A Bad Review

On both my site and in my book, I explain the foundation of unarmed physical self defense training should be what I call the MMA Base, which is only training punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and wrestling against the uncooperative opponent.  If you do not train these most common methods against an uncooperative opponent, then you can’t learn to defend against them.  Period.  Many martial arts practitioners don’t realize this.  It should be entirely uncontroversial, but unfortunately it isn’t.  So as to learn to defend against something, you need to actually train against it!

After Chapter 6, on the MMA Base, there are chapters on Functional Self Defense, Environmental Applications, and Physical and Mental Fitness – all vital components of self defense that have nothing at all to do with game based fighting. 

Before I get to the MMA Base in the book, in Chapter 1 I cover the difference between self defense and martial arts, pointing to how self defense and MMA/sport based fighting are not the same.  The first chapter of my novel points out the opposite of what this reviewer claims I insist upon.  Again, this is the opposite of saying that game based fighting should form the base for real world self defense.  Chapters 4 and 5 cover more aspects of self defense plan, together with functional training. 
“The techniques and systems of the MMA Base are designed primarily for one-on-one sport based fights between men and women in similar weight classes, in a place intended for safe fighting, where both participants understand what is about to happen. There are rules that prohibit some of the most effective and damaging techniques from being used, and by eliminating those techniques from the equation, unique and effective footwork, perfect for self defense, is also failed. For the most efficient and effective physical self defense, we must go beyond the MMA Base. ”
I receive emails nearly daily from people who have read my books or spent time on my website, telling me how much they have learned from the content.  The majority of them have practiced other martial arts, and many are martial arts instructors.  Just as I was taught ineffective material and thought it was powerful, these individuals have done the same.  Reading my books and training the material in them has enabled people to find out what really works and what doesn’t, to really learn self defense, and to make their training far more practical and realistic.  It disturbs me that this one bad review from someone who clearly either didn’t read my book or didn’t see most of what was inside, has substantially decreased the amount of people who have access to realistic, practical material.
You can see the bad review here.

However, the MMA Base is not self defense, and that I ’ve never stated that it is.  The MMA Base is one little part of self defense.  Self defense involves a combination of strategy, training techniques, and techniques that include awareness and avoidance, unarmed physical self defense, and armed bodily self defense.  Awareness and prevention are far more significant than the MMA Base, for instance.  It’s for this reason that the MMA Base part of my novel is in Chapter 6 rather than Chapter 1.

Update: Changes Ahead

Bad Review

I proceed to explain why sport based fighting is inadequate for physical self defense.
I think the main reason he disliked the book was due to his misunderstanding regarding this sentence he wrote: “The writer ’s insistence that sport based fighting form the base for real world self defense was also highly suspect. ”

I haven’t posted or sent out any emails/updates in several months now.  I’ve been really busy with lots of big changes.  At some point early next year things will settle down, and I have plans to add more videos to my site along with possibly offering educational videos.  I’ll also get back to posting more on this site.  I have a backlog of at least a couple hundred emails, and I apologize if you’ve written and that I haven’t written back.  I’ll try to respond soon!
The article A Bad Review appeared first on Functional Self Defense.

What frustrates me about this review isn’t so much that this one person missed just about everything in the book, although that’s frustrating, but his misguided review has caused many individuals not to buy the book.  (This is most likely because of the publication ranking worse because of his review, although I’m sure some people have decided not to purchase it after reading what he wrote.)  And the primary reason I’m frustrated about people not buying the book doesn’t have anything to do with me making money by selling it.  I made this website and wrote the books because I really care about people knowing what works and what doesn’t concerning self defense.  It’s a passion of mine.  This is not exactly what I do for a living.  I don’t want the money.

So I’ve a favor to ask.  Lots of you reading this have purchased my books.  Lots of you have emailed me to express how much you learned from them.  If you’ve read the books, please take a moment or two to write a review on Amazon.  Doing this will help other martial artists and self defense practitioners who won’t see this material differently.  Thank you!