Self Defense in a Home Town Dojo

I just got back from a Black Belt Extravaganza put on by my local Karate dojo. It is what I could call a "home-town dojo" in that the students are families, kids, teenagers, adults, baby boomers and seniors. Very warm, friendly and welcoming (no jerks, tough guys or other ***hole types).

Now if a dojo trained folks for no-holds-barred fights they wouldn't be a home-town dojo. If they trained law enforcement officers it wouldn't be a home-town dojo. And obviously if they were training solders to kill they wouldn't be a home-town dojo. Why? Because when the techniques are to be used for real they must be simple, effective and within the parameters of the law. More specifically, what is taught should be in accordance with the officers' rules of engagement and their policy for the use of lethal force. Solders need to be able to protect themselves in hand to hand combat and to incapacitate enemy combatants. Such dojos are no place for children.

It really bothered me to see kids demonstrating self defense techniques against a knife and a gun. What is wrong with this picture?

• Kids do not know what life and death are all about.
  
• Kids are not strong enough or big enough to disarm a genuine adult attacker. Telling them that they can defend against such an attack is irresponsible.
  
• What I saw demonstrated was sloppy and required the attacker to jump on queue, in fact the attacker had to know what they were supposed to do ahead of time because the kids demonstrating the techniques couldn't execute the arts on a neutral uki, not to mention a motivated countering attacker.
  
• An adult attacker would not be hurt by any of the techniques I saw the kids demonstrate tonight.
  
• To teach knife and gun defense properly would not be human. Most adults would lose their lunch and reject the frank discussions that are part of learning how to disable and kill human beings.
  
• Giving kids the idea that they could actually take a weapon away from a real attacker is dishonest and irresponsible.
  
• What becomes of the kid that takes a knife away from a stupid kid at school and kills them in the process? I didn't mean to hurt him. Be a man and live with it little Timmy.
  

The other thing that bothered me was seeing what I consider a lack of respect and understanding of lethal weapons.

• Every weapon self defense art should include controlling the weapon. It shouldn't fly around the stage.
  
• A technique is not over until the defender has control of the weapon and the attacker is no longer a threat.
  
• Stabbing the attacker is attempted murder.
  
• Taking a weapon away from an attacker and then using same weapon on the "unarmed attacker" is illegal. One can't use lethal force against an unarmed attacker.
  
• Toy knives and guns trivialize what is being done.
  
• Attackers didn't know how to use the weapons, bogus attacks are defended differently then genuine skilled attacks.
  
• Defenders would have cut themselves had those knifes had a shape blade. They were playing with toys and did not show respect for the danger being simulated.
  
• Where was the Kiai?
  
• Finishing techniques were often knockout punches or stomps. However, the defenders froze after delivering the blow remaining within the attacker's range for a renewed attack.
  
• Defenders did not demonstrate their knowledge of the weapon once they had control.
  
• The schoolhead's weapon defense demonstration was good. But he was doing a combat application in my opinion, had he buried a knife into a mugger's belly he would lose his nice martial arts business, house and future income plus there is the manslaughter trial and jail time.
  

The best self defense is to not need it.

Renshi Jaya R. Carl, Sandan in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu