| You know, when I first started learning how to protect | | | | "this isn't right."Well, long story short......he failed that test.I |
| myself, the training was almost entirely focused on the | | | | couldn't believe it. According to the judges - the panel |
| memorization and performance of the technique. What | | | | of "experts" who were supposedly teaching him to be |
| I mean is......the lessons revolved around the | | | | able to "go with the flow" and defend himself... He |
| step-by-step mindset. Even testing was centered | | | | failed!He took a surprise situation, adapted to it, and still |
| around the correct "performance" of the technique in | | | | maintained control of the flow of things in a way that |
| question. But, that performance was tied more to | | | | ended with him being the victor."Yes", said the judges, |
| duplicating a string of "moves" than it was on......the | | | | many of whom were our instructors, "that's true. But |
| successful resolution of the situation based on what | | | | he didn't do the technique correctly."This was one of |
| was going on!I remember a friend of mine during those | | | | the most significant moments of my life. When I |
| days. He was very good at the art that we were | | | | realized that, the reason I was there for training - to |
| studying and much further along than I was at the | | | | not die in a situation - was not the focus of the |
| time.He was testing for his black belt and everything | | | | training......at least NOT at that school.Jeffrey M. Miller is |
| was going well. His "performance" was flawless -at | | | | the founder and director of Warrior Concepts |
| least as far as I could tell.Then, during the last part of | | | | International in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. He is the author |
| the final kata ('preset fight scenario'), he changed the | | | | of the "Foundations of Self-Defense Mastery" |
| move from a strike to a shoulder throw. The throw | | | | eCourse, which is available free of charge to |
| was awesome and his partner never saw it coming. It | | | | subscribers of his self defense newsletter. You can |
| was great!He told me later that, everything was going | | | | subscribe to the newsletter at: He is also the creator |
| along as it should be and he knew what was to come | | | | of the EDR: Non-Martial Arts Defensive Training |
| next but......something was "off" with what his partner | | | | Program, author of the book, "The Karate-Myth" |
| was doing with that last punch.He literally "found | | | | as-well-as the powerful, "Danger Prevention Tactics" |
| himself" executing the throw, and remembered thinking, | | | | video. |