Originally posted by fanged_seamus
Hey CFR,
Just a couple of thoughts to add to this mess of a thread...hope you don't mind.
ON BLOCKING:
Yes, many of the blocks are "traditional" blocks and rarely used in UFC tournaments. However, these blocks are not the sole defenses in kenpo. Parries seem much more common, as are slipping punches, evading, etc. In sparring (the few times I've done it), traditional inward and outward blocks are absent. Parries and evasion definitely seem to be preferred. These defense techniques are learned later, as it takes more skill to successfully execute a parry or evade a punch.
That said, sparring is NOT the same thing as self-defense. Sparring is a rule-heavy version of tag. To paraphrase the author Neal Stephenson, "[It] is an attempt to take a violent, chaotic confrontation and make it into a cute game." Don't ever confuse the two.
ON SELF-DEFENSE:
I say this constantly on these threads -- 90% of self-defense is the awareness and foresight not to get yourself into trouble. You need to avoid dangerous situations, talk your way out of problems, and learn to diffuse tense situations. If you really want to learn self-defense, whatever system you study should spend time on these subjects. If they are not discussing these subjects, they are NOT doing you the service of improving you ability to defend yourself. They are simply a glorified gym class.
For times when a confrontation is inevitable, that's when the training comes in. And there, the only thing you can do is find the right system for you. I chose kenpo because I learned some very practical and strong methods to physically defend myself quickly. The philosophy is what I was looking for. My instructors stress the idea of walking away over fighting. Kenpo is for me, it turns out.
Kenpo has some holes in it, but so do Muay Thai and BJJ. In fact, EVERY art and system has its strong points and weak points. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Don't kid yourself that just because a system is agressive or popular it is the best for self-defense -- and NEVER believe someone who tells you there art's primary purpose is self-defense -- every martial arts instructor will say that, even the ones whose primary goal is teaching kids to win sport-fighting tournaments. Unless the system spends significant time covering the verbal, mental, and environmental aspects of self-defense, it is not doing you justice.
I think that you should sit down and figure out what self-defense REALLY means to you (even if it is as basic as learning to punch and kick hard, learning to wrestle, or learning how to quickly run away). Once you know what self-defense means to you, then go looking for your system. Otherwise you're just spinning your wheels (as some of these threads show)....
Hope this helps!
Tad Finnegan
