It never ceases to amaze me on how the majority think that they are fully committed to their training and are fully competent. Many believe that attending or instructing several short sessions a week can be classed as full-time. What they may consider full-time or fully committed would amount to nothing more than casual involvement in my estimates or in the reckoning of the true Masters that have had the commitment and confidence to make their training their fulltime career. There is nothing wrong with casual participation as long as the individuals do not think it is anything more than that. Most or should I say the majority of instructors have careers or employment that must take precedence over their training. The reality is that hours undertaken and successful test phases will determine an individual's level, rank and status if they are current in their continuation training. If they are not current skill fade is a reality and up-skilling is required to ensure previous levels are once again achieved. Too many exponents or basic or advanced course instructors today act as if they are Master instructors in regards to skills and programs research and development when they are barely confident in their own required skills. In my time as an exponent or instructor one respected the chain of command and contributed or commented only on request. There's not only a lack of respect by interrupting or interfering but also a lack of reality when such individuals think they have more experience expertise and vision than their superiors. Another common weakness is how sensitive and soft nosed some New Age exponents are.

We live in such PC times that people think that they can totally to do whatever they want and that is the general perception that anyone can do whatever they want and expect to have all their whims and needs catered to. They believe that their opinion is the most important and that they can present themselves as they wish and also conduct themselves as they want. Don't get me wrong I welcome exponents of all backgrounds and encourage them to be self motivated and like them to be committed to their self-improvement and intelligent in their application to their training. But their must be a chain of command and everyone must know their place and how to conduct themselves. Orders are orders, rank and status must be respected as well as fellow combatants must be shown respect. The smart exponent is a grey character that is committed and employs combat smarts. He gets on with the requested task without a fuss and continues to practice until instructed on the next skill. He is recognized for his loyalty, commitment and inner resolve and skill, not for a lacs weak attitude and talking more than listening. To eyes and two ears to watch and listen twice as much as you talk is a wise approach. No one respects brown noses, smart asses or wannabe know alls. On the other hand those that are quietly confident and committed make their mark the right way. A real means of identifying exponent weaknesses and traits is to observe them discreetly on courses or have them accompany the team on trips away or generally observe them in a foreign environment. Some simply stall or falter while others become legends in their own minds trying to impress anyone and everyone, while others quietly get on with the required task and can be seen to be capable of leading the way or team playing. I often hear from exponents and instructors how they are nothing less than fully committed but in the next breath they are not sure if they can make training or if they will even still be living in the same location in a weeks time. These so-called committed can't be relied on to attend anything and their attention to detail is dismal. Reliability and responsibility are questionable and to expect them to keep open lines of communication would be too much to expect. You can go to incredible lengths and expense to ensure the requested training support materials and products are available only to see those that requested them or others that would benefit from them the most ,not willing to pay for such products. Many want everything for nothing and think they have the born right to be provided with all the bells and whistles free of charge. Others you have to lead to water and make them drink or when the product is no longer available they will be first to complain even though you had sent such advice in coms many times over. I find it infuriating when exponent’s whinge and moan about the minimal cost for training support materials or equipment. I've travelled the world for the past 20 plus years at my own expense to train and qualified. I've put myself on the line and fronted up time and time again without question because that is the required commitment. If you want it and have what it takes you will do what ever it takes to front up and achieve. To any Master instructor being told how to do his job by a mere beginner in comparison to himself is an insult. The new age exponent needs to take a reality check and be well versed in protocol and etiquitte and earn the right to rank and be recognized for excellence not insolence. To come off instructing an elite forces close combat course where exponents are highly motivated and quiet, confident, competent professionals and have to train opinionated, half-assed, under committed civilians is a real strain on your tolerance levels. When I say half assed I mean it and when I say know alls I mean that to. You give them a task and after one or more repetitions they stop and when questioned why they have stopped they reply they know that one now. Whereas elite forces combatants or for that matter regular force exponents will continue to alternate in practice until told otherwise. When you consider proficiency takes thousands of repetitions there is no point in even turning up if you are a one repetition wonder. Many exponents today are paper hounds and are constantly in pursuit of anything that they can show off. Many exponents and instructors alike have alternate agendas and are after credibility by association so they can go from the bottom of the pile to the top without enduring all the in-betweens and earning their rank and status by testing and qualifying. The reality is in my line of work and world they will never be respected by their peers for being a wannabe back door entry boy or outsider looking in. While their innuendo and all the hype may impress the gullible it simply doesn't wash with those in the know.

I have spent many years putting in place a process for my civilian intakes that quickly identifies those that have what it takes from those that are looking for easy options and eliminates them. By vetting closely observing and ensuring exponents are taken outside their comfort zone a self selection process can dictate many outcomes. Having exponents undertake a basic phase 1 test within 100 hours of training is another great identifier of exponents that don't belong.

While it is true in all organizations from time to time individuals will slip through the cracks the reality is that the percentage will be minimal and even if they progress up through the ranks they will be found out eventually and their fate will be sealed.

Making the phase 1 test reasonably short in duration but high in stress and intensity with a compulsory required high level of skills performance is a great measuring stick of the individual exponent.

Times have changed and many individuals simply do not have a grip on their abilities and capabilities and don't know when to shut their mouth.

The old saying you will be remembered for your mistakes not all your positive efforts can be very true and it is important that the keen and conscientious exponent or instructor does not put their foot in it and become resented for showing a lack of respect and speaking or acting out of turn.

There is a time and place for everything and when they have the rank experience and expertise and most importantly the right to, then their opinion will count.

The top 1% is what I personally am looking for in exponents and it is a reality that there must be 99% that don't fit the bill and must be lost along the way.

That is to be expected but what is not desired is exponent's not respecting the chain of command or protocol or etiquette when they are exponets under going training .

When you consider in close combat you are training exponents towards advanced and specialist modules with armed components it is very important that individuals learn to listen and follow orders for safety reasons.

Bad habits, the breaking of the chain of command, a lack of respect or attention to detail can be the later cause of accidents injury or even a death.

There simply isn't any place in the real close combat world for those that have not earned the right to be there by doing the hard yards.

While society may well have slipped in standards in relation to respect and behaviour there is no place for such influences to be tolerated in a true combative facility.

Many individuals today practically buy their right to instruct and barely look old enough to shave let alone have completed the considerable exponent training phases and testing to be instructor qualified.

There are others that pref rouge learning where they take a technique from here and a bit of this style and a bit of this system and call it their own.

What they forget is that playing with a single technique can hardly be described as mastering a style system or even the individual skills in its regards to its entirity.

This only goes to further high light how even instructors may well have no respect for gaining expertise and qualifications the honourable way and once again is an indicator to how standards have slipped.

Not only a lack of respect honour and credibility can be concluded from such individuals but also a lack of intestinal fortitude when you consider they could have moved up through the ranks and earned thier rank and status not set up shop to avoid the realities of fronting up and enduring.

There is a lot to be said for good old fashioned values respect and down right hard work to acheive one position and status.

Certainly those looking at commencing combative training should join the best and most respected training provider not the closest or loudest and work your way up from the bottom benefiting from all the lessons along the way.