#dbma

Bern feels a long way away. My journey there was via Basel airport and a train journey to Bern itself. In the current heatwave, the walk downhill from the nearest tram stop to the riverside campsite was crushing. I pitched camp and eventually found the Tribe.

That afternoon’s workshops were conducted in a field almost out of sight of the main campsite. Due to a delayed flight, I only attended the final Friday workshop, Crafty Dog on stick-grappling. It was good stuff that passed the “makes sense” test and would pass the pressure testing over the following two days.

[All photos by Denis K]

There was relief from the heat as Bern has a fast flowing but swimmable river running through its centre. Every day of the Gathering included a swim to cool off.

That doesn’t look like a Real Fight(tm)

How many times have you seen that comment in relation to a drill or sparring? Usually from the safety of an internet connection, of course. By Real, they usually mean earnest, and potentially lethal.

Even if we leave aside the issue of many fights being socially constrained, or of having different objectives, there is still a huge error of thinking in assuming all fights will, or should, look the same.

Even if we agree that we’re practicing for the context of an anti-social, murderous fight (rather than, say, “my friend Ed is OK until he starts drinking and we need to pull him away from the guy he’s starting on”, or “this mugger wants my wallet and will inflict harm to take it”) people will have different approaches. For example, one person might react to these high stakes (literally, life or death) by adopting the most cautious and defensive tactics possible. Another might decide that overwhelming aggression offers the best odds of bringing the fight to a successful conclusion without incurring injury. Another might have decided that they’re ok with dying as long as you go out along with them (this last approach is what the Dog Bros often refer to as “Primal Violence” attackers).

Dog Brothers Gatherings, for example, are designed to give as no-holds barred a fight as is possible within most people’s ethical framework. They’re not lethal, but they often incur injuries.They talk about different people’s preferred approaches as a set of stereotypes:

Lets turn to psychological types and games that one should recognize in Snake Range. Here, in no particular order, are some examples: a) "Mongo": (after the Alex Karras character in Mel Brooks's "Blazing Saddles") Mongo looks to smash anything and every thing that comes at him or is in front of him.

b) The Stalker: he lumbers after you, often with step and slide footwork.

c) The Evader: evades and looks to counter hit.

d) The Blocking Counter Hitter: he presses forward and looks to counter hit after blocking your strike.

e) The Posturer: he doesn't really want to fight. Typically Posturers strut and posture just out of reach in the hopes you will overextend yourself due to impatience.

f) The Salesman: uses the stick deceptively hoping to trick you into exposing yourself.

g) Three Card Monte: a variation of the salesman done with double stick.

It mixes the chambers of each stick (e.g. holds one high and one low) and tries to hit you with the one at which you're not looking.

h) The Speed Merchant: not much power, but he scores and moves.

i) The Troglodyte: doesn't care much if you hit him, he's going to hit you.

j) The Linebacker: comes after you like a linebacker blitzing a quarterback. He wants to crash and take it to the ground.

There's more of course and these types can be combined. For example, a Mongo can be a Troglodyte Stalker.

- lone wolf

Rather more than just the usual Renaissance personality types (choleric, sanguine, etc.) used by Alfieri, Meyer etc., because it goes further into technical choice as well as tactical.

These historical masters and these modern stick fighters both recognise a diversity of tactical approaches, informed by both personality and “favourite techniques”. So why insist that you know exactly how a real opponent will attack on the Streetz(tm)? Well, there are a few possibilities...

Possibly, they intend their art for only a specific niche of opponent - often one who is simultaneously aggressive but unskilled. Why? Because that way you get a free pass to hurt someone and feel good about it, and that’s the fantasy the instructor is selling.

I have a subscription to an online martial arts video resource. This might surprise you. Online learning, in martial arts, is associated with the spirit of the back of the comic book “Fear No Man!” ads for martial arts books and courses. Lately there’s been a string of finger pointing and politicking over HEMA “masters” setting up such courses of their own.

You can, undoubtedly, smell the bullshido coming out of your screen. A very similar whiff comes from many online courses, up to and including the infamous “internet blue belt” by Ryron and Rener Gracie.

Anyone who says they can make you a badass just by paying them money and watching videos is lying.

But that doesn’t inherently or entirely devalue the format.

MGinAction is maybe the pre-eminent example of an online subscription learning resource for martial arts done right. Marcelo Garcia is one of the top names in BJJ as an instructor and a competitor, who’s game is innovative and widely imitated. The subscription gets you a *lot* of footage, of both his teaching and his sparring, and it’s all cleverly set up to cross-reference.

It’s not what I subscribe to. I subscribe, instead, to the Dog Brothers online subscription. Why? Well, mostly because I have a great BJJ coach, and no-one currently accessible for stick fighting training.

Like Marcelo’s set up, this is by a leading light in his art; one who has walked the walk. In one of many DB mottoes:

You see it taught, you see it fought.

The DBMA system is not a widespread thing, and it’s certainly well tested. It’s honest about what it’s for, where it’s derived from, and who’s used it effectively. We’re not talking about the dubiously historical “pugilism” or “glima” syllabus offered by someone with no history of using it on resisting opponents.

Arguments from authority or ad hominem can be logical fallacies, but if someone is claiming to be an authority on fighting then they can show me the video.

They’re also not offering certification or ranking via the online program. It’s a resource and training aid, not a substitute for training. I see it as no different to cracking out a copy of Ringeck when I’m thinking about Fencing.

Things coming up, as I break that “not more than 2 events a month” rule:

March 5th is the KDF South Seminar - three of the coaches (Tonbridge, Bournemouth and, umm... Nottingham) teaching plus freeplay time. It’s at least local, as is...

March 12th: the ever irregular Bartitsu, I’m teaching

March 18-9th: I’m flying up to the Dog Bros Seminars and S-Day in Perth. Did someone say stick grappling?