Guest post by Kenneth Libersat, Premier Martial Arts Columbus
Train hard…. Fight Hard…. Live to tell a story about it!
A kid driving a new car that his parents just bought him came flying around a dangerous corner near our home today. He rolled the car and came to a stop on his side and was nearly wrapped around a power pole. Jessica and I were outside working in the yard when it happened. We heard the tires screaming followed by what sounded like an explosion.
I ran around the corner to see what happened and asked a neighbor to call 911. To my surprise, the young man crawled out of the car under his own power. He was in shock, and was bleeding from cuts on his arm and hands.
Instantly, without even thinking about it, my Army Combat Lifesaver (CLS) training kicked in. I was able to help the young man focus on his breathing and lower his heart rate and calm him down, while at the same time stopping the bleeding and keeping his hand and arm elevated. I stayed with him until the police and fire department arrived.
This goes to show that when you train hard at something….. again and again… over and over….. that when you need the skills…. they will be there for you.
The same thing goes for martial arts training. The harder you train, the more you repeat your training over and over….. the more likely you will be to have the skills you need to instantly spring into action in a life or death situation if the need arises to defend yourself.
Training builds knowledge and technique. Repetition builds muscle memory and a trained instinctive reaction to an attack. Never stop training. You may never need to defend yourself in a real life situation, but it’s better to be prepared and not need your training, than to not train and be unprepared when you are attacked.
Challenge yourself to train in class as if you were fighting for your life. In the Army, we say that you fight like you train. So if you don’t give it 110% when you train…. what will you give if you have to fight for real?
Train hard…. Fight Hard…. Live to tell a story about it!
Kenneth Libersat is a 3rd DAN Black Belt and the owner of Premier Martial Arts Columbus. He served six years in the US Army (11B1P Parachute Infantry) with the 82nd Airborne Division, 2/325th White Falcons and worked several years with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Premier Martial Arts Columbus incorporates a combination of techniques found in four effective disciplines: Krav Maga, Kickboxing, Submission Grappling and Kali which provide students with a realistic personal protection and fitness system for a modern world. Classes are available for kids and adults.
