What Do You Want?

Dear Black Hills Community,

One of life’s struggles, for most of us, is wrestling with words and communication. What to say and how to say it.

Right now I’m struggling to find the best way to express my puzzlement and frustration with the way the general public views self-defense training. For the most part, it seems to be viewed as a novelty – sort of a boutique service that only people with extra time and money can buy.

For some people it’s a quick few hours of “easy button” techniques. Sometimes it’s presented as complex combinations of fine-motor skills that most regular folks aren’t going to be able to do. For others it looks like a drudgery of endless and boring repetition of crap you’ll never use.

I want to say the problem is you. Your lack of motivation, your excuses, your poor time management and bad financial priorities. Ignorance of your own risk tolerance or self-assessment – you just don’t know what you don’t know.

But as with most things, the problem is actually me. I recently read this 5-year-old article on the subject, and it was enlightening. In short, as an instructor my own judgmental attitude gets in the way of what you need.

But that’s where the problem lies. I know you have needs and goals specific to you and your context. But I don’t know what they are until you show up. I know how important self-defense training is – for many reasons – but I have no way to make you believe it.

I have what I teach. And I know it can be tailored to your needs. YOU are the missing piece.

I want to challenge you to work on yourself – to be a better you in every way. I want to give you the opportunity to build your confidence as well as your skill level, to get to know yourself better. I want to help you better protect your families and give you the tools to continue learning and practicing.

But that’s all stuff I want for you. I don’t know what you want for you. Maybe what you want for you is something I don’t have.

Come try a class and share your needs and goals. Maybe I have something that works for you.