even when control is there. Breakfalls would freak out a large number of the average "get into shape" types. Sad, but true where I have studied. The ability to pay the rent would be jeapordized in either case. My teacher conformed to ensure survival of another type.
Early on, when the "Do" movement was started by Kano and Funakoshi, they realized the same problems existed when dealing with the public. They saw the potential good that society/ies could gain through martial arts practice and they developed a more user friendly version of the old battlefield "Jutsu" styles. I don't really think that there was/is a mass conspiracy to keep techniques from others for racial or rivalistic reasons. That concept rapidly dissolved about the time of the famous boxer rebellion when the "Iron Shirt" practicioners were beaten by firearms. I think it was more to protect the mass marketing appeal of what their cultures had to offer both inside and outside of their sphere of influence. That is what I have absorbed from a Korean Master in his mid sixties. He would rather be known for sharing health and some basic defense than remembered for someone being maimed by one of his students and then be thought of as irresponsible. I know there are evils on either side of the coin to consider, but that has been my experience through his eyes. His/my experiences are not fully applicable to everyone I'm sure.
On the subject of Mr. Dillman, Earl Montague, of Australia, did an interesting study of his (Dillman's) pressure point approach and he gives it mixed reviews. I personally have not experienced his apps. first hand, but they do differ from my experiences of apps. for the most part. Earl's two concerns were mainly the time of day feature, built into Dillman's Dim Mak theory, and his over emphasis on activating the Carotid sinus. Earl predicts we will eventually hear of someone either not waking up or dying hours/days after the one touch knockout to the Carotid. I hope he is wrong.
white belt
