Tongue in Cheek
I was talking to my one of my colleagues the other day about the time I had him in a guillotine choke recently and he said he can still feel his face feeling a little numb to one side. I asked why did he not tap out and he said, ‘you had both my arms trapped’. I then asked why he did not say something, he said, ‘I tried, but I was choking.’ This is what goes on in my world, I am an expirementer, not a collector of techniques.
Martial Artists don’t usually have the experience but rely on theory when teaching self defence. The information is passed onto them by people who claim to have the experience but this cannot always be verified. When experimenting with or teaching self defence in class, the Instructor usually relies on their students in a clasroom environment which can give misleading results because of missing factors present in a real and hostile situation. Realistically, we are not going to go out there to see if things work but Instructors need to be cautious when offering solutions. My colleague, being very fit and strong, who was a riot squad officer, was not going to comply nor look bad in front of his mates so that made the situation more challenging and realistic. Mr John Will made a point of this when he was training Afghan soldiers; he realised how different they responded to his moves to that of a normal martial artist.
Self Defence training has to be tailor made for the person, occupation and environment. Training for the Afghanistan soldier is going to be different to that of a young female who works late at night. Training a night club security guard is going to be different to that of a person who lives in a troubled area or country where guns and knives are prevalent. So the subject can get quite complex in the ordinary martial arts school.
Reality Based Self Defence are best taught by those 'who have been there, done that'. Time and time again, the experts say, 'on what life experience do you base your information on'. But there are good Instructors (without that real life experience) who can still pass on these skills if they have been fully trained up by the experts. However, they should do so with ‘tongue in cheek’ and not intentionally mislead people in believing the solutions are simple.
GA
We’ve talked about a Black Belt being within anyone’s reach based on the minimum hours of training and conscientiousness, which always stands. What any Instructor wants their students not to think are, they are handed out; they wouldn’t be worth much if that happens. The grading system is a step by step process like a climbing a ladder one step at a time which is easier than 3 or 4 steps at a time. Most martial arts systems use the coloured belt system in which ranks are readily identifiable within each school. It’s great to advance to the next belt but what counts most is what you do when you get that belt. 
years of adulthood and, in most cases, when the brain no longer has challenges or makes important decisions which are prevalent when one retires and becomes mentally inactive. The symptoms include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown and long-term memory loss, and it only gets worse. 
stage to congratulate the girl and I said to her, “you don’t know me but … “ She interrupted and said, “I do know you, Sir.” I was a little stunned before I could go on. I told her how fascinated I was with her performance. I'm talking about kicks that knocked the other girl over and punches that rocked her head. She didn’t realize how well she went. I was truly astounded with the performance of all the girls in the ring; they can really fight. They all seem to enjoy the same hairdo – pleated with plats. 
in yourself. I said to him, "you make me feel young again" and I got a big smile out of him. I watched him very closely and listened hard because I knew he is not going to be around in Sydney much longer. Interestingly enough, I always tell my students to learn and train as if I am going to leave Sydney so I get their full undivided attention. We’re talking about 100% effort here. I was ringing wet at the end of the session but how enjoyable was that! I hope to get some of this across to our people but we're lucky enough to have Shihan Richard Norton, who has been a student of Sensei Benny, since 1984!
should be held back in every case but consideration should be given as to why grades need that extra time. This is to make sure you really earn that belt. Experienced Instructors know it all too well that a Black Belt is only as good as the system or the Teacher who gives it. Each rank symbolizes a certain mental and skill level. Many of us do martial arts for the enjoyment of training, not for the belts. If tomorrow, I was promoted to the next belt in BJJ, then what? If anything, I have a bit of worrying to do because I have to live up to it. I usually like to share the same philosophy when grading my students in Karate and which sometimes may be difficult to understand. If that's hard to take then try BJJ which takes 3 years to get Blue. That's equivalent to getting a Brown in our karate system. Thankfully, those who get their Black Belt in our Karate system, understand the reasoning.