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Fight Smart (Get Real)
How to Transform Yourself into a Combat Realist with Genuine Bussey Style
By Robert Bussey

"Fight Smart" was published in Black Belt Magazine in October 2003.

After three decades of steady innovation and almost sixteen years after appearing on the cover of Black Belt, Robert Bussey has sustained his vital focus for realistic personal protection and is back with "Genuine Bussey
Style".

"What makes the demand for personal responsibility relative is the fact that peace cannot be guaranteed in any society".
-Robert Anthony Bussey

Can you neutralize an attack and escape alive? This is a question that should be considered by anyone serious about personal protection, regardless of their level of expertise. Let's face it; to be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses takes courage. You may be surprised to know that your inability to deal with actual violent aggression is not so much about your physical attributes (or lack of them) as it is a problem of education. I hope that you will consider the following as helpful devices to guard against apathy and better equip you for the real world.

First Thought: Recognize Your Weaknesses & Evaluate Your Perspective On Defense.

With its heritage of traditionalism on the one hand, and sport strivings on the other, many within our culture have come to mistrust martial arts as a means of real defense. This may be because they recognize that true-life moments of conflict are often noticeably different from the scenarios played out in a training class or tournament. The emphasis on close quarter combat is becoming more popular because people are feeling ill prepared. How well you understand and can utilize pragmatic strategies will determine whether or not you are living with a false sense of security. Why is this perspective so important? Because serious conflict releases in you a heightened sense of awareness; it is possible that your energy may become misdirected and lead to a failed performance. Most of us can acknowledge limitation and at least a modicum of vulnerability and that is a good first step. If you are one of us, read on.

Second Thought: Choose Now As The Time To Start Being Real.

What is the most effective stance? Consider the tremendous improvements you can make in your performance simply by taking a proactive stance. There is no better time than right now to enhance your capacity to defend yourself. To understand the emotional and physical journey of protecting your life, you must take a hard look at certain ideas and practices within the arts and compare it to the arena facing all of us in today's dangerous world. Upon examination, you will see that numerous so-called "realistic" techniques have limited practical value and do not lend themselves to the rapidly changing course of live fighting. Many useable maneuvers exist to be sure, but in order to filter through to the responsible techniques requires common sense. If at this very moment you were fighting for your life in a frightening, "anything goes" environment, how much of what you know is going to help you? How would you really block a punch thrown at you by a vicious attacker? In what areas do you feel most vulnerable? Which are the fighting tools in your arsenal that you feel confident with? Thinking about these strengths and weaknesses will help keep you focused on distinct ways that you can cut through to literal techniques that produce results. A hospital room is certainly not the place to have your wake up call. So, now is a good time to cultivate usable tools that can be set into motion under the pressure of combat. Don't worry, immersing yourself in this process is not particularly demanding. In fact, it should feel liberating and quite a bit easier than working incognito.

Third Thought: Explore Techniques That Work For You, And Repeat Them To Create Effective Habits.

My research has shown me that the body will react out of habit based on a rehearsal process. In the absence of training, or in snapping back with impractical techniques under pressure, the body will react out of panic driven guesswork. In other words, your responses may fail you.

So, the next step toward reducing vulnerability is to seize combat training as a splendid opportunity to prepare yourself by sorting through the mumbo jumbo. With this route, you can keep a cool head and respond more automatically because you'll be more familiar with true-life hostile actions. Obviously, it would be impossible to imagine and prepare for every possible scenario. However, you can be assured that human tendencies remain consistent and there are, if you study them out, common attack patterns used by aggressors. Real combat is continuous and ongoing, not static. Your opponent will resist you. Handling this resistance is essential. In addition, the prospect of realistic mental and physical preparation lends itself to improvisational capabilities. That is, to be able to adapt and in effect, "wing it" during the conflict, minimizing your response time. The effect is that you'll move faster and be more instinctive.

Let's face it, valuable time is expended to compensate for incorrect moves and in the fight, every second counts. Things rarely go as planned, and that's when adaptability becomes crucial. The maneuvers I've developed were designed to interconnect with each other so that if one set of skills fails or become thwarted, others flow as an automatic response. Rehearsing these strategy combinations creates effective habits that you'll need to remain relaxed and protected. If your life depends on it, you don't want to feel completely out of your element.

Fourth Thought: Sharpen And Discipline Your Emotional and Physical Reflexes.

Today you can recognize the positive attributes you possess and personalize your style to make it more scientific. If you understand certain principals, five moves can become twenty-five. How is this accomplished? For those who train in Genuine Bussey Style, simulated drills are practiced as guidelines and not requirements, with adaptive responses implemented by the user based on suggestions from a C.A. or "Combat Advisor". With the proper Action Principals in place, variations of moves become second nature. Emphasis on pragmatism is always stressed while maintaining the highest regard for human life. Besides the introduction of basic stances, strikes, and response mechanics, a novice learns a series of mental strategies I've put together called, "Principals of Combat Intelligence". Once understood, a keen sense of the dynamics of combat can be merged with each practiced response.

This understanding really helps the individual to see a model of what certain choices might feel like. Then, through the course of simple and pragmatic ways, they are immersed in scenarios that address some of the most frequent attack patterns used today. This is all part of what I call, "What if? Combat Techniques Menu". Within the menu are categories such as, "Common Fist" and "Hands-On Assaults". For example, what if the opponent fires a right hook at your jaw (Common Fist), or grabs you by the throat or hair (Hands-On Assault). The action to defend is tailored to fit the attributes of the training member, and he or she hones their reflexes with moves best suited for them. Once the choice to act has been made, the desired goal is to commit to an explosive five-second finish. This idea is applied to all the categories within the "What if? CTM", including: "Going To The Pavement", where various survival tactics are developed in the event of a ground fight. Over time, an individual reviews a significant number of field tested protective strategies and essential skills needed to deal with multiple opponents, armed assailants, and verbal assaults.

No combat technician should ignore the aspect of conflict resolution. Next to gut instinct, it is the single skill that helps us recognize and handle potential violence before it happens. Remember, there are rarely any winners at the end of an exchange.

Fifth Thought: Maintain Responsibility For Your Choices And Actions

Personal protection demands that we take responsibility for our own safety. I believe that self-management should be conscience-directed. Inappropriate reactions to conflict can be most damaging. Use discernment and do not be so partial to style that you do not take advantage of the kind of experience and knowledge that can perfect your desired goal of being well defended. Be mindful of consequences. In it's simplest terms, combat is a process of cause and effect. The key point here is to sharpen instincts that help you avoid trouble and privately insist that your training experiences resemble the kinds of high-stress confrontations that are common in our contemporary world. You have self-revelating power. In the end, these small shifts in mind and body operations can lead to achieving the true self-confidence that you deserve.