Since the last editors I have conducted several courses attracting exponents from all over the world as well as having regular visits from military instructors from around the world.

Many of my visitors claimed they went to considerable lengths to identify the right system, facility and instructor best suited to their needs before signing up.

They are a much more careful and educated type today, that is the realist close combat enthusiast. They are not so easily conned by outrageous claims and high powered promotions or self promoters or buddy promotions.

They said the reason they travelled down under is that many of the instructors they have checked out simply didn’t meet their expectations or the realities were far less impressive than the advertising.

Some of the common comments were that instructor’s profiles included martial arts high dan grades in multiple styles that obviously could not have been trained in and earned from white belt upwards.

Some of these people would have to be training day and night for several life times to physically come up through the ranks in as many as ten or more styles and become the masters they claim to be.

They pointed out that many of the styles and grades relate to other countries that they have never even visited. We can only presume these ranks are honorary and have been presented without having to come up through the ranks.

It could be that other non-earned grades have been used to achieve the said grades in another country without attendance and that may impress the gullible but to anyone with any combat smarts it simply doesn’t add up or impress.

Another comment was that specifics are seldom given of qualification, rank or competition results or titles; only vague mentions and innuendo.

They were amazed at how the training of military personnel was common in advertising but when scrutinized most had never trained military units and certainly had not attracted the claimed masses of soldiers to their civilian facilities.

That brought up the general descriptions of the training facilities themselves and the numbers regularly attending.

They said you would think that these individuals and schools from their advertising would have huge privately owned training facilities equipped with all the best in training aids and training weapons but most were working out of some small rented space with very little in training aids and equipment.

The physical reality was nothing close to the picture one could get from the promotional material and self and buddy promotions out there.

Another interesting point was that some didn’t look old enough to shave and looked like young jocks but claimed to be experts in military close combat without ever being on a military basic close combat course let alone an instructor’s qualification course.

Then there were titles and claims that were not based on any physical encounters and subject matter experts that clearly were self-promoters working at credibility by association.

The reality was that when these smart combatants begun to question and dig they found that there was little or nothing that actually equated to military close combat credentials or instructing service and most were either martial artists or martial artists with honorary, self or buddy presented ranks and titles.

Most would appear keener to make their own organization and self-grade or have their buddies bestow such titles upon them than meet the criteria and do the hard yards on course and under take testing.

To hear so many people at the same gathering coming to the same findings shows that the combat smart simply wont be conned and will do their homework to ensure they are in the place and company of who they want and need to be.

Many said they had initially fallen for the innuendo and faced the disappointment before they decided that the hard questions needed to be asked and answered before they committed to any further training.

Some had used the straight to the point questions from the prerequisite form on the International Close Combat Instructor Association web site and this had proven to them who had what they were looking for and who did not.

They were unanimous that any instructor in the market that did not provide their direct contact details or would not answer questions on their background and credentials was not worth pursuing and rung alarm bells.

They were also put off by those that publicly criticized or abused others as this showed to them a lack of professionalism and insecurity.

In conclusion many were amazed at how individuals could call themselves leading authorities on a subject that they had never officially trained or qualified in.