About this Article

This article is for the serious reality-based student and instructor. It exams the often misconceptions of the different types of martial arts. Traditional, Sport and combative. This collection of opinions and facts is in celebrating my 10th Anniversary next month, of researching, studying and teaching martial arts in Asia and living full time in Japan.

This article is not meant to judge or be negative to anyone. Nor, is it aimed at anyone in particular, or any school or style. It is just a response to some of the systems of reality-based I have seen popping up on the internet and Youtube, and my recent travels to several places in America and a self-defense for women seminar I recently witnessed and was shocked at the lack of knowledge and skill the instructors had. It was basically a fraud money making scheme. But, people believe this crap, and it's dangerous and makes a bad situation worse.

This article is to the percentage, that don't quite get it, or the potential student shopping for a reality based system or teacher, or the open-minded teacher looking to improve.

Reality is something that is always in a state of change. So we as teachers need to change, evaluate and look in the mirror as well. God knows I have made my mistakes, but understand I am always a student, no matter my level or years of study.

About Me

Who the heck am I? My name is Matt Plewes, I am originally from Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA. For the last 12 years I have studied martial arts in Asia. The last 10 years, I have been living full time in Japan.

I was never concerned about publicity or fame, only skill, when it came to my martial arts endeavors. So, I have been pretty much off the grid most of my martial arts life. I am now more open, because of the invent of the internet and the fact my students are opening schools in other countries and seeking students and publicity. In Japan I have been featured on TV and now teach weekly classes, sponsored by the SBS-Shizuoka Television Station

I will be 48 years old this year. I am a 35 year experienced martial arts researcher, student and teacher. I have been studying since I was 13. I have always studied combat or self-protection martial arts. For the most part I have avoided sport or competition based styles, not that I have anything against it, it just wasn't what I was seeking. I have always been in it for the self-defense side only.

My Training and Experience

I was very fortunate to spend my middle school and high school years studying Seikukan Shorin-ji Karate from Judan, Terumasa Ogawa in Virginia. He was from Shizuoka, Japan and was my first encounter with a foreigner, a Japanese and a martial arts master. He opened the very first martial art class in Suffolk, Virginia in 1976. I was among the first group to join. I studied with him several years. He inspired me to learn more, and I took great interest in Japan and Asia.

After being dis-satisfied in a street attack, ( aka. got my ass kicked)
I left my karate school and did some soul searching and researching. Then in my early 20's through my 30's, I studied defense-based martial arts, mainly a 5-Animal style kung fu from Sammy Cheeks. I learned a wealth of real world, street survival information, from a teacher with a lot of street experience. I received full teacher status in 1992, after 8 diligent and difficult years.
I also participated in a semi-private, small, garage Wing Chun Gung fu Club for years in Virginia Beach. The senior teacher was from Hong Kong.

For three years between leaving karate and beginning my kung-fu based real world defense journey, I experimented with other styles and schools in my area. Okinawa Shorin-ji Karate, Judo, Jujitsu. After my years of kung fu training, I would continue to visit schools in a research capacity. I attended a cutting-edge school operated by an ex-Navy SEAL, where I was introduced and witnessed, Escrima, Brazilian Jujitsu and Jeet Kune Do concepts. I also visited many traditional and sport schools as well. It was a hobby of mine to "pop in" to schools and classes, take introductory classes, pick the instructors brain, but mainly check out the schools, especially kung fu.
School curriculum, set up and design, were of huge interest of mine.
I still have this hobby in Japan.

To some it up, I’ve studied martial arts systems over the years. My early karate days and exploration days, I was able to develop a degree of skill. Like others, I often felt it was cool looking, and seemed highly effective.
I learned "the hard way", many of the techniques were useless in a real confrontation.
This is because many of the skills taught in about 99% percent of the martial arts systems are based on a reality and a dynamic of fighting that does not exist in the real world.

I accredit my first kung fu teacher, Samuel Cheeks, for setting my thinking and training on the right path. Being on a wrong path, like many others, at the time. I have since, and on a few occasions been in real world confrontations, and vindicated myself and training. My responses were what I expected and I was very pleased. I have never lost a confrontation since beginning my kung fu training in 1984.
Working security, as an EMT, as a Private Investigator, as well as traveling to Third World countries, I have had a few problems. I don't look for trouble and try to avoid any conflict. But, my past jobs and travels, have put me in bad places sometimes.

What I have learned, and real world defense teachers should know by now, real fights are not “duels” like in the dojo or ring. Because, real fighting is such a different dynamic all together, the skill needed to make such techniques work is at such a high level, that very few people could ever make them work in the face of true danger.

Luckily, I realized this early on. Mainly, from my teacher, Master Cheeks.

I learned more real world functional skills, escapes and controls, especially the Wing Chun blocks and drills, in 3 months, than I did with 6 years of traditional-style, "Block the hell (Most karate blocks don't work at real speed) punch-the-hell-out-of or/and kick-the-hell-out of of techniques.

I would like to take a minute and clear one thing up. If you are trapped, on the ground, or in a life or death situation. BITE, GOUGE, HIT, RIP any and everything you can. Bite the neck, inside the arms and legs, bite fingers, poke eye and let fly and don't stop!

But for general physical confrontations, non-lethal situations and fighting, a more realistic approach to fighting is needed. The traditional sparring, and most often the staged scenario, and especially katas or forms are not even close to what's real on the street.
Like Bruce Lee was quoted as saying "Katas are like learning to swim on land".

You can't, learn to swim in the water. Katas just aren't what really happens in a fight and a waste of time. Wing Chun Katas / Forms, are an exception to this opinion.

When I studied traditional styles, I found the training to be exhausting to keep up for a lifetime of study. As well, the injuries were more, the actual effectiveness was less. It was full commitment with a hard attack. If that didn't work with one blow, and usually didn't, then what. It just wasn't a smart way of defense, nor practical for the average sized man, woman or child. Especially, when you have real styles available. Why should an adult go to elementary school, when you have college available? However, they (traditional styles) are useful for sport, a basic foundation, fitness and for discipline in children.
( NOTE: A small percent of traditional and sport styles, do have a reality defense class that is functional and works. However, emphasis on small percent. Students should research the teachers real world skills and functionaility, before joining a school or program. Belts, trophies, awards, number of schools/students, belts, mean 100% NOTHING on the street and is irrelevant on the street).

However, don't rely on it for real world defense. Just because your teacher calls it real world, don't make it so. Often this is a problem in today's schools. The illusion of functional defense on the street vs. the classroom. IT AIN'T THE SAME!

Armed with this knowledge and mental clarity. Having the best skills of my life. I opened Chuntian Academy's first commercial school in 1998 in Suffolk, Virginia. It was a "think tank" of sorts, a research facility of street effective fighting arts.

We had other kung fu instructor level teachers, from America and Li Sun from China. We also had blackbelts from area schools. Some even, gave up their belts, and joined our school.

Our students also included, local correction guards, security, military and the Police departments -"Seize and Arrest" training officers from the area, who were also active duty police, They gave regular feed back on our techniques practical applications.

This was great, as we could adjust and fine tune the functional techniques and eliminate the ones not working as well. This was a period of great change at Chuntian Academy. Where real-world applications and real world situations were met with the defensive concepts and applications on a daily basis, then modified or eliminated.

After a few years, I wanted to follow my dreams, and go to the source, the origin of many modern martial arts. Japan, China and Southeast Asia.

So, I moved to Japan in 2001 full time. I would visit for a month each year the 2 years prior to moving to Japan. Now our schools system is a combination of the trial and error police days in Virginia, and clever, highly functional stuff I picked up in Asia.

I now reside in Shizuoka, Japan, yes, the same city my first teacher was from. I study other styles, including Chinese Combat Arts, Indonesia and Fillipino Arts. I think all styles have good points and we as teachers should have open minds.
I am the founder and Director of Chuntian Academy International headquartered in Japan.

My Pet Peeves

I am particularly outspoken in Japan, and even forums I participate in, about the abundance of false knife defense training. Let me explain.

Truth and Myths about Knife Defense Reality:

I have had knife attack attempts on me as a Virginia Private Investigator and being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I also worked as a EMT in Virginia, USA and witnessed the aftermath of knife attacks and murders on several occasions. I have also intervened in the beginning stages of a knife attack working as security. So I have some experience with real world situations and I have researched knife reality concepts very extensively.

Below is a highlighted version of some of the facts and information I have learned and acquired over the years.

I would like to take an opportunity to remind people the real story about knife defense. I have viewed many videos on Youtube that are too risky, never would work at real speed, or rely too much on power. Remember knives can be hidden and knife attacks are quick. Also know it CAN happen, so fleeing as fast as possible as soon as possible is essential.

I know many schools offer a knife defense program, but MOST I have seen are a dangerous illusion. It takes many years of training in real knife defenses to be even somewhat successful, and then only used when there is no other option. I've watched many school's programs as well searched the internet, most not gonna work. I know many techniques are functional, look cool, and the instructor is confident and skilled at disarming the opponent with ease. Problem is; the classroom's practice attacks are not even close to reality. This is a dangerous, false confidence way of setting up a student for harm or death. Many teachers are unknowingly teaching false knife attack scenarios because it seems to be the standard way they have seen most schools teach as well as Martial arts magazines and mainly the movies.
This is a case where the majority are wrong. Please note that I didn't say all are on the wrong path, just the majority I have personally seen in commercial schools, the internet and even on TV.
I have seen very functional knife defense in Indonesia and from fillipino associates and some of my reality-based friends in America and Europe. I am not talking about them, but I am talking about the vast majority.

Please read on, and let's explore the myths and truths of knives.

At my school, C.A.I. we primarily teach escapes from knife and hold attacks where the knife is stationary and touching or near us. As for fighting and disarming remember this, RUN, HIDE, and put anything and everything between you and the attacker. The percentages are against you. As I said many times, the street is not the classroom's staged attack. In the classroom 99% of staged attacks are 1 blow attacks, usually at slow speeds and even paused outward. On the street however, they're most always multiple blow attacks, and NOT slow, paused or staged!
Like I said RUN (For you friends in America, even if you are carrying a gun, if the attacker is less than 20 feet from you, before you realize what's up and draw he most likely has closed the gap and got you beforehand. You too should RUN and perhaps draw later).

Here are some Real World Statistics to think about.
As far as percentages, look at this.

In a training exercise,
85 experienced police officers were told they would be participating in a training scenario unknown to them. A participant in the study dressed in combative looking attire and concealing a knife was told to approach the officer flash the knife and say; "I'm going to kill you pig!"before attacking.

3 of 85 even saw the knife.
10 of 85 even realized they were being attacked by a knife.
72 of 85 didn't know they were attacked by a knife until after,when they saw the chalk marks from the chalk training knife.
ONLY 1 out of 85 trained police officers defended himself!

(Note: This exercise was done by Paul Vunak )

Warning: Below are pictures of a westerner slashed in Southeast Asia. I put these on here because I know and have seen the after effect of knives many times being an Emergency Medical Technician during the violent 1980s in the U.S.. But I want you to know what happens in a REAL knife attack. Just being somewhat light to moderately slashed your skin and muscle open up and you bleed profusely. It is not a simple cut and blood like most people imagine, this is what it really looks like and your body will quickly go into shock.

Real Knife wounds

Westerner in Korea.
If your need or your job requires knife defense. We strongly suggest finding a Chuntian Academy "Truth about Knives" Seminar and subsequent workshops and follow up courses. If you are not close to us, try finding a Filipino Kali , Krav Maga or Jeet Kune Do Concept Instructor EXPERIENCED IN KNIFE ATTACK DEFENSES.

Remember the defenses must work at high speeds and unpredictable attacks.

Most of all remember to
1. Believe this is happening and RUN!!
2. Create obstacles find improvised shields or weapons
3. NEVER KICK AT A KNIFE
4. Never try to wrestle or grab at it unless you have 100% no other option and you should be highly trained in REAL knife defense, NOT Youtube or Dojo Knife defense THEORY.

The Truth About Knife Myths:

Myth 1: The knifer will square off with you, giving you time to assess his style, plan your moves and just plain get ready.

Reality 1: An experienced knifer will not show his blade to you or anyone else before he tries to bury it in your gut. He is trying to murder you and will not advertise the fact. Most martial arts and military styles of knife work were developed in a lawless society or where the soldier was the law. Today's reality is that cutting someone is illegal and the knife work that has come out of the North American prisons reflects that reality. The ambush and the sucker strike are here to stay.

The person who waves his knife in your face wants something from you: your fear, your money or for you to leave him alone. In this situation you will have a martial arts response available, but if you like to wander on those parts of the map where it says "dragons be here" you'd better have a reflexive response ready for the ambush.

Myth 2: After he shows you his knife and his intent, the knifer will use the knife like a long-range weapon: i.e. he will hold it in his forward hand and lunge into a slash. Or, he will thrust with full body movement, extending his knife hand as he moves with a major body part as his target.

Reality 2: Let alone the fact that it is pretty hard for a knifer to keep his intentions to kill you a secret with a full driving lunge attack; they are notorious for slicing and dicing before they finish (this includes Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Filipino styles). Even the military styles are taught to cut their way in and to cut their way back out--taking all targets of opportunity on their way. American prison style of shanking with only the point (no edge) does not usually drive in this way either.

The full body, lunging style of attack seems to be a movie style that was developed to be able to picture what was happening on the screen to the best advantage, and has been pictured a thousand times in the "Do it this way(and die)," rags [martial arts magazines].

Where you may see this is in the ambush or surprise attack, where the extra distance is seen by the attacker as a safety zone. This may be used by someone who is feeling secure that he is not going to be seen or who is too enraged to care. When the knifer combines the ambush with a lunge attack, using strongest-weapon-to-major-target principle, the victim (you) is surprised, caught off balance, not in fight mode and very vulnerable. Therefore, your training must include defences from surprise lunge attacks. But, due to the fact that other types of attacks are possible and even more probable, especially if you are being confronted with a knifer who wants to hide his stuff, training against the other types of attacks must be learned and drilled.

Myth 3: The myth of the frozen hand. This is actually two myths because it can apply to both the knife hand and to the attacker's free hand. It means that once you have blocked his knife hand, he either leaves it out there for you to ju jitsu all over, or he does not involve his free hand at all.

Reality 3: The knife you block will cut its way back out of your reach as fast as it came in, it will twirl and cut up your forearm, it will "tip-rip" your forearm or his other hand will tear out an eye or give you a thought provoking shot in the throat.
As for the prison style attacks, it is much more direct with less flash and slash without the disadvantages of the lunge attack. It depends upon the proper use of the free hand to catch and pull the victim in close where the knife can be used "discretely."

Myth 4: "You get close to fight a knife;" or "You must rush a knife."

Reality 4: The knife is a short range weapon and if you choose to fight in its range the chances are you will lose, for sure you will get cut. Unless you must fight the knife, you should stay away and fight from long range with long-range weapons, like chairs, garbage cans and thrown objects. It doesn't matter if the bad guy is trained or not, he must get close to you to cut you, and once he is close, he can cut you.

There is no power needed for cutting -- the knife has all the power. All the knifer provides is a delivery system and the knife can come in at incredibly high speed with erratic motions. Do you really want to walk into a blender?

Myth 5: "You can take a cut while you kill him," or, "While he's cutting me, I'll be killing him."

Reality 5: The one-shot kill is so hard to pull off on a fresh and committed opponent that you can't count on it, as the No Holds Barred fighting has proven. Of course it's available but if it fails you are in deep doo­doo while you are inside his range, cut and in shock. This is not where you want to be.

The problem of shock relates to the body's natural dismay at being invaded by a foreign object; it has nothing to do with how tough you are... a deep cut in a minor place like the forearm may stop you in your tracks due to physiological responses outside your control.

I have heard about a teacher who gets his students to relax, knocks the wind out of them and then forces them to defend themselves. That is a bit of what the shock will be like. The shock of the cut on your forearm may give him the opportunity to sink his putt in your gut.

Sacrificing an arm to avoid a kill shot to the throat is a smart move, but don't intentionally take a cut just to set up your own shot, no matter how many others have successfully done it.

Myth 6: If you are good at sparring, you are ready for fighting.

Reality 6: Sparring is a game that is safe and no matter how good you get, it isn't fighting. It will teach you balance, movement, range and openings, but it will not prepare you to face death, adrenaline dumps and brutality.

A criminal who is seriously trying to kill you with a knife will not spar or look for openings and fake you out--his psychology is totally different. He has no fear because he has made himself invincible with his weapon and previous successes, and he wants it over fast so he can escape the attention of the police. He charges in with no apparent regard for his own safety so as to overwhelm his victim.

If he starts waving his knife around and sparring, you are lucky. Now you have time to run to get a distance weapon, or just to get out of Dodge!

If It isn't reality-based, So What?

An all to familiar story, don't let it happen to you!

Original Article from Japan Today News Paper

Tough man Terence Lee loses street fight

Friday 11th December
KANAGAWA —

Terence Lee, 45, was treated to a boxing clinic free of charge this week after a collision on a pedestrian strip in Sagamihara City turned into a parking lot beating that left him with injuries to his face estimated to take a month to heal.

Reports have it that Lee got on his bicycle near JR Sagamihara station and was on his way home just after midnight on Wednesday, when he bumped into Satoru Inaba, 42, who was walking from the opposite direction after drinking at a pub nearby. Lee was knocked off his bicycle and is said to have told Inaba that they should move to the adjacent parking lot to “have a chat,” not out on the road where it may inconvenience other people passing-by.

It was here that Lee found himself on the receiving end of “more than several” punches, and a passer-by who witnessed the incident ran to a nearby police box. Inaba was arrested for assault, and Lee was taken to hospital, where it was learned he had a fractured eye socket that would take a month to heal.

Lee’s real name is Yoshiteru Kato, but he goes under the former name which he says was given to him while he was a mercenary in Central and South America. He formed the Terence Lee Personal Protection Service in 2000, and appeared as a “crisis-management consultant” on TV programs such as Sunday Japon in 2003. He apparently has black belts in karate and aikido, as well as training in judo and kendo.

Lee has told police that Inaba kicked him while he was on the ground after the collision. Inaba, a part-time department store employee with no martial arts experience, says Lee threw the first punch. He has admitted to punching Lee however, saying: “It’s true I hit him.” Police are continuing their investigation.

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Response by Matt Plewes

This article just galvanizes our concepts here at Chuntian Academy.
The fact is most students and even teachers go around thinking traditional karate, sport or technique and position specific limited styles such as Aikido are for the street and the real world. I know some teachers modify the techniques and make it functional for defense. But, they too better really examine what they are doing.

Like the article above, I learned the hard way too, bringing a traditional Karate to the street, with a massive sense of "False" security. My trainiing was in staged scenarios, or form and kata. I was good a sparring and great at my techniques. But, I failed because of fear on the street. I learned that set senarios is not the way to go. A sparring, though will teach you balance and openings IS NOT FIGHTING, no matter how good you are. It will not prepare you for adrenaline dumps, brutality and facing death.
You need tools and concepts, and the ability to adapt to whatever. And most of all you need the mental.

I was lucky, I was only a student of a few years in karate. The only thing I injured was my ego. But I am happy it happened as it opened my eyes. So, 25 years ago, I started training in real world defense, way before it became popular in western world the last few years. ( commonly known today as Reality-based").
It's hard to believe people still don't understand the differences, between sport, tradition and real combat arts.

What I have found. My Philosophy:

From my experience of living in a dangerous city in America and working as a paramedic and as security and having more than 30 years experience in the real world of violence, I can tell you for a fact, most street fights, including bar fights and even road rage fights I have seen are over in about ten or fifteen seconds, usually the person with the fastest and the most attacks wins.

Some, so called "Reality-based" teachers, are only brute force, violent attack focused, which is not reality for the majority of people to apply such hardcore responses. It looks great, often illegal though. Also, the average person hasn't never "really" hit someone. The big question is, if they have the nerve to hit someone full force. You don't want to be making your brute force fighting debut with a weathered street thug feeling no pain, with half-hearted noodle arm punches, because of fear. You need to accept fear as your ally. If you fearless, then have fear, you lose. Accept it, it prepares you for fight of flight. Most of all, you must be mentally prepared. The street thug is NOT like your training partner, and the street isn't the classroom. No trophies, no referees to stop it. It is real world and the trophy is your life.

Sadly, discipline, mental preparation, self-awareness, seems to be cut out of many schools and programs now a-days. This is very glue of the martial way, the warrior way. Anger, the emotion of losing control, is actually promoted as good. It may take you a little ways, but you will never be a true master.

Now it seems that resorting back to caveman antics is the best way. These newcomers have cut out 800 years of battle proven philosophy, functionality, discipline. and warrior spirit. Or, it has been seriously misinterpreted. Fighting, survival is 90% mental. What does that mean? It means discipline, self awareness, self control. That with a good teacher, evolves into awareness of others, control of others, etc

Anger is your enemy, fear is your ally. Don't take it from me, take it from the 800plus years of masters that have lived and died this reality, before me. Not, some Johnny come lately, I am the baddest-man-on-the-planet, angry soul promoting the "ultimate" system.
At the least, Please don't call it martial "arts". Why? Because it isn't.

Let's talk a little about the Mental 90%

Some Martial Artist achieve a state of awareness suggestive of a six sense; this is total involvement in which masters aim. It produces a calmness and detachment even in the face of threatening situations, when fear or anger might seem a natural response.
Because of his training, an expert martial artist reacts not in a personal way but almost like natural law. Lightening strikes so thunder booms; the wind blows and the tree bends; the attack comes and the response follows. "It" happens.

Before I understood the martial arts, I was easily intimidated by false images of strength-aggressive brow-beaters, uncompromising people, muscle men, arrogant intellectuals, haughty waiters, persistent salesmen, disdainful automobile dealers. In a confrontation with such people I usually reacted in an extreme manner. I either quickly retreated, feeling inadequate, embarrassed, and angry with myself, or I flashed back in anger, putting myself in direct conflict.

My reaction in class against an intimidating aggressive opponent was usually the same, as were the symptoms. I became tense, flushed, and tended to overreact.

I learned that you have an imaginary circle around you, outside that circle the threat is not real so I shouldn't be tense or full of emotion, if the opponent advances into my circle I simply move my circle back so there is still no threat. When your opponent is inside your circle and you cannot or will not retreat any farther, you must fight. But until then, you should maintain your control and distance.

As my martial arts ability increased, so did my confidence. I was able to stand calmly back and let an opponent wear himself out on feints or attempts at intimidation because I was confident that, if necessary, I could defeat him.

C.A.I. workouts are often close quarters and you will get accustomed to feeling blast of wind as hands and fist whir dangerously close to your eyes and face. Occasionally a partner will accidentally make contact. Do not become tense or surge with anger. At first or sometimes you will get these feelings, it's not bad to have aggressive or hostile thoughts and feelings towards others. When you acknowledge these feelings you no longer have to pretend to be which you are not. WHAT IS BAD, however, is letting them dictate your nature. When you unleash your aggression or hostility on another person, it inspires aggression and hostility in return. The result is conflict, which all true martial artists try to avoid. Anger doesn't demand action. When you act in anger, you lose self control. How can you expect to control someone else, if you cannot control yourself.

A person may make it to Instructor or Black belt level and still have anger. But he will never be a master and be at even greater risk of conflict and fights. This defeats the whole purpose and way of true martial arts. You should strive to be a master in which you develop your close quarter "inside circle" drills. This requires doing your drills over and over week after week and month after month and year after year. But most of all you need patience and not anger. A Black belt may fight well but because of his lack of patience he will strike out at, be tense towards, and try to block feints and attempts outside his circle which will lead to him being open for strikes and injury. On the other hand a Master will patiently wait until the threat becomes real; inside his circle and react without anger but patience and most of all clear headed and without thought or negative self-defeating emotion.

Fear is okay! It prepares you. Anger is not! It hinders you and puts you in increased danger.
Do your drills and understand your emotion of anger and aggression and strive for patience. Soon your skills and reactions will be automatic, reflexive, no time to think. Actually fear is important it actually helps us prepare for fight or flight. Great sports stars, talented performers and so on thrive and hope for the fear and butterflies before a show or event, it is what precedes a great performance.

* Control your anger or it will control you

* The angry man will defeat himself in battle as well as in life

* You and your opponent are one. There is a coexisting relationship between you, You coexist with your opponent and become his compliment, you learn to absorb his attack and use his force to overcome him. This is only done through practice and most of all patience and not anger.

* Anger and brute force in fighting is a sign of a weak minded and emotional man. You may beat down someone weaker than you to make yourself appear big and strong. (There is always someone bigger if you rely only on this). Its not unlike beating down a 5 year old if you get angered, why don't most people, because they know they can hurt or kill them. Why does a bully fight, because he needs to make up for low esteem and low emotion and lack of confidence to try to prove he can. Do not confuse cocky with confidence, they are actually very different if not opposite. Why does a master walk away, or not fight, or even take a slap and turn the other cheek? Because the opponent is like the 5 year old, and the master has nothing to prove and knows he can destroy him. But if bully- opponent chooses to follow the master and threaten his life, the bully first should make sure his life insurance is in order.

It is said the strongest and the fittest survive, this may be true in the primitive animal. But for the intellectual animal, the smartest survive. To learn nothing at all in the form of non-sport defense in today's world is not smart. Remember sport is sport, learn smart, practical defenses that work for you! Guns, pepper spray, baseball bats you don't have with you all the time, nor do you have the proper mental training to use such devices in extreme conditions. That mental training is' 90% of defense. But your hands, feet and brain are with you, condition them all in a smart, practical, easy to apply defense system.

Fight smart my friends.

For the new or potential student:

Note: The following is not meant to anger anyone. These guidelines were taught to me by my teacher years ago, and basically reiterated by true masters I have met in my research travels.

It may not be Reality-based, and beware, if your teacher/school:

- Self promotion; i.e. John Doe's Karate. John Doe.com. , The John Doe Reality-based #1 System ( ...of how to get your ass handed to you, or killed) etc.,
Avoid self promoters, unless they're internationally proven or known already.

- They invented this wonderful NEW style. Often using Asian words to make it sound authentic. But usually sound odd to someone that understands the language. Also, they often, not knowingly, mix up Chinese, Japanese, Korean words to name the system.

- Trys to be more Chinese, Korean or Japanese than real Chinese, Korean or Japanese teachers, in they're schools or classes. I live in Asia, mainly Japan. I see misuses all the time.

One small, harmless example: The Japanese word; "Usu" is used like water in some American Japanese martial art schools. mis-translated as, That's right, Gung-ho, Yeah man, I agree, etc. It is rarely used in Japan, accept in a situation when a senior member of a group enters the room late, and instead of stopping the meeting, everyone gives a respectful "usu" to the senior acknowledging his presence.
Usually used in Yakuza, sometimes other types of business and meetings.

A faster lower "usu" and tilting the head upward, is a informal way of saying "What's up" "Sup man"

- Beware if your teacher claims to be the best or first style /system/ idea.

- Claims multiple Black Belts.
Chinese proverb:
" One good style mastered is worth more than one hundred tasted".

- Wears a traditional Martial arts uniform and belt. ( Traditional uniform is a indicator of a traditional style or sport and not real world ). I understand, some schools have excellent programs and still choose to wear traditional uniforms. But in reality, a simple uniform, like a T-shirt and sweat pants or street clothes are recommended. How often do you wear your uniform out around town.
If you're normal, never. So why train in something you most likely will never be wearing. Not too many people rob and mug dojos or dojangs.

- Beware for mass productions. The teacher has more than 20 students per instructor /class.

- Has adults and children in the same class.

- Your training in traditional weapons ( street illegal) before you learn to fight.

- Offers fast track Black Belt Programs.

- Quick, Special Intensive Black Belt certifications for a "Fee".

- Claims knowledge of special military/ancient secret techniques.

- Your doing Sport fighting, wearing a 100 year old style uniform, fighting the air , memorizing a lot of useless unexplained techniques. Not getting the real fell of human contact and reaction.

- The Katas are nothing like the sparring you see.

- When sparring (practicing) you get points for contact. If you know it is a sport and know better than to think it's self-defense, Okay. But, know the difference, Don't take a sport to the street for goshsakes!

- Beware if your certification and training consist of kata,or fighting the air. (You should get a real feel what it is like to actually apply escape,hit and kick techniques to real people of various sizes and shapes. (in training of course). You should practice techniques in simulation, but don't instill in your mind the negative possibility of losing. Thus, points and losing doesn't exist, Keep going and going. Losing a match is an unhealthy concept and learning experience for the mind, it teaches we can lose after all. NOOO!! Keep going,going,going,going,going and going....

- The school teaches violent hard attacks only( usually excessive use of force, that will put YOU in jail) in their defense training, not avoiding or escape and run.

- Doesn't put emphasis and training on avoiding or talking your way out of situations.

- Doesn't train in the mental aspects of self-defense, escape and attack

- Has military titles, patches, uniform designs, but they are civilians!

-They talk about / display all the "Championships" and trophies they've won.

- They make you sign a contract, or charge you an outrageous fee, trying to give the illusion that you get what you pay for, so $150 an hour private lesson, oh! they must be really, really good.

- Advertise their trophies, news articles, magazine articles, but forget about the whole concept, DEFENSE and SURVIVAL information and teaching.

Self-promotion usually means self-fortune.

If you want trophies . At C.A.I. we don't do that or recommend it. But if that's you, search the internet or your local Dojo. They're numerous Associations, B-C-D rags magazines, and "Bull %''$# regional "Championships" to go around to give you just that, with a little work, politics and money, losing focus you too can get you a nice illusion of a resume. But know the sports ring is not the real world, if you take your illusion of fighting and pseudo-confidence to the street, you and your students may get their asses handed to them one day.

Potential students should know that, Martial arts tournaments and magazines are aimed at BEGINNERS, to make money, no matter what stage they are white belt or so-called black belts.

Forget about your Resume, belt color, trophies and prepare for REAL LIFE. Don't try to be the "One", you may have lucked out so far. Don't set yourself up for humiliation, or death by blinding yourself and your "students" from the truth.

Train to be good and to truly defend yourself, don't focus on belts or other material things.

In Conclusion

Fight smart, keep open minds, never let your ego tell you your the best.
K.I.S.S. ( Keep It Safe & Simple).

Peace,
Matt Plewes
Chuntian Academy International

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Disclaimer: Some statistics, studies , quotes and other information were gathered from outside resources, for information sake and not for profit in anyway.