"Reality doesn't care about your safe space"
Summary
When Master Chim (MC) asked me if I was interested in coming up to his Jungle Gym location in the Bronx to participate in one of his VioPrep 101 Seminars I was pretty quick to confirm my attendance. I had missed a previous VioPrep Ground W.A.R. seminar before when I wrote an article on MC's "Blade Awareness Myths" which he sent out for those subscribed to The Warrior Project email list (you should probably get on this list).
Going into this one day class, I knew there will be a lot of hands on reps being done, as well as, a fire-hose method of concept instruction and transference. I went into the class knowing that I will be challenged by concepts which I may have been educated on but may not have enough reps of in order to effectively apply them in the real world. This is an exceedingly important process everyone should go through, to challenge their training which is contrasted against their physical ability, and skill sets, to produce the end result of overcoming a deadly physical confrontation in the real world. This class is exactly the type of real world, gritty and brutally honest, assessment of a persons physical skill sets, instructed by a logically processed and real world vetted practitioner.
Equipment
Since this was a gym/training environment I brought my go to training tools with me in order to get the most out of the class and burn good reps with the tools I carry daily. If your tools do not work in a training environment, you will likely have an issue applying them in the real world. This is a list of tools/stuff I brought with me to the class:
V Development Group Seraph G17 AIWB holster (with large wedge) using Discreet Concept Carry MOD4 Clips - clipped onto BJJ shorts (draw string type)
Headhunterblades.com Rat Blade Sheath and Trainer
V Development Group Logo T-Shirt
Blackhawk Glock Shape
Moleskin Notebook - although MC provided students with a specific note-taking book
Bolt-Action Pen
Rash Guard
BJJ/No-Gi Shorts
The First Half
We started the class off with MC talking about his background as a BJJ black belt for many years, his experience with various forms of real world applied violence and what led up to him starting his own gym, eventually developing this class due to the obvious void in the training industry. He talked about how logic based blade training is very rarely done properly when associated with BJJ.
MC explained that VioPrep is short of Violence Preparation and explained several mindset based things which should be done by every student of violence, such as going out of your way to see how violence is done in the real world and inoculating yourself from the cognitive dissonance which may occur when you see something in reality, as opposed to, in a video game or in a movie.
MC talked about how he came to develop the blade side of his instruction, which had to be vetted in real time and never in theory. This is very important, as there are many theories of how something can possibly work, but until you actually do that in the speed of the real world you may not understand the actual speed, or severity, of the fight.
As there are a lot of instructors in this particular part of the training industry, MC talked about how people should not defend any particular brand or instructor if they are not teaching something logically, or vetted in reality, but should test that instructor's concepts in real time and see if they work. We should all be on mission in this endeavor, because we need to test the tactics produced in the industry and separate the functional against the ineffective. There can be no vacuums, everything must be done in the speed of reality.
MC introduced his W.I.T. Method, which stands for Willingness, Insight and Tactics. This is a culmination of numerous proven logical concepts and functional mindset derivatives. Concepts like the time tested and proven OODA Loop and MC's cornerstone belief of Tribal Honor. MC also introduced his concepts of Hit Points and how you should "Trust tools, not Spells". All of these concepts coincide with various references he has made in his previous Pressuse Project podcasts and the current Power Programs of The Warrior Project.
MC went deep into these concepts and was very concise with his explanation of each part. There are many more concepts which he referred to and I have left the majority of them off this AAR because they really need to be taught in person in order to properly get an understanding for them.
The class then moved on to an instructor led, pre-training, stretching ritual which is quick but very functional. It worked the joints as much as various muscle clusters quickly.
We then got into some non-weapon based reps, and different forms of entries.
MC then went on to Post Escapes.
Various ground escapes were shown and this began the clear delineation between the various teaching paradigms currently in the industry. This is where MC's level of experience really broke the molds and the secret sauce began to leak out, so to speak.
MC then began to explain what the priority should be when in a deadly force physical confrontation where tools are involved.
Are you more worried about getting stabbed once or several times?
What tools do you have at your disposal? How quickly can you deploy them and in what logical order of priority?
MC talks about the type of facial expressions you make and how that can effect you or project your intentions.
Ground W.A.R. stands for Weapon Check, Aggressive Action and Returning to a Standing Position. This is one of the fundamental aspects of VioPrep. It is a logical process of positional physical conflict designed to achieve the fastest way to victory through specifically developed processes.
Positions are a part of the Ground W.A.R. system there are several positions MC went over and we were able to rep until we understood them properly.
MC went around and made sure each student understood the right way to go through each position. Perfect repetition is the only way to properly develop the skill sets to train and accomplish your goal in the real world.
Part of the system are several "states" of conflict against an opponent.
The Second Half (After Lunch)
Once we got done a short lunch we got right back into it with another stretching routine and then MC began to talk about basic tapping concepts and his Tyr Escapes.
MC went into what tapping is, why it is important and why it should be trained.
After the students were able to rep tapping and other concepts with MC giving directions where required, MC moved onto Tyr Post Escapes. This is the meat of MC's VioPrep instruction, in my opinion. While this section of instruction was about the same length of time as the others, we were using training blades and it felt as though it was more in depth/thorough.
MC made sure that each student was properly performing each of the Tyr post escapes properly and developing their own ability through good repetitions.
MC added various steps to the repetitions the students were running so that we may be challenged in our learning process. This was an excellent "step up" from the various levels of instruction on these types of concepts which I have seen in the industry. MC explained a concept quickly, demonstrated it and then the students were required to perform it.
Since this class was specifically about developing methods of fighting against someone who is armed with a blade, MC went into numerous types of escapes from the bottom position.
Obviously no one is planning on being on the ground with an armed attacker trying to stab them, but it may happen. The difference with what MC teaches, aside from how it was logically developed, is that he maps out and walks the students through, a very functionally proficient formula he developed in real time. This is the why and the how of the VioPrep concept mixed together. I have never seen this elsewhere, and you will likely never see it instructed so proficiently elsewhere.
After a few more proprietary concepts MC instructed the class on, every student began to do a real time exercise implementing the concepts gone over during the class.
This last drilling exercise is just above the standard concept of rolling in BJJ, as the student is required to do what they were taught in the class (and not just whatever they want to work on that day) and they are required to focus on specific concepts while considering other concepts of priority. Training weapon systems are included and this ups the ante very quickly. This also was a very focused drilling session. It started off with the students just doing whatever they thought they needed to in order to succeed. Then it was turned into a logically applicable drilling session with specific concepts isolated, control and escape.
Conclusion
This class is the culmination of a lot of various concepts put together through a logical development process. Some of the things in this class, which MC taught, would not be something people would consider unless they ran the concept down the logical rabbit hole in real time, sans vacuum. This is something, which I have stated numerous times already, that is just not done in the training industry currently. Too many instructors are concerned about appealing to emotion or focusing on very specific concepts which have not been vetted through the test of real time, full contact, or scrutiny. MC runs a hardcore gym which he employs to work the issues out of these concepts. All of this clearly comes out in his instruction and the concepts he presented. The majority of the concepts in VioPrep were original in nature and those which MC borrowed from other schools of thought he gave credit to, explaining why he believed they were important enough to mention.
I believe that once MC gets a good bit of students to go through VioPrep, those same students may go to other classes with other instructors and quickly realize they are too advanced for them. It is pretty easy to see why this class is a game changer in terms of concepts, instruction and drilling. It just does not exist anywhere else and some of these concepts could only be found in this class.
The biggest takeaway is that VioPrep and MC's instruction only live in the real world, not competition or point based games. Everything taught in this class is designed to make the student a more dangerous and capable person. The skill sets developed from this class require repetition, but once you understand the concepts, you will be burning those reps as you will see their utility and application for real world confrontations.
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