Modern Samurai Project Black Belt Standards

[rhino]

Well, I have to indulge my inner pedant:

As I learned it, the failure drill includes an immediate shot to the head with no pause or assessment. In the failure drill, you shoot the two shots to upper center torso then immediately shoot one in the triangle formed by the eyes and nose. Whether or not it was necessary is immaterial because it's going to happen.

By contrast, the Mozambique includes the assessment as to whether or not the head shot is needed.

 

[Jackson]

Speed is good, but there's no way to know how fast you need to be. Accuracy is good, but there's no way to know how accurate you need to be. More is probably better. Is it possible there are diminishing returns in terms of impact on gun fight survivability? Maybe, but there's no way to know what that situation is going to look like before you get there. So we make training priorities based on our own risk analysis and probably moreso our own interests.

Knowing implicitly how fast and accurate you can be at a given distance, position, or other constraints automatically and without conscious consideration has value, too.

From a street applicability standpoint, I tend to think the biggest value gained by increasing consistent performance in standards like these come in the form of self awareness and automaticity. Things with the gun just happen when they need to happen. Quickly, smoothly, and with minimal mental resources. This leaves more cognitive resources available to make tactical or other important decisions in the fight.

A high level of automaticity is the natural byproduct of training to achieve these kind of standards, and a prerequisite for this "Black Belt" level performance.

 

[Jackson]

Something I heard Paul Gomez say a few times:

Q. How much time do you have in a gun fight?


A. Maybe the rest of your life.



Or something similar to that.

 

[rhino]

I think one of the best takeaways from drills, standards, and tests is helping you know and understand your limits. If you have a good awareness of your own limits, you can do what you can to accommodate them.

 

[Jackson]

I think one of the best takeaways from drills, standards, and tests is helping you know and understand your limits. If you have a good awareness of your own limits, you can do what you can to accommodate them.

That's kind of what I was trying to say, but I used a lot more words.

 

[rhino]

That's kind of what I was trying to say, but I used a lot more words.

Which suggests we make a good team.

Generally I'm the verbose one, though . . . loquacious, if you well.

 

[nakinate]

I think one of the best takeaways from drills, standards, and tests is helping you know and understand your limits. If you have a good awareness of your own limits, you can do what you can to accommodate them.

That reminds me of a story I heard Travis Haley tell. He was doing his thing overseas when things went south with a local contact he was working with. This local pulled an AK on him, but had the safety engaged. Haley said based on his training he figured he had enough time to draw and put a shot on target. And that’s what he did.

So regardless of what your draw time is, it’s probably a good thing to know.

 

[devildog70]

I've heard other instructors say similar things to Jared. In regards to fighting with a gun, I agree. Being physically capable of shooting faster isn't a bad thing. I don't think it's particularly germane to winning a gunfight, though, other than being good practice in recoil management.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8YMA7Y7aer0&t=24s

 

[cedartop]

I've heard other instructors say similar things to Jared. In regards to fighting with a gun, I agree. Being physically capable of shooting faster isn't a bad thing. I don't think it's particularly germane to winning a gunfight, though, other than being good practice in recoil management.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8YMA7Y7aer0&t=24s

Exactly. That is what I was trying to explain with assessment.
Good find.

 

[chezuki]

Exactly. That is what I was trying to explain with assessment.
Good find.

So, you’re saying speed and accuracy don’t matter in a gunfight as long as you open-carry a non-1911 pistol in .40 or larger correct? Got it.

 

[Coach]

So, you’re saying speed and accuracy don’t matter in a gunfight as long as you open-carry a non-1911 pistol in .40 or larger correct? Got it.

You are a quick study.

 

[jkdbjj]

I've heard other instructors say similar things to Jared. In regards to fighting with a gun, I agree. Being physically capable of shooting faster isn't a bad thing. I don't think it's particularly germane to winning a gunfight, though, other than being good practice in recoil management.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8YMA7Y7aer0&t=24s

Good find. What he says makes sense.

 

[AsianJedi]

Hello All!

Just wanted to say thank you for giving my standards some consideration.

Just wanted to offer some things as well.

The black belt level that I based it on was rooted in BJJ. While TKD and Judo BBs denote proficiency, a BJJ BB denotes mastery. I am in no one saying that passing this standard is equal to a BJJ BB, especially since I am only a 3 stripe Purple Belt. That said, a purple belt patch doesn't have the same ring to it.

I codified these standards because I believe they are the foundation of what being proficient with an EDC RDS pistol means. Of course, there is movement, SHO, WHO, etc skills as well, but the skills in those actions can all be derived from analyzing the skills in the first four. Of course, this is my opinion, that and $5 will get you a mocha.

The standards are set to rival and compliment several other pistol standards out there. Inspiration was specifically derived from The FASTest and Gabe White's Turbo Pin. My intent was to teach and push students to master levels of performance rivaling and surpassing standards for iron sighted pistols. In the hopes to squash the myth that RDS are inherently slower than iron sights.

To clarify, these can be shot from a wrists below belt line or high thoracic. Why? High Thoracic enables to jab, cross, hook, shoot in, sprawl, and draw the gun, all while not looking provoking on the video for World Star Hip Hop. However, wrists below belt line (I hate the term "hands relaxed" - if you are overly relaxed with hands at sides, you are going to lose the fight. Congruently Paris/Surrender Ready will have the same effect) is more appropriate when the threat is not in close proximity. Think of a dude dragging your wife away at the end of a Walmart aisle. In regards to pre-staging the hands, pre-violence indicators are a thing like clinching your fists or pre-grabbing your cover.

IMHO, the standards are very achievable with the proper technique. It will not take 1000s of rounds. It will probably only take a few hours with me. I apologize if this sounds self-serving. That said, speed and efficiency come from technique and proprioceptive indexes. When proper mechanical advantages through technique are introduced, improvement is practically immediate.

I believe another person asked if there were other belt levels. They can be found here: Black Belt Patch Standards

Again, thank you for your consideration gentlemen.

 

[cedartop]

Welcome to INGO Scott. Thanks for your input and clarification. Always looking to learn more.

 

[Coach]

1 post and a dead thread?

 

[riverman67]

I've been too busy to practice let alone read things I should be reading
I find it interesting that these standards were developed for red dot pistol shooters as I am currently trying to teach myself to shoot one.
I have never heard that red dots are slower than irons, different but not slower.
It is also interesting that there is a particular order for the test to be shot in. I have not been doing it correctly.
My posted times put me somewhere between a Blue and a Purple belt. and I still suck.
Life got in the way and I didn't get a live fire session in last week so I don't have an update. This weeks plan is for Tuesday and possibly Friday if nothing explodes.

 

[G192127]

All these experts@ everything!
Just more schemes to separate you from your wallet....
Oh! And I just checked. My belt is black, but I can reverse it and it's brown!

 

[chezuki]

All these experts@ everything!
Just more schemes to separate you from your wallet....
Oh! And I just checked. My belt is black, but I can reverse it and it's brown!

So what were your times?

 

[cedartop]

All these experts@ everything!
Just more schemes to separate you from your wallet....
Oh! And I just checked. My belt is black, but I can reverse it and it's brown!

I know right. I feel the same way about docterin and flying schools too, you know all of them schools that involve teaching people who have the responsibility of life and death in their hands everyday.

 

[riverman67]

All these experts@ everything!
Just more schemes to separate you from your wallet....
Oh! And I just checked. My belt is black, but I can reverse it and it's brown!

I'm pretty certain that no one has discussed payment for anything.
Where is this coming from?