Studying Principles

When I continued the study of fundamental principles of martial systems toward self-defense martial arts I found, as I have found in my more academic studies of violence and conflict, that continued scrutiny of principles will awaken the practitioner to the flaws not only in their practices but actual flaws within the principles themselves. 

Each iteration through the materials, especially regarding the principles underlying SDMA (Self-defense Martial Arts) along with the physical analysis of said principles in action open our minds to the discovery of those flaws.

Granted, the flaws found to date are somewhat minor but can be significant if one trains to apply MA in self-defense. Using a very simplistic example is throughout the material the term “opponent” is used and that alone can guide the practitioner to a mind-set/mind-state that will not cover true conflict and violence, i.e., it tends to steer one toward the more competitive and sport oriented vs. self-defense where the term adversary, etc., remains non-specific because an adversary can be in competitor, in a social monkey dance and even in a asocial predatory resource/process situation. 

Some descriptions within the material on fundamental principles can inadvertently lead toward a less relevant application in self-defense so the practitioner must remain vigilant and diligent toward its meaning, i.e., the distinctions necessary to remain true to the proper applications in the proper situations and circumstances leading to the need for self-defense. 

I can make a decent assumption that study does, can and should involve continuous open-minded research and discovery as one progresses. It is a necessary aspect of the pursuit of self-defense martial arts if for no other reason than - survival!

As you study your martial arts take a step up in that process by embracing such an open minded mind-set/mind-state promoting the more appropriate and reality based concept of self-defense through martial disciplines.