(Approx 2 minute 30 second read)

If there’s one recurring theme in the comments on my articles, it’s the difference between techniques for self-defense, sport, ‘bunkai’, or some form of ‘kumite’ in the dojo.
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Over the years, I’ve addressed misconceptions about self-defense that often lead people to confuse what works in a controlled environment with what holds up in the real world. These misunderstandings are particularly frustrating because they can put students’ safety at risk by relying on techniques that are unlikely to work when it counts.
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Of course, there are exceptional people, who could make anything work in any circumstance, but they are rare individuals.
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In self-defense if you have to fight it requires techniques that are adaptable, fast, and functional across a variety of chaotic and unpredictable scenarios.
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Someone commented that they need to add the methods of MMA to their syllabus. But simply “adding” techniques is not the answer. This approach often becomes a way of paying lip service to self-defense without truly integrating the principles that make those methods effective in chaotic, real-life situations.
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Effective training isn’t about collecting techniques – it’s about ensuring they are practiced with context, adaptability, and realism.
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One of the many misconceptions involves going to the ground as part of any strategy. There’s a belief that taking a fight to the ground, is viable in all situations, particularly because it can be effective in competitive matches.
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Fighting an opponent on the ground can be dangerous in self-defense situations, especially with multiple attackers or unpredictable environments. Staying on your feet, maintaining mobility, and finding openings to escape are often the safer and more practical approaches.
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While there is, of course, huge value in learning to recover if you’re taken down, the need to get back on your feet as quickly as possible to remain upright and mobile is paramount.
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Moving on, much of the ‘bunkai’ demonstrated rarely emphasizes the importance of escape.
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The perfect takedown, grip stripping, arm bar, etc., are all successfully shown, but hardly ever is escape demonstrated. Why? It’s a vital component of any scenario.
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The reality is that real-life situations are chaotic and highly resistant. Compliant training partners don’t exist in self-defense, and attackers will struggle, resist, and adapt to anything you throw at them. Techniques that are only practiced in compliance tend to break down under real stress, especially without the physicality of high-intensity resistance.
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After you have got to grips with the technique you are learning, your training should include drills where techniques are tested under unpredictable, resistant and aggressive conditions. Techniques need to be stress-tested against realistic responses to ensure they hold up under the pressure of a real confrontation.
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Much of the demonstrations seen today in your typical karate class or ‘bunkai’ seminar, doesn’t account for adrenaline, fatigue, aggression, or the sheer unpredictability of what may happen. Without getting close to realistic practice, even the best techniques can be ineffective, no matter how successfully those techniques may be demonstrated by your ‘experienced’ traditional karate instructor.
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If the application from kata is meant to address self-defense, then show it in reality. Techniques that are always demonstrated successfully can give practitioners a false sense of security. What if your technique fails? What now? Where is the reaction from your attacker? There will be one. What happens if the attacker has a 2nd or 3rd try? It’s likely. Instructors who teach perfect ‘bunkai’, every time, are not practicing for reality.
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If karate is for self-defense then show it working in that context – not putting on a show.
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Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo