A trip to the dentist

I’ve been working on two projects lately.  One an analogy using a tree growing from a seed to explain what and how I teach.  This analogy can be used to help other Instructors teach professionals ( L.E. / Military) regardless of what style they come from.  I’ve also been hustling like a pimp promoting Marc MacYoung and Rory Miller’s Violence Dynamics Seminar

Pimps don’t cry

This blog will be a combination of using the former to explain my frustrations with the latter.

No matter what type of tree (art) develops, in order for that tree to survive harsh weather (violence), its roots have to spring from a solid seed.

That seed is composed of both mental and physical elements

Mental

Moral:

• Your up bringing,
• Your religious views (or lack there of)
• Your view of how the world works

Ethical:

• Your personal code of conduct (Bushido / The Code of the west)
• Your capacity for violence

Not what you technically know how to do to another human being, but what you allow yourself to do to another human being and under what conditions you are willing to do them. 

Legal

• The rules of engagement set by society and codified into law by the state

Physical

Movement (Tai Sabaki)

Structure (Tachi Waza)

Power Generation

Range

Good training nurtures the seed and strengthens the entire tree (all aspects of the art)

What I call SPECTACULARIZED training has a very narrow focus.  Despite the narrow focus this type of training claims to be a magic cure all to any type of violence.

Marc and Rory nurture that seed.  No matter what style you study they will make you better at surviving violence.  That is why it is so frustrating to me that more people haven’t signed up for the seminar.  I have spoken to several officers who are very excited for the opportunity to train but their department won’t pay for it.

I feel it comes back to the old teaching what is needed vs. teaching what is wanted argument.

Marc and Rory (and Jimerfield btw) teach what is needed (nurture the seed).  All of those guys could make huge bank teaching what is wanted but they focus on what is needed for our benefit at their financial loss

An example from Rory’s website

WHAT I WON’T DO:

There is a rule of thumb in this business that there are three kinds of training: Effective Training; Feel-Good Training; and Liability Reduction Training. 

I won’t do the last two.

It is easier to instill confidence than competence, and training designed to increase confidence without competence can set the student up for failure. 

It is far easier to report good training than it is to conduct good training, and too often this has been sufficient for people interested in personal liability protection and unconcerned about who might get hurt. 

I believe that instilling solid skills (what is needed / nurture the seed) increases confidence without over-confidence and that troops who are trained and empowered to make good decisions are the best liability protection.

Sadly it is hard to get people to buy what they need.

It’s easy to get someone to by candy (what is wanted).  It’s much harder to get someone to pay for a trip to the dentist (what is needed).

Candy is fun and yummy and comes with brightly colored marketing!!! -  But it will rot your teeth.

Everyone understands that you need your teeth to function in society

But, people don’t want to admit that candy has wrecked their teeth and that they need to get some work done. 

Getting your teeth fixed hurts.

Maintaining your teeth is hard work

• Brushing
• Flossing
• Mouth Wash
• Wearing your retainer
• Not eating anymore candy

Every one who looks like this…

Wants to look like this

But very few are willing to put the work in to do it.

Further frustration comes from candy being disguised as dental care or focusing on one small facet and claiming it will protect your teeth from every thing. (Teaching what is wanted)

I don’t care how good your sugar coated dental floss works.  If the patient only has 3 teeth your dental floss isn’t going to help them eat corn on the cob, no matter how well you market it.

I guess I’m just pissed that departments will pay 4x as much for well marketed sugar claiming to improve your teeth than to give their officers teeth that can actually bite.

Any Officers reading this who would like to attend the seminar but their department is unwilling to pay please contact me we will figure out a way to make it work.

Train Hard, Train Smart, Be Safe