dead training videos: How not to practice martial arts

**pokeroo** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 5:11pm

Disclaimer: dead horse beating ahead.
I was checking my youtube today and as usual my account had some links to martial arts videos, since I'm always looking at videos this site refers me to. I have seen a lot of bad demos, and I will not say this stuff is the worst, but I just happened to come across the best examples of what not to look for in a martial or self defense and I just had to share. So if your looking for something new go to another thread.
First I came across what is likely a kids TKD belt grading where 2 girls are demonstrating self defense techniques. These are standing joint lock and grab escapes and their demonstration as skilled as these girls are shows exactly why these self defense techniques are useless. I spent a few years doing this sort of thing most of the time when I did booj. I remember the whole freezing like a statue while my partner demonstrates a bunch of strikes or fumbled to get my wrists etc.

Next I came across this Aikido demonstration which is presented by a woman who claims 6th dan rank, and says "the purpose of these videos is to empower women with practical self-defense techniques based on the martial art of Aikido". In the second video of her its pretty clear she doesn't' have the timing or coordination of a jjj whitebelt, and the first one might only work if your attacker's strategy is to run straight into you, and lets you know ahead of time he's planning to attack you, and exactly what he will come at you with. I know there are some hot aikido threads right now but I'm not sure just how relevant this is to them. My main issue with these videos is the claim that these are practical self defense techniques.

here laugh is really creepy

And last I have the most compliant mma training I have ever seen. I know its just a drill and the techniques are fairly high percentage but there is absolutely no resistance being demonstrated here.

I know that I have trained in ways like this in my past. I just don't understand though how it is that people possibly believe this stuff is effective. I know I thought so in the past and it had a lot to do with rationalization. It just never ceases to surprise me that people are not ashamed to film this stuff and put it on youtube.

If anyone wants, I challenge people to find videos more uniquely compliant and post them here. No choson ninja, or ninjutsu because that is too easy. Extra points for unrealisitic attacks, attackers freezing while defenders perform elaborate motions, defenders struggling to "get it" on an attacker that is practically a statue, and general over-compliance.

EDIT:super bonus: if you find a mma training video that has these qualities.

**Chili Pepper** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 5:22pm

Pfft, too easy. I bring you Awud Mied (Thai Knife Fighting)

**pokeroo** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 5:35pm

OK I'll admit the challenge isn't very hard. Still very well done. I'm not sure whether that was supposed to be combat or interpretive dance.

The irony of knife fighting training, its almost impossible to train it live, and training for a knife fight is pretty ridiculous in the first place as a situation where attacker and defender both have knives, both know the others have knives, and choose to fight each other anyway is pretty close to impossible.

**Hedgehogey** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 6:14pm

Originally Posted by pokeroo

Appears to be a shitty TMA school that's put on some suspiciously new looking MMA gloves. Their videos claim BJJ. None of their instructors have a BJJ background or an MMA record.

**cosmichearse** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 8:31pm

I don't know if its the music or the slow mo but it has an erotic feel to it. Not that any part of this is at all "simple" or "to the point" or "practical" but 1:15 is just ridiculous. Scratch that, it's all ridiculous.

**ProfessorChaos** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 9:59pm

Originally Posted by pokeroo

The irony of knife fighting training, its almost impossible to train it live, and training for a knife fight is pretty ridiculous in the first place as a situation where attacker and defender both have knives, both know the others have knives, and choose to fight each other anyway is pretty close to impossible.

I beg to differ. If I can disengage for two seconds from a person with a knife, then we'll both have a knife. Then I can only hope they choose not to fight. As far as training it live, rubber knives are good, as well as magic markers with white t-shirts.

I will agree that it makes more sense to train unarmed against a knife more. And overly compliant dance training is worthless armed or unarmed.

**cosmichearse** · Posted On: 4/17/2011 10:04pm

The mma video, isn't that a symptom of teaching mma as a consolidated "style"(as opposed to training different styles then later mixing them)? I mean, in most martial arts you learn techniques on a compliant partner, then when sparing, you try it out. I'm not saying it looks great, but, I wouldn't say it's the worst either.