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Pyramid of Threats: Realistic Self-Defense Goals

Author: Bart Scovill
Date Posted: July 26, 2007

There are many different reasons to begin training in the martial arts. But whatever your reason, self-defense was probably at least part of it. And if this is the case, it's probably a good idea to consider what you can hope to accomplish through your training. If your goal is to become invincible, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. Invincibility is an unrealistic goal and anyone that tries to convince you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something. History has shown that there is no such thing as an invincible person, even if you surround yourself with powerful armies, hide in a hole, or spend all your time training and become a big Hollywood action star!

I've been training most of my life and attained rank in many different styles of martial arts. Even so, I'm constantly faced with people I’m not sure I could defeat in a fight. At first I found this disconcerting. I'd spent the better part of my life trying to improve my fighting skills, yet I would see fighters on TV, or professional athletes, or even younger martial artists in my own dojo with great natural talent who I doubted my ability against. I used to believe that if I outranked them, or had trained longer I should be able to beat them. And all other things being equal, this would be true. But, all other things are never equal.

In our dojo we have a drill known as line sparring. We form a single line and the first person will fight the second person until one is beaten by an effective technique. The winner stays at the front and the loser goes to the back of the line and the next in line immediately attacks the winner. During these drills, I noticed a pattern emerge. Certain people were consistently beaten by the same people. Even our best fighters would loose to the same people despite being a technically better fighter. This would happen over and over. The superior fighter would lose and go to the back of the line and the winner would lose the very next fight. This didn't make any sense other than to point out that no matter how long we train or how good we get, we all have our weaknesses and anybody is capable of executing a technique we're not prepared for.

Even if invincibility were a possibility, do we possess the resources to accomplish it? What are you willing to sacrifice? Time is always an issue. Do you have the time to become a full time martial artist? For most of us, the answer is no. Most of us have jobs, families or other obligations that require the majority of our attention. Money can be a limiting factor. Do you have the money to employ the best teachers and purchase the best equipment? Even if the answer were yes to all of these, do you possess the physical attributes to become invincible? How many times have you seen world class athletes, seemingly invincible in their chosen sport, suffer career ending injuries because their body wasn't capable of sustaining that level of training? There is simply no guarantee that you could ever become invincible even with all the necessary resources.

So if invincibility isn't possible, what should be our goal? It should be the elimination of as many threats as possible within the limited resources we possess and the commitment we’re willing to make. Threat elimination does not only mean the ability to defeat any potential threat, but also to avoid potential threat. This can be accomplished through awareness, attitude and simple common sense. There are virtually an infinite number of threats out there. We usually do everything that is both within our power and is reasonable to limit them. As an example, while driving a car, most folks put on their seatbelt, look both ways and stop at red lights to minimize their risk. Very few chose not to drive at all, the only sure way to avoid an accident. The former are reasonable precautions, the later not so much. This doesn’t mean the reasonable precautions can’t be improved on. You could buy a car with airbags, you could upgrade to side airbags, you could get antilock brakes and all wheel drive, you could wrap the car in Kevlar, but at some point, you’re going to reach the limit of your available resources.

It is the same with self-defense. By recognizing that there are threats out there, you have taken the first step to reducing their number. Awareness is the first, most effective and easiest step in self-defense. The next is deciding you’re going to actively begin to make yourself less vulnerable. You could choose to carry a weapon (not my first choice because weapons are often used against their owner), you could hire a bodyguard, you could choose to barricade yourself in your home, or you could learn to defend yourself. I choose to defend myself with my hands because I take them with me wherever I go.

So now that we’ve decided to begin reducing our threat exposure, where do we begin? I think of threats in the form of a pyramid and refer to it as my pyramid of threats. At the bottom are the most common but least able threats. At the top are the most lethal but least common threats. As we train, increasing our knowledge, and improving our skill, our pyramid shrinks as we eliminate individuals that are a threat to us from the bottom of the pyramid up. Your pyramid will always be in flux. You learn a new escape, and your pyramid shrinks. You incur an injury and your pyramid grows (at least till your injury heals.) Some factors can cause your pyramid to simply trade one threat for another. Age, for instance. As we get older and frailer, we may trade hooligans that want to prove themselves against what they perceive as a challenge for criminals that may wish to victimize an apparently easy target. The important thing is that we take as much control over our individual pyramids as we can.

This way of thinking keeps the focus on what we are accomplishing in our training instead of what’s left to be accomplished. This also keeps expectations at a realistic level. Many people walk into the dojo for the first time expecting to become untouchable. This can lead to discouragement when it becomes apparent that there will always be someone better and even untrained individuals will pose a threat. The pyramid is a more realistic measurement of progress and source of motivation (i.e. I’m still not ready for Mike Tyson yet, but that drunk in the bar is no longer in my pyramid of threats).

Another benefit to the pyramid viewpoint is it is a source of measurement more closely tied to the real world. Belt ranks differ drastically from style to style and school to school. It may be a good measuring stick against other members of your school or your own progress within that style, but it’s virtually useless when measuring yourself against outside threats. The pyramid, however, does not adjust for belt rank. Of course you will have to use your performance in the dojo as part of the equation, but you will need information from outside sources as well. The more information you can assimilate, about both yourself and possible threats, the more accurate your assessment of the size of your pyramid and how best to reduce it. Good sources of information can include books, videos (especially those showing realistic attacks), television, seminars, and individuals that have first hand experience.

Martial arts’ training can be like climbing a mountain. If we focus on the peak (invincibility), it's easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged, but if we limit our attention to the next ledge, plateau or step, it's easier to keep going. Eliminate threats from your pyramid one at a time. You will probably never eliminate all threats, but the goal is to keep your pyramid as small as possible within the limitations of your given resources and commitment.

About The Author

Bart Scovill trains in Shuri-ryu Karate-do. You can visit him at Warrior Pages, to see videos, reviews, articles and terminology. He is a lawyer by trade, but a martial artist at heart. Bart has been training in the martial arts since 1978. He currently trains and teaches under the legendary Shihan Donna Judge at the Suncoast Karate Dojo in Sarasota, Florida. One of the best things about training with a legend is you are surrounded by other legends and legends to be. He has previously trained in Shorin-ryu, Wado-ryu, and Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu. In addition to Shuri-ryu, he also participates in jiu-jitsu (both Japanese and Brazilian), bagua-zhang, xing-yi quan, qigong, aikido, kali, kobudo and yoga.

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of General Interest articles.

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